Reflections Chapter 46 - Show and Tell, a castle fanfic

Authors Note: Thanks for your reviews!

Chapter 46- Show and Tell

Jim glanced up from the work on his desk at the sound of a knock on the open door of his office. He smiled at the sight of Johanna in the doorway. "Are you busy?" she asked.

"Not for you," he answered, pushing his chair back from the desk a little and extending an arm to her.

Johanna smiled as she moved toward him and settled on his lap as he seemed to want. "Is it appropriate to have colleagues on your lap during business hours?" she teased.

"I don't recall seeing anything in the rules about it," he replied with a grin. "In fact I'm sure it's encouraged; they do want us all to get along, after all."

Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "I better never come in here and catch you getting along this well with any other colleagues."

"You don't have to worry; I reserve this special treatment for my favorite colleague only…which means I better never find out that you were coaxed onto the lap of another colleague."

"You don't ever have to worry about that," she assured before stealing a kiss.

Jim gave her a mischievous grin. "Since you just kissed me, I'm guessing you're no longer concerned about professional behavior."

"Are you?"

He shook his head. "I could name a few unprofessional things I'd like to do with you here in the office."

"Forget it," Johanna laughed.

"I'll convince you one day."

She scoffed. "Don't be too sure about that."

Jim patted her hip. "We'll see. What brings you by?"

"I missed you," she replied; "And you left a message with Sharon telling me to come see you when I got a minute."

"Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that," he answered. "I've been buried under this case for the last few hours."

"What did you want to see me about?"

"The weekend."

"What about it?"

"I was thinking that maybe you'd come stay with me again," he replied, thinking about how nice it had been to have her around the weekend before.

"Hoping for better luck this time?" Johanna asked; recalling how Mother Nature had surprised her and interfered with some of their weekend plans.

He smiled; "Well I can't deny hoping for the opportunity of better luck. Are you…better now?" he asked for lack of better words.

She gave a soft laugh. "Yes, I'm better now. I still feel badly about last weekend. I guess I wasn't paying attention when I counted my days and made a miscalculation."

Jim pressed a kiss against her cheek. "Don't worry about it, you can't help it. I think we still had a nice time anyway once I convinced you that you didn't have to go home because of it."

A sheepish smile touched her lips. "I was only going to go home because I wasn't prepared to deal with the issue at your place. I also thought you'd want to be out of the way of any possible mood swings."

Jim shook his head. "It wasn't a problem to take you to the drugstore so you could get what you needed so you could stay. As for moodiness, honestly, you seemed fine. I figured this must've been one of your better months."

She gave a nod as she laughed. "You're right, it was, but don't get used to it. It's a fluke that happens every so often."

"Don't worry, I won't lower my guard," he quipped. "Just send out a warning."

Johanna brushed a kiss against his jaw. "You took very good care of me. I'm still surprised that you went in the store with me."

"I'm supportive like that," he said with a grin; "Although that cashier did give me a pitying look."

"I still say it was your imagination."

"It wasn't."

"Whatever the case may be, I appreciated it," she told him. "I also really appreciated it when you rubbed that ache in my lower back."

"Anytime, sweetheart. So how about it? Will you come back this weekend to stay with me?"

Johanna liked the thought of staying with him for the weekend once again. In the few weeks they had been together, he had already developed the habit of spending Wednesday nights at her place. She wanted a habit of her own of staying at his apartment. "I'd love to," she told him with a smile.

Jim returned her smile, his hand patting her hip as he stole a kiss. "We'll go out to dinner Friday night and then see a movie, how does that sound?"

"It sounds good to me," she answered. "I'll pack a bag Thursday night and bring it with me Friday morning, that way we can just leave together from here."

Jim was quiet for a moment, a thought he'd had in mind since the weekend before cycling through his mind. He took her hand and decided to take the plunge. "Maybe you should just pack some extra stuff to leave at my place," he suggested.

Her fingers curled around his as she carefully selected her words. She hadn't expected an invitation like that so soon, after all, it had only been a few weeks…and yet at the same time, it felt like they had settled into a relationship long ago, which, she supposed, technically they had. But being official was still relatively new despite the handful of dates and dinners at her place…and lunches as their usual habit had been. She liked the idea but she was wary of pushing too much too soon, she didn't want to make him feel any sort of pressure given his past reluctance.

"Are you sure you're ready for that?" she asked gently; hoping he wouldn't take offense to the question.

He met her gaze but she couldn't quite read his thoughts as she usually did. "Why wouldn't I be? I already gave you a drawer in the bathroom," he replied.

Johanna gave a small shrug. "Because this is a little more…this is space in your bedroom."

"I want you to have a space in my bedroom," Jim remarked; "And not just in my bed. I want you to feel at home; I want you to have some things there so you don't always have to worry about packing a bag if you want to stay with me, and so you'll have things if you stay on a whim…but if you're not ready for that, I understand."

"No; it isn't that; I like the idea of having things there…I just wanted to be sure you were ready for that. I didn't want to seem like I was overly anxious to invade," she said with a small smile.

He hooked a finger under her chin and drew her close for a kiss. "You're not invading, I'm inviting. I'll give you some space in the dresser and the closet; bring some things for work too, just in case you'd need them there."

"You don't feel like it's too soon?"

"No; if I did, I wouldn't suggest it…we've known each other a long time, Jo…I'm kind of surprised I haven't given you a drawer before now, with the way things were between us."

She laughed softly; "That would've come in handy a few times…but then you wouldn't have gotten that cherished peek into my underwear drawer at home."

Jim smiled; "I could say something, but I'm not going to…not now anyway…I'll save my comments about your underwear for more appropriate places."

She felt her cheeks warm in response; she'd already heard some of those comments…and they were most definitely better reserved for outside the office. "You know, you could leave some things at my place too," she told him; "And then you wouldn't have to leave me when it's still practically the middle of the night when you stay through the week."

"I don't like leaving you like that," he murmured as he brushed a kiss against her cheek. Truth be told, he hated the look in her eyes every time he left her bed to head home so he'd be able to get ready for work. Somehow it made him feel as though he was making her feel cheap when he'd make love to her and leave before the sun was up. It felt wrong.

"Then you should bring some stuff over," she replied.

He nodded; "Okay; is it a deal then? We're trading space in each other's home?"

"Yeah; it's a deal," Johanna replied; a warm smile spreading across her lips.

"Good…maybe we should take care of that before the weekend."

"I'm all for that," she answered. "When do you want to do it?"

"Well, since I've been spending Wednesday's with you; I could bring my stuff tomorrow night and you could get your stuff together and bring it over Thursday after work…we could order in…"

"Sounds like a bonus night," she quipped; a teasing lilt in her voice.

"We're entitled to a bonus once in awhile," Jim laughed.

"I agree."

"I love when you see things my way," he remarked before capturing her lips in a kiss.

She sank into his embrace as their kiss lingered until a knock on the door interrupted them. "I hate to break this up," Sally said as she stood in the doorway; "But you have a client due in about twenty minutes or less."

"How long have you been back?" Jim asked his secretary as Johanna removed herself from his lap.

"A few minutes; don't worry, I didn't eavesdrop…I turned on the radio after I peeked in the door and saw you two together. You didn't have to get up on my account, Jo…by all means, stay there and keep him happy, it makes my life easier."

Johanna laughed; "I better get back to my own office, but I promise, Sally, I'll do my best to keep him happy for you."

Sally grinned at her; "You do that, I'm too young to be committed for insanity."

"I don't know about that," Jim said with a scoff.

Johanna gave him a quick kiss. "Be nice," she told him playfully. "I'll see you later."

He gave her hand a quick squeeze. "See you later."

Jim sat on the foot of his bed early Friday evening, watching as Johanna unpacked her bag and placed her clothes in the drawer he had cleaned out for her. He smiled a little as she went about her task. She had already hung a few summer dresses in the closet and two outfits for work as well. There was also a pair of black heels and a pair of pink flip flops sitting on the closet floor. He liked the sight of her things mixing in with his…it felt cozy…and somewhat odd that he was so comfortable with the idea. But he was comfortable with it and he was glad to have her to himself for the weekend. Their schedules hadn't meshed well that week; they had only managed to have lunch together once and had to settle for break room run-ins when they were both in the building.

Despite their plans to spend a few evenings together through the week, the universe had conspired to keep them apart. Wednesday had brought a last minute crisis for him at work and by the time he had straightened things out he had been in a foul mood and it had been too late to spend the evening with Johanna. Jim hadn't been too discouraged; they had made plans for Thursday to be a bonus evening but then Frankie had arrived at the office at the end of the day with Greg in hand. He passed the boy off to his sister, explaining that there was an emergency in Valerie's family and that Naomi wasn't able to babysit. Jim could still see the apologetic look that had been in her eyes when she had glanced at him as Frankie hurried out of the office. Their plans were dashed and he took Johanna and Greg home to her place and settled for a kiss before leaving her to deal with the fussy toddler.

It had been a frustrating week to say the least, Jim thought to himself as Johanna put her now empty bag in the closet and carried a smaller bag to the bathroom to add things to her drawer in there. They had held their breaths all day, waiting for something to come along and spoil their plans for the weekend. By the time the office closed, they breathed sighs of relief, their weekend secured. Johanna had brought the bag she had packed earlier in the week and they had hurried back to his apartment so that she could quickly settle in before they headed out for the evening.

"I'm finished," Johanna said; breaking into his thoughts as she pressed a kiss against his lips.

