^^Above, chapter title credit: Song by Crowded House.^^

{Geoffrey}

Not stopping Raina as she storms out is probably my biggest mistake. She's right about everything, like she almost always is. And I know I hurt her when I'd accused her of not knowing what it's like to be super. I saw it in her entire body. Because despite all the abuse and neglect Raina's seen in her life, she seems to have retained the ability to love.

Shortly after she leaves, there's another tap on the door. I stand up slowly, and then go to answer it. It's Mila, staying with Ettie in the room across the hall. She must have heard us arguing.

"Mila?"

"Mister Geoffrey," she says, but seems at a loss for much else. I have a feeling she thinks it's not her place, but I wish she would, because it looks like I need to be put in mine.

"What's up?" My guilt over the way I spoke to Raina just now is painful.

"You must help her to understand," she says, after a short heavy silence. "She may not know, but she wants to help. And you must let her."

"I know, but—"

"She loves you, Mister Geoffrey. And I know you love her. Therefore you must find some way to work together and not against."

"You're right," I answer, thinking of my daughter. Raina and I can have our disagreements, but for Ettie, they need to be as short-lived as possible. "I'm going after her."

Mila smiles and moves aside. I hurry down the hall and towards the elevators. One is just opening as I get there, and I climb in and hammer on the lobby button. I get the sinking feeling that Raina's trying to get as far away from me as possible right now, but I don't want her wandering the streets alone. Especially not at this time of night.

When the doors open again, I tumble out into the lobby, casting about for any sign of her. She's nowhere. I run up to the concierge's desk, startling the older woman there.

"Did you see a young woman come through here?" I pant. "Blonde hair, gold dress, probably wearing a black coat over it?"

The woman shakes her head. "I'm sorry sir, but—"

"She's my wife, dammit! I just need to know if you saw her!"

I think she's about to answer when a voice comes from behind me.

"Geoff?"

I spin around, seeing Matt. He's changed into normal clothing, and as he looks me up and down, his brow furrows.

"Jesus, Geoff, what happened to you?" he asks when he's pulled me away from the desk.

"Raina and I...we fought and she stormed out...now I don't know where she is..."

"Okay," he says, catching my upper arms and holding them tight. "Slow down for a second and think about this. Are you sure she left the hotel?"

I make a sort of noncommittal noise.

"Just stay here for a second. Don't move." He looks me in the eye and waits for me to nod before leaving. He's gone for about five minutes. When he comes back, he says, "So one of the bellboys saw her leave. She was crying, I think they said. That's why they remembered."

"I don't want her wandering outside alone, Matt, bad things could happen..."

"Hey, man." He catches me when I start pacing, clasping the back of my neck and pressing our foreheads together. "Look. We'll find her, okay? Don't worry."

I take a deep breath. That's true, I guess. If I don't calm down, it won't help me find her any faster. I just hope we can get to her before someone else does.

≈

I'm glad it's not winter, but that's probably the only thing that makes the search easier. Matt puts on his super suit and takes a bird's eye view, while I walk the streets. It just gives me more time to think of what I'm going to say to her when I see her again. But what will she do? Yell at me? Slap me in the face? Cry? Or worse, all of the above?

Morning's coming by the time I find her. She must have not gotten into any trouble, because my super sense would have led me straight to her. She's sitting on the Bow Bridge, the street having turned her heels black. There's mud streaked all up her legs, on her hands, and in her hair. Her tears are gone but the black smudges of makeup are still there.

"Raina?" I say, stopping a few feet away from her.

Her eyes flicker up to me. They're bloodshot and rimmed with red, like she didn't get any sleep last night. I sure as hell didn't.

"Raina, please say something."

"What?" Her voice is rough, scratchy. "Since it seems I don't know anything, what do you want to hear?"

"Don't do this—" I start, but that's what sets her off.

"Don't do what? I'm not like you, Geoff! I can't keep my feelings bottled up inside! I know you try to help me, but why won't you let me help you? I love you, Geoff, and it's because I love you that I want to help! But you won't, because you have your stupid pride!"

