Chapter 56

"Abby," Katie implored her with her green eyes. "Maybe you should talk to him. He looks like he." "Katie," Abby turned to the young nurse beside her. "Nick looks like a lot of things. Handsome and sexy are the no- brainers. But take away that, and he's just like all the other jerks I've been involved with in the past. He's got this stupid infatuation with a woman who's more in love with her husband today than she was when she first married him, and that's something not many women can say. Trust me on this, Katie. He's fooled himself into thinking he's really, truly in love with her, and he doesn't have room for anyone else. I'm not up for being rejected again today. He can look as sorry as he pleases. Right now, I just don't give a damn." "Abby," Katie sighed. "You know that's not true." She dropped her arm to her side when Abby tucked the charts in her hands against her chest and stalked forward. Her expression of sympathy for Nick quickly morphed into a scowl of disapproval. The man was going to have to get his own act together, Katie thought to herself as she watched him hurry to catch up to Abby.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Miguel bounced the balls of his feet up and down nervously, raking his hands up and down his denim pants. Simone looked up from the pamphlets on cochlear implant surgery that she was reading with a sigh. Her left hand darted out to grab Miguel's right hand, and she gave it a reassuring squeeze. "You're doing the right thing, Miguel. This surgery.is something wonderful for Joshua. It's what you and Kay always wanted for him. It's what she'd still want for him if she were.Miguel, just take a deep breath and relax." An uneasy smile flickered over Miguel's face then vanished as the guilt rolled in once more. "I shouldn't have put it off like this. It makes me look like a bad parent. I AM a bad father," he groaned softly, removing his hand from Simone's grasp and burying his face in his hands. "It's not that I didn't want him to have the surgery," he explained, his voice still muffled by his hands. "I was just.things are still so."

"Wrong without Kay?" Simone supplied grimly. "I know I was only her friend, but I miss her like crazy, Miguel. I can't even begin to imagine how awful it is for you and the boys." "It's like I'm lost, and no matter how hard I try, no matter who I ask for directions, I can't find my way again. Sometimes I'm afraid I'm going to wander around in this fog forever," Miguel admitted, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment as he lowered his hands and looked at her. "Miguel," Simone felt her eyes water with the tears that seemed to always be lurking just around the corner when she thought about the situation Miguel and Kay's boys found themselves in. Miguel looked away uncomfortably at Simone's display of emotion, staring straight ahead. His dark, pain-filled eyes lifted to meet hers when he felt the warmth of her palm on his thigh, and he carefully picked up her hand and rest it back in her own lap. "I'm glad you're here with me," he said thickly. "Thank you." Simone smiled through her tears and opened her mouth to speak, but the nurse's voice at the desk interrupted her, telling Miguel the doctor was ready to meet with him. Simone gave him a tiny wave as he disappeared behind closed doors and whispered softly, "You're NOT a bad father."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam walked up behind his wife, wordlessly slipping his arms around her waist and resting his chin atop her auburn head. Grace breathed a tiny sigh and covered his arms with hers, and they both remained quiet, watching the scene in from of them through the kitchen window. Noah and Jessica were outside helping Myles and Joshua build a snowman, and the Grace couldn't tell who was having more fun.her grown children or her grandsons. "He's good with them, isn't he?" Sam's voice interrupted her internal debate, and she smiled and delivered a soft, "He is." Noah was laughing as he helped Joshua pack snow into a globe big enough to use as the snowman's head. Joshua, apparently, had decided the opposite action was more fun, quickly destroying each and every snowball Noah could create. The little boy's dark eyes were sparkling mischievously at his uncle, and Grace felt a lump form in her throat when the sudden wish that Kay could see her brother and her son like this hit her. She didn't have time to dwell on that thought long, though, before she was laughing along with Sam as they watched Myles and Joshua start launching fistfuls of snow at each other, then Jessica and Noah. The snowman was left headless when the twosome decided to surrender and come inside with the boys.

Myles trudged into the kitchen, stomping the snow off his boots along the way, and earning a reprimand from Jessica. Sam grinned at the boy, ruffling his cap of blond hair affectionately, and offering to take him into the living room to warm up in front of the fire and wait for the hot chocolate to be delivered to them. Jessica excused herself to call Reese, and Grace and Noah found themselves alone in the kitchen with Joshua perched on the kitchen counter, watching them with serious dark eyes. Noah snatched Joshua's red hat off his dark head, smiling back when he made the boy smile. Grace observed them quietly as she searched the cupboards for marshmallows to add to Myles's and Joshua's cocoa. "He has her eyes, doesn't he?" Noah said suddenly, and Grace set the cooling mugs of chocolate down, walking up next to the pair. "He does," she smiled bittersweetly upon quick inspection, leaning forward to brush a kiss across Joshua's cool brow. "And MJ has her attitude," Noah smirked, growing more somber with the re-emergence of regret for staying away so long. He squeezed his mother's shoulders reassuringly when her blue eyes betrayed her worry for both of his sister's children. "It's going to be okay, Mom," he told her, hugging her to his side. "Really. It is. We're not going to let them down. **I'm** not going to let them down," he promised.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"This ain't gonna get me in trouble with Luis, is it?" Chad teased as he helped Sheridan settle into her chair. "What? Kidnapping me and not telling me where you were taking me?" Sheridan grinned as she sipped her ice water with a straw. "Been there, done that," she laughed. "Luis has no room to complain." Chad grinned at her across the table, not able to keep from laughing when he surveyed the assortment of food in front of her. It looked to be a sampling tray of every restaurant in the mall. Some of which just did not go together, he thought, watching Sheridan discard her egg roll in favor of the cup of vanilla ice cream with colored sprinkles. "What?" Sheridan asked, blue eyes twinkling at his incredulous expression. "Thanks to you, Theresa is with my son, enjoying the delicious-smelling enchiladas Pilar cooked us for lunch," she pretended to be mad at him. "You owe the poor pregnant woman this much for dragging her to a mall that's abnormally crowded for this time of year," she teased him, making him laugh again. "So.what's this secretive expedition all about?"

Chad's grin turned a little shy, and Sheridan set the cup of ice cream down, leaning forward with great interest. "Chad," she arched a golden brow at him. "Okay, Auntie," Chad's grin grew even wider. "Geez," Sheridan huffed, crossing her arms over her slightly protruding belly. "You and Ethan make me feel so old. Tell me before my mood swings sour," she warned him semi-seriously. "I'll tell you.on one condition," Chad's voice dropped to a whisper. "Chad," Sheridan whined, blue eyes bright with curiosity. "I know this is going to be hard for you," Chad continued, "but you have to keep what I'm about to tell you to yourself." "Ch." Sheridan rolled her eyes, unable to get the rest of his name out before he interrupted her. "I need a woman's advice." "About?" Sheridan prodded impatiently. "A ring," Chad smirked. "A what? A ring? Chad, why do you.oh. OH! Chad! You're going to." she trailed off, her eyes shining with happiness for him. "I'm going to ask Theresa to marry me, and I figured you could steer me in the right direction with the ring." "Of course, I'll help you," Sheridan smiled brightly, pushing her chair back and pulling herself to her feet. "Whoa," Chad held up a hand. "Now?" "Yes, now," Sheridan shook her head, tapping her tongue against her teeth. "C'mon," she urged. Chad granted her request, chuckling. His tough guy image was virtually ruined. He was putty in the hands of the women in his life.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Daddy?" Luis leaned forward and turned the volume down on the radio, glancing at Ali in the passenger seat beside him out of the corner of his eyes. "AliCat?" Ali giggled, her cheeks turning pink and her blue eyes twinkling at him. "What is it? Did you think of anything else you want to do? Anywhere else you want to go?" Ali's tiny fingers played with the heart-shaped locket around her neck, opening and closing it to view the picture of her and Jake as babies. "Ali?" Luis couldn't help it. His voice raised an octave in concern. "Can we go to the church, Daddy?" Luis's shocked brown eyes flew to Ali's face then back to the road ahead of them. "I just wanted to visit somebody," Ali explained softly. Luis turned the car around, heading back into town. Several minutes later, he was helping Ali out of the car and leaning back against the side of the door in astonishment after she'd declined his offer to come with her.