His hands circled her waist as he rose from the bed, his gaze sweeping over. She had been tempting him all day, Jim thought to himself as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss. She knew how much he liked the outfit she was wearing; a blue wrap shirt that had a plunging neckline and that black skirt that was a little snugger and shorter than the others she wore to work. There had been her teasing smiles; the brush of her hand against his chest and the innocent comment that she was just brushing off a piece off lint. But he had seen the sassy gleam in her eyes and knew better as they stole that moment in the break room. There had also been her lingering kiss when she told him of her victory in court that day. And then there was the fact that it had been days since they'd been together, he mused as their kiss ended and his lips moved down the column of her throat. Too many days, he amended. Over a week.

"I thought we were going to dinner," Johanna murmured in his ear.

'We could just order something and stay here," Jim replied as she captured a wayward hand.

"No; you said we were going out," she reminded him; amusement in her voice. "You also said we were going to a movie."

He sighed. "Just this once…."

Johanna laughed, not needing further explanation of his comment. "If I let you get away with that once, you'll think you can get away with it all the time."

Jim shook his head. "I swear I'd make it up to you tomorrow."

"Nope, you promised me dinner and I'm hungry."

"So am I," he murmured; his lips moving against the shell of her ear.

"Jim," she chastened lightly, sure that he hadn't meant the comment in the way she had.

He sighed and ceased his tactics of persuasion. "Alright, I don't want it said that I was starving you."

Johanna laughed and cupped his face, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "I promise that things will turn out the way you want," she said seductively. "I do have a victory to celebrate after all."

The sparkle in her eyes made him long to stay locked in his apartment with her. "Are you sure we have to go out?"

"Yes," she answered as she slipped away from him. "You've waited this long, you can wait awhile longer."

"Are you sure about that?" he teased.

"Positive, and just think, the longer we debate about it, the longer you have to wait."

"Let's go then," he said with a laugh.

She grinned; "I knew you'd see it my way."

Jim smiled, his arm slipping around her as they made their way through the apartment. "The night isn't over yet…and I now feel like I've been challenged."

"Suddenly I feel like I'm in trouble."

"Don't worry, it's the kind of trouble you'll like," he said teasingly as he gave her waist a gentle squeeze.

Dinner had been a casual affair but Johanna didn't mind. She had enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of Remy's and the time spent with Jim; there had been little of that during the week and she had missed him and the new level of closeness that they shared in relation to their new relationship status. A long work week had been easy to forget while sitting across the table from him. He had made her laugh with stories of a client who was driving him crazy and an error in a file that driven Sally to distraction as she tried to work out the problem. He allowed her an equal amount of time to gloat about her win in court and warmth filled her every time she thought of the look of pride in his eyes as she told him how she pulled it off.

Johanna smiled as she settled into her seat at the movie theater; that feeling of Jim being proud of her made her feel so good inside. Perhaps she hadn't realized how important it was to her that he be proud of her. Jim's hand found hers as he settled into the seat next to her. Her gaze flicked to his, the smile remaining on her lips. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Nothing really," she answered; "Just that I enjoyed dinner."

"I'll take you somewhere fancier next week," he promised.

"I don't always need fancy places, Jim. I'm just as happy with the simple ones. I think sometimes we have more fun at the diners and fast food places."

Jim gave a quiet laugh. "I guess that's true. No one minds if you get a case of the giggles at a diner."

She glanced at him in amusement; recalling their night out the week before. "The giggles are usually your fault. You were the one who said the waiter reminded you of a frog."

"You agreed with the assessment," he replied.

"Well he did seem a little frog like," she laughed; "But you could've pointed it out after dinner."

"There's no fun in that."

"I couldn't look at him for the rest of the time we were there."

Jim gave her a mischievous grin. "That's all right; you're supposed to be looking at me anyway."

"You don't think I admire you enough?" she teased.

He shrugged; playfulness in his eyes. "There's always room for improvement."

She swatted him softly. "I guess you'd better admire me more too in that case."

His hand moved to her knee. "I thought you'd never ask."

"Oh, Lord," she muttered as the lights went out.

"He can't help you now, sweetheart," Jim murmured in her ear as his fingertips moved against the side of her knee. "He's probably thinking that you made your bed and now you have to lie in it…with me."

"I'm pretty sure someone somewhere would say that's sacrilege," she whispered in amusement.

"We won't tell anyone."

"Mhmm," she replied, a thought dawning on her as his fingers slipped a little higher. She twisted to see if anyone was behind them and discovered that there wasn't…and the nearest people in front of them were three rows away. It was also one of the darker corners of the theater. "I believe I know why you steered me toward this row," she whispered to him.

"Do you?" he replied; his lips brushing her cheek.

"It's the least occupied part of the theater…and very dark."

He smiled at her in the glow of the movie's opening credits. "Yes, I know. I learned long ago where the best rows were in movie theaters."

Johanna side eyed him; "So how many woman have gotten this special movie treatment from you?"

"I didn't count but I know none of them mattered; only you matter."

A smile spread across her lips without her permission. "That was smooth."

"I thought so," he murmured before capturing her lips in a kiss. "It's not my fault that you uncovered my master plan."

Johanna shook her head at him, glad that that no one was near them because surely their whispering would've been hushed by now. "You'd think you were a teenager," she remarked.

Jim smiled in between brushing soft kisses against her jaw. "Can I help it if I can't get enough of you?"

"We're supposed to be watching the movie," she whispered.

"You watch; I'll work on my master plot…we'll see who wins."

"Jim," she warned lightly although she knew she should be more stern…but really she didn't want to be stern. She wanted a night of fun, for the flirty moments they had been sharing during dinner to continue.

"Shhh," he shushed; "You have to be quiet at the movies."

Before she could reply he caught her lips in another kiss and silenced her.

The movie was barely halfway through but Johanna found herself more and more distracted by Jim's tactics, and even the smug gleam in his eyes couldn't strength her resolve. She tried…she tried so very hard to win the game, to ignore his kisses and touches, and those moments when he'd whisper in her ear all the things he'd like to do to her…and she wanted him to do them all. As if he sensed the direction of her thoughts, his lips moved to that sensitive area on her neck and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from making a sound. Somehow having to stay quiet made it seem all the more daring and exciting as her desire grew steadily. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, but she decided that she had to at least make a half hearted attempt to stop him as his fingertips slipped beneath the hem of her skirt.

"You should stop that," she said with a breathy whisper.

"I would if I thought you really wanted me to," he murmured; "And you don't want me to…do you?"

"I'm trying to watch the movie," she lied as she avoided his question.

He chuckled quietly as his eyes met hers. "What's it about?"

She hadn't the faintest idea. "It's about…those people," she said, gesturing to the actors on the screen.

"You give such an in-depth analysis of the plot, sweetheart; I'm impressed."

Johanna smacked his shoulder. "How am I supposed to know what it's about when you're distracting me?"

"Can I help it if you're easily distracted? I believe I'm winning this game."

"You think so?"

"Don't you?" he murmured; his mouth brushing hers. "We could have a lot more fun at home."

"What about the movie?"

"We'll see it next weekend," he promised. "You know you don't want me to stop…do you?" he asked; his fingers moving against the inside of her thigh.

"No," she whispered; meeting him halfway for a passionate kiss. "I never want you to stop."

Jim grinned. "Then let's get out of here."

"We can't leave in the middle of the movie."

"Sure we can; people do it all the time…besides, we have that victory of yours to celebrate. Do you really want to keep putting that on hold?" he asked lightly. "Come on, it's alright to be bad, Sassy."

The comment appealed to her, although in truth her mind had already been made up. "Let's go," she whispered.

"I win," Jim remarked as he grabbed her hand and got up from his seat.

Johanna did her best to stifle her giggles as he pulled her toward the exit. "Don't get too smug," she murmured. "I have games of my own, if you recall."

"I do," he remarked as they slipped out of the theater; "And I want to play them all right after we finish mine."

"That could make it a long night," Johanna commented, a seductive lilt in her voice.

"The longer the better, sweetheart," he replied. "You won't hear any complaints from me."

A thud sounded in the darkness of Jim's apartment and it was soon followed by his laughter and Johanna's giggles. He tried to stop laughing but she was apparently seized by incurable giggles and they seemed to be contagious, he thought to himself as he continued to laugh; his head dipping to rest against her shoulder for a moment.

"Are you alright?" he managed to ask.

"I'm fine," Johanna laughed. "Are you?"

"I seem to be. Are you sure you're not hurt?"

"I'm positive," she said as she tried to get her giggles under control. "I might have a few bruises in the morning but nothing serious. What about you?"

"I wouldn't be surprised to have a bruise or two," he remarked as he shifted slightly; "But otherwise I'm fine too…although this has never happened before."

The comment was enough to bring her giggles back. "I've fallen out of bed before, but I was alone…and dressed."

He grinned; "Then I'm glad I could be the first to join you in this endeavor…although I don't know how the hell it happened."

"I think we got overly zealous," she replied as she tugged at the sheet that had come tumbling off the bed with them.

"Clearly," he replied with a laugh before brushing a kiss against her lips. "But who can blame us."

Johanna caught his lips in another kiss. "Who indeed?" she asked, a suggestive lilt in her voice. "But I suppose we could be blamed for starting at the wrong end of the bed…this should probably be a lesson to us to start at the top like we normally do…instead of across the foot of the bed…which apparently leads us to the floor."

"I'd say I'm sorry…but I'm not really," Jim stated; a wicked grin on his lips as he laid beside her.

"Who said I wanted an apology? I'm not exactly sorry myself."

He turned onto his side, his hand snaking out and moving slowly across her bare stomach; making every nerve in her body tingle as desire quickly began to build within her again. "See, I told you we'd have more fun at home than at the movie," he whispered; his fingertips drawing circles against her soft skin.

A smile curved her lips upwards. "I just wonder what the employees thought when we went rushing out of there and it wasn't even halfway through yet."

"Who cares," he murmured; dropping a kiss against her shoulder. "We had better things to do."

