It was a few days later, and Emily was sitting on the dock with Serena. Maya was splashing around in the water on her surfboard. Fred and Ethan were in town. Emily still hadn't asked Lee again what Ethan had said to him. She figured she'd probably be better off just letting it go. She imagined it was Ethan threatening Lee with something for spending time with her.

"I feel like I've barely seen you," Serena commented, looking over her sunglasses at Emily, who felt a bit affronted.

And whose fault was that?

"I'm sorry." She wasn't about to start a fight right now. She just wanted to spend time with her friend.

"You really like those guys, huh?"

"I do," Emily answered, smiling.

"Have you slept with the one you like yet?"

"Serena," Emily warned.

"What? It's just a question. Have you?"

"No. I'm not looking for that," Emily said defensively, not wanting Serena to start in on this topic. Maya was also in earshot, which she gave her friend yet another warning look about. Serena rolled her eyes.

"Ethan's worried about you," she said instead, making Emily roll her eyes next.

"He's just jealous."

"He really does care about you, Em," Serena insisted. "I know he comes off a bit strong, but he has a good heart."

Did he have a good heart when he pushed his way into my pants after making sure I couldn't say no? Emily thought, but she bit it down. Again, she had no definite proof. It was just a hunch, albeit a very strong one.

"Mum!" Maya called. "Watch!"

"I'm watching," Emily replied, shading her eyes to see Maya trying to stand up on the surfboard. She made it up for two seconds before lurching forward and belly flopping onto the water.

"Ouch," Serena said, wincing.

"You okay, baby?" Emily called when Maya surfaced, grabbing the board and spewing water.

"Yep!"

"Okay," Emily said, feeling relieved. Maya was becoming a stronger swimmer every day. Emily made her do her swimming lessons daily, and she was getting better each time.

A sudden roar made both Serena and Emily jump, startled. They whipped their heads to see Gunner hit the water off the raft. Toll was laughing hard and slapping his leg with his hand. It was pretty clear he'd shoved Gunner off.

"Who's the king?!" Toll shouted when Gunner surfaced.

"You cheated," Gunner retorted.

"You wanna go again? Really? Alright, bring it," Toll egged him on. Emily stifled a smile. Barney had found the old raft and fixed it up before anchoring it out front. Louis and Maya had been ecstatic about it and spent hours on it when it first went out. It would appear that the grown ass men were using it as a floating wrestling mat.

"Mum? Can I go over?" Maya asked.

"Not right now," Emily answered absently. She was keeping her distance from Lee since their little canoe adventure, which she was sure he'd noticed.

"Awww! Why not?"

"Because Uncle Fred and Uncle Ethan want to hang out with us when they get back," Serena answered for Emily.

"Oh."

Emily had been dreading this all day. Fred had been in a bit of a better mood lately, and Emily worried that this streak was soon going to end. Ethan had been more tolerable, but he was still trying to get Emily's attention whenever he could.

Like this morning when he'd tried to kiss her again after she leaned across him to give Maya her glass of juice.

"Ohhhhh!" Caesar was yelling while the others laughed. "Come on, come on, come on!"

Emily watched as Toll and Gunner duked it out until Gunner went flailing off again after a well placed shove from Toll.

"I think he needs to be knocked off that hill," Barney commented.

"I'm on vacation," Caesar commented.

"Come on, English!" Tia called. "Wipe that smirk off his face!"

"Alright," Lee caved, getting up and jumping off the dock. Emily watched him swim to the raft and pull himself up. Gunner was floating on his back now, moving his arms and legs lazily.

"Watcha got, boy?" Toll asked mockingly as he dodged and weaved. Lee was fast, though, and he had Toll down in seconds.

"Yeaaa!" Caesar hooted.

Emily cringed as the men exchanged blows with each other. They were obviously holding back to a certain degree, but watching them fight like that...it made her think about where he'd learned how to do it and how often he used it.

