Connie's was quiet for a change. Saturday's were busy days for the bustling restaurant but not this day. Today, Kevin had closed the diner in deference to the Stafford family and to host a small impromptu gathering in Dr. Stafford's honor. Mourners milled about in small clusters talking in soft voices as they helped themselves to the buffet Kevin offered.

Maura watched the whole affair with a sad eye, hating the somber atmosphere the get-together gave her diner. But it wasn't hers anymore, was it? No, she had agreed to let Kevin take back what was rightfully his. She should be proud of him for taking back his life. It was something she hadn't let herself do for over ten years. Until Jude. She still had no idea what she would do with herself now but that was a worry for another day.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Jude asked sliding into the booth next to her. He offered her a plate of cold cuts and cheese but she shook her head.

"I'm afraid they aren't worth even that much," she replied sadly. "I was just thinking about how sad this place seems today."

"Not a very joyous occasion," Jude answered with a shrug. "But try to make the best of it, okay?"

"The best of it? I can't see a best in any of this," she said trailing off. Her eyes fell on Barbara Stafford who sat in a corner with Kelly, shaking hands and looking miserable. "It's awful, Jude. Dinah's been missing for weeks and when she shows up again, John gets killed. It isn't fair."

Jude took her hand and kissed the back of it gently. "Life isn't fair, Maura. You know that. But they still have each other."

"But they don't have Dinah...well, Dinah doesn't have them," she corrected herself. "They blame her you know. Jory told me. Can you believe that? They blame her just like they blame the police. And here they are carrying on as if Dinah didn't even exist when she's laid up in a hospital and missing her father and her family. It isn't right."

"I know it isn't right. But they're all hurting right now," Jude said softly. "Look, if it'll make you feel better, after this is over, why don't we go to the hospital and visit Dinah? See how she's doing?"

Maura nodded numbly, looking away from Barbara. Her eyes fell on Gina at the bar looking as if she had ruled Connie's since birth. Kevin stood nearby, listening to her every word with a rapturous expression on his face that Maura hadn't seen in years. Was her father really in love with that woman, she wondered bleakly. She was nothing like her own mother. Maeve Conlan had been a sweet woman with a caring nature and a sense of humor to match. Gina Corelli was coarse and unrefined where Maeve had been elegant and natural. She just couldn't see what drew Kevin to her.

"Maura?" She turned to look at Jude who was giving her a questioning look. "You disappeared for a minute there," he told her. "Does she bother you that much?"

"Yes, Jude. She does. And I don't know why. I should be happy that Dad has found someone...but I can't put my finger on it."

Jude nodded knowingly. "Look, I am the last person to lecture about family business and such but maybe you should go talk to your dad."

"And say what? I hate your girlfriend?"

"No. But maybe for starters, you could tell him about us. He really wanted us to get back together, you know," Jude pointed out. She sighed heavily but knew he was right. She hadn't spoken to Kevin nor had she been home since the night of the ball. He would be worried about that much. She rose from her seat and turned towards Kevin and Gina but paused when Jude's hand touched her arm lightly. "Try not to pick a fight with Gina either," he added seriously. "This really isn't the place for it. Okay?"

She nodded and bent towards him, giving him a quick kiss on the forehead before winding her way through the mourners. She paused just by the cash register, waiting for Kevin to notice her. Gina noticed first though and gave Kevin a quick push towards her.

"Hi Dad," Maura said as he approached her. "You have a minute? There's something I need to tell you."

Scene 2:

"Fancy seeing you here, Stranger."

Ian glanced over at Ellen as she smiled sweetly at him, trying not to look too annoyed with her mere presence. "Ellen," he muttered as a greeting, turning back to his drink. It was bad enough he was here but to have to face Ellen and most likely Gwen and all the other Masons was a little much.

"I didn't think you liked John Stafford very much," Ellen continued. "In fact, if I'm not mistaken, you despised the man. So what brings you to his funeral? Oh, wait," she paused dramatically and lowered her voice. "You're doing a little sucking up aren't you? Showing up for his funeral makes you look like a decent man...especially when most people know you aren't."

"What is your problem?" Ian hissed setting his drink on the bar. "I'm here to pay my respects. The man was my boss after all."