Another giggle spilled from her lips. "Like falling out of bed while making love?"

He nodded; "At least it didn't happen on the first round…we waited until the second to fall out…which probably means that it doesn't matter where we start on the bed."

"I think it probably does," she laughed.

"It doesn't…we fell out because we were just too hot for it to handle."

She burst into laughter. "We think very highly of ourselves, don't we?"

Jim's brow rose; "You disagree about the hotness?"

"No!" she exclaimed; "Definitely not…I'm not sure it could get any hotter."

"Don't underestimate us; we could surpass tonight…it won't be easy, but we can do it…we might even accomplish it before morning if we work hard enough, if not, there will be other opportunities," he said with a smug grin.

"And suddenly I realize that I won't be seeing that movie next weekend, like you promised me when you coaxed me to leave tonight."

"Sweetheart; I didn't have to do much coaxing…."

"I guess not, considering that you barely let me see five minutes of that movie before you latched on to me."

"Are you complaining?"

"No!"

"Then I rest my case…and I promise, you will see that movie in its entirety sometime next week…unless of course you tempt me again."

"And how exactly did I tempt you tonight?" she asked.

"By being your usual intoxicating self…the outfit helped too."

"I wore that to work."

"Yes, to tempt me…you always wear that skirt and that top when you want to tease me."

"I do not!"

"You do," he replied; "And it's alright, I don't mind at all…and you shouldn't mind that I spend all day thinking about getting you out of it."

A satisfied grin touched her lips. "I can't deny wanting you to think about me."

His hand glided over the curve of her hip. "I think about you all day long, sweetheart; and then I think about you all night too."

"That's good to know," she remarked as she drew him closer for a long passionate kiss.

"Do you think of me?" he murmured; a hint of teasing his voice, his breath hot against her skin as he moved to her neck.

"All the time," she whispered; a hitch in her breath as his lips found that sensitive area.

"Shall we try it again?" Jim asked. "We'll stay away from the edge this time."

A rebellious gleam lit up her eyes. "Why not just try again from where we are? We can't fall any further…and why waste the time of moving?"

He smiled; "I love you so much."

"Then show me," she murmured seductively; her hands sliding against his back as he shifted over her.

"Are you sure you're going to be comfortable?"

Johanna nodded; "In case you haven't noticed; the comforter broke our fall."

"In that case, I call this discussion closed so we can get back to business."

"Always the professional," she quipped.

"I always mean business with you, sweetheart," he remarked fondly before he caught her lips in a searing kiss and proceeded to wipe her mind free of thought.

"Jo," Jim said quietly as he gave her hip a gentle shake the next morning.

"Hmm?" she murmured in response; tugging the sheet more tightly around her.

"Wake up, sweetheart."

"Why?" she muttered. "Saturday…I sleep in."

He gave a quiet laugh. "It's 8:30. I'm going to run out and get a paper; I'll pick up something for breakfast too."

"I could make breakfast when you get back," Johanna offered as she remained snuggled into her pillow.

"You get the morning off from breakfast duty."

"Oh," she said as she cracked an eye open. "Why is that?"

Jim smiled smugly; "As a thank you for last night."

Johanna's laughter filled the air. "So you enjoyed that tumble out of bed?"

"Most definitely…it's like a point of pride. I enjoyed what lead up to it, the fall itself, and everything that happened after it."

"It was a long night," she murmured seductively, her hand caressing his arm as she sat up.

"Long in all the right ways," he replied before capturing her lips in a kiss.

"I agree wholeheartedly."

A smile slid across his lips as he pushed back a lock of her tossled hair. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Depends; where are you getting it from?"

"That little restaurant down the street that you like."

"The one that sells those hashbrowns I like?" she asked a smile ghosting across her lips.

"Yes," he laughed; "And I already planned on ordering you two hashbrowns; what do you want to go with it?"

"Scrambled eggs and toast."

"Anything else?"

Johanna grinned; "Well they do have that doughnut case…you could snag me a glazed one for later."

"I'll get you two," he replied as he kissed her nose. "I'll be back."

"Hand me something to put on so I can go get a shower," she told him as he rose from the edge of the bed.

Jim grabbed a t-shirt from the chair and threw it to her. She eyed it and then him; "How long as this been laying there?"

He smirked at her. "It's clean; I accidentally pulled two shirts out of the drawer this morning."

"And it was too much work to put it back?" she teased.

"I figured I'd leave it out for tomorrow."

She laughed at him as she pulled on his shirt and then threw the sheet back. "I'll clean this room up when I get out of the shower," she told him; taking sight of the comforter still pooled on the floor at the foot of the bed; the sheets rumpled and twisted, the pillows askew. Their clothes from the night before were still littering the floor.

"Don't worry about it; consider it a monument to last night."

Johanna rolled her eyes; but the smile on her lips and the blush on her cheeks dampened the expression. "You're entirely too smug this morning, Jim Beckett."

"I think I have reason to be," he quipped, giving her a gentle swat on her backside as they left the room.

She smirked at him; "I see how this weekend is going to go."

"Just the way I planned it," he said with a grin as she stood in the doorway of the bathroom.

"You're incorrigible."

"And proud of it," he replied. "I'll try not to be long."

She smiled; "I'll be here."

Johanna stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her hair and then grabbed another towel to dry off. Realizing that she had left her clothes in the bedroom, she wrapped the towel tightly around her, not wanting to get Jim's clean shirt wet while she worked on drying her hair. She moved to the sink and rooted through the makeup bag she had opened earlier when she had been searching for her toothpaste. Her brow furrowed as she dug for her comb; her fingers finally curling around it in the bottom of the bag and she pulled it out and laid it on the sink. She unwound the towel from her hair and used to it to wipe the steam from the mirror before she used it to vigorously attack her wet hair.

"I really need a hairdryer here," she mumbled to herself as she picked up her comb and dragged it through her damp locks. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was wet hair. With a sigh, she finished combing her hair and dropped the comb back into her bag along with the tube of toothpaste and zipped it shut. She put it back into the drawer Jim had given her and then exited the bathroom.

Johanna moved back to the bedroom; stepping over the discarded clothes strewn across the floor as she made her way to the dresser. She heard the apartment door close and the sound of footsteps moving toward the kitchen. She smiled; Jim had gotten back sooner than she had expected. She had hoped to have the bedroom cleaned up before he got back…but he'd just have to settle for a cleaned up her, she mused. She didn't bother to call out to him as she listened to him moving through the apartment. He'd find her…and she kind of liked the idea of teasing him with the sight of her in nothing but a towel…after all, he had liked that sight in North Carolina the year before.

She opened the dresser drawer and picked through the contents. She pulled out a pink bra and laid it on the edge of the dresser and then reached in to grab the matching pair of panties when a voice shattered the stillness of the apartment.

"You slut!"

The lacy attire slipped from her fingers; her heart and stomach flipping in unison as the sound caused her to jerk toward the doorway; a nightmare playing out before her as her green eyes met the steely gray-blue of her intruder.

Minutes before, Elizabeth Beckett marched up the hallway toward her son's apartment. Jim had been off the radar more than usual lately; and while she didn't demand that her children check in on a daily basis, she liked for them to at least let her know that they were still alive at least once a week. It had now been ten days since she'd had word from her middle child. Robert wasn't concerned…in fact he seemed oddly content about the lack of contact from who she was certain was his favorite son. It made her suspicious. If Robert wasn't concerned then he knew something. He knew something that she didn't…and she wouldn't stand for that. Jimmy was up to something and it was high time she got to the bottom of it.

As she neared his door; she pulled her keys from her pocket and searched for the one that she had marked with a J. Since she wasn't having any luck with getting him on the phone, she'd just do this face to face…and letting herself in meant he couldn't pretend not to be home and let her knock go unanswered. She inserted the key and unlocked the door, letting herself in as if she was a Queen who had a right to enter any place she chose. Her eyes swept across the living room; it was empty, the television turned off. She moved to the kitchen. It was also empty; there were a few dirty dishes in the sink and a bottle of wine on the counter but no sign of fresh coffee and no sign that breakfast had been eaten there. She frowned, either he was being lazy and was still in bed or he wasn't home and she had wasted a trip. She hated to have her time wasted.

She heard movement coming from the bedroom as she moved back through the living room. She smirked; I've got you now, boy; she thought to herself as she marched to the door. As she looked into the open room, the first thing that caught her sight was the array of clothing on the floor. It wasn't too much of a surprise; after all he had always been a little lax on housekeeping duty; but then her eyes spied a black lace bra…and not far from it rested a small pair of black lace panties. Her eyes widened, a discarded skirt, what appeared to be a woman's blue shirt met her eyes. Her gaze drifted further; she could see the comforter pooled on the floor; the bed was a mess. Rustling caught her attention and her eyes snapped toward the dresser. The figure her gaze landed on wasn't her son as she had expected. It was worse. It was that woman…the one that she warned him about. The one she knew was trouble from the moment she laid eyes on her. The one he always claimed was 'just his friend'. A sneer curled her lips; well now she knew just how friendly the little whore was.

"You slut!" she exclaimed; startling the young woman and causing her to drop the pink lingerie she had in her hand.

Johanna's eyes widened; she forgot how to breathe, her breath caught in her throat as Elizabeth's angry face stared her down. Without thought, her hands moved to grip the towel around her, making sure it was secure as she felt more exposed than she was.

"I knew you were a slut the first time I laid eyes on you!" Elizabeth raged. "I didn't buy your little innocent act for a minute and if Jimmy I thought I bought his lies, he's sadly mistaken!"

Johanna closed her eyes, hoping that she'd open them and wake up back in bed; that this was just some bizarre dream that would fade as soon as she opened her eyes…but it wasn't; Elizabeth was still there, her gaze still pinned to her. "Well what do you have to say for yourself, you tramp?"

