"Oh no it's ok, I appreciated it," Jess replied, keeping her tone polite despite the flare of anger from Roxy. She had appreciated it, albeit because it had kept both of them away from Mr Black. There was no avoiding him now, though.

Following Roxy into the dining room, she stopped beside her. The barely-concealed surge of panic told Jess what she needed to know about the other guest waiting for them, a young man who oozed the same shallow charm as Reginald did. Her entire body tensed as he approached, addressing her with that fake politeness, which Roxy made it clear she was having none of.

"May I ask..." Jess bit the inside of her lip before continuing. "Part of our lives in what way?" She'd tried to put up her own civil air for different reasons, but her words began to take on a frosty edge - whether due to Roxy's emotions or her own, she didn't know. What she did know was the likely answer to her question. If it was what she suspected, was there a way for Roxy and this man to stay out of each other's lives?

"As Roxanna's husband." Maxwell answered with a smile.

"I am not marrying you or any other man." Roxy growled.

"It's time to grow up Roxanna and put this gay phase behind you." Reginald replied. He refused to have a child who couldn't give him a heir. It was bad enough that is oldest was a female. The least she could do was benefit him in some way by marrying someone who was respectable. It shouldn't matter that the marriage benefitted him more than it did her. The way he saw it she owed him for everything he had given her over the years.

"It's not a fucking phase father." Roxy growled. She hated having this conversation again. They had fought about this every time she came home. Something that she avoided since she turned sixteen. "Nothing has changed since I told you ten years ago."

Husband? Jess shuddered at the word, and at the man's conviction that it was to be the case. That smile, however friendly, couldn't fool an empath.

Reginald, of course, had to take his side, dismissing Roxy's reluctance - and the reason for it, which caught Jess by surprise. Gay? Roxy too? She believed her, she knew from experience that it wasn't a phase, but if she reassured her at any point, would it help? She had a loving, accepting family. Roxy didn't. They were still a world apart in that regard.

With a deep breath, she looked Maxwell in the eyes. She hadn't stood up to anyone since before her time in isolation, but she had to say something. "L-Look, if Roxy would rather not..." Her voice, although quiet, had an undertone of defiance more characteristic of Roxy than of her. She let the anger seeping through the shield fuel her, despite the fear, both their fear. "She'd rather not."

As the words hung in the air, Jess' entire body tensed as she braced herself for the response.

Roxy looked at Jess. It hadn't been much. Barely a whisper but the empath had stood up for for. Sort of. Still it was more than anyone had done for her. No one had ever taken her side.

Reginald smiled indulgently. "I see you're one of those believe people should be allowed to love whoever they want to." He sighed and looked at Roxy but she ignored him. Her eyes didn't move off Maxwell. He was the threat here. Her father wouldn't hurt them. At least not physically and other wounds didn't count. "Normally I would agree however I arranged Roxanna's marriage years ago."

"I'm willing to allow Roxanna to have a woman on the side if that is what she needs." Maxwell shrugged as if it didn't matter to him. Roxy rolled her eye. She tried to shove the irritation and fear she felt into the box she kept her emotions in. She didn't have the luxury of dealing with them right now. Not that she would deal with them later. She had been avoiding feeling for years. It was much easier that way. "Heck I'd even watch."

"You have your heir father. You can leave me alone." Roxy hated that she had been sold off to the highest bidder. It didn't matter that Maxwell had worked with her father for years. She wanted nothing to do with either of them. "As for you Maxwell you can go to hell for all I care. You can find another wife. I hear Russia and China have some you can buy." She snarled.

Right away, Jess picked up on that hint of surprise. A slight yet noticeable warm feeling accompanied it, like a glimpse of sunlight in a storm. Comfort? It hadn't been enough, it hadn't made any real difference to Roxy's mood or to the situation. For all Jess knew, she could simply be taking on traces of Roxy's personality from sensing her emotions. Still, now she'd spoken up, she knew she couldn't back down.