"Technically, my brother is your boss," Ellen hissed back. "And my problem, as you call it, is nothing. I just don't like being tossed aside."

Ian sighed heavily. "What are you talking about?"

"I think you know what I'm talking about. I've watched you tonight, Ian. If you think I don't see the way you've been staring at that nurse of yours, you're wrong," Ellen spat. "I went by your apartment yesterday. You weren't there but your neighbor very kindly informed me that you had gone out of town for a few days. I could have let it go at that but when Jory told me Georgia was gone too...well, now it makes sense."

"You're babbling."

"Am I? Not even a week ago, we spent the night together, Ian. Have I heard from you since? No. And why, I might ask...except I already know. You took that piece of trailer trash off to some romantic getaway, didn't you?"

He glared at Ellen for a long moment before grasping her arm and pulling her towards an empty portion of Connie's. Towering over her, he stared down at the woman, disgusted with himself that he had allowed himself to get involved with her yet again. But in a moment of anger with a woman he really wanted, he had allowed himself to use Ellen again. He should have learned his lesson the first time around.

"Don't you ever refer to Georgia that way again," he warned. "She has a lot more class than some of the women in your own family. And what I do and when I do it is my own business. Do you understand?"

"Ooh, touchy subject? Does that mean you're in love with her?" Ellen asked lightly with a short laugh but the look in her eye was unmistakable. She was as jealous as Ian had ever seen her. "You never change. Still using me as you see fit."

"First of all, I am not going to discuss Georgia with you. Ever. Do you understand?" He asked not waiting for an answer. "Second, you used me as much as I used you, little girl. Don't think I don't know the thrill it gives you to defy your mother and brother. And how they do hate me after all the lies you told them when we were in college."

"I never lied!"

"No? Then why is that your brother came to me and warned me to stay away from you on any number of occasions? The best thing I ever did was take his advice. You're pathetic, Ellen. And you know," he added with a small smile as a thought occurred to him. "I think maybe you're in love with me and have been for years. In fact, I think it kills you that I walked away from you. I think the reason you told all those lies in the first place was to get me to feel sorry for you because your family was against us. Am I right?"

She flinched as if he had slapped her and stepped back from him. "I didn't lie," she persisted.

"No? Well, let's see. I seem to remember Jamie accusing me of breaking your arm in an argument once." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Now if I remember clearly, you told me you fell off your horse. And I think I would remember hurting you purposely. Which by the way, I may be a lot of things, but I am not the kind of man that enjoys hurting women. Now, are you sticking with your story?"

The color rose in Ellen's face as he stared her down waiting for her to claim yet again that she told the truth. Lifting her chin, Ellen stared back defiantly before answering.

"Say what you want about me, Ian. I don't care. Because I guarantee you'll be begging for another chance with me before too long."

"I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you," Ian returned, turning to leave. He was disgusted with himself for letting himself get sucked back into Ellen's lies and life. She hadn't changed a bit since college and likely never would.

"You want his job, don't you?"

Scene 3:

She was here with Dane. He couldn't bear it any longer. Liza had ignored his phone calls and refused to see him, even going so far as to threaten to call the police. As far as Luke knew though, he had done nothing wrong. All he wanted was an explanation. No, that wasn't quite true. He wanted to know what had ended their relationship before it had begun. Taking a quick drink for courage, Luke waited until Dane left her side for a brief moment before wedging his way between her and an escape route.

"We are going to talk right now," he muttered in Liza's ear and pushed her towards Maura's office door. Liza protested briefly but they were inside the office with the door closed before she could get too loud. "I'm sorry I had to do that," he said positioning himself in front of the door. "But it was the only way I could think of to get you alone."

"I don't want to talk to you, Luke!" Liza snapped.

"I gathered as much last night when you called the cops," he returned dryly. "All I want is an explanation. Then, I promise, I'll leave you alone and never bother you again."

"An explanation? For what?"

"For why all of a sudden you decided you couldn't be with me. For why you're here with Dane Lennox."

"Oh for pity's sake, Luke. This isn't a date. We're at a funeral; you don't bring dates to a funeral," Liza argued. "So quit with the jealous boyfriend routine."

"What else am I supposed to be?"

