A/N: Thanks to everyone for all the lovely reviews and messages. I know several people waited for this chapter, and I hope you all like it

My gratitude also goes to the ever-so-lovely blossom-of-snow for beta reading this story.

For a moment, Sharon felt nothing but confusion. What was Jack doing in her condo at 3 AM? And with Rainie now living with her, where was he going to stay? It was clear to her that she wasn't going to throw him out this late at night. However, she did not want Rainie to give up her bed, and she also had no intention of making room for him in her bed.

Jack protested when she told him he would have to sleep on the couch. She knew it was uncomfortable, but at this point, she didn't care. He knew where the bedsheets were and so, she excused herself and went to her bedroom. She was surprised to find Rainie waiting for her there. The girl's arms were wrapped around herself protectively, and even in the dark, Sharon could see the alarmed gaze in her eyes and the clenched jaw.

"Where is he going to sleep?" she asked.

"On the couch," Sharon replied. Rainie shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"Can I sleep here?" She sounded like a young child who woke up from nightmare. In a way, Sharon realized that she was exactly that. She nodded, and Rainie crawled into bed. Sharon followed her, removing her glasses and placing them on the nightstand before she pulled the duvet over her body. But now that the man she had once promised herself to was in her house, sleep evaded her. Jack only returned when he wanted something and no matter what she did, no matter what rules she's made for him, he always managed to cause damage by the time he left. With everything else that was going on, the last thing she needed was Hurricane Jack to blow through her life and wreak havoc in his wake.

She could hear the opening and closing of cabinets and the fridge in the kitchen as he put his food away. That man didn't knew how to be quiet. Turning on her side, she found Rainie staring at her.

"Why is he here?" she asked.

"I don't know," Sharon replied honestly. Sooner or later she will find out, but she had no intention to dwell on Jack's problems tonight. The fact that he was moving back to LA was bothersome enough even without thinking about what he might want her to do for him.

"Is he dangerous?" Rainie asked.

"No, sweetie. You're safe around him. Just don't get attached to him. He won't be staying for long."

"Why?" the girl continued.

"It's too complicated. Don't worry about it and go back to sleep," Sharon said. She heard Rainie sighing and felt the girl's arm wrapping around her waist as if she sensed Sharon's unease. A few minutes later, Rainie's hold on her waist loosened as the girl's breaths evened out. The noise in the kitchen finally quieted down as well, and Sharon had hoped that now she'd be able to fall asleep; however, just the knowledge of Jack's presence in the condo was enough to keep her brain wide awake. She could feel his negative effect on her already, crawling under her skin and making her nerve ends tingle. She hated that he had this power on her; his ability to ignite emotions she extinguished a long time ago. And even though at least two walls and multiple layers of resentment separated them, his mere presence in her vicinity kept her awake and reminded her of all the repressed needs that were long forgotten. It has been so long since she had someone just holding her, comforting her, kissing her. Dammit. She hated and loved Jack at the same time. What has this man done to her? How was it even possible for him to storm back into her life and already stir her from the inside out? She had done a perfect job of not thinking about him when he wasn't around. She didn't even miss him when he was gone. Now he was here, and she craved his companionship. Except that Jack has never been a great companion. He always managed to turn emotional moments into painful memories.

At 5 AM Sharon was startled by her alarm. She groaned, almost unable to believe that she had been struggling to fall asleep for two hours. She turned the alarm off and threw a quick glance at the sleeping girl next to her. Rainie was sleeping serenely, her arms hugging her pillow. The alarm didn't even stir her. Teens, they could sleep through an earthquake. Tiredly, Sharon got out of bed and put on her cream cashmere robe. She could almost hear every bone in her body creaking as she walked into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and then stalked towards the kitchen. Jack was softly snoring as she passed the couch and she took a moment to look at him. He had lost weight and was unusually tanned. His wrinkles deepened since the last time she saw him, and the roots of his hair had grown white, although she could tell he had been dyeing it. Even though Sharon knew that Jack's decade of drinking has taken its toll on his body, he still looked healthy. From what he had mentioned earlier, it appeared that he maintained a gluten-free diet, and she noticed him putting almond milk in the fridge which indicated that he was actively seeking to improve his health. This could be a sign that he was finally willing to take his life seriously, although Sharon had absolutely no intention of getting back together with him or trusting that his healthy habit would last.