"Shit. Shit!" Toll shouted as Lee hooked the back of his shin with his foot to pull him forward and pushed him backwards against his chest at the same time. He splashed loudly into the water, and Lee grinned while the others cheered.

"Dethroned," Gunner said, laughing as Toll sputtered. "How does it feel?"

"Brutal," Toll answered.

"Fred's gonna make us dinner," Serena said.

"Huh?" Emily asked, bringing her focus back.

"He's been hearing how much fun Maya's having with barbecues, fires, and such, so he wants to do that for her."

"Oh. Okay."

"Why do you say it like that?" Serena questioned.

"Nothing. I'm just surprised he's taking an interest in Maya."

"He does care about you guys."

"He sure knows how to show it," Emily retorted, recalling him grabbing her arm not that long ago and shoving her to the floor while screaming at her to mind her own effing business.

"Mum, can we go out in the boat?" Maya asked.

"Sure," Emily answered, suddenly needing to get away from the commotion next door. She hadn't failed to notice Lee looking over at her more than once. She needed to stop looking at him and feeling that twinge inside.

"I'm good right here," Serena answered when Emily asked if she wanted to join them. Feeling relieved, Emily got Maya a towel and her life jacket and helped her into the front of the boat. She felt glad yet again that she had learned how to drive boats. It gave her some freedom up here to get away from Fred and Ethan.

She laughed as Maya did the Titanic pose as they went along. It was a perfect day with her daughter.

She'd take that any day.

...

Toll was dried off and getting his fishing gear ready when he heard a noise behind him. He turned to see Serena standing there. She was smiling at him.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," she said back.

"Things okay over there?" Toll asked, unable to help himself. He crossed his arms, looking at her.

"For now," she answered. That seemed to be her go to answer, and it bugged him. It was like she was expecting something big to happen. She reached to touch a longer style bait that was hanging on the wall. Her fingers twisted the silver and pink spoon lures, making them jingle when she let go a moment later.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Not much to say," she answered with a shrug.

"Has he hurt you?"

"Who doesn't hurt the person they love?" she countered. She met his eyes with hers, and Toll wondered just what she wanted from him.

"Not like that," he said softly. She gave him a wistful look before shaking her head and looking outside over her shoulder.

"What can I help you with?" Toll asked when she said nothing for a moment.

"I just wanted to say hi. That's all," she answered.

"That's all," he echoed.

"Hey, Toll, Barns is looking for y-..." Lee stopped talking when he caught sight of Serena standing there.

"Hello," she said, smiling at him.

"Hey," he said back. "Everything okay?"

"Mmhmm," she answered, nodding. "I'm just wandering around, really. Thought I'd say hi on my walk."

"I see."

"Barney needs me?" Toll asked, reminding Lee the reason he'd come down there.

"Uh, yea. It's about work," Lee said covertly, and Toll nodded.

"I'll catch you later," Serena said, and Toll nodded again.

"Sure," he said. "Enjoy your walk."

"Thanks." She flashed them a smile before going her own way. Toll and Lee waited for her to be gone before they looked at each other.

"What the hell was that about?" Lee asked.

"I have no idea." Toll felt unsettled, but he didn't say anything else. Instead, he went up to see what Barney wanted him for, trying to get the vision of Serena's sadness in her eyes from his mind as he went.

...

Caesar was laughing as Louis bounced with excitement and jostled against Tia. Lee and Gunner were in the boat with them as they went over to the rocks across the lake. They were going cliff jumping, and Louis was beyond excited to be allowed to try it. Barney and Toll had bowed out, stating they needed to work on the lawn mower again. Tia knew it was code for they were talking about something work related. She tried not to feel frustrated. They were on vacation for crying out loud...

She caught sight of Lee looking over to where Emily had disappeared with Maya earlier. She knew he was longing to be a part of that family. She felt bad that he didn't have one yet and that Emily was being reluctant to let herself love him.

"Hey, English," she said once they slowed down and could hear each other. He looked at her.

