The plane ride back to America was vastly preferable to the one into Abu Sadah. Tehar chartered a private jet with only a brief stopover in Paris, more because he wanted to take her out to dinner there than because it was strictly necessary.

They waited only a few days before leaving, just long enough to arrange things with his family and get their approval on the plan. Then, what seemed like such a short time later, they were landing in Miami.

The doctor had at first disapproved of Kathy flying when she was so close to her due date. It was November now, and she was a very rotund nine months along. Tehar had agreed, wanting her to stay where it was safe, but she insisted on coming along. This wasn’t going to end without her.

Tessa met them at the airport, wearing a sweater. The cold caught Kathy by surprise. In the desert, it was still summer warm, but here, winter had almost arrived.

“I took care of everything you asked,” Tessa said as they climbed into a rented car. “I got the hotel in my name and everything, but he probably still knows you’re coming.”

“Good,” Tehar said, unworried. “He should be terrified.”

They got settled in the hotel room to wait until the evening, and Kathy was glad for the chance to catch up with Tessa.

“You’re huge,” Tessa said, making her laugh, as they ate room service’s luxurious snacks, lying on the huge bed while Tehar worked on the computer at the desk across from them. “How are you even moving around?”

“Well, I don’t know. How do you do it?” Kathy teased, and Tessa flicked caviar at her. “Honestly though, the answer is I am moving as little as possible. My feet feel like balloons. Really painful balloons.”

“Will you be all right going tonight?” Tessa asked with a frown.

“If everything goes according to plan,” Kathy said. “I won’t have to do much but push a few buttons.”

“Still, I’m worried about you,” Tessa said with a frown. “This Mitchell guy has a temper. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Don’t worry,” Kathy said with a smile, glancing at Tehar. “I’ll be well protected. “

They left late that evening once everything but the clubs and bars were shut down for the night.

"The door is around this way," Kathy whispered, keeping clear of the security cameras as she led Tehar around the side of the building. "They always forget to lock it. Someone is going to break in and steal all the cameras eventually."

"And if by chance the door is locked?" Tehar asked.

Kathy hefted the crowbar she'd brought along.

"Well, then we open a window," she said with a grin.

In the studio's side parking lot, she led him to the heavy steel security door through which she'd taken her breaks.

"We usually keep this jammed open with a brick," she explained to Tehar, kicking the nearby bit of brick they used. "So that we can come in and out on breaks. You're not supposed to be able to open it from the outside. No handle, even. But if you get locked out enough times, you figure out…"

She paused for effect as she, with some difficulty, eased herself down to her knees and slid the crowbar under the edge of the door.

"It's pretty useless if you don't lock it."

She pushed down on the bar and the door popped open effortlessly, the metal creaking. Tehar helped her to her feet and they slipped inside.

The halls of the studio were pitch black, but Kathy knew them like the back of her hand.

"This way," she whispered. "His office is just down this hall, through the main sound stage."

His office door was locked, but some careful fiddling with the lock and a bent bobby pin had it open.

"You pick that up from being locked out as well?" Tehar asked, amused.

"Yes, actually," Kathy said with a prim little huff. "I used to lose my keys all the time."

"And being the person that you are, you learned to pick locks rather than remember your keys."

"These kinds of skills come in handy in my line of work."

Inside the dark, silent office, Tehar made a beeline for the computer, using his administrator account to override Mitchell's password. He began sorting through files while Kathy searched the shelves and drawers for hard copies.

"Take it easy," Tehar urged her as Kathy lifted a nearly hidden box from the top of Mitchell's bookshelf. "This would be a very bad time for you to hurt yourself."

"I'm fine," Kathy said impatiently, putting the box down on the desk to look through it. It was full of rewritable CDs, their cases hand labeled. Kathy lifted one out to examine it curiously. It had the name of one of the studio's employees, plus a date.

"No wonder this computer moves so slowly," Tehar said. "His hard drive is full of video files. What are these? Cassandra Bree, March 3rd. Emma Delisle, December 12th. They're all labeled like that."

"So are these," Kathy said, showing him the CDs. "Play one."

Tehar clicked the one labeled Cassandra and the video began to play. It was angled low, partially obscured. It looked like the camera was hidden in a potted plant. It was in Cassandra's office, recording her as she sat at her computer. She was looking at a job offer from a rival company. Tehar clicked the Emma video, then shut it quickly as they realized it was from a camera hidden in a bathroom where the intern was changing clothes.

"There's months’ worth of this," Tehar said, scrolling back through the files.

"And more on these CDs," Kathy added. "They go back to last year at least. He's been recording everyone. Christ, does that one say Henry Alan?"

It did. Mitchell had recorded secret blackmail footage of the very founder of QIC Media.

"There are files here labeled with my name from January and February," Tehar said. "He must have planted cameras in my office when he heard I was coming to monitor him. That's how he got the footage of us together."

