"Good morning," she said offering him the cup. Jay yawned but accepted the mug gratefully. "Hope you slept better than I did," she added matching his yawn.

"Probably not. I don't think I closed my eyes until Mom got in," Jay replied crossly referring to Gina's date with the diner owner. They were used to Gina dating, but not staying out as late as she had last night.

"What time was that, do you think?" Georgia asked glancing towards the closed bedroom door. "Two? Three?"

"Nah, it was about one in the morning," Jay corrected. "Still, that's the latest she's ever stayed out. That guy must've shown her a real nice time."

Georgia raised her eyebrows at Jay, trying not to think what she was thinking. Their mother was an adult after all, and it was none of their business if she engaged in...adult behavior after all. But with a man she had just met? No, can't think that Georgia, she reminded herself. After all, she had done the exact same thing. The bedroom door opened and Gina sailed out, dressed and smiling at them.

"Good morning!" She called as she went to the kitchen. Georgia and Jay exchanged glances before following her. They waited expectantly as Gina rummaged through the refrigerator looking for breakfast foods. "Good grief, Georgia!" She exclaimed pulling out some eggs. "Don't you ever eat at home?"

"No. I'm usually working, Mom," Georgia replied giving Jay a roll of her eyes.

"Well, this will have to do, I guess. What? Why are you two giving me the once over? Have I grown a third eye overnight?" Gina demanded turning around. Jay cleared his throat nervously and shrugged leaving Georgia to ask all the questions, as usual.

"It's just that you got in so late last night...we just wanted to make sure you were all right," she said flatly trying not to let herself get too mad at Jay for once again leaving her to do the dirty work. This was her place in the family whether she liked it or not. "I mean, you barely know Mr. Conlan; we just wanted to make sure you had a nice time."

Gina gave Georgia a sharp look, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at her. "Really? Well, if you want to know details, Georgia Louise, just ask. Don't pretend concern when you have no basis for it."

"But you barely know this man, Mom. We just want to make sure you didn't get in over your head..."

"I don't think either one of you have room to lecture me on dating and relationships. This one can't hold onto a good thing when he has it and then goes off gallivanting to bars looking for a quickie." She pointed a finger at Jay who looked as if he were used to the criticism. He shrugged casually and winked at Georgia. "And you. Don't get me started on the half naked man that answered your door yesterday!"

Georgia flushed a bright red and replied hotly, "He wasn't half naked! He was all naked under Gran's quilt!" Jay laughed aloud but Gina glared angrily.

"I suppose you think that's funny? I'm disappointed in you Georgia. I always thought you had better sense than I've seen this week. Kevin Conlan is a decent man with a good business and family. Don't you dare lump him in with that...man," she spat angrily. "I've made a decision, Georgia. I'm staying in Conlan's Glen. Letting you move so far away was a mistake. I can see that now. I'm staying here until you get yourself back together."

"I am together, Mother!" Georgia exclaimed.

"Are you? Is that why you're being evicted? Is that why you've taken to letting strange men sleep over? Between you and your brother, I'm going to have a lot of work to do."

"Wait a minute," Jay cut in for the first time. "What did I do?"

"You. Reese is here. In this town. We've been here for three days and you haven't even called her," Gina accused. "The best thing that ever happened to you is minutes away from you and you can't even admit to yourself what an idiot you were to let her go."

Jay slammed his empty mug on the counter and left the room, slamming a door somewhere behind them. Georgia stared accusingly at Gina. "At least Lisa is in Jersey and away from you, otherwise you might try to run her life too," she said after a moment, "I'll eat breakfast somewhere else, thanks." She left the kitchen and took a deep breath. Talking back to Gina Corelli was tantamount to declaring war.

Scene 2:

"I want to go though!" Chris whined, kicking the wall with his shoe. Jamie crossed his arms over his chest and gazed sternly at his son who was nine going on eighteen normally. Michaela was going to visit her family in Canada taking Jesse and Lily but leaving Chris behind to attend summer camp.

"We've talked about this Chris," Jamie replied evenly from the doorway. "You know perfectly well why you cannot go with your mother."

"I don't have to go to that stupid camp!" Chris reasoned. "I'll just go with Mom instead."

