At least the directions Kathryn gave didn't lead to an isolated corn field or a stretch of desert with an odd collection of lumps on the ground; instead Stacie ended up in an idyllic town of white picket fences and large, colonial homes.

Kathryn hadn't told her whose address it was she had given, but the North Carolina address at least gave her two options.

And while a part of Stacie worried that there was a reason why Aubrey hadn't called her herself, or the fact that she seemed to have told Kathryn about her exit strategy and nobody else, Stacie was more concerned over what condition she would find Aubrey in, if Kathryn deemed it appropriate to break Aubrey's confidence and told Stacie where to find her.

She still didn't like the liaison, but Stacie had to concede the fact that Kathryn had given specific enough directions that prevented Stacie or her cab driver from getting lost, and even if admittedly, Stacie had doubted the credibility of an instruction to "turn right one block past the cursed house" – because how can you tell, really – but the oddly-pristine-but-clearly-abandoned home they passed was apt.

In the more affluent part of town where homes were further apart and houses were further from the road, Stacie and her taxi passed a blonde jogger and her dog heading in the other direction, the blonde slowing down and coming to a full stop when her gaze met Stacie's, but not getting the opportunity to let it register, being violently yanked back to task by the Collie-Shepherd mix.

When they reached her destination, Stacie opted to sit on the low wall that lined one side of the driveway heading to the front of the house, and waited patiently.

The dog got to her first, the human-less end of his leash revealing what had happened, and he nearly tackled Stacie into the row of plants behind her. Stacie just barely managed to stay upright, but the dog jumped off of her, circling once, keeping her in his line of sight, clearly getting ready to pounce back.

"George, no! Stop!" Aubrey ordered, but the dog glanced at her briefly, his attack interrupted, and he circled once more.

"No means no, George," Stacie quipped.

Aubrey spared her a quick dry glance before sighing, "George, sit."

The dog suddenly stopped, and did as commanded.

"Yeah, that's not likely." Stacie joked, before standing up to greet the blonde. "Hey, stranger."

Aubrey glanced at her dog one last time before she turned to Stacie, an array of emotions flicking through her expression, before she simply shook her head, and held her hand out to Stacie, pulling her close when Stacie took it.

And if a part of Stacie had wondered how Aubrey would react to having Stacie show up at her family's front door, those concerns faded away with the way Aubrey kissed her, stealing her breath as if she had been drowning, and Stacie was her only source of air.

When they parted, they stayed close, trying to get their breathing back to normal and Stacie pressing their foreheads together, closing her eyes and letting herself just revel in having Aubrey close. Finally, she opened her eyes, and looked up at Aubrey.

Aubrey found her words first. "I'm so glad you're here."

Stacie ignored the obvious question of why it had taken Kathryn to tell her where Aubrey was, taking note of the barely-concealed nervous tension that seemed to emanate from Aubrey, and went straight to the heart of the matter: "What happened?"

"Long story, or short?"

"Let's try short."

"It was a shitty deal."

Stacie had to smile. "A little longer?"

Aubrey smiled faintly. "They were sinking. Badly. The profit-and-loss report they released was heavily sanitized. We gave them options. They wanted B&L to buy in, but not the way we'd set it up to happen. And when they were going to choose their stock dividends over hundreds of jobs, B&L chose to intervene."

"So why have you been in hiding?"

Aubrey chuckled wryly and stepped back, but not moving away too far. "They've been working on this, on and off, for over a year. I've been trying to handle this for the better part of a year. I was dealing with those workers. When they brought in a third party, supposedly to audit, I was the one who told my boss something was wrong. When that deal came through?" She shook her head. "It was a shitty deal, except for the jobs part. But even that's not a long-term remedy. But we did our jobs, and everybody wants to talk to us to dissect what happened."

"Kathryn was there that day."

"Yeah, we," Aubrey sighed. "When the deal went down, we had to leave quickly, we were leaving a VP in charge so nobody could really get her to talk. Kathryn was the extraction team."

"So why…" Stacie motioned around them.

"Right now nobody's going to let me near their executive offices." Aubrey admitted. "I was told to take the rest of the week off, let the flames die down."

"Are you—"

"Gonna get promoted for this?" Aubrey finished. She sighed, and smiled weakly at Stacie. "I don't know. Maybe. This is the kind of thing that could make a career, and…"

What Stacie had actually been about to ask was if Aubrey would be getting fired, and finding out the exact opposite was more likely showed just how much she didn't understand about the nature of Aubrey's job.

Stacie pulled Aubrey back to her, and wrapped her arms around Aubrey. "What happens now?"

"I'm scheduled to do this team-building immersive in the middle of the woods next week, which can't possibly be fun for anyone."

Stacie laughed. "You in the middle of the woods. I'd pay money to see that."

Aubrey rolled her eyes, playfully – if half-heartedly – pushing Stacie away. "I can be outdoorsy."

Stacie let out an indelicate snort of skepticism.

Aubrey let her offense show. "I will have you know, I've been a Girl Scout and taken survivalist classes."

Stacie smiled, and quirked an eyebrow. "Well, I know whose bunk I'm sharing when the apocalypse happens."