She could barely hide her grimace anyway as that pervert admitted he'd watch Roxy with a girlfriend. Both men's polite facades had slipped, their threatening sides showing now they had what they wanted in sight, Maxwell's in particular. "It's just..." Jess glanced from one man to the other, despite the gnawing fear. "Roxy's her own person." Again, she put emphasis on the name. "And she's made it clear this isn't what she wants."

"She isn't her own person though." Reginald explained. He wasn't too worried about the empath yet. He was watching her though. She could be a weak link in his plans. He couldn't allow her to ruin everything he had worked for. "She is my daughter. I arranged for her to marry Maxwell because it benefited both of that. I am saddened that arrangement doesn't suit her but a deal is a deal there is no way to undo it."

"I really don't see why this is a problem." Maxwell shrugged. "It isn't like I am being very understanding. Roxy wasn't part of the agreement and Reginald had no way that she wouldn't be into men."

Roxy grit her teeth. Most people would think they were being reasonable. They were willing to change things to suit her. But that wasn't the point. She would basically be a two timing hussy. "I am not marrying you. I sure as hell not sleeping with you."

"You will give me a heir Roxanna. That isn't negotiable." Maxwell leaned forward and put his hand on Roxy's arm. She jerked away. It took everything in her not to hit the man. She wanted to so bad but if she did there would be consequences and that wasn't something they needed right now.

As she saw Maxwell's touch on Roxy's arm, Jess clenched her fists so hard her fingernails dug into her skin. She knew Roxy wanted nothing more right now than to hit him. Jess tried to slow her breathing, but it shuddered in her lungs with the steady flow of anger. Maybe it was best not to fight it completely. It was the only thing fueling the two of them to speak out through their fear.

"Leave her alone..." The plea came out soft, yet insistent, as she moved closer to Roxy. Her eyes shifted to Mr Black. "This doesn't benefit her. And... and..." She paused, swallowing a lump through her tight throat. The words on her lips could either prove a hindrance to Mr Black's plans, or land both her and Roxy in further trouble, but she had to point something out. Lying to an empath took a whole other level of arrogance.

"You're not saddened," she blurted. "Not for Roxy, anyway."

Maxwell smirked as he moved back he looked to Reginald. "So you can feel the emotions of people other than Roxanna's that's good to know." It was clear that this had been part of their plan. They had been looking for confirmation that the bubble didn't over other people emotions completely the way it was supposed to.

Roxy sighed in resignation. She should have seen this coming. Her father was too smart not to want to take advantage of the weak bubble. He would make it so that Jess had no choice but to do what he wanted while the bubble was weak and she couldn't actively block people. She had no doubt he would make it so that the empath felt like she had to do what he wanted. "Leave her alone father. She doesn't work for you and she isn't going to."

"Even if I allow you to visit Drake?" Reginald asked.

"Not even if you agree to call off the wedding. I won't allow you to pull her into your web." It meant a lot to Roxy that Jess had tried to stand up for her but she wouldn't allow the other woman to do something she would regret. And there was no way someone like Jess wouldn't regret working for her father.

That anger ran cold, souring to horror. Now she'd gone and screwed up, played right into Mr Black's hands. "It wouldn't even take an empath to figure that out," Jess quickly added, trying to remedy the situation even though she knew it was too late. "If-if you were saddened, you'd figure out something that suited her."

She inwardly cursed herself. Why had she gone and let emotion fuel her? Let it cloud her judgement? Now it was obvious he'd use her ability to his advantage - and use her and Roxy against each other to do so. As if that wasn't bad enough, if Roxy had blamed herself before, she certainly would now.

"Neither of us belongs to you," Jess insisted, one more weak attempt at defiance, although they'd both found themselves tangled tighter than ever in Mr Black's plan. She didn't know who Drake was, but this was yet more proof he'd gladly bargain with Roxy's wellbeing to get an empath on his side.