"It's not like that, it's—"

"Can't you drop your outer persona for just one second?" She stands up, leaning against the rail, and that's when I notice her ankle's swollen. She must have sprained it. "Stop thinking about what other people see and start thinking of what I see!"

That makes me hesitate for a second. Was I really losing touch with her?

"I don't want you to just be my husband, Geoff." She swipes at her cheeks; her tears started again. "I want you to be a father to our daughter, I want you to be the man I can love and honor and trust. I want us to be partners, not opponents."

"You were never my—"

"Yes, I was." She cuts me off. "The second you decided to keep secrets from me was the second you made me your rival. You pushed me away, you ignored me, you wouldn't let me help you. But I still loved you, because I was hoping that...someday, you might tell me."

"This doesn't mean I don't love you," I say, but I know it's a weak argument. "I'm sorry, Raina. Sometimes I just...I feel like I need to do things myself, and..."

"I did too, and look where that got me." She rakes her hand through her hair. "Scarred for life and estranged from the only family I have left."

We stay there, with only early-morning joggers passing us, and don't speak. Even looking like this, she's as beautiful as the day we met. If anything, her strength has made her more so, in the set of her shoulders and her jaw. I see a muscle there jumping, meaning she's still angry at me.

"Raina, we're family now. You, me, and Ettie. I want you to know that whatever happens, that'll never change."

"It'd better not," she says, leaning back against the rail. "Because I'm pregnant again."

That news hits me like a thunderbolt. "You...you are?"

She takes a deep breath and nods slowly. "Last time we were here in the city...I think that's when it happened."

"But that was over three weeks ago—"

"I know. But this isn't like the first time, Geoff. I can just tell."

"You can?" I say dumbly. I guess for a lot of women, that sense was just innate. An instinct, maybe. Or a feeling.

She nods. "I'm sorry about last night, really...I just...panicked, I guess."

"Me too." I scuff my foot on the ground. "I'm sorry I accused you of not knowing anything."

Raina bites her lip, and then looks down. "Does this mean you're ready to let me help?"

"But what about the...?" I stop when she smiles. An actual smile. "What?"

"I've never let a baby stop me," she says. "If I hadn't been so utterly clueless about the last one, I would've done more."

"Who should I tell?" I ask when I've finally gotten close to her, standing next to her at the rail.

"No one yet. I don't want anyone else to know."

"Not even Ellen?" I lay my hand on her shoulder and rub it.

She shakes her head. "I don't want her to go all 'goddam best roommate' on me."

I slide my arm around her, and she drops her head to my shoulder. I kiss her forehead, and once again I feel like everything's sliding back into place.

≈

While she's in the shower, I try to sit down and make a list of all the people Ridley's managed to catch in his snare. Felicia. Dominic Pascal. Howard Eckles. Possibly others we don't know about. And most importantly, me. His rare moment of chivalry last night showed a different side of him, one I hadn't seen before. I also write down Ellen, but scribble it out as soon as I hear the shower go off. That news would devastate Raina, but I don't want to tell her yet.

Right then there's a knock on the door. I jump up, folding the paper in half and sticking it in my pocket before going to answer it.

"Dada!" It's Ettie, in Mila's arms.

"Hey, Ets." I smile and take her off Mila's hands, because I know she needs a break too. "Thank you, Mila."

Mila only smiles.

Raina emerges from the bathroom right then, wrapped only in a towel. Her eyes move from me to the door and then back.

"Mila," I say, by way of explanation.

"Hi, Mama!" Ettie reaches out with one hand, flapping her fingers at Raina.

"Hi, sweetie." Raina catches her hand and kisses her fingers.

Ettie begins to squirm in my arms, and that's when I hand her off to Raina. She buries her face in Raina's neck, and she responds with a kiss on her cheek.

"See what I mean, Raina?" I catch her elbow and pull her close, dropping my forehead to hers. "No matter what happens, we'll always be a family."

"I know," she whispers, and I believe her. I angle my head and kiss her, and I can taste the truth on her lips.