From the moment Shannon had handed him over at the entrance of the subway, Marianne hadn't put down her baby nephew. Skirting the broken glass from the decimated telephone booth that Shannon had brushed off as the result of over-exuberant soccer fans, Marianne hitched Ben on her hip as Shannon tucked her carry on bag in the stroller.

"He smells so good," Marianne laughed, the little boy playing with the heart locket on her necklace.

"Well I hope so, he got a bath before we came here. Had to look his best to meet Aunt Mari for the first time."

Ben rested his head against the crook of her neck and Marianne felt the burden of the past few weeks lift. Catie was right, she did need to be home and the only home she had for now was with her sister. Even though years had passed since they had seen each other, it felt as though they had returned to the night Shannon was getting ready for high school prom while Marianne swung her ten year old, chicken legs over the edge of her bed, flipping through her Seventeen magazines.

Marianne sank into a sweet weariness as she tucked her feet under her and hugged a throw pillow on Shannon's designer couch. The living room was tastefully decorated in a refined yet unstated style that mirrored what their mother would have done. Shannon smiled as she handed her a steaming mug of tea, Ben playing quietly in his play pen.

"He is such a good baby," Marianne commented.

"He reminds me of you actually. When you were little, I always heard that you were a much easier baby than I ever was," Shannon smirked, resting her neck into her hand. She had inherited their mother's defined cheek bones and catlike eyes. It made it a bit difficult to look at her especially when she laughed. She leaned forward and set her mug on a coaster. "So I have to ask, what's going on?"

Marianne hid a yawn. "You mean with school?

"Yes."

"Just wanted a little break. I needed to get away for a bit."

"Couldn't it have waited until May? I was planning on visiting for your graduation."

Avoiding her sister's probing look, Marianne waggled her fingers at Ben with a forced grin. "Its just kind of a long story, Shan. Honestly, I'm starting to feel the jet lag."

Shannon sat back with a sigh. "Okay but you aren't getting out of it. Especially since dad doesn't even know yet."

Marianne snorted and rubbed her raw eyes. Her head throbbed from a lack of sleep, her quickly bought middle seat in coach having offered little comfort on the transatlantic flight. "I tried."

"Oh I bet you did. I remember having a very close relationship with his voicemail back in college."

"Don't worry though, Shan," Marianne replied with a casual wave of her hand. She stood and stretched her stiff back. "I didn't knock over a bank and I'm not into drugs. I didn't even cheat on a test and get caught. I really just needed to get away."

With one last narrow eyed stare, Shannon nodded in defeat. "Alright then. I'll let it slide for now. Why don't you go up and take a quick power nap before dinner? I won't let you sleep too long though or else you'll never sleep tonight."

Marianne brushed a kiss on Ben's feathery blond head before swiftly ducking out of the room. She had to think about how to explain the whole thing to Shannon. Telling their father would be mortifying enough when it came to it.

The guest room where Shannon had put her was small but beautifully decorated like the rest of the house. The black bed frame was pushed up next to the single window overlooking the street below with a seat built under the glass panes. After changing into a comfortable pair of terry cloth pants and her Boston College t-shirt, she slipped under the beige sheets and dropped off quickly.

Shannon never needed to wake her. A loud banging on the door downstairs roused her from sleep. Rubbing her tangled hair from her face, she stumbled from the bed. The clock read that she had only slept for a half hour but perhaps that was best, however disoriented she felt. Slinging her arms into a burgundy cardigan, she ventured downstairs.

"Ay ay!" A male voice echoed obnoxiously through the downstairs.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she edged towards the kitchen. Shannon's husband stood at the entrance with Ben in his arms. She hadn't seen him since they had gotten married three years earlier. Though she hadn't made it to the wedding, they had stopped over for a quick visit in Boston before continuing on for their honeymoon in Mexico. Steve gave her a warm smile, still wearing his well fitted suit from work. He shifted Ben to his other arm as she gave him a side hug.

"Look who finally crossed the pond, eh? How you doin', love?" He asked congenially, though his tone was tight with apprehension.

"Fine, good to see you too."

Shannon stood stiffly by the kitchen island, her jaw clenched and gaze darting from the figure by the fridge then back to her sister. The tall stranger in the camel trench turned towards them, a beer in his hand. As he bit off the bottle cap, his eyes grazed over her with vague interest, his stare potent under dark eyebrows. With the jawline of an Abercrombie model and the swagger of a thousand frat boys Marianne had known in college, she immediately took a disliking to him.

"Mari, this is Steve's brother Pete. Pete, this is my sister, Marianne," Shannon gave the sparse introductions, her movements tense.

With the cap lodged in his cheek, he gave her a slick, half smile and held out his hand. "So which is it then?"

"Which is what?"

"The name? Shannon said Mari but also Marianne, so which is it?" He held her hand a moment longer than necessary. "Annie then?"

"Marianne is fine," she replied soberly, releasing his hand.

