After a couple rings, a woman picks up the phone. "I need you, immediately." Josiah says. "Yes." "I'll expect you." He replies, before hanging up the phone.
************************
Chelsea is sitting in the family room when Alex walks in. "Hi." He says, sitting down beside her.
"Hi." She says, moving over by him.
"Are you okay?"
"I just told my children that their father is dead. I don't know how they are going to react to it. Robert is trying to be brave. He's pretending that he's not hurt and that he didn't love his father. I know that much, but the other ones. I have to take his body back to the US, and face his parents. I don't know how they are going to be towards me, or the kids."
"Did you have problems with them before?"
"No, but I was still married to their son. I hadn't divorced him yet, the last time I saw them. And I haven't spoken to them since I came down here."
"Did they blame you for what happened, when he was arrested?"
"No, I don't know. Bobby didn't have much contact with his father, and his mother, well she was there, but she's involved in her own life and had little time for Bobby or the kids."
"I'll go with you when you go, if you want me to."
"I need you to go."
"Then I'll go."
"When will they release him?"
"I would expect in the next couple of days. Everything was put on hold because of the wedding, but that's finished so I would assume that in a couple days you would be able to take him back."
"Okay." Chelsea says, laying her head on his shoulder
"I found Robert." Alex says, putting his arm around her shoulders.
Chelsea looks up before she says. "I was letting him calm down. Where was he?"
"He was over by the property line between the palace and Nicholas's property."
"Is he…?"
"He's exactly like you said, confused, trying to be brave and I think he really feels like he has to be an adult."
"I didn't want my kids to ever feel this way. I wanted them to have a childhood, where both of their parents were there and they loved each other and they grew up, being kids."
"It's not your…."
"Yes it is. It's mine and Bobby's fault. It's Bobby's fault because he started selling the drugs and it's my fault because I let him convince me to try it."
"You know that you can't keep blaming…."
"I know, but when I think about all the stuff those kids have gone through. They shouldn't feel like they have to be brave. They shouldn't even be facing burying their father."
"You had to face that."
"Yes, I did. But my daddy was killed working for his family, not to cause trouble for his children's mother and family. The only reason Bobby is dead, is because he wanted to hurt Sam and Nicholas."
"He…."
"He wanted to hurt them, to get back at me for divorcing him, for bring the kids down here, for falling in love with you, for quitting drugs. Now Nicholas is facing and inquiry about all this. They are going to go over everything that Nicholas did, every decision he made about Bobby."
"This inquiry is a formality. They will see that we had no way of knowing that Bobby would try to kill himself. And they will see that we did everything by the book. Nicholas will be cleared and we'll help the children deal with all this."
"But that is my point they shouldn't have to deal with this. They should be hanging out on the beach, playing with dolls and with their friends, not worrying about their parents."
"Alright, come on." Alex says, getting up.
"Where are we going?"
"I'm going to show you something." Alex says, helping her up and leading her across the suite and down the hall.
"Alex." Chelsea says, following behind him.
"Shhh." Alex says, walking up to the nursery.
"What are you doing?" Chelsea asks, as he cracks the door.
Stepping aside, he stands behind Chelsea so she can see in the room. "I want you to watch them." Alex says in her ear.
Robert and Billy are sitting on the floor, each with the controls to a video game in their hands, while Callie and Sammy Jo, are in the corner, playing with Sammy Jo's Barbie dolls.
"They are doing what kids do. Will they hurt, yes? Will they have questions, yes? Will we be there to answer them, yes?" Have they had trouble, yes?"
But do you love them any less, no? And they know that. You and Bobby made some mistakes, but you are here and I'm here and so is their family and whatever happens now, you will be there and they will know that they can come to you. I know you're scared about this inquiry and I know you're hurting because you loved him…." Chelsea starts to say something. "…you loved him at one time, and I know that you love me."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying that feeling guilty about what you did will not change it and it will not help them. They need you and they know that you will be there when they need you to be. They also know that they have a whole family that will be there for them. Nicholas and Sam will handle the inquiry and everything will be alright." Chelsea turns to him slipping her arms around him she hugs him.
Looking up, Callie sees them standing in the doorway. "Momma." She calls as Sammy Jo, Billy and Robert turn around. Releasing her, they walk into the room.
************************
The Honorable Josiah Burke has worked in San DeMarcos legal system for more than twenty years. He had different plans for his life however. He wanted to be on the Judicial Bar, he wanted to be… he wanted to be better than anyone in his family. He wanted the title and he wanted what Nicholas has. He wanted the respect, the power and the money.
