Modicum of Merriment

by Amelia L. Rodgers
©2002 all rights reserved
Not to be used without author's permission.
Dedicated to Ed Bishop.
Dedicated to Carly, my jet-set friend for assisting me in details needed for giving Ed Straker a migraine at Heathrow :-)
and as always, my thanks to the Commander for continuing to cooperate with me

All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Ed Straker emerged from his cold water shower, dried and groomed himself and quickly dressed, choosing his white jumpsuit and matching Nehru jacket. A long career in the military had put him into the habit of finishing this routine in a mere ten minutes. He strapped on his wristwatch. Crossing into his bedroom, he looked at the unmade four-poster bed, particularly at the space in which Claire Spencer usually slept. How lonely the bed seemed without her. She had left her nightgown behind, and he touched the silk, he could barely make out the faint scent of Tresor left on it. She had worn it the night they had made love for the first time.

God, I need her. How strange that she shares a liking for that brand with my dead wife Margaret. He frowned, it had been so long since he let himself think about Maggie, he thought. It's not painful anymore. When she died I thought I would never heal, nor did I even want to. I have Claire now. We'd be married by now if it wasn't for all the delays. Damn it, I have to get us married if it kills me. Did she really have to run off and play Florence Nightingale when I needed her most? Damn. I think for the first time I understand what it was like for Mary, with me always being away. Now the shoe's on the other foot. Ed frowned again and picked up the telephone at the side of the bed, which connected him to all the major departments of Shado, and punched in a number.

* * *

"For God's sake, man, didn't you hear me? There's a fire in there!" Jeffrey Blaine was positively hysterical by now. The studio tour guide, a redheaded fellow, crossed without comment to a sculpture that decorated the wall near the door to the office, swung it open and punched a button on a panel that was revealed by his action. Blaine stared at him.

* * *

Eighty feet below, Alec Freeman picked up his phone, his pretty companion forgotten for the moment, scowled as he listened. Then he jumped up, dropping the phone back into its cradle and pounced into Control.

"Is it under control?" Alec barked at a harried Lieutenant Keith Ford.

"Yes, sir. For some reason the fire extinguishing systems didn't work and had to be turned on manually. Judging by my situation screen, it's safe to go up there, and the lift appears to be working. I've contacted our people to show up as fire fighters for appearances' sake. Did you want to speak to Lieutenant Blain-"

"You're bloody right I want to," Alec snapped and walked off. Keith slumped. For once he felt lucky. It wasn't him that had his arse on the line. He would have preferred to have all his fingernails pulled out with pliers rather than be one Jeffrey Blaine, former lieutenant in British Naval Intelligence, and now Commander Straker's executive assistant. Probably not for long, after today.

* * *

"What the blazes did you do that for, Blaine?"

The fire fighters had appeared, and had cleared the area completely. Not a soul remained in the building. Blaine and the other man were alone. The tour guide had produced the key to the office from his trouser pocket, and was opening the door. Jeffery stared at him as the door opened, and the man scowled at the ruined office.

"But you're not allowed in-"

"Shut up, you fool. Your damn trait of being as miserly as Scrooge just cost the studio thousands of pounds. Stop staring. I never was actually a tour guide, it's my Shado cover. I was selected by Commander Straker to keep an eye on you. I see that his instinct that you wouldn't work out was right, you're a raging moron."

"What? That's why you were continuing to ask me for favours and making me help you? Acting like a loon the way you did? I was being watched? I was on probation?" Jeffery muttered in irritation.

"You are probably never going to work for anyone again after this catastrophe, so don't raise your voice to me. I outrank you," the man said. As Alec Freeman emerged from within the office, the so-called guide gave him a respectful nod.

"Thanks Harry, I can take over from here. Good job. As for you, inside," growled Alec.

Blaine gulped. How was he going to explain this to his mum?

* * *

"Another hour?" Ed Straker groaned as he drove his bronze Shado car to Mayland Hospital. The Mayland staff member regretfully told him yes, Dr. Spencer was still in the operating theatre with a patient, and might be unavailable for another hour, until the next shift circulated. "Very well, that explains why I couldn't get her on mobile. If she does come out earlier, please inform her that I am coming to take her out to dinner, and that I require her to stay there until I show up. Yes. Yes. Thanks. :" Ed sighed, replaced the phone. It startled him by buzzing. "Straker," he said, with that scratch on the edge of his brain that told him something was wrong. "Oh hi Alec. Hmm? Oh him, yeah. Why? WHAT? He did WHAT? Pork chop?" Ed let out a string of swearing in several languages at the top of his voice as Alec explained the situation. He expected he'd just blown out Alec's eardrum, but frankly, with an absent fiancée and a burnt office he didn't care. "I want him sacked, Alec. I want that idiot given the amnesia shot and then I want him in front of a firing squad. It's a pity what he did isn't a court martial crime, then I could use him for target practice. I want him gone. Forget a severance cheque Alec, he's lucky I'm not there or I'd sever his head from his body. Thank God no one got hurt, it didn't spread and we had everything insured. I want my technicians to go over the system with a fine-tooth comb, and find out just why the fire system failed. Then start the repairs on the office, painting and everything else. See if you-hmm? I see. No, he's relatively new. Spotless resume of course, but -certainly, if he is qualified. Ah I see. Yes, yes. Hmm. Oh, I'm on my way to get Claire and then I'll stop by briefly. I just pulled into hospital parking lot. For the sake of his health, you better make sure Blaine isn't there when I arrive, or he'll need hospital, believe me. Okay, Alec. And give my thanks to Lieutenant Williams. Goodbye."

Ed stopped the car and parked in his executive spot with an uncharacteristic screech of tyres, ignoring the startled look a fellow driver gave him. He got out of the car, smoothed his jacket and strode away as he used his control to close and lock the gull wing doors of the bronze car. As he crossed to the entrance, and climbed the stairs he gave the balloons tied to the stair rails a curious look. The automatic doors parted for him and he went in. The woman on duty was a face he knew, and one of the few Mayland people that knew what he really did for a living.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Ward. What's going on?" Ed pointed to the brightly coloured balloons with the hospital logo as she gave him his security pass.

"Why good afternoon, Mr. Straker. Didn't you get the memos? It's open house. Fund raising for hospital, all the publicity helps, and we have celebrities coming in all weekend. Oodles of reporters, too. It's just wonderful."

"Reporters?" Ed turned ashen. "I loathe reporters. Damn. This weekend is turning out to be just charming. Hmmm. I just came to wait for Dr. Spencer to get off work." Ed pulled his aviator sunglasses out of his inside jacket pocket and put them on.

"If that's a attempt at being incognito, it'll never work. You'll need something to conceal that hair, a different jacket and I'll issue you a guest pass, and maybe then you can get Dr. Spencer without being surrounded by press." she chuckled. He made a sour face, but by the time he left her station after leaving his jacket in a locker, not even his late mother would recognize him. Ed wore a borrowed green knit cap, pulled low over his platinum locks, a flashy plaid jacket that more or less fit him and a special guest reporter's pass. He could hardly wait for Claire to see him. If she loves me even after seeing me like this, then I better marry her, Ed thought. He was happy to see no one looked at him outside of the occasional pair of eyes and faces that winced at his lack of good taste in clothing.

He soon got to the operating theatre. It was amazing where his special reporter pass got him, and no Claire Spencer. He strolled up to operating room eight and peered into the tiny window. There she was. Strangely it dawned on him that he'd never seen her in mask, cap and operating gown. He winced, her gown was spattered with blood, she had a wicked looking instrument in her hand and appeared to be totally in control. He watched as a nurse mopped her forehead. How strange, how different she seems, so capable. Heh heh, I guess I've never really thought about what she does and how important it is. She generally runs around with such a meek countenance and there she is, practically a medical Alexander the Great, conquering disease. She suddenly looked up and he waved at her, and she scowled at him and said something to an aide. Ed was confused, couldn't a guy wave at his girl once in a while? The aide came out and glared at his badge.

"Sir, you'll have to leave. Surgery is off limits."

"Who do you think you're telling-" he began beneath his breath, irritated, and then he gave a brief laugh. "Oh dear. I am dreadfully sorry. Excuse me, I was covering the open house and lost my way. That surgery looks awfully interesting." Ed was using a clipped BBC accent, and quite enjoying his disguise for the moment. At first he'd forgotten that he didn't look like the CEO of Mayland Hospital, who had financed several new units through his own foundation.

"Dr. Spencer is finishing a liver transplant. If you want to wait outside in the hall and come back in about fifteen minutes, I'm sure she'd give you an interview. But she doesn't allow anyone inside the theatre itself."

"Dr. Spencer, you say? I'm afraid in your gowns you all look the very same."

"She is who spotted you. Sir, those sunglasses aren't really necessary in hospital, you know."

"Ah yes, right. Fifteen minutes. Sounds good. I'll be back Maybe a lowly BBC chap like me might be able to talk her into going to dinner with me after the interview?"

"I'm afraid not, Mister-?"

"Uh," Ed looked around for inspiration, and spotted the door window. "Glass, Mr. Glass. Why not, pray tell?"

"Dr. Spencer is engaged to Edward Straker, who owns this hospital and funds it through the organisation he started."

"Sounds like a grand sort of fellow. Rich too. Pity," Ed uttered dramatically.

"I've never met him myself, but I understand he's rather a Howard Hughes type. Reclusive sort. Well I need to go back in. Have a good day, Mr. Glass," she said, looking at his baggy jacket with a slight twist of her lips.

Ed strode out, chuckling to himself.

After a few minutes of circling to see if she had indeed come out, he wandered off toward the children's ward. The dedication plaque on the wall bore his name. He wished that it didn't exist, but these things were good for appearances. He noted three or four reporter types talking to the ward sister, and one was a face he knew. With only slight apprehension he strolled past them without incident.

Why hadn't he thought of doing this incognito business before? This made it much more easier to visit the children without having a microphone stuck in his face and flashbulbs blinding him, Ed reasoned. He continued up to a ward that was open and peered in. Someone that looked familiar somehow was getting just that treatment, everyone hanging on the fellow's every word. Then it hit him. It was a television star who had done a guest appearance on one of the Straker Foundation's film studio chat shows. Nice to see the children enjoying him. I don't envy Bishop that job, but this is something that redeems the blasted occupation of a star, I suppose.

"Loser," a voice said sourly from slightly behind Ed.

Ed turned in surprise and looked at the speaker. It was a boy, twelve or thirteen, Ed guessed, with the lack of hair that signified either radiation or chemotherapy, possibly both, dressed in a tie-dyed T-shirt and jeans. Ed grinned at him.

"Were you addressing me?" Ed asked, continuing to use the affected BBC tone.

"Not you. Him. That slime and everyone like him. Look at him, would you? He comes here to make everyone think he's such a great person, but all he really cares about is getting written up by blokes like you. See that kid in his lap? That's Mickey. Know why he picked him? Because he's the youngest, the heartbreaker. Makes for a good write up in the News of The World. Television star my arse. He's a loser, a fake. Soon as the weekend is over, he'll be out of here and home in his mansion. He doesn't really care about any of us."

"That might make for a good story, now that you mention it. What's your name?" Ed asked.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses in here? Don't tell me you're putting on airs too. You're probably no better than he is. Nobody around here really cares. They don't stay around to hold the kids when they cry or mop up their vomit when the radiation makes them sick. Losers, all losers. Why do you want to know my name?" the boy inquired suspiciously.

"I usually introduce myself to people I have a conversation with, and a name helps. But if it makes you uncomfortable, make one up." Ed grinned. "My name is Glass. Ed Glass."

The boy grinned a little.

"I like to see the eyes of the people I have a conversation with. What are you, a junkie or something? Is that why you're hiding your eyes?"

"Ah, now there, you see? I thought I was pulling the wool over everyone's eyes, but no, you are right. I'm a junkie," Ed said.

"Oh stop it already, you are not. Hey, do we have to stay here? Could we maybe go to the restaurant? I have privileges around here. Buy me a meal? The food they serve around here isn't suitable for hospital rats."

"Rats? Dear me, are you saying hospital is infested with vermin?" Ed said in an alarmed tone and looked around as if he expected a rat to pop out of a corridor. The boy grinned at him.

"Quit it, you know very well that isn't what I meant. I like you, even though you have horrid taste in jackets. How about the restaurant then?"

"What about the restaurant? Oh. Me buy you a meal. Sure, if it won't interfere with your treatment."

"Nah. I get released from this zoo soon. Almost through with my treatment and then its back to Bedlam."

"You're an escapee from a mental institution?" Ed said. "That's scarier than the rats!"

"You're not funny, you know that? Bedlam is the nickname I made up for Saint George Home for Orphaned Boys. I hate it. Are you going to buy me something to eat?"

"Lead the way- what did you say your name was again?"

"I didn't. But it's Joel. You know what?"

"Glad to meet you, Joel. What?" Ed shook the boy's hand.

"Most people that are around cancer patients act funny. You treat me matter of fact. I like that. I kinda like you, Ed. What kind of reporter are you? I don't get to go out much. I've never met a reporter before. Are you ever going to take that stupid hat and those glasses off? It gets lonely around here, Ed. I don't have friends in the orphanage. They say I'm stupid." Ed and his new friend made their way down the corridor toward the restaurant.

"Why on earth would they come to that conclusion?" Ed said in his own distinctive tones, forgetting his ruse for the moment. He chose a table for them.

Joel stared at Ed as they seated themselves.

"You're not even British!"

"What? Oh. I seem to have lost the accent. Oh well. Actually my mother was English. I've lived in Southern England most of my life and now I live over in Gloucestershire. What looks good on the menu to you?"

"Who are you anyway? Why were you faking that accent?" Joel demanded.

"Who do you think you are, New Scotland Yard?" Ed grinned. He drew off his sunglasses and removed the knit hat, laid them aside. He undid his jacket buttons and studied the menu.

"You don't like to give answers, huh? How do I know you aren't some kind of terrorist or something?" asked Joel, studying Ed carefully.

"Now there, you see? You penetrated my disguise right away. All right, all right I confess. I'm Osama Bin Laden. Turn me in."

The boy laughed.

"You're a card, whoever you are."

A waiter came up to their table.

"Good afternoon Mr. Straker, what can I get for you and your friend here?"

"STRAKER?" Joel echoed in shock.

"Whoops. So much for incognito. Why don't you bring us whatever the special is, we'll leave it up to you." Ed said. The waiter nodded and smiled and walked away. "Well, judging from that reaction, you know who I am."

"Everybody in bloody hospital knows who you are. Your bloody plaque is on the bloody wall! Your bloody portrait is in the lobby! Why were you pretending to be someone else?"

"You curse too bloody much, you know that? Give me a second, I want to see if someone is free." Ed took out his mobile and Joel looked on curiously. Ed punched a number and within a minute, he smiled widely when Claire answered. "Well it took you long enough to get out of surgery. You finally free? Hmm. Oh I'm in hospital restaurant with a friend, waiting for you. Alec called you? He did? Yes, I had Alec sack him. No, no, forget it Claire, my mind is made up the idiot absolutely ruined the office and put a lot of people at risk. Besides, Alec said I should offer the position to Harry Williams, he's as good a choice as any if I can't get Miss Ealand back. No. I said no, Claire. Now hurry up and get down here. I want to stop at the studio and see how Alec is getting along, and I want to see the mess for myself. I want to know why that system didn't work. I'll just bet he had something to do with it. What? A half hour in recovery? Is that necessary? All right all right. Yeah. I love you too, bye." Ed put his phone away, groaned.

"Who were you talking to? What kind of mobile phone is that?" Joel asked.

"The woman I'm going to marry if I ever get the chance. Let me give you a piece of advice, don't ever get engaged to a doctor. Ah here comes our dinner. Looks good."

"It's excellent, Mr. Straker, we just got the shrimp in today. Coffee sweet and light for you, but what would your friend like as his beverage?"

"I'll have the same as him." Joel said. Ed grinned.

"I've got chocolate mousse pie waiting for the two of you when that's gone." the waiter said and strolled away.

"Are you even old enough to drink coffee, Joel?"

"I told you, you aren't funny. I'm twelve and I can drink what I want. How come you were pretending to be the press?"

"They drive me crazy. I tolerate them because I have to. But there's only so much a person can take before they snap." Ed stabbed a forkful of shrimp salad, stuffed it into his mouth and was surprised to find he was hungry.

"I bet you live in a big mansion." Joel sighed. "I used to dream of being a ballet dancer, and living in a big mansion. And having all kinds of servants."

"Premier danseur?" Ed asked after swallowing a sip of coffee from the steaming mug the waiter brought him.

"Huh?" Joel replied.

"The lead male dancer in a ballet company. Premier danseur. French for first dancer."

"You don't think me wanting to be a ballet dancer someday is stupid?"

"Is that what your companions at the orphanage think? Nonsense. Dancing, especially ballet dancing, demands one be in top physical condition, and display grace and athletic ability. That's a admirable ambition, Joel. Don't ever let anyone convince you any differently. Have you studied dance?"

"There's a lady looking at you," Joel said. Ed turned around to see Claire.

"I didn't expect you so soon." Ed got up, smiled and kissed her. Claire held him for a little while, then sat down beside Joel.

"Who is this you've been plotting with?" Claire asked.

"Never mind that. Why on earth didn't you tell me about this open house thing? I had to disguise myself to get in here without being attacked by the hungry hoards of press!" Ed held up his hat. Claire's jaw dropped.

"That man that looked like a masher was you?" she laughed. "I'm sorry, I completely forgot that this was going to happen this weekend. I thought it was just the regular board meeting and rounds. By the way, my patient is doing fine. It was a marvellous piece of luck that we finally found him a suitable donor."

"Masher? Joel, this rude woman who just insulted me is my fiancée, Claire Spencer, a doctor who works here. Claire, this is Joel. He followed me home, can I keep him?" Ed asked.

Claire examined Joel, who was openly grinning at Ed.

"Sure, just make sure you clean up after him and that he's had all his shots. Hi Joel. Ed likes to roam in the children's ward. If I didn't keep an eye on him, he'd probably bring the entire ward home to Silk Wood Manor. Edward, what are you eating? I'm starving. Edward, that can't be your jacket, can it?"

Ed rolled his eyes and motioned for the waiter. Claire beamed at him.

"Shrimp salad, and grape soda, please." She noticed that Ed winced at the mention of grape and she looked at him quizzically. Ed told the story of the grape juice baptism and both Claire and Joel giggled. Then he told the story of how he'd encountered Joel.

"Come to think of it Edward, you do smell of eau de grape juice."

"Oh hush Claire. Joel here has an ambition to be a premier danseur," Ed proclaimed, watching Joel scowl at the admission.

"Oh I used to dream of being a ballerina when I was a little girl. Do you take dance lessons, Joel?"

"Do I look wealthy to you?" Joel asked.

"Hard to tell in that outfit. Might be a disguise, and you're actually the Prince of Wales," Ed said.

"He thinks he's funny." Joel grinned.

Claire smiled at Ed, and then noticed the look in End's eyes. Oh oh. Edward's getting attached to this boy. I bet he reminds him of Devon. Oh Edward, you might be setting yourself up for heartbreak. The first thing they teach in medical school is never to get emotionally involved with a patient. Wait a minute, that never worked for me, I guess I did come all the way here to find Edward. Oh well. Claire grinned to herself.

"Edward exists in a world of fantasy, poor man. The truth is he's a bit touched. You know. A few eggs short of an omelette," Claire said in mock sadness, ignoring the scowl Ed was giving her, and taking delight in how much Joel was laughing at End's reaction.

"You know, if I hurried, I could take that engagement ring you're wearing back to Gerard's. Get my money back," Ed said thoughtfully.

"Whoa!" Joel said, noticing the ring for the first time. The pearls and diamonds sparkled.

"Not unless you pry it from my cold dead hand, Mr. Straker," Claire exclaimed, letting Joel look at it. His eyes were wider than the table they were sitting at.

"That could be arranged, too. Say, Joel, would your doctor object to me taking you on a little ride?" Ed asked and then looked at Claire tentatively. Knowing it was coming, she smiled. Edward had a heart the size of England and only a few people knew it.

"Huh?" Joel looked at Ed. Claire reached for Joel's hand and looked at his wristband.

"I'll go arrange it, Edward. He's one of Dr. Larsen's patients, and Larsen is a sweetheart. He won't object if we borrow Joel for a day. I'll see if we need to bring any medications along. I'll be back in a jiffy." Claire stood up, reached into End's bowl, grabbed a shrimp, popped it into her mouth and walked off.

"I don't know why I ever proposed to that woman." Ed lied, thinking that she'd just demonstrated one reason why he had. She knows how I feel about kids, especially sick ones. I don't know what I did without you, Claire.

"Are you actually gonna take me for a ride?" Joel said in wonderment.

"No, we thought we'd take you into a basement somewhere and hack off your limbs with a garden saw, actually."

"That is scarier than the rats." Joel said, excited. Ed grinned at his echoing his quip.

"You're not funny, you know. Come on, eat the rest of your salad before Miss Got Rocks comes back." Ed directed, and signalled for the waiter again.

* * *

Claire returned as Joel was finishing his slice of chocolate mousse cake, and Ed was still picking at his own salad, his slice of cake untouched, deep in thought.

"Dr. Larsen said Joel is a troublemaker, and is grateful we're taking him out of his hands for a day. Did you come in the studio car, Edward?"

"Yes, but we can take yours, since we can't all fit in mine. Unless we stuff Joel in the boot." Ed grinned.

"You take him in your car and I'll follow. I have a feeling he'll appreciate riding in that flashy car of yours. Are we stopping at the studio first?"

"Yes, I'll be brief, I want to see if Alec has any answers for me. Let's go."

Claire grinned at Joel's surprise at End's tone of voice. He'd used his command voice. Yet her grin was strained. Always perceptive, Ed led them to the parking lot after returning his disguise and collecting his jacket. He used his control to open his car, and waited until a excited and impressed Joel slid in the passenger seat.

"Something wrong?" Ed said, voice pitched low.

"Turn toward me." Claire said.

"Be with you in a moment, Joel. Put on your harness, and don't touch anything." Ed then turned toward her, his back to Joel. "It's bad, isn't it? I saw the way you looked when you came back."

"He's got a few months to live, Edward. Three at best. He's got a long history of cancer. Up to recently, it was in remission. But now he has multiple tumours in areas they can't get at without possibly killing him." Claire saw the shock and misery cross over End's face, and he took in a breath of air, steadying himself.

"He told me he was going to leave soon, that his treatment-my God, does he know?"

"Dr. Larsen said he knows. He prefers people to think he's all right. Both his father and mother died in a fire when he was small, and he's spent half his life in hospital. Maybe that's why he opened up to you. Larsen said he generally doesn't say a word to strangers, or to anyone for that matter. Maybe he sensed your kind heart. Can you do this, Edward?"

"Can you?" Ed countered.

"Yes. It's you I worry about."

"I'm fine, Spencer." Ed replied, clearly not. He blinked back the tears that came and quickly slid on his sunglasses so Joel wouldn't see reddened eyes.

"Baloney you are, Straker. And I love you dearly even when you try to lie to me and yourself. Go on. Go impress your passenger." Claire kissed Ed quickly before she would break down too, and went to her car.

* * *

"So what did she tell you?" Joel asked after a while.

Ed glanced at his rear view glass and saw Claire's car only a few feet from his.

"Hmm?"

"This whole thing seems like a dream to me, and I like you. But we have to be on the level with each other, okay?"

"What do you mean, Joel?" Ed picked up a little speed.

"She told you I was going to die, huh? That doctor she talked to has a big mouth." Joel slumped in the seat.

"Let's stay in the moment, Joel. Right now you're with me for the weekend. That's all I want you to look forward to. Just enjoy your moment."

"Weekend?" Joel sat up a little and examined End's expression. Ed smiled, reached over and patted the boy, then returned his hand to the wheel.

"Weekend. I live in a big house with plenty of guest rooms. I think you'd like my security guard Peter's room, it overlooks our stable area. He's on holiday. I expect him to resign soon, and get married. I own a racehorse. Wrong Way. It was a mess to begin with, but Peter tells me it has been placing second in trials. It ought to be doing something, I'm paying a fortune to the trainer." Ed chuckled.

"Have you ever been really, really sick?" Joel asked.

"Sure."

"Were you scared?"

"Of course I was. I've been in hospital too many times for my liking. There's a suite in a part of the hospital that is reserved for me, since I'm often injured, or ill."

"What do you think it'll be like, Ed?"

"What Joel?" Ed said.

"Dying."

Ed was silent for a moment, and then he reached out again and squeezed Joel's hand briefly. Joel looked at him and leaned against him, grabbed an edge of his jacket possessively.

"I'm not going anywhere Joel. Nobody's dying today. Unless you eat too much of Frances' food."

"Frances? Ed, you smell good."

"I do? Heh heh. I used a little Bulgari for men today. It was a gift from Claire. Frances is a good friend of mine, and wife to a reverend I served in the Vietnam conflict with when we were P.O.W.s."

"You were in the war?"

"I was a colonel once that was a lifetime ago."

"I like you, Ed." Joel said decidedly. Ed smiled warmly at him.

"But I'm not funny?" Ed put in. Joel laughed.

"Nah."

"What a blow to my ego. Ah here we are. Ever been to a movie studio?" inquired Ed.

"Whoa!"

"I'll take that as a no." Ed chuckled.

* * *

Ed and Claire and Joel briefly surveyed the office, with Ed standing with his hands on his hips and sighing. He touched a charred statuette.

"So much for the Best documentary award. The rest of them look just as bad. Well, the photographs can be replaced, but the artwork and everything else is a loss. Christ, not much left of the files. I hope Miss Ealand had them on a CD somewhere."

"I'm sure she did, Commander." Harry Williams said, and then instantly coloured when he heard what he'd said. Ed gave him a steely look.

"Harry, it never fails to amuse me the way you call him Commander because he's your boss. Guess that old Army background of yours never dies." Claire said quickly. Ed had tensed and now he gave a little laugh and nod. Joel was holding on to Claire's hand, starry-eyed after his quick tour of the sets.

"No, guess it doesn't, Ma'am." Williams said, looking grateful for the save.

"I take it Alec offered you the position as my executive assistant?" Ed asked.

"It's been years since I did something like this, but I certainly would like to fill in until you find someone, Sir. I'm honoured that he suggested me."

"Well there's nothing else to do here. Carry on, Mr. Williams."

* * *

"Now where are we going, Ed?" Joel asked.

"To Silk Wood Manor. I'll leave my car here and we can ride in Claire's."

"I like your car better."

"I like my car better, but I'm a little tired and this way Claire can drive." Ed explained. Claire looked at him in a professional way.

"Don't look at me like that. I said I'm tired, I didn't say I have the bubonic plague." Ed complained. Claire grinned.

"You didn't sleep well last night, I know. Tonight I'll fix a nice warm bath for you and massage your back. You'll sleep better."

"Are you two married?" Joel wanted to know, once they were in Claire's Volvo. Ed put on his harness then examined a Cadbury chocolate bar wrapper that he found near his seat, then opened the glove compartment. Claire grinned as various things fell out, including a few chocolate bars. Ed tossed one to Joel and unwrapped one for himself.

"Not yet. And after this chocolate hoarding I may reconsider marrying her."

"I really ought to buy some gloves to put in the glove compartment." Claire said, ignoring Ed. He grinned.

"To camouflage your Cadbury obsession? By the way it's called a glove box."

"Edward, don't start lecturing me on British English and American English. When I first started working in Mayland, I nearly went batty trying to understand what people there were saying. And then they sprung Cockney rhyming on me. They showed me no mercy." Claire made a turn and waited for a green light, and Ed chuckled, thinking of his own bout of culture shock. He was silent for a while, looking at the scenery zipping by.

"Claire, you do know we're supposed to marry at the registry office in four days?" Ed nibbled his candy bar. She looked at him then picked up speed as the light turned green.

"Now there's a change of subject if I ever heard one. I know. I know. Between listening to Angel lecture me about not marrying in St Stephen's and Frances arguing about the Queen's jubilee-"

"She's a loser, the Queen." Joel said. "All chips and no fish." He'd neatly devoured his candy bar and was enjoying sitting so close to Ed, a detail Claire noted. Ed was uncharacteristically sprawled in his seat aside her. She grinned at the way Ed was neatly folding the tinsel on the bar down, and nibbling the chocolate almost daintily. He managed to find another wrapped bar and handed it to Joel.

"Spoken like a true republican. Here, have another Cadbury before my fiancée eats it. I have very little regard for the monarchy. Now if Frances heard me say that, I wouldn't live long enough to marry Claire."

"I eat another one and I'm going to get spots all over my face." Joel scolded Ed, but he took it and made it disappear. Claire was surprised he didn't swallow the wrapper as well. Then she looked at Ed.

"You're the only person in the world that eats a candy bar that way, Straker. You make a bird look like a glutton." Claire exclaimed. "Pins and needles, Edward! Give that candy the coup de grace and eat it!"

"I like to torture my food." Ed said in a sinister tone. Claire grinned at him briefly, then turned her attention back on the road. The sign said Gloucester, and she sighed in relief.

"Edward, you know, it would be nice to marry in St Stephens. You're a widower, Angel could pull a few strings and let you marry there even though you aren't near his parish now."

"Claire, you do understand that I was shot in that church? That I married Maggie there? That up until recently I thought that woman who shot me was alive?" Ed bit the final chunk of his candy, and flicked the rolled up tinsel and wrapper into her glove compartment like Michael Jordan making a basket.

"Yes litterbug, I know what happened in that church," replied Claire.

"Shot like in bullets?" Joel asked.

"He draws trouble to him like a Venus fly trap lures flies. He has more shrapnel in him than a Charles Bronson movie has dead bodies." Claire reached over and briefly caressed Ed. "Surgeons get giddy when they see his x-rays. It's like winning the lottery for them."

"Why do you think I'm marrying a doctor?" Ed said, and his mobile rang. "Damn. I'm not home. Straker. Oh hi Alec, is there a problem? No, we're about a half hour away, still in the car. Sure. What kind of trouble, do you ne-WHAT? Are you serious? For the love of God, Alec! It isn't only Yetunde, you have a daughter, Ayomide who is nearly walking. No, you're right I don't understand. Blast it, Alec what do you want me to say to her? Yes, yes, all right. I'll ring her from Silk Wood. God, Alec, her of all people! She makes a piranha look friendly. Yes. Yes. Okay. Alec, I can't say that I'm on your side on this one. Of all the fool-headed-goodbye Alec." Ed closed the mobile's cover and looked out the window without interest as they turned into the gates of Silk Wood Manor. Claire parked in the garage, waved at the gardener and as Ed got out of her car she confronted him.

"What's with Alec?"

"Yetunde caught him in bed with one of my starlets. She's moved out, filed for full custody and taken Ayomide with her."

* * *

Claire listened as she sat on the stairs to Angel loudly arguing with Joel. They were playing cards. Probably poker, but she didn't care, cards never interested her. Her concern was with Ed, who was upstairs in his room with Alec. It made her nervous because she didn't know what to do to help. Her call to Yetunde, who had holed up at Claridge's hotel, had brought nothing but Yetunde hanging up on her. Feeling miserable, she popped another grape into her mouth from the small plate Frances had given her.

"You have to let me win once in a while, for pity's sake!" Angel was saying.

"Seven, eight, nine ten. Ten pounds. Quit complaining. You complain a lot for being a right reverend." Joel said happily, tucking the money into his jeans pocket.

"He does, doesn't he, dear?" Frances said from where she was flipping through a brochure on the Jubilee. She had a roast with jacket potatoes going in the Aga, and had already set the table for dinner. Angel and Joel were nibbling from a dish of grapes and cheese she'd arranged on the side table, and drinking tea.

"You're Satan in disguise." Angel declared. "Hey, where are you going?" Joel didn't reply but left the snug sitting room and saw Claire on the stairs.

"Oh hi Joel. Did you need something?"

"I was wondering where you went. Where's Ed? How come you're crying?"

"I'm worried about two of our friends. You remember that man that came? Alec?"

"Sure. I didn't like him on sight."

"How come?" Claire asked, surprised.

"He had that look when Ed introduced me and said where he met me. Like he didn't want to be anywhere around me cause I had cancer."

"We can't be talking about the same person. Alec had lung cancer briefly. He of all people wouldn't ostracise anyone with cancer."

"He got better?" Joel asked.

Claire nodded.

"I think it's more that he believes he's going to lose his girlfriend and his baby daughter for the stupid thing he did," sighed the doctor. "And now I've pissed off Yetunde by trying to get involved. Yetunde is his girlfriend. Some men can be so stupid. Some women, too. I tried to tell Yetunde her constant jealousy didn't help, and I got yelled at. I'm scared to even tell Edward. He's so disappointed in Alec. They're in there and I haven't heard yelling but I have a real bad feeling in the pit of my stomach."

"You have to tell him the truth. He won't be mad at you."

"Just because he loves me doesn't mean he can't get angry at me Joel." she smiled.

"Nah. Can I go in and see if he's okay?"

"If you go with me, maybe that gives me-" Claire's words were interrupted by the sharp slam of a door, and Alec walking past them, opening the front door and out of Silk Wood Manor. "Oh God." Claire said, and jumped up from where she'd been sitting, and looked at Ed Straker as he quietly opened his master bedroom door and looked down at her. Slowly he came downstairs and stood next to her. Without uttering a word, he went into her arms and leaned against her heavily. Shocked, Claire held him tightly, protectively, and stroked his hair. For him to so transparently show his need for her like this meant that whatever had happened had to be devastating, she realised.

