Sweat ran down the back of Blaise's neck as he slid off into a single stalled bathroom, locking the door behind him. He moved as far as possible from the door, not wanting to be heard as he dialed his father's number. Loosening his tie, he took in more air to soothe the itch in his throat.

    He looked to the door as he heard the men that were just in the room with him make their leave. Upon hearing that the meeting had been finished, he had been the first to bolt from the room and look for a safe cover.

    Terrorists.

     Fucking homegrown terrorists.

     Bile rose in his throat as the line seemed to take hours to reach his father.

     He bent over resting his forehead against his knees as he slid to the dirty floor. Blaise felt overheated and too afraid to move because of the urge to vomit. 

     "Pick up. Pick up." He chanted quietly. He needed to speak to his dad. Tell him what Daniel was. Could he have known what The Family really meant? There was no way that his father could associate with such dangerous acts.

    "What is it?" Joseph finally answered.

     "Dad? You have got to fucking tell me that I'm out of my mind right now, okay?" He said into the phone.

     "Let up off of the phone I can't hear you well. Where are you?" The phone line was crackling telling of a bad connection.

     " At work. In the bathroom. But that doesn't matter right now." Blaise stood up shaking out his arms and legs as they fell asleep. He saw light spots as he blinked rapidly trying to clear his vision.

     " It came out of no where dad. They were talking about hot spots and centers and all kinds of shit today."

    Joseph's stomach dropped at the terms his son used." Slow down, who was talking about this?" His temple thumped at the thought that Daniel had crossed him on his son. Of all things, that was all he had asked for Daniel to listen to him on.

    " Daniel!  Him and these other men were there telling me things going right over my head.--"

    "Who are you speaking to in there son?" Daniel's voice boomed past the door startling Blaise as his phone flew from his hands, coming apart on the ground. The door popped open even though Blaise knows he had double checked to make sure the door was indeed locked. He saw the master key slip into Daniel's pocket. A key that only Blaise should have.

     "Excuse me?" He asked gathering himself. He turned away to fix his tie as he leaned over to pick up the pieces of his phone. When he stood back up, Daniel had advanced quickly on him from behind.

    "Was that your dad?" Daniel tilted his head to one side holding a slight smile, but his eyes showed no sign of amusement.

    " Were you eavesdropping at the door? Good thing I hadn't been taking a shit." Blaise couldn't find it in him to speak to this man with the original amount of respect he once had for him.

    Daniel made a sound of hurt as he tsked. " It was just a question. Don't be so defensive."

    "If I were talking to my father then I would have no reason to hide that which means I would never be defensive Danny." He saw that his use of the nickname didn't sit well with the older man as he took a step closer.

    "This whole attitude change is too teenage girlish for me. Darla gave me this headache years ago."

     "Honestly Daniel, you've brought this upon me. How do you think I am supposed to act after learning that you kill people in the name of some--"

   A hand went to his throat trapping the words there. Daniel banged his head against the hard wall behind him, without removing his other hand out of his pocket.

    " You have so much potential...purpose with us Blaise. Say too much and you'll end up on the same route as your father." Daniel ran a thumb along the place of Blaise's trachea. The hit on his head had been enough for Blaise's already dizziness to keep him from exploding on the man threatening his life right before him.

   Releasing him, Daniel left the bathroom leaving him behind. What was he turning into? Allowing a man to "punk" him this way? 

    Blaise couldn't put up a front. He was terrified of what he had been put into. He lost the grip on his stomach and had to rush into the stall, spilling out the tension that his fear had caused in his body.

   " You okay man?" Justin had been on the other side of the door, having avoided being seen by Daniel on his way out. He had caught brief snippets of what was said. Especially the part where Blaise accused him of killing out loud.

    "I'm fine. Really." Blaise stayed above the toilet bowl dripping more sweat.

    "Hey thanks, now I don't have to go find my bucket." Justin stepped closer into the bathroom.

     "Shut the fuck up." Blaise laughed with not a bit of humor. He turned on the sink faucet and flushed his face with water.

    " What was that about huh?"

    Blaise ripped a paper towl from the dispenser patting his face dry.

     " I think I've made an enemy my good friend."

      "How is that possible, didn't he change your diapers?"

