Ivan handed the phone to Kim. "A call for you from the hospital, Madame," he said with his usual politeness. "It is Dr. Curtis."

"Thank you, Ivan." Kim cradled the phone against her shoulder. "Neil? Is there a problem in the clinic?"

"Not exactly," said Neil, and Kim could hear the smile in his voice.

It couldn't be. Could it?

"I'd like you to come here and visit with a patient. You might want to bring an overnight bad. You might not want to leave for a while."

"Understood," she said, and returned the phone to Ivan. He had, as usual, listened to every word of the conversation. Luckily, Neil had had the foresight to be discreet.

She hadn't brought much with her to Lawrence's house; just an overnight bag consisting of half of what she'd brought to Washington for ISA training. It only took her a moment to repack the bag.

It was odd that she could simply walk out of the house. As closely as Lawrence's staff had supervised her, they had never treated her like a prisoner. So far as she knew, they hadn't yet realized that the red bottle was missing; she and Kayla hadn't gone near that part of the cellar, so there was no reason that the bottle ought to have vanished.

When she arrived at the hospital, she didn't need to ask for Bo's room number. Carly was standing in the hallway, and she knew that Bo would be nearby. Carly noticed her and gestured for her to come closer.

Butterflies stirred in Kim's stomach. "I think I owe you a thank you and congratulations?" asked Kim.

"I think I owe you the same thing," said Carly. "I was already close, but having the original antidote to work with saved us a few days. It might have been what saved Bo's life."

"Can I see him?"

Carly nodded. "Yes. He's on the phone with Kayla and I stepped out to give him some privacy."

"Maybe I should come back later," Kim decided, but Carly shook her head and opened the door.

"I'm so sorry," Bo was saying. "I never should have asked you to lie. I didn't even think about what it would do to your career. I can't believe you can't even come here."

Kim couldn't hear what Kayla said on the other end of the line, but it must've been words to the effect of Kayla not caring about anything other than Bo getting healthy again. Kim could relate to that.

"I'm glad that at least you have Shane to see you through this," Bo continued. "I found love after losing Hope, and you found love after losing Steve."

Now Kim was definitely sure that she should have left and come back. Bo noticed her just then, though, and quickly wished Kayla luck at her hearing.

"Kayla's hearing's not today, is it?" she asked.

Bo ignored the question. "Kimber," he began. "First, I obviously thought you were Carly. Second—"

"There is no second," said Kim. "I'm glad you're feeling better. That's the only thing that matters. I really thought I was never going to see you again, and that was horrible. I can't tell you how awful."

"I agree. That would've been pretty awful." Bo gave her what he probably thought was a winning smile. For most of their lives, it would've worked on her. But today everything still felt too uncertain, too serious. "Thank you for everything you did. I don't have all of the details, but it seems like you pretending to be buddies with Alamain helped after all."

"I'm glad it's over," Kim agreed. "I'd like to not have to do that again if you don't mind."

"Don't mind at all. Look, Kimber, what you said when you left—"

"I only said what I needed to say to keep Roman from realizing what we were talking about."

"And I appreciate that. But nothing I said just now or at some other time was about choosing Kayla over you. It was about being glad for what everyone has. It was about Kayla needing someone on her side."

"I understand," she said. "Look, I'm not going to take away from your time with Carly. He didn't look entirely pleased, but he didn't say anything more. "Later alligator."

That earned her another smile. "After a while, crocodile."

She decided that, for now, that had to be enough.

Carly was still waiting outside the door. "He's all yours," said Kim. "But can you tell me whether the antidote worked on Miss Peach?"

"We did administer treatment, but so far there's been no change in her condition. We don't know whether it was too little too late. I'm sorry." Carly really did sound sorry.

"It's because of you that she even has a chance. I really can't ever thank you enough, Carly."

"If you think that you see any change when you're visiting her, make sure you let me know right away. I want to do anything I can to help her." Kim didn't doubt it, and she said as much as Carly disappeared into Bo's room.

