A/N: I know. I know. It's been a long pause. But I have had issues with people lately. So here is a chapter, and another chapter will follow shortly since I am finally back on track. Thanks for reading and enjoy…

21

After going through Josie's version of the third degree about where they were going, Vi was exhausted before they ever pulled into Mark's driveway. What struck Vi as funny was that apparently Drew and Josie were a lot closer than she had figured – the two of them shared grins and started talking video games almost before Mark could get the door all the way open.

Mark smirked and raised an eyebrow at Vi. She smiled in return before saying hello to Drew and nodding when Josie asked if it was all right if they went out to the pool.

"That was way easier than I thought it would be." Mark said, draping an arm over Vi's shoulders and giving her a one-sided hug as the kids disappeared through the door to the deck.

Vi let him hug her for a moment then extricated herself. As nice as it was she really did not feel right thinking that Josie might see. Not that there was anything wrong with showing affection toward another person. It just felt…weird. She was pretty sure she'd get used to it eventually. Mark didn't seem to be put off by her moving away. He still had that amused eyebrow raised.

"Get you a drink?"

"Sure." Vi followed him to the kitchen, and accepted a glass of lemonade before heading toward the door to the deck. They took a seat at the table there and watched as Josie and Drew swam around the pool. "It's a totally different vibe with the kids here." She mused softly, smiling to herself.

"Not bad, I hope."

"No, not at all." Vi shook her head. "You said you wanted to talk." She pointed out, curious now that they were here and Josie was occupied.

"I know." Mark ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it back from his forehead. "Now I'm wonderin' if I might have said too damn much already."

Vi frowned at that. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah. That's part of the problem." He sighed and picked up his own glass, looking thoughtfully at it. "I'll get around to talkin'. I promise. Just…give me a little bit to work around to it."

She shrugged and eyed him for a moment. He seemed resigned as if whatever it was he had to say held weight. Vi worried for a moment, trying to imagine what it could be. Short of him saying he'd committed a murder or something of that nature, she could not fathom what it was he was so disinclined to tell her.

Vi tried to put it from her mind as the afternoon wore on. Mark hardly spoke – no shocker there. It made her uncomfortable, even though she got the feeling his silence wasn't because of her. Eventually the kids came out of the water and Vi found herself caught up in the midst of a conversation concerning high school. It reminded Vi all over again that her daughter, who she still saw as a scrawny kid with pig-tails and scraped knees and elbows, only had four years left of school before college reared its head.

At least the kids seemed to bring Mark back into the moment. He and Drew cracked jokes at each other's expense and he was more talkative generally. But Vi could still see something just under the surface, something he worried over.

She had just started to get comfortable with it when Drew asked Mark if he and Josie could head over to his friend's house for a while before supper. Vi saw Mark look in her direction and there must have been a look on her face that he interpreted as worry. He smiled reassuringly.

"It's fine with me. They can cut through the woods - there's a path and it's only about a 20 minute walk. If you think it's all right for Josie to go. Drew's been through there a few million times."

Josie was looking at her, a familiar smirk on her face. Vi rolled her eyes. "I have the feeling I'm outvoted in this."

"Thanks Mom." Josie jumped up and gave Vi a kiss on the cheek before bounding down the steps after Drew. They disappeared through the gate that led to the small patch of woods.

"Be back before supper!" Mark yelled after them. Drew yelled back an 'all right' and that left Mark and Vi to look at each other in amusement.

"Did you plan that out?" Vi asked, watching as Mark got up and held out a hand. She let him pull her to her feet and into his arms, tilting her head to accept a deep kiss.

"If I had planned it..." Mark said, once he pulled back. "It never woulda worked. We've got a couple of hours." He ducked his head and nuzzled her neck, making her sigh.

"I thought you wanted to talk?" Vi asked, a little breathless, sliding her hands up his arms and onto his shoulders.

"Talkin' is overrated sometimes, darlin'."

She moaned as his mouth found a sensitive spot under her ear. "Is this your way of putting it off? Because I can't help but get the feeling you'd rather take a broken-glass gargle than talk about whatever it is that's on your mind."

