Note: I mention in this chapter that Lyndy has her first flight. I don't think she's been on a plane in the show, but apologies if I missed that somehow. It's her first flight in my brain. Also, this chapter is much longer than the others, but I didn't think there was a great spot to split it up, so it's all one!

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 5

Late October

"Attention passengers, this is the captain speaking. Boarding is now complete, and we will be taxiing out to the runway in just a few minutes. Flight attendants, prepare for departure." Lisa listened as the intercom crackled off and turned to look at Jack. She could hear Amy answering a litany of questions from Lyndy across the aisle from them and smiled at her husband. She watched him bite back a grin when Lyndy asked why they couldn't open the windows. As Amy answered her daughter patiently, Lisa spoke quietly to Jack.

"You ok?" He squeezed her hand and nodded.

"I'm fine Lise, I have flown before, remember? Even somewhat recently, at least for me." She nodded, knowing she was worrying too much. They'd only flown together a handful of times, so she was doing her best to make sure it was a smooth trip for him.

"I know, I'm sorry. I'll try to stop worrying." She squeezed his knee and leaned down to rifle through her bag for her book, and smiled when he pulled out a fishing magazine, and started flipping through it. He did seem fairly relaxed, she realized, and the last time they'd flown together, about 2 years before, he hadn't complained at all, and had seemed to do fine on the flight, so maybe she really should stop worrying. She looked across at Amy and Lyndy, the first-class seat dwarfing the little girl, but they seemed relaxed too, and Lyndy was looking around in awe at everything. She seemed to be handling her first flight like a seasoned pro, though she knew Amy was a little worried about Lyndy once they were in the sky. Lisa and Amy had packed activity books, an iPad with headphones, and a few toys in Lyndy's bag to make sure she had things to do, and were hoping she fell asleep for at least part of the 9 hour flight.

Before long, they were taxiing down the runway and as they took off, all 3 adults chuckled as Lyndy's "oh wow!" reached their ears. She had her face plastered against the window and was watching as the ground got further and further away. Lisa smiled as Lyndy remained calm and seemed to be having a great time. She grinned when Amy's eyes met hers and settled back into her seat with her book.

A few hours later, Lisa woke when the plane rumbled just slightly, the captain announcing minor turbulence. Amy leaned over and handed Lisa her book across the aisle.

"You dropped this about an hour ago."

"Oh, thanks honey. Guess I was more tired than I thought." She rubbed a hand over her face and Amy chuckled and gestured to the seat next to Lisa.

"You're not the only one".

Lisa looked over at Jack and smiled when she saw his seat was leaned all the way back and he was sleeping quietly, his hands laced together over his stomach and his legs crossed at the ankles. She turned when Amy spoke again.

"Want to know the best part? Look at Lyndy." Amy leaned back in her seat so Lisa could see around her and clapped a hand over her mouth to quiet her laughter. Lyndy was leaned back in her seat, with her hands laced together over her stomach, legs crossed at the ankles, exactly like her great-grandfather. Lisa and Amy caught each other's eyes a few times and had to both look away, so their laughter didn't wake their sleeping family members.

When Lisa was finally under control she leaned across the aisle and told Amy "Well if that isn't genetics at work, I don't know what is." Amy snapped a picture of Lyndy and motioned for Lisa to do the same with Jack. She dug her phone out of the seat pocket and had to stand in the aisle to fit Jack's lengthy frame in the picture, Amy laughing behind her. Lisa grinned at Amy and set her phone back on her seat with her book.

"I'm gonna use the restroom while I'm up." Amy nodded and went back to her own book. Lisa made her way to the restroom and shut the door behind her. The slightly larger first-class bathroom was one of the reasons she liked to fly this way. It was still small, but it didn't make one feel like they were about to get trapped in it. She finished with the facilities quickly, and inspected her reflection as she washed her hands. She looked tired, and old. She felt tired and old. She splashed some cool water on her face and let her thoughts wander as she patted it dry. The last several weeks had been a whirlwind, with getting Evelyn's estate settled, and Rachel moving back to Hudson. She'd settled nicely into Fairfield, and Lisa had been able to enjoy the extra time with her sister, but she was feeling worn down by Rachel's behavior. She'd quickly taken up with old friends and went out multiple nights a week, and people in town had started talking about her behavior again, just like when Rachel was a teenager. They hadn't had any major problems yet, but Lisa had been called once in the middle of the night to pick her up from a bar, and once late in the evening. She'd been able to quickly get Rachel home and into bed both times but was annoyed that her 52-year-old sister still partied hard enough to have to call someone to pick her up. Rachel had also already switched jobs once in Hudson, and it had only been just over a month, and she'd begun seeing Jeremy again. She'd finally told Lisa that just last week, even though Lisa had known, since the Hudson gossip mill was currently stuck on Rachel. Thankfully she hadn't mentioned bringing him by Heartland or meeting up with Lisa at all. She wasn't sure if she would be able to hold her tongue around Jeremy. Though she saw him around town now and then, the two steered clear of one another, and she probably hadn't spoken to him in close to 10 years now, and before that, it had also been several years.

Lisa was startled as a knock sounded on the door, and she quickly stepped out, apologizing to the other passenger and making her way back to her seat. As she settled back into her seat, Amy looked over at her.

"You alright? You were in there awhile." She smiled at Amy.

"Oh I'm alright Amy, my thoughts just…wandered a bit." Amy smiled back at her sympathetically.

"Rachel?" Lisa rolled her eyes and nodded in confirmation and chuckled at Amy's next question "Are you kind of glad she went ahead of us a couple days to London?"

