^^Above, chapter title credit: Song by A Flock of Seagulls.^^

{Geoffrey}

The morning after Eckles' party, we both wake up with hangovers. Apparently Raina had wanted to forget we'd ever found out for a while, and gladly, I'd joined her. But I wasn't counting on regretting it so much later.

"God, that was such a bad idea..." I hear Raina roll over and throw up into the trashcan, and then she flops back down. "Remind me to never do that again."

"Noted." I get up and run to the bathroom, making it to the toilet just in time. I can't really remember what we did last night, but the muscles in my back are sore from it.

"Geoff," she says after a while, when I'm done throwing up. "Come in here a second."

I stagger back in, lowering myself to the bed slowly so I don't get dizzy. Raina props herself up on one elbow, and then pushes herself into a sitting position. She's a wreck, but I have a feeling I am too.

"I have a theory," she says, raking her hand through her tangled hair. "About Felicia."

"What about Felicia?" I lean back against the headboard, rubbing one eye with the heel of my hand.

"She's been spying on you for Ridley this whole time..." She presses a knuckle to her lips and swallows hard. "And she helped blow up the office."

"What?" That cuts through the fog a little bit. "Where'd you get that idea?"

"The night of Ridley's event...before the explosion. She was there. She walked in on El apologizing to me. I think she might have been scouting out location."

"Like...asked her about the offices and everything?"

Raina nods, and then pinches the bridge of her nose. "Remind me not to nod."

"I'm getting a lot of responsibility here." I give her a small smile, and she manages one back. "So this theory on Felicia...does it extend to Pascal too?"

"Personally? I think they're sleeping together." Raina wipes her nose with a loud sniff. "He'd sleep with anything if it stood still long enough."

"And I thought it was going to be some kind of intellectual connection."

"With that guy?" Raina's expression takes on the about-to-throw-up kind of look, and a second later she does, spinning around and spewing most of it into the trash can. She sags down on the bed, lying on her stomach. "Don't count on it."

"Want any room service? Or are you afraid you'll throw up on it?" I massage my temple. I know it's because of the bright light coming in through the curtains.

"Some coffee would be nice," she says, rolling on her back and looking up at me. "But the thought of eating anything makes me queasy."

"Same here."

≈

We spend most of the morning trying to sleep off the hangover. The both of us suffer in different ways — Raina throws up, I have headaches and the runs. We switch between water and coffee, and when it feels like we've had sufficient liquids, we stumble off to shower. Neither of us feel like we could stand up on our own, so we have to literally lean on one another as the water runs over us.

"I haven't showered with somebody in a long time," Raina says when we're done, collapsing back down on the bed wrapped in just a towel. "Actually, scratch that. It's the first time I've done that."

"Me too." I collapse down next to her, in the same state. "Too bad we felt awful or we could have...you know..."

She gives my chest a halfhearted swat, laying her forearm over her eyes. "Does everything have to be about sex with you?"

"When you consider how few the opportunities are with the kids around all the time, yeah."

"I'm going to need another shower, then," she says, probably only half-kidding.

"Maybe when I don't have a headache."

"And maybe when I don't feel like I'd throw up on you."

Finally we drag ourselves up and get dressed. I remembered doing this a couple nights at the frat, glad that Raina didn't see me doing stupid things. The worst part is that I wouldn't have even remembered if she saw me doing them.

"So, seriously." Raina sits down on the bed, combing her fingers through her damp hair. It's starting to spring back to its curls as it dries, the kind I like to wind my fingers in. "What are we going to do about this new Felicia's-related-to-your-business-partner thing?"

"Dunno yet." I lean against the dresser opposite her, crossing my arms. "She's already sold him down the river one time, I doubt he's going to ever go back to trusting her."

"She and Ridley are two of a kind." She sighs and looks down, curling her toes into the carpet. "If they ever got married and had babies, that deception would probably run in their genes."

"Probably," I agree. "But Ridley's got a debate with his opponent tomorrow night, in case you're interested. You don't have to come with me, but you can always watch it."

"I will. I'll come with you." She yawns and digs her knuckles into her eyes. "Where is it?"