She breathed deeply and exhaled; trying to calm herself as her cold, damp hair laid against her shoulders and made her shiver. "Elizabeth," she began; her voice only trembling slightly.

The older woman's eyes snapped with fire. "I didn't give you permission to address me by my given name! How dare you! You address me as Mrs. Beckett! And I promise you that you will never answer to such a title, you little…"

"If you call me a slut one more time, I'm going to come over there and slap you," Johanna said firmly; "And I'd hate to do that…considering that it's isn't polite to hit someone who's your elder."

"I call them as I see them," Elizabeth stated as she stepped further into the room and stooped down enough to hook her pinky through the satin strap of the bra on the floor. She held it up in the air for Johanna to view. "Only sluts wear black lace," she remarked before she flung the garment at Johanna.

Johanna glanced down as the bra landed at her feet. She'd have to burn that now; there wasn't any way she'd be able to wear that again now that Jim's mother had touched it. It was a shame too; she liked that bra. "How do you know what sluts wear?" Johanna asked. "Do you have some black lingerie at home?"

Elizabeth's eyes couldn't grow any wider. "How dare you!" she all but screamed. "I'm a good decent woman. I never participated in such activities before I was properly wed in the eyes of God. You ought to be ashamed of yourself; standing around in a towel in a man's apartment this early in the morning. It's beyond indecent!"

Her gaze slid to the clock on the nightstand. "It's after nine…how is that scandalous?"

"You have no business being in the home of an unmarried man this early in the day," the older woman snapped; "And it's more than obvious that you've been here all night! It looks like a couple of animals tore through here!"

A smile touched her lips before she could stop it. Their night had been a bit wild…but she didn't regret it.

"You think it's something to smile about?" Elizabeth demanded to know.

"I didn't do anything wrong," Johanna replied.

"You don't think being a promiscuous young woman is wrong?"

"I'm not promiscuous…that would imply that I sleep with numerous men. I only sleep with one."

"You don't even try to deny it!"

"Why try to deny it?" she asked. "I'm in his bedroom, in a towel, and you see my underwear on the floor…I'd say that I don't have much left to hide, Elizabeth."

"I told you not to call me that!"

"If you can't respect me, I can't respect you."

"What's your mother's name?" Elizabeth demanded to know.

'What?" she asked in confusion.

"I want your mother's name."

"For what?"

"So I can call and tell her about the life her daughter is living! I'm sure she'll be just as outraged and maybe she'll take you in hand."

Johanna burst into laughter. "You're going to call my mommy and tell on me? Are you serious?"

"Very," she snapped. "Now I want her name. I want her to know about the trash she raised!"

"I'm not trash," Johanna replied sharply; "And I'll thank you to quit insinuating that I am. I'm not giving you my mother's name. I'm a grown woman who can do as she pleases and what I've done isn't wrong. It's part of love."

"Love," Elizabeth scoffed. "There isn't any love here; you're just after my son for what you can get out of him; and he's like any other young man, letting it happen because his head is turned by a pretty face and an easy nature. They don't think correctly when women are flaunting themselves in front of them."

She sighed; she didn't want to have this conversation while she was wrapped in a towel. "Can you please just go into the other room until I get dressed?"

"Don't you tell me what to do! You're the most disrespectful little twit I've ever encountered!"

"I'm disrespectful?" Johanna asked. "What about you? I think you're pretty damn disrespectful, waltzing in here without being invited, calling me names that I don't deserve, and keeping me from putting my clothes on! I think that makes you rude."

"This is my son's home! I have every right to come into it."

"Not when he hasn't invited you! You didn't call; you didn't knock; you just let yourself in! You don't have any right to do that regardless of the fact that he's your son."

"Where's my son?" Elizabeth demanded to know.

"He went out to get a newspaper and to get breakfast."

She gave a bitter laugh. "What, last night's romp left you too exhausted to live up to your reputation of being such a fabulous chef? I guess you just cook in every room you're in, don't you?"

A snarky smile slid across Johanna's lips. "You'll have to let Jim answer that question…I wouldn't want it to sound like bragging on my part."

Elizabeth's mouth opened and closed in shock. "You little…"

"Don't say it," Johanna warned. "I swear to God, you aren't far from getting something you don't want, lady. What your son and I do behind closed doors is our business, not yours and before you come barging in here again, you better think twice. Now go sit in the living room and let me put my damn clothes on."

"I'm not going anywhere," Elizabeth seethed; "And everything my son does is my business. I won't let him fall into your trap. I know what your kind are like and I won't stand for it! And you have no right telling me when I can and can not come into my son's home. Who the hell do you think you are?"

"You act like you have a choice about who he spends his life with, Mrs. Beckett; but you know what; you don't. You don't get a say. It's Jim's life and he can do whatever the hell he wants and be with whoever he wants; and like I told you before, if I'm the person he wants; I'm the one he'll have. I'm not going anywhere so you may as well have your little tantrum and get over it; but please have it in another room until I've finished dressing."

Elizabeth erupted in outrage; the words flowing through Jo's ears in a flurry as she turned back to the dresser and picked up her lingerie. She also grabbed a shirt and a pair of jeans that she had tucked inside the evening before and then shut the drawer. Unfortunately for her, the sight of her taking clothes from Jim's dresser sank into Elizabeth's mind.

"Oh my God," the older woman said in disgust. "Are you living with my son…in sin!"

Johanna turned back toward her with her clothes in hand. "Really? What century are we living in here?"

"So he has moved you in here!"

"No, I'm not living here!" Johanna yelled. "I have my own apartment."

"Then why are your clothes here!"

"Because I obviously stay here sometimes," she retorted. "It's one drawer and I have a few things in the bathroom, not that it's any of your damn business."

Elizabeth went off on her tangent once again and Johanna had enough. She moved across the room with her clothes and pushed past the woman and hurried to the bathroom as she continued to yell at her back.

Once safely inside, Johanna slammed the door shut and locked it; leaning back against it in relief. "You can't hide from me!" Jim's mother yelled outside the door. "This is going to end today; do you hear me! You get your damn clothes on and then you get your stuff packed up and get the hell out of here and don't you ever let me catch you here again."

"The hell I will," she yelled back. "This isn't your home; if anyone's leaving, it's you!"

"I'd like to see you try and put me out of here," Elizabeth yelled. "You're the one who's leaving; you mark my words!"

Johanna moved away from the door and quickly began pulling on her clothes. She hoped Jim was on his way back; he could deal with his irate mother…she was staying locked in the bathroom…for the health and safety of all of them, because she was coming very close to inflicting more than just threats on Elizabeth Beckett.

Jim juggled the newspaper and the bags of food in one hand as he dug his keys from his pocket. He unlocked the door and swung it open, dropping his keys on the stand before he closed it. "Jo, I'm back," he called out as he headed for the kitchen to sit the bags down on the table.

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself," a sharp voice said as he returned to the living room.

His eyes darted toward the hallway and his gaze found his mother standing there. Suddenly a dark cloud had descended on what had been a beautiful morning until that moment. This wasn't going to be good. "Mother, what are you doing here?" he asked; keeping his tone even as he tried to figure out where Johanna was.

"I came to check on your well being," Elizabeth said tartly. "I haven't heard from you in ten days. Imagine my surprise when I came in here and found that little trollop instead of you. And don't bother lying and trying to make it seem innocent; the deplorable state of that bedroom tells the story of what went on here last night."

Jim eyed her. "Since when do you do well being checks? You've never made a big deal of keeping tabs on us before, so why now? Why didn't you just call if you were so concerned?"

"Because I know how easily you let the phone ring without answering it," she retorted. "I knew something was going on. You've made yourself scarce and your father isn't concerned a bit…that's how I knew for sure that I needed to find out what was going on so I came over here to find you."

"And since you said you 'came in', I'm assuming you didn't knock."

"I don't have to knock; I have a key."

Jim's glare was icy. "You don't just barge into my home unannounced," he told her. "I don't give a damn if you have a key or not; and I believe I told you that before when you walked in here without knocking."

"I'm your mother!"

"I don't care," he replied. "You have no right coming in here unannounced like that. What went on in my bedroom last night is my business, not yours. I'm a grown man; I don't answer to you anymore."

"Everything about my children is my business," Elizabeth snapped. "Now explain that woman's presence. Tell me why you've lied to my face and said she was only a friend…because her underwear on your floor proves that she's more than friendly with you, James Robert."

His jaw tightened. "First of all, she's not some woman; she's my girlfriend. I didn't lie to you, we were just friends for a long time, but we've decided that since we love each other that we should move on to dating; not that we need your permission. Her name is Johanna, and that better be the only name you address her as. We're both adults and we're in a relationship; if I want my girlfriend to spend the night with me, she will. That's what people in relationships do, not that we have to explain ourselves to you."

Elizabeth's gaze was stormy. "Decent women wait until marriage."

"Oh, Mother," he said with disgust. "Why don't you join us in this decade instead of living in the 1940s all the time? Where's Johanna? Did you run her off?"

"The coward has locked herself in the bathroom," she replied. "I've informed her that this dalliance ends today."

Jim laughed bitterly. "You don't get to end my relationships! Who the hell do you think you are? Does Dad know you're here?"

Elizabeth's spine straightened. "I am your mother and I do as I see fit and I am not going to let this happen. You will not chain yourself to that flashy little piece of baggage just because she's easy enough to let you talk her out of her skirt. As for your father, no he doesn't know I'm here. I don't need his permission to leave the house."