"Yes" Lisa replied honestly "she's wearing me out a bit." Amy nodded. The family had already been familiar with Rachel's chaotic behavior before she'd moved back to Hudson, but until now, they'd only experienced it in small doses. They were now gaining a new understanding of just how crazed Rachel could get. Her sister had already immersed herself in Hudson life and any time she came to the house, she regaled them all with stories and gossip, letting herself get too involved in other people's lives. She'd even complained to them about a friend's 17-year-old daughter and how the girl interacted with her own friends and her relationship with a new boyfriend. Lisa just let it go in one ear and out the other most of the time, remembering the days of Ben being a teenager and Rachel scaring off more than one friend or girlfriend of his with her insistent need to be involved and act more like their friend than Ben's mother. Rachel had also started becoming more annoyed with Lisa once she moved to Hudson, going back to the younger woman that bristled at everything her older sister said. Lisa had hoped they'd moved beyond that in the last several years, but it seemed to be coming back now and usually for no reason. Amy seemed to read Lisa's current thoughts as she spoke up again.

"She seems to get pretty antagonistic toward you sometimes, even when things seem to be going fine. Has she always done that?" Lisa pursed her lips, not sure how much to share, not really wanting to put her sister down, but knowing the family was starting to notice the occasional hostility from her, she made a split-second decision to just be honest about some of Rachel's life. She turned slightly in her seat to face Amy.

"Well honestly, yes. We had a bit of a rough patch when Ben was a kid, and when our Dad got sick. She said back then that she moved to Toronto to get away from me controlling her life. Which, yes, I probably did sometimes a bit, it was hard not to when she got pregnant so young, and then continued to live irresponsibly, but I had my own turmoil going on at the time. Dan and I were falling apart, I was taking care of my dad. She moved herself and Ben to Toronto when he was 10, and I didn't see Ben for two years because she was so mad at me. She didn't even come home for Dad's funeral." Lisa watched as Amy winced at that. Lisa had always spoken very well of her father, and he was her family member, other than Ben, that this family knew the most about.

"Wow, that's…harsh. Wasn't she pretty close to your dad? It surprises me she wouldn't want to be there."

"They were close, I was surprised too, and when she finally did come home about 6 months later, once I had moved back in and started running Fairfield, Ben told me how mad he still was at his mom for not going. He adored his grandfather and was heartbroken when he died." Lisa looked down, her memories welling up, remembering the sadness on Ben's face when he told her he'd begged his mom to take him back for the funeral. She took a deep breath and tried to will her tears back down. She looked back up at Amy and smiled in thanks when the younger woman reached across the aisle to squeeze her hand.

"Things got a little better for a while after that. She met Mark the next year, and he was a great guy, and really loved Ben. I was really happy when they got married, and Ben was too. But then, about 5 years in, she started complaining about how boring Mark was, and that he wouldn't go out partying with her. I tried to help and get her to appreciate what a wonderful man he was, and to see that Mark was trying to give her and Ben a good life, but there's always been a party girl inside my sister, and she's never been able to let go of it. She asked him for a divorce and got angry at me for 'taking Mark's side' when I agreed with him that maybe they should try counseling to work through it first." Lisa shrugged, not wanting to get into that story too deeply, still hurt by some of the insults Rachel had hurled at her in those days. "Then, it got really messy. Once they separated, she started sleeping around, but Mark kept trying and wanted to work it out. That's when Ben came to stay with me." Amy nodded.

"That's so sad. Makes Ben's behavior when he was with us clearer though. I'm guessing he was pretty aware of what was going on with Rachel and Mark?" at Lisa's nod, Amy shook her head in resignation. "Man, he's really been through it with his mom, huh?"

"Yes, he definitely has. I'm really proud of how far he's come though. He's a pretty good guy, right?" Lisa looked at Amy nervously. She thought Ben had turned out wonderfully in spite of his mother, but wasn't always sure what others thought, even if they'd grown fond of him, and she knew Amy hadn't liked Ben all that much at first. She was relieved when Amy grinned and nodded though.

"Yes Lisa, he's a great guy! He may have been a little…prickly...when we first met, but he grew up, and he's really friendly, and helpful, and treats Krista like a queen. I'm willing to bet him turning out so nicely has a lot to do with your influence." Lisa smiled in thanks at Amy, reaching over to grip her upper arm. She was about to thank her with words when the plane rumbled again, and Lyndy stirred.

"Momma?" Lyndy rubbed at her eyes and Amy turned to her, talking to her softly as Lisa straightened in her seat and peeked at the other sleeping flyer. Jack was still snoozing away. She was thankful he was getting some rest. He'd been kept up at night quite a bit the last couple of months, as she herself had been sleeping very restlessly, tossing and turning at night, or waking from fading dreams. He'd been her rock through Evelyn's death and Rachel's move, but she could tell the restless nights had been getting to him as well. She decided to let him sleep as the flight attendant came around again, and after she, Amy and Lyndy were settled with their snacks and beverages, she chatted quietly with them for the last couple hours of the flight, feeling weirdly energized after her own brief nap and her heart to heart with Amy.

Before long, the captain was announcing their descent into London, and Lisa gently shook Jack awake.

"Jack, honey, we're about to land." She smiled as he looked at her in confusion, before processing where he was. He moved his seat back up and looked at her, running a hand through his hair and over his face.

We're landing? Did I sleep the whole time?" at her nod, he shook his head.

"Sorry Lise, I didn't plan for that, I was going to keep you company, I know you don't usually sleep much on a plane." She rubbed a hand down his arm and gripped his hand in hers.

"Oh it's completely fine honey. I slept for a few hours myself, and then Amy and I chatted. It went quickly." She leaned in and gently kissed his cheek to assure him his Atlantic nap didn't bother her. He leaned around her to say hello to Amy and Lyndy and laughed as Lisa and Amy showed the two their matching sleep position pictures.

"GG! We're so cute! Like twins!" Lyndy exclaimed, almost bouncing in her seat. Jack chuckled deeply and grinned at his great-granddaughter in delight. Her attention was stolen by Amy telling her to look out the window as they landed. Lyndy gazed out in awe again, laughing and saying it looked like the city was getting thrown at them as they got closer. They all smiled at her, relieved she'd had a good first flight.

