"But is it enough?" Brianna held up a hand. "I'm not doubting you're sincerity or your calling - you're brilliant, and I really do think you'd make an outstanding President. But don't you miss getting to live a little without worrying about how the rest of the world might judge you for it?"

"Nah? that's what I have you for. You do all this fun, crazy stuff and I get to enjoy it without actually having to do it. Except the Moulin Rouge? I really would like to go there."

"If I take you to the Moulin Rouge, you're gonna have to dance. And don't give me that look. I know you can - I've seen you do it."

Charisma huffed. "Fine. Dictator," she grumbled.

"I heard that, ya know," Brianna complained. Charisma just laughed.

************

"That was fun!" Brianna gushed as they arrived back in their tiny hostel room.

"Except for those jackasses."

"C'mon, Ri - those are everywhere and you're gonna run into them a lot in the political arena. At least you know how to shut them down with a smile. Besides, how many jackasses in Washington are going to proposition you for a three-way with your hot girlfriend? Your 'hot girlfriend'," rolling her eyes, "isn't going to be anywhere near Washington and no one there is gonna ask once you get your reputation back as an Ice Princess."

"You think I'm an Ice Princess?"

"Me? No, Ri? after four years together I know better," glad Charisma was ignoring the 'hot girlfriend' comment. "But you did have the reputation in college. You worked hard to establish it, remember?"

"I know."

"Charisma," Brianna addressed her dryly while wrapping her in a hug, "You can't have it both ways, but I hope you never stop hoping for the best from people. I would suggest you keep the Ice Princess persona, though; you're so nice about it, you'll always be popular with folks and it will protect you better than anything else."

"Even you?"

"Even me. I won't always be able to be there, but that persona will be."

"I wonder why we never got those propositions in school."

"We did - you just generally didn't hear them."

Charisma snorted and Brianna looked her question at her. "I was just thinking - if I'm going to start hearing them, I think the Ice Princess may get a black belt in something so she can put her money where her mouth is."

Brianna laughed. "I want pictures." Charisma shook with laughter. "You all right now?"

"Always with you, Bri."

************

"I never expected the Mona Lisa to be so small. It seems like it should be massive."

"I know. It's been that way with all the masters' we've seen. Maybe it's some sort of unwritten rule."

"Maybe. You ready to head to Switzerland?"

"Yeah? I want to see the Alps."

"Me too."

************

"It's beautiful. I could stay here for a while."

"We can stay as long as you want, Ri; it's not like we have a schedule to keep other than our own. Maybe we should slow down and take some time to relax instead of pushing to see so much."

"I am relaxed, Bri. And I'm enjoying the trip. This is just a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Paris. I did enjoy the food there though."

"Umm? so did I. I'm gonna have to make sure I make enough money to have a French chef?."

"? and a personal trainer to work off all those butter and sugar calories." Brianna glared at Charisma's laughing comment.

"I hate you. Just for that, no chocolate for you," opening the package she'd been carrying. She deliberately withdrew a piece, sucking it into her mouth with a moan. Charisma narrowed her eyes in calculation before allowing them to widen pleadingly and sticking out her bottom lip in a pout. Brianna huffed. "That's not fair, Charisma."

"All is fair in love and chocolate, Brianna Brianna."

************

The market in Istanbul was loud and vibrant and unlike any place they had been before. Charisma and Brianna were careful to follow the customs of the region, but it didn't hinder their explorations. The artisans were amazing and they enjoyed shopping to their heart's content.

Then they moved on to Athens.

They spent several days wandering the city, visiting the obvious attractions as well as finding a few well off the beaten path.

"I sometimes wonder if somewhere way back in my ancestry there's a Greek matriarch or something. It feels a lot like home here."

"For me too," Brianna agreed. "Almost like?."

"Almost like we've been here before."

"I wish we had - you know, when this was all new. I imagine it was fabulous."

They looked around at the ruins they were currently standing in the middle of. "Considering how amazing it still is, I'd have to agree. Remember the friezes we saw in the British Museum?"