"No; but you usually inform him of your whereabouts…unless you're doing something you know you shouldn't be and you better quit making remarks about Johanna that you have no right to. She isn't anything like you claim. You don't get to choose who I spend my life with. That's my decision and you have no say in it," he told her as he stormed past her to the bathroom door which he knocked upon. "Jo; I'm here, you can come out."

"I'm not coming out until she leaves," Johanna replied. "I'm liable to slap her across her face the next time she insinuates that I'm a slut. I already heard all she has to say on that topic. She stormed in here and started yelling, I had just gotten out of the shower and she wouldn't even leave the room so I could get dressed…which is why I'm in here."

Jim turned his gaze toward his mother. "Really, Mother; you're rude enough not to leave a room so a person can have privacy to get dressed? I used to think better of you than that but after today I see I'm going to have to readjust my assessment of your character."

"See how she is!" Elizabeth yelled. "She's already turning you against me!"

"Is anything that she said false?" he asked. "You already admitted that you came in here unannounced; did you refuse to leave the room so she could get dressed?"

"Yes," she said testily; "She was going to stand there and hear what I said, and if she had to do it while wearing a towel then maybe she'll think twice about being so quick to shed her clothes."

"Come on out, Jo," Jim beckoned. "She's leaving."

"I am not!" Elizabeth retorted.

He heard Johanna sigh as the lock released and the door opened. She stepped out and he took her hand and tugged her along with him to the living room.

"Coward," Elizabeth sniffed as her gaze landed upon Johanna.

"That's enough," Jim retorted. "Apologize to her for barging in here and for not leaving the room so she could get dressed."

"I will not," his mother said tartly. "You apologize to me for hiding your liaison with the tart."

"I don't owe you any explanations or apologies. It's my life, not yours."

Elizabeth huffed. "Clearly you're making life decisions based on the thoughts of the wrong body part."

Jim smirked at her. "Mother, I assure you that every part of my body voted in favor of her."

Johanna broke her silence. "I don't know why it should matter so much to you; you're not the one who has to spend time with me."

"Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. "You're not good enough for my son. You can act sweet and innocent all you want but I see right through you and you'll never be good enough."

"You don't even know me," Johanna remarked.

"I know all I need to know," she declared. "I want this to end today. You've had your fun, now go find another fish to hook so my son can find someone of his own class."

"It's a shame no one gave your husband that advice," Johanna replied without missing a beat. "I'm positive that he could've done better."

Outrage flashed in Elizabeth's eyes. "How dare you!"

"What's the matter, Mom?" Jim asked; "You can dish it out but you can't take it? How would you like it if her mother treated me the way you treat Johanna? What if she thought I wasn't good enough for her daughter?"

His mother scoffed; "Like that's possible. She's probably a schemer like her daughter and she'd probably be thrilled to get her married off and into a well to do family; well it won't be mine!"

"Don't you talk about my mother like that," Johanna stated; her tone even and angry. "You don't know her and she's nothing like you imply."

"Oh cool your heels," Elizabeth sniffed. "I'm not maligning your precious mother. I'm sure she did her best with you, although she apparently failed. I know your kind and even if your mother is a saint, she'll still want you to be well off."

Jim opened his mouth to speak but Johanna beat him to the punch. "For the last time, Mrs. Beckett, I'm not in need of your money. My family isn't living in the gutter, we're not paupers. My father started working when he was thirteen years old and he's never stopped. He's the president and owner of McKenzie-Thorton Industries and a silent partner in P.S. Shipping, which was owned by my grandfather and is now run by my uncle. My mother worked as a secretary and a piano teacher; she gave up being a secretary when she got married but she still teaches piano lessons twice a week. My parents own their home free and clear; they have two vehicles which are also paid for. My father is an excellent businessman, he doesn't squander his money. We had everything we needed as children and they put all three of us through college without any hardship. My brother is the vice president of our father's company, he's married and has a son; he also owns his home and has a car. My sister is an interior decorator with the Expressions Design firm; she's married to a man who works on Wall Street. My grandmother was left well taken care of by my grandfather. I work at the same firm as your son, I'm successful in my work and I have trust funds sitting in the back that have never been touched and I own stocks that were left to me by my grandparents. We all live comfortably and don't need money from anyone, especially you. So you put that ridiculous notion out of your head. I take care of myself, and if I for some reason did need money, I'd go to my family, no one else."

"So you claim," Elizabeth remarked. "And you'd think if you came from such an upbringing that suggests being well off that you'd have more class…yet you're a slut."

Johanna surged forward without realizing it until she felt Jim's hands pulling her back. "See that!" his mother yelled. "She's a hot tempered little troublemaker; you'll have nothing but grief with her mark my words!"

"It's time for you to leave, Mother," Jim told her. "Now."

Elizabeth stared at him for a moment. "You're putting me out?"

"Yes."

"You're choosing her over me? Over your own mother?"

Jim held her gaze. "Yes; now go."

Elizabeth swept to the door but turned to face them. "This isn't over," she declared; "Not by a long shot!"

As the sound of the door slamming shut behind Elizabeth echoed through the apartment, Johanna scrubbed her hands over her face; humiliation washing over her. The weekend that had gotten off to such a fun, sexy start had just crashed and burned. She headed toward the bedroom, Jim following behind her as the silence lingered and breakfast sat forgotten on the kitchen table. He leaned against the doorframe of the bedroom, watching as she scooped up his discarded clothes and tossed them into a laundry basket that sat in the corner of the room.

A heavy breath crossed his lips. "I'm sorry, Jo."

"I'm not blaming you," she replied; "But I highly suggest that you take that key off of her."

It sounded more like a demand than a suggestion, Jim thought to himself. "She likes to have one for emergencies."

She turned to face him. "I understand that; but in her mind, that key gives her the right to walk in here any time she pleases. She didn't even knock first before she used it."

"I know," he said a she rubbed the back of his neck. "I've told her about that before…but of course those occasions were nothing like this. I think it's been made clear to her this time though."

"I don't think telling her is enough…especially since you're implying that she has a history of this. Taking the key back would make a point. Give it to your father."

"He has one."

Johanna eyed him incredulously. "Then your mother definitely doesn't need one! That's her key to nosiness and nothing more!"

"She asked for one, I couldn't tell her no. Does your mother have a key to your apartment?"

"Yes; and she's never used it; nor would she just walk into my home unannounced for no good reason. She has respect for the privacy of her children. She's also the only one of my parents that has a key; I didn't give them both one, that's ridiculous."

Jim shrugged; "I didn't think anything of it at the time; she has a key to all of our places, except for Michael's; he took his key back."

Johanna arched a brow. "I wonder why," she said wryly.

"I don't know the details."

She gave him a doubting look. "Take back the key, Jim."

"That could be more trouble than it's worth."

"So you want to let her keep it so she can do this again? You know, we were back here pretty early last night; what if she had walked in then?"

Jim grimaced. "Don't put that image in my head."

"It's not pleasant, is it? That would've been an entirely different tumble out of bed, huh."

"I'll take the key back," he stated; not particularly enjoying the picture she had just painted in his head.

"Thank you," she replied. "I really don't relish the idea of a repeat of this morning's horror show."

"I'm sorry."

Johanna sighed. "It's over and done with…it'll just take time for the humiliation to go away."

"You don't need to be humiliated; we didn't do anything wrong."

"Jim, I was wearing nothing but a towel!"

"You look good in a towel," he replied with a grin.

"I'm not in the mood for cuteness," she remarked as she picked up her lingerie from the floor and moved toward the trash can.

"Don't throw those away!" Jim exclaimed as he moved toward her and caught her wrists. "I have fond memories attached to those."

Her gaze flicked to his. "I can't wear these ever again; your mother saw them on the floor and she knows how and why they got there. They're tainted now."

"It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me."

He wrangled the lacy garments from her hand and tossed them into his laundry basket. "I'll wash them; they'll be as good as new."

"Can you wash my brain?" Johanna asked; "Because I'd really like to forget that your mother walked in here while I was wearing a towel and saw the evidence of how we spent our night…and then proceeded to call me a slut among other things. I'd really like to have that washed out of my mind."

"We're adults," Jim stated. "We didn't do anything wrong and we both know that. It could've been worse; you might not have had the towel on."

"Not helpful," Johanna remarked as she went to the closet and took out the tote bag she had stowed inside the night before. "That old bag is really going to hate me now."

"If you call her an old bag she will," he replied.

She picked up her skirt and top from the floor and shoved them into the bag. "She called me a slut and you're going to quibble over me calling her an old bag? At least I didn't do it to her face."

"She's still my mother."

Johanna sighed; she was well aware of that and there was a little part of her that worried about the amount of influence that Elizabeth Beckett might wield over her middle child. She had such a strong hatred of her that she was sure she'd do her best to convince Jim to dump her…and what if she succeeded? She brushed the unwelcome thought away. "I'm sorry," she stated; although really she wasn't as she picked her lingerie out of the clothes basket and shoved the items into her bag.

"You could just throw your things in with mine," Jim offered. "I promise I'll read the tags and won't shrink anything."

"You do your laundry at your mother's."

"What's your point? You drag your laundry all over town."

"I do not," she retorted; "I go to my mother's or I go to Valerie's. I don't like that laundry room in my building."

"Well the one here doesn't work half the time and I don't feel like standing around laundry mats all the time."

"Who asked you to? I wasn't implying that there was anything wrong with you doing your laundry at your mother's."

"Then what were you implying?"

Johanna gave him an exasperated look. "I'm implying that I don't want my underwear in her house! I do my own laundry."

Jim moved toward her but she dodged his hands and began to straighten up the bed. He was quiet for a long moment as he watched her smooth the wrinkles from the sheets and straighten them and the grabbed the comforter from the floor and put it back on the bed along with the pillows. When she finished fussing with the bedding, he caught hold of her and pulled her close, hating the frown that clung to her lips. "Let's just forget about this morning," he murmured. "Let's think about last night instead."