     Walking past him, Blaise laughed lightly as he shook his head. " Well, he must have got some shit on them, because I don't see him being so caring now."

     "Well if someone accused me of being a murder...." Justin left the line open as he saw the tension in Blaise's jaw.

    " I guess it's safe to say that being nosy isn't very benefitial."

    " Well, I'm sure you were speaking my language and that is what I heard."

    " Trust me, I don't think you would want to know this language if you knew what it meant."

    Justin came to a stop at his working supplies letting Blaise go on past him to the elevators.

    " Oh really?" He called.

    " Yes, really. I barely understand what's being said, so how could you?" Blaise stepped onto the elevator and pressed his floor.

    Justin crooked his mouth as he watched the doors close." I can translate more than you can kid. You're just now catching on."

oooooooooooooooooooooo

    Niamh sliced through her hearty salad as she laughed at  Blythe and her antics.

    " So, how's mama dukes doing?" She asked her slowing down Niamh's chewing at the mention of her mother.

   " I'm not sure. I've been away."

    "What do you mean? It's your place isn't it? You're not the guest. They kicking you out?"

    "No stupid. It's possible that one of us will end up missing if we're all in the same room for too long."

    "Whatever, I know how you Deges are. It will blow over." Blythe took a bite of her steak as she twirled her fork in Niamh's direction.

    "You said that last week. Look what's still going on."

   "Seriously? You never even told me why they are being so salty. Hurry up and give me a valid reason to frown at them." Blythe practised the various disapproval looks she could give to Lorraine and Niall the next time she saw them.

    "Getting in my business. Messing up my flow." Niamh stuffed her mouth with more food.

    " Over a man? Now they want to get involved?!"

   Niamh cut her a look that quickly had her saying oops as she covered her mouth.

   "You're walking on thin ice there." Niamh said calmly studying her food.Shit. Who else thinks this way about me?

     "It's not like they called you a ho...."

    "Might as well have." Raising her eyes she looked at her friend as she reached out to grab her free hand that had began tapping on the table top from agitation.

    " That can't be true..."

     " Niall told me I should have stay off of my back." The words crawled their way out of her throat. She set down her losing the will to keep on eating.

    Blythe's eyes narrowed as her lip curled back." He has nerve now doesn't he? It's only because you're a female that they would even fix their lips to say that. Did you bring up the fact that his shit smells no different from yours?"

   "Blythe...what would have been the point?" Niamh asked.

    "To defend yourself! You don't bring up a person's past to use it against them. That's why it's there and not a part of the present."

    " It's not all that innocent of a past. They've never done this before so it's coming full force at me."

    " That doesn't matter Nia. You're their blood. If they thought it so bad, then they should have stepped in and helped you."

    "You think I had an issue?" Niamh questioned wearily. Two opinions was one thing, but could Blythe feel the same way as them? She was too tired to have to hear it from someone else.

    She sat back meekly and took a long drink of her tea. She eyed Niamh, and made sure to touch anything that she could to delay her answering her best friend. She admitted that Niamh had a reputation that she wouldn't necessarily have been proud of. Blythe can't name one person that she associated with like Niamh...or rather the old Niamh.

   " Oh damn." Niamh brought her elbows to the table and buried her face into her hands.

    "Well don't fret over it now. It's over and done with."

    " I can count on my hand how many people I've been with." Niamh said.

    " What? Are you an octopus?"

    "Blythe!"

    " I'm just saying. Yeah you could count on a hand for maybe just how many a week..." 

    "No..." Niamh groaned out of embarrassment laying her head on the table.

    " Sit up now, we're in public. Act like you've been taught." Blythe scolded her as she playful tapped Niamh and looked around hoping to loosen her up a bit.

    Walking out arm in arm, the two ladies leaned on each other as they headed to Niamh's car.

     "I am going to destroy this blondie Blythe, I don't think you even understand it."

    "I'm glad I bought a second." Blythe rubbed her belly threw her flowing top.

    "You'll have food coming out your nose." Niamh said pinching it.

    "I'm going to be in the bathroom all night." She said into Niamh's hair.

    She pushed her away speed walking to the car and locking her out. Blythe tapped on the door as she stood outside cussing Niamh out. As she giggled, her phone ring showing an unknown number.

     "Hello?"

      " Come to my house. Now."