Ali walked slowly into the church, drawn to the flickering candles at the front. Her voice was full of innocence as she recited a prayer for each person she lit a candle for, and her blue eyes were shining but solemn. Father Lonagin emerged from the shadows, his kind voice making Ali smile and accept a seat beside him on the front church pew readily. "Father Lonagin?" "Yes, Child," Father Lonagin's sightless eyes smiled down at Ali, and his hand patted her silky cheek blindly. Ali twisted the thin chain of her necklace around her index finger, chewing on her bottom lip out of nervous habit for a moment before asking questions in rapid-fire succession. "Do little kids go to the same Heaven as grown-ups? What about animals? Are there animals in Heaven? Daddy says angels remember their families, and they don't forget. Do you think Aunt Kay remembers me? And my nana Katherine.how will she know what I look like? Heaven's big. What if I get lost? What if I die, and I never find Mommy or Daddy or Cristian ever again? I will find them, won't I? I'm scared," Ali admittedly tearfully, "because I don't want them to be sad, and I don't want to be sick when my baby sister comes." Father Lonagin placed a comforting hand on Ali's slim shoulder and spoke to her in soft, reassuring whispers, and Luis backed out of the church, his own emotions and shallowly buried fears threatening to overwhelm him.

Chapter 57

Theresa's pen flew over the paper, capturing Cristian's essence, Pilar thought with a pleased smile as she recognized the big dark eyes and the ever-ready smile. She watched her daughter's face, and the joy she felt when she sketched and designed was apparent. It was something Pilar knew she had missed over the past few months. She knew Theresa didn't regret her decision, but she also knew having her dream at her fingertips again would be icing on the cake to the happiness being with Chad and with her family brought her. "Aunt Theresa," Cristian giggled. "Am I finished being your model?" A few finishing strokes of her pen, and Theresa set her sketch pad down on the sofa between them. Pilar picked it up and admired the drawings while Theresa slipped off the edge of the couch and grabbed Cristian into a bear hug, making him squeal with delight. "You and Ali are always my models," Theresa said between kisses to Cristian's laughing face. "Theresita," Pilar spoke softly, "these sketches.they're wonderful. You miss it, don't you? You miss your life in New York."

Theresa ran her fingers through Cristian's soft dark hair affectionately, giving his forehead another quick kiss before standing up and rejoining her mother on the sofa. "A little," Theresa admitted quietly. "But never as much as this," she said, smiling at Cristian and Max, engaged in a comical wrestling match in front of the fireplace. "I don't like being the boss as much as I like doing the work myself, Mama," she told Pilar with sparkling brown eyes. "I know you might find that hard to believe. I still do my sketches. I did some for Ali a few weeks ago. They're in my room if you want to see them." "Mijo.we'll be in Theresita's room," Pilar informed Cristian as she followed her daughter. "Okay," Cristian replied, resuming his play without missing a beat. "Mama," Theresa laughed as they entered her bedroom. "We're just down the hall. He'll be fine." Pilar sat on the edge of Theresa's bed, waiting while Theresa sifted through the contents of her desk drawer for the sketches. A framed photograph of her daughter and Chad rested on the bureau, and they looked so young and happy, a picture Pilar had feared she would never see her daughter in.with anyone.after Ethan. She smiled, and her soft voice and words made Theresa smile in turn. "Chad's a good man. Your father likes him." Good, Theresa thought, fishing her sketches out of the drawer and carrying them across the room to her mother. Because I love him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chad groaned under the weight of Sheridan's shopping bags, smirking at her tickled expression as she snapped the black velvet box shut and tucked it back into her purse. "How come I got stuck carrying all this loot, and all you got was the engagement ring?" "Number one," Sheridan grinned at him as she reached inside his leather jacket pocket to get his car keys. "YOU asked me to hold it.'Auntie'.I do hate it when you and Ethan call me that, Chad. It makes me feel like a hundred years old," she grumbled, sidetracked for a moment. Chad chuckled, thankful when she successfully unlocked the car doors so he could empty his arms of bags and bags of baby supplies. "Admit it," he teased, hurriedly opening the passenger door for her before she had a chance to do it herself. "You secretly love it." Sheridan's lips twitched, and Chad grinned at the twinkle in her blue eyes. "Auntie," she continued as he walked around to the driver's side and climbed in. "Hide this ring for me," she paraphrased their earlier conversation. "Theresa will find it and blow my big Valentine's Day proposal."

Chad shifted the car into reverse and backed out of the parking space. "She has a nose for things like this." "Most women do," Sheridan laughed softly, securing her seat belt across her middle as the car eased forward. "Nobody forced you to carry ALL the shopping bags," she reminded him. "No," he conceded. "I guess I'm just a sucker for pregnant women with big, pleading blue eyes," he cracked. "You better be glad you didn't call something else big, Buddy," Sheridan said, her hand darting out to playfully swat his arm. Chad smirked. "I couldn't let it get back to Luis that I let you carry all that," he tipped his head at the back seat. "He'd have my ass in a sling." Sheridan leaned her blond head back against the headrest, and a happy, peaceful smile lifted the corners of her mouth as she spoke, eyes shut in fatigue, "Luis is very protective of the ones he loves" "Overprotective," Chad corrected her with a slight shake of his head. "But I'm cool with that. He's got some pretty special people in his life, and if somebody ever lay a hand on my girl, you, or those kids, I'd be second in line to kick his ass," Chad promised, closing his fingers around Sheridan's offered hand. "Second?" Sheridan teased, her blue eyes brilliant and sparkling with humor. "Second? You're not going to fight him for first?" "Hey," Chad quirked a brow at her. "It's Luis." Sheridan gave his hand a firm squeeze before withdrawing her hand and resting it against her stomach, shaking with laughter. "You have nothing to worry about, Chad," she smiled, closing her eyes again. "She's definitely going to say yes."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Noah.will you get that?" Jessica poked her head out of the kitchen when the front doorbell rang. Noah glanced at his dad ensconced in front of the television with Joshua and Myles tucked on either side, trying to figure out the allure of Blue's Clues. As he'd already informed Noah, making Mom and Jessica weak with laughter in the process, the clues were too simple. He didn't see the challenges two three-year-olds might face. Noah grinned again just thinking about it, and he pulled the front door open with that same grin still on his face. "Uncle Hank. Dad! Uncle Hank's here." "Emmy.move." A tiny purple mittened hand struck out, pushing Uncle Hank aside, and Noah's silver eyes laughed down at Sara's falsely angelic face surrounding by tangled, chin-length brown hair. "Can we come in now?" Sara grumbled. "My toes are going to fall off if I stand out here one gazillionth of a second longer."

