Hi! :-) Thank you for your reviews. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Hope you like Chapter 5! :-)

=====================

Chapter 5

"Mommy, where are we going?" Taylor asked Janet, as they drove along the expressway towards Seattle.

"I have a surprise for you, but let's play a game. Watch the road and tell me when you've figured out where we're headed."

"Okay," Taylor said, sitting up straighter in her seat so she could look out the side window to see if she recognized the area. She loved playing games with her mother.

As they continued to ride, Taylor's inquisitive brown eyes drank in the scenery. Because of so much rain, everything around them was a very dark, lush green. She saw a few buildings along the way and finally saw a sign that displayed a picture of an airplane.

"I know where we're going!" she announced proudly, raising her arm as though she were in school and wanted to answer the teacher's question.

Janet couldn't help but to smile. "Where do you think we're going, Miss Taylor Nicole?"

"To Seattle. To the airport. I saw the picture back there."

Janet laughed. "You are correct, Miss Matthews. We're headed for Sea- Tac."

"But we're not flyin' someplace, are we, Mommy?"

She wrinkled her button nose at her mother.

"No. We're meeting someone who's flying in to visit us."

"Who?" she asked, beginning to jump up and down in her seat as excitement washed over her.

"I'm not telling you," Janet said.

She laughed when her daughter pouted.

"I want that part to be a surprise."

"Will I like who it is?" Taylor asked, suddenly concerned about who might be visiting them.

"Most definitely," Janet said, reaching over to give her daughter's brunette locks a quick, reassuring brush.

"Then I know it's not that man, right, Mommy?"

"What man?"

"The one who was here before."

Jack. Taylor was talking about Jack. Janet's heartbeat accelerated for just a moment. She had been trying so hard not to let herself think about him. She forced herself to concentrate on her driving. Friday night traffic into Seattle was not the time to let one's mind wander. Especially to a topic as prickly as Jack Tripper.

"No, sweetie," Janet finally answered. "The person we're meeting at the airport is not the man who was at our house."

"Good," Taylor said with a nod, satisfied that she wouldn't have to worry about seeing him again.

Janet inwardly cringed as she thought how much her daughter looked and sounded like her when she'd made up her mind about something. And for some reason, Taylor had already taken a dislike to Jack without having met him.

==================

Standing in the baggage claim area, the excited six-year-old's squeal of delight distracted Janet from her thoughts about Jack. She knew their visitor would please her daughter. The person trotting towards them pleased Janet. It had been longer than they'd both intended between visits.

"Auntie Terri!" Taylor yelled, running to meet her as soon as Janet said she could.

"Hello, Taylor," Terri Alden-Whitman said.

She set down her carry-on bag and opened her arms wide to give the petite child a warm hug.

"I've missed you so much," Terri said.

"I've missed you more," Taylor said and laughed.

"No, you couldn't have," Terri teased.

"Yes, I could, and I did," Taylor insisted.

Janet chuckled as she joined them. Taylor and Terri had been having this same exact exchange each time they saw each other since Taylor was four. The scene before her warmed Janet's heart.

"Hey," Terri said, enveloping Janet in a bear hug. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. How about you?"

"Couldn't be better."

"Did you have a good flight?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did."

"Well, c'mon," Janet said, ready to spend some quality time with her dear friend. "Let's get out of here and go to our favorite eating place."

"Yay!!" Taylor exclaimed, knowing that a hot dog and French fries awaited her.

And, if her mom was in a really generous mood, she might even allow Taylor to have a chocolate milkshake. Taylor looked up and saw that her mother was smiling. Auntie Terri was here, and that always made things better.

"Where's Uncle Travis?" Taylor asked, once they were in the car and had driven out of the airport parking lot.

"He's at home with Jeremy," Terri said. "He sends his love and so does Jeremy. They're going to have a 'manly' weekend. Whatever that means."

Terri rolled her eyes; Janet laughed.

"You have an anniversary coming up, don't you?" Janet remarked.

"Next month. Travis and I will be married five years. Can you believe it?"

"No, not really. Did Jeremy have a fun time turning three?"

"He did. We had a small party for him, but he loved it. He loved your presents, too. You guys are spoiling him."

"We got your thank you card," Taylor said.

"Or should we say 'Jeremy's' card?" Janet said and grinned.

Terri shook her head and laughed. "He insisted. He fancies himself an artist. What can I say?"

"You should encourage him," Janet said. "You're living in the city known for artists of all types and talents. Why not Jeremy? Makes sense to me."

Terri laughed. "If my no-nonsense husband heard you say that..."

"I know, but if he has talent..."

"They encourage him in pre-school to let his creativity flow. That's enough for us."

Janet nodded. "Do you like being back in L.A.?"

"It's okay. I miss Hawaii. So does Travis. But we're settling in nicely. You and Taylor have to come visit us. Soon."

"Yeah, Mommy," Taylor piped up. "Let's go to L.A."

"Maybe during Christmas break. What do you think?"