"I can't…all I keep seeing is your mother in the doorway."

"Forget about her."

"I wish I could…maybe I should go home."

"No! I can't let you do that," Jim replied.

"Why not?"

"Because if I do that, I have a feeling I'll never get you back here…and I want you to feel as at home here as you do your place."

"I will…as soon as I know Elizabeth Beckett won't be barging through the door unannounced."

"You have my word that it won't happen again."

She nodded; "And you have my word that whatever room I'm getting dressed in, the door will be locked…just like when I was a teenager."

"I understand," he replied. "Can I be locked in it with you?"

"It would depend on what mood I'm in," she answered.

"What mood do you think you're going to be in today?"

"It's undecided."

"I'd try to improve it with breakfast but I'm sure it's cold by now," Jim said as he recalled the bags he had sat on the table.

Johanna sighed. "Damn."

"Yeah; my thoughts exactly."

"I guess I could try to warm it up in the oven."

Jim frowned at the thought. "It probably won't taste as good…breakfast food isn't all that great reheated."

"I know," she murmured. "Did you get the doughnuts?"

"Yeah but that's not the filling breakfast I had in mind."

"I'll try to salvage our breakfast…if it can't be saved, then I'll cook," Johanna remarked as she pulled away from him.

He caught her hand. "Listen, after we eat, let's just get out of here for the day. Maybe we can forget about this easier and get on with our weekend if we leave for a little while."

Johanna nodded; "Maybe that would help."

Jim released her hand and blew out a breath as she left the room. Yet another weekend had just crashed and burned. He just couldn't win…but he'd do his best to salvage what he could.

Robert Beckett was settled comfortably in his favorite chair in his office; a cup of coffee within reach, his newspaper in hand and silence in the house. He wasn't sure where his wife had slipped off to but he wasn't overly concerned; she had probably ran out to the store and she'd be back in plenty of time to get ready for her garden club meeting. In the meantime he could enjoy the quiet and read the paper in peace…and that so rarely happened. A sigh of contentment crossed his lips as he unfolded his newspaper and began to read. He'd barely made it through the first paragraph of the leading story when he heard the front door open and slam shut, Elizabeth's voice sounding through the house. "Robert!"

He grimaced; he knew that tone of voice…it was usually accompanied by hysterics of some sort. Another sigh, this one in defeat as his eyes scanned the distance to the doorway and an escape route to the back door. He heard her footsteps, he'd never make it. Resignation made him sag against his chair. He loved her…but he was sure that she could try the patience of a saint and make the Pope swear. "I'm in here," he called out after hearing her call his name once again.

Elizabeth appeared in the doorway of the office within seconds and he tried to figure out what the problem was this morning as she marched toward him; her face a mask of outrage. "Where have you been, Lizzie?" he asked; hoping to dial back whatever it was that had ruffled her feathers.

"At Jimmy's," she spat. "And do you know what I found there?"

He pulled off his reading glasses and laid them on the stand; he had a feeling he wouldn't be reading the paper anytime soon. "I'm going to take a shot in the dark and guess that you found Jimmy…and given that it's the weekend and he's like any other young man, he was probably unshaven, unkempt, and possibly hungover."

"No; it was worse!"

"What could be worse?"

"I found that woman there!" she said angrily.

Alarm bells went off in his head. He was pretty sure which woman had been found but he better play dumb anyway. "What woman would that be, dear?"

Elizabeth's lips puckered in outrage as she took a breath before speaking. "You know very well what woman!"

"Johanna?"

"That's the one," she said as she paced the room. "Can you believe her being there this early in the day?"

Robert's gaze flicked to the clock. "It's not all that early; and besides, it's Jimmy's home and if he wants guests before noon, that's his business. There's nothing wrong with it."

Elizabeth's brow rose. "You don't think so?"

"No, of course not."

"Do you know what she was wearing?"

He did his best not to shift uncomfortably in his seat. He had a bad feeling about this. "Clothes?"

His wife laughed but it lacked humor. "Guess again; she was in a towel! Just a towel!"

He was right, Robert thought to himself; this wasn't good. He was sure humiliation was involved. "A towel?"

"Yes and her hair was wet too. Apparently she had just gotten out of the shower!"

"I'm sure there's an explanation for it."

"There's an explanation alright," she thundered; "She spent the whole night there and that bedroom looked like a couple of animals tore through it!"

Robert chuckled; "That's my boy."

Her eyes blazed with anger. "You're proud of that! You're proud that your son was cavorting with a slut all night!"

"Oh for God's sake, Elizabeth; Jimmy's a grown man and what he does in his bedroom isn't any of our business and Johanna isn't a slut. You need to stop calling her names."

"I call them as I see them," she remarked for the second time that morning. "And do you know what I saw on that bedroom floor?"

His lips curled into a grin; "Well if it's as bad as you seem to be implying, I'm going to hope it was condom wrappers."

The sharp intake of breath and the hand that fell against her chest convinced him that he had thoroughly scandalized his wife and he couldn't help but laugh. "Is that what you saw, Lizzie? Because you know I taught all of our boys to be prepared and careful during their pre-marital encounters."

"No that isn't what I saw," she snapped; "And I can't even believe you'd say that to me!"

"Well it's not like you're an innocent that doesn't know anything about it, honey," he said good naturedly. "We have five kids; I'd like to think that I've educated you."

"Robert!"

He laughed; "Alright, what was it?"

"Proof that she's a slut! Her black lace lingerie was on that floor, along with the rest of her clothes and his!"

"And?"

"And what? The proof was there of what they did…and he better not give me an illegitimate grandchild. I won't stand for that, not for a second!" she exclaimed.

"What could you do about it if he did?"

"I'd beat him," she declared; "And then we'd pay her to leave town with the child."

"The hell we would," Robert retorted. "Jimmy would marry the girl and we would love our grandchild."

"I would never accept a grandchild that was conceived out of wedlock," Elizabeth said firmly. "Never; and I'll never accept her as my daughter-in-law, so if that's what he's thinking, he better just get that idea out of his mind!"

Robert eyed her sternly. "Now you listen to me, Elizabeth; you don't get to choose who our son spends his life with. He loves Johanna and I have a feeling that she's the woman he's going to settle down with, so you better just start getting used to the idea and behave yourself. She's never done anything to you. Why do you torment that girl so much?"

"I don't like her. She's got trouble written all over her and I'm not going to let my son chain himself to her! Everyone knows you can't trust a green eyed woman."

He scoffed; "I don't know that at all; who told you that? Theresa? Is that more of your sister's witchcraft delusions."

"I wish she was a witch, I'd have her put a curse on that little harlot."

"Stop calling her names she doesn't deserve!" he demanded. "She's a good woman and Jimmy loves her; she makes him happy and that should be enough for you."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at her husband as she stood before him. "So are you admitting that you know they're dating now?"

Robert was silent for a moment; he supposed there was no reason to stay quiet about it now that the cat was out of the bag. "Yes, I knew that their relationship had moved to the next level."

Anger flickered in her eyes. "And you didn't tell me!?"

"Obviously not."

"Why?" she demanded to know. "I'm your wife; I'm supposed to know everything that you know!"

"I'm well aware of how we're related. As for why I didn't tell you, it wasn't my place or my business…and Jimmy asked me not to."

"Why would he do that?"

"Probably because he knew he'd have to put up with this," Robert exclaimed, waving a hand at her. "And just out of curiosity, how is it that you caught Johanna in a towel? I doubt she answered the door that way. Where was Jimmy?"

"He wasn't home."

He arched a brow. "Then I repeat; how did you catch Johanna in that state of undress?"

Her lips puckered in distaste. "I let myself in with my key."

"You did what!?" he yelled. "You had no business letting yourself into Jimmy's apartment like that! Did you even knock first?"

"No I didn't! I'm his mother, I have every right!"

"No you don't!" Robert said sternly. "What possible reason could you have for going over there uninvited and letting yourself in?"

She huffed in annoyance. "We haven't heard from him in ten days!"

"No, you haven't heard from him in ten days; I heard from him just the other day and I told you so when you were harping about it. I told you that he'd been busy."

"And now we know what he's been busy doing," she retorted bitterly. "I knew he was up to something and I knew you knew what it was!"

"Elizabeth; it's his life, his heart, his bed, and his business. Jimmy is quite capable of choosing who to spend his time with and I believe he's chosen wisely."

"Oh of course you do," she bellowed. "You've thought she was some saint just because she came and sat with you at the hospital…against my wishes!"

"She did it for our son," he remarked; "And she didn't have to, which should tell you something about her character. I do like Johanna; she's sweet, kind and loving; she's got a good head on her shoulders, she has a successful career and she's obviously adept at cooking and child care from what I hear. She suits Jimmy well; they make a good match."

"I won't stand for it."

"You don't have to," Robert replied; "You're free to sit down and take it if you like; but mark my words, you will take it, because it isn't your choice and you're sticking your nose in where it doesn't belong. I can just imagine what you did to that poor girl this morning. I'm sure you humiliated her by walking in on her before she was dressed; and she was probably embarrassed that you saw the evidence of their night together…I'm sure she'd be even more mortified to know that you came home and shared the details with me. I'm sure Jimmy isn't going to be happy about it either."

"I've already spoken to him; he came home while I was still there."

"And how did he feel about your little visit?"

Elizabeth said nothing, her steely gaze drifting away from her husband. "That's what I thought," he remarked. "I hope you've learned your lesson."

"Maybe you should've told me," she shot back. "Maybe I wouldn't have gone over there if I had known there was a possibility of a woman being there!"

