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  As expected, Martin insisted on cooking for them, after informing Jamie that Ryan had only eaten a little toast for her first breakfast. "My stomach’s upset," she grumbled. "Those drugs are really strong."

  "Are they helping?" Jamie asked.

  "Yeah. I’m still stiff, but I moved like a mannequin when I woke up this morning. I think they’ve helped a lot."

  "How about a vanilla shake?" Martin asked. "Ice cream might go down easier."

  "Make it banana and you’ve got a deal," his daughter said, giving him a grateful smile.

  Ryan tried to avert her eyes, unable to watch Jamie eat her omelet, the sight of cooked food making her queasy. To distract herself, she updated her partner on the morning phone calls. "We got a message that we probably have to return."

  "What’s that, babe?"

  "Well, two actually. I blew off President Clinton this morning. I hope you don’t mind." She had such a cute, sheepish grin on her face that Jamie had to laugh at her expression.

  "The President, huh?" She looked thoughtful for a moment and asked, "Why would he call?" Her brow scrunched up and she tilted her head. "He would only call if it benefited him somehow …"

  Ryan tapped her nose. "You hit it."

  "I’m gonna guess that he wanted to let everybody know that you and I are big supporters of his."

  "In a roundabout way," Ryan said. "He wanted to congratulate us for being so heroic; but he wanted CNN to record his message. I’m assuming they hoped we’d gush about how wonderful it was that such an important man could take a moment off to call us." She scowled and grumbled, "Given how he acts, he’s got nothing but free time – especially for young women."

  Jamie’s head dropped into her hands. "Don’t tell me you gave him the lecture about exploiting his power to get blow jobs at work!" She leaned over to whisper "blow jobs" concerned that Martin or Maeve might hear.

  "Kinda, but that wasn’t my first complaint. I started out with the gays in the military thing. I would have gotten to the blow jobs, but his press secretary had blown me off by then."

  "You are incorrigible," Jamie said with a fond smile as she patted Ryan’s cheek.

  "Do you mind that I did that, honey? I don’t want to embarrass your family. I mean, he was behind getting your father appointed to the Senate …"

  "No, babe. I’m a bigger fan of the President than you are, but I fully recognize that politicians do this kind of thing for publicity. I’m sure my father wouldn’t want us to play along just for his sake. Besides, neither my dad nor the President is running for re-election."

  "I’m sorry if I went too far," Ryan said. "Da wasn’t very happy with me, either."

  Jamie cocked her head and said, "It’s always puzzled me a little that you’re so angry with him. You’re certainly not a sexual prude, and you seem awfully jaded about every other politician."

  Ryan nodded her head briskly. "I’m jaded all right." She mulled the issue over for a moment and said, "I think I’m angry with him because he could have been so good, but the guy doesn’t have a strongly held conviction in his whole body. I think he had the desire to be a leader, but he’s the most political of all politicians. He runs every issue up the flagpole and sees how many people salute – rather than doing what he thinks is right. It doesn’t do much good to finally have a President that isn’t afraid of gay people – only to have him screw us just as badly as Bush did. At least Bush thought we sucked!"

  "Okay, that makes sense, but why does the sex stuff bother you?"

  "It was just the power imbalance, Jamers. He was the President, and she was an unpaid intern. I believe she wanted to do it, but what if she hadn’t? How do you say no to the leader of the Free World, when you’re just 22 years old? I just hate it when people use their power to get what they want."

  "You’re always looking out for the little guy, aren’t ya, sport?" Jamie smiled fondly at her partner and said, "I’m afraid to ask who the second call was. You didn’t insult the Pope, did you?"

  "No," Ryan said, "but I could give him an earful, too!"

  "Siobhan!" Martin’s warning tone floated out from the kitchen.

  "Sorry, Da," she called back, snickering softly. "No, the other call was from Willie Brown’s office."

  "Well, you like him better than you like the President," Jamie said. "Did he want publicity, too?"

  "Probably," she said, shrugging. "They want to honor us with some ceremony, and give us a medal."

  Ryan looked like she had just learned the mayor was going to perform oral surgery on her without anesthesia, and Jamie immediately said, "We don’t have to do it, baby."