"Ed?" Joel said, nervous. Ed did not respond for a while, then he sighed and collected himself, stepped away. He took a deep breath.

"Yes Joel?" he answered wearily.

"Are you okay?"

"Let's go have dinner," Ed responded. His mobile phone rang.

"Shit!" Claire snapped angrily. Ed actually smiled at that, and nodded in agreement. He took out his phone.

"Straker. Yes Peter. Really? Ah well I'm glad, glad. Daisy's faith in that anim-hmm? You did? Yes I expected you might. I even am looking over some possible replacements for you. No, no, no. I wish you and Daisy all the happiness in the world. Yes of course we will. Yes. All right. Goodbye Peter."

"Is that horse making more progress?" Claire asked tentatively as Ed put the phone in his pocket again.

"It came in first in a race. They're entering it in some important race, and they even think it has a good chance to win. Peter just resigned, he proposed to Daisy and she accepted. He'll be staying with Arthur and Daisy until they all find a larger home. They want children. They'd like us to come to the wedding, I told them soon as they settle on a date, to tell us."

"Edward, are you going to tell me what happened?"

"After dinner. Come on, Frances will fuss if we're late sitting at table."

"Frances is lording over Cynthia, I'm afraid." Claire said, taking his arm. He gave a laugh.

"Yes, I think she'll be resigning next-oh damn." Ed said as the door chimed. Claire gritted her teeth and went to answer it. She opened the door.

Four or five elderly women, clad in their weekend best, some with straw hats, feathers and veils, and all carrying pastel purses stood there. One was pale, and fanning herself. So did a very disturbed, flustered Nathaniel Zouri, with his gun out, Claire noticed.

"Can I help you?" Ed said, concealing his impatience.

"Oh my yes, this horrid man won't let us see the garden and we've come and seen the garden forever, haven't we, oh yes. It is the high point of spring. Lady Rosemary always let us come and see the manor and garden. This coloured man has absolutely horrible manners. He absolutely scared Susan to death with that horrible gun!"

"Dear me, its you, isn't it?" one said, inspecting Ed through her pince-nez. "We thought you were dead, you see."

"Dead? Uh. Me?" Ed stammered. He threw Nate a look that Claire was surprised didn't freeze Nate down to the last blood cell.

"Oh my yes! You're Lieutenant Straker, aren't you? Oh my, Lady Rosemary did carry on about you. Said you were a hero in the war in America. May we come in for tea? We always came in for tea." The woman opened her purse and dropped five pound notes into a baffled Ed Straker's hand, then marched past him without waiting for his answer. Taking her example, the others did exactly the same. Ed stared down at the money in his hand. Nate started to come in but Ed flattened his hand against Ante's chest.

"Nathaniel, can I have a brief word with you? Outside? NOW? Put that damn gun away before you hurt yourself!" Ed said. Ed didn't wait for an answer and pushed him out. Claire just made it out before Ed slammed the door closed.

"Commander, look, I . . . uh.." Nate said, sticking the gun into his hip holster.

"You better do better than that, Zouri. Or you're going to find yourself needing the help wanted ads in the Times. Do I make myself clear? Report!"

"Carmella and me and the tech guys were making some changes to the security systems, upgrading them, so for a while we turned them off. We figured it was okay, since Angel and Frances were here, and everything."

"You turned them off without asking Edward?" Claire said, unhappy.

"We figured one minute would be okay." Nate said sheepishly. End's expression was like a sheet of ice.

"Go on, Zouri."

"Well we turned them back on and when I went to test them I found those old biddies marching around the grounds and I pulled a gun on them. They said that each year the people who lived here before would let them in for high tea and to see the gardens and tour the house here, and the money always went to charity. They said they heard the house had been opened again, and well, they showed up."

"Edward, your mother must have given tours, and talked to them about you," Claire chuckled. "I think it's charming."

"If my mother did it," Ed groaned, "Does that mean I'm stuck with them?"

"How much did you make so far?" Claire grinned. Ed pulled the money he had absently stuck in a pocket out, and counted it.

"Twenty five pounds. Well, I guess once a year might not be so bad, but I have no intention of opening a Silk Wood Manor gift shop and selling knickknacks and glossy photographs of myself and signing them." Ed moaned.

"Think of the money you'd make for the Foundation, Lord Edward." Claire teased. Ed growled at her, but she could tell by his body language he was amused.

"Come in, Lady Spencer, I think we have five more guests for dinner than we counted on."

"Should I have G-6's done on the lot?" Nate asked.

"For peters sake, Nathaniel, they are somebody's grannies, not alien invaders." Claire said, exasperated. She opened the door. They went in and just as Nate was going to follow, Ed looked at him meaningfully, pushed him out and closed the door on his face, and locked it. "I think someone who loves Frances' food isn't coming to dinner after all, is he, Lord Edward?"

"Shut up, Spencer." Ed grinned.

"I can't believe Nate put you at risk like that."

"He's right, with everyone in the house I was fine. Angel by himself is handy with a shotgun and Frances certainly has ended a few partridges' lives. You're getting damn good with your gun, in the few times you've bothered to carry it. Come on. I want to hear their memories of my mother."

Outside, Nate smelled the roast through an opened window, his mouth watered and he moaned.

* * *

Claire looked at Ed lovingly, as he sprawled on the crushed velvet sofa next to her, sipping his sweet and light coffee. Dinner had been delicious as usual, and now they were all gathered in the sitting room, around the fireplace, having tea and coffee and freshly made cookies. Their elderly guests were with them, and had been animatedly chatting among themselves about how lovely the garden was. One of the ladies, the one that Nate had frightened so badly, was a member of the same garden club that Frances belonged to, and they were talking about some new rose hybrid as though their lives depended on it. Angel was sprawled on the carpet with Joel, telling him jokes, and every once in a while Joel would laugh loudly and Ed would smile, enjoying that. Ed had taken pity on Nate, and had asked Frances to bring him a dinner tray in his rooms. She had argued for several minutes that he didn't merit even a cold cup of tea after putting Ed at risk, and finally Ed had put his foot down. Claire had chuckled through the whole conversation. She suspected both Frances and Nathaniel secretly enjoyed their little fights.

"You've done such a marvellous job of restoring the manor, Mr. Straker," one of the ladies said. "Everything looks so wonderful, especially the gates."

"Blasted grade 2 gates are more trouble then they're worth. Those pesky English Heritage telling me what I could do and what I couldn't do when we gave them an overhaul. Christ, you can't paint in a clockwise direction without clearing it with them." complained Ed. The elderly women all looked at him with the same kind of expression they'd have if he had suddenly stripped to his skin.

"Edward, you simply have no idea how important English heritage is to our history. Besides, you should be grateful to own a beautiful mansion like Silk Wood Manor." scolded Frances.

"Frances, have you been terrorising Cynthia?" Ed interjected. From his position on the rug with Joel, Angel guffawed. Ed grinned at him.

"Why would you think such a thing?" Frances said, the very picture of innocence.

Ed took a bite from a cookie, swallowed it, and examined the cookie with interest.

"Oh gee I don't know. Maybe the fact that she stormed out and quit her cook position because she claimed you watched her every move?"

"Oh dear! Oh Edward, I am so sorry." Frances sighed.

"You aren't at all sorry, Cupcake, so hush." Angel grinned.

"Hush, Stanley!" Frances insisted. Ed grinned.

"Actually, I'm not at all upset about it. I gave her a cheque for five months of severance pay, thanked her for her years of working for Laurence and my mother, and she left in good spirits. Naturally, that leaves a cook position open. I was wondering if you'd fill it, Frances." Ed said.

"Me? Edward, I have responsibility at St. Stephens, I can't just pop out and cook everyday for you and Claire." Frances exclaimed, looking enthused. "And I have my life with Stanley, I couldn't possibly leave him everyday to cook for you."

"You wouldn't have to leave me, Cupcake. Ed and I were discussing the possibility of you and I selling our cottage, moving in here until we can have a house built on his property and me retiring from service to St. Stephens."

"Stanley! You didn't mention any of this to me!"

"Cupcake, Ed and I discussed it while you were cooking, I am not getting younger, its been harder carrying out my responsibilities to the Dear Lord with my arthritis, besides, there's nothing to prevent me from signing on to a parish here and conducting services on occasion. Ed spoke to the archbishop once before and End's donations to the Church go a long way to have the Archbishop favour whatever decision I'd make."

"How wonderful, Frances, Reverend Brisby could hold services in the manor chapel!" the lady that knew Frances said.

"Manor chapel? What manor chapel?" Ed asked.

"Oh my. Perhaps I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Tell me," ordered Ed. Claire grinned at the familiar Commander tone. He nearly had said "report" she thought with amusement. Angel's grin told her he noticed it too.

"You can take the fellow out of the military but you can't take the military out of the fellow." Angel commented. Ed shot him a fierce look that softened into a bemused crescent of a smile.

"That gentleman that was with Lady Rosemary boarded it up after the poor dear died. Of course we were all disappointed, but after all this was his home, and he had the right to do as he pleased."

"You mean somewhere on this property is a hidden chapel?" Ed blinked. "Where? I've explored this place inside out, how could I have missed anything?"

"The chapel was in the garden. When Lady Rosemary died, God rest her soul, bad heart, you see, her gentleman boarded it up and ordered the gardener to plant bushes to cover th-"

Ed sprung up, set down his coffee, crammed the remaining cookie in his mouth, brushed off the crumbs from his shirt and pulled Claire's hand.

"Come on Spencer. I want to see this chapel."

"Can I come?" Joel said enthusiastically.

"If you can keep up with Edward!" chuckled Claire as Ed hauled her through to the study and out the French doors that led to the garden. Everyone hurried to follow him. Once out in the garden, Ed spotted the gardener, who had always reminded Claire of Yoda in Star Wars. The gardener was bent over and frail, and his skin was creased like an accordion. He was also hard of hearing, with large hearing aids in each ear.

"Geoffrey, Mr. Lawrence had you board up the doors to a chapel here? Where is it?" Ed shouted at him.

"Eh? Chapel? Oh yes, Mr. Straker. But Mr. Lawrence ordered it closed for good, you see."

"Mr. Lawrence is dead. I own Silk Wood Manor. Where is it?" Ed persisted.

"Oh my, no need to shout. Near the benches you favour, Mr. Straker. The wicker one with the blue cushion."

With everyone following him as though he was leading a conga line, Ed spurted over to his bench. He saw only wild bramble bushes. He pushed through them with difficulty in one direction, Claire following and doing the same thing in another.

"Edward, there! I see a door!" she cried. Ed pushed through and went up to it.

"Angel, go into the garage and get me my work gloves and crowbar, would you?"

"Of course, Ed son, give me three of the good Lord's minutes." The reverend scurried off, arthritis forgotten for the minute.

"Pity to have closed up that chapel." Geoffrey said, sighing.

"No worry, Geoffrey, Edward will probably restore it to it's former majesty and I'll fill it with fresh flowers . . ," Frances said, close to his ear.

"Oh my oh my, that's indeed excellent of you, Ma'am. Now I remember you, you were the one who brought the daffodil bulbs. I never forget a pretty lady or a pretty flower."

Angel had returned in time to see the gardener kiss Frances on the hand, and stared. Ed chortled, as Angel pulled an amused Frances off to the side, and made a show of pointing to her diamond wedding ring and his chest. Angel's fingers closed meaningfully over hers.

"Gloves and the crowbar, Angel, before you use it on my gardener," Ed said, and began to pry away the boards. It was near dark before he managed to get all the boards free and he saw with exasperation that the door itself was latched with a large lock.

"Claire, give me one of your-where the blazes is my Claire? Oh there you are." he said as she came running up with Nate following, bringing scowls from the ladies.

"I brought a flashlight, Nathaniel for assistance and a cup of coffee for you."

"The coffee is welcome but the flashlight and Nate weren't necessary, the security lights will come on in a few moments." As Ed took a grateful sip of coffee from the mug she offered him, true to his word, high intensity xenon lights illuminated the property. He handed the mug back to her. "Give me one of your fancy French hairpins."

"I learn something new about you every day, Edward," Claire remarked as she watched Ed insert the hairpin into the lock. Ed tried several times, cursing underneath his breath, as she listened to the ever present. "Did you learn how to pick a lock back when you were growing up in Boston?" she inquired teasingly.

"I learned a lot of useful things in Boston, Claire. You'd be surprised. Hmm. Either it's just too rusty for this to work, or I am." Ed complained. "Nathaniel, will you walk the ladies back to their car? Ladies, I very much appreciated your visit, and your wonderful memories of my mother Rosemary. Good night."

The women looked disappointed at the sudden dismissal, but obediently made their farewells and reluctantly followed Nate. Ed sipped coffee, waited until Nate had returned, dismissed Geoffrey, and then looked at Nate.

"Our visitors on their way home?" he asked, handing Claire back the empty mug of coffee.

"All taken care of." Nate nodded.

"Good. Put your fingers in your ears, ladies and gentlemen."

"What are you up to-" Claire began and Ed removed his gloves, dropped them, pulled his jacket open, drew his Glock. He blasted the lock apart with an expertly placed bullet. A magpie emerged with a frightened shriek from a nearby tree. "Bostonian boys and their toys." Claire said, amused, fetching the gloves and handing them to Nate, who was showing his perfect teeth at the bit of gunplay. Ed twirled the Glock once in a manner worthy of a western hero and replaced it in the holster. Claire chuckled. He winked at her.

It took some doing to get the door opened, but it suddenly gave. It was dark inside, and smelled of dust, damp and mildew.

"See I knew the flashlight would come in handy." Claire switched it on. She could make out cardboard boxes scattered around. "Chapel? Looks more like some sort of storage room, Edward."

"Got to be a light switch somewhere around here. Aha! Found it! Oh my God!" cried Ed, and stepped backwards involuntarily.

"Edward!" Claire dropped the mug and flashlight, and darted up protectively to him a minute quicker than Nate did. The mug splintered on the floor with a sharp series of cracks and the flashlight went out. She took his hand and saw what had startled him.

Ed found himself frozen in front of an oil painting that had been partially burnt. It was a portrait of a man in a uniform, with a expression as hard and ungiving as the concrete floor they stood upon. It stared back at him on its gilt stand. Claire felt End's hand tighten around hers. How long has it been, she thought. Years, and this person still frightens the man that I love with all my heart.

"How bizarre, Ed son. Do you know the fellow?" Angel asked.

"My father."

Angel crossed himself without knowing why. Frances blinked at him.

"He's got an evil look about him, Cupcake. Not meaning to offend, Q-tip, but this is a man who abandoned his God long ago. There's nothing of you in him."

"No offence, Angel. That man tried to kill me once," Ed answered quietly.

"Shit," Nate said, surprised.

Outside, a sudden wind howled, and Frances jumped.

"Storm? It's not supposed to storm," Nate remarked.

* * *

Much later, Ed and Claire sat in front of the marble fireplace, curled up on the rug, listening to the flames crackle and snap, Claire cradled against him. Ed and Nathaniel had brought all the cardboard boxes into the hall, one after the other. Not surprisingly, they'd left the painting where they'd found it. Joel and Nathaniel were asleep, and Frances and Angel were long gone. Ed had not talked about his conversation with Alec, and after she'd observed how upset the Shado commander was at seeing the painting, she had decided not to press him.

"Aren't you going to open even one?" Claire inquired, as Ed jabbed at the flaming log with the ornate fireplace poker.

"To find more reminders of my father? Not tonight. I've had enough nightmares about him for an eternity. I don't need anymore."

"Edward, there's nothing of you in him and nothing of him in you. Angel's one of the best judges of personality I know, and he saw that right away without even knowing what had happened."

"Angel looks the other way when it comes to my flaws. So do you."

"I'm not going to allow you to torture yourself like this." Claire stood up.

"Where are you going?" Ed said, startled. She said nothing, but marched into the hall and started opening up one of the cardboard boxes. "Damn you, you have no right!" Ed got up, and joined her, but he didn't stop her.

"No right? I'm going to be your wife in a few days' time. What's more important is that you mean the world to me, Edward. The days where you'd have to bear something hurtful in stoic silence are over. Whatever what hardship we find, we deal with together."

"Is this what I have to look forward to? Nagging from her ladyship of Silk Wood Manor?" Ed said, crouching by her and crossing his arms.

"Basically yes. One of the world's great mysteries is how a superbly intelligent, perceptive man like you can be so stupid at times."

"Takes talent." Ed agreed. She grinned in spite of herself, and went on opening the box. He watched her reach in and take something out, a dark, floppy thing.

"What in the world?" she exclaimed. Ed gawked at it and then looked decidedly nervous.

"Lord have mercy. Give that to me. I warn you, if you say a thing about this, I'll stick you in a dungeon somewhere."

"Why, it's a stuffed toy puppy!"

Ed snatched it away from her, and absent-mindedly petted it, much to her astonishment.

"It's not a toy. It's Vincent."

Claire Spencer sat on the floor and grinned at him.

"And are you going to introduce me to-" she started laughing as he cuddled it. Ed grinned at her.

"I can't believe my mother has this still. My father didn't like animals so he never allowed me to have a dog. So one day my mother gave me this stuffed dog she made for me. It didn't have a name at first, but eventually as I grew up, and it got more and more threadbare, one of its ears fell off and then the other. My mother loved art and she named it Vincent VanDog, and the name stuck. What else is in there? My God, she's got a lot of my toys in here. Look at that, drawings I did. Amazing, it's my Popsicle stick sculpture."

"It's very impressive, Edward," Claire joked.

"Thank you. It's a model of the Pentagon. Not exactly to scale." he grinned.

"Only you would build the Pentagon. Normal kids would build castles or forts or maybe towers."

"Pretty good for a twelve year old kid who planned to join the Air Force. Hey, I must have some of my model plane-" Ed stopped when he heard a shrill, terrified cry. "What the blazes was that?" Ed suddenly went pale, knowing the answer.

"Joel!" Claire gasped, and both of them jumped to their feet and rushed up the stairs to where Joel had been sleeping in Peter's quarters. Joel came out, stumbling, blood streaming from his mouth, eyes haunted. Ed caught him just as he fell and set him down on Peter's bed gently. Claire was already on the phone, calling for an ambulance. Assured that one was on the way, Claire sat next to Joel on the bed. The young boy was muttering, eyes rolled back in his head, semi-conscious. Blood continued to pour from his mouth in a steady trickle.

"Edward, get my bag from my room."

As Ed darted out, he nearly tripped over Nate as the bodyguard came out of his own quarters, which adjoined Peter's.

"What's going on, Ed?" Nate said sleepily, temporarily using the SHADO's Commander's first name. It drew a sharp look from him.

"Go get my car and have it running downstairs. Joel's taken a turn for the worst. Now get out of my way."

Alec Freeman drove. Sunrise was breaking over the British Isles, but he was in no state of mind to appreciate the spring wildlife or take in the beauty of the blossoming plants and flowers. For one thing, he was utterly drunk. Unfortunately, being him, he was also utterly sober. Playing in his head like a despised jingle for some product on the television was his conversation with Ed Straker.

Ed Straker, the man that he had known for so long it sometimes seemed they'd been born from the same woman. Ed Straker, his best friend. Ed Straker, whom in some ways he loved more than any woman he'd laid with. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe he'd been with that damned Ed Straker for so long that settling down with some stupid woman seemed so bizarre. Maybe he was homosexual. Maybe that was why marriage scared the piss out of him. Maybe he was a flaming homosexual. That would be so easy. Damned Ed Straker. His friend. His damned perfect friend.

Whom he had plainly told that he never wanted to see again, Alec thought glumly. The look on End's face, the terrible look on End's face. But what was he supposed to do? Yetunde was driving him absolutely dotty. Who was Ed to tell him what his responsibilities were?

For Ed it was so easy, this commitment business. Ed was no prude. But when it came to this marriage business, Ed was predictable. He'd meet some woman, God knew what Ed had seen in Mary, but he'd gone from the multi-ribboned, superior intellect blessed, Air Force colonel to a raving fool, thinking with his balls instead of the brains he'd been blessed with. Mary had more predator instinct than any mountain lion. Once she'd seen Ed, she'd set the trap, and that moron Ed not only obediently stepped into it, he'd liked it. Marriage probably seemed no more and no less part of his duty as an officer and a gentleman, as the saying went. Only the victim in that marriage had been Ed, and naturally the conflict of duty to wife and to son and duty to country and Shado had torn him apart. So seldom had the blithe spirit that was Ed Straker seep through the hard, cold exterior of the Commander. And then the divorce and John's death. Then Lily Marsh. God save us all, the seductress Lily Marsh. Then Margaret Fielding. And after each relationship Ed would be more and more wounded inside until he was just a highly efficient, thinking shell. Who knew what would happen with Claire Spencer? Spencer seemed decent enough. Ed seems happy with her. And unlike the rest of the women you fall for, Ed, she doesn't seem to want to change you. She certainly saved your arse, coming all the way here like that. If ever I saw a man bent on self-destruction, it was you after Mags. Alec sighed, remembering End's words. He'd seen Ed angry many times. You didn't want to be at the other end of that rage. It was like being dipped in acid. And last night, he'd been dipped in it.

"Alec! For God's sake you and I both know what starlets are like. Denise Class of all people! She's spent half her professional life in the horizontal position! She'd proposition the damn animal stars at Harlington-Straker if she thought it would further her career! What were you thinking, for Christ's sake? You were days away from marrying Yetunde! You have a baby daughter who just started to crawl! I saved your wretched life for this?"

"Goddamn it Ed you don't know what its been like. Yetunde's been on my back. Day after day after day. If I even look in the direction of another woman she screams at me like a fishwife. Finally I just couldn't take the constant nagging and the bills and the baby's spittle and the filthy nappies. I stopped being me. There was no me there. And one night I just couldn't take it, and her car had broken-"

"I don't want to hear it, Alec. I want you to tell Class you made a big mistake. Then I want you and Yetunde in counselling with Constantine or whichever of the psychs you feel most comfortable with. You and Yetunde are going to get through this one way or another."

"How? I've made a mistake, Ed. I can't take this commitment business."

"You can't take it? You should have thought of that before you got Yetunde pregnant."

"Goddamn you Ed, you aren't my bloody father!"

"I'm glad I'm not since then I'd have to come to terms with raising a son with the morals of a jackass!"

"And what about your morals? You threw away your marriage just so you could keep the title Commander before your name!"

Ed had blanched.

"Is that what you think? That it was simply a matter of ambition? Do I have to remind you what the stakes were? Do I? You've seen what the aliens do to human beings. Do you think I wanted this job, Alec?"

"I think you went after it, yes. You went after it because you've always gone after what you wanted, until you've gotten it. You've always had that arrogance and ambition in you. You wouldn't have those stars on your shoulders at your age if it wasn't true. So the answer is yes, Commander."

He had watched Ed listlessly drop to the bed, sitting on its edge, staring into what had to be an abyss, the abyss of years given to Shado. And true to his character he had responded with absolute truth.

"I wanted it, yes. But when Henderson first offered it to me, I said no."

"What?" he had sputtered. "You never told me that."

Then the slim man had stood up and faced him, grim expression on the senatorial features that might have been sculpted from marble.

"Maybe because I never thought my best friend would accuse me of arrogance and ambition when I was doing my job. When I was trying desperately to stop him from walking away from what's most important in this life. Family. I lost my wife and my son, Alec. I'm not going to allow you to make the same mistakes. For too many years you were too worried about my scrawny neck. And when you weren't chasing after me with a mop and a pail to clean up my mistakes in life, you were a derailed train sleeping with just about any woman that would bother to ask you your name."

"That isn't any of your blasted business! The God almighty perfect Puritanical Straker. I'm sick of you and your perfectionism. Unlike you, I live in the normal world. It's lust, Ed. You might try it sometime."

"Any woman, and you revelled in it. You were a legend. Except to me, Alec. You never could lie to me. I knew you were looking for something, back when you still didn't even know you were looking. Lust? Loneliness is more like it, Alec. You were getting to be an expert at being intimate with a woman without ever achieving intimacy. I thought finally you had it with Yetunde, and that Ayomide was icing on the cake."

"This is about sex, Ed. This isn't about you and your holier than thou philosophies."

"This isn't about sex at all. This is about you afraid of getting married. And not being courageous enough to even come to me so we could discuss it. What the hell am I your friend for? Honestly, Alec, I know how Yetunde is. The truth is she's as scared as you are. What do you think the jealousy comes from? For all her pomp and circumstance she's as scared as you are. Now I want you to turn around and go to that studio and tell that starlet that you made a mistake. Then I want you and Yetunde in counselling. That isn't a request. If the only way to get you off that soft arse of yours is to make it an order, then consider it one."

"Mistake? Mistake? Maybe we should talk about your mistakes. For a man who finds it easy to dole out martial advice, your marriages haven't exactly won any prizes, have they? Your first wife walks out on you. Your second almost to be wife goes and practically makes sure she kills your baby, then she dumps you. Your second wife actually turns out to have a stronger sex drive than you do-"

"Damn you, stop it Alec!"

"And when you don't satisfy her anymore, she goes and sleeps with the hired help. Hell, Ed, half the studio knew Mags was complaining about you and sleeping around, and we all looked the other way because you loved her. Who are you to tell me what to do?"

"I said stop it. My life with Maggie wasn't and isn't anyone's business but mine."

"She actually asked me if there was something wrong with your sex drive, she told me-"

"STOP IT! Now I gave you an order."

"Ed Straker, Mr. perfect know-it-all. Hands out advice and yet he's screwed up in every relationship he's had. And you tell me I made a mistake with Class? I thought you were my friend Ed. I came to you for some support. And all you do is lecture me."

"I'm trying to help you, Alec! I'm your friend!"

"Friend? You want to know what my chief mistake was? Ever thinking that you were my friend. I never want to see you again."

"Alec, for the love of God-"

* * *

But I walked away, Alec thought. Even after I saw the anguish so plain in his face I walked away, and only after I deliberately hurt him. He didn't say the things I wanted to say, and he wouldn't absolve my guilt so I turn on him, turn on him with the very words that destroyed what was left of his soul. The same words he finally confided in me that his wife used when she thought he had deliberately killed his son after cheating on her. I wanted him to say I wasn't the kind of bastard I already knew I was. I was foolish enough to let myself believe that he wouldn't do exactly what I knew he'd do, deep inside, knowing Ed. Tell me the truth. And now I've not only shamed myself, and let Yetunde and Ayomide down, I've hurt a man I value before anything else in England. Deliberately. And I don't know how to say I'm sorry.

He'd be the first to tell me to simply say those two words. And he'd forget all the pain I caused him.

"I'm sorry, Ed," Alec said aloud in his car, blinking back sudden tears. And he pulled it around and pointed it in the direction of Silk Wood Manor, and his life as a husband and father.

* * *

"He's going, isn't he, Claire?"

"Yes."

"It happened so suddenly," Ed whispered helplessly. The two of them were in the corridor outside the ICU, seated on a couch in a waiting area of Mayland Hospital. Claire was still in her surgical gown, holding his hand. The both of them were utterly exhausted.

"He had internal bleeding that we managed to stop. He's in a deep coma, Edward. He didn't want any undue attempts to save his life when this happened, as he knew it would. You made him so happy."

"How long does he have?" Ed asked softly.

"I don't know, but my guess is he'll die within the hour. Edward, there's nothing more we can do. We should go home. We both need to sleep."

"I want to be here."

"Edward, he doesn't even know what happened. He's deep in coma."

Ed got up and walked to the opposite wall, his back to her. She sighed. How many times in her training had the medical professor said that the real people who suffered in the process of death were the loved ones the dying left behind. And Edward who only knew a small boy for mere hours, is grieving for him as though he were his very own. Oh Edward. If I could only spare you this.

"Claire." Ed said suddenly. There was something strange in his voice, some note that chilled her. She waited. He turned toward her, and took her arm, led her into the solarium of the hospital.

"Edward, what is it?" she finally said.

"I want to give him my blood. I want to save him with the bacteria."

"Edward. You know you can't do that."

"No. I don't know anything of the kind. I can do it. I intend to do it."

"Edward, hurting you is the last thing in the world that I want to do."

He frowned at her.

"I'm waiting."

"But can you ethically save him, and this is even if it is still possible with the antibodies that transformed the alien bacteria, without saving every child in this hospital that has terminal cancer? Or in this country? Or in this world? Where does it begin? What makes Joel special?"

"How can you talk to me about your damned ethics when that boy in there had nothing throughout his whole life and has been in and out of hospital? Rotting away with tumours in his body? Dying? What's gained from turning our backs on him and letting him die, when he has a chance to live? You know I'm right."

"Edward, suppose it works. Then what? And how do you know this is something he'd even want? How do we do this without him becoming a major security risk with alien bacteria floating around in his body? How does he explain it? Do you know how fast they'd turn him into a lab rat? Why Joel?"

"Claire, he came to me. He came to me. He confided in me. That's all I can tell you. And I haven't come to this decision without careful thought. He's independent and intelligent and perceptive far beyond his years and he'd understand the need for secrecy. He'd know what's at stake."

"Edward, once you saved his life, provided this even works, he isn't going to let you go easily."

"Well I know. That's the part that involves you."

"Ohhhhhh Godddddd. What are you plotting?"

"I know I haven't got any right to ask you this." Ed sighed.

"I love you Edward. There's little I'd refuse you, you know that. So hit me with whatever it is." she chuckled.

"You know I tried to adopt Devon a few years back and the agency didn't allow it due to some well placed words in their ears from my loving ex-wife."

"Edward, for that reason, they aren't likely to allow you to adopt Joel."

"Yes, yes. Exactly." Ed looked at the grass and then back up at her, waiting.

"ME?" she squeaked. "A mother of a twelve year old at age fifty?"

He turned his most charming smile on her.

"The adoption agency would love you."

"Edward, I--I am not-"

He sighed. He took a few steps away from her.

"Claire, you're about all I have left in this world, and I won't force Joel on you."

"My God Edward, what happened between you and Alec?"

"Everything. Nothing. No, that's a lie. I think he finally had his fill of me, Claire. He said some pretty painful things to me. After forty years he knows all my buttons. He spoke about Maggie. He reminded me of things I haven't talked about that happened between us. I think I was so hard on Alec because he was talking about walking away from Yetunde. I never had the guts to walk away from Maggie even though she and I never had anything resembling a marriage at the end."

"Edward, you and I are going to be married in three days. So you better get used to having a wife again. A wife that will want to know all your burdens and fears so that she can share them and make them easier to carry. And damn you for this, you nitwit, you better get used to having a son again. Let's look at this way. I'll never lose my figure or go through morning sickness with Joel. Come on, we'll use my blood and not yours. I don't think my blood has the antibodies."

"Claire, Claire." Ed wept.

"Don't be grateful yet. This shoots all my ethics to hell. We don't know if this will work. If it does, I may try to talk my son out of being a premier danseur and push him into medicine. My son the doctor has a better ring to it." Claire had tears equal to End's as she took his arm and started to walk with him purposefully back to the hospital entrance.

* * *

Carmella Diaz opened the door of Silk Wood Manor and glared at Alec Freeman.

"Before you start in on me, Carms, I'm here to apologize to Ed and try and patch my relationship up with Yetunde. Why are you here anyway?"

"You smell like a distillery, and you're driving? Do you know how lucky you are that the police didn't stop you?" Camilla moved back so Alec could come in, with a whirr of her wheelchair motor. "The Commander and Dr. Spencer left several hours ago for hospital, and Nate went with them. I haven't heard from them since."

"Hospital? Christ! Did something happen to Ed?"

"No, no, no, that boy they brought home started to bleed internally. Come inside and have a cup of coffee. They left me to take care of the manor."

"No thanks, I'll drive out-OW!"

Carmella had proved on more than one occasion that her upper body strength was considerable and now she'd reached up and grabbed Alec and hurled him inside and locked the door behind him, muttering in Spanish.

"If I let you go in that condition, Straker would break my neck."

"Okay Okay, Jesus, save the rough treatment for the aliens. Just pour two fingers of brandy in it. I'm heading for a memorable hangover," groaned Alec.

"Not a drop, Freeman. Black coffee, and maybe breakfast if I'm in the mood. Then you can sleep it out on the couch. Straker will want to see you. Why, I don't know. Nate told me you had a big fight with him."

"Who needs our intelligence department with Nate around?" complained Alec.

"Shut up, sit down, take off your jacket. I make the best breakfast burritos around. Commander Straker should be here soon. If I know Claire, she'll bring him home and sit on him until he rests."

"When did women get so violent? Whatever happened to the weaker sex?"

"On second thought, you better come with me into the kitchen. I wouldn't put it past you to sneak out while I'm cooking."

"Yeow!" Alec exclaimed as she pulled him with her, her trusty wheelchair rolling alongside him.

* * *

"No, no,no and no and no and no thrown in for good measure. I've had it with intelligence work."

"You're being a complete and utter arse, Graham."

"It keeps me clean, Harry."

"This person I know needs a personal bodyguard."

"This is that charity fellow Straker you do work for, right? Pre ops?"

"I wouldn't call checking out the places he goes pre ops, but I guess it'll do. I'm temporarily acting as his executive assistant, and its one of the better jobs I've ever had, and I'm hoping to get it full time. Another guy that works for him as bodyguard is getting married and getting out of the business, and that position is open, and you'd be perfect for it."