"There it is," Kathy said, spotting the file labeled Tehar, February 14th.

"I never expected there to be this much," Tehar said. "I had no idea he was recording everyone. Even Henry Alan! We can't let him keep any of these."

"They're not all going to fit on the flash drive we brought," Kathy said with a frown.

"Then we'll take the hard drive," Tehar said. "I'll have it overnighted to my lawyers. This is more than enough to win our case against him. This will have him put away for good. He'll be arrested before he even notices it's missing."

"All right," Kathy said with a nod. "Let's do it."

They opened the computer tower and removed the hard drive quickly. Kathy tucked it into her bag while Tehar picked up the box of CDs. They checked the office one last time for any sign of more blackmail material, then headed for the door.

As they were passing through the main sound stage, a light suddenly flashed on in their faces. Kathy threw a hand up to shield her eyes, and as her eyes adjusted, she saw Mitchell, looking smug as he caught them in the beam of a flashlight.

"You two find everything you were looking for?" he asked sarcastically. "Really, did you think I wouldn’t know you were back in town? I figured it was a matter of time before you tried to break in here. It’s a good thing I have it under surveillance."

"You creep," Kathy spat. "You weren't just recording us—you were recording everyone! You have cameras in the women's bathroom too, you monster!"

"Listen, that's just part of doing business in this industry," Mitchell said with a shrug. "Your buddy there made that very clear when he tried to get me fired last year just for chasing some tail."

"You pressured a nineteen-year-old into having an affair with you," Tehar replied calmly. "And it was your own indiscretion that nearly destroyed this entire company. That's hardly the same as recording secret footage of people."

"I didn't have a choice," Mitchell declared. "The only way to stay ahead in this business is to have something to hold over everyone else. I didn't design the system, I just wasn't gonna get screwed over by your morality policing B.S. again. And now I never will."

He held up the small camera he was holding.

"Because now I have evidence of you two breaking into the studio and trying to steal from me. I could not only have you fired, I could have you arrested. In fact, I think I will. And once the Sheikh there is out of the way, I'll get my old job back. And when Henry Alan sees a few of the videos I have of him, well…"

Mitchell chuckled suggestively.

"If you have us arrested, the police will confiscate the files," Kathy reminded him. "And I have a feeling they'd get you into a lot more trouble than us."

"It's stolen property," Mitchell sniffed. "They'd have no right to inspect it."

"Maybe." Kathy shrugged. "But you know what I bet they would inspect?"

She grinned.

"The security footage."

"You think I'm dumb enough to come in here without turning off the cameras?" Mitchell scoffed.

"No," Kathy said. "But did you turn off the main desk camera? Or the weather camera? How about every camera on the sound stage?"

Tehar stepped back to flip on a light switch. Every camera in the room was on and facing their way, the red recording lights blinking.

"I turned them on while we were on our way into your office," Kathy explained while Mitchell stared, stunned. "We would have wiped them before we left, but I had a feeling you wouldn't be able to resist the urge to gloat. And sure enough, here you are. And you just gave us a full recorded confession."

"I'm sure Henry Alan will be most interested to hear your plans for him," Tehar said, smiling.

Mitchell turned pale.

"You wouldn't dare," he said. "I still have the video of you! If you tell anyone, I'll—"

"Considering the fact that we're dating—monogamously," Tehar interrupted. "I doubt it will cause much of a scandal. But you're welcome to try. I'm sure it would only help your case."

Mitchell stumbled for a moment, clearly searching for some way out. Suddenly, he yowled like an enraged animal and threw himself at them, swinging the flashlight at Tehar's head like a club.

Tehar pushed Kathy quickly out of the way and raised an arm to catch the blow, grabbing the flashlight and swinging his other fist into Mitchell's jaw. Mitchell stumbled and Tehar wrestled the flashlight away from him, throwing it into the darkness. But Mitchell recovered, tackling Tehar, trying to get his hands around the other man's throat.

Kathy watched, afraid to intercede for the sake of her child, but tense with fear at the sight of Tehar fighting. Suddenly, Tehar threw Mitchell off, shoving him backward into a desk. Mitchell stumbled, catching himself as he slipped in a pile of paperwork. He was dazed, but Tehar didn't move in to finish him.

"Stop this, Mitchell," Tehar warned him. "You've already lost. A beating isn't going to change that."

Mitchell, clearly beyond reason, just charged at him again. They struggled with one another, fighting their way across the sound stage, each one taking blow after blow. Apparently, all of Mitchell's dodging actual work to work out on the beach hadn't been for nothing, but Tehar was stronger. Then, just as Kathy thought he had Mitchell beaten, Tehar slipped, his foot sliding on the same paperwork Mitchell had knocked over earlier, falling on to the main broadcast desk. Mitchell wasted no time, grabbing Tehar by the neck and slamming his head down into the desk to daze him.

