Bree needed her cell phone like a smoker needed cigarettes. She was jonesing for a racy text from Karl, they always made her feel special. They also made her feel a little dirty, but that was half the fun. She was standing outside of her hut, waiting for Orson since all of the couples had to arrive at the yoga session together. Katherine emerged from her own suite. She saw Bree, and Bree saw her. Knowing that she had to wait for Mike too, Bree thought Katherine might say hello, and they would finally be able to break the ice between them, but Katherine's eyes turned to stone, and she looked away. Bree felt spurned, realizing in hindsight that it was foolish that she even dared to hope. Orson finally came out, and asked if Bree was ready. She turned and started the walk to the beach without a word.

"See you over there." Katherine called out pleasantly to Orson. He turned to her and waved, then tried to catch up to Bree on the path.

"You two should really make up." Orson remarked to Bree, staying one or two steps behind her as usual.

"You don't say." Bree said dryly.

"You should re-hire her." he went on, ignoring her tone. "Since I'm no longer allowed in the test kitchen."

"And we both know why that is." said Bree, growing testy. "By week's end, there'd be no cooking utensils left. They'd all be stashed in the guest room closet."

"Ah, my kleptomania." Orson said. "We should bring that up in the therapy session."

"We can't." said Bree, stopping suddenly and turning to him. "If I start talking about it I won't be able to stop, and I'll be forced to tell our counselor and anyone that will listen about the part you played in Edie's death." Bree turned and continued walking, but not without adding quietly, "I can't send you to jail again."

"Can't? Or won't?" Orson asked. He knew he was pressing his luck and her patience, but she refused to talk in front of the counselor, and if getting her to shout was the only way to get her to talk to him in private he was willing to make the sacrifice. His bait didn't work, however.

"Can't." Bree said, her cold, breezy tone firmly back in place. "I'm too busy to testify."

"Bree-"

"Stop talking Orson. You're only making it worse."

* * *

There was a wooden platform set up on the beach, surrounded by posts tied with beautiful colored flags that blew in the gentle island breeze. On the platform stood their host Benson and two others, a man and a woman in their late 20's.

"Good morning." Benson greeted them, since it was only ten in the a.m. "These are your instructors, Tanya and Todd. They were once guests here at Sunrise Island, but with our program, they worked through their marital problems and are now licensed by the program's founder to lead this special couples yoga. Please, give yourself over to their guidance and take full advantage of their expertise."

Tom and Carlos found themselves sucking in their tummies in reaction to Todd's flawless physique and Tanya's equally perfect body. Lynette and Gabrielle noticed, and caught each other's eye so they could share a smirk.

After giving them all a speech about intimacy and oneness and the energy that should be flowing between their hearts, Tanya and Todd had everyone line up, facing the water, and they led the four couples through some easy stretches and poses. They walked amongst them, giving encouragement and corrections where they could.

"Niiice, looong extensions..." Tanya reminded them all. "Keep your arms waaaay up," she said to Mike, pushing his arms further than they were. "You want to feel it in the abs!" she added.

Katherine watched as Tanya let her hands wander to Mike's stomach, Katherine's own stomach lurching with jealousy.

"Ooh," said Tanya, as if she were about to compliment him. "Someone's been having a few too many beers! Those carbs'll getcha." she said with a cheery smile, patting his abs before moving on. Katherine's jealousy faded, replaced by much needed amusement. Mike heard her chuckle, and he turned to give her a wry look, but he was smiling too.

"You are looking good, Katherine." said Todd, coming up behind her and getting very close. She could feel him look up and down her body, and she felt his hands brush her waist. "Very good..."

The next time Katherine looked at Mike, he wasn't smiling at all. Katherine's smirk grew. Finally, some points on her side of the board.

"Orson, look at you!" Tanya said, happily surprised. "Have you done this before?"

"Once or twice." he admitted. "At home."

"HA!" Bree shouted, standing on one leg beside him, her hands in front of her stomach in a prayer-like position. "When did you practice yoga?"