"Ask that toady you work for to check out your ears. I said no," Graham Lancaster snapped.

"So, that's it." Harry said, shaking his head sadly.

"What?" Lancaster snapped again, attacking his toast with a knife full of orange marmalade.

Harry Williams looked his long time roommate Graham Lancaster full in the face.

"You can't hack it anymore. You're a coward."

"You filthy piece of imported scum. You know that's a lie."

For more than ten years, reflected Harry, Graham, or Grey, as he affectionately called his friend, had accused him of being imported, since he had grown up in Liverpool, spent half his life in the British Secret Service and then had moved to Mayfair. Not that Grey seemed to be all that scornful of the better life, Harry thought, eyeing Lancaster's Turnbull and Asser pinstripe and the bespoke suit.

"Oh is it, then?" Harry scoffed, pouring the morning's tea into mugs for them. "What do you think, Misha?" he asked. Misha just went on chirping.

"Leave my canary out of this. I'm no coward. Did you think I was a coward when that Soviet devil put slugs in you and I dragged your sorry excuse for a body out of the line of fire then neatly decorated the Russian bustard's face with dum dums?"

"That was back in the fifties before you wore bifocals to read the morning Times. Now you're retired and soft," Harry accused, knowing that he'd trust Lancaster with his life in a second.

"Filthy imported scum, the salt air has shrunken your brain."

"Coward." Harry said matter-of-factly, and sighed, and buttered his toast. "How quickly you faded."

"All right, you cross eyed, bastard shame of your mother. How do I apply for this bloody bodyguard job?"

Harry beamed and Misha chirped.

"Finish getting dressed and I'll introduce you to Straker."

"I am dressed, you pansy!"

* * *

Alec was resplendent in his morning suit, and his long time friend Ed Straker was dressed all in white, and desperately trying to pin a red carnation to his lapel.

"Christ, Alec, Mendelssohn is going to start in a minute and I can't get this thing straight enough!"

"Mendel what?" Alec said, taking the carnation and pinning it to End's suit.

"The wedding march, of course. Thanks. Alec?"

"What?"

Ed rested a hand on Alec's shoulder for an instant.

"Thanks for everything."

"Try and stay out of trouble, Ed."

The two men smiled at one another, and embraced just as the first notes on the piano were played. Ed paraded out alongside Alec and in a few moments stood in front of Angel. He looked joyful as Claire joined him, her hair twisted into a French braid with tiny curls at her forehead and dangling at her neck. She wore a demi-veil, and looked serene. Frances was behind her, fussing with the train of her white lace gown and crying at the same time. Someone tapped on Alec's shoulder. It was a young boy that he didn't recognize, and then it slowly came to him that it was Joel. Funny, he had a full head of hair.

"You have to stop it. End's in trouble and you have to stop it."

"The wedding? I can't do that, Ed would be broken-hearted."

"Not the wedding, loser! Him. The chapel is open now. He's free. And he hates."

"What are you trying to-Joel?" Alec looked around and saw nothing. Angel was directing Ed to kiss the bride. Suddenly a man came up, no, Alec thought, floated up, Christ, that wasn't possible! He was dressed in a military uniform and there were deep red scars on his neck. In his hand he carried a pistol.

"Eddie." he said. It made the hairs at the back of Alec's neck stand up.

Slowly Ed turned.

"Father," he said quietly. "Don't do this. Don't destroy my last chance for happiness."

"You need to be punished, Eddie. I won't let you have your whore."

The shots echoed in the small chapel. Small round red spatters appeared on Claire's gown. Smiling, she sank to the ground and Ed bent over her. She shuddered once, and died. Ed howled with grief, stood up and approached the malevolent figure.

"Eddie," he said with disgust. "Come and get me, Eddie. Try and come and get me."

"Why can't you leave me alone? Leave me alone. Leave me alone." Ed turned toward Alec, full of open grief. "Alec, why did you leave me alone? Alec? Alec?"

"You let this happen." Joel was saying. "You left him alone. You deserted him."

"Ed? Ed?"

The figure was pulling Ed, only Ed was a small boy, elated to be with his father looking around with open youthful curiosity, examining shells, climbing happily on rocks, and then he was on a cliff overlooking a cold sea. The figure lifted his cane, and it came down. Ed cried out.

"Mummy?" the child said brokenly, not understanding, crouching in terror. A stream of blood ran down his flaxen hair.

"For the love of God! RUN! Run Ed, RUN! He's going to kill you, RUN!"

" Mummy and I did something bad." the boy said simply. "It hurts, it hurts."

"He needs to be punished. Eddie always needs to be punished," the man said and kept beating him. Alec tried to move, called to the others gathered in the chapel, but they couldn't hear him.

"Ed RUN!"

"Eddie won't run. He's a good boy. He needs to be punished."

"You sick bastard! What has the boy done to deserve this? Tell me! Tell me!"

"Rosemary loves him too much." the man said. "She loves him and that filthy lawyer she spread her legs for. Now she'll pay the price. I'm taking her offal into hell with me." He picked up the broken body of Ed and hurled it over the rocks, and Alec screamed.

"ED! NO!"

* * *

"Alec, wake up, you're having a nightmare."

Alec gasped and sat upright, focusing his vision. Ed was sitting next to him, looking worried. He grabbed a startled Ed and hugged him hard.

"My God, you're breaking my ribs. I don't know what's worst, having them broken or smelling that chemical waste called your breath. You okay now?"

"Damn, I was having this weird nightmare about your wedding. Ed, listen, those things I said to you-."

"Not now, Alec. I'm tired and I feel like I could sleep a year. Carmella was right to make you stay here. Nate, accompany my pickled friend here to the dining room. Please bring him some lunch on a tray with more black coffee."

"Ed, what happened?" Alec said. Ed had been heading for the stairs grasping a solemn Claire's arm. He turned back and for the first time Alec noticed his eyes were reddened, and he looked terrible. He only shook his head, as if the effort of responding was too much for him.

"Joel passed away, Alec. Before we could do anything. We just came from the cremation service," Claire said softly, and guided Ed up the steps.

* * *

The doorbell rang, and Angel appeared on the doorstep.

"Hola, Angel, where is your better half?" Carmella said.

"Hi there, beautiful, oh. Her? Like a nitwit she's pouring tea for the people in the queues to look at the Queen Mum. She's behaving like she knew the old bat. Where's Q-tip, I want to go over the wedding arrangements with him. Oh hi Alec, lad. Have you come to your senses about Yetunde, you nutter, you? Margery Class, streuth. You're old enough to be her great, great grandfather."

"Is there anyone that doesn't know Yetunde and I broke up over my affair?" moaned Alec.

"Wait until Cupcake hears about it and gets her hands on you. That is if I ever seen her again. She's likely to sign up to be an equerry or something." Angel complained. "Say, Carmella can I get some tea and maybe some lunch? Frances has been gone for a couple of hours and I already feel helpless."

"Sure, Father, with pollo tacos if you ask nice. You should try and be more understanding about Alec and his sinful nature and Frances' and her appreciation for the monarchy. Try and be a good Catholic," Carmella complained, and wheeled up to him, balancing the tea tray and his lunch in her lap.

"Good Catholic? Now there's a misnomer if I ever heard one. Just look at how their priests have been abusing innocents for years. Besides, I'm Episcopalian. Thanks, Carmella." he grinned as he took the teapot and cup. "Where's Ed and Claire?"

"They got back from hospital about an hour ago. Joel died," Carmella sighed.

"Oh that's terrible. He was such a bright lad. God rest his soul, and watch over him in paradise. Q-tip's always picking up strays, you know. It's a trait that goes back all the way to when we were prisoners together. He used to adopt, name and feed the mice and rats and lizards that would come into his cell with what little the Vietnamese would give us. He said he'd rather starve than lose his humanity. These are delicious, Carmella." Angel added, swallowing a bite of chicken taco. "Anyway, he said that his little friends in the cell got rid of most of the bugs and it was small payment indeed to share his rations for him."

"Dios! I was a prisoner for no more than a day and I can't think of what it must have been like for the Commander, shut up for years like that."

"I'm worried about security this upcoming wedding. Has he decided on where it's going to be?" Alec said, slurping some coffee and brushing crumbs from his taco onto the carpet. Carmella scowled at him until he bent over and gathered every last crumb into his linen napkin.

"Why are all men sloppy pigs? Anyway, I do not know. Nate tells me that an chapel was uncovered right here on the property, that would be a nice place for it to happen I think."

"Chapel? Here? No," Alec said firmly. They looked at him. Just then Nate sauntered in through the hall and flopped his elongated, muscled body into the nearest chair.

"I finally got everything that belonged to Peter moved into Artie and Daisy's house. It's nuts over there. Peters turned into this starry-eyed wuss. Everything's race, race, race and wedding, wedding, wedding. Hey, how's the Commander and Claire? He didn't say a word to me back at hospital. Poor kid died pretty quick, huh?"

* * *

"Edward, sweetheart, you were crying out in your sleep."

"Blast it, did I nod off? What time is it? I was supposed to get a call through to that registry fellow hours ago. Where's my address book? Ah, drawer. Pad, pen, yes. Claire, could you start a shower for me while I get undressed? I have so much to do. We have to order the flowers, and I have to consult with Frances over the food, and I need-what?"

"Edward. We have so much to talk about."

"Not now, Claire." Ed jumped up from the bed and reached for the phone. He began to dial a number, his address book from the night table balanced in his lap, and with his other hand he began to pull at his turtleneck sweater. Claire looked at him for a moment, took a deep breath, and firmly pulled the telephone wire out of the connection on the wall. Unfortunately she pulled it out so hard that the little plastic connector snapped off. She bit her lip.

"SPENCER! God damn you! That's my secure phone line to Shado!"

"Edward, whatever it takes, we're going to talk about this marriage, and our lives together and Joel and most of all Maggie. We're going to talk about everything, or you're not getting out of this room, I swear to God you aren't. I'm going to be your wife, but I'm also going to be your partner, and I am your business associate in the Foundation. Pushing your partner out of a contract when something's gone wrong is poor business practice."

Ed sighed but said nothing, so Claire continued, a little nervously.

"Edward, I knew you blame yourself for Joel's death. I know you've added that to everything else you carry on those shoulders of yours. You look like death warmed over, and by God, Edward, by God, you're not going to keep everything to yourself. Edward, all my life I was my brother's kid sister and my father's daughter and my mother's shame. I didn't have any identity for myself and I didn't even care about it all that much. Sure, I had some bizarre reputation for going into medicine as late as I did and succeeding instead of falling on my face like my mother believed I would. And don't get me wrong, Edward. I love what I do. But my real place is at your side. I'm no shrinking violet, but I'm not strong either. I need you. I didn't have much of a future, no real goals. Life wasn't interesting beyond just being with Ryan, and sharing his joys and sorrows. We were just a pair of misfits. Then you showed up. And everything I had ever been taught went straight down the toilet, and I followed you here. And I like to think that the first moment I looked into your eyes I knew where I belonged. I've never wanted anything else as much as I want to be your wife. So please Edward, if I have to beg you, I will. Talk with me. I love you so much. Please."

For a moment Ed stared at the Palladian windows, then searched her face, sighed, and put down the phone he'd been holding. Then he smiled somewhat.

"I'd guess that entire speech took, oh, two minutes tops. So judging by my calculations, Nathaniel's going to come up those stair-"

The door burst open. Claire was amazed it didn't come off its hinges.

"ED?" Alec yelled, gun drawn. Ed wasn't surprised to see that the Australian's hand was steady, despite whatever alcohol had to have remained in his system. Nor was he surprised that he held no residual of hurt from their conversation.

"Why hello Alec, nice to see you can still climb stairs in your condition. Where's Nate? Ah there he is. Why hello Angel, you're here too? Is that Carmella I hear downstairs cursing in Spanish? Shame shame, and I thought she was such a good Catholic. Why is she cursing?"

"Right here man, Alec beat my ass, you okay, Commander? The alarms went off when the phone went dead. Carmella can't climb the stairs in her locomotive, so she's pissed," Nate explained.

"Why isn't Frances in this little gathering, Angel?" Ed said calmly.

"You scared us all to death, Ed son. Cupcake's helping with the queues to see the Queen Mum lying in state. She'll be back with us this evening to plan the wedding menu, that's my one hope of not losing her to the British monarchy. What happened?"

"I uh-" Claire said, and looked glum.

"It was an accident, I tripped and pulled the cord out. Please ring HQ and let them know it was a false alarm before Sky 1 lands in my front yard. It seems those new security systems you wanted to brief me on actually do work." Ed said. "By the way, let Carmella know I'm fine before she pops an artery." Claire grinned at him. Nate went out to the stairs for a second, yelled at a near-hysterical Carmella to call HQ and Carmella muttered to herself and crossed herself reverently in thanks that Ed was all right, then reached for a nearby phone. Nate smiled at her and came in again.

"Yeah Commander and we've got panic buttons throughout the -"

There was a loud, unmistakable boom that made everyone duck then a deafening screech of tyres. End's light-hearted mood dropped and he reached for his Glock. Claire carefully edged up to the window, trying to see what was happening, her Shado training coming into play just enough for her to remember not to step in front of the window and make herself a clear target, however high up she was from the ground. Nate gestured at Ed.

"Move, Commander. You too, Claire. Safe room. Now, man and I'm not kidding."

"Not a chance Zouri. If something's trying to get me, my policy is to get it first." Ed said, and strapped on his holster again. "See anything, Spencer?"

"Man, what do you pay me for if you don't follow my advice?" Nate yelled at his boss. Claire grinned and picked up her handbag, where Ed knew her Derringer was.

"You're only here to change light bulbs, Nathaniel." Claire said, drawing a scowl from the tall Jamaican. "Two men getting out of a Range Rover, Edward. Both armed with what looked like rifles." Ed looked at her, checked for himself, nodded tightly and the group cautiously moved out of the master bedroom. Carmella was yelling at the top of her voice in a mixture of Spanish and her particular brand of English, but she didn't seem alarmed. Two men were sheepishly standing in the foyer, in animated conversation with her. Ed moved halfway down the stairs, to the first landing flanked by Nate, Alec and Angel and soon recognized one as Harry Williams. The other he didn't know.

"Go see what this is all about, Alec." Ed said, placing his gun back into his holster." Lieutenant Diaz seems to have the situation well within control."

"Shit I left poor Carma down there alone manning security." moped Nate. "She doesn't even have a gun."

"Don't worry Nate. She has her mouth and those arms. Trust me, that's enough. I'm still black and blue from this morning," Alec complained.

"Oh now, that's a story I want to hear, Alec."

"Somehow I figured that, Ed." Alec chuckled.

* * *

Alec went down the steps and waved at Harry.

"You want to explain yourself, Harry?"

"Alec. Thank God. Look, I got a call on the car mobile that there was a alert at Mr. Straker's property from Ford, since we happened to already have been on our way here, we got here as fast as we could. Doctor Diaz here just confirmed that it was a false alarm. I'm afraid that we, well, no one was at the guard station, and there was no way to get in-"

"Jesus Christ God Almighty!" Ed Straker moaned, startling Williams and impressing his companion by seemingly appearing out of nowhere. "Not the damn grade 2 gates. Please tell me you didn't crash through the gates!"

Alec Freeman started laughing as Harry stared at the Commander, obviously upset.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but well, when there was no one at the station we figured it was bad news, and we had our rifles in the car, and well, I'm awfully sorry, Sir. We assumed the worst, you see."

"The English Heritage people are going to have heart attacks." Ed said, pinching the bridge of his nose. Claire tried to get rid of her grin and came up behind him, rubbing the back of his neck until he relaxed a little, but didn't ease up on his faultless posture.

"All men are idiots," decreed Carmella, and rolled off to make more tea and coffee.

"They were doing their duty, Carmella." Claire smiled.

"I better see the damage for myself," sighed Ed. "What were you coming here for anyway, Williams? I left strict orders at the studio not to be disturbed for anything unless hell froze over and Big Ben struck thirteen and not in any particular order. I'm supposed to be getting married this week. And who is your companion? I take it he can be trusted, or have you shot your professionalism to hell along with the gates?" The small group left the foyer and started walking down the driveway toward the entrance to Silk Wood Manor.

"Well, Sir, that's why I'm here. I haven't told him everything. But I knew there was an opening here for a personal bodyguard and my friend Graham here is your man. He's got A1 clearance, no living relatives, sharp as a tack, old Army Intelligence, and excels at anything with a trigger. The G-6 will be a breeze. I apologize Sir, it was awfully forward of me, but I reasoned you wouldn't want to have to go through the hassle of interviewing a lot of chaps."

"You have to have been smoking ganja, Harry. He looks a bit long in the tooth to protect the boss to me," Nate said in a derisive manner, sneering. Lancaster looked at Nate.

Ed Straker didn't even manage to open his mouth all the way to tell Nate he was way out of order, when Graham Lancaster brought the taller, stronger and younger Jamaican bodyguard down like a felled tree with a sharp blow to his solar plexus, then the coup de grace across his neck. Ed Straker casually strolled over to his now unconscious bodyguard and gently tapped the toe of his black ankle boot against Nate to check for signs of life. Lancaster stood there at attention, noting at the back of his mind that Straker exhibited cat-like balance, but also just waiting for Straker to say something. Nate didn't move. Alec just grinned, as did Angel. Claire noticed Carmella had come back and had a big grin on her face.

"What's your name?" Ed asked, ignoring Harry Williams' extreme shock and horror.

"Graham Lancaster. My friends call me Grey."

"Mr. Lancaster, you're hired." Ed put out a hand, and smiled. Harry let out a long sigh of relief, and produced a handkerchief from his Barbour vest, mopping his brow.

Graham inspected Straker for a moment, then put out his own hand and the two men shook hands warmly. Lancaster noted Straker's grip was strong and equal, if not better than his own. The man wasn't soft, Lancaster had to admit. Straker might appear the pretty boy, with his striking looks, but he wasn't soft at all. Quite the opposite, this Straker.

"You aren't at all the toady I expected you'd be, Straker."

"For heaven's sake, Grey!" blurted Harry.

Ed gestured toward the unconscious Jamaican.

"Appearances, as you just proved, can be deceiving," Ed decreed. Lancaster chuckled a little at the truth in that.

"I think I may learn to appreciate this job, and you, more than I thought." Lancaster told Ed.

"Your first assignment may be to keep the English Heritage people from killing me outright. But then you have a few surprises coming, doesn't he, Mr. Williams? You see to his briefing later. Oh God. Yes, as I thought, the gates are completely shot. At least this shows how inferior the property security was, due to our friends at English Heritage. See that Zouri wakes up, then have him start in on the repairs, Carmella, then join us, would you? Let's go back in. I for one could use an early supper. Then we'll decide what to do about that telephone line." Ed looked at Claire meaningfully. She chuckled at him and then remembered her manners.

"Welcome to Silk Wood Manor, Graham." Claire said with a smile.

"Thank you Ma'am."

Claire pressed close to Ed as they all walked back, except for Carmella and the not so peacefully sleeping Nate.

"Don't think I've forgotten about our talk, Edward." Claire whispered to him. Ed nodded, and took her hand, closed his fingers tightly over hers.

Alec looked back and winced. Carmella was holding the garden hose and pointing it at Nate. In a few minutes the water came full on and Nathaniel Zouri gave a garbled series of screams. Carmella just went on drenching him, long past the point of being necessary.

"That woman is unbelievable." Alec said. Ed looked back for a second, not surprised, chuckled.

"I wouldn't have Carmella any other way, Alec. We all have our little peculiar habits that make us unique, don't we? Sometimes in spite of everything, we go down the wrong roads. But if we're lucky we have loved ones and friends that help us learn from our life experiences and our mistakes. And before long we find ourselves on the right path again."

They looked at each other meaningfully, and smiled.

* * *

Ed and Claire went upstairs early after saying their goodnights. Frances had finally put in an appearance, absolutely giddy after meeting Prince Andrew and his daughters in the queue from having volunteered as a tea pourer for the mourners, and was describing her great relief at having done a perfect curtsy to Angel for about the sixteenth time. Angel, normally a staunch Republican, had tolerated it simply because he was just so happy to see her. Nathaniel and Carmella were playing poker, and not surprisingly, Carmella was well on her way to winning the rather loud pink and lime green shirt off his back. Harry had made his farewells and had left, leaving Graham to play chess with Alec, after the new bodyguard had inspected his living quarters and pronounced them suitable. Frances had been so excited about meeting a Royal she had forgotten the wedding menu planning and hadn't cooked dinner for everyone, so Carmella had just made tacos again and nobody had objected, not even Frances.

* * *

Ed and Claire changed into their nightwear, then curled up together in bed.

"Are you tired, Edward?" Claire asked, stroking his hair as he held her.

"No, not at all. I just wanted to get away from our guests. Claire, I need to tell you something."

"You don't know if marrying me is the right thing for you to do. I know. Maggie scarred you pretty badly. Pins and needles, Edward, everyone you allowed to come close to you scarred you pretty badly."

Ed held her at arms' length ruefully.

"I hate it when that ESP of yours kicks into gear."

"I know. Edward, listen to me. If you don't want to go through with this wedding, then just let me stay with you. I don't have to wear a veil to love you. I want you to know that."

"Is this the same Spencer that told me this afternoon she didn't want anything in her life as much as she wanted to be Mrs. Straker?"

"This is the same Spencer that is terrified the man she loves will leave her because he can't take anymore pain."

"I'm uncertain, but that doesn't mean I want to postpone the wedding. Claire, I don't even know you all that well. The way it is between us is so much different than it was with, well, Lily, for one thing."

"Thank God for that!" she chuckled. He grinned.

"No, that isn't what I mean. Lily just showed up at my door one day, and after my initial objections I felt loved again, it was exciting, we had sex in ways I'd never tried before. Hell, that I didn't spend half my time with her in traction is amazing."

"Edward, you're beginning to scare me." Claire chuckled. "Don't assume that will happen with me, at my age I'm not an gymnast!"

"That's another thing. You take my discussion of my sex life with Lily, well, so matter-of-factly. I once jokingly brought it up with Maggie and she didn't talk to me the rest of the night. Both Lily and Maggie were jealous to the point of obsession. And I was faithful to them both, Claire. I'm afraid I'm pretty boring when it comes to that kind of thing."

"You have ethics and morals Edward. You're an old fashioned gentleman. They took advantage of that. That Mary actually believed you slept with Nina just astounds me. Photographs or no photographs, she should have given you a chance to explain. Instead she walked out on you. If she hadn't done that, and fallen down those stairs, maybe you'd still be with her now. I would never have known you. Edward, sometimes I wake up beside you in the few precious moments we have before you go off to Shado, and I listen to your breathing, and I watch your lashes flutter, and I feel your warmth. Sometimes it's hard to resist just tossing the alarm clock out the window and keep you with me forever." smiled Claire.

"I always wake up before the alarm rings, you know that." he grinned.

"I know that. I know that, my love. Shado will always be your mistress and I understand that. I don't want to change you. I don't ask for much. I love you Edward."

"Claire, I need to talk with you about-about Maggie, why my marriage ended the way it did."

"Our marriage is what I want, that's what's important, not the past. You know that. I have no regrets about what I did or the way I did it, or that Shado will always be more important to you than me."

"For God's sake Claire, how can you say that?"

Claire gently cupped his face between her hands.

"Because, darling, it's true. It needs to be that way. I won't lie and say to you that I don't wish you'd retire and let Alec or someone else take over. But I love you as you are, and Shado is part of you now. I love you Edward."

"Claire, you know, you know I've learned to love you. I can't imagine not having you at my side. You know, sometimes I wish I could say it. Just turn my back on the organization and walk away. I wish the Foundation could be enough for me. But it will never be. How can I ask you to be the wife of a man who is forever bound to his work? My darling, if anything happened to you because of Shado, the way it did to my son, or Joel, my God. Sometimes I just sit and wonder what's around the corner, what terrible thing lies in wait for me. When Henderson told me that they had chosen me for Shado, I often wonder what my life would have been like if I had stood up to him and said no, and made it stick. Just for once I'd like to feel human."

Claire laughed and he looked at her in hurtful disbelief.

"That isn't funny, Claire."

"Oh but it is. You're so human, Edward. You're just skilled at making some people, including yourself, think that you aren't. It's your humanity that Joel was attracted to. It was your heart he saw, even through that ridiculous outfit." She reached toward him and brushed away his tears. Ed held on to her tightly, what control he'd had quickly fading away.

"I killed him Claire, I let him die, the same way I did Johnny when I could have done something, how do I live with myself? How can I allow myself a normal life when I'll never see my son again?"

"Edward, you gave Joel happiness in the last hours of his life, and I know deep down that neither Johnny nor Joel blame you for their deaths. I know that deep down in my heart of hearts. What I don't know is if you'll ever let up on the guilt you feel. Guilt that isn't necessary. It isn't something I can do for you. Even my love isn't enough to change that. I can only be with you the rest of your life." Claire wept. They held on to each other silently for several minutes. Ed pulled away, and wiped his tears away roughly with the back of his hand.

"Look at us. Crying like babies. We're supposed to be married in a few days. Do you think we could manage a modicum of merriment and act like this upcoming marriage is a good thing?" Ed asked, trying to smile.

"I don't know, Edward. A modicum of merriment is all we're allowed on our wedding day?" she chuckled.

"A modicum, no more than that. Claire, in the last days of my marriage to-I don't know, I don't know if I can tell you this."

"If this is going to work, we can never keep secrets. We can never lie to each other. Just tell me Edward."

Ed gave a deep sigh.

Claire waited.

"Claire, toward the last part of my marriage to Margaret, I was-I was making up reasons to stay at Shado because I didn't want to hear her yell at me or ask me for some bauble or some dress when she had a hundred in her wardrobe. And when I'd come home, she'd yell at me, say that all that matters to me was my damn job. And just out of a desperation to have the argument over with, sometimes I'd give in to what she wanted. And nine times out of ten it would be sex. And toward the end, half the nights she'd get in bed with me I was impotent. And you know what, Claire? I knew. I knew she'd started to sleep around. I suspected she even had relations with Yolanda. She was a special woman, Claire. But I don't think she had much of a core. Losing her father, as disgusting as he was, was difficult for her. Toward the end I think my money and my prestige was all that kept her with me. I knew the marriage was at an end, but I couldn't bring myself to ask her for a divorce. We stopped having sex because I couldn't get an erection. I know she joked about it to Alec behind my back, and I don't know how I faced him, day after day, wondering what he thought of me. And God, I suspected-" his face contorted with grief and she took his hand.

"Go on Edward."

"I suspected she was pregnant, because her body had changed, her breasts were fuller and I knew, my God, I knew it wasn't mine, because we hadn't had sex in months. I just couldn't give her up. She talked about wanting to adopt Devon, but that was a passing interest. Claire-oh my God Claire. When she died, when she died, I was glad. GLAD! I was glad, Claire, what kind of monster does that make me? Alec thought I'd go each year to her grave in San Francisco from grief. But I'd go because I felt guilt. I wanted to destroy myself because I felt guilt!"

"Edward, stop it, she chose what happened to her. How could your death make what she'd done any better? How could destroying yourself for a guilt that wasn't rightfully yours make anything right? Feeling relief when she died is natural, whether you want to believe it or not. You were free from an impossible situation. And you mourned for the baby that died with her, whether you were the father or not. All I saw when I came into that hospital room was a man who was lost, absolutely lost, and hadn't even permitted himself to be touched to the point where he couldn't bear it when I touched him. I never have seen such desolation in anyone as I saw in you that day. It haunted me and I swear I was determined to do something about it. Pins and needles! When you walked out of that hospital it broke my heart. I felt sure that if I ever saw you again, you'd be dead. When Ryan showed me the newspaper clippings of you I couldn't believe it. Oh God Edward, the only thing I truly am sad about is that Ryan can't see this home I share with you. That's the only thing. And I swear to you I won't ever bring you unhappiness. I know you've been told that before. But I swear it to you, Edward."

"What happens if things change between us, Claire? What happens if our love dies?"

"I can tell you one thing, Edward Straker. When I make those vows to you, I'm going to mean every single one of them. If we have problems between us, I'll come to you and I expect you to come to me. I love you and there's no force in the world that's going to keep me apart from you. Edward, I'm going to resign from Mayland and work full time at the Foundation. That'll mean-"

"God no Claire. That was the beginning of the end for me and Maggie. She quit her job. I'd come home and when she wasn't ordering things in the catalogues or talking to her girlfriends or flirting with my personnel she was watching that damn Casablanca video of hers. On the day of her funeral I came home and I took that thing and I smashed it to bits."

"And then what did you do, Edward?" Claire said, knowing the answer. Ed sobbed and she took him into her arms.

"I cried, I cried, I cried. I loved her, Claire, I loved her. Was it too much to ask that she love me back? Just a little? You know I accused Alec of being intimate with his women but never achieving true intimacy with anyone. What a joke. Maggie and I had sex, Lily and I had sex. But we never truly had intimacy. We never truly understood one another. Alec was right to tell me I never won any prizes in my marriages. I never did. I just wanted a wife and kids to love and a family to come home to. So much for the great perfect Commander Straker Alec was talking about. Don't tell anyone, but I've got a heart." Ed forced a chuckle.

"I swear to God I won't tell a soul. I'll go and take the amnesia drug right this minute. I don't question for a moment that you aren't perfect, Edward Straker, my love."

"That's Commander Straker to you." he smiled.

"Yes Sir." Claire chuckled.

"Something's wrong. I'm actually starting to feel hopeful about us."

"Hope? We can't have that, Edward. We can only have a modicum of merriment, remember."

"Yes, yes. But if that's all I get for the rest of my life, then it's a distinct improvement, because my life up to now has been pretty empty. Do you think I could be as bold as to hope for a modicum of love, too?"

"Don't press your luck, Straker."

"Yes, of course, you're right, Spencer. Oh, you know what? To hell with this modicum business. Kiss me."

Ed pulled her into a long, slow, soul-stirring kiss, and she smiled at him and nuzzled the nape of his neck. His grip tightened on her, and his pace of breathing picked up. He took off his robe and drew her closer.

"Are you sure this isn't against regulations, Commander?" she said contently as he suddenly began untying the ribbon on her nightgown like his life depended on it. He grinned at her.

"You're never to call me Commander again. I want always to be Edward to you once we're married." Ed lifted the nightgown over her head and undid the sash of his pyjama trousers, then laid her effortlessly down across the four-poster bed and moved over her breathlessly. She linked her hands around his neck and pulled him to her.

"Is that an order, Comman-GOD!"

* * *

It wasn't until dawn that the exhausted, happy lovers finally fell asleep.

And while they slept, something malevolent moved over Silk Wood Manor. Something in the form of a man. Something bent on crushing the life out of Ed Straker.

* * *

"Stop it, Yetunde," Alec muttered in his sleep. Finally with a groan he tossed off his blankets, cleared the sleep from his eyes and stared. The boy was there, transparent, woeful, poking him uselessly with fingers that went right through Alec's chest, and Alec shuddered at the spectral fingers passing through him.

"You have to do something! The hater has him! Do something! Her husband tried, but now the chapel's been opened again and the hater is out! You've got to destroy the painting, he draws his power from it, don't you understand? Her husband tried, but he was frightened away, and now End's in trouble! I can't help him, and Ed's too intimidated by the hater to fight, you have to do something!"

"Damn it you're dead, can't you stay dead, it's the alcohol, get away from-"

The form vanished.

A heartrending female scream broke the quiet of the British morning. Alec jumped out of bed without bothering with a robe and grabbed his gun still in his cotton nightshirt and boxers. He rushed out of the room which adjoined End's master bedroom, and Ed was standing near his door, dressed impeccably in his uniform with a satisfied expression on his face Alec's attention was drawn to the small bunch of people who stood gathered around the bottom of the oak staircase. Frances aghast and Angel gawking, the Lancaster fellow grim, Nate and Carmella looking stricken. In the middle of them lay Claire Spencer, moaning, barely stirring. Carmella was lifting herself out of her chair and saying something to Nate while she examined the semi-conscious Claire after lowering herself beside her.

"My God, what's happened?" Alec demanded.

"He pushed his woman down the stairs." Lancaster responded angrily.

"You are out of your mind!" Alec said. He whirled on Ed. It suddenly dawned on him that Ed hadn't responded, wasn't responding, just staring at them all icily.

"I saw it with my own eyes." Lancaster said evenly.

"Whore. Opened her legs for that bastard. Whore. I'm not to be disturbed." With that, Ed Straker went back into his bedroom and slammed the door shut, locking it.

"I don't think anything's broken, thanks be to God, she just has a lot of soft tissue bruising. It's her head I'm worried about, Graham said he saw it hit the railing as she tumbled down the stairs. Call an ambulance, Nate, then get my bag from the van." Carmella ordered. Alec came downstairs, shaking, and stared at Lancaster as Nate pulled out a mobile phone.

"What the hell happened?"

"Mr. Straker asked me to make sure he and Miss Spencer arose early, since they had a full day with the wedding coming up so soon. So I got up, fixed myself a cup of tea then headed upstairs to awaken Mr. Straker. I heard him yelling, and the next thing I knew, Miss Claire rushed out of the bedroom, and he followed. I thought it strange he was in his military kit but I didn't think much of it otherwise, goodness knows couples have rows. But then I saw him deliberately push her down the stairs, and her scream awoke the entire house."

"Alec, he's lost his mind, he's snapped, oh my precious and merciful God, Stanley, he frightens me!"

