Will couldn't help but stare at Karen from his spot in the doorway of the kitchen. Her hip was propped against the counter, her eyes focused on the magazine in front of her. Her head tilted so she could see who was coming and still looking at the magazine. Her posture, the easy way she shifted from one foot to the other made her look like the dancer she was, yet denied. And to top off the amazement of everything, she was dressed in one of his shirts.

Since Aurora was born, really since she turned three, Karen would be caught dead in anything of his. When they had first got together and they went away she packed the bare minimum of what her closet offered. She enjoyed walking around wherever they stayed in his shirt and boxers; it made her feel closer to him she had said at one point. But there she was, standing in their kitchen, wearing his shirt on her birthday. Wearing the bracelet that he had presented her earlier in the morning.

Ever since Aurora was born she had made it clear she didn't want to take away the girl's spotlight. It was Aurora's day and as long as she was still presented with disgusting take-out Chinese and a present or two she would be fine. But the big to-do when it came to parties was reserved for Aurora. And now that she was transitioning out of being a child and out of the preteen years and into the last few years as a teenager, the parties were to be more extravagant and hopefully more important to her.

"If you stare any longer, you're going to have to order another counter-top." Karen stated, her eyes not looking up from her magazine, drawing Will out of his thoughts. He noticed the small smile that was playing at her lips and went further into the kitchen, stepping around the counter, positioning himself behind her.

She smiled wider as he wrapped his arms around her waist, his fingers playing with the white cotton of his shirt tugging her closer to him. She laughed as he kissed her behind the ear, the spot that made her knees buckle. She thrust her arms around in front of her, her hands slapping the granite counter top. His laugh sounded loudly in her ear, the vibrations rumbling against her back.

Karen shoved him backwards slightly and turned around, placing a hand to his chest, stopping him from stepping closer. "Your daughter is going to be awake soon and I don't want her coming in and being scared for life."

Will shrugged his shoulders as if to say he didn't care. "Aurora isn't going to be awake for some time. She didn't go to bed until some time after one."

"How do you know?"

"I heard her pacing the hallway." Karen raised her eyebrow, knowing there was more of a story behind it. "You were in the bathroom and I heard her door open. You're not the only one with bat hearing."

Karen laughed and sighed, giving into his weight, when she felt the counter dig into her back. Moaning in appreciation and pain, Karen braced her hands behind her and jumped up onto the counter, pulling Will to her. His lips landed on hers and there was no asking permission when his tongue jetted out and demanded entrance. She moaned, low and her fingers grasping his hair, pulling and tugging.

"As much as I like this attention on my birthday-" She began but was quickly silenced, her head dropping to his shoulder trying to not vocalize her thoughts as his hands buried itself between her legs.

He kissed her jaw. Her neck. Her ear. Her cheek and finally settled on her lips, his tongue mimicking the movements of his fingers. He winced at the way she pulled his hair, the one thing she did to urge him on, to make him continue. She moved her leg to have her foot resting on one of the drawer handles, attempting to not dig it into his side. One hand reached for his pants button, her fingers playing with the zipper.

"I'm already going to therapy for one thing. I don't need to tell Marissa I caught my parents having sex in my kitchen." Karen gasped and dropped her head to Will's shoulder, pushing his hand away and dropping her knee.

Over Karen's shoulder Will saw Aurora standing in the doorway where he stood before he found himself in this-predicament if that what it was. "Happy Birthday, Aurora." Will said, pulling himself away from Karen, wiping his hand on the towel that was hanging from the drawer; it normally was there for the dishes.

"Hi Daddy," She said with a smile. He went to pull her in for a hug and she place a hand on his chest, much like Karen did earlier. "No hands." Will rolled his eyes and put his hands up in the air and laughed when Aurora threw her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest.

Karen was standing at the sink, washing her hands, and smiled as Aurora slowly came up behind her propping her hip against the counter. "Happy Birthday, Mom," Aurora said pulling out a small blue box and setting it down next to her. Karen opened up the box and smiled at the silver locket that was nestled in the navy blue felt. "Flip it over." Aurora demanded. Karen looked over at her daughter who just shrugged and slowly flipped it over.

Inscribed in pretty italic, For you and I have a guardian angel
On high, with nothing to do. With their birthday and initials. "Now you need to open it."

"Is it going to blow up? Start playing really annoying music that they have in cards?" Karen teased. Aurora shook her head and smiled.

"It might make you cry." Aurora admitted.

Karen dug her nail into the crease of the locket and popped it open, gasping at the pictures in the outline of the hear shaped locket. "How did you get this?"

