"This message is for Lexie Carter. Lexie, this is Mark Nelson, Victoria Winslow's segment producer. I was expecting your call Friday night. I'm still interested in speaking with you. Please call my cell phone when you can."

"Shit, shit, shit." Lexie groaned as she sat at the computer in the den with the phone in her hand after listening to phone messages the next morning.

"What?" Cook asked as she carried fresh flowers into the room.

"I forgot to call that TV producer. I'll call him right now. I don't believe this!" Lexie said, dialing his number. "I swear I'm going crazy! Hello? Mark Nelson? This is Lexie Carter."

"Lexie! It's great to hear from you finally!" He laughed.

"I am so sorry. I was planning to call, but something came up and we had to fly out of town unexpectedly. I am so sorry."

"No, no, it's okay. I discussed your story with Vicki, and she is fascinated by it. She really wants to set up a time when we could possibly do a pre-interview. She'll be L.A. later this week, is there any time that might be good for you?"

"Wow, really?! Well, I don't know. . .I mean I'm home most evenings. Should we meet somewhere for lunch or dinner or something. . .I'm sorry, I've never done anything like this before." Lexie stammered.

"Dinner would be good." He chuckled. "It may take a couple hours."

"Okay, could she come here maybe or would she like to meet at a restaurant? Maybe at her hotel?"

"Dinner at your house would be fine, if it's not too much work."

"Oh, no. We have a cook. How about Friday night, or is that too late in the week?"

"No, that sounds good. How does 5 o'clock sound?"

"I'm sorry, I don't get home from work until 6. How's 6:30? Is that too late?"

"No, that’s fine. Will Nick's daughter be there?"

"I can send her to her uncle's if you'd like."

"Oh no, I think she'd love to meet her, too."

"Then CJ can be here."

"Great, Lexie. So, 6:30 this Friday. Dinner at your house. Can we have the address?"

"Of course." Lexie smiled, giving them the address and promising to leave their names at the front gate. After hanging up, she called Nick immediately.

"So, you got it?" He asked eagerly.

"Well, she's coming for dinner on Friday. I don't know what I've 'got' actually. Can I tell her about the move?"

"Hon, you can tell her about whatever you want."

"Okay!" She laughed.

"Except Christine. If she asks about CJ's mother. . ."

"I know, stick to the public story." She agreed.

"You understand, don't you?"

"Yes, of course. I know you're still thinking things over. I'm just glad you're still willing to think and talk about it."

"I am." He sighed.

"Okay, well, I've got to go get in the shower."

"Alrighty, thanks for calling. Tell CJ I love her."

"I will."

"I love you, too."

"I know, and I love you." She smiled. Lexie hung up the phone and headed upstairs to shower and get CJ ready for school.

"Sabrina!" Star yelled into her office door.

"I'm in the bathroom for Christ's sake!" Sabrina called through the door, sighing heavily. She finished washing her hands and then toweled them dry. She came out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her. "What is it this time?"

"Jonas Smith is bitching that there aren't any paralegals in the office today and he has a deposition at 2." She sighed.

"Well, they are all busy today. He went to Harvard; tell him to do his own damned deposition!" Sabrina declared, throwing up her hands.

Sabrina looked down at the oak framed calendar on her desk and realized what the date was today. March 1st. She knew today was coming. It was Jill's last day before she left for a month in Malta and Tina was in Orlando, so it was only a matter of time. Sabrina pinched her nose and squeezed her eyes shut.

After thirty days of this I am going to want a vacation, she thought. Or they are going to lock me away. . .either way; I’m not going to be here.

"Can I use those words?" Star smiled wickedly.

"Be my guest." Sabrina reluctantly smiled back.

"Scaring the troops already?" Jill's voice came up behind her as Star left the office. Sabrina turned to the door adjoining their offices.

"Their benevolent leader is leaving them in the hands of the evil step-sister. They should be afraid." Sabrina smiled knowingly.

"You really are being an angel for doing this."

"You didn’t come in to throw up in my bathroom again, did you?"

"No, I used my own last time." Jill laughed, coming in to sit in a chair in front of her desk. Sabrina took her seat behind it. "You have the two newbies settled yet?"

"Yes, they are moving into their office's today. We'll discuss caseloads tomorrow. So, you all packed?"

"Yes, all three of us. Jane is coming for the first two weeks."

"Pulling her out of school, huh? What's CJ going to do without her?"

"Well, she'll probably be just fine. They are moving back to Florida. Tampa to be exact."

"I know, Nick's been calling about his recovered assets and why they aren’t fully recovered yet." Sabrina said. "I've got a call into Tina."

"Sounds good."

"You sound sad about it."

"Oh, no. I’m happy for them. Nick needs to get away from L.A. and his mother for awhile."

"They haven't patched things up?"

"Are you kidding? It's hard to decide which one of them is more hard headed, Jane or Nick." Jill smiled softly. "I think the girls will miss each other."

"You can always fly them back and forth. They are both pros at it."

"I know, but it's not the same as having them close by where they can just play together."

"It's tough, but Star said Nick sounded pretty excited about the new house."

"He is. I've seen pictures. It really is perfect for them." Jill agreed. "Well! Enough about Nick Carter and his problems. . .I'm going on vacation at 5:00 p.m. and not even his mother is going to stop me!"

"Hear, hear!" Sabrina agreed.

"You don’t understand!"

"You were gone all the time!"

Kevin woke with a start during his trans-Atlantic flight. The cabin was still dimmed and he could hear someone typing softly on a laptop in coach. He was in the last row and on the aisle of first class, a place he liked so he could stretch his legs out. More than once he had almost tripped flight attendants, but this airline was getting used to him, and he saw the same flight crews several times a year.