  "You really don’t mind if I say no?" she asked, tentative about her instinct.

  "If it were you alone, would you go?" Jamie asked, knowing the answer.

  "Absolutely not!"

  "Then we won’t go together," she said, surprised that Ryan would even think she would be interested in participating if they weren’t in agreement.

  "You sure you don’t mind, honey? I’d hate to get in the way if you’d like a little stroking from society at large, but I just can’t stand it!"

  "I only need to be stroked by you," Jamie said.

  Just after noon, Catherine and Jim popped in unexpectedly. "Hello all," she called out brightly, not bothering to knock.

  "We’re in the dining room," Jamie replied.

  "Breakfast?" the older woman asked in surprise.

  "Yep," her daughter mumbled around a mouthful of eggs.

  First Catherine and then Jim kissed her head and hugged her gently. "Did you just get up, honey?"

  "No, I’ve been up for a little while. Actually, a very little while," she admitted. "Tough night."

  "Well, no wonder," Catherine said. "It will be a while before any of us sleep well, honey. You need to be gentle with yourself."

  "I know," she said. "I’m trying not to feel guilty about my bed slug tendencies."

  Catherine greeted Ryan in exactly the same way she had Jamie, but Jim was satisfied to just squeeze her shoulder. "How are you?" he asked.

  "Not bad," she said, shrugging. She smiled at her partner and said, "I’m counting my blessings."

  Martin and Maeve came out of the kitchen, and the group sat down at the table and shared another cup of coffee, snacking on some of the sugar cookies they had just taken from the oven. "I can’t imagine either of you feel like going with us," Catherine said.

  "Going?"

  "I told you last night that I wanted to replace the gifts you purchased for the girls," she said.

  "Oh, Mom, you don’t have to do that!"

  "But I want to," Catherine said. "We came by to get a list."

  "I spoke to Jen this morning," Ryan said. "I told her about the gifts, but said that we wouldn’t be able to replace them until we got back from our trip, so the girls aren’t expecting anything."

  "Nonsense, Ryan. It’s Christmas." Looking pensive for a moment she said, "Actually, since she knows about them, I think we’ll go pick her up and take her with us. She’ll know what everyone would like. She’d enjoy that, wouldn’t she?"

  "Of course she would," Ryan said. "But it’s a zoo at the mall today, Catherine."

  "I’m not much of a mall shopper," Catherine said. "I’m sure we can find a few places that aren’t overrun with shoppers."

  "Be gentle with her," Ryan said. "She’s not used to running with the big dogs."

  "I realize that, sweetheart," Catherine said. "She acted like Nordstrom’s was the most fantastic place she’d ever seen. Don’t you worry. We’ll be fine."

  Ryan watched the pair get ready to leave, musing that Catherine looked completely normal. God, if I’d been that drunk, I’d still be in bed. She’s got some constitution!

  They went downstairs together, and Jamie got into the shower while Ryan returned a few phone calls. When the blonde emerged she said, "I was thinking, honey. What do you say to doing some short-term therapy?"

  "Mmm … we’ll see," Ryan said. "Once we get
back from the Bahamas, we might feel fine."

  "Ryan …"

  "Yes?"

  "This isn’t going to go away like a bruise or a sprain. This is a big deal, honey."

  "I know that," she acknowledged. "I said I’d consider it, didn’t I?" With an obviously forced smile, the brunette said, "I’m gonna go upstairs for a minute. Want anything?"

  "No. No, thanks." Jamie watched her leave, shaking her head at the retreating form.

  When Ryan came back down, Jamie was on the phone, but she hung up after just a minute. "I left a message for Anna. I really need to vent a little today, and I’m getting the impression you’re not the right person to do that with."

  Looking trapped, Ryan nodded briefly. "I don’t want to talk about it," she said. "Maybe in a few days … but not now."

  "All right," Jamie said soothingly. "When you feel ready, love."

  "Right. As soon as I’m ready." She stretched and looked around the room briefly. "I guess I’ll go back upstairs," she said. Before Jamie could say a word, she was gone once again.

  I guess I’d better stop pushing this, or I’ll never see her again!