"I'm pretty sure Chloe has dibs, but what's your offer?" Aubrey asked.

"Psh Chloe," Stacie waved her hand dismissively. "I can build a rocket."

Aubrey paused, and looked at her curiously. "Really?"

"Well, none of them have really worked so far, but I'm sure I would've figured it out by then." Stacie admitted. "But I can be your Science Girl. Oh, and sex!" Stacie nodded affirmatively to herself. "You get sex, if you keep me sheltered, fed, and clothed."

Aubrey laughed, and gave her a quick kiss. "Good deal."

Stacie grinned triumphantly, and pulled Aubrey close to seal the deal with a more thorough kiss. She's not sure if they just miss each other, or if she's responding to Aubrey, trying to calm Aubrey's obvious surplus of energy, but the kiss escalates to something not quite appropriate with the dog just a few feet away or for the front lawn and driveway of Aubrey's grandparents' home. And it's that thought that had Stacie breaking the kiss, but continuing to meet Aubrey's lips in gentle pecks. That is, until an odd thought occurred to her, and Stacie ventured, "So… this retreat, are you gonna be all park ranger hot?"

"Park ranger hot?" Aubrey repeated blankly.

"You know," Stacie shrugged, "In khakis, or whatever it is park rangers wear."

Aubrey gave her a confused look. "It's a corporate retreat. There'll be mosquitoes and mud and crappy wifi; there will be no khaki."

Stacie pouted. "Then what's the point?"

Whatever Aubrey was about to say got lost when her dog abruptly sat up, barking twice before he ran to the side of the house.

Stacie glanced at Aubrey curiously, intrigued by the weird behavior.

"My grandma's at her garden." Aubrey informed her. She bit her lip, because there was a reason why she kept busy and went out on early morning runs with George since she had arrived in North Carolina, and having that interrupted, and being reminded that she hasn't seen or touched or felt Stacie in several weeks, was not helping the part of her that hasn't calmed down since word came down that B&L were going to buy a majority into ELA, their White Knight offer drastically changing into a Grey Knight maneuver.

The fact that Stacie hadn't stopped touching her since their kiss of greeting wasn't really helping.

Stacie, who had asked if Aubrey's grandparents would be okay with their sudden guest and been left with her inquiry unanswered, fell silent, and took note of the way Aubrey's eyes became noticeably darker and more green.

She was already nodding before Aubrey could finish asking, "Do you want to go for a drive?"

They end up on a bluff overlooking a nearby creek, the car Aubrey had taken from her grandparents' garage providing enough space in the back seat for what they wanted to accomplish.

And Stacie found herself with some insight regarding Aubrey's sexual past, if she dealt with the certain conditions and situations related to her job through physical exertion. She belatedly realized that while Aubrey's gag reflex was unfortunate (and gross), it had at least been an outlet for her tension and anxiety, and having had that conditioned out of Aubrey left the girl without a way to release that excess energy.

Even if Stacie's first real taste of Aubrey's new form of exertion happened in a car at a place local teenagers go to and accomplish the same thing they had just done.

And it's that thought that has Stacie trying – and failing – to stifle her laughter, giggling into the kiss she and Aubrey shared.

Aubrey pulled back to frown at her girlfriend. "Really?"

"You know, I think I've watched this CW episode before," Stacie joked, placing her hand on the back of Aubrey's neck to try and pull her close, but Aubrey resisted.

"You really need to stop comparing my life to The CW," Aubrey grumbled.

Stacie chuckled, undeterred. "Hate to ask, but how do you even know about this place, Miss I-lost-my-virginity-to-my-high-school-boyfriend?"

Aubrey groaned. "Really?"

"Color me intrigued." Stacie replied candidly, now decidedly more curious than ever.

"We broke up for the summer. I met someone while I was on a break here." Aubrey answered flatly.

Stacie broke into a wide grin. "Did you guys break up over the summer hiatus and get back together when the fall season started? Was there drama? Did you get back together for prom?"

"Stacie."

"Did he move to your hometown and cause drama for sweeps?"

Aubrey glared at her, unamused. "Seriously, stop."

"Well, stop making it easy!" Stacie laughed.

"You suck so hard right now." Aubrey told her, pulling away to reach over to the front seat where her shirt had landed when Stacie had pulled it off.

Stacie sighed in the face of such exasperation and annoyance, and sat up, tracing Aubrey's shoulder with a line of kisses until she felt Aubrey's annoyance melt enough for the older girl to turn her head and meet Stacie's lips with her own.

Stacie playfully nipped at Aubrey's pouty lower lip. "Baby?"

Aubrey only mumbled a response, even as she allowed Stacie to kiss her pout away, parting her lips against Stacie's.

"You need to get a car, so we can do this more often."

"I have an apartment," Aubrey reminded dryly, handing Stacie her shirt while trying to maneuver into a position to pull her shorts back on; confirming her long-standing suspicion that disrobing in the confines of a car was a whole lot easier than putting clothes back on. It probably didn't help that she paused the process to enjoy Stacie's lips on her skin." And you have a roommate who's willing to be kicked out; we shouldn't need a car."

