Sam opened his eyes when he realized he was in a cell and he sat up, rubbing his face with his hands. His mind replayed the night before as he remembered waking up, getting out of bed and he had gone to Lisa's bedroom. He had crawled in bed with her as he went to snuggle down next to her and she woke up. She had turned on the light when she saw him and she screamed. He tried to calm her down, but she punched him on the stomach then she pushed him off the bed. He remembered hitting his head hard on the floor then nothing.

"I am so gonna sue her ass," Sam said, getting up and he rubbed the bump on the back of his head. He walked to the bars of the cell while Lou walked closer and Lou gave him a small smile. "What're you looking at?"

"Good morning to you, too," Lou said.

"Knock off the bullshit. Open this door and let me out."

"Sorry. I can't do that."

"Yeah, you can."

"Guess you don't know. Lisa's pressing charges."

"Pressing charges?! She attacked me!"

"In self-defense. You came into her room without permission."

"She is my wife!"

"Not for the last three years."

"I don't believe this," Sam said, rolling his eyes. "Look. Am I at least allowed to call my lawyer?"

"Yeah. But I don't think it'll do any good."

Sam watched him walk away as Sam growled and he lightly pounded his fists against the bars of the cell.

Houston Fall Festival

Lisa sat in the stands while she watched Chandler talking with Connor and Chandler nodded. Chandler was asked to be one of the kids who would be doing a roping demonstration and Connor smiled, patting Chandler's shoulders.

"What the hell is he doing?" made her jump when Sam sat down next to her and her eyes widened.

"Why aren't you in jail!?" she asked and he smiled.

"Turns out the charges were dropped."

"How?!"

"Well, seeing how no one read me my rights before dropping me off at the station…."

"I don't believe this!"

"Just be grateful I didn't have you arrested for assault."

"You came into my room without permission."

"So? You're my wife."

Lisa glared at him.

"How did you know where we were?" Lisa asked.

"Hank told me after he picked me up at the station," Sam said.

"I am gonna fire him when I get home."

Connor saw Lisa talking with Sam as Connor growled then he noticed Chandler was shaking.

"I thought you said he was in jail," Chandler said.

"He was," Connor said.

Chandler watched him head for the stands when Lisa got up, headed down the stairs and she headed for the fence.

"What is he doin' here?" Connor whispered, looking at Sam.

"Lou let him out," Lisa whispered.

"Why?!"

"Because no one woke him up after you dropped him off at the station so he could be read his rights."

"Damn."

She saw the hurt look in Connor's eyes as he sighed and lowered his head.

"Look. Let me handle him," Lisa said and he nodded. She watched him walk to Chandler when she sighed and she leaned against the top of the fence.

"Why is he here?" Chandler asked.

"No one woke him up an' read him his rights. So, they let him go," Connor said. He saw the worried look on Chandler's face and Connor knew he has to calm Chandler down. "Remember Benji?"

"Yeah."

"Then do th'same with him."

"Ignore him?"

"Yep," he said with a grin and Chandler nodded.

Connor watched him walk to the staging area then Connor went to the stands and he stood next to Lisa.

"Is he ok?" Lisa asked, looking at Chandler.

"Yeah," Connor said.

Sam glared at them when the demonstration started and he watched Chandler using the rope. Chandler made a few mistakes during his routine and Sam stood up.

"Hey, Asshole, what the hell was that?! You are such a loser!" Sam shouted and Lisa and Connor turned to look at him. She gently held onto Connor's right upper arm as she shook her head and Connor looked at Chandler. Chandler ignored him as he started over and Sam frowned. "Did you hear me, Boy!?"

"I'm sure they heard you in Dallas," a man behind him said.

"Yeah. Why don't you sit yer ass down an' shut up!?" another man said.

Connor snorted a laugh as Lisa barely nudged his right side and he turned to see Murphy covering his nose and mouth with his hands.

Sam growled when he stormed for the stairs then went down the stairs, but was stopped from going to the staging area by the security guards.

"Sit down, Sir," the security guard said.

Growling, Sam headed for the exit as he moved his arms around while he had a silent conversation with himself and he shook his head.

After Chandler finished his routine, Connor hopped over the top of the fence when he stood with his arms crossed over his chest and Chandler walked to him.

"Sorry I messed up," Chandler said.

"No one's perfect," Conner said.

"Did I do the right thing?"

"I told you to ignore him."

"But he's really mad."

"Take it easy. Yer ma can handle him. If not then I can," he said and they headed for the stands. Lisa watched them head up the stairs as she smiled and she lightly patted Chandler's left shoulder.

Sam had gone and gotten some food and beer when he saw Lisa, Chandler, Peter, Connor, Murphy, Darcy, Mark, Nichole, Annie and Diego heading for a building and he followed them. He walked inside the building when he saw the sign for the calf roping demonstration and he headed for the stands.