"Columbia University, I think. But I'd have to check."

"I hate leaving our kids alone again." Raina rubs the back of her neck. "Between the accident and all this, I feel like I've hardly seen them at all."

"We'll go back as soon as it's over." I go to her and pull her into a hug. She wraps her arms around my middle and her head sags against my stomach. "I promise."

≈

The debate's in the library, right beneath the rotunda. I feel almost too small here, surrounded by marble, dark wood, and some of the oldest books on the East Coast. As we enter I can hear the rumble of a crowd, voices echoing off the high ceiling and the walls. I feel Raina's hand tighten in mine the second we step inside.

"Makes me wish I'd gotten an education," she says, with a sad note to her voice.

"You can always go back, now that we have the means."

"So would you be willing to raise the kids, then?" She looks up at me, eyebrow raised in a challenge.

"Raina, don't—"

"It's fine," she says curtly. "I don't really want to talk about it anymore."

I sigh, but I don't press the point. Raina had been sore about her lack of education ever since she'd been forced to quit when she was six months pregnant. She didn't blame Ettie, of course, because she was the result of the mistake. I think she blamed me.

"Look, there's Hugo," she says suddenly, pointing down the center aisle.

It takes a second for me to find him. But sure enough, there he is, in a black suit and thin tie, his blond hair combed neatly. He looks more frazzled than usual, but maybe it's because of the event.

"Hugo!" Raina waves, standing on tiptoe to get his attention.

His head whips in our direction, and he comes trotting over. His pale eyes flick between us as he shakes my hand and gives Raina a one-armed hug. I notice the dark shadows under them, and the slight fuzz of stubble on his jaw. Something's going on here.

"You okay, Hugo?" I ask him when Raina's gone to find a seat. "Looking kind of stressed."

"I never knew finding a job would be so stressful," he says, running a hand over his face. I catch a flash of silver from his finger, one that wasn't there before.

"Yeah, it is," I say, although I can't really relate. I'd been expected to take over Dad's company since I was a kid. "Hey, so...that ring."

"Oh, this?" He holds up his hand, turning it back and forth before dropping it. "Yeah. Aisha's pregnant, so we thought why not."

"You're married and now you're going to have a baby?" I clapped his arm and gave it a squeeze. "That's great, man, really. Matt's got one coming too. Maybe you two can exchange new-daddy pointers."

"Not you?" Hugo crosses his arms. "I thought you'd be all over that new baby of yours."

"I am." I shrug. "We just don't see them as much as we'd like to."

Hugo looks around quickly, seeing people are starting to take their seats. "I gotta go. Maybe we'll catch up later."

Then he hurries up to the front row. I find Raina about four rows from the back, at the very end. She moves over when she sees me, letting me take the aisle.

"Did you notice Hugo's wedding ring?" I ask her as I sit down.

"What?" She looks over at me, surprised. "He's married?"

"After four years of engagement, I guess." I shrug. "Apparently Aisha's pregnant."

"Finally," Raina says, but I know she doesn't connect with Aisha as well. There was a distance between them that evidently had nothing to do with money, status, or choice of husband. I have a feeling even Raina doesn't know the reason.

"I told him he and Matt should talk."

"That's a good idea," she says, taking my hand and studying it. "How come you never got a wedding band? Maybe it would stop all the girls from asking you if you're single."

"I guess I just forgot." I kept meaning to get one, obviously, but there were other things that kept getting in the way.

"For four whole years?"

Another one of those comments. "Raina, stop it."

"Stop what?" she hisses as the hall gradually begins to quiet down, the lights fading.

"Nothing. Later." I know there's a big fight coming. But it's going to have to wait until the debate's over. Right now, we need to see exactly what Ridley's up to.

≈

"I'm pretty sure he was making all that stuff up," Raina says later when the debate's over and the crowd's breaking up. "I could tell he didn't believe any of it."

I nod, because I have to agree with her. Ridley seemed to have answers that were incongruous with his recent activity, especially when it came to funding schools and day care. He said he believed in the power of education, and that it could change a child's life, but I knew he didn't really care either way whether the kids had educations or not. For all we knew, he wanted to stick a kid with his green serum and see what happened.