She threw one more gaze at her sleeping husband – a term that she used loosely – and shook her head dismissively. Even if Jack reformed, he had no place in the life that Sharon has created for herself during his lengthy absence. She entered the kitchen and prepared herself a cup of strong coffee. She had hoped that the caffeine would keep her alert for a while, but unfortunately, its effect was brief. By the time she headed back to her bedroom to get dressed and wake Rainie up, she was already yawning again. Thoughts of going back to bed enticed her as she chose her outfit for the day and dressed, and again as she stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom and did her hair and makeup. A light knock on the half-open door distracted her momentarily.

"Come in," she said, and Rainie walked in, still half-asleep. "Good morning," she greeted her foster daughter who walked up to the sink and began to brush her teeth.

"Morning," Rainie mumbled with the toothbrush inside her mouth. Sharon finished applying mascara considered two shades of lipstick. "This one," Rainie pointed at one of them.

"Thanks," she said and began applying the lipstick. When she was done, she gave herself a once over in the mirror and went out of the bathroom, leaving Rainie to finish going through her morning routine.

When she walked into the kitchen, Sharon was surprised to find Jack awake. He was standing in front of the stove in his boxers and T-shirt, frying eggs and bacon. As soon as he noticed her, he handed her a cup of coffee.

"Just the way you like it," he offered her a wide smile.

"Put your pants on," she replied, accepting the coffee.

"Come on, Sharon, you've seen me in my boxers a million times already – " he protested.

"I have, but Rainie should not see you in your underwear, so please go put some clothes on," Sharon insisted.

"So who is she, exactly?" Jack asked as he put down the spatula and walked towards the living room to get dressed.

"She's a foster child I decided to take in," Sharon replied and took a sip of the coffee. Jack had a lot of flaws, but one thing he knew well was how she enjoyed her coffee. Too bad that it wasn't enough to compensate for all his shortcomings.

"Empty nest syndrome, huh?" he teased her, and she rolled her eyes. Of course, Jack thought he knew her better than he actually did.

"It's a bit more complicated than that. She's a material witness in a murder trial. She ran away from a few foster homes, so I decided it would be the safest to have her living with me," Sharon explained, promising herself for the thousandth time not to stoop down to his level and respond to his attempt at an insult with an equally belligerent quip.

"Where are her parents?" Jack wondered as he zipped his pants and walked back to the kitchen.

"Unfit," Sharon replied. She was too tired to expand on everything Rainie had experienced. She sipped her coffee as Jack finished frying the eggs and bacon and put them on three plates. "Look, Jack, this girl was selling herself on the street to survive. So while you're here, I need you to be careful about what you say and do around her," she added.

"Really, Sharon?" Anger flashed in Jack's eyes. "Do you really think I'm one of those sick child-predators?"

"That's not what I said," Sharon responded.

"But that's what you were implying," he countered. Sharon let out a long sigh. She was too tired to navigate his bruised ego.

"What I meant was that you can't walk around the house in your underwear," she clarified. Jack placed the plates on the counter and motioned for her to sit.

"How does she like her coffee?" he asked. Sharon pulled one of the barstools and took a seat, only now noticing that he had already set the counter table for breakfast.

"She doesn't. She can have orange juice," Sharon replied and watched Jack as he took the orange juice carton out of the fridge.

"I never understood why you think kids shouldn't drink coffee," he said as he poured the orange juice into a glass and placed it next to Rainie's plate. The girl came into the kitchen at that exact moment and took a seat next to Sharon.

"Good morning, honorable lassie," Jack greeted her in his odd theatrical manner that charmed Sharon when they were young but now seemed forced and irritating.

"It's Rainie," she said without looking at him, and Sharon inwardly cheered at the girl's tactlessness.

"Right," he replied and placed his plate next to Sharon's.