"Sounds good to me," Terri said. "But Travis and I were talking, and we want to invite you and Taylor to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with us. What do you say?"

"I say 'yes'," Taylor volunteered.

She giggled when her mother good-naturedly rolled her eyes.

"I knew you would. I'll have to see if I can arrange it. Thank you for the invitation, Terri. I'd love it if we could spend Thanksgiving together."

Even if it meant, for a few days, she would, once again, be in the same city as Jack.

================

"I'm so glad you could come this weekend," Janet said to Terri, when they were alone in the kitchen.

Taylor had finally drifted off to sleep, after Auntie Terri had read three stories to her.

"I'm glad to be here, too," Terri said.

She squeezed Janet's hand and smiled at her.

"You've talked to Jack, haven't you?" Janet asked, seeing the compassion and questions in her friend's eyes.

"Yes. He invited us to dinner the other night. I was so hoping things would have gone better. May I ask what happened?"

"I freaked when I saw him," Janet admitted, "and then I panicked. The thought that he might be living here just threw me. I didn't know how to respond. What did he say?"

She didn't want to ask, but she had to.

Knowing she wasn't betraying any confidences, Terri answered Janet's question.

"He said he couldn't break through your defenses. He could tell you were less than thrilled with the thought of him moving here. He thought you would call him, Janet. He was very disappointed that you didn't."

"I wish I could tell him how many times I picked up the phone to call him. But what would be the point, Terri? We've moved on with our lives. We're not the same people we were when we lived in Santa Monica."

"Why not try to rebuild the friendship you had? Or, if you don't think rebuilding will work, start over and forge a new friendship. Get to know each other again. I know you enjoyed having him in your life, Janet."

"I did, when I had a different life."

"What is it about your life now that's preventing you from allowing him in it?"

"Taylor, for one thing," Janet said, getting up to refill their cups with tea.

"Taylor said something about Jack? Jack said he didn't get to meet her."

"He didn't, but Taylor heard us talking. It was a very emotional conversation, Terri, and yes, I ended up shedding a few tears. Taylor heard me sobbing, and she blames Jack. She compared him to Nick and said how much Nick makes me laugh. She was concerned tonight that we were meeting Jack at the airport. You should have seen how relieved she was when I assured her we were not picking up Jack from the airport."

"She's protective of you," Terri said. "And, of course, I completely understand that. But don't you think Jack would be a good guy for Taylor to have in her life?"

"I don't know," Janet said, her voice conveying her uncertainty. "You're right that Taylor's protective of me, but believe me, I'm even more protective of her."

"Of course, you are," Terri said. "And that's a good thing. You're a great mom. I'm certainly not questioning that. I just think Jack would be good for you and Taylor. I know things ended badly between you two, but you must remember some of his good qualities."

Janet had to smile. "Of course, I do. I think that's part of the problem. It would be so easy for me to justify my position if he'd turned into a jerk. But I took one look at him, and I knew he was still the same ol' Jack."

"A little older, a little wiser, a little lonelier," Terri threw in.

"Why would that be?" Janet asked. "I have to say I'm really surprised that he's never gotten married."

Her words gave her pause.

"Unless I hurt him that much..."

Flashback

"Are you two ever going to speak to each other again?" Terri asked Jack, as they sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast.

"Janet wanted space. I'm giving her space," Jack retorted.

"Well, you're both giving me a headache!"

"Don't worry, Terri. If my plans go the way I want them to, I'll be out of here and on my way to Europe by the end of the month."

"Jack, you can't be serious. You're not really going to leave for Europe, are you?"

"What's stopping me, Terri? Why shouldn't I? There is no reason for me to stay here. None whatsoever."

"What about this?"

From the pocket of her robe, Terri retrieved the blue velvet box and showed it to him. He quickly snatched it from her hand.

"What are you doing with that?" he snapped. "How did you find this anyway? I thought I had buried it."

"I saw it the other day when I went into your room to get the blanket. You didn't bury it, Jack. It was right where you left it when I went into your room this morning to return the blanket. You don't want to hide that ring, Jack. You want to give it to Janet. Right?"

"I thought I did, but now...what difference does it make, Terri? Marrying me is obviously the furthest thing from Janet's mind. And that's fine. I certainly wouldn't want to coerce her into a lifelong commitment. Especially to me. We knew the risks when we decided to get involved. I guess I was dumb enough to think we would beat the odds. Now, I know we shouldn't have even tried. Our relationship has disaster written all over it. I gotta leave before we both end up losing everything."

Terri sighed and placed the jewelry box on the table.

"Keep it," Jack said. "I don't want to look at it any more."

He rose from the table and quickly left the kitchen. A few minutes later, Terri heard the front door slam and knew Jack had left the apartment. She was drinking her coffee and trying to think of a way to get Jack and Janet communicating again when the doorbell rang. She answered it and said a cheerful "good morning" to Mr. Furley, who was there to fix the window.

"How are things?" Mr. Furley asked in a hushed tone, looking around the apartment.