"Yea?"

"It'll be alright, you know?" she said, and he pressed his lips together and nodded slowly.

"Thanks, Jersey."

"Alright, alright, alright," Caesar said, dropping anchor and tugging on the rope to make sure it was working. "Are we ready or what?"

"Ready!" Louis called, jumping to his feet. Gunner jumped off the boat first, making a huge splash and shoving the boat hard to the right. Tia helped Louis up so he could jump next. Caesar followed, leaving Tia and Lee alone.

"You coming?" she asked him.

"Nah."

"I didn't peg you for being afraid of heights."

"I'm not. I just feel like sitting here for a bit."

"Alright, but just know we're all having fun over there," Tia said, gesturing with her hand. He chuckled and nodded, and she jumped off into the water. She reached for Caesar's hand as she approached the shore, and he pulled her out. Gunner was already at the highest place to jump, looking down and wearing a bit of a grim expression. Caesar was helping Louis at the smallest jump. Tia shaded her eyes as she looked down at Lee sitting there by himself. He was watching Louis, a smile on his face.

"YIPEEKAIYAY MOTHER FLUBBER!" Gunner bellowed as he jumped, and Tia rolled her eyes.

At least they were watching their language around her son.

...

Emily was having a hard time feeling comfortable as Fred and Ethan finished with dinner. They'd cooked some steaks on the grill while Serena prepped everything else with Emily's assistance. Emily was having difficulty with her appetite, but she did her best.

"See? We can have fun too," Ethan commented after as Fred went to start a fire. He was in the kitchen with Emily, watching her clean up. Maya gave him a skeptical look.

"I think you're just copying Lee," she said, and Emily felt her stomach clench, waiting for him to get nasty in return. Ethan just chuckled, though, and reached to ruffle Maya's hair.

"I think anyone can have a fire and have fun," he replied. Emily gave Maya a sharp look, and her daughter thankfully just nodded and went outside to watch Fred. She busied herself with cleaning up when Ethan came up behind her and wrapped an arm tightly across her chest. She struggled, but he held her firm.

"Let go," she hissed.

"Your daughter has a bit of a mouth on her," he said in her ear, holding her tighter still. "She better watch it before something happens to her."

"You touch her, and I will kill you," Emily warned.

"Keep her in check, alright? Not everyone is as understanding as me."

He let her go, and she jerked away from him. He went outside, and Emily did her best to regulate her breathing. Serena came in after a moment, carrying the rest of the dirty dishes. She paused upon seeing Emily.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Fine."

"Maya's having fun with Fred," Serena went on without missing a beat. "It's nice to see."

"Uh huh."

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yes," Emily answered a bit more firmly. She smiled at her friend, and Serena looked skeptical at first but smiled after a moment.

"Good. Come on. We're gonna do marshmallows apparently, not that I'm eating any," Serena said with a laugh as she went back outside. Emily felt frozen, her mind going over the memory of Lee being tackled by Louis and Maya for the marshmallow bag. She drew in a shaky breath and started on the dishes. Maybe the rest of them had forgotten about cleaning up, but she hadn't.

...

Gunner was feeling like he was in a good place. He had stopped craving a drink so much, and he was staying occupied with his crosswords and fishing. All was well.

It didn't stop the thoughts of Billy from popping into his mind, though. Sometimes it caught him off guard. Other times it was like welcoming an old friend. He beat himself up for not being able to save the boy, and he knew he wasn't alone in those thoughts.

"Hey, man," Toll said, sitting down beside him. They could hear a fire snapping and popping next door, and Gunner wondered if Maya was having fun. She was a sweet kid.

"Hey."

"I have a problem."

"What's that?"

"I can't stop thinking about Serena," Toll answered with a sigh. He gripped his head.

"Really?"

"There's something going on with her, and it's like she wants my help but won't openly ask for it. It's frustrating as hell."

"I can see that."

"I don't know what to do."