"I don't think so pal," Jamie said stepping into the room. He closed the door behind him and pulled out the chair at Chris' desk to sit. "You are the one who was so desperate to go to this camp, if I remember correctly. Weren't you? Your mother didn't want you to go and tried to talk you out of it too."

"That was before I knew they were going to Canada!" Chris countered.

"Sit down, Chris. I want to talk to you seriously," Jamie ordered. Chris crossed his arms and glared at his father but did as he was told, sitting heavily on the edge of his bed. "Do you know what the word commitment means?" Jamie asked. Chris shook his head, keeping his gaze anywhere but on Jamie. "A commitment is a promise. You know what that is."

"Yes," Chris muttered, kicking at the floor stubbornly.

"When your mom and I agreed to let you go to this camp we made a promise to the camp that you would attend. And you made a promise to us to attend. You know how your mom and I feel about breaking promises don't you?" Chris nodded. "If you weren't going to camp, you would be going with them, Chris. But you've promised to go and I've paid for it already. Now come on, just think of the fun you're going to have. You'll make new friends and you'll learn how to do a lot of things that your mom and I can't do."

Chris seemed to cheer at that and unfolded his arms. "Will they be back when I get back?"

"I sure hope so, Chris. I hate being here all alone without you guys." Jamie stood and tousled Chris' hair. "Now get your suitcase packed and make sure to apologize to your mom."

"Dad?" Jamie paused at the door and turned to look at Chris. "Don't you want to go with Mom?"

The question took Jamie aback. The idea of Jamie accompanying Michaela to visit her parents had never been mentioned. Jamie was busy at the hospital still and Michaela...well she had never quite been the same since they had moved to the Glen. Whether that was just missing her family or their old life in Florida, Jamie didn't know. He thought about Chris' question for a moment before answering.

"I do want to go but I have other things to take care of before I can take a vacation," Jamie said. "And I think your mom would prefer to visit her parents without me along this time around. Okay?" Chris nodded but didn't look like the answer satisfied him. It was the only answer Jamie had and as he left Chris' room, he began to wonder himself just why his wife had neglected to invite him on vacation.

Scene 3:

Galen gripped Mia's hand tightly in his and led her up the walk to the Staffords' front door. He hated letting Mia visit with her grandparents so often. Part of his resentment, he knew, was their part in Kelly's departure from his life. Barbara had encouraged Kelly to leave despite the fact that Kelly had a husband and a daughter to think about. And John was nothing if not a bully when it came to how Galen raised his own daughter. But he would not deprive Mia of her mother's family, especially when her mother didn't seem to care. He lifted Mia just high enough for her to ring the doorbell. She giggled in delight and pressed the button twice before he set her back on her feet.

John opened the door, scowling darkly at Galen. "What do you want, Galen?"

John's harsh tone took him by surprise but he bit a sharp reply back. "Barbara called," he said pushing Mia forward. "She said she wanted Mia today." John sighed heavily looking over his shoulder. Barbara appeared at his side, smiling.

"Mia! Give your old grandmother a hug!" She said throwing her arms open for Mia to heave herself into. Mia let go of Galen's hand and flung herself at Barbara. She lifted Mia onto her hip and smiled at Galen. "Thank you Galen. John has a few things to tell you, don't you John?"

A critical gaze passed between the two before Barbara disappeared inside with Mia. John stepped onto the porch and closed the door behind him. Galen looked at his watch impatiently. With Mia gone, he had made plans to hang out at a sports bar with a couple of the other doctors to watch a baseball game.

"There's a few things you ought to know," John began.

"Fine, just hurry up, will you? I do have plans," Galen interrupted.

"You know what, Galen? I never approved of your marriage to Kelly," John said suddenly. "I think you're an officious prick who likes to play God."

"Oh? Thanks for sharing, John. Your sentiment is touching but I don't give a good god dam what you think of me. Maybe you should spread a little bit of that criticism to your daughter? God knows Kelly could have used it."

"Kelly's not perfect. She made some bad choices. But she wants to correct at least one of them," John returned. "You heard about Dinah?" He added changing course.