He sighed. "I know it's hard for you to comprehend, Liz; but our boys are grown up, it's not surprising that you found a woman in his home; just like it wouldn't be surprising to find one in Andrew's. They're men and they enjoy the company of women."

"Decent women wait until they're wed," she said through clenched teeth.

Robert reached for her hand but she jerked it away. "The way things were back when we were their age isn't how things are today, honey. Intimacy isn't a terrible thing; Jimmy and Johanna haven't done anything wrong. They're young, they're in love and they're in a committed relationship; of course they're going to spend the night together; that's what couples do and it doesn't make him a lothario or her a slut. It makes them a loving couple who like to share all of themselves. These are different times and it's okay. They're not hurting anyone and besides, what goes on between them behind closed doors isn't anyone's business but theirs. Let them be. They don't deserve to have you give them grief because they fell in love without your permission; they don't need your blessing…but I think Jimmy would like to have it."

"He won't get it," she retorted.

"If you love our son, and I know you do, then you'll be happy that he found someone to love. He's so happy with her; and I think if you'd let yourself get to know her, you'd find that you'll like her too. Everyone adores her, Lizzie; we can't all be wrong."

Her brow rose. "Who all knew about the change in their relationship status?"

"What does it matter?"

"I want to know!"

"We all knew," Robert confessed without shame. "Andrew, Michael, Natalie, Madelyn; hell, even the grandchildren know…and they're thrilled!"

"You all knew and no one told me!?"

"Yes; because we know how you are and we didn't want you raining on his parade."

"I can't believe this," Elizabeth seethed. "See what I mean about her being trouble?"

"Oh she is not," Robert yelled; frustration making him lose his temper. "You brought this on yourself with the way you act. You probably don't know half of what goes on in their lives because you have to look down your nose at everything and throw a fit. They love you but they don't feel like they can share these sorts of things with you and I can't say that I blame them. Come down off your high horse for awhile and settle down."

"How dare you!"

He rose from his chair and gently gripped her arms. "Lizzie, I love you…and I know that you don't like to show your soft side all that much to anyone but me; but honey you need to. You have to stop being so…snobby. You'll find that things are much more enjoyable if you relax and try to stop living in the realm of rules that got left behind in the 40s. We raised good kids; they know what they're doing. Trust them and their hearts; they know what's best for them…Natalie was best for Michael and Johanna is best for Jimmy; and you should be happy for them. Don't go over there and let yourself in anymore; that was wrong and you know it, that's why you didn't tell me where you were going; and try to get to know Johanna a little better instead of passing judgment on her without any evidence to support what you're claiming. Be the wonderful person I know you are."

Elizabeth held his stare and then glanced at the clock. "This isn't over."

Robert sighed and dropped his hands from her arms. "It never is; go on, go get ready for your club meeting; hopefully it'll improve your mood…but I doubt it."

Late Sunday afternoon, Jim pulled up in front of Johanna's parents house to drop her off for dinner. He hated to see their weekend end and yet at the same time he couldn't help but be disappointed with the way things had gone. His mother's intrusion had cast a pallor over things and it was a nightmare he hoped they'd never have to go through again.

"You look awful serious," Johanna commented; her voice drawing his attention toward her.

"I was just thinking that we seem to have bad luck with weekends. Last weekend didn't go as planned; this weekend was a disaster."

"I wouldn't say it was a disaster," she replied. I thought we were having a pretty good time Friday. I don't think we would've fallen out of bed if we had been having a bad time."

A smile touched his lips. "That's true…and we had more fun after that."

Johanna nodded. "A whole night of fun and very little sleep. Your early wake up call is now considered a blessing."

"I'm sure it," he remarked; knowing that things would've been even worse if his mother had walked in while Johanna was still in bed.

"The morning wasn't great," she went on; "But the afternoon was better. I enjoyed our walk in the park and lunch was nice."

"But the memory of my mother lingered. It was hard to shake that off."

"I know," she answered, thinking about the quietness that had sprung up between them and those brief feelings of awkwardness. "That was my fault though; I was embarrassed and…felt like a slut."

"You're not a slut. I'm the only man you're with and I can swear to the fact that you made me work for it and earn it."

"I know," Johanna said with a soft laugh; "But when someone calls you that ten times before breakfast, it sticks in your mind."

"I know it does," Jim said as he took her hand and pressed a kiss to it. "But you're none of those things she said. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

She leaned closer and pressed a kiss to his lips. "It's alright, you're worth it."

His hand tightened around hers. He wanted to be worthy of that sentiment and her loyalty to him…and that meant he had to make sure that what happened the day before never happened again. He had to get that key back no matter what.

"Yesterday wasn't a total loss," she stated; still trying to assure him that he had salvaged things. "You took me back to the movies, I thought that was sweet."

'I kept my hands to myself too," he quipped.

Johanna gave him a saucy smile. "Well maybe next time you won't."

Jim laughed; his heart warm at the sight of her green eyes sparkling with amusement. "I knew you liked my games," he teased.

"I never said I didn't. We also had fun last night when we met up with Jeff and Maggie for drinks; didn't we?"

"Yeah, we did," he conceded. "We needed those drinks."

She laughed softly. "I'm not saying that those couple of drinks didn't relax us, because they did, but I am saying that even though neither one of us felt all that great yesterday, it didn't change anything between us. I don't hold what she does against you; it wasn't your fault, you didn't know it was going to happen and you can't make her like me. I don't care if she likes me…all that matters is if you like me."

He smiled; his finger hooking beneath her chin as he drew her closer for a kiss. "I don't just like you, I love you."

"I love you too."

"I just wanted everything to be perfect this weekend," he told her as he retook her hand. "I just…"

"You just what?"

"I don't know," he replied as he squeezed the back of his neck. "I guess it was just important to me."

"It was important to me too; but like I said, it wasn't a disaster. Friday night was wonderful; Saturday morning was terrible…the afternoon was a bit off but the evening was great and we had today. I liked being lazy with you this morning," she said softly; a smile on her lips, recalling how they had slept in and then he had run out to get a newspaper from a nearby newsstand and they had lingered in bed while reading it and talking but nothing important.

"I liked it too."

"And I cooked for you," she remarked; figuring the reminder of brunch would be a happy one for him.

Jim smiled; "That's always good."

"I think we were very cozy staying in today, just watching TV and talking; we even got some work stuff figured out for that case we have coming up."

"You're right; today was very good."

"Of course I'm right,' Johanna quipped. "This weekend had one blip in it; but it didn't destroy it as a whole. I loved being with you all weekend."

"I'm glad," he murmured; "Because I love having you to myself for a few days."

She captured his lips in a long, tender kiss. "Don't worry; we'll get a perfect weekend eventually…we'll just keep trying."

"I'm all for that," he agreed.

"I guess I better go in," she remarked; "I can sense my mother pretending not to watch from the window."

Jim laughed; "Should I wave?"

"No," she giggled; "We have to let her think she's inconspicuous."

"Do you need me to come back and pick you up this evening?"

She shook her head. "Colleen's been making Paul drop me off on their way home since it isn't out of their way…and anytime I can add a little torment to his life is an opportunity I can't pass up."

"Alright, sweetheart; I'll see you later," he said before stealing one more kiss.

"I'll call you when I get home," she promised as she opened the car door and got out.

Jim watched her as she made her way to the door and opened it. She turned and gave him a wave. He waved back and pulled away from the curb.

Jim sat in the car outside his parents house, dreading going inside. He caught a glimpse of his father moving around in the backyard and an idea came to mind. He got out of the car and quickly rounded the house. His father was out of sight but the garage door was open. "Dad?" he called out as he moved toward the garage.

"I'm here, Jimmy," his father answered.

Jim entered the garage and found his father at the work bench, his attention on a lamp he was working on. "What are you doing, Dad?"

"I'm trying to fix the cord on this lamp. Your mother's always yanking it out of the socket to plug in the vacuum. She's also managed to bend the prongs on the plug. I'm surprised to see you here today."

"Why?" he asked as he squeezed the back of his neck.

Robert glanced at him in amusement. "Well I figured after what happened yesterday morning that you'd make yourself scarce for awhile."

"Mom told you?"

The older man laughed. "That's an understatement. She's been yelling about it for over 24 hours now. She's also livid that she was the last one to know about your new relationship status. I really didn't think you'd walk back into the lion's den so soon."

"It's not because I want to."

"Oh?"

Jim paced a few steps. "Johanna wants me to get Mom's key back."

"You can't blame her for that," he chuckled. "I imagine she was embarrassed. Your mother told me all the details, from the towel she was wearing to the…certain articles of clothing on your bedroom floor."

"You can't ever tell Johanna that you know all of those details; she'll never look you in the eye again."

"I wouldn't dream of embarrassing her like that; the poor girl has suffered enough. I understand her wanting you to take measures to ensure that it won't happen again."

"It was more of a demand than a suggestion…and I need to go through with it or I'm afraid I'll never get Johanna back in my apartment."

"Or her clothes on your floor," Robert said in amusement.

"Dad!"

He laughed. "I couldn't resist teasing you, son. After all, I've suffered too over this…I do have to live with your mother, you know."

"That's not my fault," Jim replied. "Sometimes I wonder how the two of you ended up together."

"Sometimes I wonder that myself, but don't tell her I said so."

Jim grinned; "It'll cost you."

"What's the price of your silence?"

"Get my key from Mom."

Robert laughed. "Shall we do it the hard way or the sneaky way?"

"Definitely the sneaky way."

"Come on," Robert said as he got up from the stool he was sitting on. "Your mother is in the kitchen; we'll sneak around the house and go in the front door. I'll get her keys out of her purse and rescue your key."

"And then I can slip out unnoticed."

"My boy, you're not that lucky."

'We'll see."