"At least it's not obvious." Mark said wryly. He paused in trying to distract her to pull back and meet her eyes. "I wanna tell you. A lot of stuff. I kinda made a promise, and…the more I talk about it the worse it sounds, right?"

"Yeah." Vi laced her fingers together against the back of his neck and pulled him down so that she could brush her lips over his. "Is it that bad? And who would you have to promise anything to?"

Mark let his forehead rest against hers. "It's a long story. And now that you're here…" He sighed. "When you aren't around, it seems like the only thing to do is to tell you some things that…I'm horrible at this. Obviously."

Vi let go of his neck to slip her hands over his jaw to cup his face. "You've stumped me because I honestly have no clue what the hell you're talking about."

Mark chuckled at that. "I'm sorry. I thought I could tell you some things…and I will tell you. Just not right now." He pulled back once more to look at her. "Soon. I promise you that."

"It's not horrible is it?" Vi asked, meeting his intense gaze and looking for any sign of…well, anything.

"It's just hard to talk about." He smirked but it was completely without humor. "Especially for me. I'm not the talkative type."

"I knew that already." Vi brushed her fingers across his cheek. "I'm not going to twist your arm. As long as it's not something like you have a bomb and you're going to explode in the next five minutes I think whatever it is will keep until you're ready."

Mark smiled, but it was grim. The problem was that it would keep. Hell, it would likely keep for as long as people would keep their mouths shut. But Steve's visit from earlier in the week had reminded Mark that he was no longer living in his own little world, and his relationship with Vi might rub some people the wrong way.

He didn't care about that. The people around town were still mostly wary of him, mainly because he had the kind of reputation that refused to die no matter how much time passed. If he told a few people to mind their own damn business and to spread the word, then they would do it. So it wasn't really the fear of repercussions that held him back.

It was the fact he was unable to tell what Vi's reaction would be.

At best? She wouldn't believe him. He would have to prove what he said, and that would be simple enough. It wasn't like there was a lack of power to draw on.

At worst – and what he truly worried about – Vi would believe it. And then want nothing to do with him ever again.

That was the reason that he let Rayne, who he had loved more than he ever believed was possible, go on believing she'd dreamed up how they had met. She had made herself believe it, and eventually it faded as all dreams do. Mark could have told her the truth but…they were happy. Things were going so well for them he'd been afraid to say anything. And he knew Rayne rather more intimately since he'd actually been inside her head on more than one occasion. Knowing the truth would have sent her running because deep inside her she was still harboring fear and distrust, although Mark did not think it was aimed totally at him.

He had tried, very unsuccessfully, to know Vi in the same way. Whether he had lost the knack or she was blocking him somehow, he did not know. Mark only knew that he hadn't been able to insert himself into her dreams. Which was why he hesitated at telling her what he was.

Of course that all fell under the umbrella of things he could not say to her unless he wanted to risk losing her. Mark didn't bother kidding himself – it wasn't just the sex. He could have as many one-night-stands as he wanted, that had never been an issue. It was being close to somebody again. Vi was the first woman since Rayne had died that he wanted to be around for more than the time it would take to get their clothes off. And maybe it was that they had shared a similar loss. Or maybe he'd drawn lucky for the second time in his life and found a woman who could make him whole again.

Vi had pulled back a bit and she grabbed his hands, tugging him along with her toward the door. "As much as I love the great outdoors, the thought of the kids coming back and catching us on the deck here doesn't really do much for me."

Mark had to agree with that. Although he could also tell her that Drew probably already had the idea that his dad was more than a little fascinated by Vi. His boy had never had a problem reading his old man that was for sure.

They went upstairs and Vi turned to him and set to work tugging his belt loose. "So…a couple of hours huh?" She said, finally freeing the buckle and turning her attention to the button fly of his jeans.

"At least. He'll call first before they head back." Mark said, catching her hands and bringing them up to press her fingers against his lips. He felt the shiver go up her arm and smiled as he nipped her fingertips with his teeth. Mark pulled her close and pressed his mouth against hers, feeling everything else slip away from him. There would be time enough to worry later. For now he wanted to lose himself, for what little time they had before they were interrupted.