Gunner didn't know what to do either, so he said nothing. Toll didn't seem to be looking for answers. He was just looking to talk about it.

"How are you holding up?" Toll asked him after a bit.

"Alright."

"You sure?"

"I'm doing as best as I can," Gunner told him. "As I'm sure all of you are."

"Yea."

"I still see his face," Gunner said quietly. "He was thinking he was in the clear and then suddenly he wasn't."

"Do you hear him falling to the ground over and over again? Or is that just me?" Toll asked.

"I hear it too."

They both sat in silence, reflecting. Toll eventually sighed.

"I have to believe he's somewhere good," he said. "Otherwise, I go crazy."

"I know what you mean."

Maya's laughter made them both smile. Without vocalizing it, they both knew that between Louis and Maya, the kids were helping them. They knew that grief shifted and changed. They knew that there would be good days and bad days.

They knew they had each other, no matter what.

...

Once it was late enough, Emily put Maya to bed and then stepped out onto the back deck to breathe. She didn't know what the hell she was even doing anymore. She heard someone coming towards her, and she cringed. Ethan appeared in the low lighting and leaned against the railing next to her.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"I know you, and I know you're lying."

"You know nothing about me," Emily snapped. "Stop pretending like you do or that you care about me. This is an ego thing for you. It always has been."

"Why is it so hard for you to let people in?" Ethan demanded. "God, Em, I'm standing right in front of you, and you don't even see me. You don't see what I'm trying to do."

The words hit her, but he wasn't the one she was picturing as she looked at him.

"Why is it so hard for you to take no for an answer?" she retorted, pushing off the railing and walking down the steps. She didn't know where she was going, but she wasn't about to stay here. She had a hidden camera set up to make sure Maya was safe that she could watch from her phone. Otherwise, she wouldn't have left.

Her feet took her to Barney's, and she sat with her back to the boathouse, her feet in the water. No one was there, but it didn't matter. She was also fine with being alone.

She pressed her hands into her eyes, feeling like she could cry. It was true. She didn't let people in. The only person she let in was her daughter, and even then she couldn't share her deepest, darkest fears or secrets.

"Rough day?"

She turned her head to see Barney standing there.

"You could say that," she answered. He nodded slowly.

"You wanna be alone?"

"You can stay if you want. It's your place," she added with a chuckle. He smiled and pulled the wooden chair a bit closer before sitting down. He lit his cigar next.

"You look like you've got a lot on your mind," Barney said.

"I do."

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really."

"That's fine," Barney said, puffing out smoke slowly. "It's also fine if you change your mind."

"Thank you."

They sat there together in the oncoming darkness, and Emily discovered she didn't feel so alone. It was kind of nice.

...

Tia closed the door to Louis's bedroom carefully and tiptoed down to the living room where Toll and Caesar were playing video games.

"Come on, man," Caesar complained. "Come on!"

"Shhh," Tia warned.

"Sorry," Caesar apologized.

"I can't help it you can't keep up to me," Toll said, jamming his fingers on the buttons rapidly. Tia rolled her eyes. Men and their video games. She picked up her book and went to curl up in the chair in the corner. Sophie Kinsella always made her have a good laugh.

"Ugh," Caesar said, dropping his controller after a while. "I'm done with this."

"We haven't even finished yet," Toll said, gesturing to the TV with his hand.

"I keep getting slaughtered because you won't hang around to give me back up," Caesar pointed out.

"Alright, so I'll do better at giving you back up. Will that make you happy?"

"Very."

Toll just shook his head as Caesar picked up his controller again, and they started playing once more. Tia watched briefly, but she was not interested in the game they were playing. She was thinking about Lee and Emily. She wondered what kind of push they needed to get together already. She was impatient, thinking that Lee was going to miss out on the best thing of his life if he didn't smarten up.

Perhaps she needed to have a talk with Emily. She tapped a finger against her chin. Yes, that's what she would do. She would get Emily to make the first move. She smiled.

...

