Stealing away to the corner of Mac's den, Georgie pulled her cell phone out from the back pocket of her jeans. The rest of the family was still gathered in the living room, watching Kristina, who fell sound asleep on the couch, the adrenaline that got her through the day finally leaving her tiny body. Wiping away the tears that had stolen down her face, Georgie smiled at the realization her family was together again. Everyone was where they were supposed to be tonight and nothing was going to change that.

She pressed the familiar numbers in, half hoping she wasn't going to disturb him and half hoping he was still awake wondering about her. Listening to the rings on the other end, she promised herself she wouldn't call back if she got the voicemail. She would just leave a message and wait for him to call her. She would not under any circumstances leave him message after message after message.

Steven stumbled over a basket of laundry in his pursuit to pick up the phone before he missed the call. Out of breath, he lifted the receiver and took a moment to glance at the Caller ID. "I was just thinking about you."

"Really? I hope it wasn't about how much better off you are without me." She tried to keep her voice light, but Georgie couldn't lie to herself. It was a thought that had plagued her since he left. Would he come to his senses and she become his something crazy he had done in Paris?

Steven couldn't hide his surprise. "Why would you think that?"

Georgie shrugged, forgetting that he couldn't see her. "It's just sometimes I feel all I've brought you since we've met is one family drama after another."

Steven found his voice instantly. "Georgie. I owe your family a lot. If that means they require your attention sometimes, it's a small price to pay if I get to be with you at the end of the day."

"How'd you get so wonderful?"

"I watched a lot of Gone with the Wind."

Georgie laughed. "Well Rhett I have some news. Kristina, Morgan, and Lulu are home!"

"That's wonderful news! Are they alright?" Steven wanted to know.

"The doctors said not a scratch on them. They all needed fluids, but apparently they all convinced themselves there was something in the water they were given and refused to drink anything."

"I can't even begin to imagine what they've been through, but at least they're home now. And safe." Steven added for good measure.

"Yeah. It's great. I don't even mind sleeping in Robin's old room."

Steven laughed. "At least it's just temporary...right?" It was a sensitive situation and he didn't want to pressure her to return to Paris; he just hoped she still wanted to.

"I have no doubt. Give them another week and I'm sure my dad and Alexis will be throwing me back on the plane. Might take less time if I keep trying to make Maxie follow doctor's orders. She'd put me on the plane tonight if she could."

"I doubt that. Your family loves you. How could they not?"

Blushing at his compliment, she was grateful they were on the phone and he couldn't see her turn bright red. "I know they love me. Which is why I know once Kristina is settled in they will start the chant of it's time I went back to finish. At least Alexis, Robin, and Maxie will. Dad might be a little reluctant."

"Your dad...is he a big guy?" Steven asked with an intended pinch to his voice.

"Yup and he carries a big gun." Georgie couldn't help but tease him.

"Good to know." Steven remarked. "How are you doing?"

"Much better now that everyone's home." She paused to make sure she was still alone in the room. No sense in having anyone overhear what she was about to say next. "There is one thing that's not going so well though."

"What's that?" Steven whispered.

Dropping her voice to a whisper that matched his own, she smiled at his concern. "I miss you, that's what."

"Yeah? Well we'll just have to do something about that when you come back, won't we?"

"Is that so?"

"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn't keep you satisfied at all times?" Steven challenged. When she didn't respond right away, a blush crept into Steven's cheeks without his permission. "Are you still there?"

Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, Georgie let out the breath she had been holding. "Yeah. I'm still here. Sorry. I guess I spaced there for a minute." Or longer, wondering if he did plan on keeping her satisfied in every way.

Amused that he could knock her off-balance, Steven said, "Spaced out huh? Were you having naughty thoughts about me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She retorted in her best teasing tone. "Maybe it's you who has to confess to naughty thoughts here."

"I've never pretended otherwise." Steven pointed out shamelessly.

"So you're counting down the seconds until I'm back in Paris then? Planning out everything you want to do with me when I get back?" She left her words deliberately vague, letting him do with them what he would.

"I have some definitive ideas." Steven admitted wryly. "Nothing we're discussing over the phone."

"Then I guess I'll just have to wait until I get back there to discuss this like mature adults?"

"I'll let you get some sleep." He couldn't help remembering what it had been like to have her in his arms and in his bed all night long. There would be some changes next time around, he thought to himself.

"That's my line buddy. It's later over there than it is here."

"Either we get off the phone now or I'm not held accountable for what I say in regards to what I want to do with you." Steven threatened lightly.

"You wouldn't. You're too nice a guy." She said firmly. "But I do have to go."

"Alright. Fine. Abandon me." Steven teased.

"Never. I miss you."

"Not for too much longer. Goodnight Georgie girl."

"Goodnight Steven."

Ric's house was a lot bigger than Maxie had thought it would be. The front and garage doors were a rich brown color and the house was butter yellow with a perfect white finish. A sidewalk cut the driveway in half revealing a row of townhouses ranging in color and design, each complimented by nicely trimmed front lawns. It had taken her a long time to sneak over without anyone realizing she was gone; she wondered if he was still expecting her or if he had given up and gone to bed. Of course she wouldn't have blamed him if he had. During their talks, he had told her he was usually up at five every other morning, on-call on Thursdays, and filled up the remaining days with consults.