"I watch Denise Austen when I'm bored in the mornings." he said defensively. "I happen to find her very attractive."

Bree laughed derisively, but Tanya smiled and rubbed Orson's shoulder supportively.

"Well you were obviously paying attention." Tanya said. "Which is good, because your wife needs some pointers."

Bree nearly fell over. She put her raised foot down to avoid losing her balance as her head whipped around to look at Tanya. The instructor had already moved on to another couple. Bree glanced at Orson too, and saw the big smile on his face as he looked straight ahead toward the water. Bree turned back quickly, wondering why she suddenly felt so angry about it all.

* * *

After yoga, they went back to their rooms. Each couple found on their bed a compass, a blindfold and a set of instructions.

"Only one person may carry the compass, but they will not be allowed to speak. The other must wear a blindfold, and follow the compass holder by placing one hand on their shoulder." Tom was reading the instructions out loud to Lynette.

"Do we get to choose who does what?" she asked.

"No, there are assignments on the bottom. Looks like...I'm the compass."

"And I'm blind." Lynette said, not too happy about it.

"You're not blind." Tom said, smiling. "You've got me."

*

They all had a seperate path to follow. The paths were inland, surrounded by thick tropical trees and plants.

"Alright, put your blindfold on." Gabrielle said unceremoniously.

"This has to be a joke." said Carlos. With a GPS and divine intervention Gabrielle would still find it difficult to make her way around Fairview, let alone a mysterious jungle.

"You're telling me." Gabrielle muttered, thinking more about the fact that they expected her not to talk the whole time.

*

"By using the compass, you will find all of the flags. But it is not the flags that challenge you; the compass holder must find a safe route for their blindfolded companion without being able to warn them verbally of any obstacles, and the blindfolded one must be able to trust their guide explicitly."

Bree held the blindfold in her hand as Orson read the instructions to her. Trust. That really wasn't a word in Bree's vocabulary at the moment.

"We should get going." she said. "We need to be at the finish line by sunset."

*

Mike and Katherine were only at the second flag after an hour of slow walking. Mike was using the compass and the direction printed on the flag to figure out which way to go when Katherine asked him a question.

"Mike...do you regret marrying me?"

Mike froze. He wasn't supposed to talk at all, but even if he was free to, how was he supposed to answer that?

"Mike?" Katherine said, gently shaking the shoulder that she held, knowing full well he wasn't allowed to answer her but hoping he'd break the rules for her anyway. She needed to know, and it didn't matter how bad the timing was, she had to know now. After a long silence, Katherine took her hand from Mike's shoulder and whipped off her blindfold.

"Answer me." she said.

"Dammit, Katherine! You're not supposed to take your blindfold off!" Mike scolded her, angrier than he should have been.

"And you're not supposed to talk. So talk."

Mike sighed, searching his mind for something Katherine would want to hear.

"No! I don't regret marrying you."

"You're lying." Katherine said, shaking her head.

"Don't start this..." Mike said, sounding exhausted.

"That's our problem, Mike. You never want to talk, it's always 'don't start this'."

"Well, we started this maze. So put your blindfold back on and let's finish it. We'll talk later."

Katherine glared at him, clutching the blindfold in her fist. She thought about storming off, going back to her room and sulking until they told her she had to leave paradise behind for not participating. But she couldn't. As much as she hated being in this situation, of not being loved the way she needed to be loved, she couldn't discount the fact that Mike was there, participating with her. That had to mean something. It was enough to keep her on the string Mike held, at least. So Katherine put on her blindfold, covering her tear-filled eyes, and went back to pretending nothing was wrong.

* * *

When Gabrielle found the first flag, she jumped up and down with excitement. Carlos laughed. He knew without looking that accomplishing this seemingly small task made her feel confident, and it made him proud of her. Of course, in the first five minutes of their trek, he had to tell her six times that she wasn't allowed to talk, but she'd finally gotten the idea, and they were officially on their way to the finish line.

"Gabby." Carlos said when he felt her slip away. "Gabby? Gabby!"

