Collaboration between Gonzo and YoshiSkittlez
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There was a long period of silence on both ends of the communicator. Both men just stared at each other; one in disbelief, and the other with a sort of reluctance. Finally, after a short time, Henry began his story.

"It all started at a party..."

[i]
[url=http://st.gdefon.com/wallpapers_original/wallpapers/400071_stana-katich_stana-katic_kasl_kejt-bekket_1440x900_%28www.GdeFon.ru%29.jpg]Riley Saunders[/url], the very definition of 'rich girl raised right.' Having been born into an extremely wealthy family with a trustfund having to be shared with a single sibling, Riley would never have to work a day in her life. However, Riley and Desmond's parents raised them differently, embedding it into their children's minds that just because they had money, didn't mean that they should loaf around the rest of their lives. They should know the value of work, and the happiness it can bring when in the workfield. And so, Desmond went on to become a firefighter and Riley a receptionist for New Ancora's supreme court, directly under Henry Jamison, a name that was becoming just as popular as the Saunders' last name and the power it held.

Riley had been working for Henry for nearly six years now, progressing with him as his title continued to increase. He was a good boss, though firm, but Riley was a good enough worker that he never had to come down too hard on her for much to begin with. It was just three years ago that Riley started to realize (while dating other men at the time) that she had a fixation towards Mr. Jamison. It could have been the fact that he really was a good looker, not to mention his own fame and power he was creating from practically nothing, or maybe it was just the tabboo situation that he was simply her boss. Whatever the reason, she never did much serious dating after that, determined to be that pillar that Henry could lean on any time he needed her...and hopefully...after he had reached his goal...he could realize just how important she was to him too...
Henry Richard Jamison, son of James Mason Jamison and Lauren Jamison. Not only was he a man of many talents, but he was what many would call "good-hearted", "caring", some would even go so far as to say "sensitive". Born to two wealthy lawyers from District Zero, the man who would later become the President of Ancora worked himself up from practically nothing. His father, although wealthy, wasn't a popular lawyer, representing many cases from lower districts, sometimes even providing services for free. It was because of this, Henry, in school, was known as the "garbage man's son." From then on Henry vowed to do things differently; to become a far more respected individual than his father, to be more successful, be more liked, be more feared, and that's exactly what he did.

Henry looked up from his martini and his eyes fell upon his very attractive secretary, Miss Riley Saunders. She had joined his staff as an intern in her late teenage, early adulthood years, and after showing such passion for her work, she was hired shortly after (it also wasn't bad that she was a Saunders, which meant another way to gain popularity between the upper district members). He often wondered what it would be like to be with such a lively young woman like her, but because he was so involved with work, and because that wouldn't be professional, he usually pushed those thoughts aside. After taking another sip of his beverage he slowly made his way to her.
"Hello, Miss Saunders, how are you enjoying the party?"

Riley was quite the hot-spot for attention that night, and it wasn't even remotely because of the fact that she was downright beautiful and stuck out in the sea of corperate stuck-ups in her denim jean skirt, red pumps and matching red Christmas blouse, which was buttoned down one button too far that would be deemed 'appropriate' for a work party, but no one said a word about it. She was currently talking amongst a rather large group of secretaries such as herself, nursing her third glass of red wine for the evening. Between listening to bits and pieces of the three different conversations that seemed to be taking place in her group, she would occasionally hum the Christmas tune that was playing in the background, hardly audible above the low roar of the party. She had hardly even heard her boss approach her, though when she did she turned and gave him a smile.

"Mr. Jamison, I'm enjoying myself quite well thank you. Can I get you anything?" She asked. Even at a party, she still managed to do her job by making sure he had everything he needed. It wasn't out of her character either to drop whatever it is she was doing if he had needed her to run to the office for a sudden project. In fact, thats exactly what had happened last year.

Henry shot Riley one of his famous half-smiles; the left half of his mouth partly closed, the right half pulled up into a small grin, it was a discerning smile that not only showed confidence and dominance, but was well known to melt hearts. He was amazed at Saunders' dedication, and always tried to show he appreciated it, a card on her birthday, a card on Christmas, even a bouquet of flowers on Valentine's Day (which always had his colleagues muttering and whispering in the break room, but he didn'tcare), but today, he was giving her the day off, and he intended to keep her off duty.