"Oh shit," Lisa said after seeing Sam heading toward the stands.

"Want me to tell security to make him leave?" Diego asked.

"Yeah."

Diego got up when he headed for the two security guards and he talked to them. He pointed to Sam and the security guards nodded. Sam saw the security guards heading for him when he quickly headed for the exit and the security guards followed him.

"Asshole," Diego said, walking back to the stands.

Near the staging area, Peter and Connor had seen Sam as Peter sighed and he lowered his head.

"Hey," Connor said and Peter looked at him. "Don't let him mess with yer head."

"I won't," Peter said.

"Then go show 'em what you got."

Peter grinned as Connor ruffled Peter's hair then he headed for the stands. Connor sat next to Lisa as he looked around for Sam and she tapped the back of his left hand.

"Diego set the security guards on him," she said.

"Good. How did he know we were here?" Connor asked.

"Hank told him."

Sighing, Connor arched the white cowboy hat and he shook his head.

They watched Peter's demonstration, but didn't see Sam near the stands by the exit and Sam carefully headed for the fence. Peter had gotten the calf down, but was having some trouble with the rope and he growled.

"Give up, Loser! There is no way you're going to do it!" made him look up to see Sam and Peter dodged out of the way or the calf would have kicked him in the chest. "Told you!"

Connor and Murphy stood as the security guards ran toward Sam, but Sam ran out the exit.

Lisa had gotten up just as the calf tried to kick Peter and she had headed for the staging area. She watched the men lead the calf away as Peter sat on the ground and she went to sit next to him. She pulled him against her as he sniffed and she slid her right arm around him.

"Did it kick you?" she asked in a soft voice.

"No," Peter said, watching the medic walking toward them.

"Is he ok?" the medic asked.

"Just a little shaken," Lisa said.

"Let's go to the med tent."

Nodding, Lisa helped Peter to his feet as they followed the medic and Annie pulled on the fingers of Connor's right hand.

"Sit down," Annie said and he and Murphy sat down.

the Golden Cactus Ranch

The trucks came to a stop near the front of the farmhouse when the doors opened and Murphy, Diego, Annie, Darcy, Lisa, Mark and Nichole got out of the trucks. Lisa saw Connor sitting quietly in the back of the Ford with Chandler and Peter then she headed down the path toward the ranch house.

"Where are you going?" Diego asked after he half-ran to catch up with her.

"I am going to fire Hank," Lisa said.

"Not wanting to get fired myself… I don't think that's a good idea."

Lisa stopped walking.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Look. We both know how dangerous Sam is. If we push him too far…"

"Yeah."

Diego watched her head back to the farmhouse when he saw Hank walking toward the ranch house, stop and Hank cleared his throat.

"Boss…," Hank said with a nod.

"I just wanna know one thing. What did he offer you?" Diego asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about Sam. What did he offer you to betray Lisa?"

"I ain't betrayed anyone."

"Then why did you tell him where we were?"

"He wanted to know."

"You should have told him shit!"

"Look…."

"No. You look. I have put up with your shit for a long time now. The only reason you're still here is because Lisa doesn't want to lose her sons or this ranch."

"What does that mean?!"

"It means, seeing as you are scared of Sam, you do whatever the hell he tells you to. Or did you forget you nearly cost her custody of her sons at the custody hearing!?"

"Bullshit!" Hank said with a growl and breathed hard through his nose.

"You kept changing your story!"

"That was because I was fucking nervous!" he said then Hank started pacing back and forth. "You may not know this, but Lisa means a hell of a lot to me! I've known her since we were kids! When her ma died, I was there for her! When her dad died and left her all this, I was there to help her, Darcy and Annie! And, yeah, I am scared of Sam. He's a lowdown, dirty piece of shit!"

Diego had prided himself on knowing when someone was bullshitting him. He locked eyes with Hank then Diego turned and he walked away. Hank watched him head for the farmhouse. He wasn't sure what was going on as he sighed, shook his head and he walked to the ranch house.

At the farmhouse, Lisa walked toward the Ford then stopped when she saw Connor, Chandler and Peter getting out of the bed of the truck.

"Right…," Connor said, closing the back of the truck then placing his hands on his hips and they looked at him. "Enough of this shit."

"Yeah," Chandler said, nodding.

"Can I still be angry?" Peter asked.

"You can, but don't let that anger change you," Connor said.

"What if it tries?"

"Then you have to fight back," he said with a grin as he wiggled his fingers at him and he started to head for Peter. Connor reached for him as Peter dodged out of the way and Chandler started laughing.

"Can't catch me!" Peter said, running to Connor's left.