~~I~~

"I'm starvin'. Maybe Dad will order some pizza."

Drew and Josie were picking their way back through the patch of woods after spending over an hour visiting with Collin, someone they both knew from school. It had been fun; the boys hadn't left her out of their conversation. Even if all they talked about was football Drew made sure that Josie was involved.

She had been thinking that Grace would absolutely freak out when she heard that Josie had spent the day with Drew. Josie thought he was cute, and yes she'd crushed on him pretty hard but it had passed, just like her mother had told her it would. At some point it seemed that every girl in their class had developed a crush on him. The best part was that he didn't act like a complete jerk like a few of the other guys in school did.

Josie was grinning as she walked beside him. "You just ate a slice of pizza at Collin's. My mom would ask if you have a tapeworm."

Drew smiled and glanced at her. "My dad says I've got a hollow leg." He paused and shook his head. "Would it freak you out to know that my dad kinda likes your mom?"

Josie raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised. "I didn't even know Mom knew you guys until today."

Drew paused to pick up a stick. He toyed with it, rolling it between his fingers. "Does it bother you?" He finally asked.

"Bother me?" Josie mulled it over for a moment. "Why would it bother me?" She didn't feel bothered or upset about it at all. Just curious really. She was a kid but she wasn't blind or dumb. Josie knew her mom was beautiful and she had seen the way random men had often looked at her mother. Her mom hadn't noticed or had ignored it.

"I don't know." He looked at her again and smiled a bit shyly. "It bothered me the first couple of times Dad went out on dates."

Josie made a face and laughed. She wasn't bothered. Of course that was now. Later when she had time to think it over in the quiet of her room she might feel differently. It wasn't that she thought her mom had to be a nun or anything. Josie missed her dad and would give anything to have him back, but since that wasn't possible…and she knew it…she did not see the harm in her mom dating.

"Is that what today was for them? A date?" She finally asked, still smiling.

"Sort of. I guess." Drew shrugged. "I'm just happy when Dad isn't moping around feelin' sorry for himself."

"Does it bother you? That my mom and your dad are hanging out?" Josie asked, curious.

"Nah. I like your mom." He was still smiling but Josie thought he did not realize it. He seemed to be lost in thought. They walked in silence for a few minutes.

Josie made a mental note to actually pay attention to how her mom and Drew's dad acted around each other. She thought her mom would try to hide it from her for as long as possible. It had always been that way. Josie didn't feel upset by that either, she knew her mom was just trying to protect her.

It was just odd thinking about her mom with some guy. Josie had loved her dad completely, and still missed him of course, but after five years he had faded a bit in her memories. She didn't dwell on it. Of course she went to the cemetery to pay her respects, and she cried every time because she had lost him, but she didn't torture herself with it the way her mom had. And that's what it felt like to Josie.

"Your dad is the one that's in charge of redoing our place, where the old house burned down." Josie finally said.

Drew nodded. "It's what he does. Sort of. Construction and stuff like that. I'll be working with him all summer."

"Do you not like it?"

"I dunno. I guess it's all right." He shrugged his shoulders. "Dad isn't trying to force me to take it over like a family business. He's just wants to make sure I don't turn into pudding over the summer."

The mental image made Josie laugh again. Through the trees ahead she caught a glimpse of Drew's house. She thought for a moment how odd it way, how everything seemed to be changing all at once. Her mom being more sociable, her grandfather moving out of the house, even having Glen living with them…

"When it rains, it pours. At least that's what my mom used to say a lot." Drew said, bringing her focus back to him. He was still walking, slowly, and he'd picked up another stick. This time he was snapping pieces off the end of it.

Josie frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"When a lot of stuff goes on all at once and everything changes and it just keeps on going." He shrugged his shoulders.

"How did you know I was…"

"I heard you. Kind of." He finally tossed the stick away and looked at her. Gauging her reaction, she figured.

