Later that night, Sean is a little apprehensive about going to sleep. Particularly since he's still bothered by the unsolved "wet slippers" incident.
"I could lock the door," Tiffany said playfully as she closed it behind her. Sean grimaces. "Mostly because I want you all to myself," she added. He stays silent. "Honey, it's not a big deal. You probably were overly tired after the long day. Maybe you went to the car to get something and just forgot about it."
"I guess," he said, not entirely convinced.
"I could tire you out if you want," she said, sliding into her side of the bed.
"Mmmm, hmmmm," he said, also getting in bed, taking special note of the fact that his current pair of slippers was dry.
They snuggle in together. "Is there something you want to talk about, honey?" Tiffany said after a minute or so of silence.
"No, nothing's really going on that you don't know about," he replied.
That statement sort of hung awkwardly in the air.
"OK, it's just ... well, you know you can always say anything to me," she continued. "Doesn't matter what it is, I'm just there for you."
"I know, baby," he said, pulling her into his arms. "I don't really have anything important on my mind but you and our daughter."
"And the business you're starting up from scratch."
"I'm not even really thinking about that. Like I told you, it's kind of taking care of itself."
"Maybe you don't really want to do it after all," she said.
"No, I think it'll be good. Keep me from sitting around all day twiddling my thumbs."
"If you're sure."
"I am."
Tiffany isn't really sure where to take the conversation from there, as bringing up his choice of business partners and their daughter's apparent fascination with him didn't seem like a good idea. "Want to watch the Late Show?"
"No, I think I'd just like to lie here and snuggle with my wife."
"I've never particularly minded that."
"Me neither."
The air grows silent again. Tiffany sort of hopes her comment would be an opening for them to get a little more physical, but no attempt is forthcoming from Sean. So she just rubs her cheek against his arm and waits to fall asleep.
A few hours later, Tiff awakens with a start, thinking she heard a loud banging noise. She doesn't move a muscle, listening intently for something to happen, but everything seems to be quiet. Sean's arm isn't around her anymore, so she shifts her hip backward in hopes of rubbing up against him. But there's no one there. That wakes her up totally.
"Sean? Sean?" she asks, again the atmosphere around her is without sound of any kind. She gets up and looks in the bathroom, no one is there. She walks to his side of the bed, his slippers are gone. She walks down the hallway and peeks into Maren's room. Their daughter is asleep on the bed, she can see her inhaling and exhaling because of the blue light her computer screen is radiating on the desk across from the bed.
She softly walks downstairs, no sign of him there either. She checks the doors to the balcony, they're both locked. She walks to the kitchen, it's dark and shows no signs of being disturbed. She goes to the front door, it too is locked.
She goes back to the couch and slumps into it. "Where could he be?"
Across town, Sean is at the cemetery. He ambles over to the plot that formerly had the headstone bearing his name which now has an unknown grave marker. He kicks at the grass that's started to grow over it. Flashbacks come fast and furiously, of him seeing his own tombstone and of life in Popovic's underground cell. He runs his hand down the smooth face of the gravestone, seeing his own name as he does it. He rubs his fingers to his temples and walks off.
Back at the penthouse, Tiffany's not sure what to do. She picks up the phone and dials Sean's cell. It apparently is turned off and goes right to voicemail. She considers waking up Maren and asking her if she knows anything, calling around Port Charles to see if anyone's seen him but those moves feel wrong to her. She wraps herself tightly in her robe and stays on the couch to wait for him.
The mood is much lighter at Ellie's studio apartment. Although dressed in a night tank top and matching pants, she's apparently prepping for a visitor that she's expecting. The flowers she received earlier in the day are prominently displayed on an end table and she arranges them and then rearranges them to her liking. The doorbell rings, she looks through the peephole and smiles.
"I was hoping you'd come by," she said as she dramatically opened the door.
When Sean walks in, Ellie throws herself into his arms. He responds to her immediately, backing her up to the bed and leaning them both down on it. He quickly peels off his coat and other articles of clothing and drops them on the ground, then gets back to the business at hand.
Tiffany's still on the couch and wide awake hours later when Sean gets home. He doesn't seem to see her as he methodically opens and then locks the door and heads up to the bedroom.
"Sean? Is everything OK?"
He doesn't answer and keeps on walking. She follows him up to the room. When she gets to the doorway, she sees him taking off his overcoat and hanging it in the closet.
"Sean?" she says again. Still no response from him. Now he's on the edge of the bed taking his slippers off.
"Sean?" she repeats, this time louder.
A startled Sean, just about to climb under the blanket, looks up. "What is it, honey? Something wrong?"
"That's what I'm trying to find out. Where were you?"
"What do you mean? I've been here the whole time."
"No, you haven't," she said and now they're both wide awake.
"I haven't?"
"No, you just walked in the door two minutes ago," she said.
"That can't be," the baffled Sean said.
"I was downstairs waiting for you. You came in the front door and walked right by me." She looks at him with grave concern. "Honey, you must have been sleepwalking."
"I don't sleepwalk," he said.
"I've never noticed it before, but it certainly explains why you don't remember and why you walked right by me when I said something to you."
Sean picks up the slippers on the ground and regards them in what little light is coming through their window. "They're not wet, but they definitely were outside."
"I probably shouldn't have woken you, they say it's not good to do that to someone who is sleepwalking."
"No, it's OK. I'm sorry I scared you."
"I think I'm more scared about why this is happening to you."
Sean takes a deep breath. "So am I."