And no way could Jess let him do either.

"There is nothing to figure out. We made a deal. We would both lose too much by calling it off." Reginald countered. Which was true. They could call off the deal but neither of them had a valid reason to do so. They benefited more by forcing Roxy to go through with the marriage. "Its true that you don't belong to either of us Jessamyn. You're welcome to do whatever you want to do." But he knew she would do what she could to make sure that the bubble grew and protected her.

"Let's just eat." Roxy said. She was frustrated. There was no winning. She was trapped between a rock and a hard place. She just wanted to get through the weekend. She would have to deal with the wedding eventually but they were giving her time so Jess could adjust. She was going to take advantage of every moment.

With a terse nod, Jess shuffled behind Roxy to the dining table. "I guess we'd better," she mumbled, frustration coiling tighter and tighter inside her, just as it did in the anchor. She'd known all along there was no changing anyone's minds here. No way to change the situation - at least, not yet. She couldn't let this slimeball marry Roxy, yet besides agreeing to play a part in a corrupt businessman's schemes, how could she prevent it? Was strengthening the shield in a short amount of time the only hope for her and Roxy? If so, what if Reginald got in the way of that?

She sat down, hoping Roxy wouldn't get in even more trouble over the lukewarm food as she awaited the inevitable questioning. Best not to let too much slip this time.

The meal was a silent but tense affair. It was clear the men had the upper hand even if it wasn't completely clear as to why. Roxy wasn't giving in to the demands the demands made on her but she hadn't been fighting them. She had been the situation and had succeeded until recently. Now she was going to decide how she wanted to handle this situation. That wasn't a bad thing. It was probably a good thing for her to stop ignoring it.

"Will you be joining us for drinks?" Maxwell asked.

"I think Jess has had enough for one night." Roxy stated as she pushed her chair back and stood up. Maybe a swim before bed would help her relax enough to sleep. She knew she wouldn't be able to relax enough to sleep right now. She would have to ask Jess if she minded once they got out of hearing rang.

Throughout the meal, Jess remained quiet, sitting hunched as if to distance herself from Reginald and Maxwell even while sitting with them. There was no questioning like she'd expected, but that brought no relief. It only confirmed the men had all the knowledge they'd wanted, all because she'd been careless. The smug satisfaction she could feel emanating from them backed it up further.

She bristled at Maxwell's invitation for drinks - that fake politeness wasn't fooling anyone, something he should know by now. Before she could mumble a refusal, Roxy spoke up for her. "So has Roxy," Jess added flatly, standing up with the anchor. There probably wasn't any point in going to bed just yet, as she doubted either of them would sleep, but at least they'd be away from these two. For now, anyway.

Roxy looked at Jess in surprise. She wasn't used to people caring about her. Maybe it was because no one else knew how she felt. Emotions weren't something that she had ever displayed. She had been raised to be strong and independent. She wasn't sure how she felt about the fact that Jess not only knew how she felt but cared. It was probably because her emotions affected the empath. Still it was new and would take time to adjust to.

Without a word, Roxy headed out of the room. "I can't sleep right now. Would you mind if I did a few laps in the pool?" She knew it was a lot to ask. Especially after the empath had to deal with her father and Maxwell but she was too restless. She didn't want to go to her room there were too many memories there. She needed a little time to put her emotions back into their box.

"Shit, I'm sorry..." Jess muttered once the two of them were out of the room. Oddly enough, that burn of anger hadn't been directed at her, even though Roxy had every right to get mad over the mistake. Instead, along with the astonished look, there'd been confusion and a hint of awkwardness, as if she could barely believe anyone would stand up for her.

A twinge, deep in Jess' belly, accompanied Roxy's question about letting her swim. Guilt, mixing with her own. Was the anchor worried about imposing? Asking too much? There was nothing unreasonable about the request, and it was only fair, Jess had gotten her to follow her around plenty. "It's ok, I don't mind," she replied, recalling what Roxy had said earlier, that it helped her let out frustration. "Best to do something relaxing." Maybe she'd take a swim too. They both needed to wind down, not just to sleep better, but to figure out ways around Mr Black's scheme. Easing stress would help them think.

