I had begun working on Credulity and Conviction for my friend Nansi when events ordered themselves to make me think that might not be the best present for her. So I set it aside and started in on this instead.

As my stuff tends to do, it developed a mind of its own, and it was a good thing that events sorted themselves out and enabled me to finish both C&C and this story, and give one as a gift to Nansi and the other to my good friend Ramius. Thanks, as usual, to resonant, Ellen Fremedon, and BethH for (extra)ordinary beta, and to Lexin and Rahalia for Brit-picking.

The year is 2002; the timeline is the same as In the Dark and Credulity and Conviction.

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Best Man