"Not bad." Hunter said after a long pause. Maxie dropped a chip into the bowl of Queso. She openly gaped at him, words obviously too difficult to form. "What?"

"You can't date him." Maxie ordered with a weary sigh. When she had been looking for a place to stay, she had been strapped for time so she ended up rooming with Hunter, her boss's nephew. He understood about personal space and spent more time moping about men than she ever had. His only flaw was his choice in apartments. She had to shield her eyes against the harsh neon lights of the restaurant located directly across the street.

"I can't believe you told him you wanted him." Hunter rolled his eyes at her apparent bad choice. All he had heard over the last several weeks was how she didn't want to talk about her past. He didn't know what her problem was. If his past looked that good, he might have to stalk it.

"I was surprised." Maxie defended herself.

"I'll bet he was too." Hunter threw in with a chuckle.

"Oh what do I ask your advice for?" she whined.

"You didn't, but I'm going to give it to you anyway."

"No need. I already know the worst thing I could do is be alone with him again." Maxie assured him.

Hunter gave her a long look. "And how exactly are you going to avoid that? Follow me to and from work?"

"Look, I'm sorry about my little fib but I had to say something and look at you." She openly gestured toward him. "If anyone's going to make Ric crazy with jealousy, it's you. Imagine what he's thinking about right now." Maxie rested her chin in her right hand and smiled.

Hunter gave her a disgusted look. "He probably thinks we're going at it like rabbits. Wanna prank call him?" He made a goofy face at her.

"No," she argued.

"Don't look so surprised. If I got a few shots in you…" Hunter considered.

"Now you're starting to sound like a straight guy." Maxie clapped gleefully.

"Well that is my role in this little shenanigan isn't it?"

"I'd do it for you." Maxie pointed out.

"And have." Hunter recalled.

"There. You see? You owe me." She grinned.

"I don't have to grab your ass in public do I?" He stomped his foot when she didn't answer right away.

"I'm just kidding. No. I think that would actually blow your cover." Maxie knew she wouldn't like any guy doing that and her reaction might be what set Ric off. She had so few friends. She wasn't willing to put one in harm's way for her stupid love life.

"Can I ask you something though?"

"Sure."

"Do you want to get back together with this guy?"

"If I were even to consider it, I'd want him to suffer a lot more than he has first." Maxie reasoned.

"Bitter much?"

"He broke my heart, Hunter." Maxie defended herself.

"Then let the games begin. We should do a little shopping. I have a feeling I'm going to be very inebriated this week."

*****

Elizabeth pulled her knees up under her chin, resting her arms and head on top of them. Pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders, she tried to fight off the chill that seemed to descend the second Lucas had made his announcement. A part of her appreciated the fact Lucas had been so straight with them. Another part of her wished he had kept his news to himself.

The twins were still sleeping. Cameron and Lance were still completely involved in their video games. So she had retreated to their bedroom. Lucky had wanted to follow her but she had protested, claiming she needed just a few minutes to herself. The original idea was to get her mind on anything, anything other than Max being out but it wasn't working.

He was all she could think about. If she closed her eyes, he was all she could see. Would he want to find her? Would he look for her? Try to contact her? Was he sorry for what he did? Did he even care how long it took her to rebuild her life without him?

"Elizabeth, are you in there?"

"Robin?" Elizabeth raised her head and looked towards the closed door.

"Let me in." Robin insisted.

"The door's not locked. I just told Lucky it was."

Robin pushed the door open and brought her hand to her mouth. She wasn't going to ask the obvious question because she knew her friend was not alright. "Dillon called me."

"I figured it was him or Lucky." Elizabeth smiled sadly. "How long did Dillon wait?"

"He said Lucas had just left with Lance." Robin admitted. "The important question is why didn't you call me?"

Elizabeth shrugged and motioned for Robin to come join her on the bed. "Shock. I'm still stuck on the whole he's probably getting out thing."

"Only if he helps." Robin argued.

"He will. It benefits him. He'll help. I know that much about him still."

"There's no reason for him to come here." Robin promised, saying aloud what she knew Elizabeth was worried most about.

"He didn't exactly have a reason to come looking for me the last time Robin."

"If he did, we'd put him back in jail."

"And he'd just find another way to get out. Come on Robin we both know how this works. The slime always gets released."

"You don't know that'll happen."

"You don't know that it won't." Elizabeth sighed.

"When Logan came after me the first time, I went to Gail." Robin murmured.

"What do I keep telling you about listening to me?"

"Would you be willing to listen to me this time and go to see her?"

Elizabeth chewed her bottom lip before meeting Robin's eyes. "I'll think about it."

"I know it won't stop him if he's determined to come here. I'm no longer that biased," Robin promised. "But I do know that you'll be better able to fight his mind games if you can free yourself from the fear he still holds over you."

"You want to know the really sick thing?"

"I guess." Robin hesitated.

"I'm actually thankful for him."

"You are?"

"I had to leave the state to feel safe again. But the thing is, if I hadn't have moved, I wouldn't have taught Cam. Wouldn't have met Lucky. Wouldn't have had the twins. Wouldn't have met you. In a really twisted perverted way, I wouldn't have had my life without him."

Robin grabbed Elizabeth by her shoulders and wrapped her arms around her. "There's something we need to do, something that'll make you safer."

"Any luck on those fast growing cactus plants?"

Robin tried to smile but it faltered. "No honey. We have to teach you how to fight."

"Excuse me? I know you aren't suggesting what I think you are suggesting."

Robin met her eyes. "What do you think I'm suggesting?"

"A gun is not going to make me feel safer Robin."

"I'm not talking about a gun. Mac got me one and I learned that if you're afraid of it, it doesn't exactly protect you."

"Then what exactly are you talking about?"

"Just what I said. I teach you how to fight. I don't know if you've ever heard stories about the constant danger I was in as a child. My parents' enemies were always trying to take me away in hopes of destroying them. The only reason they never succeeded is because my father taught me how to fight. As a child, I wasn't much of a force to be reckoned with. My mother always told me that God gave me a strong set of lungs for a reason and I should use them, but my father was the one who took me out of what he called wimpy karate and schooled me for the next ten years on how to protect myself."

"So you are offering to teach me to be a super spy like yourself?"

"Yes." Robin nodded. "Besides, Nathan's getting bigger and older everyday. I need another excuse to get back in shape as soon as possible."

"Well when you put it that way."

"I love you and I won't let anything happen to you." Robin promised, patting her shoulders.

"Well what are we going to do? Rely on our boys?"

"Please." Robin rolled her eyes.

"Exactly. They'd do something like challenge him to a video game tournament."

"Then they better let the little boys play." Robin suggested.

"You have to be feeling better if it's pick on me and Patrick time." Lucky observed from the doorway.

"That's just reflex." Elizabeth smiled.

"I know that look. I'm outta here." Robin declared, jumping up. "We'll figure out a schedule and start tomorrow."

"Ok. Thanks."