Lee heard voices down at the lake as he looked out the screen door. Gunner was frowning at a crossword puzzle as he sat in the rocking chair in the corner. There wasn't really anything else to do, so Lee went out to investigate who was talking. He reached the bottom of the stone steps to find Emily sitting there alone, her feet in the water.

"Hey," he said, slowing down.

"Hey," she said back, smiling.

"Were you talking to yourself?" he asked, looking around.

"Oh, Barney was here. He just left cos he had to deal with something," Emily answered. She patted the spot next to her. "Feel like hanging out with a friend for a bit?"

Lee felt like he was missing something, but he gave himself a mental shake. Barney wouldn't risk exposing who they were by asking questions that would raise red flags, no matter how much he wanted to know about Ethan and Fred.

"Alright," he agreed, going over to sit cross legged next to her. His knee rested against her leg gently.

"So," she said. "How was today?"

"It was fine."

"Nice take down this afternoon," she commented, looking at him with a twinkle in her eye.

"He had it coming," Lee said, smiling a little. He noticed something in her eyes, but he wasn't sure what he was seeing. "Are you alright?"

"I'm just tired," she answered.

"What did he do?" Lee asked, realizing that's what it was he was seeing: uncertainty mixed with fear.

"Nothing," she answered quickly.

"Emily," he said seriously, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You can tell me."

"I don't want to because I know you're gonna go over there and beat his head in," she replied.

"So he did do something."

"Lee, it was nothing he hasn't already tried to do."

"Did he harass you?" Lee was feeling angry now.

"Please," Emily said, putting her hand over top of his now and gripping it tightly. "Just let it go."

Lee didn't want to let it go, but the pleading in her eyes now was making him give in. He didn't want to make things worse for her.

"Can you at least tell your friend that her brother is a shit?" he asked.

"I'll mention it to her."

It would have to do. Lee wasn't the type of guy to just sit back and take this, but he knew Emily wanted him to lay low, and he respected her too much to do something she didn't want him to do. There was a slight breeze, and it tugged at him. He watched Emily catch the stray hair it blew around and tuck it behind her ear, having released his hand to do so. He suddenly couldn't help himself and got to his feet, extending a hand to her.

"What're you doing?" she asked, looking up at him.

"You owe me, remember?" he replied.

"Yes, but what are you making me do?"

"Just come on," he said, bending his fingers into his palm rapidly a few times to gesture for her to get up. She took his hand, and he walked them to the end of the dock where there was more room.

"If you push me in," she started, her tone a warning.

"Not tonight," he promised, laughing slightly. Instead, he pulled her into him, positioning his hands so that one was on her lower back and the other was holding her right hand.

"There's no music," she said, her tone amused as she caught on to what he was doing.

"We don't need it," he insisted. Moments later, loons began calling back and forth to each other. "See? Nature has it covered."

"There really is something haunting about those bird calls," Emily said, moving side to side with him, her head against his. Lee wondered if she could feel how fast his heart was racing. He pushed her out into a slow spin, making her laugh softly. When he pulled her back into him, she rested her hands on his shoulders with her arms against his chest, looking at him. His hands held her waist. He didn't dare rush it. He didn't want to scare her off.

So he just enjoyed this moment with her, dancing slowly while the loon calls echoed around the lake until they faded into silence. Emily eventually rested her head against his shoulder, and he moved to breathe in her scent discreetly.

"How's Maya?" he asked, making it as casual as he could despite the fact he wanted to kiss her so badly. He really had missed that little girl today, though, so he did genuinely want to know how she was doing. Her questions and wonderings about life and the world made him laugh and smile. She made him feel happy, but not as happy as Emily did.

"Full of energy," Emily answered with a chuckle. "We explored the water falls today."

"I bet she loved that."

"I had to tear her away kicking and screaming," she joked. Then she sobered up. "Sometimes I feel like I'm depriving her of a father, you know? Maybe I should just find someone and give that to her."