Roxy studied Jess trying to decide if Jess was agreeing because she herself was restless and wanting to do something or because she felt how restless she was and knew that doing something active would help. It was hard to tell. She supposed that it didn't really matter whether Jess was agreeing because she wanted to do something active or if she just wanted be active because Jess knew that being active would help. She supposed that it didn't matter. Either they would get the same results.

"I don't know about relaxing but it's something that will help." Roxy headed to the changing room. As she expected were several styles in her size. She picked out a black one piece that was simple suit that covered as much of her body as possible. Jess would still see a few but her martial art and knife train could explain them.

Jess gave a joyless laugh. "I suppose relaxing is too strong a word... But still." She hesitated outside the changing room. Would asking to swim be asking too much herself, after that screw-up? Pushing the thought aside, she followed. If they were going to strengthen the shield, they needed to share activities instead of keep their lives separate. Not that the latter would have been an option even if they'd wanted to.

Just as Roxy had said, several bathing suits were spread out. A few comfortable looking ones... And a few that Maxwell or other creeps must have liked seeing Roxy in. Jess shuddered, picking out a plain blue tankini swimsuit and heading towards a cubicle. Stopping just outside it, she looked over her shoulder, holding up the swimwear. "You sure it's ok?"

For all the encouragements to spend time together, it was best to confirm it truly was ok. Not only was she a guest here, Roxy might not want a living reminder of how this mess had happened, not while trying to unwind. If the anchor wanted to be alone right now, Jess would wait here, in the changing room.

Roxy had just finished putting on the swimsuit when she heard Jess ask if it was OK. She wasn't completely sure what the empath meant. Did she mean was it ok for her to join her? Or was Jess asking if it was ok to borrow a specific suit? The answer to both was yes. She didn't do things she didn't want to do. Well most of the time. If she hadn't be comfortable with having the woman in the water she would have asked her sit on the side lines. She reminded herself that Jess was probably just being courteous and double checking because her emotions were all over the place.

"It's fine Jess. If you want to swim feel free if you want to side on the side that's fine too. You do whatever your comfortable doing." She answered before stepping out of changing room. She made her way to the pool. She used the stairs to get into the pool. She figured she would wait there for Jess to decide what she wanted to do.

Jess nodded in acknowledgement. "Then if it's ok, I'll join you." She looked down at the changing room tiles, the warmth of a blush spreading over her face. Would Roxy be uncomfortable having someone see her in a swimsuit? Maybe she was overthinking again, Jess decided. If there were any unease, it would already have become obvious.

Even so, she shuffled into the cubicle as Roxy left the changing room. She quickly changed into the bathing suit and headed out, sitting on the edge of the pool and dangling her legs in. The cool of the water would have been pleasant, if not for the knowledge of whose pool and whose house this was. Gripping the side, she hoisted herself in and propelled her body forward to warm up. Once the initial shock of chill had passed, she lay on her back, slow strokes with her arms and legs keeping her afloat. Relaxing really wasn't the right word, considering everything, but it was the closest to unwinding the two would get.

Unlike Jess Roxy didn't try floating. She pushed of the way and started to swim. She was a decent swimmer. She made quick work of the distance from one side of the pool to the other. She was doing her best to burn off her frustration. Physical activity always help with that. She was hoping a few laps would help her. She made sure to not get too close to Jess. She didn't want the waves that she was creating to disrupt the empath's ability to float. She wanted the other woman to relax as much as possible

After a few laps most of her frustration had been burned off and she was able to slow down. She didn't stop though. Her goal was to exhaust herself. She hoped that would be enough to allow her to get some sleep. The better she slept the better Jess would be able to sleep. It seemed like the least that she could do for the other woman.