JLJLJLJL

Many long hours later, Lisa, Amy and Jack, holding a sleeping Lyndy, trudged back to their hotel suite, having only briefly checked in when they arrived that day, before meeting Rachel, Ben, Krista and her parents for lunch, and then went immediately to the ceremony rehearsal. They were all tired after the large dinner that Krista's parents had hosted in the hotel restaurant. Rachel had headed to a nearby pub after dinner, inviting Jack and Lisa, but Lisa politely turned her down, thankfully able to honestly say they were exhausted from traveling, the busy day, and the time change. Amy opened the door to their suite and led Jack to the bedroom she and Lyndy would share as Lisa kicked off her heels by the door, wishing she'd worn flats when she'd changed after the flight. She chuckled as Jack and Amy came back out and Amy did the same, kicking her heels toward the door and collapsing into a chair in the little sitting room that was set between the two bedrooms. Lisa sank down to the couch across from her and smiled as she watched Jack busy himself with the kettle, and prepping three cups for tea.

Lisa watched as Amy opened her mouth to say something, only for her phone to ring out and startle them both. Amy picked it up and mouthed 'Lou' at Lisa. She listened absently as the sisters chatted. They'd all checked in briefly upon their arrival in England earlier in the day. Peter, Lou and their girls had been in Montreal for a few days already, and from Amy's end of the call, it sounded like they were having a great time at Peter's big family reunion. She turned as Jack approached and thanked him as she took the cup of tea he offered, and then set Amy's on the small side table next to her. He sank into the couch next to her, stretching his legs out and crossing his ankles, quietly sipping on his own tea. They sat silently as Amy chatted with Lou, and she leaned her head on his shoulder as her tea cooled a bit. She never could drink it right away, and always thought it was funny that Jack could gulp his down while it was steaming hot.

Amy hung up with Lou and gave a brief rundown of their updates, and the three chatted for a while about the day, and how smoothly everything had gone so far. Krista's parents had been warm and welcoming to everyone, Rachel had been on good behavior for the most part, and Lyndy had made fast friends with a young cousin of Krista's and the 2 girls had a great time giggling away together.

"Lise." She was startled and realized she'd dozed off on Jack's shoulder, and he was gently taking her half-drunk tea out of her hand. "You should turn in, you're falling asleep."

"Mmm-hmm" she murmured, still sinking into sleep. He gently nudged her head up, and stood, offering her his hands. She tiredly let him pull her up, and after exchanging goodnights with Amy, headed to the other bedroom, Jack and Amy's quiet voices fading away as she shut the door and changed, deciding to shower and wash her makeup off in the morning. She was soon under the covers and was asleep before Jack ever made it in.

Later, she was jolted awake by her phone ringing. She sat up and tried to wrap her waking brain around where she was and finally remembered the hotel and found her phone on the nearby nightstand. She saw Rachel's name and noted the time as 12:15am, and sighed, part of her really wanting to ignore the call, but wasn't sure she wanted to deal with Rachel contacting Ben or Krista instead. She tapped the answer button and smiled apologetically at Jack as he sat up too, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly.

"Rachel, what's going on?" she answered the call anxiously.

"LISA!" Lisa pulled the phone from her ear, already knowing Rachel was completely wasted, just from that one loud greeting. "You shou've come out with me, the place was…sofun." Lisa rolled her eyes at Rachel's slurred words.

"Oh, well I'm glad you had fun Rachel, but you know we were all jetlagged and needed sleep. Where are you now?"

"'M in the hall Lisa…can't fin my key." Lisa sighed again. Rachel had a room just down the hall from them and she was terrified her sister would get louder and disturb Amy and Lyndy, or the other hotel guests. She pulled herself out of bed and motioned toward the hall to Jack. She waved him off but he followed her anyway, and she quietly opened her room door, pleased that Amy's door was still closed and she didn't hear anything from inside. They made their way to their suite door and Lisa quickly remembered to scoop up one of their room keys, just in case it took a while with Rachel. They stepped into the hall and she saw Rachel a few doors down, teetering on tall stiletto heels and her hair an absolute rats nest.

She looked up at her husband in defeat, and he just gently guided her toward Rachel and took charge. Jack held Rachel's arm and kept her as steady as he could while Lisa dug into Rachel's purse for her room key. As they led her into the room, Jack firmly but quietly told Rachel to stop rambling and reminded her that her son was getting married the next day. Rachel nodded in drunken agreement, giggling afterward, and Jack took the glass of water Lisa had just fetched from the small kitchenette and made Rachel drink the whole thing. Lisa stood awkwardly as Jack stared Rachel down when she tried to hand him the cup back after just a few sips, relieved when her sister gave in and gulped down the water, clumsily handing the empty cup back and not noticing the amount of it that had spilled down her chin and onto the front of her dress. When Lisa went over to Rachel's suitcase to pull out pajamas, Jack's voice stopped her.

"Lise." She looked up at him and saw him maneuvering Rachel to sit on the bed. He made sure Rachel was steady and walked over to Lisa.

"Lise, we are not spending more than a few minutes here. She can sleep it off in what she's wearing." When Lisa tried to protest "but I have her pajamas…" he held up a hand.

"Lise, I appreciate you always being willing to help her, but this time, we are not letting her escape all of the consequences of her actions. She's a big girl and we've done enough to help tonight. She'll live through sleeping in…sequins or…whatever." Lisa chuckled at Jack's attempt to describe Rachel's outfit and sighed, knowing her husband was right. She sometimes helped too much and probably enabled Rachel. She dropped the clothes she'd found back on top her sister's luggage and stepped away, patting Jack's shoulder as she stepped around him and approached her sister. Rachel had grown closer to passing out when Jack had stepped away and was bobbing listlessly to the side. Lisa guided her down to the pillow, pulled off her shoes and set her legs up on the bed before setting an alarm on her sister's phone, spitefully using a very obnoxious ringtone to wake the drunken woman.

Rachel had passed out before Lisa even made it a few steps from the bed, and Jack guided her gently out of the room and back to theirs without saying a word.

As they settled back into bed, Lisa curled into him, murmuring her thanks in a quiet voice, feeling guilty that he'd gotten caught up in Rachel's mess with her.

