Please review, cause you all rock…and you'll make my day and that's what you want to do right, make my day, cause I just made yours and updated! Pwease?

Huge thank you to my beta, Jann.

Kay, Vamanos!

"And deep down, they feel that whatever's going to happen, there will be someone there to help them. And that fills them with hope. See what you have to ask yourself is what kind of person are you? Are you the kind that sees signs, sees miracles? Or do you believe that people just get lucky? Or, look at the question this way: Is it possible that there are no coincidences?"
-Graham Hess, Signs.

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'Larter? Tarter…dammit!' she thought as she hurried home, pulling the range rover up in front of her house and taking a quick glance in the mirror to see how she looked. A little flushed in the face and her hands were shaking, but who was to blame her after threatening Rebecca within an inch of her life. A blond piece of hair was out of place, she patted it back down.

Maybe she and Sandy would have time for a little impromptu sex after Darter came to visit.

'What is his name?' This was going to drive her nuts.

She should have smacked that smug look she always had on her face- off of it. Kirsten wasn't joking when she threatened Rebecca. She was tired of this, she was tired of sleeping alone, she was tired of fighting with him, and she was tired of Seth and Ryan and the way then walked around them like they were walking on eggshells. Families aren't supposed to be that way and there was no way in hell that hers was going to end up like this. 'The next thing you know, one of us will end up in prison,' she chuckled to herself. Like that would ever happen.

But Kirsten was more in control than that. She couldn't afford herself the luxury of letting go. Although, deep down she wished she would have. Yogalates class would suffer this week as she took out her anger and frustration out upon it.

She would have more than loved to slap Rebecca. It would have been better than eating a fresh cinnamon bun from the Cinnabon place. God and those were good when they were fresh. Sandy would agree with her on that.

'Carter!' she suddenly remembered who he was. He was stopping by the house this afternoon - he was to be her new business partner. Or something along the likes of

that, it was her Dad's idea and she was mulling over the idea of how to kill off Rebecca at the time. Or at least hurt her, really, really badly.

Or just enough to put her in a coma. Forever.

She rushed in the house and up the stairs to her bedroom, stripping off her clothes and rummaging through her closet for something more appropriate. Something dressier or businesswoman like.

'Black pants and a nice blouse will do fine,' she chastised herself for not thinking of this sooner. She took off her wedding bands and placed them on the counter as she reached for the red bottle of Victoria's Secret lotion that Sandy loved so much. She hated when she watched other woman not take off their diamonds when putting lotion on. The air was filled with the smell and she inhaled deeply. Thank God for Victoria's Secret. She forgot all about her shiny wedding rings sitting on the dresser as she glanced in the mirror one more time.

She straightened her hair quickly and heard the doorbell ring. Without a second thought she rushed through the foyer and down the stairs, putting on her shoes as she went; something that only a well practiced woman could do.

Or one in a hurry.

In spite of herself she smiled when she saw himtall, dark hair, nice jaw line and a great smile. He was well built and rather handsome.

"Hi. Kirsten Cohen," she reached out and shook his hand. He was taller than Sandy and younger too; he had broad shoulders and carried himself well.

"Carter," he shook her hand and smiled and his voice was soft. His eyes roamed over her.

'Carter!' Her brain happily rejoiced his name.

She liked him, in a business like way.

"Nice house," he commented as he glanced around as they walked into their living room.

"Thank you," she replied courteously as she led the way and out of nervous habit started to play with her hands. There was no clinking of metal like she was used to and she realized she forgot them on her dresser.

She wondered briefly where Sandy had gone.

She told him she would be right back and he nodded, setting out the portfolio he had brought and grabbed two glasses and some red wine.

"You look nice," he commented as he gladly accepted the wine and she froze an instant before recovering.

"Thank you," she murmured quietly again and was relieved when she heard the door open and shut. His eyes met hers from across the room and she smiled in relief when she saw him. Maybe it was just the fact that Carter wouldn't stop looking at her up and down like she was a piece of meat.

Sandy watched his wife and the new guy that Caleb had hired for something and watched how the man gazed at his wife. She looked uncomfortable.

'Bastard,' Sandy thought. 'I oughtta hit you.'

Sandy crossed the room, ignoring their guest and kissed his wife on her temple, inhaling her scent and letting his lips linger a little longer than normal.

She didn't realize how much she wanted him close. She leaned into his tender gesture of affection, while closing her eyes briefly as Carter watched the small, private exchange. She smiled gratefully at him as he sat down beside her, she felt relieved.