Gabrielle realized that in all her excitement, she'd gone off and left him alone. She jogged back, thinking about those years Carlos had been blind. They had this routine down after years of training. Except this time, Carlos wasn't complaining and Gabrielle wasn't bitching at him to take care of himself.

"Sorry." Gabrielle whispered under her breath, and she put his hand back on her shoulder.

* * *

"Tom, have you found the first flag yet? I notice you stopped for a while back there, I thought maybe it was because you found a flag......How long has it been since we left? This blindfold is very effective, I can't see a thing. Tom?....I know you can't talk, and our entire careers in advertising were based on visual and aural aids, but I'm sure somewhere in that clever brain of yours is a clue as to how to communicate without them. .....Tom?"

Tom stopped in his tracks, spun around, grabbed Lynette by the shoulders and kissed her hard on the lips. It lasted a good ten seconds, and Lynette stood absolutely still while he did it. When Tom released her lips, he waited.

"You are the only person who could ever tell me to shut up by kissing me." said Lynette. "You're the only one that could get away with it, that is."

Tom kissed her again, softly this time.

"I don't mean to ask so many questions, honey, but you're the no-voice, and I'm the no-eyes, so technically I'm allowed- "

Tom interrupted her with a third kiss.

"Mm..." Lynette murmured. "Ah. Okay. I see what you're saying. I'm allowed to talk, but I don't have to talk."

Tom gave her a kiss on the cheek this time, and smiled even though Lynette couldn't see it. Placing her hand on his shoulder, Tom turned back to the flag hunt.

"Does a kiss on the cheek mean 'yes'?"

At this, Tom took Lynette in his arms, dipped her and kissed her until she couldn't stop laughing.

"Okay!" she cried. "Okay okay, I'll be quiet!"

* * *

Halfway through their maze, Bree started to panic. She knew he wouldn't, he couldn't, but the doubt in Bree's mind made her think that Orson might be leading her to a secluded place so he could run away and leave her stranded with no idea where to go. She kept telling herself there was no reason to think that, since Orson was moving very slowly, preventing even the slightest missed step for blindfolded Bree. Then she realized he would be well within his rights to leave her stranded, because that was the first thing she would have thought to do if she were the one with the compass.

Maybe I deserve to be left alone.

"Orson." Bree said urgently. "Orson wait, I'm scared."

Orson stopped. Her fingers were clutching the fabric of his shirt. She'd realized that if she let go of him for a second she'd be lost after one step. After a few moments of silence, Orson turned. Bree inhaled sharply, thinking he was leaving her.

"Orson!" she whispered, too scared to shout. He hadn't gone anywhere, she realized when he took her hand in his. He lifted it, and pressed her palm to his chest, just over his heart. The intimacy of his gesture caught Bree off guard. She hadn't allowed him to get this close in a long time. Bree felt the beat of his heart, could almost hear it as she remembered laying her head on his chest, the way she'd done after they made love, when they were happy. I'm here. he said without speaking. Her own heart had been racing, and this quiet moment allowed her to take a few deep breaths and calm down.

"Thank you." Bree said quietly. Orson waited until her breathing was back to normal. He held on to her hand, moving slowly as he turned back to the path, and he didn't move an inch until she'd found his shoulder again. "Okay." she said. "I'm ready."

*

"We made it." Orson said when he passed through the edge of the treeline to find they were almost back to the living quarters. He saw Benson, flanked by two island servants who took the compass and the blindfold from the couple. Bree looked around, and noticed right away that none of their friends were around. It wasn't a race, of course, but it didn't suck to be first.

"Congratulations." said Benson. "You are the first to arrive. Your counselor is awaiting you in his hut to discuss the progess you made today."

Bree left quickly, and Benson noticed that she looked quite flustered.

"Everything is alright, I hope?" he said to Orson. Orson glanced at Benson, but he had nothing to say that would make any sense to him, so he followed Bree instead.

* * *

"So, Gabrielle, had you ever used a compass before?" asked the counselor.

