A/N Congratulations to you who spotted the Bender/Allison connection before the chapter was posted. I was afraid I had made it too obvious. Anyway here we go with the next chapter. Not a lot gets resolved but there is a lot to talk about. Stay tuned for Ch 13: The Reunion Pt. 3. But before I post that I will do the next chapter of "The Weekend Is Over."

Bender stood, turned around and said, "Fancy meeting you here, Ally."

Clair kept muttering "Oh my god," over and over and over. Brian was open mouthed as if he were unable to comprehend what had just happened. And me? I felt as though the bottom had just fallen out of my world. Things said and pieces of information that didn't seem to mean anything at the time were suddenly illuminated. If I had been in a cartoon one would have seen the light bulb over my head turn on. The photo of Maddie on Bender's work desk and him saying the little girl was like her mother as though I would know what he meant. All of the kids stuff in Allison's car should have been a clue to me that she was a mom but I made myself believe that it was for her job. I felt like an idiot. Allison and John Bender?

"Hey baby," Allison said as she knelt down to hug the little girl.

"I love you Mommy but I'm a big girl not a baby," corrected her and John's daughter. She replied, "You're right you are a big girl." Then she stood back up and led Maddie back to her seat in the booth. "Hi," she said meekly to the rest of us. "John, you didn't tell me you were taking her out to dinner tonight."

"Slipped my mind, but I guess since you are here we can all sit down and enjoy this nice reunion that Andrew planned." Bender motioned to our side of the booth and Allison removed her jacket and slid in next to me with Bender on the outside. "Now isn't this cozy."

"Oh my god, oh my god…," Claire repeated over and over.

"Claire," said Brian leaning over and waving his hand lightly in front of her face trying to snap her out of it, "Claire, are you okay."

"She'll be fine. Just shocked to know not everything is peachy in the kingdom," said John. He was so nonchalant about it. What on earth did Claire see in him? He was still the same sarcastic asshole. I had given him too much credit.

"You should drink something." Brian lifted the small cup of sake to her lips and she sipped, sputtering and coughing as she swallowed the rice wine. He patted her back as she wiped her pink lips on the red cloth napkin. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not." She just stared at Allison and Bender. I knew how she felt. Maybe she and I were living in the past to think that we could rekindle whatever was there that Saturday.

Maddie slid the coloring sheet across the table. "Look at what I drew, Mommy." From what I could see she completely ignored the clown outline that was already there and instead drew a barn with various farm animals. It wasn't the usual blob like animals children normally draw but very life like and the child was only four.

"That is very nice, sweetie. Why don't you draw some trees too." She handed the drawing back.

"Okie dokie."

The waitress came by to take the order and deliver the drinks that we hadn't yet received. We all told her something and I'm not sure if we even knew what we were ordering. Guess it didn't matter because I don't think any of us had much of an appetite. "You know guys, if you want to talk I can still take Maddie into the game room. Not a big deal."

"What do you say, Ally?"

"That's fine. Just don't let her play anything violent. Pacman or something like that is okay."

"Sounds like a plan. Honey?"

"Daddy?"

"Uncle Brian is going to take you to play video games. So go with him for a little bit okay?"

"Video games? Cool!" she said jumping up and grabbing Brian's hand. "Let's go play, Uncle Brian." Allison mouthed a thank you to him and he just nodded leading the little girl to the arcade room. At least we didn't have to worry about language now but the idea of Brian as the great neutralizer just went out the window.

As soon as they were out of sight Claire hissed, "How could you?" I was wondering the same thing. How could they?

"What did you think I had no life after you Princess?"

"But with her?"

"Gee thanks, Claire," said Allison obviously offended. "You could have been there that night if you hadn't been such a bitch."

"What do you know? I tried to help him. He didn't want my help."

"How would you know what I wanted, Claire? Did you ever ask me? No, I had to listen to what you thought I should be doing; what you wanted me to do. You never cared how I felt you only cared about yourself!" Allison put her hand on his arm to calm him down.

