On Monday morning, Sydney walked through the front doors of Western Summit High doing her best not to smile too widely. She couldn't help being happy today, despite the fact that she only had a few hours of sleep the night before. She and Nathan talked on the phone until somewhere around three a.m. After an hour of serious dialogue, the mood had lightened. They both kept their voices low and giggled like teenagers at several points in their conversation. Just hearing his voice made her heart feel light…she was letting go of all of the fear she had tried to push onto herself…and Nathan still agreed to keeping the relationship to themselves. The more he'd thought about it, the more sense it made, professionally, for both of them.

Her heart racing at the thought of seeing Nathan, she was caught very much by surprise when Principal Hawkins called her into his office after she had checked her faculty mailbox. She was thrown for an even bigger proverbial loop when Nathan was already seated inside - his coat still on and his new glasses off. She hid her immediate fear as best she could.

"I'm glad I could catch you both together this morning," Joe began, pacing nervously. "There's a little something we need to discuss."

Nathan began to go through the rules in his mind. He was certain there was no way they could be punished for seeing one another. He was more concerned about how the "mentoring" would look if others knew that he was sleeping with the woman he was supposed to be guiding. "Oh? Everything all right?" he asked as casually as he could.

"Uh, well…yes and no, I suppose." Joe cleared his throat. "As you both know, our school has a little image problem. We're not at the bottom of the district's barrel, but we're certainly at the top." Both Sydney and Nathan began to panic internally. "However, I have given some thought to a few things and I've come up with a solution to part of our dilemma." The dread the lovers were feeling quickly jelled into confusion. "You two seem to have this whole 'mentoring' deal under control, wouldn't you say?"

Nathan smiled, relieved. "It's worked out better than anticipated."

Joe returned Nathan's smile. "Exactly! You've come up with a way to create a smooth transition for a new teacher here. So, I was thinking about how no local college students ever want to use Western Summit for their student teaching…ever. In fact, on the rare occasion someone does get assigned to us, they beg and plead for a transfer."

"I remember one of them screaming in terror and running out of the building," Nathan chuckled. He quickly cleared his throat. "Sorry, go on."

"We're working on the student body, slowly, and we have finally gotten a good bid on renovations, but what's really going to help us are the little college kickbacks if we can do a good job with their student teachers. I want to get them here and I think that you two are the perfect pair to come up with a mentoring platform."

"You do?" Sydney asked.

"Yes," Joe answered. "Sydney, this can very much work to your advantage. It's a good experience for you, helping to design a program…"

"Never mind the fact that nobody else in this building would possibly volunteer," Nathan said, snidely.

Joe sighed. "You're not wrong, Nathan, we both know that." He looked at Sydney again. "It sounds like Francine is considering an earlier retirement than expected. You've already upped the grades in her room, doing something like this for the school can only help you with your future here."

Sydney did everything in her power not to smile at the possibility of a real position. "I'm onboard if Nathan is."

"Wonderful! It's going to be some extra work, I mean, I don't see you getting through what you might need to during your planning periods."

Sydney looked at Nathan innocently. "That's fine by me." She looked at her watch and Joe noticed.

"Right, kids will be here in a couple of minutes. We're done for now, we can talk more later. Thank you." Sydney nodded and left the office, though Nathan stayed behind.

"I didn't say yes. You realize that, right?" he asked, sounding rather annoyed.

Joe didn't say anything for a moment. "I'm sorry, I had just assumed…"

Nathan rose from his seat and took off his coat, as he was warming up a little too quickly. "Were you feeding her a line of bullshit to get her to willingly do what you would otherwise have to force someone to do?"

"Excuse me?"

"We both know how things can go around here, and we both know that people are told what they want to hear in order for those things to get done…"

"Do you mean what I said about Francine? That's the God's honest truth! She called me last week to talk about the possibility of not coming back in the fall and…"

"That's all well and good, but you can't make Syd think that she might be able to slide right into this position permanently."

"Syd?" He was confused, but only for a moment. "Oh, Sydney? It's not a line, Nathan, she's made quite an impression. You're right that I can't guarantee her anything, but she is doing a fine job – and part of that is thanks to you. You've really taken her under your wing and…"

Nathan sighed. "I'm not a bird, Joe."

"No, you're not, but you are a good teacher – to both the kids and your colleagues. You're getting back to your roots, Nate, and it's good to see." He rose from his chair now as well. "Will you do it?"