"Yes!" Gabrielle answered proudly. "When I was a scout leader for my girls." Gabrielle's smile faltered, becoming more of a grimace as she remembered the truth. "I was only a scout leader for a few hours that day. And my girls were only scouts for a bit longer than that."

"It sounds like you pulled through today, though." their counselor said with a smile. "Carlos, what was it like being blind again?"

"Like old times." Carlos joked. "Actually, it was very easy. Gabby barely had to direct me. It was like old times, but better."

"Were you able to trust Gabrielle when she led you?"

"Of course. I mean, it's not like we were ever in any real danger, right? The island is so small, and it's covered by your resort."

"But, if it really were a desolate jungle, would be able to trust her there?"

"....yes?" Carlos said, less sure this time. Gabrielle pouted, not sure where the counselor was going with this.

"When you were really blind, did you trust Gabrielle then?"

Carlos grew serious. "Yes." he answered. "I had to."

"Was it difficult, after the affairs?"

"Whoa, hold on a minute." said Carlos.

"Yeah, I thought we'd agreed we didn't have to talk about that anymore." said Gabrielle. "We are both committed to one another, we've forgiven each other, and we don't have trust issues."

Carlos held up one of their flags. "Second place?" he said simply.

The counselor paused for what felt like forever.

"...That's our time for today." she said.

* * *

"How did you do on the flag trail?" Bree and Orson's counselor asked the couple. He hadn't addressed either of them in particular, and Bree seemed quiet, so Orson spoke up.

"Surprisingly well."

"Surprisingly? What was surprising about it?"

"I'm not sure, I just...didn't expect to succeed as easily as we did. I know it wasn't a competition, but we did get first place."

"Good, good...Bree, was Orson a good guide?"

Bree looked up, as if she'd been caught not paying attention.

"Pardon?"

"I asked if Orson was a good guide."

Orson watched Bree. She was looking straight at the counselor, looking through him as she thought about her answer.

"Yes." she said softly.

"...Can you tell me why?"

With a deep breath, Bree snapped out of it and tried to keep her answers simple. There was only twenty minutes left to get through.

"He used the compass, he found the flags, and he stopped when I needed a break." she said, trying to sound as disinterested as possible.

The counselor nodded. "And how did he communicate with you, without his voice to help?"

Bree thought about feeling Orson's heart beating, and she realized she didn't want to share that moment with the counselor. It was private, sacred even. Worse for Bree, it would make it seem like there was something still there between them, and that was her greatest fear.

"He didn't have to." Bree lied. "I kept my hand on his shoulder the whole time." Bree felt Orson watching her, and she wondered what he was thinking...and why he wasn't contradicting her.

* * *

"What was it like not being able to have your questions answered?"

"I hated it." said Lynette. She turned to Tom, addressing him directly. "I missed hearing your voice, and it made me realize something. I've been shutting you down a lot lately, but I think it's because I'm afraid of what you'll say. I've done so many things to hurt you, and you never got to yell at me, or tell me I was wrong. And...and I feel like I don't deserve to be forgiven."

Tom was shocked. He didn't think of things that way, and he wondered if he'd given any indication that he would still feel angry about the past.

"Can you give Tom some examples, Lynette?"

"Kayla, preventing your promotion..." Lynette had to force the last one out of her mouth. "...Rick."

"Is that why you've been so distant?" asked Tom. "You think I'm still mad at you?"

"No, you're not mad at me, and that's the problem."

Tom smiled, sad that Lynette felt this way and hid it so well, but happy that she was finally opening up to him about it.

"Very good." said their counselor, quite pleased at their progress.

* * *

Mike couldn't go to the post-hike session. Something he'd eaten had made him sick, or so he claimed. They told him he'd be fine by the next morning, but Katherine was left alone in the room with their counselor.

"It's fitting, isn't it?" Katherine mused, breaking a long silence. The counselor said nothing, waiting for Katherine to explain. "Even when he's here, he's not really here, is he?"

"Hmm." said the counselor, remaining neutral.

Katherine clenched and unclenched her jaw. "Don't mind me." she said. "I'm just married to someone else's husband."