"Christ, even if Ed had lost his mind, he'd never lay a hand on her! Carmella, find who's on duty at Maryland's Shado psychiatric division today."

"Wait a moment, Alec, I want to check her vitals before the ambulance comes."

"What about Ed?" Angel said, holding a trembling Frances close.

"I'm going to go talk to him."

"Alec, lad, he isn't in any shape to be talked to." Angel said.

"You can't go up there while he's acting like this. At least not alone, Sir. Perhaps the doctor can sedate him and then we can have the professionals take a look at him." Lancaster said. He'd returned after going off and getting a wet towel to put on Claire's forehead.

"My God what happened?" Claire groaned, pushing aside a hysterical Carmella who was taking her pulse, and she struggled to sit up.

"Madre de Dios, will you hold still? You could have a head injury!"

"I have a fat lump and a fatter headache, which isn't the same. Stop fussing over me Carmella, have you forgotten I'm a physician? I know my own body. I'm okay, I just am bruised badly. Oh Alec thank God you're here, thank God you came. Alec, I don't know what to do!"

"Claire, do what Carm says, and lie still. Thanks, Lancaster." Alec said, accepting the towel and putting it gently on her forehead.

"Help me up, I have to go up to Edward, he needs me."

"That's it. You do have a head injury. You want to see him after he nearly broke your neck? Carumba, you've taken leave of your senses!" exclaimed Carmella, but Alec helped Claire to a chair.

"Claire, you can't go up there now. The only answer that explains what he did to you is he's under alien influence."

"No Alec, why would the aliens not do the same thing to me? I was right with him, how could they have attacked him?"

"We know it happens, you know it happens, Claire." Alec said somberly.

"Here Carmella babe, I brought your bag, and they said the ambulance is on the way." Nate said, approaching them. The group jumped, and looked upward as Ed Straker threw open his door, and began throwing the contents of Claire's bureau drawers over the side of the stair rail, yelling.

"What's the matter with the telephone in my bedroom? I want it fixed right away. What's the filthy coloured scum for if he can't keep everything running right? Black overgrown good for nothing! Get rid of that woman and everything she owns, I want no trace of her in my house, her or her bastard. Things are going to be run my way from now on. This manor and everything in it belongs to me now niggerboy, is that understood?"

"Man, you've blown a gasket, you aren't the boss I know," Nate snarled.

"Edward?" Claire said in disbelief.

"Edward, for the love of the Good Lord, what's happened to you?" Frances exclaimed.

"Nobody is to call me that. Nobody. I'm Colonel Straker! Show less than the proper respect for me and I'll throw you out with my bare hands, you old dried-up hag!" Ed said to Frances, who gave a stifled cry.

"You bloody beggar! That's it, nobody injures and belittles my friends then insults my wife and lives to boast about it." Angel snapped and started up the stairs toward Ed at a most unarthritic pace, rolling up his sleeves as he did so. Alec darted up the stairs and pulled Angel aside before he could reach Ed, who stood there, chillingly laughing. The cleric was furious, but deferred to his fellow Australian and went downstairs to Frances, who grabbed him in relief.

"There has to be a better reason for this. There has to be!" Claire wept. Ed disappeared back into the bedroom and continued at his practice of throwing her belongings out.

Alec came down and looked at Claire.

"Tell me what happened last night. Don't leave anything out. Carmella, prepare a shot big enough to take an elephant herd down. I'm taking Ed to Mayland to be examined and I'm going to need help to do it. Nate, Lancaster, that's where you two come in. I don't want him hurt if you can help it. Go on Claire."

"We were talking about the wedding and his misgivings about trusting someone when Margaret had treated him so badly. He confessed he knew she had been cheating on him, and the marriage had deteriorated to the point where he would deliberately stay at Shado to avoid her. We talked, and he finally seemed light-hearted, Alec. He joked with me about having at least a modicum of merriment when it came to discussing the wedding. Oh God, Alec, he finally seemed happy we even made love." Claire wept. Nate had lifted Carmella back into her wheelchair and she was tapping a hypodermic until she was sure of the dosage of sedation. She ejected a stream of clear liquid into the air and then checked again, nodded at Alec.

"I know this is hard for you, but go on," Alec said to Claire, nodding at Carmella.

"We talked about the music we liked, and his favourite flowers, what should be served at the reception and he joked about whether he should add "until it all went horribly wrong" to his nuptial vows, and I teasingly scolded him and we laughed and we made love again, and finally we fell asleep in each other's arms. I woke up and he was staring at me, already dressed in his uniform, and he threw my nightgown at me, called me a whore and told me to get out of his bedroom, that he knew I'd been unfaithful." wept Claire. "I got into my nightgown and he-oh pins and needles, Alec, he slapped me across the face and said all women were the same, all whores. I rushed out of the room and the last thing I remember is his hands-" but Claire sobbed, not able to continue, and Frances cradled her like she was a small doll.

"It's like it isn't him," Frances said.

"Exactly, Ma'am." Lancaster agreed. "He took me aside after dinner while you women were chatting, and I got to know him a little better last night, after Harry had briefed me on Shado, and he told me he expected that the business about the aliens must have come as something of a shock, and did I have any questions? I told him if anyone but my best pal Harry Williams had told me Fobs were coming to Earth, that I would have laughed in their faces and told them to cut down on their ale. That since it was Harry, who had a lot of respect for Straker and never told a lie in his life unless lives depended on it, that I accepted it as gospel and had no questions at all and would serve him to my death. He smiled and told me I was to look after Miss Spencer, that her safety was more important than his. I wished him well in his marriage and he thanked me, he said he'd had some bad times in the past but he was trying to be hopeful this time. He said I seemed a good deal like Mr. Freeman, a man that would set him right if he appeared to be screwing up or letting his side down, and that he would value me for that as much as my skill at guarding him. The man I saw throw you down the stairs, Ma'am, he isn't the same fellow as the man I met last night. This man is evil, there's hatred in him."

"Bloody Christ! The hater. Joel was trying to warn me this morning." Alec said. Claire stopped crying and looked at him in puzzlement. "And in my dreams!"

"Alec what do you mean? Joel died."

"Tell me about the chapel. Quick," Alec said, hearing the whine of an ambulance siren get louder as it approached the manor.

"There were some women here that would come every spring to see the manor while Edward's mother lived here with her solicitor Laurence. The manor was his gift to her, the English home she'd wanted all her life. She had hated having to live in Boston but Edward's father had insisted on it." Frances said. "Anyway, for some reason after Rosemary had a fatal heart attack, Laurence had the chapel completely boarded up. We found it for the first time a day or so ago, one of the women is a member of my garden club and told us about it, although it was supposed to be kept hushed for some reason. Edward opened it and found a lot of boxes and an striking gilt framed portrait in oils of his father there."

"Cupcake's right. I even commented that the portrait seemed evil to me. It was half burnt as if someone had intended to destroy it but had been stopped somehow." Angel said. "Q-tip seemed very disturbed to see it, as though the painting frightened him."

"And Edward's Dad tried to kill him years and years ago, striking him with a cane when Edward was a young boy, intending to throw his body down on the rocks, and pretend it was a accident. Only someone saw everything, and took photographs. Rosemary had Edward's Dad locked up in an institution. But why are you asking about all this, I don't understand."

"End's father has possessed Ed and we have to help get him back," Alec said. Before anyone could respond, a sharp rap sounded at the door. At the same time, Ed threw open his door again and Claire screamed. In his hand was his Glock.

"Sir, look out!" Lancaster yelled and pushed Claire out of range as shots rang out, and everyone scrambled to get out of the way. Nate grabbed Carmella and hurled the two of them to the carpet. Glass shattered as stray bullets whizzed through the air. Finally the bullets were used up and Ed hurled the gun at them and yelled profanities.

"Stupido, stupido I broke the hypodermic, I need to get an new one and fill it again." Carmella exclaimed. Alec opened the door and the Shado medics came in the room, took in the bullet holes, the shattered glass, splintered decorative mirrors and the sight of a hysterical Commander, and looked to Alec for guidance.

"Bring that stretcher in closer and stand by. Graham and I will take him. I don't want him hurt. Carmella, hurry up. Nate when she's rea-" Suddenly Ed escaped into his room, locked it, and Alec and Graham ran up the stairs when they heard glass breaking. They kicked down the door, just in time to see Ed smashing the Palladian windows with a footstool. Alec and Graham rushed him and Alec knocked him down, pinned back his arms, as he struggled, screaming at them. Claire came in with the medics and gasped. Behind her, Nate was carrying Carmella, who was grasping the filled hypodermic and a wad of cotton with alcohol on it.

"Please, please don't hurt him!" shouted Claire.

"Don't hurt him?" Lancaster, who was barely managing to pin Ed's legs down, gave her a look that clearly said her priorities were a bit scrambled. Nate joined the fray and there were several rips of fabric, and finally Ed's forearm was bare. Carmella swabbed him with the cotton and jabbed him with the hypodermic as he screamed at the extent his lungs will allow. After a few seconds he stopped struggling somewhat, moaned and the medics got the stretcher underneath him, and fastened the harness around him. Claire moved close to him, her eyes full of tears.

"Edward, oh my darling Edward."

His eyes were turning glassy, but he responded to her voice and his eyes sought hers. The corruption was gone from him. He no longer looked evil. He looked terrified.

"Help me, Claire. Hel-" and then his eyes closed and he was unconscious.

* * *

"You have to be crazy!" Alec told Claire late the next evening. "You want to call Lily of all people?"

"Alec if you have a better idea, then let's hear it. Lily's helped him before, she may be able to help him again. Nothing I've tried with the souvenir cup has worked. Maybe the Grail could help him only once, and its power can't be used again, I don't understand it but then I don't want to hear a word about how Ed and I were hallucinating anyway, either. When he was going to jump from the roof you told us he fell and there was a platform there that wasn't there when you looked again. Plus now you've been seeing an apparition of Joel. We need an expert in metaphysics, and that's Lily."

"Angel's a priest for heaven's sake, why can't he handle this?" Alec asked, deciding not to tell her he'd seen a vision of her that same day.

"He didn't sense or see what we did at Glastonbury Tor, but he certainly can help. He sensed the evil in Edward's Dad even before we even gave the background on it."

"Look, Lily means well I suppose but she has a talent for mucking things up. Besides she has no great love for you, and she'd do anything to get into Ed's trousers again. How do you know you can trust her?"

"Alec, I don't know what else to do."

"Well I do. That painting and maybe that entire chapel has to be destroyed. You say you discovered a lot of cardboard boxes in the chapel?"

"Let me look in on Edward and then I'll show you, I asked Nathaniel to take everything into the attic."

Claire had ordered for the Shado commander's bedroom to be fitted with the same equipment as his usual hospital suite. Several tests, including an MRI and brain scans had revealed nothing wrong with him, so after spending several hours at Mayland, she had him brought back by private ambulance. Wearily she made her way up the stairs.

"Any change, Carmella?"

"He's heavily sedated but he still is moaning in his sleep. His vitals are decent."

Claire dug into her bag and came up with her stethoscope, carefully listening to Ed's heart, trying not to look at the restraints that held him down, or how pale he seemed in his regular blue pyjamas she had dressed him in.

"Thousands of pounds worth of medical scanners and you still use that old thing?" Carmella asked when she was finished. Claire smoothed the blankets back over his sedated figure.

"I want to check his vitals for myself, Carmella. Medical telemetry can go amuck. Besides we aren't dealing with anything that is in the Merck manual. We're dealing with a dead man taking over the body of a-"

"What's the matter?" Carmella said.

Claire was staring into space. Suddenly her body jerked once, twice.

"Claire?" Alec grabbed Claire by the arms.

Slowly she looked up at him. Then she smiled.

"You're Alec," she said serenely.

Carmella started sputtering and crossing herself and muttering in Spanish. It took Alec a full minute to realise Claire had spoken with an English accent. Just when it suddenly hit him, she put her hand on his cheek and caressed it then planted a kiss on his cheek. Frances Brisby chose that moment to come up with a tray of sandwiches and coffee. The tray clattered to the floor at what looked like Claire making a pass at her husband's best friend while her husband was drugged out of his head.

"Frances, get Angel up here. Quick. And stop staring, it isn't like you think, no wait, isn't that gardener of Ed's around? Find him and bring him up here. Go on!"

Frances Brisby ran out and down the stairs like her life depended on it. Claire had slowly let go of Alec, and then went to Ed's bedside. Carmella was backing up in her wheelchair, and Alec imagined every hair on her head was standing on end. Hell, he didn't feel too steady himself.

"My little baby," Claire said softly in a voice that wasn't hers. "My beautiful child, all grown now." She touched Ed's face as though it was made out of rose petals. "What we did put you in harm's way, and it must be undone. My beloved child." She reluctantly took her hand away from Ed and turned and smiled at Alec. "It isn't necessary to disturb Geoffrey, Mr. Freeman. Today is his day off. I am who you think I am."

"I swear if I didn't already drink I'd start. First Ed tells me he raised me from the dead with the Holy Grail and then now he's possessed by the ghost of his dead father, and a dead kid speaks to me. And now you're trying to tell me you're not Claire Spencer, you're Rosemary Iris Straker, Ed's dead mother."

Carmella's eyes slumped back in their sockets and she went limp in her wheelchair.

"She fainted," Claire/Rosemary pointed out unnecessarily. Then she touched the pendant she had around her neck, and smiled again. "It was my favourite piece of jewellery that Lawrence gave me. I was so upset when I lost it, but I'm glad I could provide Edward with a special gift for this woman whom he loves. Laurence cared for my son as though Edward was his own, you know. It was as much a blow to him as it was to me when Edward went missing in Vietnam."

"She fainted all right, and I'm getting to the point where I may be the next one to go. Look, you haven't got any right to that body-where do you think you are going?"

"Come with me," Claire/Rosemary declared softly. It occurred to Alec that Rosemary had that same characteristic that her son had, the ability to give a command and have people obeying them before the people even could to think to ask what right did they have to be ordering people around. She had that same air of effortless authority. Midway down the steps, they met Frances.

"Geoffrey isn't here, Nathaniel said it's his day off. What's going on?"

"You should go and look in on Carmella, she passed out. Where's Angel?" Alec said nervously.

"He's out with Nathaniel and Graham, supervising the repair of Edward's gates."

"Tell him to meet me at the chapel. Just him. Understand?"

"If something's going on, I'm coming. I'm not leaving Stanley alone," Frances informed him.

"Of course not, dearest. You two haven't left each other's side for time immemorial." Claire/Rosemary assured Frances. "That's the way it is with me and my dear Lawrence too."

"Claire, what on earth are you talking about?" Frances said. "And why are you speaking like that?"

"Trust me, Frances, you don't want to know," Alec said, looking sideways at the woman who appeared to be Claire. "Now go get Angel. And bring me a fifth of anything alcohol. I can see it's going to be one of those days."

Frances stared at Alec but went off to do as she was told, to his relief.

"Alec. I will need the chapel items also. They are in one of the boxes Edward discovered in the chapel. Lawrence stored everything there after I passed, the poor man. Then have them bring Edward there."

"Bring Ed there? Bullshit, woman. I've already seen what Ed's father did to Claire after he possessed Ed. What the hell makes you think I'd trust you? You have no right to be in Claire's body. I don't even know if you are who you say you are. For me to-"

"Loser! Can't you see what's right in front of your face? The hater's gonna wake up soon and do as much damage as he can so they think Ed's insane. He wanted Ed to be taken to an institution like he was. Then he'll hang himself again and this time take Ed with him. How long do you think you can keep Ed on ice, drugged up to the eyeballs like that? This lady is his mum. She's the only one that can stop it all from happening. You're supposed to be Ed's friend! Act like it! I gotta go," Claire/Joel muttered. Alec's jaw dropped at hearing Joel's voice come from Claire's mouth. Claire/Rosemary chuckled softly then looked serious again.

"Please Alec. I cannot remain in this body long. You must help me." It was Rosemary's voice again. "There was no time to ask Claire for permission, but you know she would not object to something that would save Edward's life."

"I'm drinking for a month when this is over. No, make that a bloody year," muttered Alec. "Okay, tell me what you need."

* * *

Some time after that, when Angel and Frances heard the story, and Alec passed him the fifth of bourbon and the elderly reverend had warmed his gut and padded his courage with several swallows of it, and Ed lie on a makeshift cot in the chapel, Frances came in and gave Angel the small black case that contained holy water and blessed oil. Then she had done the best she could to hurriedly dust off the small altar, and light candles while Claire/Rosemary was gently stroking Ed's forehead. Ed was stirring in his sleep, and seemed on the verge of awakening.

"Now what?" Alec said, looking from the stirring Ed to the malevolent looking portrait of Ed's father with growing nervousness. Amazingly, Frances had accepted everything Alec had told her without needing alcohol, and it was Angel who looked like he might run screaming out the door. Claire/Rosemary took Claire's mobile and handed it to Alec.

"Have Edward's men board up this chapel, and tell them not to open it until you tell them. They must not open it under any circumstances until you give the word. Your Grace, I ask for your blessing in what I must do, and your blessing of this small chapel, where Laurence and I secretly exchanged wedding vows so many years ago." Claire/Rosemary said to Angel. Angel nodded and blessed her, anointed her head with oil.

"Wedding vows? But you and Edward's father-" Frances whispered while Alec gave the order, and Angel moved around, quietly blessing the chapel and saying prayers.

"All right, they're working on it, although Nate and Carmella think I've lost my mind and they're probably right. Thank God Graham thinks enough of me not to question why I'd want to trap myself in a hidden chapel," groaned Alec. "You were saying?"

"Lawrence and I had fallen in love before my husband had attempted to kill my son. My marriage with Edward's father hadn't been a happy one after he returned as a hero from the war, suffering shell shock, and he suspected I was having an affair although Lawrence and I never slept together. He was understandably bitter, and when little Edward was born, I adored him, and my husband grew more and more disturbed and unpredictable, began to believe Edward was not his son. He would hit me, call me a whore and he made my life miserable. I would have to put on my makeup carefully to hide my bruises when I went out. Lawrence was furious, but I would not allow him to do anything about it, and finally I told Laurence I could not see him again, now that my son was born."

Claire/Rosemary paused as did the others, while the sound of hammering on the door could be heard, then Nathaniel's shout of confirmation, then silence. She began to continue.

"Edward couldn't stand the idea of not being the focus of my attention, and more and more he began to be resentful of his tiny son. He began to slowly go insane, although no one, not even I, realised it at the time. The few friends we had never thought of him as anything but a decorated war hero, and Edward looked up to his father like any son would and decided he wanted to be just like him. He never quite understood why his father didn't want to be around him. He felt as if he'd done something wrong, as if he displeased his father. And then he tried to kill Edward that day, and I thank God that our new neighbour, who was a professional photographer in Boston on holiday, stopped him. After that, my heart and mind closed for good to Edward's father, and Laurence and I had him put away for the rest of his life in the institution. When Edward got old enough to enlist in the Air Force, I moved back to my native England. Laurence had begun to make a name for himself in Boston, and after a while he bought Silk Wood Manor as a gift for me. He had the chapel built as an addition to the property, and since no one in England knew about Edward's father and that I was still married to him, we managed to have a Episcopalian wedding right here in this tiny chapel, and we became lovers for the first time."

"Whore, unfaithful whore. You didn't plan on me finding out, did you? DID YOU?" Ed screamed, rising up from the cot. "That homosexual pervert that stopped me from killing your bastard came to the institution and told me, he wanted to throw it in my face!"

"You sent the painting to Silk Wood Manor, Edward, yes I know. And we had an argument over my guilt feelings, Lawrence started to burn it but I stopped him. You were bent on destroying my happiness and destroying my health. And when you realized you couldn't torment me anymore, you hung yourself. Yes I sinned, Edward. But so did you. And its time you stopped hating me. It's time you forgive me and yourself. Let Edward go, let him go, don't torment him anymore. You'll never rest until you do. Until you tried to harm my child I was a good wife to you and Edward was a good son. Let go of your hatred."

"Never! Do you hear me? NEVER! You and your bastard offal are going to hell with me, English whore."

"I had half hoped I wouldn't have to do this," Claire/Rosemary said wearily, and took one of the lighted tapers out of the candlestick holder, and started to go toward the painting. Ed hurled himself toward her, but both Alec and Angel grabbed him, and wrestled him down.

"Nate! Lancaster! Carmella! HELP ME!" Ed screamed.

"Forget it. Nobody's going to help you now, after what you tried to do to our Edward," retorted Frances, and picked up the holy water vial and tossed water at him and he shouted obscenities at her, and it was enough of a distraction for Claire/Rosemary to set the painting on fire.

Ed roared in pain, shook off Angel and Alec, who flew painfully in different directions and clawed at his face with his hands, screaming. Frances turned away in horror and hurried over to help Angel up, as Ed's pyjamas caught on fire and huge blisters appeared on his face. Finally the last wisp of the painting turned into one last dying ember, which finally faded out, leaving only a faint burning smell. Ed dropped to his knees and pitched forward on his stomach, and lie still. A dark shape arose from him, and vanished through the floor of the chapel. Alec hurried to Ed's side, as did Claire/Rosemary, dropping to her knees beside her son.

"I have done this to you, oh God, I have done this to you!" wept Claire/Rosemary, and broke into heavy sobs. To everyone's astonishment, a man came through the boarded-up door as though it didn't exist. Alec recognized him instantly as Lawrence Malone.

Malone sighed, then he chuckled and smiled brightly.

"Even now. Even now she feels guilt that she shouldn't. Is it any wonder that the younger Straker turned out like his mom? Come with me my darling. It's time to let these people go on with their lives. It's not for you to judge what you did all those years ago. Come with me, my darling. We can finally be together, the way we were meant to be. It's all over. Let's go home." He smiled, standing beside her and taking her arms.

"Lawrence. My Laurence." Claire/Rosemary rose and smiled at him. "You always know best. Why haven't I listened to you?"

"Because you're as ass-poor stubborn and stupid as that son of yours, Mrs. Straker!" Lawrence guffawed. Alec grinned in spite of himself as did Angel.

"Amen to that, my darling!" she laughed merrily and kissed him. He vanished and Claire plummeted to the ground, unconscious and Frances lifted her gently into her arms. Ed moaned, coughed a few times and Alec gently turned him over. Much to his relief, Ed's face wasn't marred in any way, and his pyjamas were intact. The familiar frosty blue eyes opened and focused on Alec, who grinned in relief.

"Alec," Ed said weakly.

"Yes, Ed?"

"Would you care to tell me why I am lying on a cold concrete floor in my pyjamas?" Ed turned his head from side to side, trying to get his bearings.

"Let me see, I'll tell you what, I'll get back to you Commander, I'll have to think about it," Alec said and Angel laughed but Frances made a sour face at Alec.

"Why am I in the chapel?" Ed began, and sat up, then grabbed his head in pain. "Oh it feels like there's the entire percussion section of an orchestra in my head. What the blazes am I doing here? I was in bed. Help me up, would you? My God, what's happened to Claire?" Ed blurted out, alarmed and reached toward her, but fell halfway back dizzily on Alec, who grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around Ed, and eased Ed back down. Ed tried to push the blanket away, but Alec noted Ed wasn't very adamant about it, and his friend finally closed his eyes halfway. "Claire," Ed said with effort.

"Now Edward, hush now, she'll be all right, so stop giving Alec such a hard time. Both of you just may have to rest a while. The both of you have been through a terrible time, but thanks to our dear Lord, you both are all right. Alec can you reach that other blanket, so I can cover Claire with it? Thank you. And please tell Mr. Lancaster and that glutton Nathaniel to get the door open, its stuffy and smells terrible in here. Stanley! What do you think you are doing?" Frances scolded. "Put that down immediately." Angel had managed to pick up the bottle of bourbon and was emptying it into himself. Alec grinned as he punched the number for Nathaniel's mobile.

"Oh come on Cupcake, that isn't very Christian of you. I've been through a horrible time too," Angel claimed, wiping his mouth.

"If you don't put that bottle down, I'll show you a example of terrible you wouldn't believe," Frances said, tucking the blanket around Claire. "Drinking in the house of God!"

"You didn't complain before," Angel whinged. Banging started to commence on the door, much to Alec's relief it seemed that Nate and Lancaster were trying to reach them.

"You needed it before, Stanley Mitchell Brisby, you don't now."

"Claire," Ed said again in a sad manner, and closed his eyes. Alec patted his friend's shoulder in great fondness.

"Easy now Ed. Try and sleep. You'll see Claire soon, and everything will be all right."

The door finally opened and Nate and Lancaster came inside, looking concerned.

"Nate, carry Claire inside the manor up to one of the rooms and have Carmella take a look at her and Ed. I think its just exhaustion, but better to be on the safe side." Alec said.

"Sir, do you want me to take Mr. Straker up? Is he all right now?" Lancaster asked.

"Call me Alec, and yes, everything's all right now. No, I can manage by myself with Ed." Alec picked Ed up in his arms and waited until everyone was out the door, then stepped through it himself. He stopped, stunned.

Standing outside was Yetunde Folsade.

"Are you all right? Is Edward?" she asked.

"I think so. I think they just collapsed from exhaustion. Where's Ayomide?"

"Inside, with Carmella. Alec, I-well, I'm glad that you're all right."

"When Ed and Claire recover, we'll have a long talk. I want to get Ed inside, it's cold as hell out here tonight. And then I want to see my baby daughter."

She nodded.

* * *

Ed Straker lounged on a white wicker couch out in his garden a few days later, with his feet propped up on a footstool, and read his novel. A portable IV pole with an IV tube connected to his arm was next to the couch. Angel had recommended the novel to him, but after a few pages he sighed, and tossed it out on the grass, watching the wind stir its pages to and fro. Claire, seated at his side, watched him with rising worry.

"Edward, are you trying to start a new game?" She inquired, putting down her needle and thread. She was carefully trying to repair the huge rents in the jacket of his dress uniform without much success. Frances and Angel had gone for a couple of days so Carmella had stayed on to make the meals, and Lancaster and Nate were still supervising the gate repair. Alec had remained to look after Ed, and Alec had managed to part with Yetunde on speaking terms.

"New game?"

"Book tossing."

"Very funny. I'm going crazy just sitting here like this, being a professional invalid. I've got to be able to do something."

"I'll give you something to do. Get well. That's all the two of us need to do now. We were both suffering from mild shock and mental and physical exhaustion, and we need to rest. That IV isn't still in your vein because it matches the colour of your eyes, you know." Claire had recently finally been taken off her IV after her experiences, but Ed's blood tests showed his electrolytes were still in need of balance. Ed stared up at the IV pole.

"I hate IVs and I hate being mollycoddled."

"So do I unless you're doing the mollycoddling. Oh good, you finally smiled at that. You know, husband to be, you've been so upset over not being able to get married when we were scheduled to, that you haven't kissed me once."

"I thought we were resting. Wouldn't kissing you raise both our blood pressures?" he pondered.

"Yes, you're right. Come to think of it, even after the wedding, we shouldn't engage in any tiring activities on our wedding night that involved physical exertion." Claire said thoughtfully.

"That's it. I'm more depressed now than I was ten seconds ago." Ed said, with a expression that would make a basset hound look cheery. Claire grinned at him and snuggled against his shoulder. Slowly he pulled away so that she fell sideways until her head was in his lap. "You all right there? You look uncomfortable," he said, with a impish grin. "Or are you falling for me all over again?"

Claire hid her amusement and sat up.

"Yes dearest, I'm fine. Shall I have Alec bring you some more Andrew Greeley books to toss?"

"No, I'd enjoy myself far too much, and you know my rule. A modicum of merriment. Ah there's our lovesick Australian mother hen himself."

"No cracks about lovesick or I'll pour this iced tea Carmella made on you instead of letting you drink it. Carmella and I have been going through the boxes and arranging everything for you to look at when you feel ready."

"I understand a lot of my mother's things were in the boxes? Yardley talcum powder, her compact, a lace handkerchief, a tortoise shell comb with some strands of her hair in it. You know Alec, I've gone over what you all said happened in my mind, and I still find it hard to believe. God knows we've made enough horror movies at the studio for me to be acquainted with spirit possession, but to think my father-well, it's over now. I hope he's at rest. There but for the grace of God go I. Sure, if you allow me to walk on my own, Jeeves, we'll come in for lunch and see what else Laurence packed away." Ed accepted a glass of iced tea with its sprig of lemon and slice of strawberry as did Claire. Alec pulled up a chair and sat on the edge of it, sipping his own tea. Ed wondered how long Alec could go before spiking it.

"You know Ed, we've found out more details on the chapel. It's actually sanctified. People in this village actually came to this property after Laurence had it built as a gift for your mother, and attended church services there. Frances and Angel were in there while you and Claire were unconscious, sprucing it up. There are actually two stained glass windows in there, Ed. They were just so covered with dust and cobwebs and rust and muck on the inside and brambles on the outside that we didn't see them. Frances scrubbed them until they shined, and brought in fresh flowers and Angel replaced the candlesticks, and cleaned the lectern and the chairs." Alec smiled. It wasn't much of a genuine smile, because Ed seemed terribly tormented by his experiences, and still pale from exhaustion. Unfortunately for Ed, he and Claire had been quite ill and the wedding had been delayed, the opportunity lost to marry. Claire seemed less perturbed about it than did Ed, Alec thought, but he realised she didn't want to stress Ed further by showing her true dismay.

"I see. How's the repair on the damn gates going?" Ed nibbled on his strawberry, and sipped his tea.

"Slowly." Alec grinned. "Your friends the English Heritage people came around and as predicted were disturbed about what Harry and Graham did to a piece of history with their Land Rover just as much as you were. So just when they began to be snotty about it, Graham informed them he had journalism mates who worked at the Times, that would just be over the moon to write a article on how unpleasant they were to such a wonderful fellow as the managing director of the Straker Foundation, especially when he had just become ill with exhaustion due to his tireless dedication to charitable causes, and hefty contributions to their organization. That threat put them off their crustless cucumber sandwiches and they told us to take as much time as we needed for repairs."

Ed chuckled and drained the last of his tea.

"I'm beginning to really appreciate Graham's lack of tact. How is he getting along with Nate?"

"About as well as Yasser Arafat is getting along with Ariel Sharon." Alec said calmly. Ed winced. Claire giggled.

"Think of it this way, Edward. Nathaniel has someone new to quarrel with besides Carmella and Frances." Claire pointed out. Ed grinned at her.

"Where the blazes is Frances and Angel anyway?" complained the Shado commander.

"Frances said something to me about Church business. Some sort of big Synod meeting coming up. Plus Angel's getting ready to announce his retirement to his parish." shrugged Alec. "What's the matter, Ed, you tired of Carmella's cooking already?"

"The last burrito she made nearly killed me. I was seriously looking into the possibility she'd defected to the aliens. Come to think of it, her salsa alone could be used as a weapon against them, if my tech section could dream up a way to turn it into projectiles. Actually no, I just was getting used to having Angel and Frances being around more. Incidentally, as I feared, I came up against a major roadblock trying to get permission to build them a house on my property. Naturally I wasn't going to take no for an answer. And then Claire managed to locate a charming converted farmhouse for sale just five minutes away from Silk Wood Manor by looking on the Internet. All the bells and whistles. So I bought it, I finished all the paperwork this morning, and I've got the contractors working on it. Frances will love it, I was looking at the photographs of the garden and it's really quite charming. It has a nice study for Angel, too."

"Ed, why haven't you ever bought me a cottage?" Alec wanted to know.

"You just don't look as good in seamed silk stockings as Frances does." Ed informed him. Claire started laughing as Alec playfully pouted.

"Come on you heartless tyrant, we'll give you a hand in getting up."

"I'm not handicapped!" Ed insisted. Gingerly he rose to his feet, wobbled a little, pulling his pole along with him and Claire and Alec flanked him. Ed complained all the way into the manor. When he got there, and settled into his favourite chair, he gasped. Claire looked at him in alarm, but then saw what he was reacting to. Carmella and Graham and Nathaniel were in the drawing room, sprawled comfortably on thick pillows on the floor and carefully going through the boxes Ed had discovered in the chapel.

"Oh that, yeah I forgot to warn you," Alec said. Graham winked at him.

"My God! Is that Nathaniel Zouri I see before me?" exclaimed Ed. "I'm sicker than I thought. Someone get me smelling salts!"

"Aw cut it out, Commander. This damn tie and shirt is killing me," Nate bitched. He went off toward his rooms, muttering as he did so. Graham watched him smugly.

"I told the fool I had no intention of working and being seen with a man who wore clothing better suited for automobile cleaning rags. It would ruin my reputation. So I shared some of my shirts and ties with him. We aren't that different in chest size, but there was nothing I could do about the trousers. The man's built like an oak tree." Graham pointed out.

"He looked so handsome!" Carmella said, happily.

"I can't tell you how long I've had Nathaniel working for me and in all that time he had the sartorial sense of a blind man. In one afternoon, you transformed him. I'm impressed, Graham." Ed grinned.

"Hey! No politically incorrect disabled jokes. The blind can dress just as well as you sighted fools, you know." Carmella said, arms folded.

"Or as badly," Claire offered, "As in Nate's case."

"Ah, my most profound of apologies, Carmella." Ed grinned at Claire and chuckled. "Good Lord, I had no idea there were that many boxes in there." Ed settled into a comfortable position, and pulled one of the unopened boxes toward him. Graham handed him a small utility knife, and carefully Ed began to cut through the tape with it.