Thinking only of the extra time he would get to spend with Sydney, he answered. "Yeah, I'll do it." And I'll have to let her know, gently, that there are no guarantees for her…so much bureaucratic bullsh…

"Good." He walked to Nathan and put his hand on his shoulder. "So, you're professional life is certainly back on track, how's the personal one going?"

Knowing full well that the situation at hand never truly lies in the hands of the principal, Nathan smiled at Joe, now seeing him as his friend and not his boss. "It's…good, actually."

"I thought so. You look…" He really looked at Nathan then. The better fitting clothing, his "healthier than when he was drinking" coloring… "…you look good, Nate," the man said thoughtfully. "Happier than I've seen you in a long time, too."

"Taking care of myself again."

"Good for you. Uh…thinking of…" Joe paused a moment, not wanting to overstep any bounds, but decided to continue his question. "…dating at all?"

Nathan's face didn't change as he began to cross the room to the office door. "Sure, I'm thinking about it."

Joe's smile grew. "Care to do me a favor?"

"Another one?" He raised an eyebrow.

"This one's on me, um, monetarily anyway. My wife has begged me to go to a dinner on Valentine's Day and – oh, it's nothing romantic, more of a rubbing elbows sort of ordeal – and she needs a date, well, more of a fourth, you don't even have to call it a date, for her sister…"

"Joe, I…"

"C'mon, Nate, you don't have plans, do you? I mean you said you were ready to think about dating, so I'm assuming you don't have anything lined up…"

"Blind dates are…"

"Not a date," Joe said, his tone desperate. "We've been friends for years, right? The wife and I haven't been getting on the best and…we're trying to work through it and I just know this is something she really wants to do…just need someone to sit next to and make small chat with her sister."

Nathan felt for Joe, he knew what "not getting on" with a spouse could lead to. He sighed. "Let me think about it, okay? End of the day?"

Joe smiled. "Thanks, Nate…really."

Nathan nodded and left the office, all but jogging down the hall. He quickly threw his things down in his room, then tried to make himself look and feel calm and collected. Wanting to know if Susan was right in all of her choices for him, he put on his new glasses and casually walked across the hall. When he walked into Sydney's room, he found her balancing on a chair in the back, hanging a few things at the top of a bulletin board. Her heels weren't helping the situation. "You need help back there?" he asked. "Or I could, you know," he added, making his way back to her, "just look up your skirt."

Sydney laughed without looking behind her. "Mr. Gardner, please, that's not appropriate talk for the workplace." She finished tacking up the last page and said, her voice hushed, "I thought someone in your neighborhood might have heard us on Friday…" She turned around and Nathan came into her view. "…night." She swallowed noticeably and Nathan took her hand to help her down from the chair. She shook her head. "Hm mm, not good choices at all. Really terrible ones, actually."

Nathan's stomach turned. "Oh…uh…"

She smiled at him, her hand going to his chest. "I mean, how am I supposed to focus on anything knowing that all of this is across the hall from me?"

Now Nathan was the one laughing. "So, this works for you, hm?" It was all very simple: a pair of gray slacks and a black v-neck sweater with a gray t-shirt underneath it…but it all fit, highlighting his physique in a PG fashion, and the glasses were sort of Sydney's kryptonite.

She blushed. "I have always found men in glasses to be very sexy." She bit her lower lip.

Nathan cocked his head. "I've worn them before."

"Sure, those turtle-ish things," she said, nearly giggling. "These are more sophisticated and…I'd like to see you in just them…you know, to make sure they really work for you."

"You are a very naughty teacher." He had whispered this in her ear causing chills to run down her neck…and other things to happen elsewhere.

"I've never dated anyone that wore them before. Turns out they affect me somehow…" Sure that nobody was around, Sydney kissed him. Nathan wasn't exactly shocked by the act, or even that they were doing so when their students would be in the halls within a few moments time, but he was surprised by the way she'd done it. It was the first time she'd kissed him with what Nathan could only compare to openness. It was very much like the kiss he'd given her after she watched him with Wess…the fact that she'd just initiated it spoke volumes.

"I want to go on a real date, Nathan." Her voice was soft and she kept her face close to his. "I know a little place…it's a bit of a drive for dinner, but we would never run into anyone from school or…"

"Meet me in the mall parking lot at five, we'll leave from there."

"Tonight?"

"Why not?"

Sydney's face was beginning to ache from all of her smiling. "Yeah, why not?"