"Do you mind if we come in?"

Shane set down the book he had barely been reading and looked up from his bed. Mickey Horton and Julie Williams stood in the doorway. "Please," he said. "You're always welcome to visit."

"Well. . . ." Mickey shrugged. "This is business, actually, but I was over at Wings having a meeting with Julie and I mentioned I was coming over here next. Since that meant you could actually have visitors outside the family, she insisted on coming."

Shane smiled as Julie gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'm glad she did."

"So how are you, Shane, darling?"

As much as he wanted to roll his eyes, as he had done with Kayla, Shane appreciated Julie going out of her way to visit. So he responded with a placid, "Better. Marcus even says I might get out of here pretty soon."

"That's good to hear," she said, a broad grin on her face. "I've been getting some updates from my grandparents and Eve, but they didn't mention that."

At the mention of Eve, Shane frowned a little. He knew his daughter was struggling with his decision to reconcile with Kim and, even more, with jealousy toward her new sister and uncertainty about her own place in Shane's family. "Has Eve talked to you at all?"

"As much as Eve talks to anyone, I suspect," Julie said. "I'm sure she just needs a little time to get used to things. And I'm sure you'll have more of a chance to make her understand when you get home."

Shane hoped so. "Yeah, it'll be good to get home." Then he looked at Mickey. "Though, I guess I have a lot of other things to focus on, don't I?"

Julie took that as a cue to exit. "I don't want to tire you out when Uncle Mickey probably has far more important things to tell you." As she backed toward the door, she said, "Just remember that we're all thankful that you're okay. And I can't wait to see you back on your feet."

Shane decided against describing what that looked like these days, with him huffing and puffing as he struggled with each step. He just nodded as she stepped through the door. "Thanks again for coming by."

After Julie pulled the door closed, Shane motioned to the thick bandages running down the front of his chest and said to Mickey, "So I guess this doesn't get me off the hook, does it?" The question was made in obvious jest.

"No, not quite." Mickey took a seat in the chair next to Shane's bed. "I talked with Louis Pasqua yesterday, and he wanted to put off the trial until you're fully recovered. Frankly, I don't think he likes the case any more than we do, but his bosses are still pushing and insist that we don't delay longer than a month. So it looks like we'll have a trial date in mid- to late-December."

"Merry Christmas," Shane muttered.

Mickey shrugged. "I never said anything about the plea deal, but he raised it yesterday. He said the offer's still in place and he can make sure you get the best medical care-"

Shane raised a hand stopped Mickey in mid-sentence. "You don't need to explain the terms. There's no point."

This is the right decision, he said to himself. Since Andrew's visit the day before, Shane had been thinking a lot about the charges and his future. His son was already being condemned as a traitor's son. It had forced Shane to think about what would really happen if he pled guilty. And it wasn't just Andrew being shunned in school. As Shane had thought, he had realized what it would mean for him - and how much he would lose. He took a deep breath and stared down at his hands.

"I don't think I can plead guilty, Mickey. Not now."

Mickey frowned. "I don't understand. But I thought you wanted to. . . ."

It was hard for Shane to understand his own thinking, let alone explain it to someone else. Shane had to think for a few minutes and figure out how to explain. "I held my little girl the other day . . . knowing for the first time that she was my daughter. I've missed the first year of her life and now I'd be missing the next three." I can't do that to her. But there was more to it. It was not just Jeannie. It was Kim, Andrew, and Eve, too. "I found my family again, Mickey. I haven't really had my family right since before I got captured by Jericho. How can I just walk away from that now?"

"But you're facing a lot longer sentence if you go to trial and get convicted," Mickey pointed out.

Shane knew that. On an intellectual level, at least, he knew that. But his heart could not accept that compromise. He could not leave his family now. "Possibly the rest of my life . . . I know."

In the back of his mind, though, he reminded himself of the plan he was beginning to form. Something Steve had said the day before had planted an idea in his head, and Shane wanted to give himself a chance to pursue it.

"I know," Shane repeated. "It's a lot to risk, but I can't plead guilty. Not now. I can't leave Kim-."

