Will stared in disbelief. "Stan, what are you doing here? I mean, you're dead."
"Will, I was in trouble. I had to disappear. Karen and the kids were in danger." Stan tried to explain, looking down at his hands. Looking up, his face softened, "How is she?"
"What are you talking about, Stan? And you had better explain yourself before you even think to start asking me about Karen!"
Stan looked down. "When I got out of jail, I got into a bit of a pinch. To sum it up quickly, I got on the bad side of some very influential people in organized crime. And when I wouldn't meet with their demands, they said that they would come after my family. So, basically, I sacrificed myself for Karen and the kids."
Will was sitting across from him, listening intently. His mind was filled with questions. Did he know what he had missed? How hard his death had been on Karen? Did he even know about Cailyn? He asked the first question that came to mind. "So, why are you back now?"
"Well, I went into Witness Protection and a few weeks ago, a group of agents came to me and told me that the members of the family I was in trouble with had all been taken into custody and were in for life. They said that it was alright for me to come out of hiding. I didn't want to just show up at the penthouse, and I know that Karen trusts you, so I came directly here."
Will nodded his head. "Wow.", was all he had to say.
Stan sat silent for a few more moments before looking at Will pleadingly. "How is she?"
Will wanted to test Stan before saying anything about Karen and Cailyn. After everything he'd promised Karen about always being there for her and the baby, he didn't want to lose her over telling Stanley.
"What do you know? Has anyone told you anything?"
Stan shook his head. "The last thing I heard was that Karen went to the Caribbean after my funeral. Strange time for a vacation, if you ask me…."
"Yea, she did. She was fulfilling your last wishes and scattered your ashes there! She was so broken up that she didn't want to go alone so Grace, Jack and I went with her."
Stan looked up at him. "I am so sorry for all of this. I never wanted to hurt her, but I didn't want somebody else to. Please understand, Will."
Will looked at him with disdain. He couldn't forgive Stan. He had seen Karen through all her low points while she was trying to deal with his death. He couldn't forgive him, but he understood. 'I would have done the same to protect her.', he thought to himself.
"Well, Stan. She was pretty upset. But a lot of things have changed over the last year and a half."
Stan nodded. "Just one more thing? Is she happy?"
Will looked at Stan and smiled. "She's the happiest I've ever seen her."
"Is there someone else? I mean, is there another guy in her life?"
"No, there's another girl." Will said, taking his wallet out of his back pocket and placing a photo on the table and pushing it in front of Stan. "Her name is Cailyn. She just turned one, she likes to play peek-a-boo, and she's got your eyes."
Stan stared at the photo of his wife and their daughter. He had a daughter with Karen, and he'd missed out on so much.
Karen walked out of the elevator and made her way towards Will's office with Cailyn on her hip. Reaching the door, she knocked twice. Not receiving an answer, she went to the secretary's desk across the hall.
"Excuse me, do you know where Will Truman is?"
The secretary looked up and waved at Cailyn. "The last I saw, he was on his way to the conference room."
"Great, thank you." Karen said as she closed the door behind her and headed down the hall.
Reaching the door, she noticed that the blinds were drawn. She put Cailyn down on the floor and took her hand, allowing her to walk for a while and give her arms a rest. She knocked on the door.
"Hey Will, we just came to say-"
Karen stopped when she saw Stan sitting at the conference table. Will stood up, not sure of what to say to Karen.
"Da!" Cailyn yelled as she let go of Karen's hand and ran to Will. Will scooped her into his arms, "Hey sweetheart."
Then he looked at Karen. She was still standing frozen in the doorway. Will walked closer to her and obstructed her view of Stan, trying to get her to look at him.
"Karen?"
Karen's gaze shifted to Will. She reached for her daughter and began walking out of the office. Will ran after her and caught her arm as they passed his office, pulling her inside.
"Listen to me, I can explain this, okay? Please let me explain."
Karen nodded. "I'm, uh, I'm taking Cailyn home now. We had a long day and, uh, were just stopping by to say hello."
Will walked her to the elevator. "I'll come by in about an hour, okay?" He kissed Cailyn goodbye and kissed Karen's cheek, her face still in shock.
As the elevator doors closed, Will silently cursed to himself. What was he going to say to Karen? He slowly walked back into the conference room, closing the door behind him and leaning his forehead against it. He'd forgotten Stan was in there until he heard him clear his throat.
Stan looked up at him with an unreadable expression on his face. One that seemed like a mixture of pain, anger and sadness. It took him a moment to find the words, then looked up at Will.
"She calls you 'Dad?'"