"Where are my manners?" Noah said with a straight face, stepping aside and letting the little girl pass. A kinder, gentler version of Sara with longer brown hair trotted past him clutching a barely clothed doll to her chest. "Me and Daisy got the shivers," Emily told him, shivering a second later as if to prove her point. Noah's eyes snapped up to his Hank's face and found his expression to be a healthy mix of amusement and pride as he eyed the two little girls scrambling to give their uncle Sam the first hug. "Where's the rest of the Brady Bunch?" Noah questioned, when Hank remained standing in the doorway. "Little Buddy," Hank tossed over his shoulder. "Get in here and start explaining to your uncle Sam why you and MJ are suspended from school." Noah's eyes widened at Jake's busted lip and MJ's tattered jacket as the two little boys trudged inside reluctantly and Hank followed, leaving Noah to shut the door.

MJ lowered his dark eyes guiltily when Grace and Jessica walked into the living room, gasping in shock. "MJ! Jake! What happened?" "Little Buddy," Hank prodded. "They were being jerks about his mom," Jake explained, shuffling his sneakered feet nervously as he talked, "I tried to get Dylan to shut up, but he wouldn't." Grace's blue eyes welled with concern. "I got MJ, and we started walking away, and then." Jake's pleading brown eyes met Hank's across the room. "Tell them the whole story," Hank said. "Dylan and the other boys were making fun of Ali and saying she was a bald freak, and when Dylan said she was going to die and laughed about it." Jake paused. "Jake hit him. Hard," MJ said with wide brown eyes. "And I hit him too because he WAS a jerk. He was a jerk about my mom, and it made me mad when he said that stuff about Ali." Hank groaned softly when Sara gleefully informed everyone that Dylan had two black eyes, tacking on a "He deserved it," and putting another nail in his coffin. If Sam didn't rip him to complete shreds, Gwen was going to finish the job later tonight when she got home from the office. He braced himself. And waited for a tongue-lashing that didn't come. Nobody was more surprised than he when Sam simply delivered a lecture against using their fists to fight hurtful words and mildly scolded them. He exchanged an incredulous look with Noah, and Noah shrugged his shoulders. "I guess Dad's going soft."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ali's little feet dangled in the night air, and her soft, delighted smile as he gently pushed the swing to and fro made Luis's lips stretch into a smile of his own. He leaned in close, his mouth hovering close to Ali's ear, as he pushed her higher, if only to be rewarded with the tinkling sound of her sweet laughter. "Remember when I used to bring you here, AliCat?" Luis mused, his dark eyes scanning the perimeter of the park, lit by the yellow glow of the street lamps. His mind's eye recalling other visits to the same park when he'd push Ali higher and higher on the swingset until she grew breathless with happy laughter, her blond mane flying behind her. "Uh huh," Ali nodded her head vigorously. "It's different though. I don't remember it being so little, Daddy." Luis laughed as he grabbed the swing to slow its movement and pressed his lips to Ali's brow. "That's because you're bigger now," he told her. "I'm growing up," Ali's sweet voice had a tiny catch in it, but then she sported the adorable little grin that had kept Luis going all those lonely years ago. And her bright blue eyes reflected everything he loved dearly about her mother and herself. "And becoming more beautiful every day," he said, earning himself a heartfelt hug.

"We'll have to bring Mommy and Cristian here one day, Daddy," Ali announced sometime later as they enjoyed the beauty of the stars from their perch above the slides. Luis held his arms open, and Ali scooted back into them, wrapping his arms around her little body for warmth. Luis rest his chin atop her head and gave her a gentle squeeze before agreeing. "Cristian would love the monkey bars," he laughed, picturing his young son hanging from the play equipment several feet in front of them, with an odd expression of panic/sheer excitement dominating his face. "The baby could play in the sandbox like I used to," Ali added, not wanting to leave her little sister out of their plans. "Gwen used to complain after Hank and I dropped Jake off after a day at the park with us that she'd find trails of sand all throughout the house." Ali giggled at the memory she didn't remember but could picture so vividly. "Aunt Theresa used to kid me that I brought home 10 pounds sand and 2 pounds Ali," Luis teased. "Daddy!" Ali exclaimed. "All right," Luis conceded, deep brown eyes twinkling. "50 pounds sand and 2 pounds Ali." "I didn't weigh that much," Ali huffed, her pout staying on her pink lips for about two seconds when Luis started tickling her, making her shriek with laughter as they lost their foothold and slipped and slid down the curving slide. Luis's dark eyes were full of love and humor as Ali's smiling face descended and he felt the flutter of her lashes as she lavished butterfly kisses against his cheeks and every part of his face she touched. "I love you, Daddy," she whispered. "Always, always, always." "I love you forever," Luis whispered back as he tucked her head under his chin and held on as the stars winked in the black sky.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nick eyed the expensive navy suit jacket draped over Shane's arm curiously as he let him inside the apartment, quiet and lifeless without Abby's larger than life presence. Shane's hazel eyes regarded Nick silently as he closed the door behind him and followed him to the kitchen, one hand loosening the silk pinstriped tie around his neck. Nick withdrew two glasses, and Shane accepted his unvoiced offer of a glass of wine. "She's not here," Nick finally said, and a smile tugged at Shane's lips as he answered, "Thanks, Sherlock. I gathered that already. So.you really know how to bring the house down. Did I miss the big party? You look like hell. No offense," Shane hastily added. Nick rubbed his hands over his tired features miserably, "No offense taken." "I dropped by, hoping to celebrate my new position at Crane Industries," Shane said, "but this looks more like a pity party. What happened?"

Nick drained the remaining contents of his glass and grabbed the bottle of wine, ready to finish it off. "I happened." Shane looked at him dumbly, motioning for Nick to give him a less vague answer, and snatched the wine bottle from him. "Ah," Shane nodded as realization dawned on him. "You met Hurricane Abby." Shane chuckled at the humor that sprang to life in Nick's gray eyes. "Hurricane Abby?" "What'd you do to piss her off? My sister's a nut 24/7, but Hurricane Abby only shows her brutal self on 'special' occasions," Shane grinned. A smile flickered across Nick's lips before he remembered how curt Abby'd been with him earlier when he tried to talk to her. "I think I hurt her," he said softly, meeting Shane's eyes hesitantly. "No details. I can respect that," Shane said fairly. "She won't even talk to me. I don't think I got the message until she threatened to call hospital security and report me for stalking her," Nick laughed humorlessly. "So I came back here, and I've been calling her cell- which she refuses to answer."