"What are you talking about?"

Unaware that the door had opened, Shane was surprised to hear Eve's voice. He jerked his head around to see her standing in the doorway, glaring.

"Uh . . . Eve . . ." Mickey stood up from his chair. "Your father and I were having an attorney-client discussion."

"I got that," Eve snapped. "What I don't get is what he's saying." The "he" was clearly Shane, who she faced. "You told Andrew it would just be a few years. So now you're going to risk the rest of your life?"

"Eve." Mickey was trying to play peacemaker, but Shane knew that would not help. With Eve like this, they would not be able to continue discussing the trial.

"It's okay," Shane said to Mickey. "I think you probably should leave us. I know there's more we need to talk about, but right now is probably not the best time." He gave Eve a sidelong glance. She was standing, her hands on her hips and her head cocked slightly so her hair cascaded to the side. With a sigh, Shane looked back to Mickey. "We'll talk soon."

Mickey nodded and headed out of the room, leaving Shane and Eve alone.

"Sweetheart-"

"No, Daddy." Eve stomped over to the bed. "I know you were planning on pleading guilty. That's what Simmons said, and Andrew keeps talking about moving to England."

"I know that's what I told then," Shane said evenly, not feeling like he had to justify his decision to his daughter. "I've changed my mind. That is my prerogative - after all, it is my life we're talking about."

Eve grimaced. "And the rest of us don't matter at all?"

"Of course you matter," Shane replied. "Look . . . I'm not going to go into details with you, Eve. Suffice it to say that you're part of the reason I've changed my mind. You, your brother, your sister, and Kimberly."

Eve rolled her eyes dramatically. "Of course. It's all about Kimberly again."

Absolutely. "A lot of it is." Shane looked at Eve. "I know that's hard for you to accept, but that's what I want. . . . That's what I need. I almost threw it away and now I'm getting a second chance to put my life together again with the woman I love. And with our children." He could see Eve look away at that. "That includes you, Eve. I know you've always resented Kimberly, and things were rocky at the start, but she loves you like you were her own daughter."

"I doubt that," Eve muttered.

Shane reached out and touched Eve's arm. He would have taken her hand, but it was just out of reach. "You shouldn't. She loves you, and I love you. And I need you to be part of this family, too. It's not the same without you."

Eve opened her mouth and hesitated before she gave him a rather noncommital, "I don't know. I mean . . . Kim hasn't even visited the past few days."

Shane took in a sharp breath. The way Eve said that made it sound like Kim was avoiding him deliberately. "Kim's just not feeling well and doesn't want to cause any problems for me," he explained. "She'll be back soon."

From the look in Eve's eye, he knew she did not believe that.

"Is there some reason you don't believe Kim?" he asked.

Eve chewed her lip a little. "I don't know. It just doesn't seem like she's that sick when I see her at the house. She sure hasn't stayed away from the abuse clinic. I mean . . . you'd think she'd be worried about getting kids sick. If she loved you so much, she'd be here, even if she just stood in the doorway."

"Eve. . . ." Shane knew he sounded annoyed. "Kim loves me and is just as much committed to rebuilding our family as I am."

Even as he spoke, Shane knew some of his annoyance was frustration at not seeing Kim the past few days. Deep inside, he found himself wondering if there was something wrong. Was it Cal? He had seen the effects of that trauma on Kayla. Was Kim going through the same thing? Had Cal threatened to kill her too?

There also was what had happened to Andrew. That had to have left a deep scar on Kim. Seeing a madman try to kill your child and have him survive only by chance would traumatize any mother. And that was only the first step of the kidnapping.

Beside his bed, Eve sighed. "Fine," she said. "When I get home, I'll let her know she's been missed."

Shane nodded. "Thank you, sweetheart." When Kim visited him the next time, they would have a lot to talk about. About Cal. About the children. But, most importantly, they needed to talk about their future. Shane pictured himself with Kim at the Salem house, then smiled at his daughter. "When you see her, tell her that I love her and can't wait until she can visit me."