"I know I said I wouldn't ask," Joanie said to me while I was drying dishes as she washed them. "I really wasn't going to but I can't help it. What's going on with Buck and Carol? I'm really worried about them and Lisa too."

"Joanie, you know I can't tell you any of that," I said.

"I'm just so frightened for them," she said, "I don't know what to do. Their marriage is in trouble, isn't it?"

"I can't tell you any more details," I told her sighing, "But yeah, it is."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked, "Carol looks so sad and I've never seen Buck act like he did at dinner last week. I didn't think he was capable of acting like that."

"You're friends with Carol, right?" I asked and Joanie nodded. "Talk to her. Listen, be her friend and let her know that you aren't taking sides. I think she needs that right now. I think she fears the rest of us will only hear Buck's story and not hers."

"That sounds very serious, James."

"It is."

"You can't give me a hint?" she asked.

"I don't think that would be a good thing. If I tell you something it's his side of the story I'm telling. Carol needs someone to hear hers first. Even Annie probably got it secondhand from Ike. I'd like to keep my opinions and editorial comments out of your understanding," I said, "But, since it's a possibility, which lawyer at the firm is best with divorces and custody?"

"Uncle Saul or Uncle Eli out of the partners but I think there are a couple of associates with more recent experience. Do you think it'll really come to that?"

"I have no idea," I said honestly, "But I think he wants to know all of his options. I'm not sure what he really wants. I don't think he knows right now."

"Maybe she and Lisa would like to go for lunch some time," Joanie said thinking aloud as she handed me the last pan to dry.

"I think she would love that," I said, "I would imagine she feels like she doesn't have a friend in the world right now."

"As angry as Buck is, I would have thought you'd be angry too and not encouraging me to lunch with her."

"It's what I do for a living, Joanie," I reminded her, "I try to see every side of something and make other people see all the sides too. Buck's only seeing his side which is alright for now. But for Lisa's sake I hope they can try to see things from another perspective at some point or it is over for them and not some amicable thing either. It would be ugly and contentious and the one who would suffer most would be that little girl."

"Are you scheming a little, James?"

"I guess I am," I replied, "However it comes out, I guess I just want my friend to know they did the best they could for that girl."

We snuggled a bit on the couch watching TV or something and then I remembered to ask something.

"Holiday breaks will be coming up soon," I said, "Is your sister getting excited to have Dan back in town?"

"I think that has sort of fizzled," she said, "Well, I know it has. She was seeing some guy at school for a little while and now I think she's not seeing anyone."

"I can't believe how out of the loop I've gotten," I said, "She was nearly inconsolable when he left for school."

"You have been distracted with other things," she pointed out, "Starting a new job and Jesse getting settled and Buck and Carol's problems. It's been hectic for you."

"I guess it has but now I feel like I'm not paying enough attention to the kid," I said, "Maybe I'm not so good at this big brother thing."

"I think Lou would beg to differ with you on that point," Joanie told me, "Besides, I think Judy's fed up enough with my obsession with her romantic life. If you started in on it too, she'd go completely nuts."

We sat a while longer.

"You know," I said, "You were awful worried about Sherry dating Billy. I think that looks like it's going pretty good."

"So far so good," she replied, "I think you might have been right about him too. Sherry said that she wanted to take things kind of slow with the relationship and he hasn't pressured her at all. I was surprised to hear that and I think she was surprised by it too."

"There's more to Billy than he usually lets people see," I explained, "Hell, there's more to Billy than he lets himself see most of the time."

"Did you hear he got a job?" she asked.

"I heard something about it but I don't have the details," I said, "Did Sherry fill you in?"

"Yeah, some local station's news department," Joanie told me, "He's stuck doing research and writing copy and getting the occasional fluff piece but it's a start and not too bad for a guy just barely out of school."

"Not too bad at all," I agreed, "I guess we'll hear all about it tomorrow since they're coming over for dinner and cards."

"I suppose we will," she said.

"Now what's bothering you?"

"I think she's in love with him," Joanie said, "She's dated guys before but I'm not sure she's ever been in love before and I think she is now."

"And that bothers you?" I asked and then added before she could even respond, "If it makes you feel any better I think he's in love with her too."

"You really think so?"

"I really do," I answered, "Don't think he knows it yet but he's pretty sharp. I'm sure he'll figure it out soon enough."

"Did I tell you Noah's coming for dinner this Sunday?" she asked me.

"I think you did mention it," I said, "Emma will be happy. I think she's missed seeing him. He finally getting a break at work?"

"Not so much," she answered, "He's pretty much getting run ragged between what Daddy has him doing and then school. I think he has a reason to come."