"That," Shane rolled his eyes. "She's always needing a new battery." Nick arched a dark brow and shook his head. "She's avoiding me." "She just needs to cool off," Shane told him with a friendly slap on the back. "Let her stew over it was for a couple more hours. She's really soft and mushy on the inside. The longest she's ever held out on me was." he paused, mentally counting off the time that had passed between their last sibling fight and the time they made up, "well, it was actually a couple of years. But that was right after I blasted her for marrying that bastard Vincent.It turned out I was right not to trust the scuzzball. After what he did to her, though.I would have given anything NOT to be able to tell her 'I told you so'," Shane sighed regretfully, finally looking at Nick's shocked expression. "Damn," Shane groaned, realizing he'd spilled way more about his sister's past love life than she'd told the man in front of him. More than she'd probably told any of her friends in Harmony, and why not? The memories were painful to him, and he couldn't begin to know how Abby had felt.. "Just forget I said that," he muttered, knowing by the look on Nick's face that forgetting wasn't a possibility. His little sister was going to have his head.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"He's called you how many times?" Katie's green eyes were wide and incredulous. "Too many damn times. I'm beginning to detect a little desperation, aren't you?" Abby muttered, her hazel eyes betraying her amusement. "You've had a helluva day," Katie smiled sympathetically, wrapping her arms around Abby's petite frame impulsively. "Yeah," Abby rolled her eyes. "It's not everyday a woman has two men stalking her." "Abby, you need to be really careful. I know George left the hospital on his own." "In a wheelchair he doesn't need," Abby interrupted her. "Crook," she hissed under her breath. "He won't see another therapist so there's no proof of that.I'm not saying I don't believe you," Katie held up a hand to silence Abby's quick retort. "There's just no proof, and he hasn't done anything." Abby sighed at the silent YET in Katie's remarks. "I want you to be careful. It'd make me feel so much better if you'd just call Nick up and have him drive you home. I know you're mad at the man.with GOOD REASON," Katie stressed with a smile. "I'd do it myself, but I have to pick up Kendall at my mother's." "Katie," Abby grabbed Katie's shoulders with a smile. "I'll be fine. Need I remind you of a certain incident involving pepper spray and a nameless drool-worthy doctor?" Katie giggled girlishly in memory, shaking her head at Abby as she backed out of the exit leading to the parking garage. "Call me and let me know if you made it home." "Yes, Mom. Geez," Abby grinned. "You're worse than Shane. See you tomorrow."

Abby tried to laugh Katie's concerns away as her footsteps echoed in the stairwell. She paused at the door exiting into the parking garage to fish her cell phone out of her purse, swearing under her breath when it appeared her battery had run low yet again. Well, she reasoned.if she called Nick, he might take it as a sign of forgiveness for continually holding her at arm's length whenever she threatened to get too close to him. She didn't think he deserved to be forgiven so easily or so quickly. She slid her cell back into her purse and fumbled around for her pepper spray, not letting the realization that she'd left it in her other purse deter her from opening the door and stepping into the dimly lit garage in any way. She settled for gripping her car keys tightly, poised to use them as a weapon, as she resolved not to let her fears get the best of her and strode toward her car. She was not even two feet away when a nondescript car crawled past, blinding her with its too-bright headlights. Her keys fell from her hand and clattered on the concrete floor beneath her feet when she tried to shield her eyes, and she blinked, crouching down to retrieve them. She stood up slowly, the tiny hairs at the back of her neck standing on end at the sudden sensation that told her she was being watched. She barely had time to register George's menacing reflection in the driver's side window of her car before his heavy body slammed her against the car's side, wrenching the hand holding the keys painfully behind her back. Tears of pain stung Abby's eyes as George turned her around roughly and leered down at her with his muddy brown eyes, and the hatred in his voice made her blood run cold. "You're going to pay, Bitch."

Chapter 58

"Bennett," Gwen sighed, raking a tired hand through her blond hair. "I'm not saying he shouldn't have stood up for Ali. You know that." Hank shrank a little beneath the heat of his wife's pointed glare. "I just wish he'd left his fists out of it." "Babe, you know that Dylan kid is bad news," Hank pleaded his son's case, following Gwen into their bedroom and shutting and locking the door before Gus could dart inside behind him. He ignored the dog's plaintive whines and annoying scratching at the door, pulling his sweater over his rumpled brown head as he walked across the room and leaned against the bathroom doorjamb to watch her pull the silver handled hairbrush through her hair roughly.

"Jake's suspended, Hank. The little jerk-in-training said some awful things, but I still don't like that Jake hit him. Especially with MJ there. Think of the example Jake's setting for MJ. The poor kid's going through hell right now, and he needs some direction. Not what happened today. You heard what MJ's teacher told Grace.It could have been worse than a split lip and torn jacket, Hank," she broke off. "Both of them could have been hurt."

"I know, Babe," Hank said soberly, moving to stand behind her and reaching past her for the tube of toothpaste by the sink. "But they weren't, and it's over. More than the way our Little Buddy handled himself, I'm proud of him for sticking up for his little Lady Love," Hank told her with a small smile as he pushed toothpaste from the middle of the tube. The small smile turned into a full-fledged grin when the cursory lecture for not squeezing from the end of the tube assailed his ears. Her mini-tirade was underscored with genuine affection so he didn't feel too bad.

"The kid's a sucker for pretty blondes, Babe. I'd even go so far to say he has Luis beat," Hank smirked, putting his toothbrush back in its place and pressing a quick kiss to her neck before she could escape. "I'm still not sure who's going to cry loudest at the wedding," Hank mused. "Sheridan, Theresa, or you," he teased, wincing as her elbow connected solidly with his ribs. "I don't know about that, Bennett," she arched a golden brow at him in the reflection of the bathroom mirror. "I'm putting money on YOU. Although.you and Theresa might be neck and neck. It's a toss-up," she told him with a laugh. Hank chuckled at her off-hand mention of Theresa's past waterworks. "I think Luis is going to be the dark horse contender and outcry us all," Hank grinned goofily. "He and Ali definitely have something special," Gwen agreed with a bittersweet smile.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sheridan stooped to cover Cristian with his blankets, kicked away in his sleep filled with little boy dreams of adventure. Max's big brown eyes watched her, and his tail thumped gently at her as he lay his head down on his paws and curled back up against Cristian's side. Sheridan smiled against Cristian's cheek as she kissed it and scratched between Max's ears at the same time. The dog may have been a bribe from Abby, but there was no discounting the fact that the saying 'man's best friend' was most definitely true where Max was concerned. Or more aptly."boy's best friend." Her son and the golden retriever were, quite simply these days, inseparable.

She switched the night light on before she pulled the door closed, drifting toward the sound of Luis's voice in Ali's bedroom as he regaled their sleepy daughter with real-life fairy tales. She bit back a laugh as she heard him tell Ali the story of their first meeting for what had to be the millionth time. Ali smiled brightly at her when she entered the room and sat opposite Luis on the edge of the mattress. "At least you're a better driver now, Mommy," Ali said consolingly. Sheridan laughed in surprise, meeting Luis's laughing dark eyes and shaking her head as she said, "Daddy doesn't seem to think so." Ali giggled, snuggling her bunny closer. "That's why Daddy always drives," she said as realization coursed through her. "But Mommy," Ali's voice lowered to a whisper, and Sheridan leaned in close so she could hear, "Daddy's worse now." "Really?" Sheridan said, smiling at Luis out of the corner of her eyes. "Yeah," Ali revealed. "He's always staring at you," she finished with a giggle. "It's true," Luis conceded with a wry grin. "You're going to be the death of me yet."

