When sleep eluded him, Olivia was already awake. Grief kpet odd hours and Olivia was returning to bed from the bathroom. When she sat down, he surprised her by sitting up behind her. "I thought you'd sleep better tonight after last night."

Olivia's shock gave way to gratitude. Crying alone was much more depressing. "I've been having these dreams." She admitted, turning in bed to face him. "I know it silly to let them bother me."

"It's not silly." Brushing his thumb gently over the puffy skin beneath her eye, Gregory wished he could take it away. "What happens?" He asked gently, feeling her rest er hands on his arms. He loved it when she clung to him, the strength that coursed through him when they touched was something unique to her. He never felt that power without her.

"Alex saved me from Cole." Her fingers trembled against his arm. "When he was in our bedroom with me, she broke through the door." Olivia bit her lip, and he would have given anything to quiet her dreams. Her voice steadily lost control, wavering more as she continued. "But in my dream- she nevers comes. Cole wraps his fingers around my neck and no one comes." One hand wiped new tears from her face. "And I feel so selfish- so stupid because I wake up crying- and I'm not crying because Alex is gone. I'm terrified because she's not here to save me."

Gregory ran his hand over her head, letting her cry herself out into his chest. "It's not selfish to miss her." He was almost envious of the eventually calm she'd have when he tears stopped. That was her great advantage over him. Olivia felt her pain, live it and in doing, beat it. His own wounds just seemed to fester, growing deeper as time passed them on. "If anything, it was selfish of Alex to leave us."

That drew a weak smile Olivia let him lie them back down. "What do you think she's doing right now?" She wondered as she gazed up at their ceiling.

"Watching us, taking more photographs with that perfect new camera- the one she's been waiting for all her life." Gregory pulled the blankets up over her shoulder. " One that actually does the world justice."

Pulling closer, she rested her head on his chest. "She gave us Italy. Did you even know she owned property there?"

"No." Gregory idly played with the shoulder strap of her nightgown. "I had no idea, but now that we've got it. We should spend some time there, when all this is done with."

Olivia propped herself up on her elbow, looking through the brown of his eyes for something only she knew. Finding it exactly where she looked, she kissed him deeply enough to brush against his soul. "I love you." Was her only explaination as they broke away. Gregory traced her lips lazily with his fingers. "Darling you're much more romantic then you pretend to be."

He shook his head no, smiling thoughtfully. "It's an act."

Olivia started to laugh, brightening the darkness of their room, and his attention went to the clevage of her nightgown, the cream colored skin framed n the dark blue satin of her nightgown. Her breasts swelled out of the fabric, full and tempting. He wanted to take them in his hands and knead them like fresh bread dough. He winced inwardly at the scolding she'd give him for the thought. They'd still be sore.

Her expression turned quizzical as she tried to figure out what he ws thinking. She started to laugh harder when she found where his attention was focused. "You don't want to go back to sleep, do you?"

Gregory ran the tip of his little finger down her neck from the tip of her chin. "Maybe I don't." He slipped out from under her, following the line of his finger with his lips. He could feel the breath fluttered in her throat.

"Darling, it's the middle of the night." Her protesting became weaker as he removed one strap of her nightgown from her shoulder. Gregory explored the entire area of neewly bare skin before rising to look at her eyes. So much passion could be held in those eyes. His hand stayed busy, freeing the other shoulder from her nightgown. "You'll sleep better."

The hunger in his eyes was arousing even without his steadily encroaching touch. It was something special to have someone look at her as if the sun rose and set in her eyes. Gregory did have a point. Letting him wear her out now might keep the demons away until morning. Knowing Gregory was there was the best deterent to Cole St. John she could possibly have.

"I just might." She whsipered back, biting her lip as he found tender skin beneath her neckline. Olivia lay back into the pillows, reaching for him and the buttons of his pajama shirt. "You can give me something worth dreaming about."

Gregory smiled proudly at his son and the Ethan. "You look good in a suit Sean. Really good." He couldn't help trying to picture him the way he would be years from now, after he'd finished school he was going to make a fine doctor. He had his mother's empathy.

"Thanks." Sean replied, suddenly shy under his father's praise. "Just wish it was under better circumstances."

Checking the kitchen clock told him he needed to head back upstairs. "I'm going to go get your mother ready. If we're not down by nine, just go one without us. We'll meet you at the church."

Nodding, Sean touched his dad's shoulder. "Take good care of mom."

"Always." Gregory replied softly as he left the kitchen with the tea and biscuits he came down for. Back upstairs, he sighed as he opened the door. "Liv- we really need to get going-" He chided as he entered the bedroom, but in the short time he had been downstairs, she had already gotten up and dressed. Her dark hair was up in a simple knot and she wore the simple deep purle uit that he had bought her as a gift when they come home from Wisconsin.

He set the tea tray on the bed next to her. "Never mind." He touched her shoulder, trying to read her face. "That was fast."

Olivia looked from her breakfast to him miserably. "Wasn't sure I'd finish if I didn't hurry."

"I thought you weren't going to be 'seasick' once we landed." Gregory's remark earned a weak smile.