"What reason would that be?"

"I don't know for sure but he said he's bringing Rosemary and I think they might have an announcement of some sort."

"So we finally get to meet this elusive woman?" I asked.

"You do," she said, "I already have."

It was funny, Joanie had met Rosemary before and it seemed actually strange that I hadn't. I spent a fair amount of time at the firm and Noah and I got on pretty well. We'd actually gotten to be good friends. He talked a lot about Rosemary and I wasn't surprised at all that there might be an announcement coming. But she was never at the office when I was there. She was always off on some march or somewhere. The oddest thing, I think was that Joanie never really said much about the woman. I could tell Joanie respected her ideals and her commitment but she didn't go on about her like she did some other people. I mean, Sherry, I knew that girl as well as her own parents before I even met her with everything Joanie told me. I didn't even know what Rosemary looked like exactly except that she was white and according to Noah, very beautiful. I figured he was telling the truth though because Joanie one time did say she was pretty and she said it in that tone that women get when they don't want to admit that they'd gladly give up a limb to look like the woman in question. I was actually really looking forward to meeting this mystery woman.

So the next night Billy and Sherry came over for dinner. His jaw was healing up nice and you could barely tell anymore. Sherry seemed to have gotten over the whole incident. I think her reaction to it scared her a little. Sherry's a very loving person and when she attaches to someone that attachment is strong but still she really acted girly. She was raised almost entirely with boys. I think she had one sister who was either a whole lot younger or a whole lot older so they weren't real close growing up. The ones she was close with were those brothers and she often acted more like one of the guys than one of the girls. It's why it never occurred to her to go to college just to find a husband or why she never thought twice about majoring in science which wasn't really what most girls did then. She grew up playing sports not even really because she liked them so much or wanted to be athletic, sports were just how she could connect with her brothers. I know she loved her brothers and took care of them after fights or when they got hurt at sports or something and she took care of my hand well enough after I busted it up on Stan's face but the way she reacted to Billy hitting the floor was something else entirely and I think it scared her a little bit.

So dinner was a little awkward and I got the feeling their whole relationship had gotten a little awkward. Sherry had been so into this before and now she seemed to be pulling away and reassembling whatever of that barrier of hers he had been able to chip away at. After dinner we were sitting and talking. Well, Joanie and Billy were talking. He was trying to get a bead on a story that had at least a little to do with a case her dad was working on. She couldn't get into specifics or anything but he was really just looking for an understanding of legal precedents. I got up to clear some dishes so I could bring out the cake Joanie had made for dessert and Sherry jumped up to help me. I kind of hoped that she would. She was far too pensive right about then and I had a feeling she needed to talk and well, that's what happens when you're the psych major, everyone comes to you for talking. There wasn't a huge separation between our dining area and kitchen but it was a little divide and Joanie and Cody were so involved in their conversation that they weren't about to pay us much mind at all.

"What's wrong?" I asked her. Sherry wasn't one to beat around the bush and it behooved the people who talked to her to remember that.

"I don't even know," she said, "I like him a lot. He's fun to be around and he treats me nice. He's smart and good looking, better looking than anyone I've ever dated before. He says most of the right things, as much as any guy does. Why do I want to bail out?"

"Could be a lot of things," I said intentionally keeping my side of things vague. I could probably have answered her questions for her but I always found it more effective if someone could reach those conclusions on their own. They had a tendency to remember it better. "You ever actually love any of the guys you dated?"

"I thought I did but in retrospect I think I probably didn't," she admitted, "A crush can feel a whole lot like love for a little while anyway."

I nodded. There was a whole lot of truth right there.

"I think I love him," she said really softly and she looked nearly horrified. "This was a summer thing. When summer ended and I didn't want to break up and he didn't want to break up I just thought it was a longer thing but I never expected to fall in love. I don't even know how smart it is to fall in love with him."

"A year or two ago and I would have told you it was the dumbest thing you could do but he's not the same guy he was then," I told her, "Something in him changed the minute he laid eyes on you at the wedding. He watched you down the aisle and something shifted in his brain. I ain't saying it was love at first sight or anything like that but I think it's the first time he wanted to be in love."

"I feel so stupid sometimes falling for something he does that I know he's perfected over the years with other women. I'm supposed to be smarter than that."

"Did you ever think that maybe he was perfecting those little things he does just so that he could woo you?" I asked and then picked up the cake and nodded to the plates on the counter for her to grab.

Billy turned his head when we came back to the table.