They left their daughter with a smile on her lips and a pink bunny cuddled close to her heart. Lighthearted laughter marked the way from Ali's bedroom to their very own bathroom, and Sheridan knew her happiness and the flickering yellow glow of candlelight reflected back at Luis when he looked deeply into her eyes. "Luis, you didn't have to do this.I already know how much you adore me," she teased, her tone confident but the look in her blue eyes still a little doubtful even after so long. It'd taken her most of her life to find his love, and there were still brief moments of insecurity when she wasn't sure if she deserved it or him and her disbelief of her reality would loom insistently like a miniature black storm cloud above her head. "My day with Ali was something I'll never forget," he said softly as his hand swept over the curve where her shoulder met her neck then traveled upward to cup her jaw in his palm. "But I missed having you by my side where you belong."

Sheridan knew her eyes sparkled with tears, but she wouldn't feel guilty because they were happy tears, a blessing in a time where everything but their love for each other and their family was an uncertainty. "Luis, sometimes you are the sweetest man." "Not all the time?" Luis grinned as his hands drifted to the tiny buttons running down the front of the deep blue shirt she wore. "You still have your control freak moments now and then," she said, her laugh dying in her throat as he undid the last button and pushed the shirt off of her shoulders. Her hands slipped beneath the heavy material of his charcoal sweater, and he raised his arms to help her sweep it over his head.

"But you love me anyway," he surmised smugly. "I love you anyway," she smiled down at him, holding on to his shoulders as he knelt at her feet and eased her black pants over her hips. "Luis.I CAN undress myself, you know," she smirked, stepping out of the pants and laughing out loud when his pants joined hers and their shirts in the pile near the tub in record speed. "I know," he breathed, dipping his head to kiss the swell of her breasts over the satin and lace of her bra. "Tell the truth. You enjoy this just as much as I do," he challenged her to dispute his words, undoing the clasp of her bra and slipping the straps down her arms. "My husband isn't an egomaniac either," Sheridan quipped, stripping her last article of clothing off and slipping into the warm tub of bubbles with a relaxed sigh. Luis just grinned at her, unable to think of a stellar response quickly since his brain had apparently decided to take the rest of the night off. "Luis." "Yeah?" he wiggled his brows at her playfully. "Get naked and wash my back." His hand snapped up in a mock salute and his boxers fell on top of their heap of abandoned clothes, and Sheridan couldn't restrain herself from rolling her eyes at the silliness of his "Yes, Ma'am."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It hurt to breathe. Every breath she took was an effort, forced between clenched teeth that still rattled with the aftershocks of having her head slammed into her car window before she got a good, swift, and-she hoped to God-excruciatingly painful knee to George's not-so-manly parts. She knew with certainty that she'd broken the lecherous swine's nose. His blood splashed all over her shirt was exhibit A one on that count. She didn't know whether to burn the evidence in a bonfire or trash it. Her torn black pants with their mangled zipper were beyond repair. But she'd wager George was in much worse shape. Well.maybe he didn't LOOK worse, Abby amended, raising a hand to finger the bruise she felt forming around her eye gingerly.

There was only one of them lying in a crumpled heap on the cold concrete of the parking deck, and it sure as hell wasn't her. Although.with the whole issue of seeing double, er.make that triple.and the whole staggering through the emergency room doors routine and scaring the living daylights out of the attending intern.judging by his reaction she might as well have been the roadkill scraped off of her snow tires. She wanted to laugh at the horror-stricken look on Eve's face when she came rushing toward her from Simone's side. "Oh my God! Abby, what happened? Who did this to you? Abby? Abby." Abby held her aching head between her hands and groaned softly as she ducked down sucking in deep breaths to try to keep the dizziness at bay, the panic in Eve's voice and words barely registering with her as she felt consciousness start to ebb and flow. "Simone, call Abby's brother at the B & B." "Dammit, Eve. Not Shane," Abby cried, shrugging off the helping hand of the nurse that hovered at her side. "Nick, Abby? Do you want." "Call Shane," Abby changed her mind with a shake of her tawny head. "It's only been 24 hours since the last lecture he gave me. Get that damned light out of my eyes," Abby muttered, swatting Eve's penlight away. "I could kick George's fat ass again for putting me through this crap. Damn him. Damn me for being so stupid. Eve, could you send security to find George and make sure I didn't kill him? He's jailbait. The road trip to Hell can pick up as soon as I'm finished with him."

Chapter 59

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Eve quizzed. Abby squinted, hoping the damn blurring would stop so she could give a good answer. The right answer, and Eve would get off her back. She loved attention as much or more than the next person, but not this kind of attention. What the hell, she thought. At least she was sure Eve was holding up only one hand. That meant she had a twenty-percent chance of guessing the right answer. "Two?" she muttered, mentally crossing her fingers. "Abby," Eve sighed. "I'm only holding up one finger. You're feeling dizzy, your vision is blurred, there's slight nausea, and you passed out on us out there," Eve nodded down the hall, "I'm fairly positive you have a concussion. You need to be monitored to make sure it's not severe." "Excellent listing of my symptoms, Dr. Russell," Abby's voice dripped with sarcasm. "You do realize that was a trick question, don't you? You said fingers plural. Not FINGER. You WANTED me to fail."

Eve ducked her head to hide her smile, gently examining Abby's right side. Already deep purple bruises marred the tanned skin over Abby's ribcage, and Abby's quick inhalations of air told Eve the area was tender to the touch. "I'm going to order an X-ray to make sure you don't have any broken ribs." Abby followed the tiny penlight beam with her eyes per Eve's request, grateful for the ice pack Eve handed her when the inspection was over. She could tell without looking into a mirror that her left eye was quickly swelling to an unattractive state. "Know where I can score some new duds, Eve? I have nothing against being half-naked in front of attractive doctors," she quipped, the corners of her mouth turning up, as she glanced down at her plain ivory bra. It was the whole dirty underwear nightmare.sort of. "But I prefer them to be 100% male." Eve laughed, dropping a hospital gown into her lap. "Your sweater couldn't be salvaged. Sorry," she apologized, holding out her hand for Abby's likewise ruined black pants. "And these aren't in much better shape. Abby." Eve trailed off, raising concerned dark eyes to Abby's battered face when she saw the torn zipper, "did George.?" "He didn't," Abby answered her softly, giving her a quick reassuring smile, as much to reassure Eve as to reassure herself. "Has Harmony P.D. picked up the pig yet?" "Luis is waiting for the doctors to finish with him first," Eve's eyes sparkled almost proudly with the reveal. Abby groaned, "Luis!? He's the Chief. He doesn't handle." "You're his friend. Don't thank me. Thank Beth," Eve said, "And stay put for that X-ray." "Beth," Abby grumbled. How the.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Simone shot out of the waiting room chair as soon as she saw Eve walking toward them. "Mom.is she okay?" "Eve?" Beth questioned worriedly, cradling her bandaged hand to her chest. "She looked pretty bad when she came in," Ethan spoke, standing protectively close to Beth, Eve noticed with a slight smile. "She's fine. She's got some nasty bruises and a concussion, but she's going to come out of this just fine. George, on the other hand." "Got his ass kicked by my runt of a sister," a voice said behind them. "I think Nick just re-broke his nose for him too," Shane said, trying to tamp down his pleased grin. "I'll get the charges dropped if he needs a lawyer," Ethan said, giving Shane's hand a quick shake. "If you're not able to start work tomorrow, we can work something else out. You won't lose your position." Eve and Simone looked to each other in surprise. It wasn't like Ethan had been an ogre before, but he seemed.softer now. Much more accommodating.