They slipped out of the garage; stealing quick glances at the kitchen windows to make sure that Elizabeth wasn't watching and then they hurried around the side of the house and quietly made their way up to the porch. Robert cautiously opened the front door and slid inside soundlessly. Jim followed behind his father as he moved slowly and deliberately to the stand where Elizabeth's purse sat. He reached into the outside pocket of the handbag and extracted her keys with a grin at his son.

"You're good," Jim whispered.

"I know," Robert murmured back as he found the key marked with a J and began to work at freeing it from the key ring.

They kept glancing towards the kitchen, watching for Elizabeth as Robert continued to wrangle the key.

"Hey, Jim," Andrew said as he bounded down the stairs. "How come you get lucky and I get yelled at for it?"

Robert and Jim both jumped, startled by the noise and the keys fell to the floor.

"Shut up, you idiot," Jim hissed as his father snatched up the keys. "She'll hear you!"

"Who?"

"Mom, you nitwit."

Andrew laughed quietly; "You'd think after the hot weekend you supposedly had that you'd be in a better mood…but since Mom walked into the middle of it, I'm not surprised that you're surly."

Jim grabbed his brother by his shirt. "You never tell Johanna that you know about that or I hurt you, got it?"

"Got it," Andrew replied. "I'd never want to upset Angel Face by mentioning it…I'm sure she's upset enough…how could she not be, it was Mom after all. What are you doing with the keys?"

"Taking mine back," Jim whispered. "This can't ever happen again."

"Can't blame you for that, but I still don't know why I've been getting yelled."

"Because you knew about my relationship before Mom did," Jim remarked; "I'm sure she spelled that out for you."

"Most likely," Andrew replied; "But I tend to tune her out after the first 30 seconds of a rant. I've learned to nod in the right spots without listening."

"Here, Jimmy; I finally got it," Robert said as he freed the key.

"Thanks, Dad; I appreciate it."

"No problem."

"Get mine now," Andrew implored. "I don't want this happening to me."

Robert nodded; "Smart boy."

"What are you three doing?" Elizabeth demanded to know as Andrew's key slipped free.

They all jumped; guilt written across their faces. "The boys have decided that they want their keys back," Robert declared as his sons remained silent. "Given the circumstances, I can't blame them."

"You put those keys back on my key ring!" she demanded. "I have those for emergencies!"

"Dad has a key for emergencies," Jim remarked. "You don't need one…especially after what you did yesterday."

"I am your mother!"

"I know," he replied tiredly. "You've told me…but it doesn't change the facts. You don't need a key when Dad has one and I'm not going to have you barging into my home unannounced anymore. I'm not trying to hurt you but this is how it's going to be now."

Elizabeth glared at him. "Do you see," she seethed; "She's turning you against me! I told you she was trouble!"

"She's not trouble and she's not turning me against you! She doesn't even know I'm taking my key back," Jim stated. "I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do. I'm a grown man and entitled to privacy, especially in my own home and I'm not going to have my girlfriend worried about you walking in on her all the time. I want her to feel at home when she's visiting."

Elizabeth scoffed; "It's nice how you to go out of your way to make her comfortable while treating your own mother like a second class citizen. This liaison has to end, Jimmy."

"It's not going to end, Mother," he said firmly; "So get that in your head and get over it."

"And before you ask," Andrew spoke up; "I'm taking my key back now because I don't want you walking in on any guests I might have either."

"She's turning my whole family against me!" Elizabeth remarked. "I won't stand for this; surely one of you has to have sense enough to see that she isn't good enough; that she's nothing but a scheming troublemaker!"

"That's enough," Jim stated. "You don't even know her so quit casting judgment on her. You're the one causing trouble, not her."

"Jimmy, if I was you, I'd get out of here as soon as possible," Madelyn said as she entered the room from the kitchen. "She saw you going into the garage and called Helen and invited her over for dessert."

"Elizabeth!" Robert said angrily as he eyed her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm making sure he spends time with a good decent woman," she declared.

"I've spent the whole weekend with a good decent woman," Jim remarked; "And she's the woman I'm going to be with, not Helen. Thanks for the warning, Lyn. I'll be leaving now."

"Jimmy, don't you dare leave!" his mother cried. "Helen is coming over here just for you! She'd make a much better match for you than that thing you spent the weekend cavorting with."

"I told you before, I'm not interested in Helen and I'm never going to be. She's your guest, you entertain her," Jim told her. "I'm not staying here and listening to you malign the woman that I love while you try to fix me up with someone of your choosing. Dad, I'll call you sometime this week."

Robert gave a nod; "Alright, Jimmy; you have a nice evening."

"Yes, by all means, go running to that little tart!" Elizabeth called out as he headed to the door after saying goodbye to his siblings.

Jim turned back and smiled. "Just for that, I won't be here next Sunday either, Mother. You just don't learn…which is something you often accuse your children of."

His mother was still on a tirade as the screen door slammed behind him. He felt badly for his father and siblings being left behind to deal with her, but he didn't feel sorry for walking away from her. If she couldn't accept his relationship with Johanna, then she couldn't accept him either.

Johanna was slightly startled as she pushed open her door that evening and discovered that the lights and TV were on in her apartment. Her heart settled back into its normal rhythm when she caught sight of a pair of familiar tennis shoes under her coffee table and the glass of soda on her stand. The room lacked an occupant but she heard movement in the kitchen as she shut her door and laid her purse and keys aside. She was certain that her visitor was raiding her fridge…which wasn't very surprising since she knew very well who the owner was of those somewhat beaten up shoes. As she stepped across the threshold, she saw that all of her assumptions were correct as she watched Jim pull things from the refrigerator.

"Did my food get lonely again?" Johanna asked; her voice startling him as he opened a drawer to get a knife.

Jim gave her a sheepish grin. "It did seem a little lonely."

She crossed the kitchen and gave him a soft kiss. "Didn't your mother feed you enough?"

"I didn't stay for dinner," he answered as he spread some mustard on a slice of bread.

"Why not?"

"It seemed like it would be in the best interest of my sanity to leave."

"I see," Johanna replied as she grabbed a soda from the fridge. "I guess she's still upset."

"You could say that," Jim said as he continued constructing his roast beef sandwich. "She tried to pull a fast one too."

"What did she do?"

"She invited Helen Crawford over for dessert."

Her eyes widened. "She invited the woman she wants you to be with?"

"Yeah; that's why I got the hell out of Dodge."

"She's got some nerve," Johanna remarked; a flicker of anger flowing through her.

"Her scheme didn't work. Madelyn tipped me off that's why I made a hasty retreat. Dad will read her the riot act later. Did you get more chips yet?"

Johanna nodded; "You know where they are. Put some in a bowl for me, if you don't mind. I'm going to go change."

"I don't mind," he said as he moved toward her and stole a kiss. "Do you want me to pour your soda in a glass for you?"

"That would be nice," she replied with a smile. "You're offering such good service here."

"It's the least I can do considering that it all belongs to you," he quipped as he took the soda can from her hand. "What kind of chips do you want?"

"Whatever kind you decide to have," she told him as she headed toward the doorway.

After Johanna had changed into her nightgown, she made her way back to the living room and found that Jim had set her bowl of chips and soda on the coffee table for her, while he was already settled in with his sandwich and chips. She smiled as she sat down next to him and picked up her bowl. "I see you brought your stuff," she remarked, recalling that she had seen his bag in her bedroom and that he had already hung a few things in her closet.

Jim nodded; "Is that still okay?"

"More than okay," she said warmly, giving his thigh a light squeeze.

"How were things at your mother's?" he asked.

"Quiet in some ways; it was only me and Colleen there tonight."

"What about her husband?"

"Suspiciously absent," Johanna remarked. "She said he had a business meeting but no one's buying that, not on a Sunday. I think they must've had a fight, she wasn't acting like herself."

Jim glanced at her; "Trouble in paradise already? It's only been a year hasn't it?"

"A year and two months almost," she replied. "I think the honeymoon is officially over judging by the look on her face tonight."

"How bad do you think it is?"

"Not divorce type bad…at least I don't think so. If it is, I'd like to be the one to handle it, I'll make sure the Weston's are a little lighter in the pocket once I'm through with them."

He laughed; "I'm sure Colleen would appreciate that."

Johanna nodded; "She might drive me nuts at times but she's still my baby sister…we'll take him for everything he's got if it comes down to it."

He pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "You're a good sister, sweetheart."

"I do my best."

Jim sat his plate on the stand. "I have something for you," he told her.

"What?"

He pulled his mother's key from his pocket and handed it to her. She looked at him in confusion. "I already have a key to your apartment."

"That's not just any key; that's my mother's key."

Johanna looked at the key she held and then back to him. "You really got it back."

"I told you I would."

"How did that go over?"

"She's not happy," he remarked; "But I don't care; she doesn't need it and I don't want her barging in anymore. I want you to feel at home when you're at my place, I don't want you to always be worrying about who's letting themselves in."

Johanna kissed him. "Thank you," she said softly. "I know you probably had to go to war to get this back and that she's probably even madder at you now, but I appreciate it, I really do."

His hand covered hers, the key pressed between their palms. "I told you before, anything for you."

She slipped her arms around him in an embrace. "I want you to feel at home here too, you know."

Jim smiled; "Believe me, I do. If I didn't, I wouldn't help myself to your food."

She laughed softly and then turned serious as she snuggled against him. "Now that you have things here, are you going to stay with me tonight?"

His arm tightened around her. 'Well I did bring my stuff for work just in case an invitation was issued…so I guess it's up to you. Do you want me to stay?"

"Always," she told him, lifting her head from his shoulder to kiss him.

"Then I'm staying," he murmured; both of them knowing all along that there was really no question about it.

Authors Note: Coming up next, Jim's birthday!