"No, no. That won't be necessary, Miss Saunders. In fact, I came here to ask you the same. Is there anything I can get you?"

A pink blush found it's way to Riley's cheeks at his smile. Good God, how many times had she ever thought about that smile? Though the better question was, when wasn't she thinking about that smile? She passed the slight heart flutter in her chest by sipping at her wine casually, as long as she managed not to choke on it...she should be fine. After the beverage had gone down smoothly, she proceeded to shake her head no.

"Everything is well Mr. Jamison, but I appreciate the gesture all the same." She said sincerely. "How are you enjoying's the party then Sir? Up to your standards?" She asked, a mock-tease in her tone.

Now it was Henry's turn to blush slightly. Sir. The way she addressed him, as sir, although professional, always drove him a tad but crazy. Many times had she addressed him as sir, and he had to stop himself from just...

"I uh.." He cleared his throat, the flustered look slowly leaving his face. The other secretaries noticed and giggled. "The party is good. You know John and his gatherings. If he keeps it up, I'm telling you, he'll be somewhere big some day." Henry took another sip of his martini and shot her another half-smile, he could've sworn someone swooned. 

"And you? How are you enjoying the party?"

Riley couldn't help but to let out a soft giggle, the cute noise catching the immediate attention of some of the other men in the room, bur Riley paid them no heed. When she was talking to Henry Jamison, it was like no one else existed...just the two of them and not a care in the world.

"You've already asked me that Sir. Perhaps you've gone a bit too heavy on the martini's tonight?" She asked, though not in a way where she was advising him to stop, rather that he was simply having a good time and relishing in what the party had to offer. 

"I know we shouldn't discuss work at a party, but I did want to let you know that those files for your re-election as senator have been filed and documented. By comparing the numbers to the last time you've run...there's no way you can lose. At this rate, Sir, John won't be the only one making it somewhere big. You're doing so well and the people love you. Give it a couple years, and there will be a fresh new face sitting in that presidential chair." She cleared her throat, realizing that she had been rambling a bit too much. Her attention shortly turned to the middle area of the room where some of the more drunken party guests had been singing kareoke Christmas music, and she smiled. A distraction at it's finest, because at this rate, she was sure to make herself to look like an idiot in front of him. Her head turned back to Henry. "But if you'll excuse me Sir, I do believe it is my turn to give a go at 'Up on the Housetop.'"

She handed Henry her drink for him to hold, and then turned to go to the center of the room where she took the microphone and waited for the song to begin.
Henry blushed yet again and smiled, shaking his head slowly.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't realize I had asked that. Perhaps I have had one too many..."

As Riley, unsurprisingly, changed the subject and talked about work, Henry listened intently, getting lost in the movement of her lips. Oh how he wished there was misletoe above them both at that moment. Once she cleared her throat, he was thrust back into reality and he let out a small laugh. His hand went out and took hers in his.

"Thank you, Riley, really. You always know what to say." He took the wine glass in his hand and shot her another half-smile. "Go kill it out there."

The music started after she had put in her request, and began to sing. Having taken voice lessons as a little girl all the way up into her late teens, she was very good...stunning in fact. Even a song as simple as 'Up on the Housetop' she brought it out with such emotion and passion that the room was filled with applause by the time she was done. She handed the microphone to the next person and stepped off of the small stage, heading back to Henry to retrieve her drink. She just hoped that singing in front of all these people was enough to have calmed her nerves when she returned to speak with him, but upon retreiving her drink, she had realized she was wrong.

"Well? How did I do?" She asked flashing him a nervous smile and then immediately went to sip at her drink as she felt a warmness course through her body...but it wasn't because of the alcohol. Her mind shifted to a handful of other times she had felt this same way when Henry was near. How many times had she pleasured herself thinking of him? And how many times at her own desk had she done it, secretly wishing that he could just catch her? Thinking about it now sent goosebumps over her skin, and so she took another fast drink from her wine glass, finally emptying it of it's contents.

Henry had found himself a small spot on the wall to lean on as Riley started singing. His eyes widened momentarily as Riley began singing. Her voice was beautiful, he had never heard something so wonderful before. The surprised look was wiped away and instantly substituted for that of a completely happy and content look. Sadly, though, the song was over, and his secretarty was making her way over to him. He handed her drink over to her and smiled, letting out a small laugh.