Peach's room was just steps down the hall, and when Kim opened the door, she wasn't surprised to see a familiar figure sitting beside the bed.

Shane stood up and pulled Kim into a hug. "There you are," he murmured into her hair. "It's been 72 hours and it feels like forever."

"Tell me about it."

"Tell you about it?" He pulled back without letting go of her and flashed her a quick smile. "Well, for one thing, Bo's recovery has given me a change of heart. I'm no longer seeking full custody of our children. In fact, I am never letting you be parted from Jeannie again, because she decided to punish me for your absence by crying the entire time that you were gone."

"Is she all right?" Kim asked, alarmed. "I knew she was cutting a new tooth the last time I saw her."

"I am 100 percent sure that this is not about the tooth. This is about you. She doesn't like to be away from you. And I don't like to be away from you, either."

"You don't have to be. From now on, we don't—" and then she remembered what she'd overheard Bo saying to Kayla. "Is Kay's hearing today?"

"It is."

"Then why are you here and not with her?"

Shane dragged a hand through his hair in frustration. "Because I can only be in one place at a time. I needed to see Bo, and I needed to see Peachy, and I needed to see you. You are all at the hospital."

"You haven't broken up with Kayla, have you?"

Shane looked appalled. "Kim, I couldn't do that. Between her suspension and everything that was going on with Bo—"

"I agree," said Kim as quickly as she could. "I'm glad you haven't yet. That means it won't be awkward for you to go support her. She shouldn't be there alone. And it would obviously do more harm than good if I went."

"You'll look after Peach?"

"We were just reading some Edna St. Vincent Millay together the other day. We'd like to get back to it."

Shane took Kim's face in his hands. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She kissed him regretfully. "Do whatever you can for Kayla."

Kayla greeted Shane with surprise, and visible relief, when he met her outside the conference room in the state capital. "I can't believe you made it here."

"Where else would I be?"

"With Peach and Bo, obviously. How are they? You did see them? I talked to Bo on the phone but it isn't the same."

"Yes, I saw them. Bo is much better. So far there's been no change in Peach. Carly would like to wait a while longer before we make a final determination."

"I'm sorry. I know how much you love her."

"I also love you. And I couldn't stand the idea of you going through this alone. You don't deserve this, Kayla. You don't deserve any of this."

"I made my decision when I agreed to lie for Bo. I did what they're accusing me of. And what I did is illegal and against hospital policy. The law is there for a reason, and the policy is there for a reason. I just hope that they'll understand that there were extenuating circumstances, and that it would never, ever happen again."

"You are the most brilliant nurse practitioner I have ever seen. I can't imagine you as anything else."

"That's funny," said Kayla. "Because I think I can."

Shane didn't get an opportunity to ask what she meant, because a severe looking woman summoned Kayla into the conference room. Shane asked whether he could join them, perhaps as a character witness, or perhaps to explain the circumstances that had led Kayla to switch the blood samples. "You can wait in the hall," the woman said. "We'll call for you if we need you."

When Kayla emerged, she couldn't tell by the expression on her face exactly what had happened. He expected her to walk into his arms, to drop her head to his shoulder, to seek some kind of comfort after the ordeal of the past several days. Instead, she brushed her fingers against him and gestured that it was time to leave.

"Well?" he asked. "Do we need to start working on your appeal?"

"No," she said quietly, and he was more concerned than ever.

"'No' because they've reinstated your license, or 'no' because you've decided to give up? What was that business about not being a nurse anymore?"

"I've been a nurse for a very long time."

"And you love it and you're good at it and you do a lot of good for the community."

"All of that's true," she conceded, cool and detached. She reminded him of himself when his life was spinning out of control and he didn't feel that anyone was capable of helping.

And if she thought that she didn't have anyone to help her, well, she was sorely mistaken. "Kayla, what's going on?" he pressed.