"Don't worry Edward, I gave strict orders for them not to harm Vincent. He's in your study at the moment, along with that award winning sculpture you did of the Pentagon."

"Spencer, shut up. You have no appreciation for my talent at art."

"That's because you have none, dear. There's nothing to appreciate about Popsicle sticks and rubber cement, Edward."

"Isn't there anything in the marriage vows about never contradicting your fiancée?"

"No, brides vow to love, honour and obey, not outright lie." Claire told him, drawing laughter from the others. He playfully narrowed his eyes at her, and lifted the utility knife in a menacing gesture.

"We can't have you threatening Dr. Spencer, Sir." Graham pointed out quietly.

Ed continued to carefully cut through the cardboard.

"Why is that, Graham?"

"Because several days ago you asked me to see to her protection, and you didn't specify that excluded you as a possible threat."

"Now you see that, Ed? He's just following your directions to a T," Alec joked.

"God. Smart arse fiancées, bodyguards and best friends. A Commander can't win."

"I better start lunch. Frances will kill me if I don't keep you and Claire fed." Carmella said, easing into her wheelchair with Graham's assistance. Nate gave him a dirty look, which he unsurprisingly ignored.

"Edward is getting tired of Mexican food, maybe we can just order a pizza?" suggested Claire. Ed looked heavenward and grinned.

"Why didn't he complain to me?" Carmella wanted to know.

"He had terminal heartburn, that's why," joked Alec. Carmella harrumphed.

"Whatever you want. I don't feel like cooking anyway."

"Okay get me the phone, we'll have pizza delivery."

"Pizza isn't nutritional, Sir. Leave it to me, I'll make a nice vegetable frittata for everyone, if Ma'am will allow me to use the kitchen?"

"Of course, Graham and call me Claire."

"Yes Ma'am."

Ed watched Graham disappear into the kitchen.

"I've never had a English butler, I think I just managed to get myself one."

"Frances won't like anyone in the kitchen except her, you know." Claire announced, settling herself on the chair nearest Ed, and planting a kiss on his cheek. She began to pull away but he put a hand up and pulled her back down again and kissed her on the lips. She settled down next to him on the carpet, one arm around his waist. Looking more content, he opened boxes in front of him for several minutes, being careful of his IV. Some held various toys, marbles, soft animals, but Ed spotted something familiar in one and reacted with a whoop of glee.

"Will you look at this? These are my old toy airplanes. Damn, this one is cracked."

"Hey that's a beaut, Ed. P-40 Warhawk, right? Wouldn't take much to repair it. I had a toy Sopwith Camel as a boy." Alec took the toy plane gingerly and admired it. "I can repair it, you must have the glue around here somewhere. Won't take me long. I had prints of all the World War 1 and World War 2 aircraft framed on my walls but Yetunde didn't care for them, made me take them down. Some of my favourites were the Sopwith and the Spitfires."

"A Sop what?" Carmella wanted to know.

"Sopwith Camel F-1. Fighter plane out of World War One, I understand it was a devil to fly, but was like doom with two wings where the Germans were concerned." explained the Shado commander.

"Wasn't that what Snoopy used to defeat the Red Baron?" chuckled Claire.

"That was indeed. Of course Ed went on to fly various Phantoms and I went on to fly Spitfires and Hurricanes. Those were the good old days. What else have you got in that box, Ed?"

"P 47 Thunderbolt. The old jug."

"Let's have air combat at Silkwood Manor." Alec suggested. Ed grinned at him.

"Neither of us are youthful combat pilots anymore, Alec."

"Don't confuse me with facts, Ed."

"If you fly boys go down in flames, Carmella and I will stand by and tend to your injuries." promised Claire. Carmella gave her a strange look.

Ed swooped with his Thunderbolt and made a-a-a-a-a-a sounds to fire at Alec's aircraft. Alec carefully spun the Warhawk in a death dive, making the necessary uhhhhhhhh-KABOOM sound as the plane dove toward the carpet. Ed looked triumphant. Claire and Carmella looked at each other for a moment and then Carmella giggled as Claire made an ambulance siren sound, entering into the spirit of play. Graham wheeled a butler's cart in and stared at the scene.

"When I left, it was peacetime. I see now war has been declared. Shall I get my old army uniform out, then, Sir?"

"No, we'll have a temporary truce until we've finished lunch." Ed chuckled.

"Good because I'm afraid Alec was a casualty of the toy airplane war." Claire sighed. Alec nodded, looking glum. Carmella hugged him and he brightened.

"I never could resist a dashing war hero, Edward. Even though you blew up your best friend and his airplane had a crack in the fuselage, giving you the unfair advantage." Claire scolded Ed, but kissed him. Ed was firm.

"The fortunes of war," he insisted, winking at Alec.

"He always cheats." accused Alec. "Say, this smells pretty good." Alec said as he settled in a chair and accepted a plate from Graham after the bodyguard had served Ed and then Claire and Carmella. The bodyguard poured either coffee or tea for everyone.

"I hope you find it edible, Sir. I'll go serve Nathaniel after I get done here."

"Tastes delicious." Ed agreed. "Thank you Graham. Sit and eat with us when you come back." The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it Sir, won't take me a moment." Graham set down his own dish and mug of tea. It turned out to be the Brisbies.

"Ah, where have you two been up to?" Ed asked. "Sit down, sit down and tell me all about it. Graham made some tasty frittatas for lunch, would you like some?"

"Oh? You'll have to give me your recipe Graham. Stanley and I already had lunch at San Lorenzo and we did some shopping, but tea would be refreshing, please. Goodness what is all this?" Frances hugged Ed carefully and Angel patted him on the back. Frances kissed Claire and Carmella on the cheek and flopped into a old Queen Anne chair with a worn needlepoint cushion, while Angel chose a place on the couch beside Claire. Graham poured the tea out of Ed's silver tea service and refilled Ed and Claire's cups of coffee with the porcelain server.

"We're still opening the boxes we found in the chapel. Did you attend that Synod meeting, Angel?" Ed asked, sipping coffee. The old cleric was in his reverend's robes, and Frances in a silk yellow and white floral print dress with matching hat, carrying a large patent leather handbag. It all reminded Claire of the Queen's clothes. Claire figured Frances had deliberately copied Her Majesty.

"The Synod isn't until July, Q-tip, and not a moment too soon, the church has to keep up with a modern England. No, no, but Frances and I did go to see the Archbishop, we'd been waiting for days to get in to see him and finally today someone cancelled and he granted us an audience at Lambeth Palace. He asked me to wait and to pray before I retired as he didn't really want to see me go. So I told Right Reverend Carey that I would take it under consideration. The Archbishop is a decent man, he just has to relax his bias against same sex marriage. The important thing is, Frances and I had a special favour to ask of him as well, and I'm delighted to tell you he said yes. We have all the paperwork we need, Q-tip."

"Speaking of paperwork, I was turned down for permission to build a home for you on my property," Ed began.

"Oh dear, and after we found a buyer for our cottage. Never mind Edward, we'll manage something, I'm sure."

"I've already taken care of it, Frances. Claire, would you go and get the material you downloaded, and the paperwork from the study?" asked Ed.

"Don't trouble yourself Ma'am, I'll get it."

"No Graham, you finish your lunch and your tea. I can manage." Claire jumped up and went into the study.

"You two look like the cats that swallowed the canaries. I think you'll like what I came up with." smiled Ed. "Here, grab a box and explore."

"What did you come up with, Q-tip?"

"You know Mr. Moneybags Ed," winked Alec.

"I've bought you a restored farmhouse. In suite bathrooms, bedrooms, huge kitchen, nice big garden to grow your roses and daffodils in. Only five, ten minutes from here. It isn't grade anything, so English Heritage won't be pestering you."

"Edward! Oh my!" Frances broke into tears, and even Angel wiped a tear away, accepting the handkerchief Alec handed him.

"Ed never bought me a house. He claims you look better in seamed stockings."

Angel laughed.

"God bless you, Ed son."

"I figured she'd cry like that. Look, Frances, isn't it beautiful," Claire prodded after coming back in and giving Frances a large manila envelope with paperwork and photographs, "I knew you'd love it. Edward and I can come visit you all the time and you can even have services here at the chapel sometimes."

"Speaking of services-" Angel began and Frances beamed, but Carmella had been going through a box and squealed suddenly.

"What on earth?" Frances said.

"Look! There's a jewel box in this one and dresses!" Carmella exclaimed.

"I recognise the jewel box. It belonged to my mother. Is her collection in there? She inherited a lot of nice pieces from her parents, I remember. Perhaps you can share with Frances and Carmella after you take whatever you want for yourself, sweetheart." Ed smiled at Claire.

"That sounds lovely Edward. But my favourite is still my locket." Claire drew it up from the neckline of her pink blouse and fondled it.

"Don't be hasty. You like pearls and I remember my mother had a pair of clip earrings which Garrards can easily have converted to pierced. Seed pearls set in gold surrounded by tiny aurora borealis stones in the shape of tiny flowers. I gave them to her as a goodbye gift just before I left for basic training."

"Oh here they are, Edward! They are beautiful and I'll treasure them always. We'll look through the rest of them later. Angel was saying something."

"Thank you, dear. What I was saying is that I told Archbishop Carey that I had a most unique friend and that he sought to marry-"

Carmella squealed again, bringing laughter from Alec and a tolerant grin from Ed.

"You may have to put the story on hold. Carmella's found my mother's wardro-" Ed suddenly stopped as Carmella held up part of a gown wrapped in cellophane."My God. Is that a wedding dress? She married my father in a suit. I know because she gave it away soon afterward," he explained.

"Oh Carmella let me see it, it's gorgeous. What material is this?" Claire wondered.

"That's fine satin in an ecru colour dearest. That lace on the neckline and cuffs looks handmade. The design looks like it came out of the forties, but at that time fabric was rationed like practically everything else at wartime. Let me see it closer, oh look at that fabulous train! You know, it would be no problem for me to let it out to fit you, Claire. It was obviously made especially for Edward's mother and didn't come off the peg. The dressmaker left generous seams."

"I love it its absolutely gorgeous." Claire sighed. "But I doubt there's enough fabric in those seams to make it fit me. Edward's mother was so slim."

"Look, there's a diary here, with the initials R I S. Locked." Carmella said.

"Let me have it, Carmella. Mother never mentioned a wedding dress to me."

Carmella handed it to Ed. He easily broke the flimsy lock and leafed through it. He began to get pale. Alec gave Claire a meaningful look but she already had noted Ed's uneasiness, being sensitive to his changes of mood.

"Edward come upstairs with me. I think I'm going to change your IV, and then I want you to nap. Carmella, Frances, go through the jewelry box and her clothing and let me know if there's anything you would like. Graham will you look after them for a while?"

"Yes Ma'am."

Ed didn't object to her holding his arm as they went up the stairs, Claire holding the IV pole carefully. Under his other arm he clutched his mother's diary.

Alec watched them ascend the stairs and then looked at the little cracked toy airplane lying on the carpet, a discarded relic of a long forgotten era. He had the terrible thought that perhaps Ed too would be a relic someday, left behind, broken, forgotten.

"Graham. Fix me a stiff drink," was all he said.

* * *

Claire Spencer opened her eyes and looked at the clock, trying to figure out what had awakened her. It read two twenty three. Ed muttered slightly in his sleep beside her. She moved closer to him and put her arms around him. The telephone shrilled. Claire sighed, Ed yawned once and then came instantly awake as was his custom. Claire cursed the technicians that had repaired the direct line to Shado. Claire cursed all technicians everywhere, and passed the phone over to him. He mouthed good morning to her and smiled, taking it.

"Straker," Ed said, somewhat bleary-eyed. He sat up in bed after a few minutes. "Yes. I understand. I'm on my way."

She took the phone from him when he rang off.

"Bad?" Claire said, not needing an answer. Ed was grim.

"I'll say its bad. Four UFO's moving in over a small village in Wales so small it isn't even on most maps. Got right by Moonbase. Lake is on duty and is afraid it may signify the beginning of a full scale attack. Get my car, would you? No time to shower. I'll just throw a coat over my pyjamas."

She reached over, kissed him hard on the mouth and then scampered out of bed and out the door. He permitted himself a quick slight smile. Her side of the old four-poster bed they shared was warm. Then the seriousness of the situation came back to him and he began to pull socks on.

* * *

"What the hell took Carlin so long?" Ed barked over the car phone so sharply it made Claire jump. A half-hour or so earlier he had yelled at her that no she wasn't going with him, but she'd reminded him that she had the car keys and arguing further was putting the planet in jeopardy, then calmly threw her medical bag into the boot and gotten behind the wheel. With a snarl he had gotten in the car beside her and she'd handed him the instant coffee she'd quickly micro-waved while he was dressing in the bedroom. Between sips he'd been bellowing into the telephone while she drove, taking advantage of the global positioning screen that Nate had recently fitted into the instrument panel. It beat the maps Ed had in the glove box. She made a point to remember to suggest to Ed that he raise Nate's salary. "He what? Now? Three of them? Damned convenient, isn't it Colonel? Yes. You did? Good. One is one too many, as you well know. I'm about ten, eleven minutes away from the sub base. Dr. Spencer is with me, she can check them over. Keep me informed. Straker out."

"Somebody hurt?"

"Three sub operatives have gone down ill. Now Captain Carlin's gotten sick and is on his way back to the base. He managed to get one UFO before being hit with whatever this thing is, and SkyDiver6 got the other. If the aliens have infiltrated the sub base with some sort of virus then we're really in trouble. "Ed drank the last of the coffee and set the insulated tumbler down. "It means the aliens may have gotten through our security systems there. Plus there's one more UFO running around loose over Wales."

"We better have Maryland's infectious disease department shut down that base and put Peter and the others into isolation in case you're right. "Claire frowned.

"Colonel Lake already did just that, our experts are out there now. You understand we're taking a risk going to this base? There's no guarantee we're immune even with the alien bacteria we already have in our bodies."

"Risk? Me? How about you? Alec's going to kill you and then kill me for letting you go when he wakes up. The Commander of Shado shouldn't be putting himself at risk, but his hapless fiancée knows full well no force on earth is going to stop him when he decides to do something stupid like this. The Commander of Shado seems to do something stupid on a regular basis. Just what do you expect to do when we get there, Edward? Your people wouldn't be there if they weren't the best. Can't you let them do their jobs?" she chuckled.

"I've been sitting on my rear end far too long, letting everyone else sit in my chair while I watch the lavender grow in Silkwood Manor's garden. That's all Agatha Henderson needs to sack me. Did you know the reason the fire system didn't kick in several days ago was because she changed maintenance companies? That system was supposed to be checked three months ago. She wanted to cut costs in the studio. Cut costs! That idiot of a secretary Blaine knew it and didn't inform me." He slammed his hand against the glove box in frustration. "Turn here," he commanded.

Within minutes the two of them had gotten into the protective overalls, gloves, hoods, booties and masks given them by the bacteriological teams and were in the situation room of the submarine base. Ed was bent slightly, giving the on duty officer a nervous breakdown by hovering over her, studying the radar screen intently, while behind them team members swabbed stations and equipment, taking air samples, looking for any bacteria or anything else that might have infected the staff. Claire spoke to the team, checking for new breakouts, found none, left to look in on Captain Carlin and then came back into the situation room. Ed wasn't there. His absence frightened her more than the prospect of being infected by any new potentially deadly bacteria might have. She thought Edward was often like a toddler. Leave him alone for only five minutes and he was bound to get himself into trouble. She also realised the Commander wouldn't appreciate that comparison, but Alec certainly would.

"Where did the Commander go?" she asked the tense woman at the radar screen. She seemed to be relieved Straker was gone, and probably had no idea who Claire was.

"He went aboard SkyDiver7."Colonel Lake said from behind her, in the same protective gear as Claire was.

"Shit." Claire responded. "I'm going to go look in on Captain Carlin again. Please let me know what's going on, Virginia?"

"Count on it. Claire-"

Claire ignored how fast her heart was beating and the urge to scream, and plastered a professional look on her face. She looked at Lake, afraid of what the veteran Shado officer might tell her.

"I know this ruined your wedding plans again. I'm sorry."

"You were doing your job Virginia. Now I better go do mine, the way he'd expect me to." She briefly pressed the other woman's gloved hand, and then went back toward the small medical department. Behind the airtight mask, tears were freely falling down her cheeks. A modicum of merriment, she told herself. No worries. Come back home to me Edward. One way or another, we're going to march down that aisle, aren't we? Don't make me a widow before I'm a bride.

* * *

Several minutes later, Sky 7 shot away from the submarine, tore through the surface water and into the Welsh skies in a matter of minutes. Back on the base, Claire was squinting through an electron microscope in the makeshift lab for the fourth time, then gave a sigh of relief, nodded at the bacteriological team member and went to see Carlin, peeling off her protective hood.

"At least Edward doesn't have to worry about an alien plague affecting this underwater base. Looks like what we used to call ptomaine food poisoning to me. Someone just let the food here go bad. Staff will make sure we continue to force liquids into the patients, prevent dehydration while the bugs run their course. They can be pesky little things, but they aren't fatal."

"I've been sicking up my lungs ever since I got back, Doctor, so I beg to differ." Peter Carlin said weakly from his cot. She chuckled and touched his shoulder knowingly.

"Trust me. It just feels like you're going to die, you may even look at the prospect of dying as rather desirable, but it'll pass. Try and rest, Captain."

"Is the Commander all right?"

"I don't know. I better go try and find out what he's up to."

"Rumour has it he went aboard to substitute for Lieutenant Greene." Carlin said hesitantly.

"What does that mean?"

"No respect Ma'am, believe me, but he's older and he's been away from action for a long time. Flying Sky7 isn't just something you-Doctor?"

Claire was already running into the situation room, and descending on Colonel Lake, who was sitting in the place of the harried looking radar officer, and repeating SID's coordinates into the microphone. Claire's stomach fell down to her toes as she recognised the cool, distinctive tone coming over the connection with the aircraft.

"I have it on visual, radar's dead, I'm riding on its tail. Moving in to send it back to the hell it came-amazing how-to a person-" Ed's voice broke into screeches of static.

"Edward's flying Sky7?" Claire said in disbelief.

"The pilot aboard Sky 7 got too ill and the Commander had no choice. Don't worry, Dr. Spencer, he knows what he's doing."

"Why is the connection breaking up like that? Dear God. Where's the UFO? I can't read that damn thing, which blip is my husband?"

The people gathered in the small situation room gave Claire a unified look at her somewhat premature use of the word husband but Colonel Lake recovered first and pointed.

"That one. The last UFO's been using some sort of jamming ray on the radio. But don't-"

The blips vanished from the screen.

"For the love of God what just happened?" Claire exclaimed. "Pins and needles somebody tell me, damn it!"

"Commander, are you reading me? Come in Commander." Lake was saying calmly. Both she and Claire sighed with relief when they heard his voice come over the speaker again.

"Reading-seat of my pants. Have visual-sights-the kill-wish me luck." Ed's transmissions were interrupted by the blasts of static, and then stopped altogether.

"Good luck, Edward." Claire said softly, her gloved hands rolled into fists. She ignored the looks that came as a result of her using his first name.

Several minutes went by. Computers clicked and whirred, telephones rang, the air conditioner hummed, dawn broke over England.

This is what it's going to be like, our married life, Claire thought. This organisation is his life. I will always be waiting, waiting to see if he's alive, waiting to see if his luck finally runs out. I wouldn't want it any other way. A modicum of time with me, and the rest of the time he belongs to the world, a world that doesn't and never can know what he really does to make a living. A modicum of merriment is all I need, is all we need, Edward. All I want. I love you Edward.

SID interrupted her thoughts.

"Positive detonation confirmed. UFO destroyed."

There was an uncharacteristic cheer in the small situation room and relieved sighs with big smiles.

"The guy's not bad for an aging amateur." Captain Carlin said from behind Claire, having sneaked into the room without being noticed. Virginia laughed.

Claire whirled toward him.

"You. Bed." she commanded, "And if you ever say the Commander is too old to fly again, I'll-"

The radio crackled into life again, successfully ruining the light-hearted mood.

"Mayday. Mayday. Mayday. Hope like hell somebody's reading this. I'm hit, can't see a damned thing. Bailing out. Bailing out."

There was silence in the room.

Claire grabbed the microphone.

"Edward!" she screamed.

But there was only more silence.

* * *

He soon figured out that there were two, and only two decisions. One was to just float in the water. Water. Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink. The other was to actually try and get somewhere, but then that annoying white-hot pain shot up his leg. As if all that wasn't bad enough to contend with, something was making a steady bleep bleep bleep. Carefully he attempted to try and remove the harness that was around him, that certainly seemed the thing to do, but the water covered his ears and his mouth and nose, and he tried to surface, spitting out water, gagging. Water everywhere. Then someone was reaching for him, saying things in a language he didn't understand. The Vietnamese! He began to fight for his life, there was a sharp pain and darkness.

* * *

"Edward. Wake up Edward."

The damn voice was cutting into his consciousness again when all he wanted to do was sleep and sleep. Sleep was no escape, sleep brought demons in the form of yellow men butting him with their rifles, pushing his shoulders back until he screamed.

His screams sounded like soft mutterings to her.

Finally he opened his eyes and looked at her resentfully.

"What now?" he demanded. There was something in her gaze that set aside his irritation and his impatience and how uncomfortable having his leg strapped up was. Because of it, he was silent, regretting his rude outburst. He was in hospital somewhere, not Thailand. England, they'd told him. What did it matter?

"Do you know me?" she asked. He studied her. Soft brown eyes, reddened, as if she'd been crying or hadn't slept for days or perhaps both. Unruly dark hair pulled back with an elastic. Gold ear studs. A wide nose. A trace of lipstick on the pursed lips. A smattering of lines on the face. Short, square cut nails with clear enamel. A sparkling ring on one of the fingers. Pearl and gold bangle bracelet, silver wristwatch. White blouse. Soft blue cardigan, tweed skirt, black patent leather handbag and matching shoes, scuffed. Forty-ish, he guessed. Librarian maybe? Not conventionally beautiful, but quietly lovely. Something in the eyes. He squinted. Odd, but he liked being with her. He tried to fight off the urge to reach out and touch her, pull her close.

"You seem familiar somehow." was all he said.

"They explained to you you have amnesia, fugue amnesia? Other than a compound fracture of your leg which they think was caused by a problem with your ejector seat, and a lot of bruises and bumps, your MRIs show no damage to spine or head thank God. They explained to you what happened?"

"Nobody tells me anything. They haven't said who I am or where I come from, they just say I'm nuts."

"Nuts? Fugue amnesia, Edward. Not nuts. When RAF Search and Rescue pulled your carcass out of the water, you were talking about being captured by the Vietnamese. That happened years ago, and you have bouts of acute delayed stress syndrome. That's normal."

"Edward? Is that my name?" He glanced at the hospital band on his wrist that identified him as John Doe.

"Yes. Your close friends call you Ed, but I've always preferred Edward."

"And you'd be whom?"

"I'd be Claire Spencer, your fiancée."

"WHAT?"

She smiled.

"Sorry. I believe in immersion therapy. I know it comes as a shock. I've come to take you home. Alec, that's one of your closest friends, has commandeered a RAF helicopter and we're going home."

"I'm finally getting out of this hell hole?"

"You hate hospitals, as usual. Yes, you are."

"Where's home?"

"Gloucestershire. Southern England. I think you'll like your home. It's pretty big."

"I just want to get out of here," he said.

"I know you're scared."

"I didn't say that. Damn, you're annoying."

"I know that too. I brought you some clothes, the trousers are deliberately too big, so that you can wear them with the cast. Shall I help you dress?"

"It's been a long time since I was five and needed help dressing, Spencer." he shot back in annoyance. Then he paused thoughtfully when she smiled. "I call you that, don't I?"

"When you're annoyed with me, or you're playing with me. Sometimes both. Oh Edward." Claire broke into tears and embraced him, holding him tightly.

"Christ! Don't cry! God, I can't handle it when you cry. Don't cry!"

"Yes, Sir." Claire leaned against him, and didn't stop at all. After a few moments he wound his arms around her. It felt good. She looked at him for the longest time, and the funny thought came to him that he had no idea what he looked like. Then she kissed him on the mouth. When she leaned back he reached for her and pulled her to him, kissing her in return, and giving a soft sigh at the end of it.

"I'm feeling things that don't make any sense."

"Don't tell me you've forgotten about the birds and the bees?"

"Very funny. No. I didn't mean that." He watched her sigh.

"There goes our sex life," she chuckled.

He actually grinned at that and it melted her heart.

"You have a sense of humour. So I guess we weren't angels?"

"No, we've been lovers. I'm sorry Edward, I'm feeling flaky. I haven't slept for a couple of days. We didn't know where you were. What did you mean?"

"I'm feeling sadness, and a little fear, and relief. As if I was looking for you when I woke up and you weren't there. I thought you'd gone. But I didn't even know I was in love. I am in love, aren't I? How long have we known each other? Never mind. Just help me get dressed. Damn. Getting undressed in front of you feels strange. You say we were lovers, and I sense we were lovers, but it just feels damn strange."

"I'm a physician. I'll show you my credentials when we get home. You can undress in front of me with confidence. I see naked men all the time," she confessed, loving his grin.

"That isn't comforting. Attractive naked men?"

"Oh oodles and oodles of them, Edward. Why else would I take the Hippocratic oath?"

"That has to come to a halt," he decided firmly.

"Well there goes my medical career." Claire gently took off his hospital gown.

"Look but don't touch and don't enjoy. Christ! Did I get all these scars from the accident?" he asked, looking at his chest, with its light coating of wheat coloured hairs.

"No. You have eternal run-ins with doors."

"They said I was something military and I bailed out of a plane," he said, watching her help him button his polo shirt and fasten his belt buckle on the baggy pants. She nodded.

"We'll explain everything to you in time. Here, shall I comb your hair? You need a shower, once we get home we'll put plastic on your leg and you can take a nice shower." He reached for her purse.

"What is it Edward?"

"This looks familiar."

"It belonged to Rosemary. We found it in one of the boxes that we discovered in the chapel. I know you don't remember. Here, smell."

"Lavender. My mother."

"You're beginning to remember already. Smell is a powerful trigger of memory. You ca-"

"She's dead, isn't she?"

"Yes." Claire said softly, and then she hugged him when he burst into tears. He stopped and looked at her defiantly, expecting a reprimand for showing weakness, but all that he saw in the warm brown eyes was acceptance. Even love. Being with her was like being with a warm summer day, he decided, and wondered where that fancy idea came from.

"Your hair is a mess, Edward." she said softly, wiping the wetness from his face with the back of her fingers. He sat and lost himself in the feel of her gentle caressing of his cheeks.

"Is it?" he reached up and felt his hair.

"You're vain about your appearance, Straker, you always try to tell me it's a habit from your military background." She smiled, and fished a compact and comb out of her purse. "Not that I'd tell anyone else that. It'll be our secret."

"What's the matter with taking pride in your appearance?" he took the compact and snapped it open and told himself he was an idiot because his heart was pounding like it was in the last leg of the Boston marathon. Then he stared at the reflection. "I'm not bad looking." he said with relief and dragged the comb through his hair. "I do need a shave though." She chuckled.

"God. Not bad looking? Is that ever an understatement. The first time I ever saw you you were sick as a dog. And I swear I never saw anyone more gorgeous than you in my life, but that was at the edge of what I was thinking, although I probably fell in love with you that day. I was too worried about you at the time to notice. You were being characteristically headstrong, and self destructive."

"I sound like a handful." he said thoughtfully, and smiled.

"I love you."

"I'm glad. I'm so glad Claire."

* * *

They arrived at the small air base with Nate, who occasionally narrowed his eyes at Ed's baffled stares at him in the driving glass.

"Tall isn't he?" Claire asked, holding on to Ed's hand.

"Tall? Tall is an understatement. This fellow is my bodyguard?"

"Wait until you meet Alec."

"I have images in my head of Alec," Ed said, watching Nate grumble to himself. "Claire, does this man actually work for me?"

"Alec? Alec's been your friend since the ice age."

"No. This man." Ed stabbed a finger at the dread-locked driver.

"Aw, Commander," moaned Nate.

"That's another thing. Commander. Amnesia or no amnesia you'd think I'd remember that I'm the head of some secret military organisation. Aliens of all things. I keep thinking I just ate some bad food, and I'm going to wake up to find out I'm actually a schoolteacher in New Jersey or something."

"Well, we could move to New Jersey if we really wanted to," Claire chuckled.

"This Shado airbase just seems strange. Nothing's familiar."

"Good afternoon, Captain," Claire said, showing her identification and Ed's. "Colonel Freeman has a chopper waiting for us. We're expecting him."

"Yes, Ma'am, we were informed, your party has alpha clearance, but the Colonel received a urgent fax and is delayed on the telephone. Why don't you go on in to the mess and we'll get you some tea or coffee."

"Man, all we need is Alec phoning one of his girlfriends while we're freezing our butt off," complained Nate.

"You know Alec wouldn't delay us without a good reason," Ed said. "Captain, where is Colonel Freeman?"

"In my office, the base Commander allowed him to use his telephone."

"We'll manage without the refreshment, I want to see him right away." Ed said. Both Claire and Nate looked at Ed as he reached over and attempted to open the door. Nate finally jumped up and helped Ed into the wheelchair they'd borrowed from hospital. Ed refused Claire's help and pushed himself, following the Captain. Claire smiled as she watched him. Memory was clearly coming back to him, fantasies of New Jersey and a classroom notwithstanding.

When they reached the base Commander's office, the base Commander seemed very pleased to see them, greeted them as VIPs and left them so they could have privacy. Alec wasn't anywhere in sight, but Claire could hear someone retching in an adjoining bathroom. After a few moments Alec came out. He seemed pretty shaky and he looked at Ed hesitantly. Ed broke out in a brilliant smile, forgot about the wheelchair and took a step, wavered, fell and in time honoured tradition, Alec caught him a fraction of a section before Claire could.

"I see you for two seconds and already I've saving your useless balls, Ed."

Ed looked at Claire.

"Sure this guy is my friend?" he said teasingly. But he embraced Alec. Then he examined Alec, a frown arising on his face. "Nate, go find us some coffee and something to eat."

Nate had been stretching out in a chair, flipping through some magazines, he muttered to himself and went out the door. Claire saw that by sheer will power alone, Alec was holding himself together.

"I think I'll go make sure Nate doesn't pick up any women."

"No, Claire, I want you around. I don't know how to handle this," admitted Alec.

"What's happened, for God's sake," Ed wanted to know, settling back in his wheelchair after a brief hug of recognition with Alec.

"I was trying to get in touch with Yetunde in case you needed her, when we found out you'd ejected from Sky7. By the way we found it, its in decent shape, hull is burnt, but we think we can fix it."

"Alec just spit it out," Ed said quietly. Alec was shaking.

"I found out she'd left for Africa with Ayomide, without telling me where she'd gone. Well, I was furious that she'd take my daughter like that, and I found a note on my door saying she'd taken Ayomide to visit some old friends. The lorry she was driving in with some friends broke down. She and a couple of her friends were clubbed by some anti-Obasanjo factors, Ed. Apparently he's the new president there. She went down defending Ayomide. Two of her friends are in critical condition, the rest are dead. Yetunde didn't survive her wounds, but Ayomide was rescued by some journalists who found the bodies."

Claire gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth.

"I've got to go get my daughter, Ed," Alec said plainly. "She needs me."

"Jesus Christ." Ed said softly. "Alec, my God, Alec."

"I need to calm down and get out there on the next plane."

"Alec. I can't tell you how sorry I am. Of course, of course. Where's the chopper you hired for us, we'll fly directly to Heathrow and charter a plane from there."

"Edward we can use your private plane," Claire said softly, weeping.

"You arrange it, I've forgotten the details."

"I'm all my daughter has left now. If only I hadn't have turned my back on Yetunde maybe she would have been alive now. She had no right to go out there like this. I want my daughter, Ed."

"We'll find her. I promise you that, we'll find her."

"I'm living a nightmare, it hasn't sunk in yet." Alec admitted. He was still shaking, and Claire went over and hugged him. He allowed it, but he didn't break down. "Get Nate on the mobile, I want to get out to the chopper as soon as possible. You think you can fly her, Ed? She's all fuelled up, but I'm not sure my nerves are steady enough to take her controls."

"I can fly her. It'll come back to me."

* * *

The helicopter rose then dropped alarmingly. Nate retched into the airbag, and Claire reasoned that if Ed kept up this performance, she'd be next. She scolded herself for being so sick when Yetunde was dead and Alec was so devastated. Yetunde dead was impossible to grasp. It didn't help any to remember that their last conversation had ended in Yetunde hanging up on her.

"Ed, you better let me take her, or there will be more than one funeral," Alec said.

"It isn't me, it's the weather fighting me," Ed declared.

"The guy said the weather is clear," Nate drawled, not looking very good.

"Nonsense, this turbulence is impossible. Never contradict the boss, Nathaniel," Ed reminded him. It suddenly dawned on Claire that Ed had been deliberately flying like a green cadet just to keep Alec's mind off Yetunde. Moreover, the shock of Yetunde's death had helped more and more of his memory to return. He hadn't had any problems with laying in a course for Heathrow, and calling ahead to make sure his private jet would be ready. The closest Claire had ever gotten to Africa, she mused, was watching the movie with Ryan on television. Ryan particularly had liked Meryl Streep. Ryan, she thought. So many gone. But Edward was all right, if obviously shaken by Alec's news. How was Alec going to bring up a child? And the marriage, was it wrong of her to resent still another delay in becoming Mrs. Edward Straker? She twisted her engagement ring as the helicopter descended on the pad, dead centre. So much for Ed not remembering how to fly. They all went to the plane and were not surprised to be greeted solemnly by Graham, but the real surprise lie in finding Angel and Frances aboard. Nate had called the house, and Carmella was too upset at the news to come out, so he had asked Graham to take over, and he said he'd go back to Silk Wood Manor to look after Carmella. Claire stared out the window, not wanting to think of how horrifying Yetunde's final moments must have been. It seemed impossible that she could be gone.