Lee felt a slight kick to the stomach. For her to say "someone" meant she wasn't thinking of him, and if she wasn't thinking of him...

"Then again, maybe I already found him and just don't know what to do about it," Emily said, lifting her head and meeting his eyes with hers.

"What's holding you back?" he asked quietly.

"I already told you," she answered. When she looked down briefly, he let his eyes wander over her tank top and shorts, taking all of her in. He didn't notice any new bruises, which made him feel relieved.

"Maya," he confirmed, remembering the conversation vividly. She looked at him again and nodded.

"My brain just keeps going over the same question," Emily said, her fingers digging into his shoulders deeper as they kept swaying slowly. "What if Maya adopts you as her father and we break up? It won't just be my heart shattered into a million pieces, it'll be hers too, and I can't do that to her."

"What if we don't break up?" Lee asked.

"I just...I can't risk it," Emily insisted again. "I guess...I guess I've finally come to that conclusion after all. I'm sorry." His heart pained, and he wished he could alleviate her fears. His logical thinking was telling him that she still didn't know who he really was, so how could he have a relationship with her? He knew that if he told her, she would most definitely run, and there wouldn't be a chance to be with her at all. He hated thinking that he'd be stuck doing blood work forever. He felt very conflicted inside.

"I'm sorry too," he said after a moment.

"I think you're probably one of the greatest guys I've ever met, which makes this decision that much harder," she said, her voice low and sad sounding.

"That doesn't make me feel better," he pointed out.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Emily pulled away from him now and just stood in front of him while hugging herself. He wished he could think of a solution for their predicament, but none came to mind.

"I should get back," she said.

"Alright."

Emily looked like she was going to say something else but decided not to in the end. Lee hated how much this hurt, and she'd even told him before they were only going to be just friends.

"Good night," she said.

"Night," he said back. She gave a small smile and walked away into the darkness. Lee stood there with his hands in his pockets, staring at the space she'd disappeared into.

...

Barney was standing in the backyard in the dark, staring at the ground in front of him.

"UNCLE LOU!" he screamed. He fell to his knees, grabbing his uncle and flipping him over. There was a vacant stare in his eyes.

"No! Uncle Lou!" he shrieked. He didn't know CPR, but he'd seen it on TV enough to know how to try. Eventually, his commotion caused his cousins and aunt to find him, and the sound of her scream ripped through him, and it would echo in his brain for days afterwards.

The memory was so strong, just like it happened yesterday. Barney remembered thinking that if he had just gotten there sooner, his uncle might have survived his heart attack. Things changed after that, and he'd stopped coming here.

Until now.

He sighed. He had to face this place sooner than later. He had to look at the source of his first pain and understand that it had helped push him down the path of becoming who he was.

He heard Lee go inside, and he wondered if Emily had been vulnerable with him yet. He knew those crazy kids needed a push, especially her.

After a moment, he went to the back door and pulled it open, leaving his memories behind him once again.

The Next Day

Serena wasn't really sure what she was doing. She just knew that she kept feeling drawn to Toll, and she wanted to get out of this situation she was stuck in. She didn't know when she'd be free of it; she hoped soon, though.

She found him walking the trail that connected the cottages on the island, and he stopped in his tracks upon seeing her. The sight of him made her feel flush inside as usual.

"Hey," he said. She watched him scan her for obvious injuries. It made her feel cared for when he did this. It was nice to know someone cared outside of Emily. Serena felt bad that Emily was caught up in this.

She didn't say a word as she walked up to Toll and stopped right in front of him. She knew this was a dangerous game she was playing, but she couldn't help herself. All she had done the last while was think about him. She'd wanted to do this yesterday, but they'd gotten interrupted by Lee. There were no interruptions out here, though.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Right now, nothing," she answered, reaching to catch his arms and pull him into her.

"Serena..."

"You're better," she interrupted, searching his eyes. "I don't actually need you to show me that. I've known it all along." She felt his surprise as she kissed him, but it didn't take him long to kiss her back. She felt him wrap his arms around her and hold her close, and she felt safer than she had in a long time.