"Bet I can!" Connor said, reaching for him.

"Not if I can help it!" Chandler said, running then he carefully jumped onto Connor's back. He wrapped his legs around Connor's waist then he placed his hands on Connor's shoulder and Connor grunted.

"Two against one?! No fair!" Connor said, reaching back, but Chandler moved so he couldn't grab him.

The screen door opened while Murphy walked outside and he leaned against the railing.

"Need some help?!" Murphy called out.

"No, I got this!" Connor called out as Chandler hopped off his back and Connor turned to look at him. He started to move toward Chandler as Peter carefully jumped onto Connor's back and climbed up so he could hold onto Connor's lower chest and shoulders. "Oh, come on!"

Lisa snorted a laugh as Connor tried to get hold of Peter when she saw Sam walking toward the farmhouse, stop and he growled.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Sam demanded.

"Just a little rough housing," Connor said, dropping his other accent.

Peter hopped off Connor's back as he and Chandler stood near Connor and Sam headed for Connor.

"Stay away from my kids," Sam said with a growl.

Murphy jumped over the railing when he ran to Connor and Sam looked from one to the other. The cold look they were giving him made Sam back up as he headed toward the stairs, ran up to the screen door, opened the screen door then ran inside. Lisa had followed him in the house when she saw him removing the cellphone from his jean pocket and she grabbed the cellphone out of his hand.

"What the hell?!" he gasped.

"What were you going to do?" Lisa asked.

"I was going to call the cops."

"Why?"

"Why?! That jerk was abusing our sons!"

"That jerk and my sons rough house like that all the time."

"What?!"

"It's something they do. And they also rough house with Diego, Hank and some of the other ranch hands."

"And you allow that?!"

"Why not? They're boys. Boys rough house."

"They never did before."

"Gee. I wonder why," she said with a smug look on her face. "You only paid attention to them when they screwed up. Anything else, they had to learn from me, Darcy, Annie, Diego, Hank or the other guys."

Sam glared at her as Lisa placed her hands on her hips and she arched an eyebrow.

"What about the other guy?" he asked.

"What about him?"

"Did you see how he looked at me!?"

"Yeah. I did. Guess he doesn't like you threatening his brother."

"I wasn't threatening him. I just wanted him to leave our sons alone."

"My sons are safer with them then they are with you!"

"Damn right," Connor said as he, Murphy, Chandler and Peter walked inside and Murphy closed the front door.

"What's going on?" Annie asked as she and Diego came down the stairs and Devil was behind them.

"Just telling Sam it's ok for Chandler and Peter to rough house with Connor," Lisa explained.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Diego asked.

Sam growled when he headed for the stairs, but he moved backwards when he went by Devil. He stormed up the stairs, nearly slammed Darcy into the wall and Connor stopped Murphy from heading for the stairs.

"Are you ok?" Murphy asked, walking to Darcy after she walked down the stairs.

"I'm fine," Darcy assured him then she looked at Lisa. "What was that all about?"

"Sam was going to call the cops because Connor was rough housing with Chandler and Peter," Lisa explained.

"Seriously?!"

"Seriously."

Sighing, Lisa headed for the stairs when she headed upstairs and Connor followed her.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Consider me backup," he said.

They walked up the stairs when Lisa headed down the hallway to Connor's room and Connor leaned against the wall. He gave her a small nod as she went into the room and she saw Sam standing near the window. Sam turned to look at her as Lisa walked closer and she stood in front of him.

"If you're expecting me to apologize to Darcy…," Sam said.

"No, I'm not expecting you to do that," she said.

"Then what do you want?"

"I want you to leave. But that's not going to happen anytime soon."

"Lisa…"

"I really hoped you had changed."

"I…"

"No, don't say you have. You show up, threaten me, belittle my sons, tried to…"

"No! Don't finish that! I would never do something like that!"

"Then why did you get in bed with me?"

"I miss you. Is that so bad?"

"Yeah."

"Because you don't want me anymore. I get that," he said with a nod.

"I also don't want you near Chandler or Peter."

"Because I am damaging their mental and emotional growth and health."

"Uh…. Have you done some counseling? That's something Doctor Morales would say."

"Maybe."

Lisa titled her head to one side when she sighed, turned and walked to the doorway. She saw Connor near the doorway as she turned and looked at Sam.

"If you truly care about me… About my sons… Go," she said then she left the room. Connor went to walk next to her as they headed for the stairs and Sam stood in the doorway. He watched them go downstairs as he frowned, shook his head then he went back in the bedroom.

A short time later, Sam walked down the stairs when he placed the suitcases near the front door, headed for the kitchen and he saw Lisa, Annie, Darcy, Diego, Mark, Chandler, Peter, Nichole, Connor and Murphy sitting at the table and they looked at him.