At the reminder of her roommate, Stacie paused, freezing in her actions.

Aubrey noticed, and turned to face her, immediately concerned. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"You're gonna be so mad." Stacie started, "And I don't know if I should…"

Aubrey frowned when Stacie just let her voice drift off, and tried to figure out what Stacie would need to tell her that would come with such a disclaimer. She thought back to what they had just been talking about, and made a few logical leaps. "Chloe's not graduating with Denise, is she?"

Stacie shook her head.

Aubrey groaned, and there was a moment wherein Stacie was worried Aubrey would let the invectives fly, but she almost immediately sighed in resignation. "If her parents want to keep spending for another year in college, I don't really have a leg to stand on."

"You could try talking to her," Stacie suggested.

Aubrey sighed. "And tell her what?"

"I don't know," Stacie shrugged. "You're a junior executive in a Fortune 500 company making billion-dollar deals; I'm sure you can think of something."

Aubrey made a face. "I also deal with losses and sometimes face people in picket lines that think I'm a heartless, soul-sucking demon."

"Maybe you don't lead with that."

"Funny."

Stacie smiled faintly, and kissed her softly. "And I don't think you're heartless."

Aubrey smiled wryly. "So just the soul-sucking, then?"

"Well," Stacie shrugged, giving her one last quick kiss before turning to put on her clothes. "I'd give you mine."

Aubrey startled, and arched an eyebrow at Stacie, who visibly paused, but instantly threw a salacious grin at Aubrey over her shoulder.

"I mean, I already let you suck other things," Stacie quipped, smoothly gliding past the potential awkwardness of what she'd previously said, even as she inwardly wondered where the hell that declaration had come from. She abandoned the task of getting dressed to move over and straddle Aubrey's lap, pushing the other girl back against the seats. "Now, if I remember correctly, you made a promise about making it up to me about all the sex I've been missing."

Aubrey didn't always keep her promises, especially lately, but Stacie was intent on making sure she kept that one.

They got back to the house a lot later than originally expected, and upon entering the driveway, Aubrey audibly cursed at the sight of another car already there. At Stacie's curious glance, Aubrey explained, "My mom's here."

If there was ever a moment to be thankful that they had somehow managed to avoid marking each other from their previous activities, it would be at that very second.

Stacie took a cursory look over Aubrey, making sure she hadn't left any visible marks on Aubrey, before she checked the mirror to examine herself.

Aubrey parked the car, and smirked over at her. "And here you were, complaining we kept it clean."

"Why is your mom here?"

"She just lives downtown and her daughter's here," Aubrey reminded. "And my grandmother makes the best breakfast." She removed her seatbelt, and looked at Stacie. "Ready?"

"I'd just like to remind you that I warned you when you went to meet my mom." Stacie reminded, following Aubrey's lead and stepping out of the car.

"You negotiated me meeting your mom so we can have a sleepover," Aubrey recalled, meeting Stacie at her side of the car. "Besides, you took this trip knowing – or maybe just suspecting – just where you were going; you had to know this was going to happen."

Stacie pouted at her. "Why are you terrible?"

"I love you, too." Aubrey laughed. "Anyway, you already met George, and he's the hardest sell. Come on."

After a quick stop to drop off Stacie's things and to clean up and take another cursory examination for evidence of their morning activities, they went off to introduce Stacie to Aubrey's mother and grandparents. Aubrey's family were all still in the dining room, but the dishes had been put away, Aubrey's grandfather stood by the sink washing them while her mother and grandmother sat at the dining table talking. The two older women stopped when they noticed Aubrey enter.

"Hi, honey." Her mom greeted, smiling at her. "You look better."

Her grandmother's attention, however, was on the girl hanging back as much as possible while still holding Aubrey's hand. "Although we can probably presume why."

"Mother." Mrs. Posen admonished, before turning and smiling at Stacie as she stood up. "You must be Stacie."

"Hi," Stacie greeted, dropping Aubrey's hand and extending her hand to the older Posen woman. "It's nice to meet you."

"Oh, she's lovely," Aubrey's grandmother gushed. She glanced over at Aubrey. "And you missed breakfast."

"I wanted to show her the town," Aubrey replied.

"Mmhmm," her grandmother said skeptically. "Get your breakfast, that dog of yours has been trying to get to it."

Aubrey glanced at Stacie, who had been dragged to a chair by her mother, and only smiled back when Stacie shot her a look, startled by the attention and decidedly warm reception she was receiving from Aubrey's mother and grandmother.

"Don't give George bacon," her grandfather warned, as Aubrey started to put together two plates for herself and Stacie.

Aubrey looked down at the dog at her feet, and pouted in return to the sad look he was giving her.

"This girl came all this way just to see you; you really left her with your mom and grandmother, Bree?"

Aubrey chuckled. "She can hold her own."

Her grandfather shook his head at her, but glanced briefly in the direction of the dining table before turning back to Aubrey. "You look happy."

It was a simple observation, the inherent commentary expressed in the simple statement, but there was no denying just how much Aubrey took it to heart, and she grinned brightly at him.