"Well, well, well, Ms. Saunders, I didn't know you could sing like that. That is amazing. Probably the best voice I've heard anywyhere." Henry shot her another half-smile and looked down at his glass, which was now empty. He mentally cursed himself for being close to her at such an intimate party without liquid courage. "Why didn't you become a professional singer? You're voice is so good.."

Riley let out a slightly embarassed laugh at her boss' praises. "It just wasn't something I saw myself doing for a long time, I'd get bored after a while you know?" Her green eyes glanced down at first her empty glass, and then his. "Shall we get our refills then?"

Henry nodded slightly, and turned in the direction of the bar, when his portable holo-communicator sounded. Henry rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Excuse me, please. I need to take this." He mumbled before walking out of the room into somewhere more quiet.

He stepped into a room a few seconds later and opened the message. A small hologram of himself popped up, reminding him of some other file he had to file before the weekend was up, meaning he needed to go, now. His hand went back into his pocket after the message finished, and he felt around for his office keys. He groaned inwardly when he realized that he had forgotten his keys at home, and it wasn't close enough to work to stop by quickly. Then he remembered Riley. There was no doubt that she had a pair of keys to the office. A dark smile flashed across his face as an idea formed in his slightly clouded head.

"Ah, Riley! There you are!" Henry stepped up behind Riley and tapped her shoulder. "I am so sorry, but I need to go to work to file something, but I dont have my keys. I forgot them at home, and I know that you have them, seeing as how you are so much more responsible than me. Would you mind terribly if you came with me to the office?"

Riley, meanwhile had wandered off from the bar once her wine glass was refilled and eventually approached John, the very man of the hour. She gave him her quick congratulations, followed by the customary 'making sure he received Mr. Jamison's gift' and then the whole 'we would gladly appreciate your support in the re-election.' Her attention then wafted when she was yet again approached by her boss with a tap on her shoulder, and she smiled.

"Of course I wouldn't mind. I wouldn't have it any other way Mr. Jamison. The last time you tried filing paperwork on your own...it took me a week to follow your paper trail to find the stupid thing." She teased and turned back to John. "Lovely party, but work has called us away. Expect a phone call from me tomorrow evening for a scheduled lunch between Mr. Jamison and yourself to discuss those matters I was speaking to you of." And with that, she raised the wine glass to her lips and downed the contents, not about to waste a good wine simply because she had to leave. She then turned back to her boss and nodded, indicating that she was ready.

****

As soon as Henry was handed back his credit card, he stepped out of the cab. Once it had driven away, he muttered something under his breath about the prices being too damn high. Still, he put on a smile and straightened out his suit. 

"Alrighty, Riley, lead the way and I will follow."

Upon exiting the cab, Riley stumbled a bit from her steadily declining coordination, but managed to catch herself by bracing herself against the cab for a moment, passing off the embarassment with a slight giggle. Once she was out, she pressed down her black denim skirt and then lead the way, as Henry had requested and approached the front doors. She pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the main building door, as it had been closed hours ago due to the holidays and current late hour. Once inside, she continued walking and found her usual route that she took nearly every morning. Up the stairs, down the hall, three lefts and a right and then up one more flight of stairs. She then unlocked the second door that kept them out and stepped inside to the room where she did most of her work, though her office was still a few feet away. Instead of continuing to her own office, however, she turned the opposite corner and then unlocked Henry's door, allowing him inside before flicking on the light, letting the florescents fill darkened area as not any other lights were on at the moment.

Henry followed close behind Riley, his heart starting to beat faster and faster with each step he took. A couple of times, he caught his eyes trailing downwards and had to shake his head and keep his eyes straight away. Once she unlocked his office door, he shot her another smile and sighed greatfully. "Thanks so much, Riley. I dont know what I would do without you, I really don't."

A couple of minutes later, the computer was on and he was sliding his finger on the screen left and right, stalling while he gathered the nerves to go through with his plan. Filing the file was a sinch, all he needed to do was move it into a folder, just like Riley had shown him, but if he did it himself, then he wouldnt be able to make the plan progress, so instead, he moved a couple of files around, out of their folders, and onto the main desktop. Satisfied with his little mess-up, which would take Riley not even a couple of minutes to clean up, he stood up and walked over to the doorway of his office. 

"Um... Riley... I think I may have fucked up a little, again.."