It was a baby picture of her, when she was no younger than five, no older than seven. Her dark hair had a bow in it, pink no doubt and a white dress. She was smiling, no doubt at something that her father was doing of to the side. It wasn't her mother who took it, that much she knew. She didn't care if she had pictures of her girls or anything that related to them. It was her father who had the pictures of them in his wallet and bragged about how beautiful his girls were.

"I found the picture in your black box under your bed." Aurora admitted. When Karen looked up at her with wide eyes. "I know you told me not to go into there but I was looking for your bracelet, the one Daddy gave you after the kid- after I went missing and I thought it might be in your black box. But Mom I-"

"I thought I lost this picture." Karen admitted. "I'm not mad that you went through my personal things. But it's okay. And what did you want with my bracelet?"

"It's a secret." Karen laughed and shook her head.

"Is everything ready for today? The buckets are set up and the table is set?" Karen asked. Aurora nodded. "And your dress-"

"Is hanging up on a hanger in the bathroom. I did it before I came here." She smiled. "Everything is set up."

"Good." Karen smiled, kissing her daughter's cheek.

The Truman home was filled with people in the matter of seconds it seemed. Jack, Grace, Leo and baby Laila were the first to arrive. Then after quietly celebrating Karen's birthday, the only celebration she was going to have until later when they were going out to dinner. Hopefully if the room full of teenagers left at a reasonable hour. From Grace and Leo Karen got a beautiful necklace that matched a pair of earrings. And Jack got her a coat, a red coat with black buttons.

Leo and Will were in the corner of the yard drinking beers and taking shots of something that was stronger than beer. How it got there, god only knows. Aurora was laughing, giggling with her friends, dancing, getting spun on the dance floor by a boy who made her red. It made Karen smile as she stood at the door to the backyard. She fingered the locket that Aurora had got her.

It amazed her that the girl had got hold of the picture, copied it and made this little necklace mean so much. Karen shook her head and wiped a tear from her eyes.

"I don't even want to know what's going to happen when Laila turns 16. I don't think I'm going to handle it."

"It get's easier with every year." Karen admitted. "Given I remember the day she was born and every birthday, but it does get easier."

Will and Leo came up to them. Will pressing a kiss to Karen's cheek. "We're going to get more beers and possible more 'adult' alcohol," he said adding the air quotes. "Don't miss me too much."

"I'll try. Plus I have to make sure that the teenagers won't burn my hours down." Karen said, patting his cheek. "You sure you don't want to take Jack with you?"

"Oh hell why not," Leo said. He left their side and returned moments later with Jack who was smiling at them. He started rambling about his latest role and how this party would help a lot with the research of the role.

Karen laughed at his rambling. He had one too many drinks. Or coffee. She watched as her husband pulled him out of the apartment and shook her head. Settling down in a chair watching Aurora and her friends interact with each other, it was as if she wasn't there. And that's how she wanted it. It was the deal she made with Aurora a long time ago. There was to be no interfering with her friends unless it was absolutely necessary.

She did whatever Aurora wanted. It was the least she could do after the mess they had with Stan. After throwing temper tantrums, demanding her parents do whatever she asked because she was entitled to it, and staying up half the night because she couldn't sleep; Karen found the best therapist New York had to offer. After calling Will, letting him know what she wanted to do, there were a slew of people calling. He no doubt dropped their last name and every and any therapist whether they had a valid degree or not were eating out of their hands.

It was going to be four years in a few days and Aurora went willingly. Went gladly. Her therapist, Marissa whose daughter Elizabeth went to school with Aurora, had heard about what happened and offered to help. Offered, willingly, and saw Aurora every few days, or whenever Aurora needed to vent to someone who wasn't Karen, Will, Grace, or Jack. At first it bothered her, because as Aurora grew up, she didn't want to have things hidden from her. But knowing what it was like to have something traumatic happen, the last person to talk to is mom.

Aurora smiled up at Karen as she was handed a piece of cake. The boys still hadn't come back yet and it sort of bothered Karen. But knowing that one of them wasn't stupid enough to drink and drive, Karen shook of the idea that something bad had happened to them. That was until the front door was heard slamming and Will throwing open doors, with Leo in his tracks.

"Karen-" He started.

"You're a whore" Will yelled, pointing a finger at her. "You slept with your ex-husband while married to me AND you had an affair with your step-father?"

Karen's eyes snapped over to Aurora who was stunned into silence. The light whispers of Aurora's friends sounded loud in her ears. And that's when she heard the metaphorical glass break.