Lifting her hand to knock, she was surprised to find the door open without having to turn the handle. For some reason, this put her ill at ease. He could have been on his way out and forgotten to lock the door; in a neighborhood like this, it was very unlikely he'd be robbed. Since the garage door was down, she had no way of knowing if he was even home. He had stopped answering his phone after his hasty text message, so she hadn't been able to tell him how late she would be. Leaving Robin's had required no effort, but the call from her dad that Kristina was home had stopped her in her tracks. Granted, by the time she made it over there, her little sister was sound asleep, but she had watched her for what felt like an eternity but according to her phone had only been an hour.

She didn't feel right walking into the house unannounced so she rounded the corner of the house and looked to see if the gate was unlatched. It never occurred to her that she could have called his name, because the eerie feeling was clouding her judgment. Something was going on and she wasn't sure she wanted to know what it was. She grabbed a piece of the fence and hoisted herself over since the door was on the opposite side of the yard and the light she was dealing with was not the best. The next obstacle was the patio door which, of course, was latched shut. A creaking sound alerted her that she might not be alone in the backyard and she started to wish she was in the front yard where there would at least be a few witnesses. Her eyes searched for the owner of the sound and instantly her eyes picked up on the swinging gate door. She spun around and collided with Ric, her scream catching in her throat.

"Jesus, what are you doing out here?" Ric demanded, pushing her into the house. She had been so frightened, she hadn't heard the patio doors spring open.

"Me? What are you doing skulking around a dark house scaring me?" Maxie shot back, taking a step out of his arms when she noticed that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

"I wasn't skulking." Ric argued pointedly. "And it's my house."

"So? You think that makes it okay? God, I think I lost ten years off my life. Are you happy?" Maxie ranted, pacing.

"I wasn't trying to scare you. I thought you were a burglar." Ric admitted with a smirk.

"Yeah." Maxie snorted. "Because all burglars—" Her indignant sentence was cut short by his lips pressing roughly against hers. Her arms twined around his neck of their own volition and she leaned into him.

Ric gathered Maxie closer and backed her into the living room where they at least had a couch at their disposal. Her mouth trembled beneath his and he groaned, reaching out to find the cushions and lowering her onto them.

Maxie's fingers danced down Ric's naked spine and she sighed when he parted her lips with his tongue. What had she been mad about? She hadn't been mad, she had been scared. His weight pushed her deeper into the cushions and their combined body heat left their skin permeated.

Catching the string on the back of Maxie's white lacy top, Ric used his thumb and forefinger to unravel it, lifting up on his elbows to pull it apart and tug it off of her. Satisfied for the moment, he sunk back into her, feeling her heart hammering against her ribs.

Maxie arched into Ric's hand when his fingers got to work on the front latch of her brassiere and just when she thought she would explode into an array of sensation, he reached over her head and picked something up, discarding it before she could see what it was. "Ric?" Her voice sounded small in her ears and she started to get that nagging feeling again. "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing." Ric shook his head and buried his face against her neck, catching the soft skin between his teeth.

"You would tell me…" Maxie let her voice trail off.

"Tell you what?" Ric wondered. Talking was the kiss of death for them; why couldn't she just be quiet?

"What was it?" Maxie attempted to sit up, but he kept her in place by putting his free hand over her stomach.

"What was what?" Ric grumbled.

"Whatever it is you just had." Maxie clarified impatiently.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Why are you talking at all?" Ric whined. She probably wouldn't have even seen it if he hadn't made a grab for it. Stupid, he chided himself. Cold shower for him. Or rather another cold shower.

"Let me up." Maxie insisted, pushing on his shoulders.

"I like you where you are." Ric argued stubbornly.

"I'm sure you do. If you'll just tell me what you had…" Maxie reasoned.

Ric recognized the trick. He could tell her, but she most certainly wouldn't let him near her after that. He had blown it for the night. Time to pack it up and send her home. Damn it all to hell! "You're crazy, do you know that?" Ric caught her bottom lip between his teeth and lightly stroked away the sting with his tongue. It was a last ditch effort. She had like a two-second attention span so as long as he kept this up, she should forget what she had seen…

"Stop it, Ric." Maxie turned her face away from him and his reaction was to stand up and walk out of the living room altogether. Something told her whatever had been on the top of the couch was now discarded and out of sight. She sat up and frowned at the back of his head.

Ric wanted to say so much, but he couldn't put his irritation into words. It was just easier to put distance between them. Leaning into the corner, he reached listlessly for his forgotten cup of coffee. He could tell by just touching the mug that the dark liquid had gone cold.

"Are you seriously pouting?" Maxie couldn't hide her surprise, nor did she want to. She pulled on her shirt and halfheartedly fastened it.

"You should probably go home." Ric suggested when he heard her footsteps gaining on him.

Maxie forced an angry breath through her nostrils. "Oh, I see. Thank you for clearing it up for me." She rushed past him almost calmly, but the sound of the door slamming shut broke through the subterfuge.

Ric walked over to the back of the couch and retrieved Kate's cream jacket she had forgotten. If Maxie had shown up a few minutes earlier, a few seconds even, she would have come face-to-face with his soon-to-be-ex-wife.

Muhahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Love Kristin