"Yeah? I wonder what stories those really told, because I don't think the archeologists got it right." Brianna bit her lip pensively, then she shrugged. "But what do I know? I'm a lawyer, not a writer."

"I think an argument could be made about that."

"Don't start." Charisma held up her hands in surrender.

"I'm not starting anything - just making a statement. C'mon, the boat to Santorini should be at the dock soon and we don't want to miss it."

************

Their days in Santorini were slow and laid back, in complete contrast to their frenzied pace in Athens. Then they were off to Italy on a sailboat that took them across the Mediterranean Sea.

"You do realize that leaving here and going home to weather that is turning cold and will soon be winter is less than appealing, right?" Brianna asked as she lay topless on the upper deck of the bow soaking in the sun's rays. Charisma kept her eyes closed to keep from staring or glaring; she had yet to gather enough courage to remove her top on the boat though she had done it on several of their beach trips together. She didn't care for the looks of appreciation and lust they garnered from men who saw them topless; she wasn't thrilled that Brianna didn't seem to notice them. Still, no one had made any real advances beyond looking, so there wasn't much Charisma could do about it. She turned her attention back to their conversation.

"I know. But at least you'll be going with a tan."

"And no one who will be able to appreciate it underneath all those layers."

"You'll find someone, Bri. You're too special not to. Just remember they have to pass the Tagherty test first."

"Geez, Ri? I'll be dead and buried before I find someone who can meet all that criteria."

Charisma shrugged but there was a wicked twinkle in her eyes. "I don't know - you found me that first day we became roommates."

"Yes, and I think that was more due to Fate and the forces of the universe at work than anything I did in particular."

"Being roommates? Maybe. But sweeping my daddy off his feet - that was all you, sweetie."

"So I need to find someone who can sweep Paddy off his feet?"

"Oh no? it won't be that easy. Not only do you have to sweep daddy off his feet, but mama, Hunter, Rocky, Forrest and of course, me as well. One of the joys of being part of a big family - welcome to the Taghertys."

Brianna sighed dramatically. "Good thing I am happy as a single woman, huh?"

"You'll find someone one day, Brianna Brianna. I have faith."

"I already did," she whispered some time later, secure in the knowledge that Charisma was sleeping. Then she turned over and watched the shoreline grow closer, wondering what Italy held in store for them.

************

The Isle de Capris was beautiful and they spent a full day exploring before crossing over to Naples. They walked Vesuvius and explored Pompeii, marveling at the life they could still feel in the city.

"I wonder how much of this is actually graffiti?" Charisma asked, motioning to the writing on a wall with her free hand as they walked down a narrow street with their fingers lightly tangled together so as not to lose one another in all the clamoring round them.

"I think they're ads - you know, for beer and cigarettes. It was probably the local seven-eleven of its time."

"You think?"

Brianna shrugged. "Works for me. According to the guidebook, it was a storefront of some kind."

"I would have liked to have visited here then - to have seen this place full of life and vitality. I bet it was a real party town."

"Considering the artwork we've seen? I'm betting you're right." They approached another piece of erotic art, tilting their heads in tandem before glancing at one another. "Is that even possible?"

"I think we'd have to break a couple things or grow some extra appendages to find out."

The two women snickered at the image that thought produced and moved further into the ruins that were Pompeii.

************

"I can't believe almost two months of our trip are gone," Brianna said as they settled into their overnight berth on the train taking them to Rome.

"I can't believe you bought that book of erotic art. What is my mother going to say?"

"Are you going to show it to her?"

"What?! NO!"

"Then I don't think we'll need to worry about her reaction."

"I think you are discounting the mothers' curse - the part where they always know when a kid has been up to something. But I agree with you about how quickly this trip has gone by. What a lifetime of memories we've already made."

Brianna smiled. "I can't wait to see all the pictures we've taken. As many rolls as we've taken, we should be able to fill a book or two."