Galen nodded. "Yes, but I doubt she was kidnapped John. I bet she split to get away from you and your iron grip."

"I don't think that is your place to speculate, Galen. She was seen with a man who looked like Tyler Jones," John continued. He held up a hand to silence Galen's comment. "No, we don't know that it was him. But we're very concerned about Dinah. Do you have any idea where she might have gone?"

"Why would I know?"

"Because you were closest to her and I think you know more about what she's been up to the last month than we do," John said simply. "Galen, I am prepared to make a deal with you."

"A deal?" He would have laughed if it hadn't been so absurd. "What kind of deal could you possibly make?"

"For starters," John said slowly, "I could give you the one thing you've wanted for the last two years. Kelly."

Scene 4:

The smell of coffee and burning toast woke Tyler from a fitful night of sleep. He hoped Dinah was still asleep, oblivious to Lina's cooking abilities. For the best, he thought rolling off the couch and getting to his feet. There was plenty he and Angelina had to discuss.

He grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it over his head, groaning at the effort it took to stretch muscles he hadn't used since the accident. He was lucky to be alive...lucky to have Dinah continually trying to save him. She was his one ally in his troubles, his one loyal believer and that meant more to him than anything else.

Stifling a yawn, he followed the smell of coffee to the kitchen doorway and leaned against the doorframe. "Are you trying to wake us up or was that an accident?"

"Are you kidding?" Lina shot back, not stopping to turn around and face her baby brother. "I'm not accident prone. Never have been...never...will...be," she said, right before mumbling a muffled curse as she burned her finger on the toaster coils. Sticking the throbbing digit into her mouth, she moved to the freezer and rummaged around before taking out a bag of frozen corn and holding it to her hand. "Ice maker's on the fritz," she explained, finally facing Tyler.

"Oookay," Tyler remarked moving to the coffee maker. "This however smells pretty good. Thank you." He poured himself a cup of coffee leaning against the counter to sip it while she nursed her finger. "I know there's more you want to ask me," he said after a moment.

"Why would you say that?" Angelina asked, grabbing a glass and a carton of orange juice before sitting down at her kitchen table. "It's not like I was lying awake all night, pondering your situation and worrying about you."

"I'm sorry, Lina. I didn't have anywhere else to go," Tyler said joining her at the table. "Dinah took me to this friend of hers, Noah, and he tried to tell me to go to the cops. But you know as soon as they found out who I really am they would have used me to get to Nicky."

"Are you trying to protect him, or are you worried about what he'll do if they figure out the connection between the two of you?"

"I don't care what happens to Nicky. I do care what happens to me though. And I care about Mama. I would never tell them what I know about him if it meant she would get hurt, Lina. You do know that right?"

"I know you love her. And I know that you'll always do what you think is right," Lina said slowly. "But what if you're wrong?"

"It's not just Rey I'm thinking about. There's a lot more to Nicky than any of us really know," Tyler replied defending his choices. "I thought you of all of us would know how dangerous he is."

"I do know. I understand that he's...." Angelina frowned. "But he's still family. He's still our brother. And if it wasn't for him, I don't know if I'd still be alive to sit here and talk to you." Sighing, she stood up and started pacing, a subconscious habit. "I got in over my head, okay? Maybe I'm a bad person for keeping quiet, maybe it's my civic duty to tell the world what I do know, but I have a strong regard for life, and I want to keep it that way. The only reason I'm safe is because of Nicky. He knows I don't want any part of his business. And as long as he stays away, I'm not a threat to him." She laughed, the cynicism she'd developed since discovering the truth about her family shining through. "Do I know you're wrong about Nicky? No. But I don't want to believe he could hurt Rey. I mean, of any of us, wouldn't he have the most to gain by killing me?"

"Maybe but you're pretty sharp Angelina. I'd wager a guess you've protected yourself against that." He waved off the thought and changed tactics. "Look let's say he didn't have anything to do with Rey disappearing," Tyler said for the sake of argument. "I still know enough about what he does to make his life uncomfortable. If I had let those cops in Virginia arrest me, they would have figured out Tyler Jones isn't my real name and then they would have used me. You know that much is right."