  Hmm, it’s not so bad here, Mia thought as she approached the Arrivals section of the airport. I guess most people have already gotten to where they’re going for Christmas.

  She pulled over to the curb in front of the huge United terminal and gazed out the passenger window to try and locate the smallest of the O’Flaherty brothers. Jordan was eagerly waiting just inside the wide sliding doors, and she ran out of the one located just behind Mia’s car, then snuck around the back of the little coupe and crouched down next to the driver’s door. She lifted her hand and tapped lightly on the window, very glad that the glass was up when Mia let out an ear piercing scream of delight upon seeing her face. The smaller woman was so stunned that for several moments she fumbled to find the switch to lower the window. Jordan just smiled as she heard the string of curses that flew from the cherubic looking face, but the window finally slid down. Mia reached out with both hands, pulled Jordan’s head and shoulders into the car, and immediately set upon her lips with a vengeance.

  "Whoa," Jordan finally murmured as she tried to extract herself from Mia’s torrid embrace.

  "Get in here," the smaller woman growled with a suggestive smile on her face. Jordan was only too happy to comply. She dashed back around, and tossed her small duffel bag into the back as her long legs slid into the front seat. She gave Mia a jubilant smile, but it was knocked off her face by the very determined brunette as she hurled herself against her taller lover, nearly squeezing the breath out of Jordan’s lungs.

  They both lost all sense of time as they rained kisses onto each other’s mouth and face, but they were jarred from their passionate reunion by a sharp rap on the driver’s window. "Move along, lovebirds," the scowling police officer warned them sternly.

  Mia shot upright and flashed the officer her most adorable grin. "I missed her," she said simply as she shrugged her shoulders while batting her eyes.

  Even the stern police officer couldn’t help but smile back at her. He cast an appraising look at the two of them and said, "I’d miss either one of you, but you still can’t use this lane as a motel!"

  When the giddy young lovers came running in, Mia dashed right over to Ryan and gave her a big kiss and an even bigger hug. "This is the best present anyone ever got for me," she said.

  Jordan was right behind her, giving her friend a similar greeting. "I’m so glad you’re both all right," she said as she released Ryan and wrapped Jamie in a hug. "I was sitting in my room last night, channel surfing just before I went to sleep, and I saw this remarkable chase. I said to myself, ‘That guy really loves that damned car.’ Then they came on and said the car was registered to Jamie Evans and Si-ob-han O’Flaherty. I yelled so loud all of my roommates came running in, and we all got on the bed and watched until it was over. I must have been wild, because one of the girls showed me the bruises I made on her shoulders when you flew into the bay!" She shook her head slowly as she said, "I don’t think I’ve ever been that frightened."

  "It was a bitch," Ryan said, then she got up and started to walk into the kitchen. "Can I get you guys something to eat?"

  Jordan gave her a puzzled look, and Jamie whispered, "She doesn’t like to talk about it."

  "Oh," she said, nodding her head. "Yeah, I’ll take some water or juice," she called out to Ryan.

  When Ryan came back in quite a few minutes later, she carried steaming mugs of apple cider. "I’m still cold," she muttered.

  Jordan was sitting on the loveseat, and after Mia got up to fetch two mugs, she sat on the larger woman’s lap.

  Martin came in with a tray of cookies, and Jamie saw his eyes widen when he caught sight of the pair. Maeve followed close behind him and gave them a startled glance herself. The older couple joined them when Ryan invited them to, and they all chatted for a while, sticking to safe topics like the Olympic tryouts. Eventually, Mia looked at Ryan quizzically and asked, "I wasn’t really supposed to wait for your brother, was I? It just dawned on me that I had a job to do!"

  "No, he’s not coming in until this afternoon. You were only supposed to pick up Jordan."

  "That I did," she said, leaning over to give her a tiny kiss. "Actually, I think Jordan needs a little nap. Borrow your room?"

  "Sure," Ryan said. "Be my guests."

  Martin had a hard time keeping up with the convoluted love lives of his own children, much less their friends, but he tried to understand this permutation. "Have I missed something here?" he asked with a puzzled look on his face after the pair had departed. "I thought Conor was interested in the lass."

  "Oh, he is," Ryan said. "But Mia seems to have chosen a different path lately."

