"And she stayed home the rest of the day?"
Ame nodded. "Playing with Adam. As soon as dinner was over, she sent me home. I had to shield myself from her gaze to remain with her until Amber arrived."
Esmeralda turned to Amber. "And tonight?"
"She was sitting in her office staring at her desk when Saphira arrived. And speaking of? I better get back there so she can get some sleep."
Esmeralda nodded. "Thanks, Amber? ladies. I appreciate your insights," folding her hands on the table. The rest took their cue and bid Es a soft goodnight before returning to their own apartments. Esmeralda waited until the door closed behind the last of them before rising and moving back to the bedroom to await Saphira's return.
************
Charisma sat at her desk, her eyes unseeing in the darkness, though she would have been unable to see Saphira's silent figure observing her regardless of the light factor in the room. A knock on the door didn't faze her - it wasn't until the door opened and a streak of light fell across her desk that she looked up and met Kent's gaze as he poked his head into the room. She stared at him without blinking and he tilted his head, frowning at her lack of expression.
"Charisma?"
It took a moment, but finally Charisma blinked and focused on Kent. She smiled at him, but it was sad? different from the sadness he was used to seeing. He stepped further into the room, but left the door open to shed some light in the room.
"Charisma? Are you okay?"
She blinked again and nodded slowly. "I'm fine, Kent," she replied, and after a tiny hesitation, gestured him inside. "What can I do for you?"
He shook his head awkwardly and cleared his throat. "Nothing. I just wanted to remind you I'm leaving for the city in the morning. I have several auditions over the next few days, but I should be back by the end of next week."
"All right," she agreed absently, then looked at him fully. "Break a leg, Kent. I hope you get the part you really want."
"You really do, don't you?"
Charisma nodded. "I want for you to have what you want in life, Kent. I'd like for you to be happy."
He paused, not saying what he wanted to, but turning the question around on her instead. "What about you, Charisma?"
"I'm happy, Kent - I'm just tired." She stepped from behind the desk and headed towards the door, brushing a kiss on his cheek when she passed by him on the way out of the room. He stood still and accepted the rare touch before following her out of the room and closing the door. He never saw the photograph lying in the center of the desk.
************
Esmeralda blinked sleepily when she felt the warm body curl up behind her and Esmeralda turned in Saphira's arms. "Sorry, I meant to wait up?."
Saphira removed her fingers from Esmeralda's lips when her words stopped. "It's all right, love. I expected you to be asleep."
"So nothing to report?" a sleepy smile in her voice.
"Nothing that won't wait until tomorrow," Saphira assured her. "Go back to sleep."
"Love you," Es mumbled before sleep overtook her once more. It was a little while longer before Saphira closed her eyes and joined her.
Chapter XIV
Saphira blinked against the brightness she could feel coming in the windows and sat up so swiftly, she nearly banged her head against the headboard. Only the weight of Esmeralda's warm body against her own kept her from leaping completely out of the bed. Saphira consciously slowed her frantic heartbeat and gentled her actions as she pushed Esmeralda's hair from her eyes and shook her shoulder with a light touch.
"Es... Esmeralda? Sweetheart, you gotta wake up. We overslept and I've missed half my first shift."
"Uh uh... Ruby's coverin'," Esmeralda mumbled, burying her face deeper into Saphira's belly. Saphira chuckled lightly, causing Es to lean back far enough to glare at her before trying to burrow back into Saphira's body. Saphira stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. Esmeralda huffed and rolled onto her back so she could look up into Saphira's blue eyes.
"What do you mean, Ruby's covering? Since when is Ruby part of this assignment? I thought we had already stretched the numbers too thin with this operation."
Esmeralda shrugged. "I thought so too, actually, but apparently having to cover two such prominent and active individuals means we get more help."
"Did you ask for it?"
"No, Phira. He supplied it."
"Any explanation?"
"Only that He deemed it necessary and timely. Jas' words were 'He supplied your need in His time'."
Saphira only just contained the snort she wanted to release and instead nodded her head solemnly. She knew what Jas had said was true; it was just that her time would have been much sooner than His time... especially considering Esmeralda's slow recovery and the magnitude of this particular project. "Well, I for one will be glad of the help. Maybe we can all get a little more rest so we don't mess things up by being careless."
Esmeralda nodded. "I think that is the idea. Ruby said she'll be taking the morning shift at the diner, so you'll only be working one shift from now on." Es shifted until she was sitting beside Saphira, wrapping her arms around her waist and holding Saphira in a loose embrace. "I can't tell you how glad I am for that, Phira. I know being here with me like this is part of your restitution and punishment, but I've worried about the toll this has taken on you."
Her touch was gentle, but her eyes were fierce when Saphira tilted Esmeralda's head up. "Me?? What about you, sweetheart?? I'm not the one who got sick and almost died!!" Esmeralda could hear the near panic in Saphira's voice and feel the racing of her heart. She put a hand over Saphira's heart even as she leaned forward and brushed their lips together.
"It's all right, Phira. I didn't die and I'm getting better every day... a little stronger every day. Besides, this is my job. I'm a little more used to the aggravations and frustrations that go along with being a clean-up angel."
"Yeah, but He still shouldn't have sent you...."
"Don't question His reason, love," Esmeralda chided. "I had to be the one to do this... *we* had to be the ones to do this. They need us." She paused. "Besides, I'm the best at what I do."
Saphira grinned at Esmeralda's shy admission and the tiny smile that accompanied it. "Yes," she admitted. "Yes, you are. And I suppose if they really need us...."
"They do. Trust me on this, Phira. It'll make a lot more sense when you meet Charisma."
"Yeah... what about that, by the way?"
"She's asked - she's very anxious to meet you. I just need to find a time that works." She hesitated. "Maybe I'll see if I can pin her down for some time next week. Since it's Friday, I doubt she'll be available for the next few days."
Saphira nodded. "Let me know. We'll work something out." She shifted until she was lying almost flat again. "So who else is here besides Ruby and Jas? And how do the rest feel about doubling up on their living space?"
"Well, to answer your second question first, I don't think they care - they're as glad to have the extra help as we are. As for who is here - Jas is gonna be Brianna's new driver; Jade and Mal are on 'whatever' duty until and unless Brianna sets up her own household. We'll make sure they are placed on her household staff if that happens. Indi will be in the office and Coral will be Amber's opposite... watching over her at night."
Saphira nodded. "Maybe this will give everybody a little breathing space, at least for a little while. Until Jade and Mal have something more permanent, they can rotate around and give each of the others a little time off to not be human." She looked at Esmeralda. "I never understood how wearing that was until I had to do it. How do mortals survive this stuff?" motioning around her.
"His grace," Es mumbled. "And true grit. He created them to survive, Phira." She turned into Saphira's body, cuddling up until she was lying on Saphira's chest. "I'm just glad we don't have to get up yet. I hadn't realized how tired I was until Ruby sent me back to bed."