"Oh. Sorry I didn't know you had someone over, Sandy Cohen, I'm Kirsten's husband," he feigned innocents and reached across and shook Carter's hand.

"Carter," he replied with the same formality and a smile.

He couldn't help but wonder if it was his first or his last name.

Sandy snickered at the thought and Kirsten hit him in his arm lightly, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

He leaned back and whispered in Kirsten's ear, "Sorry honey," before placing a soft kiss behind the lobe and effectively making her shiver.

He got up and left the room, smiling at his wife. She had her confidence back.

"You didn't have on any rings; I didn't know you were married."

"I am."

She changed the subject quickly. It was none of his concern.

Sandy sat outside, on one of the lawn chairs watching the gorgeous view of the ocean that the mansion's spot on the hill provided. 'I should go surfing,' he mused as he watched a wave crash upon the beach. The sun shining down on him was warm and it made him drowsy as he listened to the crashing of the waves.

His trance was broken when he heard the door slam and watched Ryan jog to the pool house, a load of heavy books underneath his arm.

"Hey kid," Sandy called.

"Hey!" He managed to yell, "Sorry, I got a lot of homework!" Before he ducked into the pool house, his books almost toppling out of his hands.

Sandy grinned. He and Seth had traded places this year. The only thing that hadn't changed was the fact that Seth couldn't shut up and Ryan couldn't say enough. He had noticed that the boys had noticed the tension that had erupted between him and Kirsten. Hopefully things were on the right track now; she was still a little edgier than normal.

He shifted on the lawn chair so he sat on the end of it and played with a few blades of grass that the lawn mower man had forgotten to weed-whack. Somehow moving this particular piece of lawn furniture must have been a choir. He was surprised Kirsten hadn't said something about it. Maybe she had and he hadn't been paying attention at the time.

Sandy chuckled as the sudden thought of Ryan babbling about nothing entered his head and then nearly fell off the lawn chair when her voice startled him, "What's so funny?"

She broke into a giggle as he tried to regain any dignity that he might have left.

He ran a hand through his unruly dark hair and gave her a sideways look. "You almost made me have a heart attack Kirsten!" He sighed as his heart went from his stomach back up to his chest where it belonged.

That sent her into a laughing fit in which she couldn't help as she sat down on the chair with him. It had brought tears to her eyes and her body shook as she continued.

"I'm sorry…. Sandy… but you …look so ridiculous… almost falling…"

She started again and he couldn't help but smile.

He missed hearing her laugh. He missed watching her smile and look at him the way she just did – giving him the look that could bring him to his knees. Her face is flushed with pink from laughing as hard as she is and he feels the undeniable need to pull her close.

For a second he thinks, 'Rebecca never looks this beautiful.' No one could, it's not even fair to compare.

He smiles at her and wraps his arms around her tightly, pulling her into his lap. Her body is still shuddering with laughter and there is a spark in her eyes that he hasn't seen in weeks. He leans over and kisses her cheek as she struggles against him but he tightens his grip on her and she settles against his chest, smiling as she feels his lips press into her temple before moving to the back of her neck. He knows her, he knows what she likes.

She likes this.

"This is nice," she murmurs as his soft kisses make her tremble and she shivers against him. She cuddles up against him, moving a leg here, pushing his arm out of her way until she's pressed tightly against him, listening to his heart pound in his chest. His arm comes up and moves up and down her back lightly, while the other wraps around her tightly and she sighs in content. The California sun is just warm enough against the light breeze that's blowing and she finds herself drowsy. Sandy's steady heartbeat lulls her into state of contentment that she hasn't felt in a long time. She can't even remember the last time when they spent a moment like this.

She feels safe.

"But when you hold me like you do, it feels so right, oh now, I start to forget.When that hurt gets thrown.

Feeling like you can't go on….Something like that, and I don't know the rest…" She giggles again as she listened to him begin to sing a part of her favorite David Gray song, his deep voice rumbling against her ear.

"I missed this," she murmurs, tightening her hold on him, burying her face into his chest.

"I know me too."

She cuddles closer and inhales the smell of him. She wouldn't trade Sandy for the world.

"I love you."

He smiles at her, as he hasn't heard those words in weeks. She gets up from the chair, a smile in her eyes and takes his hand, pulling him up while seductively moving against him.

"Bedroom. Now," she whispers sweetly in his ear.

His grin gets bigger and he kisses her softly.

"I love you too."

Who was he to argue?

The doorbell rang and Ryan looks up from the table at the Cohen's, mumbling the words, "I'll get it," as he chomps on his Chinese food and swallows. Sandy nods and tips his glass to him in thanks.

