"Lila, I've been thinking about what you said earlier, " said Matthew, "You know the expression 'to see ourselves as others see us' ? Seeing the contempt in your eyes -"

"Not contempt, Matt," said Lila, "Dis'ppointment."

"Whatever you want to call it, I felt like I'd had a bucket of icewater thrown over me. How can I be a good father to Jasmine if I'm still a child myself? I need to grow up - fast."

"Ah'm glad to heah it." said Lila. She stiffened suddenly, her eyes widening. "Ah thank there's someone outside!"

"I'll see." said Matthew, crossing to the French door.

"Oh Matt, be careful!"

"Who's there?" said Matthew, then - "Nikos!"

Lila stood frozen as he backed slowly into the room; Nikos followed, with a gun in his hand.

"Please, doan hurt Jasmine!" she said.

"I have no interest in your child." said Nikos, "It's Rachel I've come for. Where is she?"

"She went out." said Matthew, "I don't know when she'll be back."

"I don't believe you. I think she's upstairs. Call her!"

"Never!" said Matthew, "Go ahead and shoot."

"RACHEL!" Nikos called, "Come down - unless you want your son to die in your place!"

"MOM, NO! Stay away!" cried Matthew, and tried to grab the gun, only to be brutally pistol-whipped.

Lila screamed piercingly as Matthew crumpled to the floor.

"Stop!" said Rachel, appearing in the doorway. "Here I am, Alexander. Now let my son and my daughter-in-law go!"

Lila was helping the semi-conscious Matthew to sit up.

"Oh no!" said Nikos, "I need them, to witness my revenge!"

"Revenge for what?" said Rachel, "I've done nothing to you!"

"You tried to kill me!"

"You left me no choice!" said Rachel, "If I hadn't shot you, you would have killed Carl!"

"It didn't have to be this way, Rachel." said Nikos, "All you had to do was kick Carl out of your life, and I would have left you alone!"

"I didn't believe that Carl was being unfaithful," said Rachel, "I know him too well to ever believe that."

"On your own head be it!" said Nikos, and raised the gun -

"Alexander! No! Don't!" Felicia burst into the room, with Zoe at her heels.

Nikos' gaze raked across them.

"So, Zoe," he said, "You have betrayed me - just as your mother did!"

"Oh, Daddy!"

"If you treated Diana the way you treated me, I'm not surprised that she turned to another man!" said Felicia.

"Carl stole my wife, and then he killed her!" said Nikos.

"You can't 'steal' a person." said Rachel, "They leave because they want to! I bet Diana had fun with Carl - he's tender and affectionate and funny - all the things you're not!"

"Quite right!" said Carl, entering through the French doors, "I didn't kill her, either - You did, Alex! Diana died in a shoot-out between my men and the police, because You called the authorities!"

"You told me my mother died in a planecrash, Daddy!" said Zoe, accusingly.

"Hello, Rachel."

"Oh Carl! Carl!" breathed Rachel.

"You must be Zoe." said Carl, "The blonde hair brings out your resemblance to your mother. Yes indeed, I feel quite nostalgic, looking at you. Remember Diana, Alex? What an eager, responsive lover she was! Remember that little sound she used to make, like the cry of a gull, every time she - ? No, on second thought, You probably never heard her make that particular sound!"

As Carl had hoped he would, Nikos went totally berserk and flung himself upon Carl, intent on tearing him limb from limb with his bare hands! He kept hold of the gun, however, although, as they crashed around the room, Carl tried to wrestle it away from him.

Rachel, Felicia, Zoe, Lila and Matthew (who by now was on his feet, leaning on his wife's arm) did their best to stay out of the way as the fight raged up and down the living room. There was considerable strength in Carl's wiry frame, but Nikos was a madman, with the strength of ten!

Suddenly, Joe's voice came through a bullhorn from the garden: "This is the police! Nikos! Drop your weapon and come out with your hands up!"

A moment later, Joe himself burst into the room! Despite Carl, Nikos managed to point the gun in his direction and pull the trigger! The bullet entered Joe's body just below his kevlar vest!

Meanwhile, Felicia had gotten hold of the fireplace poker. Now she brought it down, as hard as she could, on Nikos' wrist! The gun went flying, just as Josie, and the rest of the Bay City police, entered. Carl got to his feet, as Nikos was taken into custody. Tibbs was calling an ambulance for Joe on his radio.

"Carl! Darling!"

Carl held up his hand to fend Rachel off. "I haven't had a proper wash in ages, Love!" he said.

"As though I care!" said Rachel, and flung herself into his arms. They kissed with all their pent-up passion. "The beard has to go, though." she said, when they came up for air.

"I shall shave at once!"

"You'll have to make a statement, Carl." said Josie.

"It can wait until tomorrow." said Carl, "I want to see my children, I want to be alone with my wife, and I want a bath!"

"Oh My Darling, I love you so!" said Rachel.

Just then, Amanda arrived home.

"What's going on?" she demanded, "Why are the police here? Why is Mother hugging a derelict?"

"Maybe you'd better take a closer look." said Matthew. Lila brought him an icepack. "Thank you." he said, applying it to the goose-egg already rising on his skull.

"But - that's Carl! He's alive?"

"Yes, and for Mom's sake, I'm glad!" said Matthew firmly.

Amanda couldn't believe her ears. "Matt?"

"She loves him! He makes her happy! Look at her - she's smiling, really smiling, for the first time in half a year! I want Mom to be happy - don't you?"

"Well, yes, but - with Carl?"

"If that's what it takes!" said Matthew, "Mom's never tried to dictate who we could love! Do you think she liked you marrying Grant, or me marrying Donna? But she kept her feelings to herself. We owe it to her to do the same."

"I don't understand!" said Amanda, "What's gotten into you?"

"Maybe if I act like an adult, I'll eventually become one." said Matthew. He stood up, walked over to Carl, and held out his hand. "Welcome back, Carl."

"Thank you, Matthew." said Carl, "This is a pleasant surprise."

"It's time for all of us to forgive and forget - right, Amanda?"

Amanda braced herself. "As long as you make my mother happy - I'm glad you're back, Carl."

"Thank you, Amanda, " said Carl, "Perhaps, one day, you'll be able to say that with more enthusiasm."

As Carl and Rachel headed upstairs, he asked, "Did you keep any of my clothes?"

"All of them!" said Rachel.

"Good! Then we can have these disgusting rags burned!"