Riley had been patiently waiting outside of his office, and wasn't at all surprised to hear Henry calling her for her help. She shook her head and sighed, though still wore a smile on her face. "Am I going to have to ban you from all technology Mr. Jamison?" She teased as she walked into his office and sat down on his chair, analyzing the situation before moving the files back to their correct places.

Henry watched as Riley moved the files back into place, taking all of three minutes to do so. He shrugged slightly at her question and chuckled. "You know, I wouldn't put it past you for doing so." He pulled out his holo-communicator and let out a fake, yet very convincing sigh. "I apologize, greatly, but I need to make another call before we leave, so make yourself at home, and shut off my computer for me, if you would be so kind. I'll be right back." And with that, he walked out of the office, hoping his plan would take off the way he wanted it to.

Riley nodded, already knowing fully well what one of those phone calls could mean. It could mean ten minutes...or two hours...still, she didn't have any other plans for the night. She made sure to save a few things on his computer before shutting it down and remained in his chair for a few minutes...just waiting. When Henry didn't come back right away, her suspicions were more than likely confirmed that it would be one of those longer phone calls. She got off of his chair and made her way over to the small couch on the side of the room and took a seat, taking the moment to reach behind her head and pull the pin that had kept her hair up for the evening. She ran her fingers through it, shaking out the 'hair cramps' and let the somewhat wavy hair fall naturally at her shoulders. She clicked her tongue a few times boredly, letting her eyes look around Henry's office. She had been in his office plenty of times before, so nothing really stuck out as new to her...but then again this was the first time she had been alone in his office for such a prolongued period of time.

She shifted her body a bit, letting her back rest against the arm of the couch and lifted her feet up onto the couch, taking off her heels one by one and began to massage her aching feet. After relaxing back on the couch with her hands on her stomach, she looked around the room once again to notice that it had began to spin. She let out a tired laugh, her fingers absent-mindedly fiddling with the bottom of her blouse. She looked back over to the door. No sign of Henry. A fleeting thought pressed at her mind, what it would be like to actually masturbate in her boss' own office? The sheer thrill of the act at her own desk was stimulating enough, but his own office was taking it up a whole new level. A smirk spread across her lips as she felt herself getting warm between her legs despite the cooler air circulating around the abandoned building.
Maybe for just a minute...

Henry put away the holo-communicator, letting the darkness of the rest of the building disguise himself. He took a deep breath and sat quietly on one of the small tables in the room, biting his bottom lip in anticipation. He had seen her a couple of times, touching herself at her desk, but never said anything. It was kind of exciting knowing that she did that, and it was even more exciting that she didn't know he knew. 

Riley slipped her hand between the unbuttoned fabric of her blouse and into her bra. She massaged her breast as best as she could given the restraints, occasionally pulling and pinching getting a soft gasp out of her now and then. Her other hand moved to her knee where she slid it up her thigh, hiking underneath her tight skirt until she found her red lace thong, which she just pushed to the side as she let her finger dance around to explore her womanhood.

Henry's breath hitched slightly as he watched Riley. He had been biting his bottom lip so hard, any longer and he would have drawn blood. His plan was going perfectly, so it was time to actually confront her about what she was doing. Trying his best to cover up his excitement, he stood up, pulled out his holo-communicator, and waltzed into the room as if nothing was happening. 

"Alrighty. Phone call is done, someone from..." He trailed off as he "caught" her on his couch. He dropped the communicator and stared at her. "What... what are you doing?"
Riley had never moved so fast in her life. She didn't even hear Henry coming and by the time she was aware that he was back in the room, it was too late. Still though, she quickly pulled her hand from underneath her skirt and her hand from inside of her blouse and stood up quickly, too quickly in fact as the alcohol had caught her off balance and she stumbled again, but by some miracle remained on her feet.

"Mr. Jamison!" She exclaimed, feeling her cheeks go full-on red. She had always fantasized about this very moment, but now...now she wasn't so sure if that was the best move. Depending on his mood...she would be jobless in just a matter of seconds. "I-I am so sorry I-" She fumbled for her words, her eyes looking down at her bare feet. "It won't happen again, I promise. I didn't know how long you were going to be and..." She exhaled sharply, wondering just how much he had seen. "Please don't fire me..." She added on, finally able to lift her eyes to look back at him.