"The fair haired maiden returns," he said grinning ear to ear. He had some smile. I think if I'd been a girl I would have even fallen for that smile. Yeah there was something different about him than I had ever seen with any other girl. I was thinking Sherry should feel just fine about falling in love with Billy because he wasn't going to break her heart, not willingly at least.

She smiled back at him and suddenly she came full present with him like she hadn't been since sometime after Buck laid out her boyfriend. She even walked over and kissed him full on the mouth. It wasn't lurid or anything but Joanie and I shared a look that said we weren't sure we should be there and I'll tell you in Billy and Sherry's minds, we probably weren't there at all.

We were all sitting and enjoying the dessert and the radio was on in the background. Suddenly Billy turned to Sherry and started singing.

"You got a smile so bright," he crooned along with The Temptations, "You know you could've been a candle."

"Will," Sherry protested but her eyes said she appreciated the gesture.

"I'm holding you so tight," he went on pulling her close to him, "You know you could've been a handle."

"You're crazy, Will," she said losing the control that was keeping her face in a stern expression.

"The way you swept me off my feet, you know you could've been a broom," he sang, "And babe you smell so sweet, you know you could've been some perfume."

"William, you're just ridiculous," she said smiling and starting maybe to get the start of a giggle.

"Well, you could've been anything that you wanted to," he kept singing and was really getting into it. "And I can tell, the way you do the things you do."

Okay I know Billy had some go to moves that he used to get to women but I also know he had never serenaded one before and certainly not in front of anyone. And if you're going to pick a song to sing to a woman, you could do worse than that song. I know Sherry was seeing the same thing too because the look in her eyes was, well, it was love. She was beaming and her eyes were sparkling and I really thought that we might need to leave lest we witness something on our dinner table that we didn't need to see. There wasn't going to be anymore taking things slowly, I could see that. Bill Cody was getting some that night.

The song on the radio ended with Sherry hugging him tight and I heard him whisper, "I love you."

I saw the jolt in her at that and then she relaxed against him and cooed, "I love you too."

Well that made the world just perfect for me but Joanie shot me a look. Women, sometimes I wonder about them and why they have to find something wrong with every single situation. I knew what she wanted and I really dreaded it. I mean it would be one thing if someday Sam wanted to punt and make me have this chat with Jesse or someday when it was my own kids but to even think that I had to have this talk with my friend, someone like a brother to me and worst of all, someone my own age. I really didn't want to and I shot her a look that told her so. But I stood up anyway.

"Hey Billy," I said, "If I can pry you away from that lovely creature for a bit, I need to wander down to the corner for another case of Stroh's. Want to come too?"

"Sure Jimmy," he said, "Afraid you can't carry it back all this way?"

"It wouldn't be you I'd ask for help if that was the case."

We walked a bit and Billy looked at me.

"Did you really need more beer?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, "At some point I was going to run out."

He looked at me strange some more.

"Okay," I said, "Joanie's worried. Somewhere between how you normally treat women and how head over heels her friend is for you, she's worried and I get to talk to you. You know she's probably going to give it up to you now after that stunt you just pulled, right?"

"I think I figured that out after her second fake protest," he said, "I wasn't doing it to break her. Honest, I wasn't. I thought it would make her happy. God, who am I? I was never like this before."

"You, my friend, are a man in love," I said patting him on the shoulder, "Join us. It's not so bad at all. In fact, it has some very nice perks."

"I think I'll be finding out about those perks tonight," he said.

I'm sure he was right too.

The next day or maybe even a couple later, Joanie did invite Carol out for that lunch. They left Lisa with Emma who was feeling worlds better. She was eating again. In fact, she seemed to be eating for three or four and not just two. Her face filled back out and she really did glow. I'm not sure I'd ever seen a woman take to pregnancy so.

That day I got a call at work from Joanie.

"James," she said, "I talked to Carol and I have no idea what to do."

"Did she tell you what happened?"

"Yes, she did," Joanie told me, "But she won't tell me anything but the barest of facts. I tried talking her into counseling. I told her I thought Buck would want it and that it would make things better for Lisa. She just shut down, James. What can I do? Our friends are really hurting."

I had an idea. It wasn't what I wanted to do and there were a number of reasons that I shouldn't be the one to do it but then there really wasn't anyone else.

"Where is she now?" I asked.

"In our bathroom, I think she's crying."

"Keep her there," I said, "Talk about anything. Talk about Sherry and Billy. Talk about that soap opera of yours. Just keep her there. I have an idea."