"I don't suppose I could talk you out of coming with us?" Ed was saying solemnly. He lowered himself into the plane seat with Graham's help and Claire folded the wheelchair back up.

"I've been to Africa and I know how to get around there, Q-tip, and where I go, Frances goes. Besides, anything to get her mind off the Queen's jubilee year."

"Hush Stanley Mitchell, how can you possibly crack jokes when Alec's suffered a loss? You should be ashamed of yourself."

"I should have talked to that girl a long time ago. Didn't know what was good for her if you ask me. Taking a baby who couldn't walk yet to a place like that. Mind you, I prayed for her soul, but I won't hold my tongue. Alec, mate, you know I'm on your side."

"Come up and join me in the cockpit, Ed's going to take a rest and take the controls in a couple of hours." Alec said wearily. Ed watched the elderly reverend go with Alec and he buckled his harness in preparation for the flight. Frances bent her head in brief prayer and did the same. Claire sat next to Ed, looking out the porthole, wishing her last words with Yetunde had been kinder. Yet she couldn't help thinking Angel was right. Yetunde followed the politics of her homeland closely and would have known the climate was dangerous. She wondered if the decision to take her daughter there was spite on Yetunde's part, a way to strike at Alec one final time.

"You're thinking that she did it deliberately, aren't you?"

"My God, Edward. And you accuse me of being the one with ESP."

"You've been so quiet. I know that the last time the two of you spoke, you felt she was pushing Alec up against the wall with her jealousy."

"Not that what he did wasn't foolish and costly. But yes."

"Have you ever felt jealousy toward anyone you believed I was involved with?"

Claire looked at Ed, opened her mouth, shook her head, and Frances picked up another ball of yarn, trying not to be intrusive, although there was not much opportunity for privacy in the passenger lounge of the Dessault jet. Claire sighed.

"I have. I've been jealous of Margaret, of Maggie, of your love for her. She was a part of your life for so many years."

"I remember her in bits and pieces, like a patchwork quilt. God knows she was jealous. She was jealous of my affection for little Devon, for Peter's sake. She even let me have it over my teasing about how good Frances' legs are. Something about those seams up the back of those legs, you know."

Frances dropped her yarn ball and yarn went flying down the aisle. She ducked her head and blushed to the roots of her snowy white hair. Graham grinned at her from his seat.

"I must say, I agree, Sir. Nothing like these fashions today. Some women still know how to dress like women and she's one of them," Graham agreed, making Frances blush more. Claire stared at her own blue jeans thoughtfully.

Ed chuckled.

"Seems funny, in the recollection, but we argued over it. So I know, or at least can imagine what Alec must have had to put up with. I think Yetunde felt her attractiveness was behind her once she'd given birth. Women can be so odd."

"Will you listen to that! As if men can't show jealousy. The Good Lord knows Stanley has my heart and yet he's so easily flustered if I deliberately look at someone else."

"Sounds like sinning to me," Ed told her. Claire chuckled.

"Nonsense! It's a game we play. We're like children. Grown adults, acting like children. I see that the light for the harness has gone off, I'm going to go see what I can rustle up in the kitchen of this enormous play toy of yours, Edward dear."

"It does beat my toy airplane," he agreed. Claire smiled at him, hiding her worry. He looked terribly tired and now he'd have to be dragged to Africa. She couldn't help resenting just about the whole wide world for putting Ed Straker in harm's way.

* * *

Ed and Alec walked out of the small and obviously inadequate township hospital trying to ignore the distrustful looks they were getting from the predominantly black staff, Alec bent over, hands in pockets. Ed was slower, barely managing to push his wheelchair along. The two men had insisted on going and getting Yetunde's body by themselves, bringing along only Nate, who knew a smattering of phrases in African languages. Ed hadn't remembered what little he knew. Claire and Frances and Angel had stayed with Graham at Ed's insistence.

"It isn't right, Ed. "

"It may have been their custom to have buried her right away, and she loved this country, Alec. It's right that she should lay at rest here."

"We were supposed to get married out here. Now she's dead. I don't have any of her belongings. I can't even see her face clearly in my mind. I can't feel anything for her except rage for putting our baby at risk. What does that make me?"

"Human, as you often tell me. Come on, this heat is killing me, especially with this cast on. Let's get your daughter, pay respect to Yetunde at the grave and get out of here."

"Let me push that thing of yours." Alec said quietly. "You look white as a . . . well, a white man."

The drive to the newspaper office was done in a broken down jeep, and it was with some relief that they went inside and were greeted by a woman wrapped in the traditional brightly coloured fabric and little else.

"My English not good. Baby with me lucky, very lucky. You pay for keeping. Very right?" she asked Alec.

"So much for taking care of Ayomide because it was the right thing to do," Alec growled, but Ed was already counting out rands patiently and placed them into the open hand of the woman, who rewarded him with a flash of her white teeth. She disappeared and came out with the softly gurgling little girl, wrapped in what looked like a less than clean nappy, and set her down. She promptly set off, if a bit wobbly on two tiny feet. Ed and Alec exchanged startled looks.

"That isn't Ayomide. That isn't my daughter. What the blazes have you done with my daughter?" Alec grabbed the woman and shook her, and she screamed, which brought a couple of her cronies, with large knives. Nathaniel produced a very ugly looking .44 Magnum from his hip holster, and the men suddenly had a new respect for Ed and Alec, throwing down the knives and backing away, palms open. The woman kept on screaming.

"There went British-African diplomacy down the drain." Ed said as Alec rolled him back toward the jeep.

"You wanted to be carved up like a pig?" Nate said, still fuming at being in a less than safe area. "Come on let's get out of here, the police around these parts can get nasty."

"They came close to chopping us up. They have a strange sense of journalistic ethics around here." Alec said, angry, helping Ed back into the jeep and tossing the wheelchair in the back. Nate slid behind the wheel and started the engine. It coughed and spat at him like it had one of the cases of tuberculosis they'd seen at hospital but it finally hummed into motion. "I want to see that doctor again, he's got some explaining to do." Alec snarled. His white shirt and grey pants were sweaty, but Ed's were even worst.

"Alec, forget the doctor, we're going to find out who's buried in Yetunde's grave."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I have a feeling that we won't find Yetunde there, either," was all Ed said.

And hours later, after Ed had emptied his wallet of rends to appease the onlookers, and the four graves had been exhumed by Alec and Ed with borrowed shovels, Nate guarding them, they still had no answer, and no body of Yetunde Folsade. None of the women were Yetunde Folsade. Ed was being eased back into the jeep when he slumped over, unconscious.

* * *

Ed Straker was grateful for the cool of the French made Dessault Falcon executive jet, where after a moment he realized he was lying on his back in his private cabin, dressed in only his boxers and the rigid leg cast under the cool cotton sheets. He recalled everything had gone black, the last memory he had was Alec grabbing him. He lie there for a while, watching Claire Spencer. Finally she looked up from where she was picking without appetite at a plate of food on her lap, and noticed he was awake. He smiled. Bits of memories of her caressing his hair, the feel of her warm hands on his hips as she guided him into her, soft groans and gasps, nestling in one another, sweet kisses, the pleasure that came with knowing you were loved and weren't alone, and never would be again.

"Sweetheart," he said happily.

"Damn you Straker!" she squealed at him.

He blinked. That kind of reaction wasn't exactly part of the wonderful memories of her that were coming back to him. He opened his mouth to respond.

"Why couldn't you have gotten Nathaniel to dig? No, not you, you wanted to solve everything for Alec, so you stood up balancing on one good leg and a cast in the middle of the damn African heat, dehydrating the hell out of yourself, exhausting yourself, nobody making sure you drank water, made to look at the deteriorating bodies instead of Alec. All this after being almost a day out at sea when your plane goes down, with nothing to eat or drink, with a broken leg and half delirious. Nate should have had enough sense to stop you, but no, and you'd think Alec of all people would think of you in a situation like that, but he let you!"

"Darling . . ."

"Don't you darling me, you idiot! You're dehydrated and there isn't proper equipment aboard this damn jet to deal with it properly, and I won't know if there's anything else wrong with you until I get you back to Mayland. I hate you, Edward! Do you hear me? I hate you. Don't even talk to me."

With that, Claire threw aside the plate and stomped out of the cabin.

Ed wriggled into a sitting position, stared. Finally he noticed the intercom and called for Graham on the phone, pulling on his robe and rapidly tying his sash. Graham seemed the least offensive person to call at the time, he mused. He wasn't up to more lectures.

A moment later, Graham came in. For the first time, he actually looked uncomfortable.

"Sir."

"Uh, my wife-to-be seems to be a little upset with me. What happened?"

"A little upset, Sir? And they claim the art of understatement is a British trait. She isn't speaking to Alec, whom by the way is all right and put in several calls to the African embassy and Shado HQ, and speaking of all right, how are you feeling, Sir?"

"Little wobbly after her tongue lashing, but I'll live. Go on."

"I'm afraid she sacked Nathaniel. She nearly sacked Colonel Freeman but he reminded her gently that he outranked her. I think at the moment she has Stanley and Frances on her team, too."

"She sacked Nate?" Ed moaned. "I may be the second one to lose my job at this rate. I take it she was worried about me passing out?"

"We all were, Sir. However Miss Spencer never left your side from the moment they brought you back. We've headed for Heathrow after refuelling at Lagos, orders of Miss Spencer."

"What does she think she is doing? Yetunde Folsa-" Ed was interrupted by the buzz of the intercom and picked up the phone. "Straker. Yes. I'll take it here, thanks, Alec. Hello? Yes. WHAT? You're sure? Both of them? When? No. No. Absolutely not. I want a car standing by and by no means is anyone to board that plane until we get back. We're on our way. Thank you, Captain. Yes. Thank you again, I'll ring you again when we land. Yes, I'll tell him personally."

"Good news, Sir?"

"It all depends. Can you find me some suitable clothing, Graham? I have to go convince Claire to allow me to go back to Africa."

"Doesn't sound too safe, Sir." Graham said, opening the drawers and setting out a shirt and trousers for Ed.

"I'd try shooting Bengal tigers armed with a pea-shooter, it would be far safer, but I have no choice," Ed said wearily.

* * *

"No."

"Claire, there's no room for no right now. I've already ordered Alec back, and we'll touch down in a couple of hours."

"You're being damn secretive about it, Q-tip." Angel said, watching Claire shove a cup of coffee at Ed. Nate sat way in the back of the plane, looking out the window in misery.

"Here, idiot, I fixed it the way you like it, light and sweet."

"Why thank you, darling. Admirable behaviour from a fiancée who hates me."

"Don't think I didn't poison it, Straker," Claire growled. Ed had been in mid-sip, and he coughed and spit up a little, drawing a chuckle from Angel.

"At least Stanley is here to give you last rites, Edward," Frances pointed out. Ed grinned. Claire sighed loudly, knowing she'd lost yet another battle, one of many to come.

"That's not much help if I'm about to die a slow death."

"So tell me why we are going to that damn country again, Edward?"

"Alec's flying this toy, right?" Ed asked, accepting a plate of cheese and grapes from Claire, and sniffing at them suspiciously. Angel and Frances grinned.

"Yes that meddling Australian has been in that cockpit for hours. I knew when you got back if you came to right away you'd insist nothing was wrong with you and fly, so I mildly sedated you. It's too bad my Hippocratic oath forbids me sedating you by hitting you over the head with a brick, Straker."

"Do you know why I'm marrying this woman? It's all the charming, inspired, tender loving things she says about me," Ed said thoughtfully.

"Speaking of marrying that woman, you can do it as soon as you get back home to Silk Wood Manor. Stanley and I arranged it," Frances said happily.

"What are you talking about?" Claire said.

"We went to see the Archbishop of Canterbury and told him we had a friend who deeply was in love with an American woman, and was born of a British woman, had lived and worked in England almost all his life, had served both the countries he loved with honour and bravery, had raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities through his Foundation and his film studio, including the Church herself, and deserved a special license, and he granted it, and since we found out the little chapel at Silk Wood is still sanctified, I can marry you both there as soon as you like. That's what we were trying to tell you but Carmella kept interrupting. I rang Carmella and told her to keep working on the alterations for the wedding gown for me until I got back." Frances said with a smile. "She's a fine seamstress."

Ed looked stunned, and Claire's mouth dropped open.

"Cupcake even ordered you a pair of matching plain platinum rings at Garrards. She thought of everything. Got a scrumptious menu figured out for the reception too, and is planning on making the wedding cake to beat all wedding cakes. You just have to decide on guests."

"Oh Frances, Angel, how can we thank you?" wept Claire. Ed smiled at Frances and Angel, then looked grim.

"Well, there's still a problem," Ed said, and Claire looked at him worriedly.

"What problem could there possibly be, Sir?" Graham asked. "I mean I know Dr. Folsade appears to have gone missing with her little girl, and all, but this is something you have been waiting a long time for."

"Yetunde isn't the problem."

"Then what is, Edward?" Frances said.

"My wife-to-be told me she hates me," Ed said softly, looking a little wounded. Claire chuckled and got up and went over to his side, and embraced him. He leaned against her, bright blue eyes hopeful and inquisitive.

"Yes she does, but she can have an emergency truce and wait to hate you until after she marries you."

"How encouraging." Ed said dismally, but his eyes twinkled, and she bent and gave him a long kiss which he returned open mouthed with enthusiasm, and it lasted for several seconds. Graham cleared his throat, and Ed and Claire drew apart, and sat up. Ed smiled. "Think you can hire back Nathaniel? Remember Nathaniel, the fellow you had no right to sack? I'll need him for wedding security details."

"If I have to," Claire said with a sigh, and then winked. "Edward, why do we have to go back to Africa now? I know Yetunde is-"

"Yetunde isn't anything of the sort, I got a call from our African branch of Shado HQ. a couple of minutes ago. Yetunde Folsade and her daughter just arrived at the Lagos airport, with plane tickets for the Virgin Airways flight back to Heathrow. I ordered her detained in customs until we can get there and send a car to collect her, and I can assure you she has a lot of explaining to do. I don't want to tell Alec until I see her for myself and find out what the blazes is going on."

Ed smiled at the cheers that followed his statement.

"Now now, enough of that, as my wife-to-be can tell you, my rule is a modicum of merriment."

Claire smiled with tenderness at the man she loved.

* * *

"He did?"

"He did indeed. And the next time one of my operatives goes off to some foreign land and doesn't tell anyone where she went, he'll be right, because I'll be the one who clubbed her to death. Understood?"

"What was I supposed to do?"

"Gosh Yetunde, maybe stop pushing his back to the wall. Stop accusing him of looking at other women. He didn't go blind when he got engaged to you, you know. What else did you expect he'd do? It was inevitable that he'd go back to old habits, he's in love with you, and quite frankly that finally happening was as scary as hell, believe me, I know. He was pretty frantic when he believed you were dead. Nothing was making sense to me, it didn't feel right, and I'm glad that you're all right, and my favourite goddaughter, too."

"I always seem to do the wrong thing. Edward, please, I am not as heartless as you all made me out to be. What was I supposed to do? Claire was angry at me, Carmella didn't want to discuss it, you would have taken Alec's side anyway."

"Take his side? We almost put an end to a thirty-year friendship because I told him how stupid he'd been, and he knew how stupid he'd been but he wanted understanding from me and I didn't have any at that moment. Now if you went away to Africa-"

"And had those women steal my wallet without me realising it when I thought they really needed help. Thank Olorun I had left Ayomide with one of my cousins. No wonder they thought it was me when they found the bodies. And I suppose they just wanted to make some money off you at that newspaper office. Newspaper office! Baloney! Just your regular con artists."

"If you went away to Africa trying to find yourself, I suggest you go in there and talk to the father of your child, and fix things, that's the way to find yourself. Now. Because I'm fresh out of fixing things myself. And I have a wedding to plan. And I am getting married. Now shoo. Out. If Claire sees I'm stressed again she may use that brick she threatened me with earlier."

"He won't even speak to me," wailed Yetunde.

"Out." Ed was sitting at his desk in Silk Wood Manor, using his laptop, looking at wedding websites on the Internet between catching upon paperwork and bills from the studio and his foundation, and eating lunch. He clicked with frustration at a popup with the mouse, muttering to himself. Graham was pouring coffee for him and hiding a grin.

"Nobody wil,." Yetunde moaned, and left.

"You know, if Shado could figure out how to apply the technology of these damn (click, click) popups in an offensive way, (click click) we could rid the planet of the aliens in a week." Ed determined.

"Yes, Sir," Graham offered diplomatically.

Claire Spencer came in with an armful of brochures and dumped them all on Ed's desk. Ed noticed she had on a coral blouse and blue jeans but a pair of white high heels she could hardly wobble on didn't seem quite the right accessory, but then what did he know?

"What in God's name are these?"

"More brochures!" Claire said helpfully.

"Give that woman the Nobel Prize for stating the obvious. I know they're brochures but-" Ed stared as Claire deftly stole his mouse and closed the popup, then started to walk, or more accurately, wobble away, nearly tripping on something. "But-what are these and Claire, why do you have a bed sheet tied to your waist?"

"I'm practicing walking elegantly in high heels with a train. Frances and Carmella are driving me batty. They keep saying frightening things about how long the train will be."

"I'm about to get on a train, the next train out of here!" Ed complained, pushing the brochures aside into the rubbish can.

"Oh stop being such a fuddy-duddy and choose the chairs we'll hire for the event. Look at them, they all look nice. Oh and Edward, you and Alec and the others have to plan your stag night. Carmella and Frances and I are going to have a hen party at the Brisby home. Nothing fancy, just finger food and us girls. Tomorrow at six. So you and the guys will have to do something for food yourselves. I don't care if you hire some stripper, it's your bachelor party, just as long as I don't find out about it. How are you doing on the walking cast, Edward? I have to go, Edward, Frances wants to have another fitting." With that, Claire went out, the bed sheet trailing behind her, tied to her blue jeans.

"How am I doing she asks, and then she doesn't wait to find out. I might be dying for all she cares. Graham, here, you pick a bloody chair style, I'm stuck with trying to order flowers. They want me to wear a damn morning suit, what the hell is wrong with my dress uniform?" Ed's telephone rang and before he could pick it up, there was a loud crash in the adjoining room. Graham went for the gun he wore in his shoulder holster but Ed shook his head, and Nathaniel came in, with various swatches of lace pinned to him.

"It's okay, boss, Yetunde just threw a vase at Alec. Nothing to worry about."

"Straker." Ed said."Hmm.Oh. Yeah. Yes. What? A wedding shower? Uh no, no honestly, we- you did? Uh. Yes, okay. Oh, yes, I'm delighted, I'm-"

"WHAT DID YOU EXPECT ME TO DO? ASK YOUR LITTLE TART TO MOVE IN WITH US?"

"DON'T BRING THAT UP, YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO JUST DISAPPEAR LIKE THAT WITH MY DAUGHTER!"

"Nathaniel, could you please ask Yetunde and Alec to take World War Three out to the garden? I can't hear myself think."

"Sure boss-"

"No wait, I'll handle this. Jacqueline, could you hold on a moment, no, nothing's wrong, just a little difference of opinion, hold on." Ed dropped the phone, grabbed his walking stick and made his way out impressively fast. There was a single gunshot and Graham and Nathaniel exchanged worried looks, but Ed came back in, sticking his Glock back into the holster. Angel, Carmella, Frances and Claire and Alec and Yetunde all congregated in the study and stared at Ed. Ayomide was cooing on Angel's shoulder.

"Madre de Dios, Ed, did you ever hear of just asking them to argue quieter?" Carmella complained. "Did you have to fire a bullet in the air? Did you have to be the macho hombre?"

Ed noticed that with the building of more ramps on the suggestion of Graham, enabling Carmella to not only get around in her wheelchair on the grounds, but now allowed access to the upstairs rooms, Carmella had practically taken over the place.

"It worked, didn't it?" Ed snarled, sitting down and picking up the phone.

"I think you shot out one of the chandeliers, sweetheart." Claire grinned.

"Spencer?" Ed said in amusement, studying Claire's apparel.

"Yes my love?"

"You're in your bra and slip in front of-"

Claire screamed and ran off, nearly running right into Nate who barely managed to flatten himself against the wall, yelping when one of the dress pins holding the lace swatches on stuck him in the back. Frances quite calmly began telling him to hush and started taking off the pieces of lace, inserting the dress pins back into the pincushion attached to her wrist.

"everyone--" Ed finished. "Hullo, Jacqueline? Still there? Good. Gunshot? No no, we had telly on. Listen, I'll tell them about it. Goodbye."

Angel and Alec and Graham started laughing. Yetunde shook her head and pulled Nathaniel out with her, staring at the bits of lace still on his shirt.

"He makes a good dress dummy, Yetunde," Frances explained. "Come on Carmella, we haven't got much time to decide on a lace for the bodice."

"Apt description that," agreed Graham. "Dummy."

"Shut up," Nate growled at Graham.

"We still aren't finished, you know," Alec snarled at Yetunde.

"Be quiet or Edward will probably shoot us for real," Yetunde said, taking the baby from a reluctant Angel and bringing it over to Alec.

"What are you giving me Ayomide for?"

"She's wet."

"Ughhhh. Come on."

Everyone but Graham had left and Ed was sitting at his desk, pinching his nose in pain in a familiar gesture.

"Graham, could you get me-" then Ed gawked.

Claire came in again, this time decently clad in her flannel robe, paused, kicked off her high heel shoes, and brought Ed a glass of water and two pills, kissed him on the cheek, ruffled his hair affectionately, picked up the heels and went out.

"I hate when her ESP kicks in like that," Ed said a moment before swallowing the pills.

"Yes, Sir," Graham said.

"One of those offensive women I told you about, the ones that come here every spring to see the grounds, is having a wedding shower for Claire. Could you kindly have her ring the woman back, Jacqueline, I think it was, and arrange a time? And could you pick a style of chair? I have to find a damn morning suit to get married in. And pick the flowers. And approve the guest list. And the food. And figure out what the hell I'm going to do about my best friend getting back with the woman he loves. And keep the world safe from alien invasion. And pay the bills. And see about getting the rings engraved. What ever possessed me to ask that woman to marry me?"

"No idea, Sir. Shall I tell everyone you've called it off?"

"No. Just find out which chandelier I shot out and have it replaced."

"I think Miss Spencer was kidding, Sir."

"What was Claire thinking, marching out here in her brassiere and slip like that?" Ed said, shutting off the computer and staring at the ad for chairs. He picked up his Parker pen and circled one.

"I think hearing the gunshot and making sure you were all right may have been her first priority, Sir."

"She looked pretty damn scrumptious in that skimpy push-up bra and slip, Graham," Ed remarked thoughtfully. "Remarkable cleavage."

"Yes, Sir."

"If that ever happens again, you're not to appreciate it, Graham. She is, after all, going to be my wife."

"Absolutely, Sir."

The two men grinned at one another. Then Ed picked up the phone again.

"I want some chairs delivered to Silk Wood Manor," he announced.

* * *

"Good gracious."

"Oh my God."

"I didn't know the human body was capable of that."

"I think I may have dated her sister at one time."

"The Good Lord uh, certainly endowed her."

"Her plastic surgeon obviously helped with silicone."

"Can you imagine working in that profession? Good morning, John, good morning Jane, sleep well last night? Oh fine. Okay let's stick one another's genitals in as many orifices as possible in front of a camera crew. Another day, another dollar."

"You're supposed to think she's hot, Boss," Nate said in exasperation.

"Considering what she does for a living, she's hot all right, she's probably got every sexually transmitted disease known to man and womankind," the Commander pointed out.

"Ed, you are missing the point," Alec said, laughing and snapping off the DVD player. "This is your stag night, you're supposed to be enjoying it."

"Hey, I was watching that," Nate protested. Ed grinned at him, picked up a piece of celery, shook the can of cheese topping, squirted some on, examined the result, winced, offered it to the bosomy blow up doll Alec had jokingly given him as a stag present and when she appeared to decline it, threw the concoction back on the table. Graham chuckled at him.

"Perhaps she has better taste in food then that, Sir."

"I bet the women are eating better stuff than we are."

"Frances cooked for them, so that's a given. Let's go crash the party, gents," Angel suggested. Ed smiled.

"I wish we could actually, I miss Claire. Nothing personal, ma'am," Ed told the doll, patting it on the head. It was sitting in his four-poster bed with a frilly bit of lace covering its modesty, if sex dolls were capable of modesty, Ed mused, studying it in amusement. Its legs were splayed apart, its mouth was permanently open and its nipples erect, courtesy of some Japanese manufacturing firm. It wasn't without its advantages, if you found it lacking you could get your money back, he thought. But then he doubted Claire could get a slow air leak.

"Oh man, you know they wouldn't let us. It's a girl thing," Nate sneered.

"Make sure you take this back to whatever little Soho shop you got it from, Alec." Ed said, taking the DVD out of his player and looking at it with amusement.

"You know, Ed, porn companies make a lot of money with this stuff. Maybe we could start making skin flicks at the studio. We could fund Shado with it." Alec chuckled.

"I'm not about to even consider it, we'll just have to go on depending on my Foundation and not porn at the studio. Although some of those costumes your little friend in that film we just watched looked like they came from our costuming-"

"What, Q-tip?" Angel said, looking at the expression on Ed's face.

"Gentlemen," Ed said formally, "I have an idea."

* * *

"This girdle is killing me."

"Girdle? What about these high heels?"

"I can't see out of these eyelashes. Matter of fact I may lose one at any moment."

"Man, this skirt is too short."

"No, you're just too tall. Now hush, I'm going to ring the doorbell."

"They're probably not even here, they're all at some sex club in Soho where I got the DVD."

"Not if I know my Frances. Although the last time she went to one of these things, she didn't exactly object to the stripper Maggie hired."

"Quiet, now," Ed complained with a girly toss of his shoulder length blonde hair.

* * *

Inside, the women, Claire, Frances, Carmella, Yetunde and little Ayomide, were all sitting around the fireplace, playing scrabble at a card table.

"I win again!" Frances said happily.

"That isn't a word," Yetunde accused.

"Yes it most certainly is!" Frances declared.

"Oh you cheat and you know you cheat," Carmella declared.

"I'll get the dictionary, where do you keep it?" Claire laughed.

"How dare you call me a cheat!" Frances said, flustered.

"Next time I will spell words in Spanish, and then I will-"

"Now who could that be? Nobody knows my new address yet," Frances said when the doorbell rang.

"Oh, I hope nothing has happened," Claire said, worried.

"Nonsense child, Edward is fine. I'll get it while you get the dictionary so that Carmella can be appeased."

"All right," Claire said, but didn't get up from her chair and looked upset. After a few moments they heard Frances laughing hysterically. They looked at one another. Frances came back in, giggling like a schoolgirl.

"What in Olorun has happened?" Yetunde asked, giving Ayomide her bottle.

"We have some more guests for the hen night, it seems," Frances barely managed to say. Claire looked relieved and poured herself some wine.

"Oh. Thank God nothing's wrong with Edward. What were you laug-oh my GOD!" she exclaimed as five unlikely women came carefully into Frances and Angel's sitting room. They either wore silk dresses or skirts, with lots of jewellery and makeup.

"Evening, ladies. My girlfriends and I heard that someone was having a hen party-what is it, Alexa?" the heavily lashed, long-haired blonde said in his too-distinctive for the occasion voice.

Alec, or as he'd been rechristened by Ed, Alexa, cleared his throat and nudged Ed. At first Ed looked puzzled.

"Oh. Right," Ed said, and repeated the sentence in a high pitched tone. Claire was giggling so hard that she grew red in the face, as did the others.

"Well please introduce yourselves, have you ladies had supper? There's plenty on the table over there, we had a potluck. We had just finished eating and were playing board games."

"Oh how lovely, we're starved. Well, that's Alexa, and Angela, and Natalie and Gra-uh Grace, and I'm uh-Edwina."

"Edwina, sweetheart, you're losing one of your eyelashes," Claire said calmly, as she went past him to the buffet table and began to fill a plate full of the foods he liked.

"Damn," he said in his real voice, making everyone laugh and then he said it again in the high pitched voice, took off the offending eyelash and tossed it in the middle of the scrabble board.

"And who is this ravishing creature?" Angela, better known as the right reverend Stanley Mitchell said in a less than believable female voice. He took Frances' hand and kissed it.

"Angela dear, never knew you were a lesbian," Edwina teased.

"No, sorry," Angel laughed. Frances was laughing, and inspecting her husband's hand.

"How ever do you keep your nails so lovely?" Frances giggled at Angel's fake bright red fingernails.

"I let my wife-uh husband Franc-uh Frank do all the garden work. She-he grows prize winning daffodils, you know."

"And what about you, blondie," Claire asked Edwina, giving the slender bosomy woman a plate of food and sitting across from her on a couch.

"Manicures. I'm quite rich you know. I live just down the road from here at Silk Wood Manor, you must come and visit me."

"Lovely frock you have on, Edwina," Claire said, admiring Ed's ankle length black and white floral print dress and his little veiled hat that matched.

"Copied it from something Princess Diana wore. I have to be careful, I wouldn't want to drop any of this delicious fried chicken on it."

"You seemed really hungry. Shall I get you some coffee? Let me guess, you don't drink so I won't offer you any of the Australian wine Yetunde brought me as a hen present, but you like light and sweet coffee."

"You positively must have ESP to have pegged me so well," Ed said with a big grin, sipping the coffee she fixed him and gave him.

"My fiancé always tells me I do," Claire agreed, content to watch him eat. Even with the blush, lipstick, one false eyelash on and female attire on, nothing concealed the gleam of his beautiful blue eyes or the curve of his bewitching smile.

"Oh man, my feet hurt," Natalie complained, removing a shoe and rubbing his oversized black foot, which was clad in nylon stocking. Carmella grinned at him.

"Now you know how we feel when we have to dress up. At least without legs I don't have to put up with those awful things anymore."

"You have ugly feet, Natalie," Alexa said, pulling up a chair beside Yetunde.

"Shut up Alexa," Natalie said.

"Da!" Ayomide said, reaching out for Alec. Everyone stopped and stared at her. Alexa reached for her proudly and cuddled her. Ayomide chewed contentedly on his plastic bead necklace.

"Did she actually just say something?" Edwina asked.

"Of course she did, Ed, she said Daddy," Alec determined, holding her close. It warmed Ed's heart to see the way Yetunde watched him. Leave it to children to bring people together again.

"She's been making sounds for weeks like that, I'm trying to teach her to talk and say Mummy and Daddy," Yetunde said, watching Alexa kiss his daughter.

"We didn't fool her at all, Edwina."

"I don't think we fooled anyone, Alexa. Now can I take this girdle and bra pads off, please?" Ed grinned. "And these earrings?"

"Please do, I was beginning to think I was marrying a cross dresser!" snickered Claire, and collapsed with laughter as Ed set his plate down, reached into the neckline of his dress and pulled the pads out. Then he painfully unclipped his large gold hoops from his ears, rubbing them.

"Excuse me a minute-" Angela said and disappeared into another room. When he came out she was a he, and minus his wig, nails, makeup and costume, but with a digital camera.

"God, no!" Ed gasped and Claire giggled as he hid his face on her shoulder.

"I'm not scared, get on with it," Graham said, "I'll show the snaps to Harry and tell him I've got a girl for him."

"You are rather attractive," Carmella agreed, winking.

"Even with all this muck off?" Graham said.

"Especially with all that muck off," Carmella said, too meaningfully.

"You two aren't flirting, are you?" Nate wanted to know, tossing his wig aside and fluffing out his dreadlocks.

"I don't think it's any of your business if we are," Graham said evenly.

"She's my girl," Nate snarled.

"She's nobody's girl! I am my own person and can do what I want," Carmella said angrily.

"Hear, hear," Frances said. She took the camera from Angel and started taking pictures of Alec in his garb, playing with Ayomide. Claire got up in the guise of clearing the table, and nudged her. Frances was able to snap three pictures of Ed before he noticed and gasped, drawing giggles from Claire.

"Those better not wind up on the Internet or I'm finished as a serious philanthropist," Ed chuckled.

"Come on, Edwina, finish your supper and Frances can show you the miracles she's already done with the garden here."

"We love the house Q-tip. There's no way we could repay you for it."

"Nonsense Angela," Ed grinned. "It's because of you both that Claire and I are getting married."

"Married? You and I? Is that what you're wearing instead of a morning suit?" Claire teased. Ed rolled his eyes at her in the midst of taking a final bite out of his Waldorf salad. He finished swallowing it.

"Even this damn girdle would be more comfortable than the morning suit my tailor is making for the soiree. But since you have your heart set on it," Ed shrugged, and smiled.

"I'd marry you no matter what you wore. I'd marry you if you only had a fig leaf on, Edward Straker, and you know it."

"I'll see if they have fig trees at the Westonburt Arboretum, Claire." Ed responded, deadpan.