Once again, the man shot his famous half-smile, although this time, it came out dark. Nonchalantly, he took a seat on his desk and raised an eyebrow, listening to her apology with slight amusement. He raised up one hand to stop her and shook his head. He was silent for quite some time, staring at her with a pensive look on his face. Finally, he stood and took a step closer to her.

"Miss Saunders," he said cooly, the dark smile slowly returning to his face. "I have one question for you. How long have you been doing that?"

Riley could barely hear his question over the thumping of her heart. "Just...just a few minutes...Sir..." She answered, not quite sure if he meant in general...or just tonight; though something told her it was the first one.

A finger went to his chin and he raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that, Miss Saunders? I don't mean just tonight. I've watched you do that a couple of times before, when you think no one is watching. It's exilarating, isn't it? Pleasuring yourself when you think no one is watching..." He took another step closer. Without really waiting for an answer, he continued. "Nevertheless, I don't want to interrupt you, so go ahead, continue." His smile widened just a bit more. "And, if you would like, I could maybe help out a little."

****

It had been a couple months since Henry and Riley had slept together after the Christmas party, and since then, they had spent most of their working hours getting in as much action as they could have. The two started dating shortly after the Christmas party, but it was in secret. It would have never looked good for Henry or Riley if they had been caught dating, public relations, and the public themselves would have ripped the two apart with accusations, rumors, you name it.

Henry smiled at himself in the mirror. He was wearing a solid black, slim fitting suit, green dress shirt, and matching tie, and boy, did he look good. Seeing as how it had been a while since he had taken his girlfriend on a real date, he invited her to meet him at a small, secluded restaurant only known to a chosen few. It was expensive, yes, but he liked to spoil Riley, so there wasn't much of a problem.

About an hour later, Henry stepped out of his town car and into the restaurant, and was promptly seated at a two person table. There was only one other couple in the restaurant, and as far as they were concerned, he was nobody to them. He straightened his hair and rearranged his silverware and plates about a hundered times waiting for Riley to walk up to his table.

Two months, one week and three days. That was the exact date Riley had been able to fulfill her fantasies, and even more since then. Keeping it a secret was the hardest part, she had never been in a relationship that would potentially ruin someone's career before, but it made the times that they had alone all the more special. She didn't mind having to meet Henry for their occasional date, it would look bad if someone caught his car outside her house anyway. But tonight, tonight was different; she was, in fact, not looking forward to dinner. After changing her outfit at least fifteen different times, Riley settled on a sleek black dress that didn't hug her figure too much and eventually left to meet her boss and now boyfriend.

Upon arriving at the resteraunt, she stayed in the parking lot for an elongated period of time, staring down the doors that would lead her to tonights potential disaster. Swallowing hard, she got out of her car and walked inside, spotting Henry immediately. Putting on a smile, she tapped his shoulder gently and then moved to sit across from him after placing a soft kiss on his cheek. "Sorry I'm late. Ran into a few...complications..."

Henry quickly stood and walked around the table, pulling back the chair and allowing Riley to sit down. Once she was seated, he sat down himself. A waiter came around and greeted the two, asking them what they would like to drink. Henry smiled at Riley and winked.

"For the lady, the best red wine, and for me, a martini." The waiter nodded and began to walk away, and Henry turned back to his girlfriend with his famous half-smile. "So, how are you this evening? You look stunning, if I do say so, myself."

Riley hesitated the moment he mentioned wine. She should have expected that. She turned to the waiter quickly. "Uh, waiter, just a soda for me actually, uhm...Dr. Pepper..." She nibbled at her lower lip a bit before turning back to Henry, and tried to return his smile. "Well, you know, hard day at the office...the boss has really been riding me..." She said, attempting humor to help with her nerves.

Henry furrowed his brows at the change of drink. It was unlike her to do something like that, seeing as how she always loved a good red wine with her dinner, but then again, variety was the spice of life. Pushing the small tinge of concern away, he found himself laughing at her small joke. 

"Well, you know, he does like a hard worker, and you, my dear, are definitely a hard worker." Henry leaned over the table, placing his elbows on both sides of his plate, and his head in his clasped hands, the smile was still plastered on his face. "You know, I really am the luckiest guy in the world for finding you. Im glad you applied for that internship. I really do. I wouldn't have made it past the damn computer if it hadn't been for you..."