"It's alright Lise. But when we are settled back in at home, we need to talk about you jumping to help her when this stuff happens. This is what, the third or fourth time since she moved to Hudson? I know you love your sister, and I know you help so she doesn't get hurt, or hurt someone else, but we need to have a serious conversation about how we are going to handle this behavior from her now that she lives in Hudson. I worry about the toll this is taking on you, Lise. You can't keep letting her do this to you, alright?"

Lisa just nodded through her tears, knowing that Jack was right. Rachel was exhausting on a good day, and on a bad day could tear Lisa's emotions to shreds. She swallowed thickly and tried to speak clearly through her tears.

"I know honey, we will have that talk. I know you're right."

"Good. I love you Lisa, and your enormous heart is part of why I love you, but I think it's time to set some boundaries with Rachel, so it doesn't eat you up inside." He brought his hand up to tangle with hers resting on his chest and she clutched at his hand in return, so thankful for this man. She nodded again against his chest and felt him press a long kiss against her head. They rested in silence, Jack's thumb stroking her hand and she fell into a tearful sleep.

Lisa woke again as Jack shifted next to her, and she turned her head toward him and smiled sleepily when she saw his eyes open and on her.

"Hey cowboy. What time is it?" He reached an arm around her back and pulled her closer.

"Little after 3:00, you should go back to sleep." She hummed in response, and closed her eyes again, listening to the sound of his heart underneath her head. But now that she was awake, getting back to sleep was difficult. Her mind raced with the events of the day, and their middle of the night excursion with Rachel, and she found herself thinking about the wedding the next day, and all the things that could go wrong, especially with her sister in attendance.

"I can hear you thinking." Jack muttered into her ear. She laughed softly.

"Sorry honey, I guess I'm awake now." He rubbed her back soothingly.

"Well that makes two of us. I guess I shouldn't have slept through the whole flight." She titled her head up and kissed his cheek, laughing into his lips when he turned his own head and caught her in a kiss. He pulled back and brushed a lock of her hair behind her shoulder.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked. She huffed out a breath in frustration, hating how often he'd had to ask her that lately.

"Oh I'm fine, just worrying about the wedding. I know I shouldn't, but it's hard not to."

"I know" he murmured quietly "everything will be fine tomorrow. I'm sure it will be a beautiful wedding." He kissed her forehead and they lay in silence for a few minutes. She tipped her head back up to look at him when he spoke again.

"So, Amy tells me you opened up to her a bit about Rachel on the flight." She nodded and he smiled at her, stroking his thumb against her neck slowly. "I think it's good you shared with her, you've kept a lot to yourself with her and Lou all these years." Lisa brought a hand up and fiddled with the collar of his t-shirt, dropping her eyes to focus on it instead of his eyes.

"I didn't really tell her that much, just some of the big things, about Mark, and Dad's funeral. I just thought maybe it'd help her understand Rachel's behavior more since she lives near us now." She continued fiddling with his color, her nerves getting the better of her with the direction of the conversation.

"Lise" when she didn't answer, he slid his hand from her neck to gently pull hers away from his shirt and brought her hand with his to gently tip her chin up to him again. Once she'd reluctantly met his eyes with hers, he spoke again.

"Lisa, you know you could tell them everything, and Amy and Lou, and Ben, would still love you just as much. I heard Ben tell you that, during that last dinner at Fairfield with him and Krista." Lisa gasped, not realizing he'd overheard Ben's words that evening. Her eyes immediately welled up with tears again and she fought to keep them from falling as he gazed at her in concern. "I think it would make them all feel closer to you, but it wouldn't change anything if they knew."

"Wouldn't it?" she choked out, her tears spilling over and trickling down her face. He brushed them away gently and kissed her head again.

"Of course it wouldn't. It didn't for me. It only made me love you more when you shared your story with me that night, all those years ago. I think I even told you the same thing then."

"You did" she agreed "I just…it was hard enough to tell you Jack. I'm so glad I did, but in the moment, it was so hard." She cried quietly into his chest, and sighed when he rubbed up and down her back, his hand soothing her.

"I know. Just…maybe something to think about, someday telling them." She nodded and wiped the remaining tears from her face. He went quiet again, and she thought he'd drifted off after it was quiet for a few minutes but was startled when he spoke again.

"Was Jillian's brother's hair blue?!" Lisa snorted with laughter and gasped out "Yes!" and they lay there laughing, setting each other off every time they started to calm down, getting a little slap happy from the long day of travel and activity and stress. When their laughter finally petered out, Lisa reached up and turned Jack's face toward her, gazing into his eyes in the dim light from the moon. She saw him smile back and could tell he was glad that he'd made her laugh after their two heavy conversations that night. She leaned in and kissed him, wrapping the hand that had dropped to his chest around his back and pulling him into her. She felt his fingers tangle in her hair as they drank each other in, and before she knew it, he was pressing her back into her pillow, his mouth trailing hotly down her neck, his fingers sneaking under her shirt to run up her back. She shivered at his touch, and whispered out to him.

"Did you…"

"Lock the door? Yes." He accurately predicted her question, and she further relaxed into his embrace as he chased her troubles away.

JLJLJLJL

The next morning, after a long, luxurious shower, and spending time on her hair and makeup, Lisa slipped into a comfortable sweater and soft pants, hung her dress for later on the back of the door, and joined Jack, Amy, Lyndy and, surprisingly, Rachel, in the lobby for a late breakfast. It was already after 10am, and even Jack hadn't risen from bed until after 8. He'd woken her when he'd risen, but urged her to rest a little longer, and join them when she was ready. She was glad he'd encouraged her to do so, as she felt much more refreshed now, as she plated some food and sat down next to him and greeted Amy and Lyndy and smiled at her sister when Lyndy immediately started chattering away. Rachel looked slightly green, and was sipping quietly at some tea, an untouched plate of food in front of her. She smiled weakly at Lisa, but remained quiet as Lyndy went on about the pretty hotel, and all the different options they had for breakfast. Lisa raised her eyebrows toward Amy at Lyndy's chattiness. Amy chuckled and said softly "She slept like a log all night. Didn't even twitch." Lisa smiled in response as Lyndy finally quieted and ate more of her breakfast, still craning her head all around to look at the hotel's decorations.

