A/N: So here's another update. Hope you like it. Since I didn't really describe the parents. Sharon's mom looks like Emily Gilmore and her father like Michael Cain. :-) As usual I love reviews or suggestions! I'm happy I haven't lost all my readers.

Chapter 21

Lauren dozed on the couch. She had changed into black suit pants and a turtle neck. Falling asleep hadn't been part of her plan but the last few days had taken its toll on her too. She startled awake when Rusty gently shook her shoulder. Lauren blinked and swa thet Rusty had changed into his new pants the pullover and one of the shirts. "Bill is back!"

Lauren hummed and got up to got to the next window peering out into the yard, where indeed Hank and Bill unloaded several pieces of luggage. Rusty noticed the same vintage Louis Vuitton style as Laurens. She turned away from the window "Let's meet them outside, where's Sharon?"

"At the stable giving this dressage class", he explained and followed Lauren. He saw the exhaustion in her face quickly covered by a small smile. Rusty found it a little odd that Lauren tried to fill the role of the protector most of the time. He knew from books and movies it was usually the oldest child who tried to protect the family but usually this role was reserved for a boy. She acted more like an older brother to him, when she wasn't like Sharon's carbon copy or simply Lauren. He could never quite decipher which characteristic was most present at the moment. bill and Hang waved a "hi" at them and Rusty just helpled them not quite knowing what do do else. "They went over to the stable", Bill explained.

Lauren nodded "Okay, I'll head over then. Rusty I'll test the waters, you don't need to say hi before dinner. Let's hope it's not drama time yet." She found her grandparents and aunt gathered, sitting in the ranks at the training ground where Sharon was still teaching and didn't see them because she was concentrated on the girls. Lauren silently sat down next to her grandmother who sat rigid. Gaze fixed on Sharon while the patriach of the McIntyre family sat as straight as his wife. Lauren saw the paleness in her grandfather's face and the redrimmed otherwise blue eyes. He had probably backproblems again and couldn't sleep. In his presence she tended to feel like a little girl especially when was in a grumpy mood. He had placed his bowler in his lap. Her eyes wandered over to her aunt who had donned a dark navy costume and a suiting hat. Lauren frowned, she wanted to see her aunt's eyes. Althea had a tendendcy to overdramatize and Lauren had always been able to see her aunt's mood in her eyes. She gave Althea a once over and caught huge glossy eyes. She made a mental note to ask her about the meds her grandma had mentioned.

Emily McIntyre laid a hand on Lauren's shoulder and whispered a very silent "later" noticing the young womans concerened look at Althea. Lauren resurfaced from the depth of her involuntarily analysis of her aunt and turned her attention to her grandmother who seemed fine. "How is your mother doing?" she asked returning her eyes to her oldest daughter.

"Uhm fine, under the give circumstances. They made her take some time off because of the investigation."

Emily just hummed and Lauren asked "How was your flight?"

"Late!" answered her grandfather. When he was like that, reduced and one worded, he was in a bad mood and that usually ended in making everyone feel tiptoeing around and building up tension till it exploded in some bad way.

"Then we should go over to the house. Helga has tea and some cookies and sandwiches ready", Lauren said gently. "Daddy, you should really get warm", Althea said as gently. "The girls are right Michael", Emily added putting a strand that had fallen forward behind her ear and casting a concerened look at her husband. In the end Michael McIntyre allowed Althea and Lauren to take him to the house. Emily decided to wait for Sharon, motherly concern overrating the fear her grumpy husband would make everyone miserable when she wasn't there to manage him.

Once everyone but Emily had left the ranks she got up and walked nearer to hear Sharon explain some exercises to the girls and when the girls passed right by Emily, Sharon finally noticed her mother. She ended the lesson and allowed the girls to go for a short ride around the paddocks. She walked over to her mother and got on the ranks to hug her thightly although she had wanted to spare them the journey and yet she was very grateful to have them here. They took a short tour by Tender Heart and Emily voiced her concern about Lauren who seemed very tired and nervous.

"She's obersupportive and her lack of grief makes her feel guilty."

"Yeah well, there's no wonder she has no tears left for Jack."

Sharon shook her head "The problem is it's bothering her." She fed the stallion a treat from one of her pockets and gently padded his head before he turned towards his hay.

"How is the investigation going? Did your team find something?"

"Unfortunately yes. The intruder to my flat has probably been at Jack's too. The knife used to tear up my place is the same type used to kill Jack."

"Is that good or bad?"

Sharon shook her head again "Honestly I don't know. I can't help it but regarding this I have no rational mind. I'm glad I don't have to work right now."

The older woman hummed and laced her arm with Sharons when they went towards the side entrance of the house. "And when are you introducing us to Douglas McGregor?"

Sharons head snapped up and Emily continued "Ally showed us the picture of you and him at the ballet and Lauren admitted you ware seeing this man."

"Mom I think it's rather inappropriate to have him around right now." Emily rose a brow waiting a moment but continued when Sharon didn't say anything. "You need the comfort!"

Sharon barked out a bitter laugh "I have far more people around me who try to comfort me than I really need mom and I'm not that far into a relationship, Douglas is, well let's just say it's complicated."

"Burton is talking about divorce again", Emily changed the subject and Sharon frowned at her mother. Her sister's husband did that frequently because he usually wanted to whack her back to reality and always said that nothing got his wife's perspective better back to reality than the prospect of loosing him. Sharon shrugged "Well they'll do their usual therapy sessions and the occasional weekend trips to some romantic places and be fine by spring."

"Shari he threw her out of their house this time. She's living with us and if her therapist hadn't finally given her meds, heavy antidepressants, she'd be crying all day. I thought we'd have to hospitalize her."

Sharon hummed. She'd call Burton after the funeral and find out what had happened.

"You know she speaks to Mary a lot."

"Well at least they are talking again."

"You know Mary asked about you too."

Sharon hummed. The hum transported what she didn't say, that she didn't wanted to adress her noncommunitcation with her sister.

"You are both really stubborn!"

Sharon hummed yet again adding "I was told we have that from our parents." Emily smirked "Isn't it convinient to have parent's to blame?"