Riley feigned a small smile at his compliment, but her own words were escaping her. Instead, her stomach continued to tie itself in knots. How the hell was she going to get through tonight? Simple...she wasn't...not like this...

"Henry..." Riley said, avoiding his gaze for the moment. "We...we have a problem..."

Henry's brows furrowed again, only this time, they frown was deeper. His mind began racing with thoughts, starting with the upcoming election. As far as he knew, he was still way, way ahead in the polls, so it couldn't have been that; no one had broken into the office, it had the best security, so it couldn't be that; people still loved him, so popularity wasnt a problem, so that really only left Riley and him. He looked away for a moment, then back at Riley. His heart sank. 

"What... what do you mean we have a problem? What kind of problem?"

Tears began to well up in her eyes, but she still refused to look him straight on, it would be impossible to say what she needed to say if she did. His tone broke her heart, but that was only a small taste of what was yet to come.

"I'm pregnant." It was only after saying this that she finally looked up to meet his eye, a single tear rolling down her cheek. "I'm so sorry...I thought we were being careful...I..." She wiped the tear away and then burried her face in her hands. "This is all my fault...Oh God Henry I'm sorry..."

If Henry had been holding a glass, he would have dropped it. The room started spinning. Pregnant. His girlfriend was pregnant, and they had been going out all of two months. How could something like this have happened? She was right, they were being careful, there wasnt a time when they weren't-- the night of the Christmas party. That was the only time he hadn't used any form of protection. But that was two months ago, she couldn't have been keeping it a secret that long, could she? 

Henry opened his mouth to speak, but the waiter came up before he even got a sound out. With a cheery face, he dropped off the drinks, took one look at Riley, and left after saying that he would give the two some time to look over the menu. As soon as he had left, Henry took a deep breath, greatful he hadn't said anything around him.

"No, no. It's not your fault at all, Riley. Please don't cry. Just... tell me how long you have known you were pregnant. A week, a couple of weeks..... a month?"

She nodded her head to the last guess, not even paying attention to the drink she had just been given. "A month." She repeated, taking her face from her hands to look at him once more. "I would have told you sooner...but...I had to be sure...I just got back from the doctors before coming here..."

Henry said nothing, just picked up his martini glass and emptied it in seconds. He ran a hand over his face slowly, simultaneously letting out a long, deep sigh. It had to have been the Christmas party. How could he have been so stupid. Then again, he was drunk, so maybe he deserved what he got. No matter, it was something he was going to have to live with. Besides, maybe a son wouldn't be so bad afterall. It might even look good to those who had families if he became a family man himself, but in order to do that, he would have to marry Riley. A small smile crept its way onto his face; now there was a pretty good idea. They hadn't been dating long, but he was pretty sure that she was the one. She was the epitome of a great woman; sexy, smart, sweet, caring, kind, a great supporter, not to mention great in bed. 

He reached out and took Riley's hand in his, squeezing it gently. "Listen, Riley. It's okay. I promise you, things will be okay. We just need to lay low about this for a month or two more, okay? We can do this. I love you, Riley."

She nodded, understanding what he was saying. She had come to the same conclusion the moment she knew for sure she was pregnant. "I know..." She said taking his hand gratefully. "I love you too. And thats why...I'm going to be leaving for a while." She stopped, trying to keep herself from choking on her next words. "Your re-election is coming up, and I'm not about to risk that. I'm going to be going to stay with my brother Desmond in District 4, it's already been settled so I'm not asking for your permission." She bit her lower lip. "You...you can consider this my temporary resignation. I just...I need to clear my head...and you need to focus on your job. I refuse to be the reason your numbers start to drop."

Henry let go of Riley's hand and slowly retracted it. He wasn't really one of those kind's of men to show sadness, regardless of how people called him "sensitive," but her words hit him hard. His brows furrowed yet again and a lump started to form in his throat. He blinked a couple of times and shook his head. "No.." he muttered, "Why? There is no reason to leave, Riley. I don't understand. Look, I said we can work things out... We can... Why resign? We're so close to the election, I need you now more than ever. You can't just decide to resign now.. Please.."