Olivia lowered her eyes to the bed. "It's just my head."

He sat down on the bed with the tray between them. "What's wrong with your head sweetheart?" Pouring the tea from the silver teapot filled the room with the spicy smell of ginger. "Roger said you should try to drink this."

"And if Roger says-" Wincing, Olivia closed her eyes and rubbed her temples for a moment before taking the tea from him.

"He'll be proud of you, and I'll get in less trouble." Gregory teased switching his position to sit behind her. "I'm glad you aren't 'seasick'." He let her hands fall to her lap. Running his finges in slow circles over her temples as he took over.

"It must be some kind of bug, or not getting enough sleep." Gregory resisted the temptation to correct her. If Olivia wanted to ignore the obvious, that was her perogative. Thankfully, she couldn't see the small grin on his face. He remembered her headaches, the dizzy haze that made it so hard for her to concentrate. Those headaches were from that tragic second pregnancy, and the more he remembered about that time the less he wanted to make her think about it.

At the time heacaches seemed a welcome trade from the terrible nausea she'd suffered when pregnant with Caitlin. Most of Caitlin's teeth were in by then, and she was walking. Gregory took split shifts, working in the early mornings at the office and late into the night at home. That let him be home during the day when Olivia needed help with Caitlin. He had many bittersweet memories of sitting on the couch with Olivia lying across his lap, watching Cate play with her toys at their feet.

Life was perfect then, untouchable and serene.

Gregory's mind took a sharp turn around a dark corner. Olivia lying on the floor, still and covered in blood. Her blood on his hands, on the seat of the car, on his jacket.

He forced his mind back to the present, pushing that nightmare into the past where it belonged. He looked at his watch, nine was fast approaching. "We have to go."

Olivia shifted on the bed, finishing one of the plain biscuits Roger sent up for her. Gregory checked his own appearance in the mirror, black suit, gray linen shirt and a lavender tie Olivia had picked out for him. She dabbed at her eyes with the maroon cloth napkin from the tray as she stood up. "Do you have to be a pallbearer darling?"

Gregory got her purse and hung it over her shoulder. "No, no, Casey got Ben Evans instead." He slipped his arm around her lower back.

"I thought he asked you." Olivia asked him again.

He kissed her cheek as he led her to the door. "He did."

Now she looked at him suspiciously as they headed down the stairs together. "But you said no."

Gregory opened the front door, locking it behind them. "I said I would be honored, but-"

"What?" She stopped him in the garage. His eyes had that softness to them that melted her heart. "Darling..." She cajoled, refusing to let him off the hook without an answer.

"I needed to sit with you." He took her hand and heled it, staring at the delicate bones of her fingers. "I know how you are at funerals, weddings too for that matter."

Olivia straightened his tie. "I'd rather be going to a wedding."

"Maybe next time." Leaning in close to her ear, he whispered secretively. "Casey and his new girlfied seem pretty close."

Olivia rested her head on his shoulder as Time pulled out of the driveway. "Do you think he's going to propose?"

He continued his study of her hand, marveling at how much emotion could be conveyed in the simple movements of her fingers. "I remember looking at a woman that way."

When she remained silent for awhile, he touched her face, surprised to find it already damp with tears. He reached into his suit pocket for his handkerchief. He had expected to at least get to the church before she needed it. "What is it Liv?"

"If Casey gets married, Alex won't be there. I can't imagine not being able to see Sean or Cait get married. And poor Casey," Olivia continued, unfolding his handkerchief. "He's all alone. if something happened to either of us, Sean and Cait would still have each other."

"He's going to be all right." There was a certain irony in the fact that he was only optomistic around Olivia.

When they pulled up at the church, they were almost late. The soft morning rain, surprising for a California summer, was cool. Bette was hugging Sean by the front of the church. She caught their hands, taking Olivia to her seat. Gregory followed a step behind, not wanting to let Olivia out of his sight.

Caitlin was later even then her parents. The alarm in Cole's tiny arpartment wasn't especially reliable. She slipped in next to Bette as the service started. "Good timing Beauty." Bette whispered as the organ started in the back of the church.

"Alarm didn't go off." Caitlin offered by way of apology. "Were my parents worried?"

Bette shook her head slightly. "They just got here too." She tilted her head confidentially. "They both took Alex's death pretty hard. Livie's been crying, but you know your father. He'll never admit it." She studied Caitlin's face thoughtfully, mindful of Alex's warning. Maybe Alex had been right to suspect her. There was something odd in Caitlin's reactions.

Admittedly Cate and Olivia had never been close, but the complete lack of concern in her face was unusual. Not until she mentioned Gregory was there any stirring of emotion. Bette remembered Roger's account of his talk with Cate. Apparently she was having some trouble with Gregory's recent shift of focus. Even Bette had to admit he was being a model husband lately. That theif St,. John had brought out some of the best in Gregory. Olivia was undeniably his.

Father Antonio took his place behind the altar, welcoming them on this terrible day. Bette took Caitlin's hand and was relieved when the young woman held on. There was enough of Gregory in her to make her incredibly dangerous if she was cornered. If she could still reach out, to Roger, to Sean- to someone, there was still hope.