"I always hated you," he snarled, strangling Tehar. "You sanctimonious, self-righteous asshole! I'm going to destroy you—I don't care how! If the video I have won't work, I'll find something else. I won't stop until you're a homeless wreck begging for—"

Kathy handed Tehar the flashlight, and he hit Mitchell over the back of the head with it, the sound an earsplitting crack. Mitchell slumped to the floor at once, out cold. Tehar got up, dropping the flashlight.

"God, I was so scared," she said, hugging him tightly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm all right," Tehar said, putting a hand to his head and grimacing at the sight of blood. "Or I will be, anyway. Thanks to you."

They smiled at each other, relieved, victorious. Even if none of the blackmail material was admissible in court, they had a video of Mitchell nearly trying to kill Tehar now as well. There was no way he'd ever work in the industry again.

"I think it's about time we called the cops," Kathy said.

"I think you're right," Tehar agreed.

An hour or so later, they were still sitting on the sound stage, finishing up their report to the police. Tehar had been checked out by a paramedic and patched up. He'd need a couple of stitches for his head, but nothing serious. Mitchell had been taken off to the emergency room with a fractured skull, handcuffed to the gurney.

"It's a pretty wild story," one of the officers said, watching some of the blackmail tapes. She'd already rewound and watched the footage from the soundstage main camera. "But it checks out. This is going to be an interesting case to pursue, that's for sure."

"If you can keep it as quiet as possible, it would be greatly appreciated," Tehar said. "At least until we can be sure all those videos are destroyed. No one would want to see those getting out."

"Don't worry, Mr. Al-Kindi," the officer reassured him. "We'll take care of it. Everything is going to be fine."

"And we're not going to get in trouble for breaking in, right?" Kathy asked with an awkward smile.

"Well, I'm pretty sure he owns the building so…" The officer shrugged. "Unless someone else in the company decides to press charges, I don't see any reason you two would need to worry."

Kathy sighed in relief and smiled at Tehar. It looked like all their problems, at least with Mitchell, were solved.

Suddenly, she doubled over with a surprised cry, clutching her stomach.

"Whoa! Are you all right?" the officer said, taking her shoulders. Tehar took her other side, worried, while the officer called for a medic.

"I'm fine," Kathy wheezed. "It's just contractions. Probably brought on by all the stress. They'll go away on their own in a bit—ah!"

She hunched over again, biting her lip and gripping Tehar's hand as she waited thirty seconds for it to pass. It felt like someone was running an electric mixer over her insides.

"That seemed worse than normal," Tehar said, worried. "Longer, too."

"I'm fine," Kathy said breathlessly, lightheaded. "Really."

But the police medic decided otherwise, calling them another ambulance. Kathy kept insisting it was just false labor, but by the time they reached the hospital, they were coming fast and regular enough that even she was beginning to accept that this was for real. She was about to have a baby.

"I'm here with you," Tehar promised, holding her hand as they wheeled her into the ER. "I'll be with you every step of the way."

"Do me a favor," Kathy said, taking deep breaths to try to ignore the pain rippling through her abdomen. "First, get our doctor on a plane over here. Second, I'm going to want chocolate when this is over. A lot of it."

"I will buy the nearest chocolate store for you," he promised, kissing her hand. "I will have a ten-pound brick sent overnight from Switzerland. Anything you want, my flower. You have never looked so beautiful."

Kathy's laughter was interrupted by another surge of intense discomfort. Then, they were wheeling her into a room and it was time to begin.

Around eight hours of exhausting, uncomfortable work later, it was over. Kathy closed her eyes, lying back against the bed, knowing she was close to passing out, but unwilling to quite let go yet.

"Hang in just a little longer," Tehar said. He was still sitting beside her, looking awed and exhausted.

The nurse returned with their baby, freshly washed and weighed.

"Here you go," the nurse said, leaning down to place the baby in Kathy’s arms. "One healthy, beautiful baby girl."

"Oh, wow." Kathy's eyes widened as she looked down at her baby. Her daughter. The soft, squishy face that looked up at her made her heart feel like it was bursting out of her chest.

She'd always thought newborns looked kind of weird and alien before. But this baby, her baby, looked like the most beautiful thing in the world. Her little girl opened her eyes, dark blue, and looked up at her, and Kathy knew she was lost forever. She was never going to love anything the way she loved this tiny human in her arms right then.

"Look at her," Kathy said in wonder, shifting so that Tehar could see. He leaned in close eagerly, and she could see the same transformation happening in his eyes. Devotion, as easy as that, instinctual and perfect.

"She's perfect," he said softly like she was something holy. "Beautiful."

"Have you decided on a name?" the nurse asked, interrupting their reverie.

"Ah, I don't know," Kathy said, suddenly stumped. "I was so sure it was going to be a boy. We haven't really talked about girl names."

"How about Amira?" Tehar suggested, looking up at Kathy for approval. "It means princess."

"That sounds perfect," Kathy said with a smile, looking down at her baby again. "Amira…"