"My suspension is going to last for a month, and then I'll be reinstated. But sooner rather than later, I hope to resign from my position at University Hospital. I'm going to apply to medical school. And Stephanie and I will move closer to whichever medical school admits me."

Of all the things Shane had expected Kayla to say, that hadn't been any of them.

"That's wonderful!" he exclaimed once her words had sunk in. "Kayla, you'll make a tremendous physician! But wouldn't it make more sense for you to attend medical school right here? Your family can help watch Stephanie while you attend class, or when you start working those completely insane hours they assign to residents."

"That's true. And I'm not entirely ruling out Salem University. It's an excellent program." Her eyes were faraway, and Shane knew that Kayla wasn't seeing him. She was seeing a blond man wearing a leather jacket and a patch over one eye. "Memories of Steve are everywhere I go around here, and maybe it's best that Stephanie and I make a fresh start somewhere new. I'll let the admissions committees decide."

"I can't help but notice that I didn't figure into this decision at all," said Shane.

"I wouldn't say that." The sad, faraway look faded and Kayla's eyes snapped to life as she looked squarely at Shane. "Did my sister send you here today, or are you here behind her back?"

"I wanted to come," Shane assured her quickly. It was important that she knew that, somehow. Important for her to somehow understand that they both wanted to support her even though they had betrayed her terribly. As unfair as it was to ask her to understand, he was going to try to make her understand. "Kimberly and I agreed that I should be here. She wanted to come herself, but she was concerned that it would make things more stressful instead of less."

"I was worried when you said that you were going to take her to ISA training," Kayla said conversationally as the two of them proceeded down the hall and toward the parking garage. "I knew that I was right to be worried when you told me about Jeannie over the phone. I couldn't deal with it then. Bo was dying in front of me. And when I came to your house the other day, and you wanted it to be Kim who was at your door, that was when I knew for sure. If you can't bring yourself to end our relationship officially, I'll do it."

"Kayla, neither Kim nor I wanted to hurt you," he said regretfully.

"I get that. I'm probably— hopefully— one of very few people in the world who can say I've been exactly where you are."

"Oh?"

"Steve." She swallowed hard. "Steve decided that as Jack's older brother, it was his place to 'give' me to Jack so Jack would have something to live for when he was sick. So Steve lied to me and pushed me away and basically did everything in his power to get me to marry Jack, and eventually I did it. When Steve admitted what he'd done… I hated that he'd lied to me. I hated that he'd manipulated me to get me to do something I never would have done if I'd known the whole story. But I also knew why he felt like he had to make that sacrifice for Jack. I admired how devoted he was to his brother. And while I will never think that anything that Jack did after that was justified or acceptable, I do understand why he felt completely humiliated even though that was never Steve's or my intention."

"It's no one's intention to humiliate you, Kayla."

"I know. But I think I'd like to rip the band-aid all the way off and know when you and Kimberly got back together. Was it before you found out about Jeannie, or after?"

"Before."

"Before you went to ISA training, or after?"

"During."

She almost smiled. "At least I know my instincts were right. I didn't want you to go on that trip."

"I'm sorry, Kayla."

"Don't be. We talked about this before we ever got together. That we'd already had those all-consuming loves so that anything else was always going to be a little bit less. If Steve had somehow walked through my door at any point in the last six months, I would've dropped you like a hot potato. I can't ever have Steve back, but you've still got yours. I'd have to be a horrible friend in addition to being a horrible sister to stand in the way of that."

"You're not—"

She waved him off and removed his ring from her finger.

He took the ring for just a second before placing it back in her palm and folding her fingers over it. "Keep it."

"It's not my style, and it's your family heirloom."

"I have so many family heirlooms that I was able to give you a ring that Kimberly never noticed, cared about, or wore. I have jewelry that I can pass on to Andrew and Eve and Jeannie and any grandchildren I might have one day. I'd like this ring to stay with you and Stephanie. I don't ever want you to think that what happened between us was meaningless, and I don't ever want you to forget what good times we managed to scrape out of a horrible situation."