Sitting at his desk, he flips through Bobby's file. He's rereading the statements made by the palace guards when a knock comes on his door. "Yes, enter." He says.
The door opens and a woman walks into the office. "You realize that everyone else is out celebrating." The woman says, walking in and sitting down in a chair beside his desk.
"I have more important things to take care of."
"Brother, that's your problem. You are obsessed…."
"He's crooked, and I'm going to prove it." Josiah says, looking up from the file.
"You know that he couldn't give the…."
"I don't want to talk about it. Are you going to help me or not?"
"What's this about?" Susan asks
"This." Josiah says, handing her the file. She takes the file and starts to look it over. "It's the file from the American Ambassador for...."
"This is the file for her Highness's ex brother-in-law. He kidnapped Her Majesty's nieces and nephew and had his Majesty's brother shot."
"Allegedly, he killed himself before he was put on trial."
"A guilty man…."
"Or an innocent man that knows when he'll be hung out to dry before the trial even started. Maybe he knew that His Majesty would do everything to convict him and he had no other choice. Or maybe someone killed him."
"Why would they do that?"
"He was in the custody of the palace guard. Nicholas could have ordered."
"Joey…."
"Don't call me that."
"Nicholas wouldn't trouble him self to have someone like Bobby Hutton killed."
"Are you going to help me or not?"
"Sorry brother I can't. I happened to think that Nicholas was the best thing that could have happened to this country, he's certainly better than his father ever was. And I certainly think that her Majesty…."
"Okay, so maybe Nicholas didn't do this. Maybe…."
"You're grasping at straws brother. Her Majesty wouldn't do this."
"I'm going to find something, I know it."
"He had no choice in giving the appointment to Lord Ainsley." Susan says, getting up.
"I'm going to find…."
"I know you're going to find something." She says, walking to the door. "I'll tell you what you'll find. You're going to find that their Majesties had nothing to do with this, that Mr. Hutton willingly and knowingly killed himself, probably to make trouble for their Majesties. And once again, you're going to look like a fool. But you're going to do this anyway, so I'll see you when the investigation is over with." Susan says, walking out of the office and closing the door behind her.
Sitting back, he stares at the closed door. Picking up the phone, he dials the number. After a couple rings a man answers the phone. "Assemble the team and I want them in the office immediately."
"We're celebrating…."
"I don't care, immediately." Josiah says, hanging up the phone.
Picking up the file he looks over the report.
************************
Rolling to her side, Sam watches Nicholas sleep. After they had made love again, they had fallen back to sleep. Propping her head up with her hand, she watches him breath before she glances up to his face and catches the soft smile on his lips. She was wondering what he was dreaming about when her little one gives her a good health kick.
"Okay, I'll go fix something to eat." Sam says, pushing the sheet back and slipping from the bed.
Reaching for her for Nicholas's shirt along with her robe, slipping them on as she walks out of their suite and heads downstairs. Walking into the kitchen, she opens the refrigerator. Reaching for the eggs and bacon, she takes them out and then walks over to the stove. She takes out a frying pan spraying it with pam she begins to cook the bacon.
While it's cooking, she starts the coffee for Nicholas. Fighting the effects of the smell of the coffee while she cuts up a tomato. Flipping the bacon, she takes out a English muffins for them. She puts them in the toaster before she starts the eggs. Scrambling them, she is about to take them off the stove when Nicholas walks in.
"Sam." He says
"Mornin, Darlin." Sam says, taking the pan off the stove and turning to him. She notices the expression on his face. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Nicholas says, walking over to her. "I woke up and you were gone...."
"Our little one is hungry. So I came down to fix us something to eat. What did you think…?"
"Nothing, I didn't know where you were and I'm not used to waking up and you not being there." He says, leaning over to kiss her.
"Are you hungry?"
"Yes, and I see you fixed coffee."
"Yes." She says, looking at the pot of the coffee pot on the counter.
"It didn't bother…." Nicholas asks, as he turns to look at her. "Sam, you didn't have to fix me coffee. I know…"
"I'm fine, go ahead and pour yourself a cup."
"Alright.' He says, getting a cup from the cabinet.
"Do you want some eggs?"
"Yes." He says, putting the coffee pot back and walking over to the lean against the cabinet by the stove, while Sam's gets another couple of eggs from the refrigerator.
He watches as she fries him two eggs, over easy. When they are done, she asks. "Do you want an English muffin?"
"That will be fine."
Reaching for the English muffins, she takes another one out and toasts it, covering it with butter before she begins to put everything on the table while Nicholas helps. Sitting down, they start to eat.
************************
About ten minutes after receiving the call, five junior members of the Judicial Bar arrive at the Royal Court House. They are walking in as Josiah walks out of his office. "We've got work to do?"