"That's good, she'll be ready for the wedding. I'm glad she made friends with Krista's cousin yesterday, I bet they'll have fun together at the reception." She, Amy and Jack continued to chat as they ate, and they tried to draw Rachel in, but she didn't add more than a few words, before standing.

"Well, enjoy the rest of breakfast everyone, I have to go get ready, I have to be at the hall by 1." Rachel didn't wait for a response before heading out of the dining room and back up to her room. Lisa exchanged glances with Jack and Amy, and Amy spoke up.

"She showed up about 10 minutes before you did, looking pretty queasy. She had sunglasses on when she walked in, but her tea seemed to perk her up…a bit." Lisa just nodded, not wanting to ruin her good mood by revisiting Rachel's escapades of the night before. She wasn't sure if Jack had told Amy about their interrupted sleep but decided to let it be for now.

"Well, hopefully a shower helps, and she feels better by the time the wedding starts." Jack nodded next to her and squeezed her hand on the table. He then stood and gestured to the counter with his mug, and she nodded as he walked off for more coffee. Lisa continued to eat and sipped at her own coffee as Amy spoke.

"You look more rested than I've seen you in a while."

"I am, this hotel is very nice, and it was nice to sleep in a bit and then take a long, hot shower." She furrowed her brow in confusion when Amy just hummed in response, eyes twinkling across at Lisa over her own cup as she took a sip.

"What?!" Lisa asked her, still confused by the look on Amy's face.

"Oh, come on Lisa, Grandpa practically bounced down here this morning, grinning like a maniac, to meet us for breakfast. It was really the sleep in and hot shower that recharged you?" she pointedly asked, chuckling when Lisa caught on and blushed. She shook her head at Amy and pointed her empty fork at the younger woman.

"Don't you ask questions you don't want to hear the answers to." She teased, knowing Amy would never want details of their intimate life.

Amy just laughed and held her hands up in surrender. The women laughed together, and Lisa blushed again when Amy sent one last teasing glance her way, before turning to answer a question from Lyndy about the statue in the corner. Lisa just rolled her eyes in fond exasperation and dug back into her breakfast. Jack returned, and sat next to her, pushing his empty plate into the center of the table to set his mug in front of him. He wrapped an arm across the back of Lisa's chair and looked at her.

"Good morning, again." She smiled back at him and pecked him on the cheek with her own "morning honey." They all relaxed a little longer together, chatting over their now empty plates, and answering Lyndy's questions about London. They had some sightseeing planned for the next day, and the little girl was very excited to see the sights. The family enjoyed each other's company a little longer and then headed back upstairs to get ready for the wedding. Ben had asked them to come a little early to get a few pictures with them, so they would be leaving in just a couple of hours.

JLJLJLJL

"Well, this was a beautiful wedding, wasn't it?" Lisa asked later, as she danced with Jack to a soft love song. He just nodded in response and pulled her closer, swaying them gently to the music. The ceremony had been brief, but lovely, and they'd quite enjoyed the meal at the reception as well. Now, Amy had shooed them off to dance a few songs, after they'd spent much of the reception watching Lyndy dance and run around with her new friend while Amy caught up with Soraya, who had become good friends with Ben when they'd run into one another again once she'd moved to England. Soraya and Krista had become friends as well, and Amy had been thrilled to greet her lifelong friend when she'd arrived for the wedding that day.

The younger women were now sitting at a table, watching over Lyndy to give Jack and Lisa a break from grandparent duty. As the song wound down and Jack and Lisa stepped apart a bit, Lyndy grinned and waved at them from the edge of the dance floor. She'd had fun dancing to all the faster music earlier, with all the other kids. Her dress was now askew, and her curls were flattening from all the fun she'd had. Lisa nudged her husband and gestured to Lyndy as another song stated, slightly faster than the one they'd just danced to, but still fairly calm. He gallantly bowed to Lyndy and offered her his hand, and she giggled as he led her out to the dance floor, and she stepped up on his shoes so he could dance her around. Lisa sank down next to Amy and Soraya, subtly sliding her feet slightly out of her heels. She really should stop wearing heels at events like this, her feet couldn't manage for nearly as long anymore.

"Lisa, you and Jack are still so cute." Soraya told her. Lisa chuckled.

"Cute huh? That's what Mallory used to call us." She rolled her eyes fondly and Soraya and Amy laughed.

"It's a compliment Lisa, you guys ARE really cute. It's honestly sometimes sort of sickeningly cute how in love you are." Amy teased. The girls laughed as Lisa blushed and shook her head at them. Soraya cackled and turned to Amy.

"Remember when she used to go to your house to "watch the hockey game" with Jack?" Amy laughed as Soraya used fingers quotes and Lisa chuckled, unsure why after all these years, hers and Jack's romance was still such a topic of interest.

"Oh come on girls, we DID watch hockey…" at their incredulous looks, she added "sometimes". And laughed when they both gasped in shock at her honesty and laughed again, Amy uttering "gross" but still cracking up when Jack and Lyndy walked back over.

"What's so funny over here?" Jack asked, resting his hand on Lisa's shoulder as he stood next to her chair. She patted his hand and glanced up at him as Amy and Soraya tried to stop laughing.

Knowing he'd be mortified if he knew the girls had been alluding to their sex life, Lisa kept it vague with her hand on his "just girl talk honey". She winked at Amy and watched as her and Soraya exchanged another look and started laughing again.

Lisa could see the confusion on Jack's face as she peeked up at him, and knew he was about to respond when the DJ called up all the kids, as Ben and Krista had something special for them. Earlier conversation forgotten, they all urged Lyndy to join the other kids on the dance floor and watched as Ben and Krista plopped right down on the dance floor to sit with them and handed out gift bags to all the kids and chatted with them for a few minutes. Lisa watched Lyndy with delight and saw Rachel at the edge of the dance floor taking pictures.

