Lisa sighed and threw the frying pan down onto the stove. Caylib padded out of his room, rubbing his eyes.

"Good morning, sweetie," Lisa sighed, forcing a smile. "Want some pancakes?"

Caylib nodded and sat down as his mother served him breakfast. Lisa pulled up a chair next to him. Her son studied her face.

"Mommy," he said quietly. "What happened to your cheek?"

Lisa paused. "Mommy just had an accident, that's all." Yeah. The accident was letting herself fall in love with a terrorist.

"Oh." Caylib chewed his food. Lisa sighed.

"I have a few errands to do today, honey," she explained. "You can come with me or I can bring you to Grandpa's house."

"I wanna come with you!" Caylib cried, smiling. Lisa tousled his curls.

"Okay, then."

Lisa walked up to the lobby desk and waited for Cynthia to return. She had a pair of large aviator sunglasses on which mostly covered the bruise.

"Hey, Leese," Cynthia said cheerfully. "Hi, Caylib. Want a lollypop?" Caylib nodded eagerly and Cynthia handed him a Dum Dum.

"Do you by any chance know if my old position is available?" Lisa asked, getting right down to business. Cynthia nodded.

"Yeah, it is," she said in surprise. "You're not thinking about coming back, are you? I thought Jackson wanted you to stay home."

"I did too," Lisa scowled. "But I guess not." She shrugged.

"Okay," Cynthia typed something into the computer. "I'm supposed to clear this with Corporate first, but I know they won't mind. Tomorrow?"

Lisa nodded and said a quick goodbye, then left to their next destination. She pulled up in front of her father's house and helped Caylib out of his carseat. They went inside as soon as he answered the door and sat in the kitchen.

"Lisa, what's up?" Joe asked, happily handing her a cup of coffee. They settled Caylib in the living room with his Legos. Lisa winced as she recalled Jackson's Legos/brains comment from the night previous.

"Lisa, what's wrong, sweetie?" Joe asked again, his voice now worried. He lightly placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him. Did she really want to tell him about her argument last night? He'd make her go to the police, divorce Jack, but...did she want that?

"I just...I have to ask you a favor," she ignored the question. "I'm going to go back to work, and I need somewhere for Caylib to go during the day. Daycare didn't seem right, he's not used to being around strangers. I'll pay you, of .."

Joe cut her off. "Of course, sweetie. But you don't need to pay me. Why are you going back? I thought Jackson..."

Lisa cut him off, exasperated. "No, he doesn't."

Joe looked taken aback. "Ok...Leese, did you guys have an argument?"

Lisa paused. "Yeah," she answered quietly. Joe silently pulled the glasses from her face. She quickly turned her head but he saw anyway. He drew in his breath.

"Lisa," he said quietly. "Did he do that?"

"No," she lied.

"Are you sure?"

That did it. Lisa began to cry, sobbing, falling into her father's arms.

"Honey, leave him..."

"No, I can't... Caylib needs a father..."

"Do you really think a murderer is the best person for the job?"

"Dad, I still love him," she moaned. "He just...his temper...got the best of him..."

Now if only she could convince herself of that.

In a way she wished he would just die. Just die and disappear off the face of the planet forever. The only thing that kept her with him was Caylib. That was all, she knew how she'd felt when her parents split up. So she forced herself to return to...what was it she'd strived for so long ago? Oh yes. Normality.

Lisa smiled at her reflection the next morning. New. New start. She would try to put that night behind her and pray Jackson wouldn't return. She put on her favorite work outfit, a blue skirt, blazer, and heels. Luckily her hair and makeup hid the bruises easily, now that they had begun to fade.

She dressed Caylib and got him in the car, drove him to Joe's house, and went to work.

It was nice, working back with the annoying, demanding Lux customers. A healthy change.

That night as she pulled up to her house with Caylib she felt better. She helped her groggy son out of the car and led him to the front door.

"What do you want for dinner?" she asked sweetly as she unlocked the door. He shrugged and yawned as Lisa led him inside.

She threw her purse to the table and put Caylib in his booster chair.

"I think leftovers will have to be good enough tonight," Lisa joked, pulling containers out of the fridge. Suddenly she heard a clatter upstairs and froze.

"Jack?" she yelled. No answer. She closed the fridge and told Caylib she'd be right back.

Lisa grabbed a vase near the stairs and made her way slowly up. She looked in her room first. No one. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest. Maybe she was just hearing things, it was windy, after all.

As she turned to check the bathroom she felt an arm encircle her waist. She screamed and struggled as a voice said in her ear, "Where is he?"

"What?" she cried. Okay, this was definitely NOT her husband. She tried to kick as the hand slid to her throat.

"Jack Rippner, where the hell is he?"

"I-I don't know," she choked out. But she wasn't sure why. She did know. He'd told her.

"Bullshit," the man holding her pressed something cold to her head, something she recognized as the butt of a gun. She tried to scream again but the man knocked her in the head. Everything began to fade as she heard a tiny scream from the doorway. Caylib. No. She forced herself back into consciousness. As she tumbled to the floor she yelled his name. The man grabbed him and pressed him up against his chest. Caylib whimpered as Lisa rose to shaky feet.

"Don't hurt him," she sobbed. "I-I don't know where Jackson is. Please, we don't..."

"That's a lie," the man snarled. "You are his newest fuck, after all."

The comment stung her and she swayed a bit. "I don't know."

The man growled. "Fine."

It was then that Lisa noticed the two other men in the room. One grabbed her arm, while the other kept Caylib.

"You want us to find out where he is, since you don't feel like sharing?" the man snarled. He gestured to the men. "Car."

Lisa tried to kick but was silenced by the gun pointedly aimed at Caylib.

"Perhaps you need to be persuaded."