"Sir, we were celebrating…." One of the members says.
"Well, now you're not. We've got a lot of work to do? This is our chance to prove that…."
"Sir…."
"You work for me Michaelson." Josiah says, turning to the youngest member of the team."
"Yes sir."
"I want you to go over everything in her Majesties background." Josiah says, looking at the only woman on the team.
"Michaelson, I want you to look into her sister and the situation with the kids."
"Roberts, you have the ex-husband. I want you to find out everything about him, and I mean everything."
"You two, I want you to go to the palace and I want you to interview every guard that had any contact with Mr. Hutton."
"Yes Sir." They all reply, looking at each other as Josiah turns to walk back into his office.
************************
Sam and Nicholas were just finishing eating when Sam asks. "What are we doing today?"
"I thought we would stay here for a while."
"Are you worried about the inquiry?"
"No."
"Nicholas, what will happen?" Sam asks, getting up and walking around to him.
Pulling her down to sit on his lap, he says. "It depends on who they appoint to investigate his death."
"So this could be serious if they appoint someone that doesn't favor you."
"I'm not worried that they will find fault with anything we did as it pertains to Bobby. But, if they appoint someone that isn't favorable, they can draw this out, and it will hurt not just the country, but your sister and the children."
"You have no control over who they appoint?"
"No, it's supposes to be someone that is impartial to the situation."
"But you don't think that they person they appoint will be?"
"I don't know. It certainly would have been easier if Bobby hadn't've killed himself."
"You think he did this on purpose."
"You know Bobby a lot better than I did. But from the things you have said about him and the way he behaved when he was here. Yes, I think he did this on purpose. It was his last option."
"Killing himself was his last option. Did he hate Chelsea that much?"
"I'm not sure if he hated Chelsea that much, but he certainly didn't like what she has become."
"But she's the same person she's always been."
"Was she, she stopped using the drugs. She moved down here, without telling him…."
"She didn't…."
"She didn't know, but I'm sure that Bobby still felt like we influenced her to leave."
"We only did what was best for her and the kids, it was her decision and he abandoned her."
"I know all of that. But from the way Bobby acted while he was here. I'm not sure he was upset that she left him or that she left Oklahoma, or even that she stopped taking the drugs."
"He was upset with who she was with, mainly Alex, but the palace and the fact that you paid for her treatment, that I was the one that introduced Chelsea to all of this. He always thought we felt like he wasn't good enough for us."
"Did you not make him feel that way?"
"We were always accepting of him."
"Maybe, you were but what about Beau?"
"Beau's problem with Bobby had nothing to do with whether he thought Bobby was good enough for Chelsea."
"Sam.'
"Alright, so maybe Beau did make him feel that way. But…." Sam says defensively.
"I'm not trying to attack Beau or Chelsea and certainly not you. I only know what you told me and I only know what was said while he was down here and how he acted down here. And I couldn't do anything more than what we did. I gave him a chance, for the children's sake and for Chelsea's, but I don't think he had any intention of doing what he needed to do to be around his kids. I think he wanted to hurt Chelsea and you, that's all that mattered to him."
"I think you're right."
There are a few moments of silence before Nicholas says. "I don't want you to worry about this. We did everything we could, and I'm sure that the inquiry will realize that."
"We are on our honeymoon." Sam says, turning to look at him, staring at his mouth.
"Yes, we are."
"And what do couples do when they are on their honeymoon?" Sam asks, leaning into him, lightly kissing him.
"Ummm, we could do that again." Nicholas says, pulling back. "But I've got another idea?"
"Something better than that?"
"Yes, I suggest we take a break and go for a swim."
"You want to go swimming?"
"Ummm, yes." Nicholas says, helping her up.
"You want to go swimming, instead of going upstairs and." Sam asks, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Yes, I want to go swimming."
"Ummm, I'm not sure that's a good idea."
"Why?"
"We just got through eating. You're not supposes to go into the water for at least an hour after eating, in case you get cramps."
"I'm not talking about us swimming a marathon or something. I saying we can go out to the pool, maybe just sort of hang out."
"You want to go…."
"Yes."
"All right." Sam says, following him out of the kitchen
Nicholas starts towards the back of the house when Sam stops. Turning, he asks "What's wrong?"
"Go ahead."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I've got to go to the bathroom. I'll be out there in a few minutes."
"All right." Nicholas replies, walking towards the back of the house.