"I don't think that's going to be necessary," Shane waved Ethan's offer off. "George isn't going to be pressing any, but Nick and the Police Chief ARE having a little talk. I'm assuming it's just for appearance's sake. And there is no way in Hell Abby is going to let ME coddle her," Shane grinned, his hazel eyes twinkling humorously. "Luis arrested his mother," Beth hissed in Ethan's ear, "I can't believe he's going to let Nick go. Just like that." Ethan chuckled quietly, "I think Aunt Sheridan has had a bigger influence on him than he's ever going to admit." Shane gently pulled Eve aside, and Simone smiled at the genuine concern written plainly across his face as they discussed Abby's condition. She nodded toward the exit doors when her mother met her eyes across the waiting room, and as soon as Eve and Shane disappeared down the hall to Abby's exam room, Simone pushed the double doors open. She stood just outside the exit, lit by the glow of the white lights inside as she pulled her cell phone out of her purse and punched in what was becoming an increasingly familiar number. "Hello.Miguel? I hope it's not too late. I just called to find out how everyone reacted to the news."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

MJ froze at the sound of his dad's voice, ceasing his pencil's movements and tucking the sheet of blue construction paper underneath his pillow. He turned his small yellow flashlight off and hid it beneath his bed, flopping onto his stomach and pretending to snore softly as his dad paused outside his and Joshua's door to look inside. MJ struggled to keep his breathing even as his dad pushed the bedroom door further open and stepped inside, crossing the room to Joshua's bedside. His ears strained to listen to his dad's side of the phone conversation while he sneaked peeks of him brushing his little brother's hair back from his face. "Mama and Papa were happy.Mrs. Bennett cried. Then she hugged me and thanked me for making Kay's dream come true.MJ wants to be there for the whole thing. He doesn't need to miss anymore school, especially since he was suspended.some kids said hurtful things about.Ali, too.Jake's suspended too. Sam's going to have them help him with a project this week.Calling Mr. Bennett Sam is different.calling her Grace is.it's strange, Simone. She's always been Mrs. Bennett to me.Abby.is she okay?.Good.Yeah.thanks Simone.Bye."

MJ lay completely still for several minutes that felt like excruciating hours. His entire body jerked in surprise when his dad spoke suddenly, and he rolled over onto his back with a sheepish expression on his face. "You knew the whole time?" "I knew the whole time," his dad admitted, trying not to crack a smile. "I saw your light under the door. Reading those comic books Jake gave you again?" "Those are for babies. They're stupid. That's why Jake gave them away," MJ grumbled. "I don't want to read them." "Okay," his dad said, standing up from Joshua's bed and walking over to his bed instead. MJ sat up and scooted over to give him some room when he sat on the twin mattress's edge. "What were you doing then?" MJ chewed on his bottom lip in thought. Should he tell him? Maybe he should. His dad could help him with all his spelling mistakes. MJ kept his eyes on his dad's face as his hand fished under his pillow, withdrawing the blue paper. "This," he said, presenting the paper to his dad. "MJ, what is this?" his dad questioned, looking at him so close, MJ had to look away. "A letter to Mom," he mumbled. "I feel silly talking to her so I wrote her a letter. I told her all about Joshua's surgery, and how happy Grandma Grace was about it. I told her all about Aunt Jessica and Uncle Noah. And I asked her to see if God'll make Ali better soon. Then I told her about the fight, and how much we miss her," MJ said, his voice dropping to soft whisper, "Would you check my spelling, Dad? I want to make sure I get everything right so she'll be proud of me." Miguel nodded, finding it difficult to speak over the lump in his throat, but he finally did. "I will, and me, you, and Joshua will take it to her tomorrow. But first you have to get some sleep. Okay?" "Okay," MJ yawned, stretching back out under the covers and looking up to him solemnly. "Dad?" "Yeah?" Miguel asked absently as he pulled MJ's comforter up over his body. "I wouldn't want any other Dad but you." Miguel grinned down at him. "Thanks. That's good to know."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Nick's jaw clenched as he watched Luis and another cop push George out the emergency room exit. His hands fisted at his sides as George ducked down low to get into the back of the police cruiser. "Bastard," he hissed lowly, jumping in surprise when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder and Shane's voice a second later. "She's okay. And the police are going to take care of him." Nick's gray eyes searched Shane's face and eyes for the truth of his claim, and his hands relaxed at his sides. He raked one hand through his dark hair with a tired sigh. "She's okay.you're sure?" Shane laughed, "She's okay enough to bitch at me and be pissed at the way she's looking right now. My sister's going to fine, but I'm a little worried about you." "Me?" Nick's gray eyes clouded with confusion. "Yeah, you," Shane smiled apologetically at him. "Runt doesn't realize it yet, but you're the one taking her home after she 'politely' refused my offer. She shouldn't leave her car here anyway, and since we rode over together.it makes more sense." "And you're worried about me? Why?" Nick repeated. "There just might be some residual anger, that's all. Just be careful." "That sounds real encouraging," Nick muttered as Shane left his side. He paused outside the exam room Abby was in, hesitant to come face to face with her and witness for himself the damage George had wrought.

The door opened, and Nick quickly stepped back, barely avoiding a collision with Eve. Eve responded to his unasked question, looking up from her perusal of Abby's medical charts to speak. "The X-rays didn't show any fractures. Abby's ribs are bruised from the violent contact with the car though and she has a black eye. The bruises will fade in time. What I'm worried about is the blow to the head she suffered. Her symptoms seem to indicate she has a moderate concussion, but she needs you or her brother to monitor her through the night and make sure it's not more serious than originally thought." "I'll do it," Nick answered with slight impatience. "Anything else, Dr. Russell?" Eve shook her head with a smile. "Just take her home. She should be ready now if you want to go in," she told him, giving him a friendly pat on the arm. "Thank you," Nick murmured, waiting until Eve met Simone further down the hall, and the pair disappeared from sight before he laid a hand on the door and pushed it open with a deep breath.

Abby's back was turned to him, allowing him a stolen moment to study her without her knowledge. She was dressed in a pair of green scrubs a hundred sizes too large that dwarfed her petite frame. Her tawny braids only added to the impression of youth, and his hand itched to sweep the stray strands behind her ear. "You're driving me home and leaving me at my apartment door. Well.I might let you see me in, but that's it, Buddy. You're leaving and going back to the B & B. I don't want any harrassing phone calls or anything like that. I can take care of." Nick's smile at her trademark babbling vanished around the same time Abby lost her voice.the moment she turned around and they were face to face. ".myself," she continued in a whisper. "Where's Shane?" Abby asked, swallowing awkwardly when she found Nick's solid body looming in front of her. Her eyelids fluttered shut at the whispering touch of his fingertips on her face, gently outlining the ugly purple bruise. "I'm taking you home, and I'm not leaving you at the door. God, Abby." "It's not like I was Miss Universe before," Abby muttered, finding it difficult to breathe with his extremely close proximity. Nick's gray eyes roamed her face, returning to her lively hazel eyes again and again. He'd never said anything to her before.hell, he'd been stupid enough not to even notice.but he hardly agreed with her assessment of her own looks. The more he got to know her, the more attractive he found her. In fact, he found her to be a very pretty woman. Of course, he wisely said nothing of the sort in that moment of revelation, knowing she would never believe him. "That rat! He knew I was.still am.pissed at you." Nick digested her words as he shrugged his heavy wool coat off his back and wrapped it around her slim shoulders. "But you're coming with me anyway," he told her, leaving no room for arguments. Abby huffed, refusing to follow him but leading the way herself.