"I'm not saying you're wrong about that. It's why you need help. It's why you need to have those charges dropped. Or are you ready to spend the rest of your life running? And what about Dinah?" Angelina asked. "Are you going to drag her along, too? She's cute, and I can see why you'd like her. But what are your plans? It's not just about you anymore. It's about her. Are you willing to ruin her life?" Sitting back down, Lina softened her tone. "I'm not here to lecture you. It's up to you to decide your course of action. But between the police and Nicky...." She didn't have to point out his dire situation. "I'll help you any way I can. But you have to tell me what you want me to do."

"I have been thinking about this, Lina," he said with a sigh. "I don't know how I'll get out of it. If the cops find me, they get Nicky. If Nicky finds me...I lose whatever freedom I might have had."

He thought about Dinah for a moment and Lina's comments. She had come with him of her own free will but for the moment, she was still unaware of his real ties to Nicky or the real trouble she was in. He hadn't meant to drag her into it. In fact, he had told her a number of times to get lost. She was the one who threw herself into her problems for whatever reason. Still, he couldn't force her to live the kind of life he was willing to live.

"I think what I really need, Angelina, is for you to keep Dinah here until I can get away safely and then call her parents. Tell them that I took Dinah against her will...or something so she doesn't get in trouble. I think if I disappear with no ties, Nicky will let me alone."

"And how do you expect to disappear?" Angelina asked him. She'd told him she'd help, but she didn't like his plan one bit.

"I did it before. I can do it again," he said stubbornly. True, he'd had a little help from a hacker friend of his in California but he would manage this time too.

"Last time you disappeared, the police weren't actively looking for you," she told him.

She had a point. And if she told Dinah's parents she was kidnapped it became an FBI matter which made it worse. He cursed silently and took a sip of coffee. "What do you suggest then?"

Angelina thought quietly for a moment. "Odds are, Nicky's already in Virginia," she told him. "And since I really don't think you ended up on my doorstep hiding from the police, he probably already knows you're here. Or he has a good idea where you'd head. Depending on the way you look at it, it could be a blessing in disguise, because the last thing Nicky would want is for the police to find you first." She paused again, thinking of the girl sleeping upstairs. "I know she wants to help you, but if I were you, I'd send her back now. The last thing you want to do is add a kidnapping charge to your record. If she gets in trouble, I'm sorry, but that's her own problem. And it pales in comparison to the trouble you're in. But if you're not going to send her back home, or if she refuses to go, you should start thinking about telling her the entire truth. It's obvious she doesn't know what she's gotten into. Beyond that...." Angelina shrugged. "If you run now, you're going to be running forever. If you don't run, it's inevitable...someone is going to find you. It's only a matter of time. Until then, you're welcome to stay here." She looked at her brother for a long moment before speaking again. "Have you considered what might happen if you were to just...confront Nicky?"

Tyler opened his mouth to reply but Dinah's voice in the doorway made him pause. He turned to face, seeing anger stamped across her features. "I'm not going anywhere so don't even think about sending me home!" She announced staring at him. "And what else have you neglected to tell me?"

Scene 5:

"So you're going to offer up one daughter for the other?" Galen asked, disgusted at John's attempts to play on his weakness for Kelly. "You know, John, for a man who claims to be the world's perfect father, you sure are losing ground these days."

"Are you finished?"

Galen shrugged crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't know where Dinah is. As to what she was doing before she left, I can only guess," he lied. His part in helping Tyler Jones would remain a secret no matter what anyone asked, he decided. Dinah would keep it, he knew. She was far more trustworthy than any of the other Staffords combined. "And if I had to guess, I would say she was planning her get away."

"You're not helping anyone with that attitude, Galen," John replied. He turned to open the door. "Contrary to how I feel about you though, I think we might owe you this. And besides, she wants to see you for some godforsaken reason. Wait here."

John disappeared inside again, leaving Galen staring after him. And Galen had a God complex? If the Staffords weren't Mia's grandparents he wouldn't even be here in this town, he reminded himself. He sighed annoyed with himself for waiting as John instructed. He didn't even know who wanted to see him. For a moment, he thought perhaps John was talking about Kelly, but that couldn't be possible. They had denied him that luxury for too long. Likely, he thought, it's Barbara wanting to give him a piece of her mind now.