       The sound of Blaise was surprising seeing as how they had never exchanged numbers. 

      " May I ask who's calling?"

     " Niamh." He growled

     "Yes, this is she."

     " Niamh!"

     " Okay, I can be there in a little while. Can you control yourself until then?"

     " I'm going to close my eyes and when I open them, you should be knocking at my door." He hung up the phone without waiting for her reply.

     "Well..." Putting her phone down, she opened the door for Blythe.

     "Hell, someone could have came along and mugged me or stolen me."

     "Do you think you could step back out to see if that second one will come true?"

     " Absolutely not! Who were you talking to bitch?" Niamh put the car in reverse and hit Blythe in the back of her head.

      " The reason for me breaking my unwanted celibacy thing."

    Blythe's mouth dropped open as she stared at Niamh. She snapped her fingers as she spoke," Tell me about this one so that I can coach you through this."

ooooooooooooooooooo

     They laid in his bed, wearing only their flesh. Blaise had immediately pulled her into his chest as soon as he opened his front door to see her face. He had shut off every light in his home, and the sight of her had made a part of his soul light up today.

    "Hard day?" Niamh asked quietly in the darkness. All of her other senses were heightened with the lights off. She could feel Blaise like never before. This was the first time that they had been so close--skin to skin-- and not had sex. It was something new to her. Men were rushing to get her screaming their name when her clothes came off. Blaise had confused her as he silently undressed them both and just laid down on the bed.

    She had stood there awkwardly at first, not understanding what was happening.

     "It was a trying day I must say. I haven't spoken to you all week."

      " It's funny how as soon as we make an agreement to see each other, we don't. What would make you seem so dejected?" Niamh wasn't going to allow him to manipulate the conversation. He shrugged his shoulders not wanting to bitch to her about his problems, even though he felt like she was the person to do it to. If he got into the habit of talking things out now, he wasn't sure just what he could and couldn't say to her that stayed in the lines of their relationship.

    "So tell me now."

    He bent his neck to look at her, moving some fallen hair from her ponytail out of the way. Today her hair wasn't it's usual straight self. It was coarser and curlier than before. He found himself smitten by her fresh look.

    "You get placed with the people in your life for a reason. God has a plan for you and it involves them right?"

     "You can say that."

    " I've always thought that. I've had a fantastic life. Have been blessed too many times for me to count. I've been blessed by not so godly people though. The irony of that."

    "They aren't the ones blessing you Blaise."

    "They've provided me with everything that has made my life well off. Shit, beyond that. I always said thank you. Showed my appreciation for everything I was rewarded with, everything I earned. Today, I want to give it all back. Right now."

    Niamh waited for Blaise to continue on, coming up to lie shoulder to shoulder with him.

    " Have you done something wrong?"

    " No..." He wasn't quite sure of how true his answer was. There is no way that all of the good he had done for bad was qualified as right. Even if it was unknowingly. Just what had he contributted to The Family's terrorizing?

    " Don't be so hesitant. It's yes or no. You know if you've done something wrong. God knows. If it's something you have to consider then maybe you need to speak to Him about it. There is no standing on a fence here." She said bluntly.

     " No. I don't know if I've done something wrong."

     "See there--"

      " But what about the people around you Nia? If they're engaged in unlawful things and you've been dragged along in it all, do you become one of them automatically?"

    The silence prickeled in the room as he waited for an answer.

    He could feel her turn to look at him, even though he couldn't see it.

     " You become an unsuspecting victim."

     " I'm the victim to a lot of things then Nia. Everything I thought I knew about the only people I've held in my heart...my whole life... is invalid now. Null. Do you know what it's like to see everyone you know in a different light?"

    The intensity of his words stung Niamh's heart. She didn't know him well enough to know exactly what it was he was talking of, or even to guess it. She could understand feeling decieved by loved ones. Being sheltered off from things they never tried to explain before unleashing it suddenly.

    " It makes you reevaluate yourself." She said.

    Blaise didn't feel like revising every move he has ever made in life. He couldn't stomach finding out that he was in as deep waters as Daniel; the men who pulled him by invisible straps to bend at their will.

     "That's tiring."

     "But sometimes worthwhile."

      Saying no more, pulled her by her hip, having her against every groove of his body as they fell asleep on top of their burdens