"Just want to say goodbye," Sam said.

"Ok," Lisa said with a nod.

"Bye, Sir," Chandler said.

"Bye," Peter said, softly.

Nodding, Sam turned when he walked to the front door, opened the front door, picked up the suitcases, pushed the screen door opened and he left. The screen door closed behind him while he headed for the cherry red convertible and he placed the suitcases in the trunk. Closed the trunk lid, he got into the cherry red convertible, placed the key in the ignition, started the engine and he backed up the car. He didn't see Connor and Lisa standing at the front window as they watched the car heading down the driveway and the dim light from the headlights cut through the darkness.

"He's gonna come back, isn't he?" Connor asked.

"Yeah," Lisa said with a nod.

Connor saw the sadness on her face as he resisted the urge to slide his right arm around her waist and he flexed his fingers in and out.

Houston – FBI Headquarters

Eunice sat her desk as she looked at the report and she placed her chin in her hand. When she made her deal with the FBI, she wasn't sure where they would send her and she was surprised when they sent her home to Houston. She hadn't been there in years and she was surprised with how much of the city had changed yet was still the same.

To make sure Smecker didn't follow her, Eunice had traveled by air to Georgia, took another flight to Ohio, took another flight back to Georgia, then she rented several cars as she drove to Houston. She also used several wigs and disguises to make sure no one recognized her in security photographs.

She shrugged her shoulders as she picked up the white coffee mug and she sipped on the coffee. She placed the coffee mug down on the desk when she heard the soft buzz coming from her cellphone and she picked up the cellphone. She looked at the screen and she wondered why the text screen was flashing red.

"That means it's on a secure channel," she thought.

She turned the chair so the security camera couldn't see what was on the screen. She typed in the passcode before she opened the text screen and she looked at the screen.

Hey, Blondie!

"Blondie? The only one who calls me that is…," she thought then she started typing on the keyboard.

Hey, Wolf!

She smiled as she waited for a response and the cellphone made a little beeping sound.

Still on the run?

Nope. Back in business.

How'd that happen?

Made a deal.

Do I want to know what kind of deal?

Nope. How are you?

Doing ok.

Right. I know you're not using a secure channel for small talk. What's up?

I need your help with something.

What sort of something?

Need a background check on someone.

Is this someone dangerous?

Not sure. That's why I'm turning to you. Should have done it a long time ago.

"What?" Eunice asked, scrunching up her nose.

Mind filling me in on the details?

She waited when the cellphone made a soft ping and she read the information

"Damn," she whispered.

You going to help me?

Yeah.

Thanks.

Send me a photo and the name and I'll see what I can do.

Sending.

She waited when the cellphone made a soft ping and she looked at the photograph.

"Yep. That is one sleezy looking dude," she thought.

When do you need the background check?

Yesterday.

That bad, hunh?

Yeah.

I'll get right on it.

Knew I could count on you, Blondie.

Not a blonde anymore.

Why not?

It's a long story.

Can't wait to hear it.

Anything else?

Nope.

She watched the text screen go dark as she knew her friend was deleting the texts and she pushed the button to turn off the text screen. She had copied the photo and name in another file as she looked at the photo, frowned and she placed her cellphone on the desk.

"What have I gotten myself into now?" she whispered.

Eunice closed the file as she placed the file in the file drawer, closed and locked the file drawer, got up, picked up her cellphone and she headed for the door. Opening the door, she turned to look at her desk when she turned off the light, walked out of her office and she closed the door behind her.

the Golden Cactus Ranch

The house was quiet while Connor sat against the pillows and his wrists were sitting on his knees. He had moved back into his bedroom, but he had changed the sheets. He listened to the silence when he moved the bedding back, headed for the door, opened the door and he carefully walked down the semi-dark hallway.

He stopped at the doorway to the boys' bedroom. Quietly, he opened the door and he could just see Mark, Peter and Chandler sleeping in their beds. He wasn't sure, but a strong sense of protection moved through his chest and he softly closed the door. He looked toward the door to Lisa's bedroom as he wondered if he should check on her and he sighed.

"Connor," made him jump as he turned around and he could just see Murphy walking to him.

"You scared th'shit outta me," Connor whispered.

"Sorry. What are you doin'?"

"That's what I'm wonderin'."

"You're worried about Lisa an' th'boys."

"Aye, I am."

"What do you wanna do? Go after that asshole?"

"Don't know where he went."

"But you feel he's gonna come back?"

Connor nodded.

"If he does come back, we'll deal with him."

"Yeah."

Murphy yawned as he stretched his arms over his head and Connor smiled.

"Let's get back t'bed," Connor said.

Nodding, Murphy followed him down the hallway when they went into their bedrooms and they closed the doors.