With his booming voice and abrasive manner, he seemed determined to make himself the center of attention. He was so different from Justin whose subtlety was what drew her to him in the first place. He was always in control and never had to throw his weight around, not like this guy. As Pete nodded while withdrawing a step, she got the distinct impression that he had sized her up as much as she had him. He tossed the cap in the trash bin before turning his brother.

"Hey Ben!" He crowed, leaning towards the baby. Shannon ran a hand over her face as he grasped the child's hand. "West Ham till I die! West Ham till I die, I know I am, I'm sure I am-"

Shannon stepped forward and took her son from her husband. "I'm taking him to bed."

Pete Dunham watched her with a smug grin as though getting rid of Shannon was his plan all along. Still woozy from her rude awakening, Marianne had taken all she could handle. Without saying anything more, she followed her sister.

"Nice to meeting yah, my colonial cousin!" Pete called out after them. Marianne didn't answer.

Once they were saftly at the landing of the stairs, Pete's obnoxious crow reverberating up towards them, Shannon turned towards her. "I know he is my brother-in-law-"

"But he's an ass," Marianne finished the sentence for her. "Yeah I got the impression."

"And he runs with a rough crowd."

Shannon led her into Ben's nursery, the walls decorated with prints from Peter Rabbit. Marianne sat down in the white rocking chair by the window while Shannon set Ben down on the changing table and pulled out a new diaper.

"Gets some drinks in, get some drinks in!" Sounded from downstairs.

"Where does this guy think he is? A fraternity house?" Marianne asked, crossing her legs and leaning back in the chair.

"No, he just treats my home like its the local pub. It's because he hates me."

Marianne snorted. "Why?"

Rolling up the dirty diaper and tossing it in the can by the door, Shannon sighed. "Because he thinks I'm the reason why Steve doesn't go with their crowd anymore."

"The rough crowd you were talking about?"

"Exactly."

"What kind of crowd is it?"

Shannon hitched Ben on her hip and walked him towards the crib. "The football crowd."

"You mean soccer."

"Don't let them hear you call it that. It's football and they are obsessed on a scary level. Steve used to be into it but he doesn't go all out anymore."

The front door slammed closed downstairs. Marianne rose to her feet and pulled back the sheer curtain, peeking down into the street. "What is it? Some kind of cult?"

"Might as well be."

Pete Dunham came into view, strutting down the sidewalk in the same manner the guy Bovver had sported. They even wore the same clean white sneakers. Pete glanced up towards the window as he lit a cigarette. Spotting her, he blew out a mouthful of smoke and gave her a wink but it didn't feel flirtatious. The smart ass sneer that followed confirmed that fact.

"I can't believe he's Steve's brother. Steve is kind of standoffish but he's so nice." Marianne shook her head as she turned back to her sister.

Shannon bit her lower lip as she held Ben's hand where he lay in the crib. "I hate to ask this on your first night here."

"What is it?"

She sighed. "Steve likes to be spontaneous. He bought theater tickets to go see 'Chicago' since I mentioned that I'd really like to go sometime. He just sprung this on me while you were sleeping and I said I'd talk to you first."

Marianne braced her hands on the edge of the crib. "Do you need a babysitter?"

"No, no! Of course not, I wouldn't ask you to do that. He's already arranged one. Would you mind if we went tonight? You could sleep or order out food? There is a TV in the guest room so you wouldn't have to feel awkward around the sitter. Do you mind?"

"Of course not," Marianne replied with a smile, secretly relieved at having one more night to avoid anymore questions about her escape from Boston. "I'll go wander a bit, pick up something for dinner and then come back and crash."

"You sure you'll be okay?"

"Of course, I've been living in Boston for a couple years now. I'm street smart, don't worry."

Shannon snorted. "Alright then, thanks Mari."

After changing into a fresh pair of jeans with a blue turtle neck and her black coat, she went downstairs. Steve forced a good bit of cash on her, insisting that he would do the same for her as he did for Pete. Shannon rolled her eyes behind his back as they both realized why Pete had dropped by in the first place; begging for money from his brother. Accepting it begrudgingly and giving him another hug, she trotted out into the gray afternoon.

Feeling more at ease than she had that morning after a good nap and establishing a home base with Shannon, Marianne trotted towards the subway station. The fresh feeling of anonymity in a new city left her breathless with freedom. After days of ducking her head and avoiding the stares of fellow students, being in a place where no one knew what the Mari Buckner Porno was made her feel exhilarated. She felt the impulse to explore a little.

The echoing underground was glaringly bright under the buzz of the fluorescence. The floor clicking under her ankle boots, Marianne gripped her purse in front of her body. She came to a stop in front of the "Mind the Gap" warning lining the ledge to the tracks. The cars pulled up just as she got there. Glancing to her left, her heart dropped as she noticed a familiar figure boarding the same train as her. Avoiding eye contact with Pete Dunham, she melted into the crowd and kept her head down.