Having fallen asleep not long after ascending the stairs at Steve's shop, it took Luke a few moments to remember where he was when he returned to consciousness three hours later. Not that this place was any more familiar or unfamiliar than the previous place he had called home. He could only remember sleeping there once as well.

After he had stretched, Luke sat on the edge of the bed giving himself a few moments to get his wits about him. The nap seemed to have been just what he needed after the restless night followed by demanding infant care. Rubbing the sore spot where Kathleen had applied the stitches, he was happy to note that it along with his ankle were the only areas of his body still demanding attention for the abuse they had suffered. Hearing voices in the other room he rose from the bed. Testing his injured ankle, he managed to limp toward the bedroom door solely under his own steam, although it was with some effort.

"Hi sweetheart, you look like you feel a lot better." Kathleen announced from the couch where she sat next to a slender lady with short, blond hair who was playing pat-a-cake with Will.

"I feel a lot better." Luke admitted, limping over to an easy chair next to the couch while eying the stranger curiously.

"Jeremy, this is Steve's wife, Sandy." Kathleen announced.

"It's nice to meet you Jeremy. Oh, don't worry about it, please sit down." She continued after Luke made an effort to limp over and shake her hand.

Glad to have been spared the extra effort, Luke took the seat. "It's nice to meet you too, just wish it could have been under better circumstances."

"Well if that's what it took for Steve and I to get a chance to know Will, it was worth it." Sandy replied, tickling the baby who squealed. "Besides, it would be horrid for a man in your condition to have to be in jail and not even remember why it is he's there."

"You told them?" Luke asked, looking at Kathleen. Although he didn't remember the crime he supposedly committed, it was still a little embarrassing to be considered a felon.

"Think nothing of it." Sandy replied, waving her hand as if she were dismissing the subject. "Kathleen explained everything and I don't know many people who wouldn't have done the same thing in your situation."

Luke simply nodded, wondering what the 'situation' had been. Kathleen had never got around to explaining that part.

Sandy then turned her attention to Luke long enough to shake her head. "I simply can't imagine what you're going through right now. I mean, it's one thing not to remember the robbery, but to look at your own family and not even be able to remember them, it's……well I'm sure it must be heartbreaking for both of you." She ended by looking at Kathleen again before her face brightened.

"What are you thinking about?" Kathleen asked, recognizing the look in her estranged sister-in-law's eyes.

"I was thinking…..why don't you two head over to the cabin on Lake Altoona this weekend? It would be the perfect chance for you to relax and get to know each other again!"

As Luke and Kathleen looked doubtfully at Sandy, she continued. "The cabin is off by itself, so nobody would know you were there. You could just relax, take it easy and get to know each other again. And Will could stay here with us. We'd be happy to look after him!"

"I don't think I could do that." Kathleen announced.

"Sure you could! Steve's not in any big hurry for Jeremy's help. I mean, he's got a car he needs delivered to a fella north of here, but it can wait a couple of days. Besides, he's not gonna be much use to him anyway until that ankle heals a little better."

"No, Sandy. Will's our responsibility. I simply can't leave him behind." Kathleen insisted.

"Actually, I think it's a good idea. I mean, I hate it that we're married to each other and I can't even remember who you are. You deserve better than that." Luke admitted.

"I refuse to go anywhere without my son." Kathleen said sternly. Luke was a bit taken aback by her piercing stare, which seemed to be shooting invisible daggers in his direction.

Sandy looked back and forth between them. "Well how about I go along, then? It's a two bedroom cabin. I can at least act as Will's nanny while you two sneak some alone time."

Kathleen thought about it a few minutes. It was true that she would enjoy some alone time with Luke, and the cabin was isolated. Coupled with Sandy's generous offer, there was really no good reason for her to say no.

Offering Luke a big smile, she turned to Sandy. "When do we leave?"

XXXXX

"What's all this?" Luke asked later that evening, having arrived at the cabin to find an intimate dining table set up with a tablecloth, candles, and a nice meal.

"Take out, if you must know." Sandy smiled, taking Will out of Kathleen's arms. "I only got here a couple of hours before you guys, so it's all I had time to do. But I don't think you'll be too disappointed. Nina's Café serves up the best food in the area."