"About the same," Terri said and shook her head.

"Jack and Janet still aren't speaking?" he asked.

"Not really."

"You know, you could've knocked me over with a feather when they came to tell me they were together. I was ready to throw Jack out of the apartment, but their sincerity convinced me that nothing would be going on around here. I've had my moments of doubt, let me tell you, but I really want those crazy kids to work things out."

"I do, too, Mr. Furley. Believe me, I do."

Ralph took a step closer to Terri. "You don't suppose Jack really is...well, you know...I mean...."

"Mr. Furley!" Terri said indignantly.

"Well," he said, getting flushed and flustered, "how else do you explain this bizarre behavior?!"

How indeed, Terri thought, as she made her way to the bathroom to get ready for work.

================

A little while later, after Mr. Furley had finished adjusting the window, Janet woke up and, still half-asleep, padded her way into the kitchen for a freshly brewed cup of coffee. She passed by the table and then did a double take when she saw the ring box.

"No," she said, out loud. "It couldn't be."

Curiosity got the better of her. She slowly cracked open the cover and peeked inside. A brilliant, dainty solitaire diamond in a gold setting twinkled at her. She gasped and quickly closed the cover. After placing a steadying hand on the counter, she tried to convince herself that ring was not for her.

But who else could it be for? her mind reasoned, a bit erratically.

About to leave for work, Terri saw that Janet had awakened. She stepped into the kitchen to greet her friend. The jewelry box jumped out at her. After talking with Mr. Furley, she'd forgotten all about it. One look at Janet's face told Terri all she needed to know.

"Is it...is that ring for me?" Janet asked Terri, needing to know.

"Well," Terri said, feeling trapped.

"Terri!" Janet demanded.

"Sit down," Terri said.

They sat across from each other at the round table, the blue velvet box staring both of them in the face.

"Janet, that ring is for you," Terri confirmed. "But just a little while ago, Jack told me he's planning to leave for Paris at the end of the month."

Terri saw a myriad of emotions cross Janet's face.

Janet picked up the box and gently brushed the velvet but didn't open it.

"I know we talked about marriage briefly, very briefly, but I had no idea Jack had bought a ring."

She looked up as if suddenly remembering Terri was in the room.

"We're not ready for this, Terri. We're not."

"Jack seemed to think maybe you are, or were," she responded softly.

Janet jumped up from her chair.

"This is all wrong. Jack is doing this because he knows how much Todd hurt me. He doesn't love me, Terri. There's no way he could. He's just trying to make me feel better, but this won't work. This has no chance of working."

Terri stood in front of her friend.

"How do you know that, Janet? Maybe this is what was meant to be. Not you and Todd, but you and Jack."

"No way," Janet said, her eyes wild. "Jack was just supposed to be a diversion. We decided on a whim to start dating because we wanted to forget our last relationships. It was all supposed to be in fun until Jack found his tall, blonde, willowy soul mate and until I got over Todd. That's all this was supposed to be."

"I guess Jack wants more," Terri said simply.

"He can't have more," Janet declared. "We can't get engaged. It wouldn't work out, and then we'd both end up losing too much. The risk is not worth it."

"What if it did work out, and you and Jack ended up having a glorious life together?"

Terri tried to get Janet to see the positive side of things, but she was having none of it.

"Terri, you've seen the type of woman Jack goes for. Do I look like I fall into any of those categories? I'm his friend. If we were to marry, he would grow bored with me in less than a year. And then where would we be?"

"Is that what this is all about?" Terri queried. "You're comparing yourself to other women? When you're in the middle of a relationship with Jack? Why, Janet? Why are you doing this?"

"Because I know Jack," she defended. "Because I know he's still getting phone calls and because I know women still approach him at the Regal Beagle. I'm not blind, Terri, and I told myself and Jack this wasn't going to be a long-term relationship."

"But Jack appears to want to revisit that idea."

"He can revisit it all he wants, but I won't change my mind. All it will take is one curvaceous woman to come into his line of vision, and he'll realize quickly enough that marriage isn't what he wants. Can't you see I'm trying to spare both of us more heartache?"

"I see that the two of you are already hurting. Given that Jack plans to leave for Europe, I guess he will find that woman you're talking about. I've officially given up trying to be the go-between. You and Jack need to figure this out for yourselves. I'm out of here. I'm already late for work."

Terri left a thoughtful and pondering Janet alone in the kitchen. She tried to brush aside the reality that Jack had purchased a ring. For her.

"What was he thinking?" she asked the toaster as she waited for her English muffin to pop up.

Sitting at the table with the ring box still staring at her, Janet couldn't help but to look at the diamond one more time and then wonder just how far- fetched the idea was that she and Jack could spend a lifetime together and be happy?

But now Jack was planning to leave for Paris.

"What should I do?"

So many doubts and fears plagued her as the desperately spoken words hung helplessly and unanswered in the air.

As she readied herself for work, Janet knew what she had to do. She needed to take the time to search deep into her heart to find the answer and the peace she longed for.