She shook her head, looking back down at the table. She figured he'd say something like that. "Which is why I've already hired my replacement. She's as good as me...maybe even better. You don't hear the people in the work room Henry, they've been whispering about us for years now, and now that we can't prove we aren't together..." She just shook her head again, forcing her tears back this time. "I'm leaving tonight, and I don't want to hear from you until after the election. Maybe then we can start to work things out...but not right now...it would ruin everything for you." She swallowed hard and got up from the table, walking to Henry's side and kissed him softly on the cheek. "I love you Henry, but you've got to put your job before me. You've worked too hard to let it all crumble down now." She let out a soft exhale before leaving Henry's side to return to her car where her bags had already been packed and ready to go. The second she shut herself into the car, however, she fell into a fit of uncontrolable sobs.

Henry just sat in his chair, silently, taking in what she had to say. He didnt say a word as she started leaving. It wasnt until after she was immediately out of sight did he stand. He grabbed whatever was in his wallet, probably all of two thousand credits, and threw them down on the table before rushing after her. 

He spotted her car in the lot the moment he stepped out. He walked over to the car, his vision starting to blur from the tears that had begun forming. He reached the window, where he saw Riley in a fit of tears, and pounded on the window. Already a few tears, probably the only few tears he had really shed in his lifetime, fell down his cheeks.

"Riley, you roll down this window, now!"

She jumped slightly at hearing a pound on her car window, and through her blurred vision of tears was able to make out Henry on the other side. She just shook her head and started up the car. He had to know that she was doing this for him...and only for him. She shot him a quick apologetic look before she started to back the car up, making sure she didn't accidentally run him over before pulling out of the parking lot and headed for District 4.

****

Eight months, three weeks, one day, and 4 hours, that's how long it had been since he last saw or heard from Riley. By now, his son should have been born, so why hadn't she called? This was one of his many thoughts as he sat in his new Senator's office for the Ancorda Legislature. He had won the election in a landslide, just as Riley had predicted, thanks to all his staff and especially his new secretary, but things weren't the same at all. Yes, this new secretary was good, but she was no Riley. This one was too focused on her job, too no nonsense; she had no sense of humor, and quite frankly, could be somewhat of a bitch.

No one really commented on Riley's dissapearance, and if they did, it was behind Henry's back for fear of some sort of harsh retaliation. Every time someone did ask about it, who wasn't working for him, he would either brush the topic off, or come up with some sort of excuse, but that only went so far.

Every day, he would check his mail; every day, he would check his holo-communicator. Finally, he was just about to give up, when one day, Linda, the secretary, walked into his office.

"Mr. Jamison, you have a call on line one, someone from District 4. He isn't giving a name, but is saying the matter is urgent. Probably some lobbyist trying to get a law passed."

"Thank you, Linda," he muttered, answering the communicator only when Linda was out of the room. "Good afternoon, this is Henry Jamison, Senator, speaking, how may I help you today?"

The other line was quiet for a moment, before a man cleared his throat. "Mr. Jamison...this is Desmond Saunders...I'm Riley's brother..."

Henry almost dropped the commuicator in shock. He was silent for a long time before speaking. "Oh, yes.. Uh, hi.. Um, yes. Okay.. I uh.. How are you?"

"I...well...would it be possible to meet up for lunch sometime? I feel like there's some things I should tell you..."

"Oh, yes. Definitely... That would be good. Um. Where would you like to meet? We can meet in District 4. Um... Jeez.. Uh.. will Riley be there?"

"The Copper Onion, and...no...no Riley won't be coming. I'll explain everything there. I'll meet you there within the hour." The line went dead, and Desmond began to get ready for the most awkward meeting of his life.

It was nearly one'o'clock before [url=http://nerusactors.ru/walls/actors/275/mtvy973.jpg] Desmond[/url] reached the agreed meeting place, running his calloused hands over his goatee in a nervous manner. He was alone, just as he had said he would be on the phone, and to keep himself somewhat occupied, sipped on his order of jasmine tea.
Henry stepped out of the back of his town car and sighed. His palms were sweaty, which was rare for Henry because of the fact that he never got nervous when meeting and talking to other officials. His mind was racing with questions; Why wasnt Riley there? Was Riley okay? Was his kid born? Could he see his kid? He pushed all the questions aside for the moment and walked into the restaurant. 

It took a little while for him to find Desmond, only having been shown a picture of the man once or twice before when Riley brought him up, but nevertheless, he saw the man sitting at one of the tables, and made his way over to it, taking a seat across from him at the table. 

"Hello Desmond, I am Henry Jamison, but you probably knew that already.... How are you?"

