Time: Modern Day
Location: Washington DC

Mal and Layla get dropped off by Tamara at their Hotel. She declined the offer to come up for a drink. Perhaps it was that the five margaritas they had already had in the restaurant were starting to make their presence felt. 

"No, no thank you, anyway. I have to fly back to LA tomorrow and at this rate I won't even need a plane Haha."

"Yesh, we fully understood. Hehe," Layla joked. 

"Haaa, and thanks for offering to help with Dad's campaign. I think you guys are wonderful and will be an enormous help to him. Just watch out for Carolyn, his campaign adviser, she'll probably get her nose out of joint because Dad didn't discuss it with her. But eff her, we want to win not play Mr. Nice Guy all the time. Seeya you guys!" She waved as the Uber driver pulled into the traffic lane. 

Once in the room, Layla said, "Mind if I take a shower, honey?"

"No, go ahead I might even  join you, haha. I'll just take a quick look at the videos we took, first though . . . . Ohh shit!"

Layla, naked, popped her head around the corner from the bathroom and asked, "What is it? Something wrong with the quality?"
Mal shook his head.  Layla rushed over and plopped herself down next to Mal on the luxurious bone coloured settee. 

"No look, it's the feed from After Dark. The World Health Organisation has declared a pandemic in Wuhan, China. It looks bad. The Chinese Government is locking people who are sick with their entire family in their homes. That's not all, anyone with a low social justice score, they are actually welding their doors shut. It's insane."

"That could never happen back home, Mal, not even here. I know some of the Yankee politicians are crazy but they'd never lock people in their homes. They couldn't could they? That'd be against their beloved Constitution wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. China's more totalitarian I guess. They dominate their people."

"Come here, don't you want to  dominate me? . . .  Thought you were joining me in the shower?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot?" Mal grinned cheekily. 

"Forgot eh? I'll give you forgot!" Layla pinched his leg hard just as she did whenever she didn't want him to say something or to stop him talking during an  interview. Back at the studio, the cutting room floor was littered with 'Ouches'.

Mal swept her up and kissed her full on the lips, "Like to be dominated do you? I'm learning more about you every day. Hehe,"

"Now and then I do!"

"So now, I'm taking you into the shower and then . . . "

They made boring, old fashioned and passionate love again. This was becoming a habit. But for Mal it was quickly escalating into an obsession. In the afterglow, lying on the bed, cradling Layla's sleeping head in the crook of his shoulder,  watching her breathing, as his mind wandered, then it started to dawn on him. 

I am beginning to understand Peter's obsession with Amelia. 

He was beginning to feel sorry for him, he had to stop himself when he even started to give him a pass for killing Monique. 

It was wrong but I think I understand him now. But if I find out he had anything to do with Carter's death . . .   That would be it. I could never forgive that. I wonder where Carter is now. I wonder if he knows Peter is his Dad and Amelia was his Mum. Bet that was a shock up there,  eh Carter? Are you here again? Are you watching us again? I'm sure you were there the first time. I swear I felt the same sensations as at the racetrack. I don't feel anything now, though. Do you forgive us? Do you really? At least you aren't playing ghostly tricks on us, so I guess on some level you do.

Mal drifted off into an alcohol and sex drugged sleep. 

He was awoken by Layla's phone dinging for the fourth time in five minutes. Layla finally stirred, rolled on top of him and kissed him good morning. 

"Ugh, your breath smells of alcohol and . . . my head! Shit, did you get the number of that truck?"

"Hehe, yeah tell me about it. Someone sure wants to talk to us. Your phone keeps going off."

"Where the hell is it?"

"In the bathroom by the sound of the echo." 

"Oh, yeah. You sexy thing. I remember now!" Layla lent over and kissed him hard while holding her turned up nose and laughing. 

Mal slapped her on her lovely white behind and said, "Get in there you, and answer your phone or I shall dominate you a second time. Hehe."

Layla squealed out a laugh and jumped off him and ran across to the shower. 

"Shit, six missed calls from Ed. Haha. Dick still hasn't worked out the time zones. At last he's left a text message. He must be desperate. What the hell?'

"What is it, babe?"

"I'll read it out, 'Hi, it's Ef I mean Ed. Don't go to the airport on Monday. You can't go to Kyiv. You can't go anywhere. You can't come home. Stay there and cover the run-up to the election. I'll call later when you finally get up.' Shit, what does he mean we can't come home? Something terrible has happened. Quick, you try and get hold of Ef there,  and I'll try Amanda," Layla suggested through a veil of nervous laughter.

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