Sam waits till he is out of sight before she heads upstairs. Walking into their bedroom, she quickly strips. Pulling her nightgown over her head after pulling her robe off, she walks into the bathroom. Taking her hair down, she brushes it till it's smooth before she takes a last look in the mirror. Walking to the toilet, she uses it before she walks out of the bathroom. She stops for a few seconds, debating on whether to put her robe back on. She decides against it and leaves the room.
When Nicholas walks outside, he stops for a few seconds and looks back towards the house before he shrugs his shoulders. Walking over to the pool house, he changes out of his robe and into a pair of swimming trunks.
Diving into the pool, he begins to swim lap, swimming from one end of the pool to the other. When Sam reaches the terrace she stops and watches him, swimming. His body gracefully moving through the water while the warm sun caresses his back and shoulders, she watches him for a few moments before she walks down the steps and across the lawn to the pool. Stopping at the edge, she watches him swim.
Nicholas notices her out of the corner of his eye, continuing. It takes a second for him to realize that she's standing by the side of the pool completely naked. That realization is enough to distract him as he gasps, taking in mouthful of water. He starts to cough and sputter while Sam realizes that he's in trouble and she dives into the pool swimming over to help him.
When they reach the shallow end, Nicholas has quit coughing and is now simply staring at her. "Well, that wasn't exactly the reaction I was trying for. Are you okay?" Sam asks, watching him.
"I'm… I'm shocked. I thought you were going to go to the bathroom, maybe change into a suit. I wasn't expecting you to…" He gestures towards her.
"Yes, well. I wanted to tease you a little bit. I didn't mean to almost kill you."
"You didn't almost kill me, although I am surprised." He says, slowly running his eyes over her.
"You chose to go swimming, instead of… well, I wanted to tempt you." Sam says, moving into his arms.
"Tempt me." Nicholas says, feeling her body pressing against his.
"Umm yes, so are you."
"Am I … what?" Nicholas asks, distracted by the feel of her breasts against his chest.
"Tempted." Sam asks, looking up at him.
"I… yes." Nicholas replies, leaning over to kiss her while he wraps his arms around her.
************************
Peter and Verge are in the dining room for lunch when Peter says. "I think we'll stay here to after the inquiry."
"Of course we're going to stay here till after the inquiry. This is where our son is."
"I know, but I was planning on us going back to St. Marcisa after Nicholas and Sam were officially married."
"You were, when were you coming back?" Verge asks, picking up a croissant.
"We weren't going to come back."
"We… I wasn't planning on leaving the palace. Were you…?" She turns to look at him. "You were planning on us leaving, why?"
"I thought it would be better for you."
"For me, why would it be better for me? My family is here. My son's are here. When did you make this decision and when were you going to tell me about it?"
"It was a long time ago, when you seemed so against Alex and Chelsea being married. I thought if you had some time away from the palace and them you would come to see that they are good for each other. You were so against them getting married. But after Alex was shot, and you came to terms with them being together and getting married, I decided that we could stay."
"Well, I'm glad you decided. I never thought there was a decision to make. Our son is here. We've only just become a family. And even though Sam is Queen now, she still needs me. And now Chelsea will need me as well." Verge says, putting her plate down and sitting down.
"Verge, I was only thinking about what would be good for you and our son. You were so against them being married and I didn't want that decision to come between you. He's just recently learned the truth, and you were pushing for him to breakup with Chelsea. I thought if you were away from the palace and…."
"And?"
"And with everything that's happened, you would realize that he really did love her and that they are good for each other."
"You mean you thought if I were away from William." Peter doesn't answer while Verge watches him. "What did you think… did you think that the reason I didn't want Chelsea and Alex to get married was because William wouldn't approve of it. Again Peter doesn't answer "You were probably right, not that he would have objected vocally. He made it clear that Alex was my son, except when it came to Nicholas, then Nicholas was our son, and he was the one that mattered."
"Alex wasn't to…."
"No, he wasn't, but William saw him as a proof of my betrayal, which he is, but I loved him and I never wanted him hurt, even though he was. I didn't want him to marry Chelsea because he's never been exposed to this." Verge says, looking around the room. "He led a very solitary life before William died, and Nicholas forced things to change. I'm not proud of that. I'm not proud of a lot of things where Alex is concerned, but he's lead a very sheltered life and they got involve so quickly and so intensely."
"First love, we were the same way."
"I was married when we…."
"But I fell for you the moment you walk into that makeshift hospital in Hell's Kitchen. I knew you were married to the King, but there was something about you that I fell for immediately. The best week of my life was the week we spent together while William was gone. I didn't want to hurt you, but you kept insisting that he break up with her and Alex is like me. He's stubborn."
"I know he is." Verge says, as Alex and Chelsea walk into the room, followed by the children.