"You didn't have to do this." Luke said, although he was grateful not only for the kindness of his 'sister-in-law', but for the food. He hadn't had a decent meal since the breakfast much earlier that day.

"Wait a minute, there's only two plates here." Kathleen observed.

"Oh I've eaten already. Besides, me and Will here have a date to walk the trail around the lake." She announced, digging around in the diaper bag for a bottle of milk. "It's a mighty long trail, so don't ya'll wait up for us." She added with a wink as she went out the cabin door, closing it silently behind her.

Luke grinned and shook his head as he watched the door close. "That sister-in-law of yours is something else." He commented, turning back to Kathleen.

"Sandy's a gem." Kathleen nodded, looking toward the table. "And you're in for a real treat if Nina's still serves up food like they used to."

"Well let's find out if they do." Luke replied, pulling out a chair for Kathleen before he hobbled over to his own. Taking his seat, he took a good look at the spread for the first time, noticing the candles had been lit, the napkins were cloth and the food was the type that would be more on the expensive side. "I feel a little underdressed." He chuckled, looking at his torn plaid shirt and jeans.

"You and me both." Kathleen replied, noting that she had never changed out of the nurse's uniform she had worn to work much earlier that day.

"Well then." Luke replied, popping out the champagne cork before pouring out a glass for himself and for Kathleen. "Here's to a casual, yet elegant meal."

"And to new beginnings." Kathleen added, clinking their glasses together.

Luke smiled at her before he took a drink of his champagne. Then admiring the cabin, he glanced toward the door and noticed Will's jaket draped over a nearby chair. "Sandy forgot the baby's jacket."

"Oh it's fine. It's not that cool out." Kathleen replied.

"Well not yet, but it will be when it gets dark." Luke replied. Standing up, he limped over to the chair and plucked up the blanket. "She couldn't have gone far. I'll be right back." He announced before going out the door.

XXXXXXXXXX

"How you doin' Matt?" Anthony asked as he walked up to where his brother sat, fishing from the shore of Lake Altoona.

"Huh?" Matt asked, snapping out of his thoughts. "Oh, bad day. I ain't catchin' nothin'." He replied, casting the line in once again.

Having noticed something, Anthony extracted the pole from Matt's hand and immediately reeled it back in. "Well it might help if you actually baited the thing." He said, dangling the bare hook in the air in front of his brother's face.

"Oh." Matthew chuckled, the act being more of an automated response than a display of humor. Anthony watched as he bent down and fished a cricket from the bait cage, the first one, apparently, from the look of the amount still crawling around.

Anthony laid a hand on his shoulder as Matt baited the hook. "Try to relax, Matt. Things got scary there for awhile but everything's alright with Grandma now. Doc said she should be back home by the end of the week.

"It ain't that." Matt confessed as he cast the line. "It's that fella I put off the side of the road."

Anthony rolled his eyes. "There you go again, little brother. You didn't put nobody off the road. Guy was on your side."

"I ain't gonna argue about that no more." Matt informed him. "I'm just feel like I should be out helping to look for him. Every since Uncle Sammy told us that his friend, that Davenport fella, was needin' that car because it sounded like the one his missing friend had been driving, well, if that missing friend is one and the same, then that tells me he's still gotta be out there somewhere."

"Well, Sammy also said he told Mr. Davenport where he found the car, and the guy's family is looking for him. If that's him and he's still down there they'll find him before long."

"Yeah well……"

"Shhhhh. Someone's coming!" Anthony exclaimed as Matt began getting a bite on the line. Tugging on the second bite, he began reeling it in just as Sandy appeared on the trail with the baby.

"Nice catfish ya got there, Matt." Anthony said nonchalantly, trying to change the subject in order to throw the lady off.

"Look here, Will." Sandy smiled, bringing the baby over to the fish. "This young man just caught a catfish. See it's whiskers?" She continued as Matt voluntarily held the line up so the baby could see the fish.

"Hey Sandy!"

As the boys turned toward the voice, their mouths dropped open. The man who limped toward the woman carried a small jacket.. He didn't sound familiar, but he sure looked familiar.

He was the guy they'd seen unconscious in the mangled car!

Looks like Matt got his wish. He just participated in the easiest search and rescue ever. Kid didn't even hafta get up.