Kayla considered that for a moment before putting the ring in her purse. "I'll keep it for Stephanie, then. You'll always be the man who was there when she took her first steps and who bought her special music box."

"I'm going to miss you both so terribly."

"One of these days you'll be back in Stephanie's life as her uncle. But that day isn't today. I know we'll have to see each other sometimes because Kimberly is still my sister."

"I'll make myself as scarce as you'd like. I can make myself invisible if that's what it takes to keep you in Salem with your family, Kayla."

"I told you. It's up to the admissions committees. Applications are due in a few weeks, and since I'm applying late I'm at a bit of a disadvantage. But this is the time to do it. Stephanie isn't in school yet, so if we have to move across the country that's one less thing to worry about. I'm not in a relationship, so I don't have to balance anyone else's career prospects or preferences."

"It sounds as if you have it all figured out."

"I do. But thank you again for coming today. It was nice to have someone waiting for me."

And she unlocked her car without further discussion.

Shane had cheated on his girlfriend and then been spared having to confess and break up with her.

He felt unequivocally awful.

He went home and spent the next several hours in constant communication with Chief Tarrington and Bert Kalervo. The ISA and SPD were working as quickly as they could to bring new charges of bioterrorism against Lawrence Alamain. The affected agents had been stationed all over the world and were of various nationalities, so the amount of international coordination and inter-agency red tape was a sight to behold.

He had just logged off with Tarrington for the sixth time when Roman called. "Flight number AS179," he said. "Landing at 5:00."

"We'll be there," Shane promised.

In a way, it was pleasant to stand around the airport, two parents impatiently awaiting their reunion with their son while their baby daughter slept in her stroller beside them. It wasn't that Shane actively sought the mundane— far from it— but a little bit of normalcy once in a while made for a nice change.

It was no surprise that Andrew's return was heralded with peels of laughter and annoyed passengers jumping out of the way as Andrew sprinted off the jetway and into the waiting area with Sami in hot pursuit.

The two of them tumbled to the ground, still giggling hysterically, when they weren't quite able to leap over an abandoned shopping bag.

"I think the race is a tie," said Sami, gasping as she climbed to her feet. Shane suspected that Andrew never heard her; his face was smothered against Kim's neck as she pulled him off the floor and into a tight hug.

"You had a good time, then, Sport?" Shane asked, trailing one hand over Andrew's back.

Andrew's whole face glowed as he looked up. "How soon can we go back?"

Kim laughed. "We'll see."

"I think Jeannie would like it," Andrew wheedled. "All four of us could go."

"We'll see," Shane said, echoing Kim.

Sami had stepped back and was eyeing the four of them speculatively. Even the primary schoolers in the Brady family were obviously monitoring the changes in Shane and Kim's relationship with interest. Shane was looking forward to the time when the dust had settled. For now, it at least appeared that Sami wasn't interested in sharing her observations with the world.

Eric and Shawn-Douglas emerged from the jetway at a more sedate pace, deeply interested in a small toy that Eric held in cupped hands. Roman and Isabella followed closely behind them, urging them forward and suggesting that they might want to watch where they were going.

Shawn-Douglas glanced up long enough to notice Carly and ran toward her with an excited cry. Carly looked like she might burst into sobs, herself, and Shane could hardly blame her as she started to explain that Bo was in the hospital but that he would be fine, and that she and Shawn-Douglas could visit him before they went home.

Eric and Sami, apparently not requiring further reassurances about their uncle's well-being, began to build a tower with the family's luggage. Andrew wriggled free of Kim's grip and joined them.

"Bo's in the hospital?" asked Isabella after checking to see that the three children who could listen were not listening.

"He was infected with the virus that was going around," said Carly, trying and failing to keep her tone neutral. "He's better now. We have a cure."

Isabella's face crumbled with horror, while Roman's flashed with fear and relief before settling on anger. "Someone closer to you than Miss Peach," he said to Kim, his voice low and dangerous.