"You heard me. Sure."

"Not clear like you were talking." Drew said, looking away. "I can't always read things clear, but the stuff at the very top…yeah. I can pick that up sometimes." He had stopped walking, and Josie stopped too, but only because she thought he was pulling her leg. "You were thinking that stuff was changing, and something about your mom and someone else…I didn't catch that part."

Josie only looked at him. The silence stretched out for a full minute, then two. Finally she found her tongue. "How is that possible?"

"It's just something I was born with." Drew ran a hand through his short hair. "Dad said it would be all right to tell you about it, if I wanted to. But you have to promise not to tell anybody else. Not even your mom."

"She wouldn't believe it. I'm not sure I believe it."

"Test me." Drew smiled and glanced at her. Josie grinned back.

"How?"

"Picture something in your head, and I'll see if I can tell you what it is."

Curious to see if he could do it, Josie thought for a moment before picturing Bridger - stretched out on her bed, his tail dangling over the side, his usually napping position.

"That one's easy. A dog." No sooner did the image come to her than Drew was speaking. "Your dog, because it's an awfully clear image. Dark fur. Sleeping on a bed with white and yellow blankets."

"That's amazing."

"It's not always." Drew said, once more looking at her. "Sometimes there is stuff that people think about that I would rather not know."

"Is that how you know that your dad likes my mom?"

Drew smirked. "Nah. He's just never invited anybody over when I've been home. Usually he'd go pick them up and go out and then come home alone. I figured this time was different. I can't really read Dad. Sometimes I get flashes but they don't always make sense."

"What about my mom?" Josie asked. "Can you read her thoughts?"

He shook his head. "I haven't heard a thing. Sometimes I can't pick up anything. Sometimes it's like turning on a radio." Drew smiled again but it was bashful. "You're the only person I've told about this outside of Dad. Mom didn't even know. Dad said it would be better if she didn't."

Josie frowned again. "That sounds kind of weird. My mom would be the first person I would tell if anything like that happened to me."

Drew hesitated. Josie was no mind reader, but she could tell he was debating with himself over whether or not to go into details. He seemed to finally come to a decision. "There were some things that mom didn't know to protect her."

"To protect her from what?"

"People who were after my dad." Drew shook his head. "But not just that. Mom was special too." He looked down the path toward the house again. "Dad's gonna be expecting us back."

"But…"

"I'll tell you but it'll have to be quick. Dad's got a little bit of what I have." Drew tapped a finger to his temple.

"He can read minds too?"

"Well. No. Sort of." He made a face. "He can do other stuff. We were born with it. Mom wasn't. But since Dad could do it there were some people who were after him. I'm not sure exactly how it all goes together because there is stuff that Dad won't talk about."

"Should…is my mom in trouble? If your dad likes her…"

Drew shook his head. At least in that he did not hesitate. "Whatever happened back then ended back then."

"Ok."

"I just wanted you to know because I can't always help that I can read people's thoughts."

"Right."

"We'd better go." Drew looked at her again. "You promise you won't say a word?"

"Yeah, I promise." Josie smiled although it felt forced. She was confused. But Drew was worried so she put a lid on her questions. Except for one. "Are you not supposed to tell? Anybody? Is that way you want to swear me to secrecy?"

"Some people know." Drew resumed walking. Josie fell into step beside him. "Dad said it would be best if we didn't make a big deal out of it around…well, we just can't make a big deal about it."

"Yeah. I can see why." Josie sensed there was more he was not telling her, and she didn't have to be a mind reader to see that.

"There is more. A lot more. I have to make sure it's all right to say anything else though."

"What do you mean?" It was sort of odd, him knowing what she was thinking. But not necessarily scary or freaky. It wasn't like he was digging into her brain.

"I'll tell you later. Ok?" They had reached the gate that led to Drew's yard. He paused to look at her. "Tomorrow at lunch?"

"Sure." Josie half-smiled and thought that once again Grace would have a heart attack when she found out. She laughed as a blush crept across Drew's face. So he had picked that up too. "Better put on a game face. My mom isn't psychic but she can tell when somebody is upset. She claims its working with sick animals. Believe me it is as fun as it sounds, to be compared to a cow."