I went over to Buck's place after work. He got out of work about the same time I did so I figured he'd be there and sure enough there he was just getting out of the car and heading up the walk. He had been so proud when he got that new job and he could finally be at home more and buy that little house. I don't mean it was tiny or anything. It had three bedrooms and was a nice little ranch style home with a nice little yard. I was actually sort of jealous when he moved in there but I knew I just needed patience about the house and yard the same way Joanie did with having babies.

"Buck!" I called to him.

"Hey, Jimmy," he said and I swear the man looked a hundred years old. That right there only solidified my own resolve to do something to help. "What can I do for you?"

"Come on over to my place for a bit."

"I should at least tell her where I'm going," he said and it didn't escape me that he wouldn't even call his wife by her name.

"She's with Joanie," I said, "And Lisa's with Emma, probably getting spoiled half rotten about now, I'd say."

Buck nodded and we got into my car and I drove home. Now the concept of an intervention is pretty commonplace nowadays. There are even TV shows about them and they are for all sorts of things, overeating and other eating disorders and drug addiction mostly. This one would be a little different and I was a bit nervous because I'd never been a part of one before. They hadn't been around for that long but I had read a good deal about them. They seemed like something I might someday be able to use with some of my harder cases. The trick at that point was not letting either of the guests of honor at the intervention know that's what was about to happen. I don't think anyone in Psychology or social work likes the idea of ambush therapy which is really all this is but sometimes it's the only way to get the job done.

Buck followed me into my apartment and froze in place when he saw Carol sitting on the couch. Carol looked like a cornered rabbit. She would've liked to run, I'm sure but we were between her and the door. I think she might even have considered for a moment jumping out the window to get away but we were on the third floor. I moved behind Buck so he couldn't run and I really hoped he wouldn't challenge me. He looked at the door and saw me and the anger in his eyes sort of hurt that he would be that angry with me but I guess I knew even then that he was angry with her and the situation and I was just making him face it.

"You said," he started and I cut him off.

"I said Carol was with Joanie. I never said where they were. I didn't lie exactly. Just come and sit down."

He sat over in the chair because the only other option was next to Carol on the couch. I took that seat.

"Should I leave?" Joanie asked and I felt bad that I hadn't been able to fill her in on this or what it entailed.

"No, honey," I said gently, "You stay. Our friends are going to need all the love and support we can give them."

I sighed and looked back and forth between Buck and Carol. She was looking down at her lap so as not to make eye contact with anyone at all and he was staring daggers into her before looking away. He tried for disgust but the hurt showed through too clearly. He still loved her. It was killing him but he still loved her.

"I didn't want to do this in this manner," I began, "For so many reasons; I shouldn't be your counselor. I have names I can give you of wonderful people who could help you far better than I can but it seems we have to resort to this first."

"What exactly is this, Jimmy?" Buck asked.

"It's what's called an intervention, or something like it anyway," I said, "Basically it's where some people who care a great deal about you gather and try to talk you into helping yourselves."

"Jimmy, you don't know the first thing about this," Buck said.

"I know my friends are hurting and yes, you are both my friends. I know I can help in some way. I really wish I could guarantee a happy ending but hell, none of us gets anything close to that kind of a guarantee. I can say that there's a chance to make the hurt not so bad. I can make it so you can talk to each other and I can make it so things are better for that blue pig coloring kid of yours. I know she means more to both of you than anything else."

Buck looked to protest but then Carol spoke up making all of us jump just a little.

"What do we have to do?"

"We sit here and we talk and we listen," I said, "It sounds pretty simple but it's harder than it sounds sometimes."

"I don't see what's to talk about," Buck said angrily.

"Maybe how you told me you wished she would stop pushing you away," I offered, "Or how you're trying to use all your anger to mask how much you still love her."

That shut him up.

"Carol," I said, "I hate that you have to be trying to do this with me here. I know you might feel like I'm going to be biased toward Buck and I'll admit, hearing his side of things first got me a little upset. But I need you to listen to me right now. I'm not talking as a social worker. I'm talking to you as a friend. I wish we'd all gotten to know you better. I think you might've felt a little outside the group sometimes and I feel bad about that. But I do consider you a friend too. And I consider myself an uncle to that little girl of yours and a brother to your husband. I see three people I care a lot about falling apart right now and it hurts. I know you're scared to talk and that's why I've asked Joanie to stay here. I want you to feel safe in speaking your mind."

Joanie took Carol's hands in her own and gave them a squeeze to lend her strength.

"So," I went on, "I've heard what happened from Buck but not from you. You want to set that to rights?"

She looked unsteady but nodded and sighed before speaking.

Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion of A 60's Intervention or How Do We Save this Marriage in the Days Before Equitable Custody Arrangements...same Bat time, Same Bat Channel!-J