Back at the girl's apartment, Emma and Ben had returned from the park, where Ben bested Emma in chess five times to four, and they were now playing checkers, Erica was still trying to work, and Sophie was still bouncing.
"King me, and screw you,"Emma says once she wins.
"That's not fair, you can't move your piece there. I demand a ruling,"Ben says standing up from his chair.
"Fine, but Erica will just tell you that I'm right,"Emma says as she too stands up.
"Oh, why did you say Erica,"Erica wines from the table, more to herself than anyone.
"Erica, who won,"Emma says as her and Ben cross over to the table.
"If I answer will you both leave me alone so I can work,"Erica asks looking at her cousins.
"Yes, but remember, I, an older brother figure to you, just wants your honest opinion,"Ben says trying to sway her vote.
"If you really want my honest opinion, Emma won,"Erica says as Emma looks really excited while Ben just looks pissed.
"I knew I loved you for a reason,"Emma says as she gives Erica a one-sided hug.
"Erica, come on, Emma cheated. I want another ruling, Sophie,"Ben says turning to Sophie who is bouncing by the window.
"I, Say, Emma, Won,"Sophie says in between bounces.
"You all suck,"Ben says turning back to Emma and Erica.
"Hey wait a minute, your defending Louis Perry. Ben didn't you lose, like, a ton of money to him,"Emma says picking up on of the files on the table.
"Let me see that,"Ben says taking the file from Emma.
"Wait you invested with him,"Erica says as Ben reads.
"Yeah, told me I could double back my cash return. Now three months later, I'm out ten grand,"Ben says throwing the file back down onto the table.
"Ten grand, Ben you teach middle school history, where did you get ten grand,"Erica asks as Ben leans against the couch.
"That was almost all of my savings, but it's okay, I'm getting by,"Ben says crossing his arms over his chest.
"No it is no okay, I can't defend him knowing that he defrauded my cousin, I'll call my boss. Maybe if I explain my situation he might let me off the case,"Erica says taking her cell phone and goes back into her bedroom.
After a minute of silence, except for the sound of the pogo stick,Emma goes all over to Sophie,"So what is it, this time, you can't think of,".
"It's, A, Chocolate, Company, Coco, Love,"Sophie says still bouncing.
"Then do a chocolate bar or something, and stop bouncing,"Ben says still leaning against the couch.
"It doesn't work that way,"Sophie says as she finally stops bouncing and gets back onto the ground.
"Oh thank god, you were starting to make me sick,"Emma says as she sits down at the table.
"This isn't working, oh who wants to go skydiving,"Sophie says excitedly.
"Next time sweetie,"Emma says as Erica comes back into the room.
"Well how'd it go, are you off the case,"Ben asks as Erica walks back into the kitchen and takes a bottle of wine, and a glass and sits down next to Emma at the kitchen table.
"So no,"Sophie says as Erica pours herself a glass of red, filling it almost to the brim.
"My boss said that since Louis Perry defrauded half of Manhattan if he let a person off the case because of a relative being defrauded there would be no one left to defend him,"Erica says taking a drink.
"What a jackass,"Emma says as Ben and Sophie agree.
"So now I need to defend a man who stole ten thousand dollars from one of my best friends,"Erica says looking up at Ben.
"Don't worry Ria, it's not your fault, the stock game is a house of cards, with or without people like Louis Perry,"Ben says as him and Emma both look up at the mention of another game.
"Cards, I can totally beat you at cards,"Ben says as he walks over to the table and stands across from his sister.
"In your dreams, big brother,"Emma says standing up from her chair.
"We'll just have to see, I have a deck upstairs,"Ben says pointing to the direction of his apartment.
"You're on,"Emma says as her and Ben dash for the door.
"What about me,"Erica asks as Ben opens the door.
"Oh you'll do great, love you, sweetie,"Emma says blowing Erica air kisses as her and Ben dash out the door, and just as it's about to close Jack comes into the apartment.
"Don't tell me they're at it again,"Jack says closing the door behind him.
"Yeah, but it's been three hours, and no one's in the hospital or in jail, so I think we're good,"Erica says as Jack and Sophie agree.
"Just out of curiosity,why did you tell Luke he could throw out my stuff,"Jack asks crossing over to the table.
"I told him, tough love. He drew his own conclusions about what to do with it,"Erica says taking another sip of her wine.
"Little early in the day for alcohol isn't it,"Jack says judging.
"It isn't when your boss has a stick up his butt the size of the Statue of Liberty,"Erica says smiling slightly.
"No more explanation needed, getting back to my problem, why would you tell Luke it was okay to go through my stuff,"Jack asks leaning against the counter.
"Because he is obviously uncomfortable with your hoarding problem, and frankly we all are,"Erica says as Sophie sits down at the table,her pogo stick leaning against it.
"It's true, once I was looking for a pen and instead found your paper from Miss Hunter's class on the Battle of Gettysburg,"Sophie says as Jack looks a little confused.
"So,"Jack asks still confused.
"Jack, Miss Hunter was our second-grade teacher,and you got a D on that paper, you also misspelled Gettysburg and Battle,"Erica says as Sophie nods.
"I don't see your point,"Jack says as Sophie and Erica share a look.
"Jack you need help,"Erica says as Sophie agrees.
"And you don't, your drinking at two in the afternoon,"Jack says picking up the now half-empty bottle of red.
"Denying is only part of the problem, and we'll deal with Erica's drinking problem next session,"Sophie says as Jack sets the bottle on the counter beside him.
"I don't have a drinking problem,"Erica says to Sophie.
"Next session sweetie,"Sophie says patting Erica's hand.
"I don't have a problem, I can stop anytime I want,"Jack says unsure.
"Then stop right now. Do into your apartment and sort through your stuff,"Erica says moving in her chair so she could look her brother in the eye.
"I don't want to,"Jack says after a second.
"Jack, we only want to help you, but we can't unless you let us,"Sophie says still playing therapist.
"I don't need help, do you want to know what I'm gonna do, I'm gonna go find Luke, and I'm gonna tell him, that it's my apartment. So my roof, my rules,"Jack says as he heads for the door, just before he leaves he looks back at Erica and Sophie,"I don't have a problem,".
After the door slams shut Sophie stands up,"I should go too, I need to meet a friend,".
As Sophie picks up her pogo stick and heads for the door,Erica yells to her,"Sophie Lily Hannigan,you are a terrible liar,".
"I'm not lying, I'm going to meet a friend,"Sophie says looking at her hands.
"What friend,"Erica asks standing up.
"Denise,"Sophie says unable to think of anything else.
"How come I haven't met this Denise,"Erica asks crossing over to Sophie.
"I have friends outside the six of us,"Sophie says getting defensive.
"Okay, I'll let you go, on one condition, I'm coming with you,"Erica says regretting it as soon as she said it, but she really didn't want to go back to work, and babysitting Sophie seemed better than getting Louis Perry exonerated.
"You want to come with me and Denise,"Sophie asks confused.
"Only because I don't trust this Denise, and last time we left you along when you had artists block you tried to go bungee jumping off the Brooklyn Bride, and spent the night in jail,"Erica says already reaching for her purse.
"On the pulse side I did come up with an idea for that bail bonds place,"Sophie says as she takes her phone out of her pocket and pretends to get a text,"Oh no".
"Who is it,"Erica asks picking up her keys.
"Denise, turns out she can't come, but skydiving is still on,"Sophie says as she opens the door and walks into the hallway.
"Wait, what,"Erica asks going after Sophie and closes the door behind her.