Raina doesn't decide to pick up our conversation from earlier until we get back to the hotel. We'd kept up an amiable, but stilted, exchange all the way back from the university. But I could tell she didn't want to just discuss politics.

"Geoff, this is about earlier," she starts, sitting down on the bed and raking her fingers repeatedly through her hair. This is as hard for her as it is for me. "I know our problems aren't just about me lacking an education, or you lacking a wedding ring."

"If only they were," I say, which turns out to be the absolute wrong thing.

"See, this is what you always do." She pushes herself to her feet. "Deflect. Make a joke. Everything's not a joke, Geoff."

"I wasn't, I was just pointing out—"

"No. No, you weren't. You're just trying to avoid the problems. Don't," she says when I open my mouth to protest. "I know you were going to deny it. I can't believe we're talking about this again, but you seem to miss the point every time."

"What point?" I say, suddenly confused.

"That I'm not good enough for you." She looks away as soon as she says it, digging at her temple with a finger.

I shake my head. "Where'd you get that idea?"

"Because look at me, Geoff!" She rounds on me, tears running down her cheeks. "I'm poor, and I have no education! Not to mention my parents screwed me up for life! You can dress me up and parade me around as much as you want, but nothing's going to change! None of it!"

"But I don't..." I can't really tell where this is coming from. "I let you do it of your own free will."

"Oh, do you? Or do you think that if you didn't let me, this would somehow be different?" She rakes another angry hand through her hair. "Or do you do it because you feel ashamed that I'm a poor, stupid, naive little country girl that doesn't know any better?"

"I don't think you're stupid, Raina. Or naive."

"Well, of course you say that now, to my face. But don't tell me you've never thought it." She crosses her arms and turns towards the window.

"I'm not ashamed of you either. I married you because I love you, not because I pity you." It occurs to me that some of this could be left over from the night of Eckles' party, and the resurfacing of Louisa. "And you might not be rich in money, but you have so much more than all those other women."

"And how well does that argument hold up around them?" She scowls. "Try telling them I've got personality in spades, see how they react."

"Look, Raina, I know you feel like you're not enough, but you are. You're more, even, because you're real. Not fake like all those other women, who couldn't care less about anyone but themselves. I love you for that, Raina, I do. I always have."

"But I can't compete with them." She swipes at her eyes. "Any of them. Even Louisa."

"Then don't." I approach her, laying a hand on her arm. She doesn't pull it away. "Because none of them are my wife. You are. I know you think it's all about how you look to other people, and in public, maybe so. But don't think you have to do it for me. It's one of the reasons I love you."

"You keep saying that," she says. "And I know you mean well, I just...I saw Louisa with you and I just..."

"Raina." I turn her to face me, cupping her face in my hands. "She's in the past, okay? She means nothing to me anymore. Trust me, I'd forgotten everything about her until she just popped up. And her trying to goad me by flashing Mickey in front of my face...you would never do that. You're not that petty."

"Aren't I?" She looks up at me, eyes still brimming with tears.

"No." I wipe her tears away with my thumbs. "You're not. Look at it this way. You make me a better person, Raina. You make me want to be better and do better. I only want you to be happy. And you thinking you're not good enough isn't the answer."

She sighs heavily and rests her forehead on mine.

"I love you, my beautiful, elegant, fearless wife." I run my thumb across her bottom lip before leaning in to kiss her.

At first her response is reluctant, like she doesn't really want to kiss me. I slide my hands down from her face, over her neck, collarbone, breasts, waist. Hers travel up, and I feel her untying my necktie and yanking it off. I pull her harder against me, trying to find the zipper down the back of her dress. She's beating me there, unbuttoning my shirt. Finally I find it and tug it down, sliding my hand under it and feeling her cool smooth skin there. I feel her attempting to push my jacket and my shirt off my shoulders, and I help her along, wrestling myself out of them and throwing them aside. She kicks her shoes off and slips her arms out of her dress, and it takes one pull for me to get it off. Then as she goes for my belt, I go for her bra. The whole time, our lips crush together so hard our teeth bump.