Revisiting the scene of the 'crime' was a little uncomfortable for her, but Abby squared her shoulders and faced the situation with her usual aplomb. It helped that she had Nick by her side though. To take comfort from, to analyze, and to lighten the heavy mood. A laugh nearly forced its way through her lips when he got into the driver's seat across from her, and his long legs folded up like an accordion. But then she remembered not to let go of her anger with the infuriating man too soon, no matter how confusingly caring and considerate he was being. The car ride home passed in complete silence, so silent Abby must have dozed off because the next thing she knew.she was out of the car, in an elevator, and comfortably ensconced in Nick's strong arms. She was mad at him but not stupid so she pretended to be asleep until Nick shouldered their apartment door open. "My legs are working just fine," she protested half-heartedly as he carried her through the apartment to her open bedroom. She groaned when she saw the mess she'd left on her bed earlier in the day. "Where's a magic wand when I need one? Dammit.and I wanted a nice, long shower too." "Take one," Nick told her, setting her down on her feet and smoothing a hand over her tawny hair. Abby winced, and Nick started to pull his hand away in horror. She stopped him, pulling the band in one braided pigtail away slowly. "Just a little sore. Did you know pigtails are excellent for pulling and yanking a person around? I think it was the only way George could keep up with me.Nick? What.what are you doing?" Abby stammered when Nick's fingers gently unraveled her braids and shook her hair free. Her hazel eyes nearly popped out of her head Roger Rabbit style when she felt his warm lips against her forehead and his hands cradling her skull. What freakin' gives?! She'd stepped into the damned Twilight Zone without realizing it until now apparently. "Go take your shower." "Ooookay," Abby whispered, pausing to grab the comfiest, cleanest pair of pajamas available to her from the oversized chair beside her bed.

She felt like Barney's human counterpoint with all the purple George had left as souvenirs on her body. Pity, she decided, tearing her hazel eyes away from her frightening reflection. Pity was Nick's reason for being so nice to her, and if she'd let it, that thought could fuel her anger at him to a white-hot fury, but she was tired as hell. And her head was pounding dully. She let the towel slide down her body and pool on the tile floor as she finished brushing her teeth. The flannel pajama pants with the glow-in- the-dark lips almost made her cringe, but she reminded herself that it was ridiculous to even think that she was trying to send Gray Eyes a subliminal message. She wasn't, was she? What happened to the groveling, the little voice inside her literally (after tonight) scrambled head demanded to know. "I'm STILL pissed at Gray Eyes," Abby tried to convince herself as she slipped the white tank over her damp tawny head. The bold red "KISS ME" glittering across her chest somehow told another story. Abby dropped to the closed toilet seat with an exhausted sigh. She just couldn't stay mad at him when he was being so damned sweet. No way. No how. She just wished the man'd make up his mind before she started screaming from frustration (of ALL sorts) and never quit.

Chapter 60

"I've had a black eye before," Ali told Abby seriously, leaning forward and propping her elbow on her knee. "I remember," Abby said, smiling down at her and Cristian, both sitting with their legs crossed Indian style on her rug. Cartoon figures flickered unnoticed on the television set behind them, and a wily little black kitten that answered to the name of Lucky stretched out across her coffee table at their backs as if he owned it. "But yours was cool. You could count all the laces of Jake's ball." "I heard Daddy telling Mommy you made that awful man sing like a woman," Cristian revealed. "How'd you do it, Abby?" Abby smirked, waving Cristian closer so that she could whisper into his ear. Cristian's jaw fell open, and his already big brown eyes were huge when Sheridan walked out of the bathroom and rejoined them.

"Abby," Sheridan groaned, rolling her blue eyes at her friend as she collapsed onto the sofa beside her. Abby tucked her legs beneath her body carefully and rolled her hazel eyes right back at Sheridan. "Don't worry, Mrs. Cleaver. It was a strictly G-rated explanation." "Mrs. Cleaver, Abby?" Sheridan frowned. "The only thing that would make it worse is." Abby grinned, and Sheridan arched a golden brow at her in warning. "Don't you even." Abby laughed, zipping her gray sweat jacket up and wrapping her arms around herself as they turned their attention back to the children, giggling as they played hide and seek with Lucky. 'That damned cat is a stalking psycho," Abby muttered, glancing at Sheridan beside her. "Very sweet Valentine's present, Sheridan. Thanks." "You're welcome," Sheridan quipped, laughing at Abby's scrunched up nose. "Still have that unique sense of humor, don't you?" "Yep," Abby sighed, "a twisted sense of humor comes in really handy when you look like I did.still do."

Sheridan ran her hands over her belly gently, falling silent for several minutes. Abby cocked her tawny head to one side and studied her at the other end of the sofa, "Thinking deep thoughts, huh? Or maybe you're just thinking about the wonderful plans that gorgeous hubby of yours is cooking up for the big day." "Deep thoughts," Sheridan agreed with a smile, reaching across the small distance between them and picking up Abby's right hand to give it a firm squeeze. "Listen, Abby.I'm sorry it took me so long to come. I.I." "I get it," Abby's smile made some of Sheridan's guilt dissipate. "You didn't want to scare the kids. These," she indicated the fading bruise on her eye then slowly lifted both her jacket and the tank underneath up to reveal likewise fading bruises along her ribcage, "are still ugly as hell, not to mention a little sore. I don't blame you. You're here now. That's what counts. I haven't exactly been alone." "No, you haven't," Sheridan said softly. "Nick's been taking care of you. He really cares about you, Abby." "Does he?" Abby wondered, her thoughts drifting back to that night when she'd returned to her bedroom to find him sitting in the shadows and refusing to leave.

~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~

Abby paused outside her bedroom door, her hazel eyes landing on his shadowy form, slouching in the otherwise empty oversized chair. Her bedside lamp was on, its pale yellow beam bright to her sensitive eyes, and she blinked as she stepped into her newly neat room, wondering how the hell it had taken him 20, 30 minutes tops to clean up a mess that usually took her the entire day. So she was your ultimate slob. So what? "Nick," she began, pausing to soften her words when she saw he had already turned down the bed for her and everything, her earlier anger all but gone. "I may look beaten," she said, toeing her fuzzy house slippers off at the foot of the bed. "And I may look like I've had the worst day of my life-which is actually not far from the truth," she mused aloud as she edged closer to the chair and to him. "But I don't need you babying me like this. I don't WANT you babying me like this," she muttered tiredly, stepping into the open vee of his long legs and covering the large hand that rested on one muscular thigh with her own. "You've already done more than you had to, and I'm grateful. But."

Abby's words died in her throat when Nick's hand shifted beneath her own, and her eyes never left his face, his troubled gray eyes as she felt his hand rest on her hip, his thumb moving in gentle, absent strokes as he studied her face. "He hurt you," Nick stated quietly, leaning forward and resting his other hand on her opposite hip. "A little," Abby admitted just as quietly, growing increasingly distracted by his touch and the intensity in his eyes. "He's one sorry son of a.he won't lay another hand on me because he knows I'll open up another can of whoop-ass on his FAT ass," she told Nick, her hazel eyes twinkling down at him. The smile in her eyes never reached her lips. Gray Eyes just wasn't feeling her humor tonight, she decided, mentally cursing her traitorous hands when they rose to tangle in his thick dark hair of their own accord. She sucked in a surprised breath when she felt Nick's warm breath against her bare skin, and she couldn't identify the emotion in his eyes to save her life as they stared deeply into her eyes, his lips floating over her injury in the lightest of kisses before his arms slipped around her waist and his warm cheek was suddenly against her belly, his soft hair tickling her skin. Her own arms and hands took on a mind of their own, cradling him closer to her.