Throughout breakfast, Jack made several attempts to talk to Rainie, and Sharon could feel the girl tensing next to her every time he spoke to her. She tried to intervene and ask Jack questions about things she didn't really care to know, but it appeared that Jack was curious about Rainie and was determined to win the girl's positive attention. As soon as Rainie finished her food, Sharon sent her to finish getting ready for school.

"Would you stop that?" Sharon asked as she picked up her half-eaten breakfast plate from the counter table.

"Stop what?" Jack tried to pacify her with a toothy smile, but Sharon has been immune to that smile for years.

"Stay away from this girl, do you hear me?" she replied as she threw her remaining breakfast into the trash before loading the plate in the dishwasher.

"I was just trying to be nice to her," Jack protested.

"Well, don't!" Sharon said angrily. "You're making her feel uncomfortable." Jack opened his mouth to argue, but Sharon paused him. "If you can't be considerate of Rainie's emotional needs, then you won't be here. Do you understand me?" Jack nodded wordlessly, and Sharon left the kitchen to finish getting ready for work. It was going to be an exhausting day.

Indeed, the day dragged, and Sharon couldn't have been more relieved to go home when it finally ended. She couldn't remember the last time she was so tired. As she parked her car in the underground garage in her building, she suddenly realized that in her exhaustion, she had sent Rainie home in a black and white. Only now it occurred to her that the girl had probably spent the last few hours locked inside her room in an attempt to avoid Jack. She groaned loudly and quickly went out of her car, almost forgetting to lock it before she strode towards the elevator. The ride to the 11th floor was tormenting, and all Sharon could think about was unlocking the condo door and making sure her foster daughter was safe. She didn't think for a second Jack would physically harm the girl, but his mere presence – an older man whose intentions Rainie did not know – could be triggering for Rainie.

"Oh, hi!" Jack called out when Sharon came through the door. She nodded in his direction. "That girl is weird, I'm telling you."

"What happened?" Sharon sighed into the words.

"We had a little… misunderstanding," Jack shrugged his shoulders. Sharon arched her eyebrows and waited for an explanation. "It was an accident, really."

"What happened?" She barked the words. She had no patience for his excuses.

"Well, I just got out of the shower when she came home, and unfortunately, I was…"

"Naked?" Sharon was almost shocked with the high-pitch of her voice.

"I don't shower with my clothes, Sharon. How could I have known – " Jack protested.

"This is not your house, Jack. You can't walk around here naked," Sharon called out and walked down the hall towards Rainie's room.

"She's not in there," he said.

"Where is she?" Sharon turned to him, a death glare in her eyes.

"She made a U-turn and left when she saw me," Jack replied.

"Where did she go?" Sharon could feel panic spreading inside her body, making her hands shake and her heart rate peak.

"I don't know. I would have called her, but I don't know her number," he said.

"Why did you not call me?" she raised her voice, feeling her vocal chords straining in her throat.

"I was sure she'll come back," Jack answered.

"She ran away from three foster homes, Jack! Three! I told you that. Why would you even – " She paused mid-sentence and shook her head. Yelling at Jack would not solve this situation. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed Rainie's number. To her great relief, the girl answered right away. "Hi sweetheart," she said softly, pushing all of the anger out of her voice.

"Hi," Rainie replied quietly.

"Where are you?" Sharon asked.

"Downstairs. Sitting by the pool," the girl answered.

"I'm gonna join you in a few minutes. Wait for me, okay?"

"Sure," Rainie said and hung up the call.

"Sharon, is she – " Jack had the audacity to speak.

"I can't – I can't deal with you right now, Jack. Just get out of my sight for the rest of the evening, will you?" she said and turned around, leaving the condo. She was on the verge of tears when she stepped out of the elevator at the ground floor and walked into the interior plaza. She spotted Rainie sitting on one of the sun loungers, scribbling in her notebook.

"Hey," she walked over to where Rainie was sitting. The girl offered her a sad smile. "I heard you had an incident this evening."

"I should probably apologize to Jack," Rainie sighed.

"No, no, no, you should not apologize for his behavior," Sharon replied.

"He didn't do anything wrong, Sharon. I should have knocked on the door," the girl said.

"It's your home; you don't need permission to enter it," Sharon protested.

"What?" Rainie looked at Sharon with confusion. "Sharon, what are you talking about?"