"Bo didn't want anyone to know," said Kim. "Carly's the one who created the antidote, and she only found out because she guessed."

"I essentially dragged Kim to a secure location, cut her off from everyone else, and interrogated her," said Shane. "And even then, technically I had to guess, too."

Roman was nodding as if he clearly understood the appeal of isolated locations and interrogations. "As always, I appreciate your tactics. Speaking of which, I did admire your flair in sticking Winters in Alaska, but I've put in a request to have him moved. Seems like he was on the verge of a prison break."

Shane saw the blood drain from Kim's face and he reached out to take her hand.

"We put a stop to it, of course. But he belongs somewhere a little less remote and a little better monitored."

"That would have been all we needed," Shane said unnecessarily. "I can't thank you enough, Roman."

"I suppose I should be the one thanking you for handling the Alamain situation."

"You should be thanking Carly," said Shane. Carly and Isabella were locked in an embrace, both of them looking teary and fussing over Shawn-Douglas. "She came up with the antidote, and Kim and Kayla managed to get Lawrence's version out of his house so Carly could cross-reference."

"I'm still mad at you," said Roman to Kim, casually enough.

"I know," said Kim. "And I didn't want to lie to you. I definitely didn't want to make that scene in the hospital to distract you. Kayla only told me what was going on because I was the only one who could get close enough to Lawrence in time."

"Speaking of Kayla, does she know about this?" Roman gestured to Shane and Kim's joined hands.

"She does," confirmed Shane.

"So you dumped her for her sister while she was in the process of saving our brother's life?" asked Roman rather aggressively for someone who had made it clear that he'd never approved of Shane's relationship with Kayla in the first place.

"Technically, she dumped me and announced that she wants to focus on applying to medical school."

"Really?" asked Kim. "That's wonderful! You didn't tell me that."

"I didn't have a chance." The day had started to feel very, very long. How was it that the children had so much energy after a day spent on a plane? (Though it was just as well that Roman was almost certainly somewhere beyond exhausted.)

"And speaking of next steps in life," Kim prompted, "since Isabella did manage to accompany your two children and your two nephews to Alaska, as she promised, and you've already admitted that you somehow want even more children with her, any thoughts on when you're going to propose?"

"I don't have to tell you, of all people, anything," said Roman, almost huffily, but his tired eyes sparkled.

Roman's declaration was punctuated by a crash. Andrew, Eric, and Sami's luggage tower had met its predictable end. "That's enough," Shane decided, lifting up Andrew with one arm and Andrew's duffel bag with the other. He fully expected an argument— was even looking forward to it— but instead Andrew rested his head on Shane's shoulder. "Sorry. We didn't mean to."

It wasn't the time or place to ask what exactly they had meant to do, Shane decided. Much better just to cherish the feeling of Andrew's soft hair brushing against his cheek and drink in the sight of Kim double checking that Jeannie remained content in her stroller.

They all proceeded to the parking area, growing more quiet and subdued as they walked. Carly was still murmuring assurances that Shawn-Douglas couldn't hear but seemed to feel. Isabella and Roman were tossing each other jokes about how life would be much too easy with only two children to look after, and how they really did need to give Sami and Eric enough siblings to field their own baseball team. The twins had apparently heard this all before and didn't think it was worthy of comment.

And Shane felt as if his heart was beating in perfect fours. Andrew and Jeannie and Kimberly and himself.

It wasn't until they arrived at home and Kim said that she would put Jeannie to bed if Shane got started with Andrew, and Andrew asked whether Jeannie and Kim had moved in, that Shane realized that they had done their job of shielding Andrew from the effects of their latest mission rather too well. Andrew was perhaps the only person in Salem who did not realize that Shane was Jeannie's father.

He should have insisted on taking Jeannie and let Kim handle Andrew. Kim was good at explaining things to children. She was a bloody professional!

"It's not that hard a question," said Andrew.

"You don't ever find that questions are more complicated than you think that they should be?" Shane asked.