Rachel had been on her A-game the rest of the day. Lisa would never have known that she'd come back to the hotel wasted last night if she hadn't been there dealing with it. Rachel had been very charming and helpful the whole day and successfully schmoozing with Krista's family. Lisa had been impressed that Rachel had done so well and shook off her recent thoughts of her sister's behavior, glad to have her in such a good mood. As the kid's time broke up, Rachel held out a hand to Lyndy and led her back over to them, bending down to Lyndy at one point to show her something on her phone, likely the pictures she'd just taken, Lisa assumed.

As they approached, Lyndy happily showed everyone what was in her gift bag, all age-appropriate little toys, games and souvenirs and turned to Rachel.

"Will you show them the pictures Rachel Talulah?" Lisa pressed her lips together and looked at Rachel in mirth. Lyndy now exclusively called her that, it having absolutely tickled her since learning Rachel's middle name. Rachel just rolled her eyes at Lisa and nodded down at Lyndy.

"Of course I will sweetheart, I'll even send them to Lisa and your mom, how's that?" At Lyndy's enthusiastic nod, Rachel had Lisa swipe through the first few and Lisa grinned at the delight on all the kids' faces, and the answering grins on Ben and Krista in the photos. Jack peeked at the photos over her shoulder and when Lisa handed Rachel's phone off to Amy to take a look, Jack agreed to Lyndy's request to go get more cake with her, and he led the little girl off with a smile at Lisa. When they'd walked off, Rachel pulled an empty chair up next to Lisa and sat down.

"Geez, I'm beat!" Rachel offered, and Lisa was surprised at her honesty. Rachel was often the last one going strong at events like this, and had always been a night owl. She suspected it had more to do with Rachel's hangover from the night before, than actually being worn out from the wedding, but decided to keep that observation to herself, unwilling to upset the delicate balance of Rachel being in good mood. She turned a bit to face her sister.

"Me too, but this has been such a great day Rachel, everything went so well, and Ben and Krista look absolutely ecstatic." She motioned to where the couple was standing nearby, chatting and laughing with a group of their friends. Rachel smiled as she watched her son.

"Yeah, they do look happy, don't they?" Lisa grabbed Rachel's hand when she saw tears appear in her eyes. Rachel waved off Lisa's concern with her other hand.

"Oh I'm fine, happy tears, I promise, I just…can't believe he got married today. I feel like I was just dropping him off at school for the first time." Lisa hummed in agreement, enjoying the reflective moment with her sister, but her heart dropped at Rachel's next words.

"I know you don't understand the feeling, but as a parent, it's so strange to suddenly be sitting at your kids wedding. It happened in the blink of an eye." Lisa swallowed thickly, she knew Rachel hadn't said it to specifically hurt her, but her comments on Lisa's lack of children was one of the few ways Rachel could still really twist the knife in. She often spoke of how Lisa couldn't understand or offer advice because she didn't have children. And while Lisa could acknowledge that it was likely true sometimes, Rachel always mentioned it in a derisive way, that made it sound like she thought she was better than her sister because she'd experienced motherhood. Lisa could admit to herself, and sometimes to Jack, that it still hurt that she didn't have children. Even at 63 and well beyond her childbearing years, it was a feeling that never completely went away. Jack had encouraged her multiple times to share those feelings with her sister, saying that maybe if Rachel understood Lisa's pain, she would be more cautious with her words. She'd never worked up the nerve to have that conversation with Rachel though, anticipating that it wouldn't go well. She shook off her thoughts, determined not to let on to Rachel that what she'd said had bothered her. She patted Rachel's hand.

"I can't imagine how weird that must be. But Krista is wonderful, and now you've gained a daughter-in-law! I think they'll be really happy together!" She smiled as Rachel turned toward her and was relieved when she seemed unaware of Lisa's momentary struggle.

"You're right of course, Krista is wonderful. Although, her parents could be knocked down a peg or two. They just think they're so much better than me, because they've been married so long and never had financial problems." Lisa internally sighed, thinking to herself that Rachel's good mood hadn't lasted long in that conversation. Lisa had never gotten the impression that Marcus and Jillian thought they were better than anyone, much less Rachel, and from what Ben had told her, they had struggled quite a bit financially when Krista was very young and had relied on government help for several years. They'd worked hard and eventually were able to provide Krista with a comfortable life, but it hadn't been without struggle. Ben had told her that Rachel never listened to those stories though and continued to assume Krista's parents were rich snobs, which struck Lisa as funny and slightly hypocritical since she herself was wealthier than Krista's family, and Rachel was about to come into a good amount of her own money as they settled Evelyn's estate, their aunt leaving large sums to both of them. She was about to try and respond with something vague, but optimistic when Ben walked up.

"Mom, Aunt Lisa, thanks so much for today. It's been so great. Aunt Lisa, I've danced with mom several times, but haven't gotten a dance with you yet. Think your feet can cope with one more?" He glanced pointedly down at her feet, where she was trying to hide the fact that she'd slipped her heels off. She grinned and slid them back on, taking his offered hand and letting him pull her up.

"Of course, honey, I'd love a dance with my favorite nephew at his wedding." She patted his hand as they stood there, Rachel standing up next to them and laughing.

"He's your only nephew."

Lisa grinned at them both "he's still my favorite." Rachel just rolled her eyes and waved them onto the dance floor.

"Well you two have fun, I'm gonna go find a drink". Lisa let Ben lead her out to the dance floor and they settled into an easy rhythm.

"Well at least that's one of only a few drinks she's had tonight." Ben commented. Lisa and Jack had decided earlier in the day not to mention last night to Ben and Krista. Though it wouldn't surprise the couple, they didn't want to ruin their happy day in any way, so Lisa just responded as she normally would to that kind of comment.

"Yes, she's stayed surprisingly sober and charming today. It's been nice to have her in such a good mood." She smiled up at him, still sometimes surprised at his height, even though he'd passed her up by the time he was 15.

"How's it going, having her in Hudson?" Ben cautiously asked.

"Oh, it's been fine honey. It's nice to have her close again. We spent a lot of years only seeing each other once in a while." She tried to sound upbeat, not wanting to dump on Ben about his mother. The look on Ben's face told her she hadn't succeeded, and he just stared her down.