"What do you mean 'what I'm talking about'? I'm talking about Jack!" Sharon was also baffled now. Did Jack lie? She should have expected it, of course. What did that man do? She felt rage taking over her once again.

"I walked in on him in the shower," Rainie said.

"In the shower?" Sharon's eyes widened as she tried to understand the incident that took place several hours earlier.

"Yes. I forgot Jack was at the condo, and I didn't knock. It's my fault," Rainie explained.

"You mean, he wasn't walking naked through the house?" Sharon asked, still needing clarification.

"No. I told you; it was my fault. I should apologize to him," Rainie explained. "I should have done that hours ago. I just don't know how to face him after seeing his… umm… equipment." Both women squinted at the thought of that incident. Sharon didn't know what came over her, but she felt a sound reverberating through her throat, rolling on her tongue and bursting out of her mouth against her will in short fits – a laughter she could not control.

"I'm so sorry, that's not funny," she apologized between one giggle to another. "It's just that – equipment?" She felt tears rolling down her cheeks. It's been forever since she laughed herself to tears.

"I didn't know what to call it without sounding impolite," Rainie gave her an odd look, but then burst into laughter as well. "It sounds silly, doesn't it?"

"A bit, yes," Sharon managed to calm down enough to speak. "Oh, God," she sighed.

"So anyway, you shouldn't be mad at him for something that was my fault," Rainie said.

"He'll be gone by tomorrow, so I guess you won't have to worry about it," Sharon replied. She knew that she would need to apologize to him as well for the misunderstanding, and she hated it that he managed to rile her up so much without doing anything wrong.

"Is he homeless?" Rainie asked.

"He doesn't have a house in Los Angeles," Sharon answered.

"And you're really going to throw him out?"

"He'll move to a hotel like he always does," Sharon explained.

"Why do you hate him so much? I mean, he seems like a nice guy. Weird, but nice," Rainie inquired. Sharon wondered how she would ever be able to explain to this girl all the horrible things Jack has done to his family.

"I don't hate him. It's a complicated relationship," she spared Rainie the details.

"Then why are you still married to him?" Rainie challenged.

"Well, there are financial issues, there are religious issues, and there are some things that I can't explain," Sharon said. "And none of it is really any of your business."

"It sounds like you're still in love with him," Rainie noted. Sharon couldn't help but snort. "Seriously!" the girl exclaimed.

"Sweetheart, if love looks like Jack and me, it's better not to love at all," Sharon gave her a serious look. "Now let's go back upstairs and get our apologies out of the way, shall we?"

Apologizing to Jack for lashing out at him was never going to be easy, and Sharon's stomach clenched painfully. If she had to count all the apologies he owed her, her small outburst at him would probably not matter. He had not been a good husband, and even though she had tried to let go of the bitterness stemming from the pain he had caused her and their children, it was hard. Having to admit that she had been wrong about the incident only gave Jack more ammunition. He would always remind her of this day and will extort as many resources out of her as he could just by playing the guilt card.

What surprised her was that he didn't use it right away. It was only later that evening after Rainie went to bed, and Sharon was about to call it a night as well when he pretended to pull a back muscle to get her to agree to share her bed with him. She couldn't believe that she actually contemplated allowing him to bunk with her. Dammit. Jack was a seduction artist. He knew her too well and more than once in the past he had succeeded in making her skirt along the edge of sanity and allowing him access into her body and soul, even when she knew better. As he walked towards her, scattering superlatives for her, she was almost willing to let him spend the night in her bed, inside her. The realization that she was about to fall into a bad habit hit her when Jack was just inches away from her, and she pressed a hand to his chest to halt his movement. She looked into his eyes, her expression not leaving any doubt that she was angry at him for trying to use her. If she was honest with herself, most of her anger was not directed towards him, but inwards. Almost falling for the same old shticks made her feel stupid. How was she different than Jack if she kept giving in to her vices? Maybe he wasn't the only addict in this relationship, and maybe she wasn't as strong as she thought she was. Before she would do anything she would regret in the morning, she turned around and headed to her bedroom, where she let herself silently fall apart.

-TBC-

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