"That isn't true. I cared about us. Us John; me and you. It's not like you cared about what I wanted either." He crossed his arms and turned his head. "Just like always. Burying your head in the sand when you don't want to hear what I have to say. Well rather you ignore me this way than snorting a line of cocaine."

"That is enough!" He roared.

"What about you Andy? Allison was your big love. How do you feel that she fucked John Bender," Claire asked looking at me.

Allison said, "I told you that it was okay if you loved someone." Then we all looked at her.

"So you love Bender?"

"I did that night. He was and is a good friend the only one of you that was always a friend to me. He needed someone to love him and obviously it wasn't going to be you."

"To answer your question Claire it doesn't make me happy."

"That is all?" She asked me. She was becoming exasperated.

"No, that isn't all but what do you want me to say?" Then it dawned on me that Claire was holding me partially responsible. She was finding it easy to blame Bender and Allison. That was logical but she was holding me responsible too. "You think it's my fault that they slept together?"

"Well if you hadn't ignored her."

Allison then stepped in, "This is silly. You want to know what happened? Honestly it has little to do with either of you. Life happened. It was four years after you guys graduated. Do you want to tell them John or should I?"

"Stop it!" said Claire loudly. "I call him John. The rest of you called him Bender." I was starting to get worried about Claire she really wasn't handling this well. I guess if the person you thought of as your soul mate for years suddenly had a life you didn't know about it might not be easy to take. I was taking it hard but years of my dad tell me to "suck it up and be a man" and "boys don't cry are you a sissy?" had hardened me to things like this. I was just trying to take it all in like Claire was but doing a better job of not letting my shock and anger show.

Bender nodded at Allison to let her know to go along with Claire's John vs. Bender request. "So Bender, do you want to tell them?"

He sat back and took a sip of the cup of tea in front of him. "I was pretty bad off. Right before graduation my old man got worse. He beat my mom so bad she was in the hospital. Scared him so bad he was the one who called 9-11 bastard told them that I did it. They put me in county lock up for about 3 days. Luckily my old lady came around and managed to tell them that my dad did it. Let me out but all he got was a slap on the wrist, community service and was told to attend anger management. I remember when he walked through the front door after his court hearing mom right behind him like a good little lap dog. 'You fucking good for nothing son of a bitch,' he yelled in my face, "How the fuck am I supposed to work to pay for your no good lazy retarded ass and do community service. Couldn't fuckin' tell them that you did it? No. After I've given you a roof over your head all these years. Would have done better givin' it to a bum at the Harrison Avenue bus station.' Then he looked me over as if seeing me for the first time, and told me to get out. 'Get the fuck out.' I started up the stairs but he grabbed my collar jerking me backwards. 'What the fuck do you think you're doing? Huh? You ain't taking anything. I paid for that shit with my hard earned money.'"

"He kicked you out?" I asked surprised yet not really. From what we learned about John Bender Sr in detention nothing that he did was surprising.

"Hell I'm surprised he didn't do it sooner. I was 18. I wanted to leave but always felt like I had to be there to protect her. Just figured Id have my stuff with me when I left."

"Where did you go?" Claire reached across the table and touched his arm. He moved out of her way and she looked hurt.

"Your place."

"No, you didn't."

"I would think I know where I went. I didn't go there right away. First to clear my head I got stoned in the park." Claire and I looked at him. "Yeah alright it wasn't the smartest thing to do. But what could I do huh? With the way I was feeling I couldn't just show up. I wanted to get my thoughts together then wandered down your way. Thought maybe I could crash at your place. Hell it was big enough that you could have put the whole high school marching band in there playing 'Louie Louie' and your parents wouldn't have found out." She didn't deny it and he continued. "I knocked on your door and the maid answered. A fucking maid. I mean I figured you would have one but she was the stereotype. Was she even in the country legally, Claire?"

"Why are you taking what my parents did out on me?"