Desmond didn't look up when Henry sat down, at least, not at first. With a collected sigh, he finally met his gaze. "Yes, I did." He said simply. Desmond then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small holo-picture and handed it to Henry across the table. "Your son." He said, the look on his face unclear whether he was annoyed, proud, or even happy about it.

Henry stared at the picture of the young boy for a long time, a small smile finally making its way onto his face after that time. He looked up and his smile faded at the look on Desmond's face. "I have a son." It was more a statement, than anything. "What's his name? Where's Riley?"

Desmond took a moment to rub his temples tiredly before answering. "His name is Deon Desmond Saunders, Riley thought it would be the best name for him, though God only knows why she named him after me." He cleared his throat again. "Look, Riley...she's...she's having some problems. She ended up getting really sick in her fourth month. The doctors did all they could, but in the end...it took up most of her trust fund just to keep her alive...let alone keeping the doctors quiet about the whole pregnancy."
Henry stayed quiet and nodded a couple of times. Once Desmond was finished, he took a deep breath. "Why didn't she contact me? She said she would contct me. I could have sent her money. She knows I would have done that for her. Can I see her? I want to talk to the mother of my child. Speaking of which, can I see Deon?"

"If you feel that is best, you may see Deon. He's currently staying at my house. Riley..." Desmond paused to let out yet again another sigh. "I don't know where she is, but Mr. Jamison...the Riley you knew is gone. She's...different, and you need to just let her go."

"What the fuck do you mean I need to let her go?" Henry hadn't realized he had raised his voice as much as he did until he felt the stares of other patrons. He sunk a little into his seat and waited for the others to look away before continuing. "Why can't I speak to her? And what do you mean you dont know where she is? Why didnt you call the police? Why didnt you contact me, Mr. Saunders?"

Again, Desmond was quiet, letting Henry calm down once more. "You're making this more difficult for me than it needs to be Mr. Jamison..." He said softly and took another sip at his tea. "But...if you must know...soon after Deon was born, she became addicted to the drugs the doctors had precribed; pain killers mostly. After that, once she became well again, it was too late. She's in deep, Mr. Jamison, and she's not coming back out of it. She's a completely different person, so you might as well just think that she died in childbirth."

"But... She said..." Henry shook his head and placed it in his hands. It was like wave after wave of sadness crashed over him. He couldn't believe it, the mother of his child was now no longer the Riley he once knew. He let out a small sigh and closed his eyes. "Fine. Okay. Can I at least see my son, then?"

He nodded, pleased that the man finally had enough sense to listen to him. "You may. He is your son after all. When will you be coming by?"

"How about today? I would like to see him as soon as possible... Please... if it isnt too much of a problem.."

"We can head there now...if you'd like." Desmond sipped the last of his tea and made a move to stand.

"Yes. That would work. Thank you.."

With another curt nod, Desmond was off after paying the bill for his tea and hailed a cab for the two of them, beginning the long, and very awkward silenced ride back to his home. Desmond had done well for himself over the years, but it wasn't his firefighter income that got him the mansion of a home that he lived in, most of the money coming from his own trust fund. "Wait here, I'll go and get him up from his nap." Desmond said before leaving Henry in the main room on his own.

The minutes passed, and Desmond came back with a tiny infant in his arms, wrapped up into a blanket and pressed closely against his uncle. Upon approaching Henry, Desmond hesitated before handing Deon over to him.

Henry took the baby in his arms. He brought him close to his chest and smiled. His baby boy was beautiful. He could feel his eyes begin to water and he sniffled once. As he stared at his son, he mumbled to him almost inaudibly. "Hey there, little guy. I'm your dad. It's good to see you." He smiled a little. "You're a little trouble maker, arent you? Making your mommy go...." He trailed off and his smile faded. He looked at his would-be brother in law and stood, handing over his son back to Desmond. "Uh.. Thank you for showing me my son, sir. I appreciate it." Without another word, he quickly walked out of the house, hailed a cab, and made his way back to District 0. He had met the reason Riley had went into her downward spiral, and he couldn't bear to see him again. Not now, anyway..[/i]

"I never went back.... Shortly after, I met your mother, married her, and had two wonderful sons who I love dearly."

James just stared at his father and nodded. "Thanks, pop... I'll talk to you soon. love you..." And with that, he hung up.