Once they're both off I push her back onto the bed and climb on after her, kissing her like my life depends on it. I want her to know I meant what I said, and no matter what happens, I'll always come back to her. She loops her arms around my neck and pulls me down, letting me hitch her up towards the pillows as our kiss turns into a war. She's angry at me, probably furious. But she's also not afraid to show it.

We undress the rest of the way, and simultaneously make love and wage war. It's the roughest we've been with each other for a while, and in some odd twisted way it feels good to release it all. I can tell she feels the same.

Finally, after we're done, and she's laying next to me while running her fingers up and down my sternum, I feel it safe to speak.

"Want to know something?"

She adjusts herself, tucking her head into the space between my chin and my shoulder. A wild stray curl brushes my cheek. "What?"

"I've been thinking about your theory."

"What about it?" She moves just slightly to kiss my shoulder.

"I think Felicia is Ridley's weak spot."

"I didn't think he had any of those." She sighs, her hand never stopping.

"Neither did I, but think about it for a second. He had her try to distract me, and scout out Eckles' office, and make sure you were good and emotionally distressed for all of it. She got into your head and convinced you that you weren't good enough for me. And then she let Ridley have us."

"Geoff, that last part is my own thinking, not hers..." She pulls away to look at me.

"It might be, but did you ever consider why? If Ridley wanted to ruin just my life, he'd have done it already. But now he's going after you too."

"Why?" Raina props herself on an elbow, holding the sheets up against her.

"Remember when you told me he kept saying things about how alike you two were? Or how he was the better choice because of reasons A, B, and C? Well, now I think he's not only wanting to get back at me, but at you for not picking him."

"But that doesn't make sense...with how Felicia fits in and everything..." She rakes a hand through her hair.

"It does, I'm getting there. So he asks me to endorse his campaign, see. And when I refuse, he goes to Eckles because he knows how they're related already. Gets his support. Asks her to file a restraining order against me." At that Raina's expression becomes alarmed, and it seems that just for now, she forgot she was angry at me. "The second she provokes me into violating it, she sounds the alarm and all hell breaks loose. Ergo, the explosions, the injuries, everything."

"But all I did was choose you." She rolls over onto her stomach, picking at one of her fingernails. "I loved you and he scared me. Ergo, my instinct kicked in."

"I know." I tuck some hair behind her ear, and she leans into my palm. "But Ridley's not the type to have closure. It's like You made me suffer, so now I'll make you suffer and you'll know what it feels like."

"But that's so..." Raina shakes her head, furrowing her brow. "So immature."

"Since when have we ever used 'Ridley' and 'mature' in the same sentence?"

She sighs, dropping her forehead to her stacked hands. "God. So what'll we do?"

"I don't know." I trace her shoulder blade, and see her arch into it. "But we'll need to think of something, and quick."

≈

We treat each other with civility in the days following. I can tell she still feels like she's not enough, and I want a way to show her that she's wrong. She's always been enough for me.

"I've been thinking..." she says one night when we've been eating our dinner in silence. "I want to stake out Felicia."

I shake my head. "Raina, no. There's no telling what she'll do to you."

"It can't be any worse than what she's already done." Raina's voice is quiet and pained, and she won't look at me. "She took my closest friend in the world from me and endangered my life. I don't care what she'll do, because she's mine."

"Raina..."

"Damn it, Geoff," she hisses, dropping her fork and pounding the table with both fists. When she finally meets my eyes her face is contorted with grief. "I won't let her get away with this. I won't let her win. I won't."

"She could torture you. Kill you. Hand you over to Ridley and let him have you. I couldn't live with that."

"And you don't think I know that?" A tear escapes and she swipes it away in irritation. "I have tried, every single day, to not think What would El do? I miss her so much it hurts, Geoff. It hurts. And if I do this one thing, at least I can say El didn't die for nothing."

"At least tell me what you have in mind, and maybe I can help you." I can see she's set on this and nothing's going to change it. "Felicia's a super, after all, and a powerful one. You're going to need some backup."

Raina looks up at me from under a lowered brow, an expression that makes me even want to shy away. Get out of the way, or else.

"I want her to feel the same pain I've felt."