Officer Samantha Walthrop looks him squarely in the face before cracking her gum and looking over his shoulder for any sign of Sandy. Her heart pounds lightly in her chest and she had a hand on the butt of her gun, just in case. The man beside her, an FBI agent, or a "suit," shows the boy his badge before moving him out of the way.

His blue eyes were wide as the officers enter the house without warning and Sandy stops grinning, while Kirsten and Seth look at the confusion on his face before they turn to their new guests.

"Sanford Cohen, you are under arrest!"

Sandy dropped his chopsticks and looked down at the table before getting up slowly. Seth squints at him the look on his face saying 'No way!' Seth feels sick. This kind of stuff doesn't happen to him. This is something that happens to Marissa, or to Ryan. He looks at Ryan, noticing that his jaw is slightly open and there is a look that Seth defines later as terror.

Kirsten rises and Seth stops dead in his tracks from shoveling the Chinese into his mouth.

"Wait, this must be some mistake!" Her voice is sharp and crisp and even Ryan cringes. Her eyes dart to her husbands and she can see instantly that it is indeed no mistake. 'He knows,' she thought, 'Oh God, he knows it's not a mistake. Oh God, no!'

He mouths the words, "I'm sorry."

How can he be so calm?

The officer's move to place handcuffs on Sandy, instructing him that he places his hands behind his head. His eyes are dark, the pupils dilated as he keeps looking at Kirsten, willing her to have control and praying that she knows how much he loves her. His heart has never pounded so hard in his life.

"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you can not afford one, one will be appointed to you…."

"You have a huge mistake, this is my husband!" Kirsten was almost furious now, her face was red and her hands were shaking.

Samantha Walthrop took the time to jump in front of her and inform her, no this was indeed no mistake. "No mistake Mrs. Cohen, he's being charged of aiding and abetting a known terrorist as well as consortion!"

"Terrorist?" Kirsten asked, disbelief in her voice. Her eyes darted to Sandy's. His widened in response. It must be news to him.

"Rebecca Bloom, she blew up a building and ran away, injuring people; that makes her a terrorist. A lot of things have changed since September 11th."

Seth looked up in shock, for once in his life he had absolutely nothing to say. He didn't even know if he could muster the words of "Holy Shit," right now.

"Sandy!" her voice held tears and confusion, this couldn't be happening to her, not now. This happened to other people, this did not happen to her.

He mouthed the words, "I love you."

She mouthed back, "Sandy, no!" She shook her head. "No!"

Kirsten's in denial and everyone can see it.

Ryan was tense, his shoulders heaved in and out and a fire burned in his eyes, a solid rage, he wanted to snap and to hit the officers and let Sandy bolt. But Kirsten might ground him until he was in his thirties and he needed to be here for her. She wasn't going to take this easy. He let out the breath he was holding when he saw Seth. He had turned a ghastly white with his dumbfounded gaze and looked like he might puke the Chinese up right then and there.

No one was taking this easy.

They both needed to be here for her. He keeps his eyes on Sandy and watched the private conversation between his foster parents. Kirsten kept playing with her hands, twisting her fingers in and around. She was severely uncomfortable and nervous and it shown upon her delicate features.

Sandy looked at the confusion and hurt that was displayed on his wife's face and inwardly cringed. She was to the point of tears right now.

'Fuck! FUCKFUCKFUCK! You really did a good one this time Cohen,' he glances at Ryan and there is a haunting look displayed upon his boyish features. Somehow he knows this isn't the first arrest he's ever witnessed.

As they start to drag him away he yelled over his shoulder, "Kirsten, baby, call Mark, call Mark Dupris honey, okay? It'll be okay, just call Mark. I love you," and just like that Kirsten Cohen's world was yanked out from underneath her.

"Sandy no!" The desperation in her voice made Sandy wince. She was hurting all over again and it's his fault.

She went to go after him but Samantha held her back before releasing her into the arms of her young blond boy. Sam watched as the beautiful woman sank down to her knees, the young boy following suit as he held her tightly and whispered what she could only assume were words of comfort.

There would be no comfort tonight, for any Cohen.

Samantha grinned. She didn't know which was better: the shock on Sandy Cohen's face or the look of his wife, Kirsten Cohen. Maybe it was their two sons combined.

Maybe it was the fact that she had just devastated one of the most influential families of Newport Beach.

Just

Like

That.

Whichever it had been, it was sure worth it and she smiled as she walked out of the huge mansion.

She whistled to the tune 'Bitch,' by Meredith Brooks.

And people said that police had no fun.