"Wait," Toll said, moving her back a little bit. "What about...?"

"It's going to be over soon," Serena promised.

"You're leaving him?"

She looked at his face, knowing that he wasn't the type to be involved in cheating. She didn't look at this as cheating. She looked at this as finally finding the person she was supposed to be with.

"I left him emotionally a long time ago," she answered. "I just need to physically leave, and we both know how hard that is to do."

"I can help," he promised. She touched his cheek and smiled.

"I know you will, and when the time is right, I will accept it," she advised. He seemed to be okay with this response, and she pulled him back into her again to kiss him.

...

Emily was trying to corral Maya outside when she noticed Fred and Ethan conversing. That's when she realized Serena was not there. She instinctively tensed, feeling a bit nervous suddenly. Maya came to a halt a foot away when Emily stopped moving.

"Do you know where Serena is?" Fred asked her after catching sight of her.

"No," Emily answered. "Is she not here?"

"No."

"Oh. Well, maybe she went for a paddle or something," Emily said. Fred's stare was unnerving her, but she held her ground. Maya tugged on her arm then, her fingers intertwined with hers.

"Come on," she urged. "Louis is waiting for me."

Emily felt like she needed to find Serena and warn her that her absence had angered Fred, but she didn't know where to even look to find her.

"Yes, go play with your friends," Fred said, a sneer in his tone. Emily tightened her grip on Maya, her heart kicking up a notch in anxiety.

"Let's go," Emily said, walking forward again. Maya hurried to keep up now as they went out the door and down the steps.

"What's wrong?" Maya asked when they were out of earshot. "Why is he mad?"

"I don't know," Emily answered. She kept her head down, moving them to their destination. She noticed Lee and Barney standing in the water and working on the dock, which she knew Barney had mentioned in passing the night before that he needed to fix. Lee's eyes found hers, and she just gave a curt nod and kept moving.

"Em?" he called.

"We're late for Louis," Emily said back over her shoulder, hoping he'd get the hint and not ask questions in front of Maya.

"Okay."

Maya tugged free from her hand now and ran down the trail on the little hill towards the other cottage, calling Louis's name loudly. Emily heard him respond and the two of the giggling together shortly after. She found Tia sitting on the chair by the boathouse on the far side.

"Hey, girl," she said, waving.

"Hi," Emily said back, going to sit next to her. She felt herself trembling a little, and she worked to stop it before Tia noticed.

"What's wrong?"

Well, so much for that.

"Nothing," Emily lied, smiling a bit wider to try and convince her it was true. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Tia replied, giving her a look that indicated she didn't entirely buy Emily's lie but wasn't going to push. "How are things with Lee?"

"Oh, um...fine," Emily answered. Why should she be surprised that Tia was going to try and get her and Lee together? She was glad the woman couldn't see into her head and how she had last night's dance stuck on replay in her head over and over again. She felt so much guilt inside for telling him there was no chance for them when she still kept thinking there could be. It was all such a mess, really.

"A frog!" Louis exclaimed now, thrusting his arm out and pointing. "Get it!"

"I'm on it!" Maya cried back, moving to sneak up on it. Emily didn't quite get the infatuation of frogs, but her daughter and Louis seemed to have one right now.

"He's crazy about you," Tia said softly, making Emily look at her again. "I've never seen him like this before, and I'm not just saying that to make you like him back. I'm saying it because I just want you to know that you're not just a fling for him."

"I appreciate that, but I'm just not in the right place for a relationship," Emily told her.

"I get that. I just don't want you to miss out on something that could be really good for you," Tia countered. Emily resisted sighing loudly. She didn't feel up to a lecture right now.

"It's not gonna work, but thank you," she said firmly. Tia nodded slowly, getting the hint. Emily felt on edge again as she saw Toll coming to join them with Serena right behind him.

"Oh, hey," Toll said, spying them. "What's going on down here?"