Gradually, Nick's grip on her relaxed, and Abby was unresisting as he pulled her into his lap, his arms slipping around her waist once more as his dark head pillowed against her breasts. Abby bit the inside of her cheek to keep from spilling all to Gray Eyes about the dreadfully naughty thoughts running through her mind despite her fatigue and aching body as she combed her fingers through his thick dark hair. She tended to babble like a brook when she got tired, and she prayed to whatever higher being that hadn't plugged His or Her ears against her oftentimes insane rantings that she didn't let anything slip and change this.moment.or whatever they seemed to be having. Hell. She prayed she still had the capacity to catch her breath as Nick pulled back, raising a steady hand and slipping the thin spaghetti strap of her tank off her shoulder. She watched him press his lips against her shoulder in a kiss through half-lidded hazel eyes, and her breath stalled in her throat as his beautiful face loomed closer. She released her breath in a sigh, her eyes fluttering closed when Nick drew her upper lip between his lips and suckled gently, cradling her face between his palms as his mouth moved against hers with utter tenderness and deliberation. Abby searched his gray eyes wonderingly when they drew apart, her heart lodged strangely and firmly in her throat as his strong yet gentle hands guided her tawny head to his shoulder, shaky sighs escaping both their throats. She officially didn't have a clue.

~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~^*^~

"Entertaining some deep thoughts of your own?" Sheridan teased, waving a hand in front of Abby's blank face. Abby shook the memory from her mind, nearly jumping in surprise when the apartment door was flung open, and Nick walked inside in his distractingly tight jeans, making her heart beat triple-time inside her ribcage as usual and her brain melt into mush. "Sheridan," Nick nodded, "AliCat and Cristian," he greeted. "I hope you're up for more visitors, Abby, because I found these two outside on our doorstep." Abby grinned, uncurling her legs and leaving the sofa to meet her new guests halfway. "I finally get to meet the boy with MERMAN dreams," Abby winked, tweaking the nose of the sandy-haired toddler in Katie's arms. "Kendall," Katie sighed as the little boy burrowed his face into her neck, "don't be so shy." "Katie, he's adorable. How old is he?" Sheridan inquired, walking up next to Abby. "He just turned two," Katie answered, smiling down at Ali and Cristian in greeting. Ali giggled when green eyes peeked at her curiously, earning herself a cute little half- smile in the process. "He's heard lots of stories about you, Ali," Katie explained. "I think he recognizes you. Do you want to go play with Ali and Cristian, Kendall?" Abby flashed the toddler a smile as he trustingly took Ali's hand, her attention straying from Sheridan and Katie's conversation as her hazel eyes landed on Nick across the room, watching them in intent silence that made her stomach knot with tension. She knew one thing for damn sure. He couldn't keep staring at her the way he was and not expect her to do something about it. The man better count his lucky stars she wasn't 100%.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chad hopped up and down on the balls of his feet to keep his blood rushing through his veins as he waited for Ethan. His chocolate eyes scanned the area for the thousandth time that morning, and he liked what he saw. The building was located in downtown Harmony, an abandoned focal point of attention. Small businesses were rising up to the left and right of the impressive building, but the area still held a quaint yet trendy charm. He wasn't having any trouble at all picturing the building bustling with activity. In fact, he.His thoughts ended abruptly as Ethan's Mercedes slowed to a stop just feet in front of him, and Ethan stepped out of the car with an apologetic smile on his face, a set of keys jingling from the key ring in his hand. "Chad.Sorry I'm so late. I." "Look, Man," Chad interrupted his apology. "It's alright. I've just been freezing my ass off out here, but that's all." Ethan's smile morphed into a grin, and his blue eyes sparkled with humor as he finally fitted the correct key in the lock and the heavy door opened. "Is that all? Do you want a tour? I'm not that familiar with this particular Crane property, but I should be able to." Chad's eyes roamed the large open space that was the building's first floor, seeing in his mind's eye, Theresa making the place her own with her children's designs and her reawakening big dreams. "Yo, Ethan.I trust you, Man. As long as the place's structurally sound and equipped with all the utilities.I'll take it. The building AND the property," Chad announced.

Ethan blinked in momentary surprise then smiled, still a little unbelieving that Chad was finally going to take advantage of his Crane name. "It's yours, Chad. This building has been owned by the family for years. Grandfather purchased it years ago, long before he died. If you want the building, it's yours. No cost." Chad shook his head in refusal. "Thanks, but no thanks, Ethan. I'm paying for this place outright. I lived almost my entire life without relying on the Crane name to get what I needed and wanted. I'm not going to start now. I'm not buying this building for me anyway." Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose, leveling his blue gaze on the man beside him. "Chad, you don't have to." "I want to," Chad repeated. "You'll still be using the Crane money to make this purchase. How is that any different?" "There's a difference," Chad told him, withdrawing his checkbook from his leather jacket pocket, his pen poised to start writing. "A small but significant difference." Ethan stilled Chad's movements with his hand. "I'll have the papers drawn up as soon as possible." Chad grinned appreciatively. "Can you do it immediately? I'm kind of on a deadline here. Valentine's Day, to be exact." "I'll get on it today," Ethan held out his hand for Chad to shake it, and the two men fell into step together as they exited and re-locked the building.

"Why Valentine's Day?" Ethan inquired, pausing beside his opened Mercedes door. Chad stuffed his un-gloved hands into the lined pockets of his jacket, meeting Ethan's eyes with the tiniest bit of hesitation. "Chad? If I'm not prying," Ethan prompted. Chad cleared his throat. As his brother, as his friend, and as a man who once loved Theresa, Chad figured Ethan deserved to know just as much as anyone. Perhaps more than most. "It's an engagement present. I'm going to ask Theresa to marry me." "Oh," Ethan said quietly. "I mean.Congratulations are in order. Of course, she'll say yes. You make her happier than I ever did," Ethan said awkwardly. "We make each other happy," Chad corrected him. "Ethan, Man.you hurt her in the past, and that doesn't make me happy. But if things hadn't worked out the way they did, I wouldn't have noticed what was right under my nose the whole time. Theresa and I.we're really not that different. Neither one of us is perfect, but it don' t matter. I've finally found someone I can be comfortable in my own skin with, you know? She loves me for me, and I don't mind her dreams. I admire them. This building? It's how I'm going to bring her dreams back to Harmony. You see? She gave New York and Boston up to come home for Ali, but she's not satisfied just giving out orders. My girl doesn't want to hand off her dream to someone else. I'm giving Theresa her dreams back because I know they're what she needs to be completely happy. That's why I need the deal done by Valentine's," Chad finished, waiting for him to say something, Ethan realized. "Don't worry about the deal," Ethan told him. "I'll take care of it. Just make sure you keep making her happy," Ethan said, finally reaching an understanding as he watched Chad climb into his car and drive away with one last look of gratitude. Love was never the problem. Not knowing her inside and out was.