"Okay, it's been…exhausting as well. You know how she is. Just goes full throttle at all times. But it really is nice to have her around again. I'd really like her and I to be close. We just need to…readjust to each other." Ben nodded and grew quiet again. Lisa knew he likely knew that she'd made it out to be rosier than it was, but she'd never been willing to vent about Rachel much to him, and he'd grown accustomed to her sanitizing her experiences with his mom and had also learned when to push Lisa for more information, and when to just let it go. They danced quietly through the end of the song, and he led them back to the table.

"Thanks so much for making the trip out for the wedding Aunt Lisa. I couldn't imagine doing this without you and Jack." He said that as they joined Jack by the table and smiled at both of them when Jack stood from his seat, and she threaded her arm through her husband's, leaning her head on his shoulder. She watched as Jack reached out a hand and put it on Ben's shoulder.

"We were happy to come Ben, wouldn't have missed this for anything." They spoke quietly together for a few minutes, Ben waving Krista over as he told them they'd be heading out soon, now that the dancing was started to wind down and Ben and Krista were tiring from their long day. Krista joined them and hugged Jack and Lisa, also thanking them for coming.

"Did you see where my mom disappeared to Uncle Jack? We wanted to catch her before we leave, since we're leaving for Italy right away tomorrow." Jack glanced over at Lisa nervously and ran his free hand across the back of his neck.

"Ah, well, I think she might be over by the bar." Lisa watched as Jack winced when Ben's head turned in that direction and curiously, she followed her nephew's gaze and understood Jack's odd demeanor when she saw Rachel, drink in hand, flirting outrageously with the bar tender, who couldn't be older than 25. She glanced back at Ben when she saw Rachel run a hand down the guy's chest and was thankful when Ben just rolled his eyes and turned back to them. He'd done better the last several years with letting some of his mother's more questionable actions roll off his shoulders.

"Well, we'll just catch her on the way out. Thanks again for coming you guys. We were thinking now that mom lives in Hudson, we could come out for a visit in a few months and are thinking of inviting Krista's parents to come with us. What do you think?" Ben looked at them hopefully, and Lisa chuckled, reminded of a 6-year-old Ben asking for a new bike for Christmas. He'd gotten the bike, hadn't been able to wait for spring, and rode it around all day, until the tires slipped in the snow, and he knocked his head on a mailbox. It of course, hadn't phased him, and he'd worn that bike in long before spring arrived that year.

"Sounds great Ben, we'd love to see all of you, just let us know." She nodded in agreement at Jack's words and grinned when Ben and Krista giddily smiled at each other. Lisa offered to help Krista with the small bag she had ready to go and waited as her new niece gathered up the train of her dress after giving Jack a warm hug. Lisa then threw a wink at her husband and walked Krista toward the entrance as Ben told Krista he'd be right there and hung back with Jack.

"Uncle Jack" Jack turned away from gazing at his wife's retreating form to face Ben again, suspecting the younger man wanted to talk about his mother and aunt without the two women in earshot. He was proven correct when Ben spoke.

"How's Aunt Lisa really? I mean, with mom back in town? I've been aware for a long time that she sugarcoats things with my mom for me, but I'm honestly worried about her. I remember pretty bad times between the two of them, and how much it hurt Aunt Lisa. I just…don't want that to happen again. What's been happening since mom moved home?"

Jack sighed, knowing Ben was a grown man that could handle the truth, and likely actually wanted the truth, as harsh as it often was with his mother, but he also knew his wife, and that she hated dragging Ben into Rachel's drama. He tried to answer in a way that would please both Stillman's, resting a hand on Ben's shoulder.

"Ben, things with your mom have been, chaotic, to put it mildly. She's wearing on Lisa a bit, but I've already talked to her about setting some boundaries now that she gets pulled into it so much more. But there are good times too. Your mom comes out for dinner about once a week and has a good time with the family. And she'll sometimes meet Lisa for a quick coffee break at the stables. It's not without rewards Ben, so try not to worry too much, alright? And…if it does get bad, just know, I WILL risk your aunt's wrath by setting extreme boundaries with Rachel. I won't let her walk all over Lisa." He gave Ben's shoulder a clap, and let his arm down. Ben had relaxed a bit while he spoke, and he was glad he could give his nephew some relief, knowing how much Lisa meant to him.

"Thanks, I'm glad you're making sure she's ok. I just…was worried when mom moved back. She tends to make life hard on Aunt Lisa. She's really doing ok?"

"She is Ben. I wouldn't say she's at 100% right now, but she IS doing ok, and I'm making sure she gets breaks from the chaos when needed." Ben nodded, and Jack was surprised when the other man teared up a bit and had to clear his throat to give a quiet "thank you". He just nodded solemnly at Ben, knowing in true Stillman fashion, he would push those tears down until later. They were pulled out of their quiet contemplation when Krista called across the room.

"Ben, our car is here." Ben smiled across at Krista and Jack nudged him into movement, walking toward where Krista was waiting for her new husband at the door.

"Now Ben, I hope you have a great time on your trip, and just a word of advice?" at Ben's nod, he grinned at him.

"I don't recommend thinking about your mom or your aunt on your honeymoon." Ben chuckled and turned red as Jack nudged him with his elbow, and they both started to laugh as they approached their wives. Just before they reached the women, Ben responded softly.

"Thanks Uncle Jack, I think I'll take that advice."

"Good man" he clapped Ben on the back, and stepped up to Lisa's side and they all exchanged warm hugs again, and Jack and Lisa sent them off with their love and promise to stay in touch to hear about their honeymoon in Italy. Lisa watched, leaning again on Jack's shoulder as Ben and Krista paused to say goodbye to Amy, Lyndy and Soraya, and capturing Rachel's attention before leaving. Lisa smiled when Amy approached, Lyndy trailing her, the little girl tripping tiredly, Soraya gently steering her from behind.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I am tired!" Amy winked at them and Lisa chuckled softly, willing to bet that Lyndy had been trying to insist she wasn't tired. She made a show of yawning and responded to Amy.