"Make sure you pick an exceptionally large fig leaf, Edward," Claire said, drawing whistles and cat calls from the rest of them, especially Alec and Carmella. Desperately trying to keep a straight face, Ed nodded.

"Hope it isn't too windy on the wedding day," was all he said.

"Now those pictures would be worth putting on the church website." Angel said and winked at Claire, who gave him a thumbs-up.

"Stanley Mitchell Brisby!" Frances exclaimed, and everyone laughed.

* * *

"Sometimes I just think about it, and I want to scream." Ed Straker was saying. He and Claire had just finished purchasing wedding favours for the best man and bridesmaids and wedding guests, and were having dinner at a Chinese restaurant. They were also celebrating Ed's leg being freed of the walking cast and being put into a brace. He had insisted on doing away with his walking stick.

"I'm not surprised she tortured herself over it, Edward. She had the same sense of responsibility and guilt you do." Claire dipped a prawn in sauce, and bit into it.

"Sometimes I wish we'd never found that diary," he sighed.

"Edward, you've been playing with those pork chops for ages. Eat something. Rosemary isn't going to rest well if you don't eat. And she knows you forgive her, Edward, she knows you love her."

"All that time she thought that my father destroying her marriage to Laurence was the debt she had to pay. No matter what Lawrence did, she was obsessed with what she felt she had done to my father. Larry was going insane trying to make her see she was wrong. She could have lived but she refused to get her heart condition treated. She could have had happiness with Larry, but she was too worried about Dad. My father slapped her around, he took his illness out on her. He wasn't a hero anymore, he wasn't important. Somehow she was to blame for this. Then I was born, and he hated me because I became her whole world. And then when I disappeared in the war, that was the last straw. She felt it was a clear sign she was being punished for her sins, damn puritanical church of England upbringing, and she refused treatment for an enlarged heart-and-" Ed looked off in the distance, torture mounting in the blue eyes. Claire put down her fork and covered his hand with hers.

"When you unnecessarily put yourself in the line of fire, and you don't look after yourself, are you punishing yourself for sins you think you committed, Edward? Do you turn your back on happiness because you don't think you deserve it, due to decisions you've made that no human being should have to make, the sacrifice of your own wife and son? Haven't you made the exact same mistake she did?"

"And if I have?" he snapped, instantly regretting it. Her hand remained on his.

"Then I'd grieve for your no-win situation the way you grieve for her. You're her son and you see the tragedy of the thing far better than I do. She falls in love with Larry, the first real love of her life, and when that bastard father of yours tries to bring her down, she condemns herself. She turns away from the love that Lawrence was so desperately trying to give her. Your reported death sealed what she believed her fate to be. So when she died, Lawrence gave you what she would have had she lived, her legacy. But Edward, you already have her legacy, her blood in your veins. I wonder sometimes if that's your destiny too. I wonder how long I will have you. A modicum of merriment, Edward. Is that truly all we can have because you don't believe you deserve happiness?" she smiled.

"I wouldn't do that to you," he sighed. "I love you, Claire. I just worry that I have precious little to offer you, compared to the stability you'd have if you married someone else."

"I would take anything you gave me, Edward Straker. A moment, a day, a week, a month, a year of merriment. I will love you no matter what. I know you've heard that before. So you just have to wait, and time will show you that I'm right, that I'm worthy of your delicate trust. Now eat your pork chop before I hit you with it."

"You have a strange way of consoling a fellow who feels down in the dumps after finding out his mother's final days on Earth were painful ones. You know, Claire, in the prison camp I thought about her often. I guess in a way she's never that far out of my mind. There was an incident a few years ago, dealing with a fellow, Croxley, who had ESP. Alec and I drove out to his house, the aliens had demolished it, killing his wife. He put his gun to my head and it's funny, I thought of my mother. I wondered if I'd see her, on the other side. Croxley knew it. He read my mind, and I guess that instinctively I'd done the right thing that saved me. In the end, Croxley regained his humanity, despite the aliens' attempt to control him, to use him to kill me." Ed smiled a little. "Of course, the truth might be that I was scared out of my wits, a little kid wanting his mother. I told Alec it was a conscious decision to appeal to whatever humanity Croxley maintained. I told him of course I'd decided to think of my mother with the nose of a gun pressed to the back of my head."

"Did he believe you?"

"Hmm, let's see. I think when we talked about it, his comment was sure, Ed, I believe you. We both know how close we came to soiling our trousers."

"That sounds like him. Now eat your pork chop!"

"Keep nagging me that way, and I'll settle down with Veronica vinyl the sex doll, marry her instead," Ed teased, cutting his pork chop and taking a bite.

"So you like plastic women, depending on how attractive they are? I guess she's a lot more reliable than me, stick her in a drawer somewhere, blow her up with you need her, she's always ready to have sex, she bends in all positions, she never nags you to eat, and she has a money back guarantee. Edward, what a disappointment! I was convinced you weren't as shallow as that." she chuckled, watching him eat.

"Hey, well you learn something new every day."

"Normally I'd think the prospect of competition for your affection a bit daunting. In this case Veronica can't do something that I can," claimed Claire.

"You can't leak air," he replied, sipping his tea. "She can leak air, you know."

"Tell you I love you."

"Hmmm well now, I guess you might have something there." Ed nodded. His mobile beeped at him.

"If aliens have taken over the world, tell Shado Control it can wait until after the wedding," Claire said, staring at his mobile as he flipped it open. He grinned at her.

"What do you expect me to do in the meantime? Invite them to the wedding? We're serving wedding cake, not spare organs, Spencer. Straker here. No, its fine, just having dinner with the woman I'm supposed to be marrying in two days. Yes, go ahead. What? When? Why, that's impossible, he-yes. He did? He knew? Yes, go on. He was? Christ. Yes, of course, Constantine is senior operative after him, she's my choice, Henderson's sister may not appreciate not having someone she can't control, but there's little she can do about it. Yes. Cremation, yes. Of course I will. I'm not quite-WHAT? But he-yes. Yes. Oh my God, yes I see, no. Claire is with me and no. I will, I will. Yes. So am I, Alec. So am I. See you at the services." Ed hung up. "Douglas Jackson just dropped dead in Shado HQ about an hour and a half ago. Preliminary post mortem determined it was caused by abdominal haemorrhage. Apparently Jackson was having symptoms for months and he was in a state of denial, and he recorded everything in a wire bound notebook they found on his body."

"I can't say I grieve for him, Ed, even though he seemed to serve your interests more in these last years, and helped save your job a few years back."

"The memorial service and cremation is tomorrow."

"Of course you'll want to attend."

"Yes."

"Why would he ignore symptoms like that? It doesn't sound like him." Claire sipped her tea. Ed looked troubled.

"I don't know that anyone truly understood what his motives were. He had a sense of humour, I'll give him that, and yes, he served me well, once it looked like odds were in my favour and especially when General Henderson was out of the way." Ed shrugged. "He didn't get along with Agatha Henderson, so gossip has it." Ed pushed his plate away from him.

"There's something you're not telling me, Edward," she said suddenly. He looked grim, was silent momentarily.

"I hate that sixth sense of yours sometimes. Let's go home, we've got a lot to do," he suggested curtly, closing his phone and putting it away.

"Damn you, Straker. Just tell me. Whatever it is. I want no secrets between us. You know that," she urged.

"Constantine discovered he was experimenting with samples of our infected blood."

"WHAT?"

"He was seeking a means to cure himself of all disease. He knew of the alien bacteriological infections in our blood. He had an interest in research into the human mind and body. He hoped to develop a cure for himself and a means to prolong his life. He made headway using animals for experiments, and he wound up making further discoveries about the bacteria itself. Everything was in the notebook he carried. It just wasn't the headway he expected. However he drew conclusions based on the experiments."

"What does that have to do with us?" Claire asked, heart pounding, suddenly without appetite.

"I'll tell you after the wedding. Come on, let's go home."

"Please, Edward."

"If we're to have a modicum of merriment, it begins now. Whatever needs to be done after the wedding will be done after the wedding. That happiness you were talking about, the happiness you say my mother turned her back on, well, I want it, Claire. I'll tell you after the wedding. Come on, we still have to get the wedding rings engraved." Ed forced a smile. "Do you want to be Mrs. Edward Straker or not?"

Claire took a deep breath.

"Sure, if you don't want to march down the aisle of the chapel with Veronica Vinyl instead?"

"No. Frances would have to make alterations on the wedding gown if I married a sex doll, and she's busy enough preparing the wedding reception food."

"Couldn't you lie and say you preferred me?" she said, forcing a smile as she knew he was.

"You were the one that said you didn't want any secrets between us," he replied, signalling the waiter for the bill.

She slapped him gently on the hand.

He watched her get up from the chair and a few wisps of her dark hair fell forward and he brushed them gently from her forehead after he settled the bill and left his customary generous tip. He kissed her, and he wondered how much he could stretch the modicum. Because Caroline Constantine had informed him that in time, Jackson's research on animals had shown that the bacteria eventually caused the host's immune system to fail, the body turned on itself, bringing skin and major organ mutations, horrible pain and finally a merciful death. It could not save Jackson. It could not save Ed Straker. It could not save Claire Spencer. Ed looked into her trusting coffee-brown eyes and smiled at her, concealing his inner hell.

A modicum of merriment, my love. That is all we have left now. How do I tell you that? How?

He led his fiancée out of the restaurant.

* * *

The services for Jackson on Moonbase were brief, and secular. His body had been cremated and his ashes scattered into the lunar dust. Ed and Claire were both exhausted at the end of the lunar flight back to Earth, and Ed was grateful for the familiarity of his bronze Shado car waiting for him at the airbase. Caroline Constantine had been one of the few to show up at the services for Jackson, and purely out of respect, certainly not out of grief, real or imagined. Ed had collected the notebook from her, allowed Claire to look through it, and draw her own conclusions. Claire had shown none of the terrible shock that must have been drawn on her soul, had simply given the notebook back to Constantine, sharing Ed's plea to do whatever research that was necessary to offer them hope. Yet there had been no hope in Constantine's eyes, and they knew it. Ed felt bereft of any way to cushion the blow.

As he drove quietly back to Silk Wood Manor, Ed mused that Jackson's passing had been shrouded in as much mystery as had been his life. The name itself was laughable. Douglas Jackson. Jackson had a mid-European accent the size of the Moonbase installation. Rumour had it he was a traitor from the KGB, taking their secrets and using them in his practice of psychiatry and interrogation for Shado. He had shed his past the way a rattlesnake shed its skin, and indeed Alec thought that comparison apt, calling the man slimy on more than one occasion. Not being liked by many, if indeed anyone, simply seemed to amuse Jackson. He had been hired through the Commission, and Ed had mainly thought of him as Henderson's boy. Ed and Jackson didn't have what you would call a relationship, more of an understanding. Yet Jackson seemed to be in his corner at last, Ed thought. He had left a pittance of a few hundred pounds to some scientific organisation Ed hadn't even heard of, and had no family and certainly no friends to speak of. He had seemed to answer to no one, not even Henderson, and certainly not Ed. If he had family somewhere, no mention of them had been in his resume and no sign of them in the meagre bedsitter he had kept in an unfashionable part of London. The landlord had said nothing other than Jackson had always paid his rent on time but was rarely home. No answers were to be found in the cramped surroundings, just a few belongings, some clothes, and books and layers of dust. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes.

"You're quiet, Claire," Ed said after minutes of silence broken by nothing but the occasional car whizzing by his.

"I was just thinking that we are going to be married tomorrow," Claire said quietly.

"And?" Ed said, feigning indifference.

"Well, I was wondering if you've decided where we are going for our honeymoon."

"Oh. That. Well, yes, I might have, Spencer, one never knows."

"I'm just going to be your wife, Straker, its not like I need to know where we're headed so I know what to pack."

"I might have chosen a place where clothes aren't necessary. You're the one that brought up the fig leaf, you know."

"I guess that means we don't need a lot of luggage," she agreed. "And just think, we won't be delayed in customs. We won't have anything to declare. And they won't think we're two terrorists so they won't frisk us."

"I'm not sure about that. You can hide just about anything anywhere. Maybe I concealed an atomic bomb in our wedding rings."

"Oh? You particularly skilled in that?"

"You'd be amazed at how much uranium 235 you can hide in a wedding band," he nodded.

"I'm truly amazed, Edward."

"That isn't all I have concealed. I stored Veronica in my ring too."

"You did?" she chuckled, and it was a relief to him. He nodded and relaxed a little.

"I figured if you turn out to be a colossal failure on our wedding night that I'd need her. Besides, she's realistic and guaranteed or your money back."

"I keep telling you, Straker, that she can't give you what you really need from a woman," she grinned.

"And that would be?" he said, feeding petrol to the tank and turning onto a dirt road that led away from London.

"Someone to hold you tight when you've had a long hard day at work, someone to brush back that soft hair of yours when it falls out of place, someone to count your heartbeats as she lies against your chest, someone to wipe away your warm tears and tell you that she will love you for longer than always, and someone to caress your cheek and listen to your laughter. Someone to stand beside you and support you when you make hard decisions, and make your coffee the way you like it, make sure you have enough to eat and kiss you the way you were meant to be kissed. Someone to protect you from you. Someone to tell you just how much she needs you, and how special you are, how brilliantly blue your eyes are, and how much she loves the little impish curve of your mouth when you're mildly amused by something or you're teasing her. Someone who recognises that the small mischievous little boy in you is alive and well, and someone who is there when you need her body as well as her mind. Someone who will never abandon you and walk out on you when you need her most. Someone that knows the true tenderness of your heart. Someone who will love you for being you and not try to mould you into something you're not. Someone who takes pleasure in listening to the music of your voice. Someone that will take pride and feel happiness into having that modicum of merriment with Edward Straker, no matter how short or how long it will be, because she loves you with everything she's got inside, and she didn't cross the Atlantic for nothing. She found the man she'd fallen in love with, she'd gotten him back, and she's never leaving his side again. But, after all that, if Veronica Vinyl turns out to be what you want, I'll let her have you. But I warn you, Frances and Carmella are going to be pissed at having to alter your mother's wedding dress after they just got finished letting it out for me," Claire chuckled.

Ed had looked straight ahead at the road as she'd been speaking, not missing a word, and shadows had crossed his face. Suddenly he stopped the car on the shoulder of the road, parked, shut off the motor and Claire looked at him strangely. He didn't say a word, and all she was aware of was the odd car passing by the bronze Shado car in the warm, late spring English evening.

"Edward?" she whispered, frightened.

He didn't speak for what seemed eons and then the sombre, frantic, imploring tone in his voice chilled her to the bone. His eyes were moist and he trembled although the temperature in the car was comfortable, as always. He turned and looked at her. His expression was haunted, haunted and desperate.

"Claire, you've got to promise me something. You've got to promise me that you won't let me suffer no matter what your precious ethics tell you to do. If I end up like one of those helpless animals in the last stage of the bacteria mutation I want you to pull the plug out and let me go, knowing it will be nothing less than an act of love. And I want you to sit by my bed and hold my hand as I go. I don't want to die alone. Of all the things in this world that ever frightened me, high up on the list was the prospect of dying old, uncared for, forgotten and worst of all, totally alone. I can leave this world knowing you loved me, with the memory of your words to me tonight and that someday, if some force greater than us combined wills it, I'll see you again." Fresh tears fell down his cheeks and he made no effort to brush them away.

"Oh God Edward, no, don't ask that of me. It isn't as if I haven't had to do that. I've done it when a patient has requested that no heroic efforts be made to save their life or when their bodies have been eaten up by cancer and they're in horrible pain. But to see you like that? To put an end to your life? To see the beautiful light in your eyes fade away as you do? Oh God Edward, that's too much, just too much. You don't know which one of us it will happen to first, I may be far too ill to do anything. Edward, tomorrow we're going to finally say vows to one another. Today and tomorrow and a string of endless tomorrows we're all right, we're healthy, we're free of pestilence and pain. Let's not think about what is going to happen. Let's keep that modicum of merriment, Edward. Let's celebrate that modicum of merriment. Give me that, oh Edward, give me that, my darling. We still have hope. I chased you halfway across the world, and I found you, and that was nothing short of a miracle. There's still the possibility of a miracle, Edward. I promise you that. I swear it."

"You saw that notebook. You're a physician. You understand what will happen better than I do. I've fought aliens practically all my life, and now the one in my body is what will finally defeat me, and there's nothing to stop it. I should have known that the extension of my life would mean paying a terrible price. I don't even know how long I have. Just when I have found a woman I can spend the rest of my life with, and have happiness with, life is going to play one of its tricks and destroy the both of us."

She reached over and held his hands in hers.

"Listen to me, damn you, Edward. Caroline said that she has a hypothesis that Jackson was losing his mind in the final days of his life. She thinks that the having to deal with his mortality, that he was dying, took away his sanity. She believes that maybe he made a mistake somewhere in his calculations when he was experimenting with the bacteria and he didn't know it. You know as well as I do that nothing is rational about the way that bacteria works. The aliens were hoping to get it to extend their lives and it mutated on them. You and I are alive when we shouldn't be. I just know there's hope for us, Edward Straker. Don't you go and give up on us now. I saw that hopelessness in your eyes in San Francisco and I swore to myself I would never let you feel it again. Now start up this damn fancy car and get us home, Straker. We'll have a meal together, and sleep together for the last time as just lovers. Tomorrow we'll be husband and wife. This is what we've wanted Edward. I'm not burying either of us for a long time. A modicum of merriment, Edward Straker. That's what you offered me, and by God, I'm taking it. I'm going to shove happiness down your throat whether you like it or not. And you know what else?"

Some of the misery in the shimmering blue eyes faded and a tiny smile played upon his lips.

"No, but you seem to be on a roll so I suppose you'll tell me, Spencer."

"As soon as I get home I'm borrowing one of Frances' knitting needles and I'm sticking it into Veronica Vinyl until that plastic bitch pops."

Ed laughed sharply.

"Ouch," he commented with feeling.

"Edward." she said softly, brushing his tears away.

"What?" he smiled, doing the same for her.

"I love you, Straker."

"I love you too, Spencer. All right, all right. Let's go home and face the music. I have to try on that damn penguin suit my tailor made for me, and calm him down when he finds out he has to adjust the trouser leg to fit over the new brace."

"No penguin ever looked as good as you do to me tonight, Straker."

He suddenly grinned wickedly and the distinctive voice dropped into a low, sinful tone.

"We could skip the wedding and go straight to the wedding night festivities right here in the car."

"Drive, Straker." she grinned back at him. He gave an exaggerated sigh of disappointment and started up the motor again.

* * *

"I'm fine."

"You've said that for the last five minutes and you're shaking like a leaf." declared Alec as Ed's tailor inserted dress pins into Ed's trousers.

"Mr. Straker, if you keep moving like that, I can't guarantee that -"

"Yeow! I felt that!"

"Stick him again, Roy," Alec said.

"There. Now let me do the final alteration and you'll be marching down the aisle in no time."

"Quit fussing over me, Alec."

"I'm trying to pin your carnation and pearl stick pin on, hold still."

"I can't take off the pants and hold still at the same time. Christ why don't I just take the damn brace off, it's killing me."

"Take it off and Claire will be a widow ten seconds after she's a bride, because she'll kill you. Here, lean on me, that's it."

"Why did the women take over my bedroom? That's my bedroom, they had no right to take over my bedroom. I wonder how Claire is? I bet Frances and Carmella aren't sticking pins in her. Did she get the coronet we're borrowing from Garrards? Do you have the rings?"

"Rings?" Alec asked innocently, feeling his pockets. He was dressed immaculately in a charcoal morning suit with all the trimmings, like Ed was, only Ed's waistcoat was cobalt blue silk with a paisley pattern and his was dove grey.

"Don't give Mr. Straker a heart attack on the day he gets married, Alec." scolded the tailor, carefully stitching Ed's pinstriped pants.

"Is the organist and band ready, is the buffet table laid out, has that tent we are renting blown away yet? Just how many guests are out there? What time is it?"

"Ed, you're going to have ulcers," chuckled Alec.

"Here you go, all ready, Mr. Straker."

"Sure that thing will fit over the brace? Christ, give it to me. Damn I feel faint. Where did I put the cup of coffee Frances sent me? Angel, what in blazes are you doing here? Shouldn't you be doing whatever clerics do before weddings?"

"I had a bet going with Nathaniel that the groom-to-be would be more nervous than the bride, and it looks like I won." grinned Angel. He was impressive in his clerical robes, smelling of aftershave and with what few hairs he had remaining neatly combed.

"Seems to fit. Okay, looks like we can get this show on the road. You do have the rings, right, Alec?"

"Hat, Ed."

"Hat? Hat? Oh. Top Hat. Right. Have I got it on straight? Why couldn't I wear my uniform? Rings, Alec, have you got the rings?"

"He's a candidate for Bedlam at this rate," the tailor noted. "All right then, I'm off to go grab my seat before someone else takes it."

"Is it too late to change my mind about this and settle in Pango Pango?" Ed asked hopefully.

"Come on, Ed. Let's get you married before my Dad Reg drinks all the champagne. You look terrific. Angel, are the ladies ready?"

"They've been ready for ten minutes," grinned Angel. "Right. I'm off then. Hope I don't get the words to the ceremony mixed up."

"Sure you don't want a sherry or something for Dutch courage instead of that cold coffee you're gulping down?"

"No, I'm fine, Alec. Fine. Actually, no I'm not. I see dots before my eyes and my head is spinning."

"Come on, Commander Straker, courageous Shado leader, I have to get you to the chapel. No, not that way, Ed, that's the loo. This way."

"I can't do this, Alec. I think I'll just climb out of a window, make my getaway."

"Uh huh. One second, let me make sure the coast is clear."

"What on earth is the matter with him?" Carmella snapped, obviously looking like she would be tapping her foot in irritation if she had a foot. She was in her wheelchair, dressed in a sweetheart neckline cobalt blue gown with long sleeves trimmed with elegant cream English lace on the cuffs. She wore a lace hat with feathers in it, and a corsage.

"Nerves," grinned Alec. Carmella nodded.

"Claire is waiting for him, get him down there in one piece."

"Okay. I may have to carry him in case he faints."

"Hog tie him if you have to!" Carmella declared, and rolled back into the bedroom, muttering something in Spanish. Alec went back into the study, and Ed was pacing the floor. Alec unceremoniously grabbed him, and went down the stairs with him patiently, marched him through the garden, where the billowing white tent for the reception had been set up, and various security guards were prowling the Silk Wood Manor property. The band Ed had hired were playing something Ed didn't recognize, and Alec signalled them to begin playing something suitable. Ed smiled weakly as he and Alec marched past the assembled guests to organ music, with the guests oohing and ahhing as both men walked down the aisle. Reg waved at Alec from his wheelchair with enthusiasm, and Alec waved back with a chuckle. Frances was there in a yellow silk suit, feathered and veiled yellow hat and a pearl choker with white high heels and short white gloves with a matching white patent leather clutch purse. Angel was flipping through the Book of Common Prayer on the lectern, and he smiled at Ed, who settled into a chair near the altar. Frances was saying something to him, and he frowned at her, until she took off his hat and placed it in his lap. Alec chuckled. Ed looked around. The chapel was nearly filled to the brim with fresh flower arrangements, and everything sparkled.

Carmella rolled up the aisle proudly with Yetunde, and took her place at the altar, and then the music was hushed, and Nathaniel, who winked at Carmella, began to strum on his guitar along to the strains of the wedding march. A hush fell over the congregation as they stood up. Alec stood up, and Ed looked at him in confusion, Angel started laughing, handed Ed a prayer book and Alec pulled Ed to his feet. Ed blushed. Frances looked heavenward, then grinned. Ed craned his neck down the aisle to see Claire, and his mouth dropped open.

Claire walked slowly toward him down the centre of the aisle, elegantly dressed in his mother's ankle length, long sleeved cream satin gown with a cream lace and soutache bodice and sweetheart neckline, the gown and bodice dotted with little iridescent sequins and dainty seed pearls. Behind her trailed a matching chapel length satin train. A short illusion veil held in place with a glittering diamond and pearl coronet adorned her upswept hair. Around her neck she wore the pearl and emerald locket that had belonged to Ed's mother, and the emerald and pearl drop earrings that matched. She held a bouquet of white carnations, white roses adorned with satin ribbons and English ivy in one hand. When she reached him, she smiled at him and mouthed the words I love you. Ed took her free hand in his and kissed it.

"You look amazing, Spencer," Ed whispered.

"So do you, Edward."

Angel began to speak.

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."

"And also with you," the congregation responded. Ed shared his prayer book with Claire and everyone recited, "God of wonder and of joy: grace comes from you, and you alone are the source of life and love. Without you, we cannot please you; without your love, our deeds are worth nothing. Send your Holy Spirit, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, that we may worship you now with thankful hearts and serve you always with willing minds; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

Nathaniel strummed his guitar, the organist started again and everyone sang.
I vow to thee, my country. all earthly things above,
entire and whole and perfect. the service of my love:
the love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
that lays upon the altar the dearest and the best:
the love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
the love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
we may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
and soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
and her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.

Angel signalled for the congregation to be seated and then he turned to Ed and Claire, smiled and spoke again.

"In the presence of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we have come together to witness the marriage of Edward Straker and Claire Spencer, to pray for God's blessing on them, to share their joy and to celebrate their love. Marriage is a gift of God in creation through which husband and wife may know the grace of God. It is given that as man and woman grow together in love and trust, they shall be united with one another in heart, body and mind, as Christ is united with his bride, the Church.

The gift of marriage brings husband and wife together in the delight and tenderness of sexual union and joyful commitment to the end of their lives Marriage is a way of life made holy by God, and blessed by the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ with those celebrating a wedding at Cana in Galilee. Marriage is a sign of unity and loyalty which all should uphold and honour. It enriches society and strengthens community. No one should enter into it lightly or selfishly but reverently and responsibly in the sight of almighty God.

Edward and Claire are now to enter this way of life. They will each give their consent to the other and make solemn vows, and in token of this they will each give and receive a ring. We pray with them that the Holy Spirit will guide and strengthen them, that they may fulfil God's purposes for the whole of their earthly life together." Angel announced, and then paused for a moment and continued.

"First, I am required to ask anyone present who knows a reason why these persons may not lawfully marry, to declare it now," Angel declared in a tone that suggested if anyone had, he might have strangled them on the spot.

Ed looked around nervously. Nothing happened and he sighed in relief. Claire chuckled faintly.

"The vows you are about to take are to be made in the presence of God, who is judge of all and knows all the secrets of our hearts; therefore if either of you knows a reason why you may not lawfully marry, you must declare it now."

Ed looked at Claire and Claire looked at Ed with a slight smile.

"A modicum of merriment," Ed said in a low voice, drawing a chuckle from Claire.

"Q-tip?" Angel responded in confusion but Ed shook his head. Angel continued his rite, addressing Ed.

"Edward Straker, will you take Claire Spencer to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect her, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

Ed exchanged a sad look with Claire and then smiled and said in his distinctive voice, "I will."

"Claire Spencer, will you take Edward Straker to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honour and protect him, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

"I will." Claire responded, looking into the depths of Ed's blue eyes, her fingers closed tightly around his.

"Will you, the friends of Edward and Claire, support and uphold them in their marriage now and in the years to come?"

Everyone responded I will and Angel continued. "God our Father, from the beginning you have blessed creation with abundant life. Pour out your blessings upon Edward and Claire, that they may be joined in mutual love and companionship, in holiness and commitment to each other. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen."

Frances stood beside Angel and began to read from her Bible.

"When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'"

Angel turned to the couple.

"Edward and Claire, I now invite you to join hands and make your vows, in the presence of God and his people."

Ed and Claire recited the vows to one another from their book.

"I, Edward, take you, Claire, to be my wife to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; according to God's holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow."

"I, Claire, take you, Edward, to be my husband to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; according to God's holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow."

Alec beamed and presented the platinum rings to Angel, and Angel made the sigh of the cross over them, sprinkling holy water from a basin Frances held for him.

"Heavenly Father, by your blessing let these rings be to Edward and Claire a symbol of unending love and faithfulness, to remind them of the vow and covenant which they have made this day through Jesus Christ our Lord."

He handed the smaller ring to Ed and Ed slipped it on Claire's finger.

"Claire, I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage. With my body I honour you, all that I am I give to you, and all that I have I share with you, within the love of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

Claire took the remaining ring from Angel and lovingly slipped it on Ed's finger.

"Edward, I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage. With my body I honour you, all that I am I give to you, and all that I have I share with you, within the love of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

Ed smiled at her. Unexpectedly, Frances handed her something, and Ed saw it was a piece of paper.

"I wanted to do something special for Edward, and sing him one of his favourite songs." Claire said shyly. Ed made a show of looking very surprised as Claire began to sing a Sade tune, accompanied by Nathaniel on the guitar with Carmella and Nathaniel singing the chorus.

"I always hope that you remember
We'll never really learn the meaning of it all
What we have is strong and tender
So hold on
In the middle of the madness

When the time is running out and you're left alone
All I want is you to know that
It's strong still
Can't pull us apart

Nothing can come
Between us
Nothing can pull us apart
Can come
Between us

I always hope that you remember
What we have is strong and tender
In the middle of the madness
Hold on

So it truly is a good thing
And I always wanted you to know
There is always this
And this is everlasting
Hold on

It's about faith
It's about trust, yeah yeah
It's about faith
It's about trust

Nothing can come
Nothing can come
Nothing can come between us
Nothing can come
Nothing can come
Nothing can come between us

Can come
Can tear
Can pull
Us apart

Can come
Can tear
Can pull
Us apart."

"Well, I couldn't let that go by without springing a little surprise of my own, now could I." Ed said. Claire's eyes widened as Ed began to recite from memory and there was not a sound in the small chapel as his distinctive voice filled the air, his eyes fixed on hers.

"Gotta take a little time
A little time to think things over
I better read between the lines
In case I need it when I'm older

This mountain I must climb
Feels like a world upon my shoulders
Through the clouds I see Love shine
It keeps me warm as life grows colder

In my life there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
Can't stop now, I've travelled too far
To change this lonely life

I want to know what Love is
I want You to show me
I want to feel what Love is
I know You can show me

I'm gonna take a little time
A little time to look around me
I've got nowhere left to hide
It looks like Love has finally found me

In my life there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
I can't stop now, I've travelled too far
To change this lonely life."

"Edward, that was so beautiful," Claire whispered, tears in her eyes. "But how did you know?"

"I heard you singing last night with Nathaniel and Carmella, practicing and so I figured something was up, and I know you like that song, as do I. So I memorised it while you thought I was still fast asleep," he whispered back. "I thought that song was the most appropriate for us." Ed took her hand and they looked lovingly into each other's eyes. Ed brushed Claire's tears away. "No more sadness. Just a modicum of merriment, my darling. I love you, you know."

"Oh Edward, I love you. I love you so much."

"If I may interrupt you lovebirds-" Angel said. Ed and Claire chuckled, and nodded. "In the presence of God, and before this congregation, Edward and Claire have given their consent and made their marriage vows to each other. They have declared their marriage by the joining of hands and by the giving and receiving of rings. I therefore proclaim that they are husband and wife. Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder. Edward, you may kiss the bride!"

Ed leaned in and kissed Claire and she returned the kiss, finally throwing her bouquet so she could get both her arms around him. Carmella caught it and blushed, and Graham winked at her. Ed tossed the prayer book over his shoulder, and it narrowly missed hitting Alec, who ducked just in time, but Ed didn't bother to look, he just went on kissing Claire. There was a titter from the audience.

"Oh my!" exclaimed Frances.

"Someone better tell them to come up for air," Alec said, grinning.

"You're the best man," chuckled Yetunde.

"Not me! He'd slug me if I interrupted."

"Friends, I think you better go ahead and gather in the tent for the reception!" Angel laughed, and finally the organist started up again, Nathaniel played a few wild chords on his electric guitar, and at last Ed and Claire drew apart, and laughed. Ed lunged at Claire unexpectedly and whooshed her off her feet, causing her to giggle, and carried her down the aisle and out of the chapel, to the approving applause of one and all.

Ed merrily went on carrying Claire all the way to the back of the spacious garden, behind the huge white tent in which the guests were taking their places for the Straker bash.

"Edward, put me down."

"Anywhere in particular? I could toss you in the lavender bushes, and you never know what may happen in there, beautiful."

"On my feet might work."

"Some romantic you are, Mrs. Straker."

"Pins and needles, Edward!"

"What?"

"I'm Mrs. Straker now," she said happily.

"Gosh, well, that happens when people get married, you know. You could be known as Claire Spencer-Straker, but it sounds like a law fir-"

Ed gently put her down.

"Oh oh, I saw that wince. Oh shit, Edward, you carried me with your leg not fully healed, okay, that's it, in the house and upstairs!"

Ed looked at his Certina wristwatch carefully.

"It's only been around two minutes since we were married and already you're nagging me. Call the Guinness Book of World Records people, would you, darling?"

"No jokes, new husband, I want to look at that leg."

"Is that all you want to do?" he inquired suggestively. "Besides, we're supposed to go in that tent we rented and have our reception, open presents, make speeches, feed each other wedding cake. But if you already want to make hanky-panky, far be it from this puritanical Bostonian boy to object, just be gentle, it's my first time."

"Upstairs, Straker!" she said, desperately trying not to grin at him.