  "Hmm, I can’t fault her taste," he said. "Conor’s not bad, but that’s the way I’d go!" He let out a laugh that turned into a giggle when Maeve gave him a good tickle. With a fond smile on her face, Jamie watched the pair tussle, thinking that her little apple had landed very, very close to the tree.

  Conor got home a short time later, dusty and tired from a long day of playing electrician’s helper. "Hi, bro," Ryan said as she gave him a quick hug. "Did Brendan go to the airport?"

  "No, we roped Dermot into going since he was the last to come over to the school. They should be here in an hour or so." He looked around the room and asked, "Did Mia get back with Jordan?"

  "Yeah, about a half hour ago," Jamie said.

  "Where are they?" he asked, then paused and answered his own question. "I assume they’re … reconnecting?"

  He received a nod in confirmation, and shook his head as he climbed the stairs to take a shower. He was grumbling to himself as he walked, and Ryan didn’t catch most of it, though she was fairly certain that she heard the words "rubbing my face in it."

  When Dermot dropped Rory off, the last brother followed the O’Flaherty tradition of saying little, but offering a lavish degree of physical affection to both his sister and Jamie. "Why don’t you come upstairs and help me unpack?" he asked Ryan after a while.

  She inclined her head and gave him a diffident shrug, "Okay."

  As the pair walked upstairs, Jamie quietly commented to Martin, "I’m worried about her. She won’t talk about it at all today, and I’m afraid she’s gonna explode!"

  "She’ll talk to Rory," Martin said, and Maeve echoed her agreement.

  "Are you sure?" Jamie asked. "It’s not healthy for her to keep everything bottled up inside."

  "Count on it," Martin said. "He’s always been the one who could make her talk about anything."

  She sat on her brother’s bed, watching him put his things away. He’d only been gone four days, so he didn’t have much, but it was taking him quite a while to finish. "I thought you’d start talking if I gave you the opportunity," he finally said, grinning slyly as he turned to her. "But I can only fuss with my clothes for so long."

  "I don’t much feel like talking," she said. "I’m pr
obably still a little bit in shock."

  He sat backwards on his rolling desk chair, crossing his arms over the back of the piece. Rolling the chair right next to the bed he commented, "You don’t look like you’re in shock. You do look like something’s bothering you, though. Wanna tell me?"

  "Uhm … let’s see … the three of us were almost killed, we went swimming in the freezing bay in December, I shot a guy, Jamie almost drowned trying to save my stupid ass …" She scowled slightly and said, "Pick one, Rory. Most folks would be bothered by any one of ‘em."

  Gazing at her speculatively he said, "Okay, I’ll pick one. I pick the one where you shot the guy. Tell me about that."

  Her scowl deepened and she grumbled, "Nothing to talk about. I winged the asshole, and probably caused him to drive into the bay."

  "I don’t know half of what happened, sis, but why did you have a gun? You’re not packin’ as a routine matter, are ya?"

  "No," she said, failing to recognize his question as a joke. "I uhm … took it away from one of the carjackers."

  "You took it away …? How?"

  "He stuck it out of the passenger window and fired it blind, thinking he’d hit me. I managed to twist it out of his hand and break … something … either his arm or wrist … in the process."

  "Wow," he said, closing his eyes as he considered how horrible the night must have been for his baby sister. "So then you shot him?"

  "No." She didn’t say another word, just glumly stared at her feet.

  Having a feeling that he was on the right track, he followed up, "What happened after you got the gun away?"

  "We drove around for another twenty minutes while the other guy tried to kill me. They shot at me through the roof until they were almost out of ammo, then Jamie warned me that the driver was going to get out at the bottom of the hill and kill me. I winged him so he couldn’t."

  He let her words sink in, then nodded slowly. "Even though you haven’t been to the shooting range in a while, I bet you’re still a very good marksman, Ryan. I’ve got to assume you meant to wing him – especially at that range." He’d been watching her carefully, noting that she seemed to grow more and more agitated while talking about this element of her ordeal. He really had no idea why she was so bothered by merely wounding one of her attackers, but he knew her well enough to know that she was very upset by something she’d done.