He thought back to his recurring dream and the words screamed at him every time in the dream by his wife over the years of their long marriage. This argument ended with a quiet confession, "I was lonely." At the time, he hadn't understood, but now ten years later, he did. He loved her like life itself and needed her like the air he breathed.

He hadn't been able to send her away.

Kevin shook his head. He was lonely and tired himself these days. Months alone in London working on his latest movie score had left him drained and unwilling to be away from home another minute.

He looked down at his watch.

He would be in New York in three more hours. Then he would be on another flight to Seattle to see Jake before heading to Kentucky. It had been so long since he had seen his strong-willed second son, Jake, that the surprise might do them both good.

Kevin arrived in L.A. at 11:08 p.m. that night. It was 2:09 a.m. when Sabrina got the call.

"Ms. Carlson, this is the answering service."

"Which one?" she mumbled.

"For Carter, Carlson, and Ryans. I have a call here for Jillian Carter."

"Can't it wait until the office opens?" Sabrina asked, sitting up and grabbing her alarm clock.

"He says he's Jill Carter's brother-in-law."

"Nick? . . .okay, I'll take the call."

Sabrina listened to the phone lines click as they were switched to connect her with the caller.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hello?" A deep male voice slurred.

"Nick? . . .who is this?" She demanded.

"It's Kevin. Kevin Richardson." He slurred, obviously drunk.

"Mr. Richardson? Jake's father?"

"Yes, yes. Is Jill there? I can't remember Nick's number and I'm in trouble. . ." He began to ramble.

"Where are you?"

"Uh. . .I'm in jail. . .L.A. county I think. Can you just give me Nick's number?"

"Nick is in Orlando."

"He is? Oh, shit, he is. . .look, you got to help me. I go in front of the judge in an hour. I need some bail money." He groaned.

"Mr. Richardson, what did you do?" She asked.

"I got drunk."

"I noticed that. What got you in jail?"

"I got in a fight." He whispered. "I gotta call someone. Can you call someone?"

"I'm Sabrina Carlson, I'm one of Jill Carter's partners. I'll be right there, Mr. Richardson." She sighed, throwing back the covers.

"Thank you." He sighed heavily. "Thank you, Sabrina."

Click.

"Can any of these guys ever stay out of trouble?" Sabrina groaned, slipping her feet into her slippers and heading for the bathroom.

Sabrina hadn't worked night court in years. She put together a casual outfit and headed to town within an hour of his call. She called the court before she left her condo and had him moved down the docket. She went through security and made it to the prisoner counseling area.

"Mr. Richardson?" She queried the man, whose dark, but graying head was on his arms across the table. He looked up and turned those emerald eyes on her. "Mr. Kevin Richardson?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm Sabrina Carlson." She said, putting her hand out for him to shake.

Kevin couldn't help but stare at this beautiful young woman before him. She was tiny, but her back was ramrod straight, her head held high. Her dark hair was pulled back in a casual ponytail and she wore simple sportswear.

God, when did I forget how incredible they can be?

"I'm with Jill Carter's law firm?" She added softly as he continued to stare at her.

"Oh, yes, yes." He said suddenly, getting to his feet and reaching out to swallow her tiny hand with his large one. He held on to her for her warmth, but she pulled away first. She took a seat across the table from him.

"I got your charges, they aren't that bad. Public Drunkenness, Public Disorderly Conduct and Simple Assault. Bail will be probably be just a few thousand. The firm can put that up for you." She said, snapping her briefcase open. "I need you to sign a retainer so I can proceed on your behalf and we can discuss reimbursement later."

"Of course. Where's Jill?" He asked, watching her slide the paperwork toward him.

"She and her husband are out of town for the next month. I'm the only senior partner that is still in town." Sabrina said, handing him a pen as well.

He signed the papers without even reading them. She pointed where he needed to initial and he did each one.

"Have you sobered up?" She asked, collecting the papers and filing them in her briefcase.

"I think so." He said with a heavy sigh.

"Good. I had you moved down the docket so I could get here to represent you. We have about forty minutes. Why don't you tell me what happened?" She said, clasping her hands together and leaning over the table toward him.

"You don't waste any time, do you?" He said.

"I don't waste my clients' time."

"Time is money." Kevin said quietly.

"Yes, it is. What happened, Kevin?" She added gently. ~~*~~ Standing before the judge, getting Kevin's plea of 'no contest' in, paying the fines and getting him out of the building was easy. It was just 5 in the morning as she drove him through town. The press hadn't gotten wind of his little foray into the dark side of L.A.'s nightlife, but she was sure there would be mention of it somewhere.

"I appreciate this." Kevin said.

"My time is your time, Mr. Richardson." She said plainly. "Which hotel would like to stay in?"

"Something close to the airport. I have to schedule another flight out of here to see my son in Seattle."

"I'm sure I can arrange something if you'd like." She offered. She reached down and picked up her phone from the console and called information. Getting the phone number of the Hilton by the airport, she made him a reservation, then called the airlines and got him a flight out for the next day.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do better." She shrugged, pulling into the Hilton’s parking lot. "What the hell?!" She gasped as men and women with cameras came swarming at them. She swerved to avoid them, and then headed back out of the parking lot.

"That didn't take long." He sighed.

"Jesus, that was fast!" She groaned, heading back into the center of town.

"What now?" Kevin asked.

"I'll take you back to my condo. I doubt they will look for you there. You can shower, wash your clothes and sleep. I'll take you to the airport tomorrow." She said.

"You don't have to do that. You can find another hotel."

"One with better security than that one I'm sure." Sabrina said sharply. "No, I'll put you up."

"I promise not to look in your underwear drawer." He joked.

"I'm sure you won't." She agreed dryly.