"Frog!" Louis hollered. "Maya's almost got 'im!"

"Nice!" Toll congratulated, going to see. Emily bore her eyes into Serena, who wore a sheepish expression.

"Fred is looking for you," Emily said, and Serena's face paled slightly.

"I was out for a walk," she replied.

"Well, he was frustrated when he couldn't find you," Emily advised. "Just so you know."

"Okay," Serena said back. She started to walk away towards the trail to their cottage. "Nice chatting with you again, Toll."

"Likewise," Toll replied. The look between them gave it away. Emily's nails dug into her palms. What had they done? And since when was Serena interested in Toll? What the hell was she doing?

"Excuse me," Emily said, getting up to chase after her friend. She caught up to her at the top of the crest and grabbed her arm. "Hey, what are you doing?" Her voice was a hiss now to avoid being overheard.

"Nothing," Serena answered. Emily mentally cursed as she saw Lee and Barney turn their heads to watch.

"That was not nothing," Emily said through gritted teeth. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"It was nothing," Serena said firmly, pulling from her grasp. "I'll deal with Fred."

"Serena..."

"I said I'll deal with it," her friend cut her off. "Okay? Don't worry about me."

"I can't help but worry," Emily retorted. "You would too if roles were reversed."

"I'll see you later," Serena said, moving to walk away again. Emily let her go, clenching her jaw hard to stop from crying.

...

Lee desperately wanted Emily to talk to him. He watched her standing there looking upset, and it was all he had not to go to her and try to help.

"You alright?" Barney asked her. Lee was grateful he did. He felt like Emily was annoyed when he kept asking her.

"Yea," Emily replied. "I'm fine." She held Lee's gaze for a moment, and he could sense she wanted to say something more, but she didn't. She left shortly after, and Lee resisted growling in frustration.

"Alright, pass me the hammer," Barney instructed, and Lee obeyed. They had the one dock ripped apart and were putting it back together with fresh boards. Barney was fixing the crib underneath as well. Gunner was currently at the shed sawing boards into the right sized pieces.

"Is there something wrong with me?" Lee asked, making Barney look over his shoulder at him with a quizzical look.

"More than usual you mean?"

"Very funny," Lee said, slightly aggravated. He couldn't stop thinking about dancing with her last night and how good it felt to hold her. He hadn't slept well; he'd spent most of the night going over in his mind what it was about him that wasn't worth the risk. Then he felt bad because she didn't fully know him and would probably be angry to find out about his job and that he'd kept it from her.

"No, Lee," Barney said now. "Outside of your quirks and moods and twitchy, knife throwing fingers, there isn't anything wrong with you. Any woman would be lucky to have you."

"You could sound less sarcastic," Lee pointed out.

"Sorry. If you haven't noticed, I'm a bit cranky today," Barney retorted. Lee had noticed. He wasn't sure what had gotten his friend's knickers in a twist, but obviously something had. He wasn't sure if he should ask, so he left it alone for now. He knew Barney would rather talk about Lee's problems anyway.

"She doesn't think I'm worth it," Lee said with a sigh. He smacked the horse fly trying to take a chunk of his body on his shoulder. "At first, she said I could change her mind about me, but last night she pretty much shut it down. That's pretty indicative to me that I'm not worth it."

"I think she does know you're worth it. I just think she's too scared to admit to herself that you're worth it."

"So how do I get her to stop being scared?"

"I don't know," Barney answered. "Women are the biggest damn mystery to me. I think I've got it all figured out, and then I'm proven very wrong, so I give up trying."

"Very helpful advice, Barney."

"Just give it some more time. That's all I can say."

Lee just gave a grunt, not knowing what else to even say. Gunner returned with some more boards by this point and set them in a pile on the grass next to where they were working. Barney got back to work on the crib while Lee moved, lifted, or adjusted whatever he was told to.

All the while, he kept thinking about what he could do help Emily see that he was very much worth it.