"They would have done anything for you. You even said as much. You could have told them that they should hire a legal alien if they wanted someone. How much did they pay her, Claire? Or were you worried if they had to pay someone a real wage they wouldn't be able to make the payments on your graduation present? I saw it in the drive with a big red bow around it like something from a game show."

"Like you were into human rights; you could have cared less who her parents had as a maid you're just trying to piss her off now," I said coming to Claire's defense.

"How would you know what I was or am into Sporto?"

"Can we please have an adult like conversation?" asked Allison.

"I am. Now may I continue?" No one said anything. "Thank you. So as I was saying Juanita answered the door…' "Consuela" corrected Claire. He glared at her and continued, "and I asked for you."

He didn't get to continue as the meals arrived. "I better go get Brian and Maddie," said Allison as she scooted out then headed for the game room.

"Looks good," said Bender eyeing his food. "Sushi again, Claire?"

"Sushi is good. Andy has some too. Maybe if you were more open minded."

"I will not go there with you Princess."

"Why do you always have to be so hostile?" She asked as Brian, Maddie and Allison, sat down.

Maddie reached for her glass of milk. "Blech! It's warm." Then she looked around. "Why is everybody mad, Mommy?"

"No one is mad."

"Then why isn't anyone wearing a happy face? Is it my fault?"

"No, of course not. People can be happy and no smile," Bender told his daughter. "Every one had a surprise and they didn't like it very much." I was actually impressed by the way he handled the little girl. While I hated the idea that they had a daughter together they were good parents from what I could see. I thought Allison would be but Bender? It was unexpected but he seemed to be a natural at it.

The rest of dinner no one spoke except for Maddie who was fascinated by the sushi and horrified when "Princess Claire" explained that it was fish. Wide eyed the little girl leaned over looked at the aquarium and then refused to eat even when Allison explained that she wasn't eating fish but vegetables. Apparently Allison and her daughter were vegetarians although Maddie was too young to understand what exactly one was.

After our meal was over we paid. I felt bad for Brian. We hardly had a chance to talk to him all evening. "Brian I'm really sorry about tonight," I told him as we waited outside the restaurant for the others to catch up with us.

"Not your fault." He said but I gave him a look that showed I knew better. "Well not entirely. Bender and Allison huh? That is something."

"You are telling me."

"You'll have to catch me up on everything that led to that."

Glancing at my watch I saw that it was 10pm. "You have an hour 'til the last train."

"Yeah I know but maybe it's a good idea if I cut out. I've got to go back to Boston tomorrow evening, but I'll probably be back out here for business."

"If you are give me a call. We can do something more fun than tonight."

"Yeah," he laughed, "but I doubt that it will be more interesting."

I told the others that I was going to drive Brian to the station and they insisted upon come with us. So we loaded into our cars and drove the 2 miles. We all shook hands with him and told him how nice it was to see him again and we all promised that we would get together again should he be back in town but some how I got the impression that we meant that about as much as we did when we said we would try to be friends on Monday.

"So what now?" asked Bender?

Allison looked confused, "What do you mean? It's after 10 I have to get Maddie into bed. As if on cue the little girl yawned.

"We still have a lot to cover. I'm sure Claire and Andrew are still wondering exactly how she," he motioned to Maddie, "came to be."

"We can go to my mom's." I suggested. I knew she would be thrilled to see Allison and would adore her daughter. "She has lots of room and Maddie can lay down and take a nap while we grown-ups talk."

Allison looked at me as though grew a second head. "If we do that I wouldn't feel right talking to her anymore. I'd have to assign her case to someone else."

"Shit! You mean that bereavement counseling you were talking about for your mom and you…So that is how you were able to invite Ally." Guess Bender was just starting to put two and two together too. "So how did you get back in touch with Claire? Your rich old man pass away?"

Claire snapped at him. "No!"

"She almost hit me with her car; my fault. So back to my mom's or not?"

Maddie yawned again. They looked at each other then back at me and nodded. "Hope my mom is still having her bridge game."

I