But it wasn't. The door opened and Kelly slipped outside. She looked just the same as she had the last time he had seen her. Her hair was pulled off her face in a pony tail and her face was clean of make-up making her look more like Dinah than he ever thought she did in the first place. She dressed casually in a tank top and jeans leaving her feet bare. He was too stunned by her appearance to say anything; he only stared uncomfortably, thinking of Mia inside the house. No wonder Barbara had wanted Mia today.

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Kelly asked after a moment.

"What do you want me to say?" Galen replied stiffly. He had hoped for this moment for two long years but now that it had arrived, he wasn't sure what he should say to her.

"I don't know...how about Hi Kelly!" She said with a small grin.

"Oh...you mean I should just act like I haven't seen you in two years and that this is our first date?" He returned harshly. "Forgive me if I can't respond the way you would like Kelly. I'm a little bitter."

Kelly's grin faded into a grim line. "I'm sorry about that. I had hoped you would move on after the divorce. Find someone new..."

"Really? Is that what you hoped? That's great Kelly. You are so benevolent and kind. But see it doesn't work that way," Galen snapped back, raising his voice. She flinched at his voice. "You see, I've spent the last two years wondering what I did to make you leave. Oh and in case we forget, I also had to make sure Mia never felt like it was her fault. Do you have any idea what you did to that little girl?"

"My parents would never let her believe I abandoned her," Kelly said defending herself. "I'm sorry Galen, but I did what I had to do."

"Really? Because your life was so miserable? Because what? Did I ever hurt you or lay a hand on you?" Galen demanded finding his voice to ask all the questions he had kept inside for too long.

"No..."

"Then tell me why you left. And if you give me some bullshit story about having to find yourself, Kelly, God help me, I'll..."

"You'll what?" Kelly asked, jerking her head up to glare at him. "You'll take Mia away from me? You've already done that. Or don't you remember?"

"I did what was necessary to give my daughter a good life. Which is more than I can say for you." This wasn't how he had imagined this scene, he thought as they glared at each other. But then again, what else could he have expected after the time they had been apart. They were both different. They were both harder than they had been when they were in love. "Are you going to tell me why you left?"

"Do you really want to know?" She asked. He nodded his head vigorously in reply. "Fine," she sighed. "I met a man. Okay? I left you for another man."

Galen stepped back as if she had kicked him. Another man? He had suspected that once but dismissed it almost as soon as he thought of it. She wasn't the cheating kind. Or so he had thought.

"Who?" He choked out.

"Does it matter? I'm not with him now and I'd prefer not to talk about it," she said coldly. "He wasn't who I thought he was. That's all you need to know about him." She glanced over her shoulder at the living room window. "I came home when you called me at work. I don't know how you got the number, but I assume Dinah managed to find it. Now she's gone..." She trailed off. "Galen, I have to ask you something. You might not like it but you have to tell me. And I promise I won't tell anyone."

Galen rolled his eyes. "Why not? I'd rather tell you than your father any day. He's quite an asshole, you know..."

Kelly cut him off sharply. "He can be, I won't argue with you. Look, was Dinah with this Tyler Jones? Did she leave with him?"

"How should I know?" He shot back. "I'm not her confidant. But if I had to guess, yes, she was probably with him when she disappeared. She had a...fondness for him."

Kelly nodded, looking away from him. "Good, then they still have a chance," she muttered to herself.

"What?"

"Nothing," she answered quickly. "I have to go back in now, Galen. Thank you and I promise I won't say a word to anyone." She disappeared back inside the house, leaving Galen alone once more on the Stafford porch. His head was beginning to feel as if he had been hit by a truck. So much for watching baseball today, he thought heading back to his car. He headed back to his car and climbed inside, staring at the house briefly. Kelly's reappearance might have answered some of his questions but he found himself asking himself new questions.

He cursed at himself and backed out of the drive. He would ask his questions later. Like, why did Kelly want to know if Dinah was with Tyler Jones? More importantly, he decided, what did she mean when she said they might still have a chance?