Every muscle in Laura's body relaxed when she walked into her home.  She almost felt safe here.  Almost, but Jack's arms were the only place she totally felt secure.  She leaned back against the wall and enjoyed the coolness seeping into her sweat-soaked jacket.  They needed to head up north, too.  Just her and Jack.  She would talk to him tonight and--

The sound of the kids laughing in the den made her smile.  Feeling a renewed energy, she dropped her briefcase over on a table and walked into the den.  All of the young faces--including Sydney's--looked happy to see her.  "Hey, guys, how are you doing?"

"We're doing great, Mrs. Bristow," Francie said, pointing to her margarita and pile of poker chips.  The others laughed their agreement.  "And we're about to hear another eye story."

Laura sank down onto the overstuffed Ethan Allen couch.  "An eye story?"

Will blushed.  "You know that I'm legally blind without my contacts?  Well, I was just going to tell them about the first day in my apartment," he went on after she nodded.  Francie asked for two cards.  "I'm in the kitchen eating cereal for like, five minutes.  And I hear someone coughing."  He looked over at Laura and blushed again.  "I put on my glasses and there's three men painting my walls.  I totally forgot that they were coming."

They all laughed.  "That's bad," Charlie said.

Sydney snorted.  "No, the bad thing was, he was naked." 

Resisting the impulse to say "poor Will" and embarrass him more, Laura laughed with the rest of them.  She relaxed as their conversation continued.  She really did need to get away from work, from Sloane and the strain.  She would talk to Jack about it tonight.  Lost in thought, it took her a moment to realize that everyone was looking at her, waiting for an answer to a question she hadn't heard.  "I'm sorry."

"That's okay," Francie said with a smile.  "I was just asking how come I can never tell when Sydney is bluffing."

"Well, Jack and I taught her well," Laura answered with a grin.  She let herself wince inside.  Yes, she had taught her daughter well.  How to lie with a smile.

Francie was nodding her agreement.  "True.  I mean, I can't tell when any of the Bristows are bluffing.  Now, I can always tell when Will is bluffing."

"Always," Sydney agreed with a laugh as Will's phone rang.  He answered it and walked into the kitchen.

"Maybe I should see for myself about this Bristow thing," Charlie said.  "Want to join us, Mrs. Bristow?"

She opened her mouth to say yes, but the look on Sydney's face stopped her.  Her daughter might be relaxing somewhat around her, but she hadn't forgiven her, yet.  "No, not tonight."  She stood up from the couch and stretched.  "I'm going to go on to bed and get some rest.  You all enjoy yourselves."

As she left the room, she heard Charlie mention the time.  It was late.  She heard Will finishing up his conversation.  "What's weird?" she asked when she saw him hang up his cell phone.

Will turned, looking like a deer caught in headlights.  "Huh?  Oh, a stupid article I gotta write."

"Well, I'm going to bed.  I just wanted to say goodnight."

"Goodnight, Mrs. Bristow.  See you tomorrow."

She walked to her room, hoping all the way that Jack would come home early tonight.

***

Jack hesitated before he opened the door.  His home used to always welcome him, but now he dreaded going home.  He wished he could sleep in his office, but that would raise far too many questions he couldn't answer.  Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

And found his daughter kissing one of her closest friends.  They both pulled away and looked at him and then each other.  "I left that box in my car," Will stuttered.  "It's Danny's.  I'm going to go get it before I forget it.  Hi, Mr. Bristow," he muttered as he rushed past him.

Jack watched him go and then looked at his daughter.  "Danny's?"

Sydney nibbled on her lip and nodded.  "Yeah, his landlord called earlier and told me they found more of his stuff in the garage.  Will agreed to go pick it up for me."

"Sydney," Jack said as he stepped closer to her.  "Will's too good of a man and a friend for you to use him this way."

She looked up at him as if he had slapped her.  "I know."

"Well, I'll leave you--"

She put her hand on his elbow to stop him.  "I met Lambert tonight."

Jack looked over his shoulder.  "Sydney, this isn't--"

"Just because he wanted to meet me," she muttered.

"Damn," Jack said.  "He's an idiot."

"I know.  I couldn't believe it--"

"Look," he whispered.  "I'll talk to Devlin about it, but he's not going to want to hear it from me.  You may have to take care of it yourself."

"How?"

Jack opened his mouth to tell her just as the door swung open.  He put down his briefcase, and said, "Let me help you with that.  I'll take it on back to your bedroom, Sydney."

"Thanks, Dad," she answered him.  Her arms were crossed, and he noticed that she was shifting from foot to foot.  Hopefully, she would do the right thing and talk to Will tonight.

"Are you staying the night, Will?"

Will actually blushed.  "N-no, Sir."

"You are not driving home in your condition."  Jack wouldn't let him.  He would drive him home himself if needed.

"I called a taxi on my way out to the car," Will answered.

"Smart thinking," Jack told him.  "Goodnight, you two."  Their answering goodnights followed him down the hall.  After placing the box on Sydney's bed, he stumbled into his own bedroom.  He wasn't surprised to find Laura still waiting up for him.

Just as she had so many times before.

"Hi, honey," she said when she saw him.  She put her book down on the nightstand.  "How are you doing?"

"Okay," he answered, tired of lying to her.

He could feel her eyes staring holes into his back.  "What's happened?"

Resisting the impulse to tell her the entire truth, he said instead, "I caught Sydney kissing Will."

"What?"  The rustling of silk told him that Laura had gotten out of the bed.  He could hear her footfalls as she walked to him.  Just as he knew as she would.  After almost thirty years of marriage, he had thought he knew almost everything about her.  Only he hadn't.

He began unbuttoning his oxford shirt.  "They both were a little tipsy."

Laura shook her head.  "Sydney knows how he feels about her."

"I told her that he was too good of a friend to be used."  He stared down at his own hands, paused in the middle of unbuttoning a shirt.  "But it's easy to make mistakes when you are tired and lonely."

She put her hand over his.  "Are you okay, Jack?"

I'm tired and lonely.  "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too."  She leaned in and kissed him.  His brain told him that this was a mistake, but everything else told him it wasn't.  He drew her into his arms and kissed her back.