Andrew looked thoughtful. "Sometimes they are," he agreed.

"Well, Sport," said Shane, sinking into the couch and pulling Andrew down beside him, "this is one of those."

"Why?"

"Well, to start with, it's important that you know something about Jeannie. Well. You know the Eve is your sister because she's my daughter even though she's not your mum's daughter."

"And Jeannie is my sister because she's mom's daughter but not yours."

"That's what we thought. It turns out that there were some errors in the paperwork and we were mistaken. Jeannie is your mum's child and mine. She's your full sister, not your half-sister."

"So you and mom are back together now because of Jeannie?"

"We are back together, yes." He was about to explain that Jeannie's parentage was just as irrelevant as Eve's, but Andrew jumped from the couch and ran from the room with surprising speed.

"ANDREW!" Shane shouted.

Andrew ignored him, but Shane heard the kitchen door open and shut. (How Andrew had managed to do that without setting off the alarm was a problem for tomorrow.)

Thankfully, Andrew headed for the stables rather than for the lake. When Shane caught up to Andrew, Andrew was feeding a carrot to his pony, Skywalker. Shane gave the pony an affectionate pat on the neck before kneeling down to Andrew's level.

"Go away," said Andrew.

"You know better than to run off like that," said Shane as calmly as he could. Andrew's face was streaked with tears. "Come on, now. Tell me what's so terrible?"

"Are you going to give Skywalker to Jeannie?"

He'd actually thought that Andrew would be ready for a bigger horse by the time Jeannie started to ride. (Jeannie would, of course, be learning to ride. That was non-negotiable.) But if it mattered so much to Andrew, he had no objection to buying Jeannie a pony chosen with her in mind. In fact, that was better. One could never have too many horses, after all. He'd have to find a pony who was just as pretty as she was smart and gentle, in case Jeannie wanted to braid flowers into her mane…

"No," Shane told Andrew. "Skywalker is yours, and Jeannie will have a pony of her own."

"I guess that's something," muttered Andrew darkly. He picked up a piece of straw and worried it between his fingers.

"Is that what's bothering you? Sharing with your sister?"

"Do you love me less now?"

That gave Shane pause. He knew how common it was for older siblings to ask that sort of question, but Jeannie had already been Andrew's sister regardless of paternity, and Andrew didn't remember a time when Eve hadn't been in their lives. "I love you more every day."

"Then why wasn't I enough?"

"Enough for what?"

"Enough for you to get back together with Mom."

Oh. That made sense. Shane kicked himself for not following Andrew's train of thought more quickly. "Your mum and I were going to get back together whether Jeannie had been my daughter or not."

"But you didn't."

"We did," Shane corrected. "We sorted things out while we were traveling last week. We didn't sort Jeannie out until we'd sorted ourselves out."

"Are you sure?"

"I am absolutely sure." He ran his hand through Andrew's hair. "I have loved you since the day you were born. Since before you were born. The day your mother told me that she was expecting you was one of the happiest days of my life. The day your mother and I brought you into this world was— transcendent." Andrew didn't know what transcendent meant, but at the moment he didn't seem to care. His wet eyes blinked closed and he wobbled on his feet. For the second time that day, Shane stood up with Andrew in his arms. For the second time that day, Andrew let his head drop to Shane's shoulder.

"The first time I saw you after you were taken from us, I felt like I could fly. Like there was no greater gift in this world than holding you in my arms. Your mum and I used to fall asleep talking about our plans for you. We'd talk about baseball and cricket and mountain climbing and school. But we always knew that whatever you wanted to do, and whoever you wanted to be, we would always love you. There's no one else in this world we could ever love more, no matter how many sisters you have."

Andrew's breathing was steady and even by the time Shane disarmed the alarm and opened the kitchen door. (How had Andrew managed to evade it?)

Kim met them there, concern etched across her face. "We're all right," he told her.

And for the first time in far too long, it was actually true.

To be continued.