"Oh me too honey, absolutely exhausted." She wasn't lying, but wouldn't let on to Lyndy that she could definitely rally and perk up a bit if her husband wanted to sit and talk over a glass of wine before turning in. They all laughed as Lyndy seemed to now think going to bed was a good idea when all the adults chimed in about how tired they were. Amy and Soraya exchanged a lingering hug as Jack scooped Lyndy up into his arms, seeing the girl sway on her feet. It was now almost 3 hours past her normal bedtime, and Lisa was guessing she would have another night of good sleep. She patted Lyndy's leg where it hung against Jack and got a tired smile in return from her.

Lisa turned to hug Soraya, telling her to greet her mother, and was delighted to hear that Maggie and Soraya were planning a trip back next month to see some family. They told Soraya to let them know the plans, as they'd love to have them over for dinner. Lisa still hadn't met Maggie's new husband. They'd married the year before, but it was right when Jack had his accident at the rodeo, so they'd had to send regrets for the small wedding Maggie had as he recuperated. Once they'd all said their goodbyes to Soraya, they headed for the door, Lyndy still chattering tiredly, trying to stay awake in Jack's arms. They stopped to say goodnight to Rachel, who said she was about to turn in as well. They all promised to meet in the lobby in the morning, Rachel agreeing to go sightseeing with them. The four of them trudged into the elevator and stood quietly together, Lisa watching as Amy covered a yawn with her hand. They all shuffled off the elevator when it arrived at their floor, and Jack realized the room keycard was in his pocket, but with Lyndy in his arms, he couldn't get to it.

Lisa winked mischievously at Amy as she slipped her hand into Jack's pants pocket to retrieve his keycard and Amy's eyes widened and she pretended to gag and stuck her tongue out at Lisa. Jack spoke softly with Lyndy and didn't notice the silent conversation happening next to him. Lisa opened the room door and walked through to hold it open for Jack and Amy to pass through, trying to stifle her laughter as Jack took Lyndy into the bedroom she and Amy were using. Amy leaned into her and spoke softly.

"You're evil, stop reminding me you have a sex life." Amy couldn't hold back her laughter, softening her words. Lisa pointed at her.

"I'm not the one that brought it up at breakfast young lady." She winked at Amy again. Amy held up a hand in surrender.

"Touche." They laughed together as Jack returned to the main area, and he looked at them with his brows raised.

"More girl talk?" Amy snorted in laughter, waving him off and just shook her head.

"I'm gonna hit the hay too. This was a great day you guys, thanks for the help paying for Lyndy and I to come." Amy had balked when they'd first offered to help, offering to just stay at a cheaper nearby hotel and fly economy with Lyndy, but they'd convinced her that they'd didn't mind and would love to all be able to travel together and stay in a suite here, she'd given in and continued to thank them profusely. She would have been able to afford an economy flight on her own, but it would have been tight to add a hotel, as flight prices had risen considerably in the last several years, and this being a popular time to travel to the UK. Lisa had tried to convince Amy to just let them pay for everything, but Amy had insisted on chipping in what she would have spent on getting her and Lyndy there, and Jack had intervened, telling Lisa to allow Amy to contribute. Lisa had relented and they were all happy with the arrangements, but she'd also quietly put the money Amy gave her in a savings account she'd started when Katie was a baby. Any time Lou or Amy insisted on paying her back for something, she just put the money in that savings account, and planned to give it to Katie and Lyndy when they graduated high school, having already given a chunk of it to Georgie. She'd also contributed to it outside of the money they gave her over the years, but even Jack didn't know that part. She knew he'd tell her she was just spoiling the girls, especially since all of them were now named in her will and they'd get money from her anyway someday. But she'd never been one that wanted to hoard her wealth and wanted her family to be able to benefit from it. She smiled at Amy.

"You're welcome honey, you know we're happy to help." They watched as Amy shut the bedroom door behind her and Jack turned to her.

"You ready for bed too, or would you like a glass of wine?" She tilted her head at him, considering.

"Wine with you sounds lovely, but we'd have to call room service…" she trailed off as he held up a hand and walked over to the small fridge, producing a bottle of red wine. At her surprise, he said "I may have snuck away for a few minutes while you were gabbing with Jillian and brought this up." She grinned at how well he knew her, and she just waved him toward the glasses on the counter as she settled on the couch, kicking her heels off for the night and leaning her head on the back of the couch as Jack opened the wine and filled their glasses. She was startled when she felt something on her foot and smiled in thanks when she saw him sliding her slippers on her feet. He settled next to her and handed her a glass, and she leaned into him as they sipped quietly. Some of her favorite times with Jack were as they sat, sipping wine or coffee together, either in silence or chatting quietly. She leaned her head up to see him when he spoke quietly.

"Good day, huh?" She smiled and nodded, and they talked about the day, laughing together about Lyndy dancing energetically, making plans for when Maggie came to visit with her new husband, for Ben and Krista possibly visiting, and reminiscing about other weddings they'd attended together. They both looked over when Amy's bedroom door opened, and she stepped out in her pajamas. She saw them on the couch and waved them over.

"Oh good, you're still awake, you should come see this. I went to take a shower and came back out to this." They put their wine glasses on the table and walked over quietly, curious to see what Amy wanted to show them. They peeked into the bedroom to see Lyndy starfished in the middle of the bed, the covers thrown off and the little girl was snoring away. They stifled their laughter, and Amy whispered that she'd taken pictures and would send them to Lisa. Lisa stepped forward to help Amy gently settle the girl on one side of the bed without waking her. They said goodnight again, all three chuckling as Jack and Lisa left the room. Jack shut the door, and they settled back on the couch to finish their wine.

A little while later, while they were settling into bed themselves, Lisa smiled when she heard Jack humming one of the songs they'd danced to earlier. She curled into him, kissing his chest beneath her cheek and slowly drifted off to her husband's voice.

JLJLJLJL

Thanks for reading, Chapter 6 coming soon.