Ed muttered to himself but he took her hand and she paused and removed her high heels and gave a sigh of relief, and he grinned and loosened his collar, then followed her into the manor. Graham was putting out Ed and Claire's luggage, and looked at them as they entered with a puzzled expression.

"Shouldn't you two be enjoying your wedding day?"

"My new husband decided he was going to carry me out of the chapel, on a leg that isn't healed yet. I want to take a look at it. Go and eat, Graham, have some champagne or something, you and Frances have been working all day."

"Yes Ma'am."

"Call me Claire."

"Yes Ma'am." Graham went out and Ed laughed at Claire's expression.

"What now, Ma'am?" Ed inquired.

"If you injured that leg again, I'm going to break your other one, Straker. March." she pointed in the direction of the stairwell.

"What happened to the Hippocratic oath you medical types take?" he said, slowly climbing the stairs with her and going into the master bedroom. He watched her as he sat on the edge of the four-poster bed, thinking how beautiful she looked in the gown.

"We forget about it when we have stubborn husbands that don't look after their health. Lie down. Oh, don't look at me like that with those great big blue eyes of yours. Off with the pants and Edward, I'm warning you, Edward!" and she dissolved into laughter as he pulled her down over him. She freed her hand and tut-tutted as he didn't lift a hand to help her undo his trousers. "You're impossible, you know. Ah some of the straps on it have come loose, you really should have a MRI again."

"I can think of better things to do than have a MRI on my wedding afternoon."

"I'll just bet you can, Straker. Hmmm, does this hurt?"

"I don't think that the sensation I'm having with you touching my leg could be reasonably be called pain."

"Edward, I swear I'm going to put another part of your anatomy in a brace if you don't cooperate." Carefully she felt his leg and put it through a range of motion.

"That might be fun. OW! All right that hurt."

"Sharp pain?"

"No, just a little sore."

"I'm going to hope and pray it was just that you didn't have the brace on properly in your haste to get dressed, and not pull rank and order you to Mayland to have a MRI. Here let me do those straps up. There, does that feel better?" she smiled.

"That helped. Do I have to wear the damn thing still?" he complained, rising and pulling on his trousers.

"Couple of weeks more, yes. Where are you taking me on honeymoon anyway? If you have trouble with that leg I want a reputable hospital nearby."

"You'll have one, there is one right there on the island. One of Lawrence's senior law partners, Jay Noland, lent me the use of his cottage up on Martha's Vineyard, and his wife works in the medical records department. Private beach, small boat we can use, nice and cosy, two weeks to do whatever we want to. Shop, walk, do some sightseeing, soak up some sun. All the time we need to relax. I'm not taking Nathaniel this trip. I'm not taking a soul. It'll be just you and me."

"Edward, that isn't wise, Alec will have a fit."

"I'll be carrying, I've pulled a few strings here and there with some old Pentagon buddies. Besides, nobody bothers anyone there. Celebrities are common, no one as much as raises an eyebrow at them. We'll have privacy. Now hurry up, I'm starving and we only have two hours to get to Heathrow Airport and take the studio jet to Boston."

"Edward, don't you think we sh-" Claire stared as Ed's mobile phone bleeped at him. "You wore that thing at your own wedding?"

Ed frowned.

"Told them not to call me unless it was a emergency and the aliens had just uprooted Big Ben and stuck it in a mothership. Don't worry, Alec can handle whatever it is. Straker! Yes. What? Why? Well fix it! How do you expect me to get to Boston? Flap my wings? What? All right, all right. When I get back I'll want to know why it wasn't serviced. Yes. Goodbye. Well, this is a crock. My jet is grounded with engine problems. We'll have to take a commercial flight. We can take the Concorde out to New York and change planes there. This is turning out to be the honeymoon planning from hell." Ed stabbed numbers into his mobile, gritted his teeth listening to the recorded message, then brightened as he verbally battled with an actual living being. Then he growled again and hung up. Claire leaned against a wall, watching a ladybug's progress as it crawled across the universe of her elaborate gown. "Damn! No seats for two available. That tears it, we'll go British Airways."

"Not Virgin Airlines? Virgin Airlines would be more appropriate, considering at this rate I'll be one for days if we can't have a wedding night."

He grinned at her.

"That's not exactly what I remember, Mrs. Straker."

"Come on, Edward, it's a expensive gown, the sequins alone cost Frances a fortune, play along with me," she chuckled, then aimed, and flicked at the ladybug, who indignantly flew off. Then she reluctantly put on her high heels.

"Well at least she's in flight," Ed remarked whimsically.

"You could tell it was a girl?" Claire asked, impressed.

"Anything airborne is a female. Long tradition of pilots. Come on, let's go feed cake to one another, open presents, duck Alec's constant offerings of pink champagne and then go queue for the damn plane."

* * *

Ed and Claire hurriedly went toward the tent, which was laid out with a long rectangular variety of breakfast food buffet and a similar, but smaller beverage buffet table, then several circular tables where the guests were seated. The entire tent was decked out with roses and daffodils and carnations, with smaller arrangements on the guest tables, which were beautifully made up with gold flatware and gold stemware. One table by itself held the cake and wedding gifts and little wedding favours of sugared almonds tied up in lace and small silk wrapped gifts meant for the wedding party, plus packages of bright confetti. Ed smiled.

"Frances should be proud, this all looks wonderful."

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Claire hugged Ed in delight. Alec hurried up with a tray of predictably pink champagne, as the guests spotted and applauded the newly married couple's appearance.

"Where the hell have you two lovebirds been? Here! Oh wait, you old rogue, you! You couldn't wait until the wedding night to make hanky-panky, could you?"

"No, Alec, we couldn't, we did it right there in the rose bushes." Claire agreed, accepting a glass, and taking another and putting it in Ed's hand. He stopped laughing at her quip.

"You're already trying to get me drunk?" Ed said, staring at her. God, she looked beautiful, even with her veil seriously askew. He watched in amazement as she finished one glass and grabbed another. Ed gave Alec a look that said she have a possible drinking problem I didn't know about? Alec grinned, obviously having killed off at least one whole bottle himself, if Ed knew him, and Ed knew him all right.

"I'm preparing you for the festivities ahead. And I want you to toast our marriage. Come on, Edward, don't be a fuddy duddy this one time. Come on, come on," Claire said excitedly, grabbing yet a third glass.

"Ladies and gentlemen and not so ladylike ladies and ungentle gentlemen, I wish to toast my dear and lovely, sweet wife in pink champagne, and wish the two of us a modicum of merriment and a myriad of memories." Ed declared loudly in his distinctive voice, watching Claire carefully. "I may have to add in a sliver of sobriety at the rate she's putting away the bubbly!"

Claire giggled at him and swished her gown at him in a scolding manner, and gulping down the rest of her bubbly.

"Here here!" Reg said from his wheelchair. "Give the lass a kiss, Fred!"

"Ed! Ed! My name's Ed!" chuckled Ed, and raised his glass, as did everyone, and sipped a considerable amount of the champagne. Ed reached for Claire but Claire startled him by pulling away and going up to a quite sloshed but blissful Reg.

"He didn't kiss me, Reginald. So I guess I've no choice but to have a wandering eye for a handsome man, and you look good to me." Claire bent down and gave Reg a smack on his lips.

"Good heavens!" Frances chuckled.

Ed made a show of looking at his Certina wristwatch again and Claire giggled, knowing what was coming, and Ed didn't disappoint.

"Call the Guinness Book of World Records people again, darling. That has to be a record of the quickest infidelity after marriage that I've ever heard of," Ed complained.

"Are you trying to bury my poor father, Claire?" Alec guffawed.

"Shut up your flapping lip, will you, Derek?" Reg said. "Give us another hearty kiss, lass."

"Aren't you supposed to be feeding me cake or something?" Ed complained while Claire teasingly caressed Regis bald and liver-spotted head. Reg looked content. Too content by half, thought Ed.

"Do you think you're man enough to cut the cake, Mr. Straker?" Claire said, finally reappearing and snaking her arms around her new husband.

"Amazing. The woman actually remembered me. It's not like we just made our vows to one another or anything. Okay, okay, let's have at that cake. My God, it looks like the Eiffel Tower. How many layers in that thing?"

"You know cupcake. She outdid herself this time. Eight layers, no less!" Angel smiled. Frances rushed up to Ed, kissed him on the cheek and gave him the decorated cake knife. It was engraved Edward & Claire 2002 Happy Wedding Day God Bless You Always from Right Reverend and Mrs. Stanley Mitchell and was accented with little silk flowers. Ed took her right hand and put it on top of his, and cut carefully through the cake. The crowd applauded and Ed wriggled his eyebrows at them.

"They're an easily impressed lot, aren't they, Darli-muuoffff!" Ed muttered as Claire took a portion of the slice and plopped it into his half open mouth.

"Damn good shot," Graham reflected. Nate, who didn't like whom he considered as his competition had to laugh at that, but all day he'd made it his business to check what Carmella was doing. Claire curtsied as Ed managed to swallow the cake and lick the white chocolate frosting from his lips. Claire inspected him.

"You didn't get it all," she said. She came close to him and kissed and licked away the rest lightly with the very tip of her tongue, with the pastel overdressed garden ladies going red in the face, the gentlemen applauding and with Ed seemingly appreciative enough. They kissed again and then Claire heard laughing and oooohing, and drew away to see what the guests were making a fuss about. For her effort she received a quite large hunk of cake, more on her face than in her mouth. Ed had been secretly reaching for a hunk of it as revenge with one hand during the kissing. She shrieked, sputtered and cake went flying, with Ed cackling away at her.

"I'm not a marksman for nothing," he boasted, and she took a bit of the frosting and deliberately smeared it down his cheek. He blinked.

"I'm not one, but I can hit the target," she said triumphantly. Ed remained deadpan. "You know, Edward, you look good even with cake all over you," she said, cutting a slice for herself and for him and handing him a fork. Daintily he forked a bit of his into her mouth as Nathaniel, who was videographer for the day, recorded it on his videocamera, along with everything else.

"Damn good cake too, Mrs. Straker," Ed remarked after Claire fed him a bit of hers. She took a cloth napkin, dipped it in the champagne glass and patted his face off and he hers the same way.

"My poor cake! I spent four hours baking and decorating that thing!" Frances scolded. Claire and Ed looked at Frances and then at each other then started off in her direction. Angel cracked up, while Frances at first didn't understand their intent, then shrieked, backed away and pushed Angel in front of her. Ed and Claire laughed.

"I knew you were many things, I never would have guessed you were a coward," Ed complained to her, eyes twinkling.

"Boss, come on, have the first dance with Mrs. Straker!" Nate said. The band, responding, struck up a slow waltz. Ed took Claire's plate and his and put them on the buffet table, then bowed to her formally. Claire took part in the spirit of it all and curtsied then went into his arms. Yetunde and Alec danced, as did Frances and Angel, and Graham danced with all of the garden ladies, one after the other, while Carmella did videography chores, giving Nate a chance to decimate the food table.

* * *

Two hours later, Claire was limping around helping Frances clean up, ignoring her protests, and carrying her high heels and veil as she did so. Most of the guests were gone, along with the food, wrapping paper was strewn everywhere, gifts were piled up in a corner (Claire had five toasters and two toast racks at this point) the hired band had disappeared after being liberally tipped, Ed had pulled off his tie again and loosened it and was on the mobile phone ordering tickets, trying to fend off Nathaniel and Alec's protests after informing them he had no intention of taking a bodyguard on the trip to Boston, thank you very much, and he was drinking cold coffee on top of the two glasses of champagne he'd allowed himself. He was perched on the edge of a guest table that thankfully had been cleared, ignoring the Australian moose threatening him if he as much made a move without a bodyguard. Reg was snoozing in his wheelchair, Yetunde was trying to get Ayomide to stop crying, Angel was reassuring Yetunde that it was only that Ayomide was having teething pains while she threatened to put Ayomide up for adoption unless she stopped crying immediately, Carmella was still rolling around in her wheelchair taking videos, and a gale wind and light rain was making Graham suspicious that the tent would collapse in on the entire chaotic scene. However, he left and was soon outside in the front of the house loading the luggage into Ed's rented car anyway. The angry yelling, which he could hear all the way from the tent, made him drop the bags and run at double-time back to whatever awaited him. What awaited him was an angry Ed Straker who was finally off the phone, and an angrier Alec Freeman. No, clearly the winner was Straker, who seemed about to implode.

"No, no, no and no. For once I'm not going to have a damn bodyguard towering over me. I'll take my gun with me and-"

"Pardon me, Sir, but you may have been able to carry your firearm when you travelled with Mr. Zouri on the company manager's jet, but they won't allow to do so on British Airways. You'll just be a regular civilian like everyone else, subject to security precautions," Graham pointed out. "So you better take either Mr. Zouri or myself. May I suggest you take me along, Sir, I can stay very much in the background, as opposed to, well . . . ". Graham looked coolly up to an annoyed Nathaniel. Ed sighed. He looked over to Claire, who came up and smiled and nodded at him.

"You're not winning this one, Commander." Alec growled. He was close enough to Ed that Ed caught a whiff of his breath. Either the leathery Australian had consumed enough pink champagne to make the French wine industry giddy, or his mouthwash could be alternately used as an incendiary device, Ed mused. The indecent thing about it, Alec was probably more sober than Ed was.

"All right, all right, yes, yes, go pack Zouri, and make it quick because-" Ed paused in surprise as Nathaniel zipped past him, paused, bent and kissed a stunned Carmella in a showy way, then out of the tent he shot like lightning striking. "We can go and find out when the next first class flight leaves from Heathrow, and get the tickets. Let's go get changed Claire, I want to be soaking up the Boston sun before-" Ed blinked, because Nathaniel had reappeared, with just a battered gym bag. Carmella laughed.

"Nate is used to you having to go off to strange places, Commander, you ought to know he keeps his bag packed."

"Just as well, Sir. I'll look after the manor, then," Graham said, ignoring Nate's smug look. Nate had changed out of the mauve suit he'd worn into jeans and a sweatshirt.

"Let's get going," Ed said. He looked at Graham. "You drive."

Claire grinned as Graham brightened considerably. Now if she could only talk him into quitting calling her Ma'am.

* * *

Ed Straker sat in the back of the Jaguar, watching the traffic whiz by through a light rain, tightly holding on to Claire Straker, who wore a pale grey jacket and matching pleated skirt that had been altered for her by Frances. He turned to look at her.

"Excited, Mrs. Straker?"

"This is the most wonderful day of my life. I love you, Edward." she leaned against him with a serene look on her face.

"Judging from your performance with Reginald back there, I wonder sometimes."

"Oh, be quiet. You haven't got anything to complain about, you know. You still have Frances' pink lipstick all over your cheeks."

"I do not, I snuck a final look in the bedroom dressing table looking glass before I left. I estimate the goodbye kissing took at least fifteen minutes. It isn't like we're never coming back."

"Frances and Angel will miss us, their lives are so much a part of ours now. Oh Edward, there is one thing I regret, that Ryan isn't here to see all this," she confessed sadly. Claire paused, then smiled. "Or my father, he would have loved you. My brother would have been blown away by his homely little mouse of a sister landing such a handsome man as the CEO of Harlington-Straker Studios and the Straker Foundation."

"Homely? It's a wonder that your brother was a mountain climber with judgment like that."

"Well he did fall from that mountain because he didn't have the sense to stop when he started feeling light-headed," she answered wistfully.

"It's just as well, you'd get a swelled head if you knew how beautiful you are to me. Then you wouldn't be able to wear that coronet we rented from Garrards."

"I hated seeing it go back," she sighed, and snuggled against Edward again.

"I didn't think you were the kind that was greatly impressed by baubles like that." he teased. "I thought you were only a Florence Nightingale."

"I've gotten corrupt since knowing you, and so would Florence have if she saw your bank statements. The only good jewellery I had was some silver bracelets and gold hoops that father gave me when I graduated, you've made me a rich lady." Claire looked admiringly at her simple platinum band and her emerald, pearl and platinum engagement ring. Ed held his hand up next to hers, showing off his platinum wedding band which was identical to hers in every way but size, and she looked tenderly up at him.

"I wish you knew how much I love you, I wish I could really tell you so that you'd know. I remember seeing you for the very first time, Edward, seeing the desolation in your eyes, the misery. I went a little crazy, breaking all the rules, trying to find out what had happened to you. You looked so in need of someone to love you."

He laughed, surprising her.

"I hated you pretty fiercely back then. You were like one of those small dogs that always yip annoyingly and run around in your path, demanding a person's attention. I knew that if I didn't step out of the way you'd trip me and I'd be a goner. I was pretty-well I was pretty-" he lowered his voice and she heard the sadness tinge it, "Vulnerable after Margaret died, Margaret and the baby. That's all behind me now. You know, Ryan played a big part in giving me my life back again. He made me really look at you. I didn't want to get caught in the whole quagmire of falling in love again and having another disastrous marriage. I fell in love too easy and I chose the wrong women. You don't believe me, ask Alec! He's told me often enough. He didn't think my marriage to Mary would work out. But did I listen? No, I had cotton candy between my ears instead of brain matter!" Ed shook his head slightly, chuckling at himself. "It went downhill after that."

She pulled him to her and kissed him hard.

"What was that all about?"

"I don't want to hear you criticize yourself like that."

"I'm being realistic," he shrugged.

"You were human, but everybody was so hell bent on piling responsibilities up on your shoulders that they expected you not to be."

"I didn't say no to them. Graham, why is it taking so damn long? We'll miss our flight!"

"Sorry, Sir, the M25 does turn into a parking lot this early in the morning. Don't worry, if I see an opening, I'll take it. It's best I just let you three off at Terminal 4."

"What I wouldn't give for an motorcycle escort," Ed sighed.

"Weren't you telling me the last time you had a motorcycle escort that you went over an embankment in a Rolls when UFO's attacked your motorcade?"

"I may have," he admitted with a grin. "Graham, for God's sake use the horn on this thing, it's costing me enough to hire it!"

"Edward, settle down," Claire chuckled.

"Tell me that when we miss our plane." Ed grumbled.

"Why don't you lay your head in my lap and sleep a little?"

"I suppose I could." Ed stretched out on the seat. Within minutes his breathing eased into a sleeping rhythm. Claire knew over the years he had trained himself to sleep instantly when the opportunity provided itself. It was an extremely useful skill when you were a Shado Commander and often couldn't sleep the same hours as the civilians you protected. She smiled and gently pushed back into place a lock of his hair that had escaped the hair brilliantine, and hung loosely. Ed muttered something in his sleep, and rolled onto his side, and she watched with great amusement as several more locks of his hair bounced out of place. With a happy sigh of contentment she stroked his hair as he slept. Her husband's hair, she remembered. How very extraordinary that was. If they never got to Heathrow, it would be too soon. She wanted the moment to go on forever. Her husband. Maybe she couldn't lessen his burden, but nothing was going to keep her from making him as content and as happy and as secure as possible. Nothing.

* * *

An half hour later, Ed was forcefully dragging Claire by the hand ("But Edward, that's Julie Christie I just saw, I'm sure it was!") through the bustling terminal while Nathaniel did his best to develop a first class hernia by carrying all their luggage, including Ed's hefty golf bag and set of new titanium clubs, Alec's wedding gift to Ed. Ed amazingly managed to find the British Airways check in desk and claim the tickets he'd ordered. He handed over their passports, and wondered why the red-haired male clerk, 20ish, was studying him more closely than the passport, and was showing enough perfect white teeth to him to make a dentist burst into song. Claire leaned over and whispered in Ed's ear, Ed's mouth fell open momentarily and his lips then pressed together firmly.

"Are you excited about going on our honeymoon, Darling?" Ed asked meaningfully. Claire stared at a gum wrapper on the floor intently, trying hard not to laugh as the clerk looked exceedingly disappointed, and then he snuck a puzzled look up at Nate. Ed figured the clerk was wondering if Ed was into ménage a trios.

"Oh yes, Darling!" she said dramatically. He grinned appreciatively at her. Nate seemed peeved that he wasn't the clerk's type or maybe that was Ed's imagination, or maybe it was from lugging the boss' golf bag with him, since he hadn't located a baggage trolley yet.

"Okay, have you done your own packing or has it been left unattended?"

"I packed for my wife and myself and Nate did his own packing," Ed said.

"Are you carrying a package for anyone else?"

"No, no." Ed said impatiently, leaning his lean body against the desk and glancing around the busy terminal in a display of boredom he'd mastered until it was an art form.

"Are you carrying any sharp instruments such as knives or scissors?"

"No, no. Listen, can we get on with this? I have a plane to catch."

"Sure, Mr. Straker, here you are, three boarding passes and here's your passports back. Just go on through there to one of our fully equipped lounges and relax until your assigned flight is announced, you'll be leaving from gate sixteen, and thanks for flying British Airways. Have a pleasant-"

* * *

"Stuck-up little Yank bitch." the clerk whispered to Ed's swiftly departing back before he re-plastered the official British Airways smile back on for the next customer.

* * *

Ed had paced around in the lounge, creating what Claire guessed was as least a one-fourth of an inch indentation in the rug. She handed him a sweet and light coffee and The Times while Nate cursed at his hand held Game Boy. Flopping in a chair, Ed accepted the coffee and newspaper and glanced at his unhappy bodyguard. Claire sat next to him and sipped hers.

"Something wrong Nate?"

"Man, Mario bit the dust again."

"Who?" the Commander said in bewilderment at his guard's woe.

"Edward, where have you been? The Super Mario Brothers. Mario is a little Italian-looking fellow that comes from Mushroomland and he has all sorts of adventures. Ryan used to play the game at the arcade," explained Claire.

"Yeah, right now I can't get him past the second level, its too hard." Nate hit the keys again and Ed listened to the musical beeping with a chuckle.

"The Boss led a cloistered life, Nate," joked Claire. Ed sipped his coffee, watching with curiosity.

"I'm beginning to feel culturally deprived. Let me see that thing." Ed took a sip of coffee and then set the cup aside, accepting the game from Nate. Nate was grinning broadly. Ed took in the instructions with a sweep of his vivid blue eyes, did a few preliminary punches of the keys, and then started guiding the little digital hero through his paces. Nate's grin soured as Ed nonchalantly guided the swarthy hero easily to level two. The Jamaican lost all veneer of civility when Ed got to the fourth level.

"Gimme that!" Nate said, snatching the thing from Ed. Ed waited. "Gimme that, Sir." Nate added quickly on careful examination of Ed's stern expression. Claire just laughed.

"Too hard, huh?" Ed innocently inquired. Then the intercom crackled into life and announced that people should queue for the BA flight to Boston. Ed took his carry on, stuffed the newspaper in it and downed his coffee. They marched to the stern looking woman at the departure gate. Expertly she examined their boarding passes and passports then flagged them on through to what looked like a considerable queue. Ed moaned.

"Don't worry, Edward, Nate will let you play his game and the time will go by before you know it."

"No, sweetheart, I wouldn't want to deflate his morale by winning again."

Nate muttered to himself and practically threw the two large suitcases and golf bag down. Five minutes came and went. Ed stood with his arms folded, looking irritated. Claire shifted her weight from one foot to another and rubbed Ed's back. When another five minutes ended, by this stage Ed was rubbing the bridge of his nose, and Claire was fishing for aspirin from her purse and offered Ed the rest of her coffee. He smiled at her, swallowed down the capsules and they were finally at the front of the line. Nate showed them his Beretta, ammo and the pass that allowed him to carry it as a personal protection officer for Ed, and passed the rest of his things through the X-Ray. An official was called over and made a great show to examining it, held it to the light and saw the embedded computer chip, disappeared with it a moment. Claire passed her jacket, purse, reluctantly removed her earrings and wedding and engagement bands and passed those through too. It was Ed's turn and he ceremoniously marched through the sensor machine, which just as ceremoniously exploded into a shrill ringing. Muttering to himself, Ed removed his jewellery, wedding band, belt and jacket and pushed those through. He tried again. The machine yelled its little mechanical heart out. Ignoring Ed's indignant look, a man ran a wand over Ed's body, and it too seemed to become alarmed. The official came back and handed Nate's card back, then examined the content of Ed's wallet with interest when the wand bleeped again as it was passed over Ed once more.

"You're taking an commercial flight, Sir?"

Ed looked at him as though he had suggested that Ed swallow down a rogue bull elephant frappe topped with a maraschino cherry.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Ed retorted, reclaiming his belongings.

"I'm afraid most people who carry an Aegis sticker on their international driving license usually are VIPs and opt for a private flight, Sir. This is most puzzling, you don't appear to be wearing or concealing anything that would set off the machine, but I regret I cannot allow you through until we solve this little mystery, Sir."

"Look, ring Commissioner Sewell at New Scotland Yard, he'll confirm that I am not trying to smuggle a gyro rocket through British Airways."

Both men ignored the complaining in the queue behind them.

"Oh! Edward! I know what it is. Your hip and shoulder pins!"

"Good God. I had forgotten about them. Let's see I have a card in here somewhere, ah here it is, this confirms I have medical implants." Ed smiled, and Claire sighed with relief.

"This confirmation has expired, Sir. If you'd be so kind as to step over here, go into this curtained cubicle and remove your clothing-"

"Remove my WHAT? Now see here! I won't do anything of the kind. I'm Co-"

Nate and Claire's eyes enlarged, and Ed cursed underneath his breath.

"I'm cooperating the best I can," Ed said and followed the man in, with Claire hurrying behind him, sensing more trouble on the horizon. Nate attempted to come closer but Claire glowered at him and shut the door behind her, nearly parting the Jamaican from his nose. Standing there in all his birthday suit glory after having stripped, Ed looked ready to pick up the nearest government issued chair and insert it forcefully in a cavity the meek fellow possessed, as he passed the wand over rather sensitive areas of Ed's body. At least he didn't look like he was enjoying it. Claire could picture the clerk they'd encountered earlier swooning at the sight.

"God Almighty, fellow, can't you see the faint scars I have from surgeries?" the commander snapped, looking close to imploding, and towering over the fellow. "Are you completely blind?" It was amazing how Ed retained the dignity and flawless posture of a colonel in the United States Air Force even while not wearing a stitch of clothing, Claire thought.

"I'm doing my job, Sir." the man replied icily. "You do know that there was a terrorist attack in the States on 11th September? Rules and regulations of security protocols deman-"

If the man's reply was icy, Ed's reply struck him in a tone that would have melted the polar caps and any unhappy polar bears still left on them. It took a lot of discipline for Claire not to run out of there, husband or no husband, you cross Ed Straker and you rarely lived to tell the tale to your grandchildren. You didn't try and stop a buffalo stampede or an angry Shado Commander. Ed's voice was sharp enough to turn the offending man into a eunuch without needing a scalpel.

"Rules and regulations are normally carried out with common sense and simple keen observation, and you listen to me, young man. I lost personal friends on 911, both in the Pentagon and on United Airlines Flight 175 out of Boston so don't you preach to me about terrorists or the need for security protocols. I was aware of the need for security protocols long before you could manage to spell the damn words. Satisfied now?"

"Quite, yes, Sir. Have a pleasant trip Sir. The authorities will be glad to know you're all ready to go." The man didn't actually say they'll be glad to get you the hell out of here with your snooty, arrogant attitude, but then he didn't have to.

Ed took a step toward the man, meaning to propel him out the nearest window in the hope that a taxiing plane would meld the offending chap with the tarmac, but Claire quickly stepped in front of Ed, handing him his trousers with a pleading look on her face. As instantly as Ed's temper had flared up, it vanished in a display of his superb discipline and he dressed quickly, and marched past the man clearly giving the indication he would tolerate deadly plague before he'd tolerate him. Ed was dressed in a bespoke beige suit and blue tie, but he walked with the step of a military man in full dress uniform, shoes and medals sparkling. Claire imagined she could hear the rattle of his ceremonial sword. However, she saw from Nate's expression that trouble wasn't over with toying with Ed Straker.

"Sir, I'm afraid you cannot take this aboard." the woman was holding up Ed's shaving razor, having been snatched from his toiletry bag. Ed preferred to not use a electric shaver, but trusted his facial hairs to an antiquated, traditional silver razor with a Wilkinson blade, and in spite of the fact Carmella had given both he and Claire PDAs as wedding presents, Ed still relied on his black leather Filofax. Some things never changed, he had at least three he'd dumped in the back of a dresser drawer and they never saw the light of day again, remembered Claire. "You did indicate you had nothing sharp among your possessions, Sir. It can be-" the woman was saying.

"Don't tell me you expect I'd actually-oh, fine, fine, fine take it. Take the damn thing, take all the bloody luggage, just get me aboard that plane!"

After an eternity, all the luggage was cleared, they were met by the cabin staff, and shown to their seats in first class. A steward offered Ed a drink menu but he brushed him away. Nate ordered a coke, and Claire an orange juice as she eagerly inspected the little toiletry pack they handed her. Ed muttered to himself all during the captain's spiel and groaned audibly in a tone that carried all the way to the cockpit when the captain informed everyone there would be a delay of thirty minutes before they took off but thanks for flying British Airways.

Ed Straker devoutly suggested aloud something impossible that the captain could do with British Airways, and Claire grinned at him.

"Look, sweetheart, British Airways gave me a cute little free tube of MacLean's toothpaste and a logo toothbrush! Now wasn't this worth all that time and trouble it took to fly this airline?"

Ed deftly threw his pillow at her, but she ducked, expecting his reaction and it hit Nate, knocking over his cola. It was going to be an interesting flight.

* * *

"Ah, this is great, will you look at that beach? And it's all ours." Ed exclaimed. "Let's go for a moonlight swim."

"Boss, you gotta be crazy. It's freezing out here. Besides it's going to take a year to unpack."

"I wasn't talking to you, Nathaniel. I was talking to my beautiful new wife. Come on Claire, unpack my swim trunks and your swimsuit, and we'll go make like fish."

"Edward, it is nearly eight o clock at night, and I am dead tired, all I want to do is run a bath, and soak in it. You go swim." she chuckled. Ed unlocked the door to the cottage, but he stopped her from following Nathaniel in, and Nathaniel turned in the doorway and grinned at them. Ed pulled her to him and he spun her in a circle, causing her to laugh merrily. "Edward, I'm convinced you didn't get enough oxygen on that plane at some point. You should be exhausted, and you're full of energy," she pointed out.

"Come swim with me Mrs. Straker, come on, come on," Ed urged her.

"You'll nag me all night if I don't, I can see that. All right, husband, you win. Now can I at least sit for ten minutes and then I'll unpack?"

"You sit, Claire, I'll get the stuff you guys need," offered Nathaniel.

"Thanks, Nate. I think the boss went crazy."

Ed spun her again and then he went out. She laughed and called to him from the doorway.

"Edward where in the world are you going? Don't go in that water without me, for heaven's sake."

She could just make out Ed in the distance, pulling off his ankle boots and socks and wading. He whooped.

"Cold?" she shouted inquiringly.

"The water's fine, hurry up, its terrific," he shouted back. Claire chuckled and went in again, closing the door behind her.

"He's gone nuts, Nate."

"Yeah, that's the Commander for ya. He's happy, you've made him happy. Man, these damn clubs of his put a kink in my back. What suitcase are his trunks in? I don't even know what they look like. Does he wear those sexy thong Speedo things?"

"I'm having a hard time picturing Edward in Speedos. Wait, if he does I may enjoy this moonlight swim more than I thought. Nathaniel while you're looking for our things I'll run a hot bath with Epsom salts for you, I brought some for Edward's leg, that'll be good for your back." Claire searched through her suitcase and found the salts she wanted.

"Sounds good to me, Mrs. S. Look at this, he's got snorkel gear in here."

Claire chuckled and after a quick search, located and went toward the nearest bathroom.

"Sure is dim in here, I think the overhead light is about to go out," Nate yelled to her from the living room.

Claire paused at the hallway.

"I noticed it too. Maybe Ed can tell us where the fuse box is, his friend told him the layout of the place. Let me go run your bath," she called to the Jamaican.

"Man, maybe that guy Ed knows didn't pay his light bill this month or something," Nate muttered to himself, and reached toward a lamp, fumbling for the switch. In the meantime, Ed Straker was walking in his bare feet along the water's edge, letting the foam of the sea sweep over them, the most relaxed he'd been in a long time. He was very surprised and more than a little irritated to see a lone figure in sweats approach him, walking a dog. The dog barked enthusiastically at Ed.

* * *

"Hiya, I'm Ed. I'm surprised to see anyone around here, the fellow who lent us the use of his cottage said this was a private beach. Dog friendly?" The two men shook hands.

"Name's Charles. My dog? Oh sure, she just likes to hear herself bark. Listen, I was just walking, not paying attention to where I was going, didn't know this area was private. My wife and I moved to the island not long ago, thought the salt air would-"

Nate's long brown fingers found the lamp switch. In the bathroom, Claire was singing the Sade tune 'Nothing can come between us', the one she had sung to Ed at the wedding, as she poured Epsom salts into the running water.

Then the midnight peace of that small, picturesque patch of Martha's Vineyard was shattered, violated by a thunderous, roaring boom, the unmistakable explosion of a bomb blast.

Ed Straker ducked instinctively when the sound entered his ears and half-turned toward the cottage in disbelief. Horrible realisation came to him, and he started running toward the cottage for all he was worth, screaming at the top of his lungs, half out of his mind as the heat of the blast reached him. Screaming. Screaming the same one-syllable word over and over.

Claire.

Oblivious to his pain, the cottage continued to burn.

THE END

until the next story, Longer Than Always

E mail:
Back to The Library Entrance
Back to The Works of Amelia Rogers