Drew laughed at that. It seemed to drain the tension out of the air. Josie smiled serenely back. She would keep what they had talked about to herself. For now. She didn't like to hide things from her mother as a general rule, but this time she would until she found out the rest. And she would make up her own mind whether her mom needed to know or not.

"Dad is going to tell her." Drew said it in a voice that had dipped to a near whisper. "Better she finds out from him. If she gets mad or freaks out he wants it to be on him, not on me or you or anybody else."

"Ok. It's starting to get annoying." Josie grinned.

"Sorry. I'll try to put a lid on it."

"And as long as your dad is going to tell her…"

"He will. He's working up to it anyway." Drew gave her an unreadable look. "That's the other part of me knowing that he likes her. If he didn't he would have already told her or he would have said to keep everything to ourselves."

Josie nodded at that. "Right. Ok. Better go on or else they'll send out a search party. And you'd better not forget lunch tomorrow."

"I won't." Drew smiled and she could see him take a deep breath before pushing the gate open.

Josie looked up at the deck where her mother sat with Drew's father. They were sitting on opposite sides of a small table, and both were facing the pool. Drew shot Josie one more look before he grinned and bounded up the stairs. "I'm starving, can we order pizza?"

Josie smiled when Mark chuckled, but she kept her attention on her mother. She looked distracted, as if she had too much on her mind. At least she didn't look sad. Josie hated to see her sad.

~~!~~

Glen sat on the little scrap of beach, watching as Amanda and Rebecca splashed in the water. Rob and Rebecca had wanted to come here for a cookout and picnic on the small beach. And even though his head was pounding, Amanda had insisted.

She walked toward him, dripping water and smiling, her bikini hardly enough to cover her. "You could get in the water too." She said, settling on the towel that was spread next to him to let the sun dry her skin.

"I'm hardly dressed for it." He looked down at his jeans. "And maybe I can't swim."

"I wouldn't let you drown." Amanda stretched and rolled onto her stomach. "You're ready to go." It wasn't a question.

"I've been ready."

"Head hurting again?" She asked, propping her chin on her hands, a slight smile curling her lips.

"A little." Glen looked at her, taking in the long line of her back.

"We can go whenever you want. I rented a place." Amanda looked at him. "It's not much but it'll do."

"Then why the hell are we sitting here?" Glen asked, trying to keep control of his anger. It was one thing when he was feeling all right to put up with these people. But Amanda knew that he needed release, and she'd dragged him out here to what? Parade him around like he was her prize bull?

Amanda started laughing. "I prefer this version of you over that other, nicer version." She said between giggles. She moved smoothly, rising to her feet with a show of skin that would have gotten her arrested had they been in a public setting. "Bye 'Becca! We're leaving!" She called, waving at her friend and grabbing her bag and towel. Glen got up and followed her along the path that led to where Amanda had parked her car.

She had rented a small house about a mile outside of town. Her nearest neighbors were far enough away that he didn't worry too much about noise. Amanda walked in and turned to face him, mischievous grin on her face. "Make yourself at home. I'm going to change."

Glen watched her disappear down a short hallway, flexing his hands into fists, then opening them. He didn't even realize he was doing it. He gave her to the count of sixty and she was lucky he managed that. That weak part of him went willingly enough this time, maybe having finally realized that this was the only way to live with himself.

He went into the bathroom just as Amanda turned on the shower. She had changed all right. She once again looked just like Vivian. In that skimpy bikini with sand still clinging to some spots of her skin it was like all of his circuit fried at once.

"Should I try to fight you off?" Vivian's voice was amused, almost teasing.

"Not this time." He said, yanking his shirt over his head. She arched an eyebrow as she watched the play of muscles as he shed his clothes.

A smile slowly formed on her lips. "You want me to take advantage of you?"

"I want you to use me." Glen said, reaching out to tug the material of the bikini top away from her breasts. "The rest can come later."