"Do you have to be anything at all? Can't we pretend that nothing ever happened between us?" She asked her voice trembling.

"I can't do that, Liza. How could you even ask me to do that?" He returned softly. He took a step closer to her, pausing briefly to see if she would move away. When she didn't, he took another step towards her, edging as near to her as he dared. "You made me love you, Liza. I can't change how I feel about you on a whim. I thought I meant something to you too. Can you stand there, right now, and look me in the eye and tell me you didn't feel anything for me at all?"

Liza's dark blue eyes lowered, her lashes falling against her cheek. "No, I can't do that, Luke. But that doesn't mean we should be together."

"Why not?!" Luke exploded angrily. Liza's chin jerked up and he saw the tears forming in her eyes. "Oh god, Liza, I'm sorry. I didn't meant to yell. I just don't know what's happened. Please don't cry."

"I've told you, Luke. I have to think about Matty. Remember, my son... He means everything to me and being with you is just too much, too consuming. I need someone who will help me with raising him, not make me forget he exists. Please? Can't you let me find someone like that?"

"I could be that person, Liza, if you'll just let me. Really-"

"No!" Liza interrupted violently. "You can never be that person. There's too much at stake for it to ever be you. Don't you understand? You and I can never be!" She added with a shattered sob.

Stunned at her outburst, Luke's chest constricted painfully. Heart ache, he thought absently as the world seemed to fade into a meaningless shade of gray. They could never be. She believed that for some reason. How could he continue to fight for her when she didn't want to be won? He stepped aside, unblocking the exit for her. He couldn't very well force her to continue to listen to him beg, could he? He had some dignity and he wanted her to remember him as something else besides a pathetic loser.

Liza made a move to the door and opened it. She paused in the doorway, one hand on the doorknob, without looking up. "I do care about you Luke. I was always honest about that. But I have to think of my son. Maybe some day, when he's older..."

"No, I understand," Luke choked out. "You need something I can't give you. It's all right." But it wasn't all right at all. Nothing was right.

"I'm sorry Luke. Maybe some day you'll understand why I had to do this," Liza added before leaving him alone in his misery.

Scene 4:

Hallie watched Liza emerge from the room that Maura referred to as an office with an interested eye. She'd seen Luke pull her in just as Dane stepped away and had wanted to eavesdrop on their conversation but Max Jency had pulled her away and kept her busy with talk about the Hospital board and his dopey niece. She could care less about that, really, but Max just liked to hear himself talk. When she managed to wrangle free from him, she edged closer to the door, catching Liza's parting words.

Someday he would understand? Not likely, if Hallie had anything to do about that. But it was nice to see the two of them utterly miserable for a change. Not even Dane seemed to be able to help Liza out of her misery. Liza hurried past her and out the door of Connie's not taking a moment to stop and say anything to her date. Ah, how fitting. She caught the look of wonder on Dane's face and approached him.

"Left in the lurch? Probably for the best. She's a bit of a two-faced bitch," Hallie remarked sweetly. Dane scowled at her but moved over a little at the bar to make room for her. "Really, sorry about her, Dane. It isn't working out is it?"

"Hallie, please. You're not sorry about anything," he remarked. "Besides, there was never anything to work out. She was a blind date I thought I could help. She doesn't seem to want it though."

"Help with what? Learning a bit of class?"

"Knock it off. She just wants to be friends, all right. Nothing to work out," he finished morosely.

"Dane," Hallie said putting a reassuring hand on his arm. "You would have been too good for her. You're too good for most women. Besides, you didn't really have feelings for her did you?"

"It's kind of hard to have feelings for someone who is in love with someone else, don't you think?"

Hallie's eyes clouded for a moment taking in Dane's comments. In love with someone else? So Liza hadn't learned her lesson after all. She could walk away and be miserable but when it came right down to it, she was still quite capable of beating Hallie at her own game. What was it that one read in stories all the time? Love would win in the end? Not this time, Hallie swore to herself. She would just make sure that there could never be any love between Liza and Luke. Of course, she had to figure out a way to do just that. Surely there was something that would lessen Luke in Liza's eyes. She cleared her expression and wrapped a comforting arm around her brother.

"Liza is a fool. You're the best catch in this crummy little town. I mean, what could she possibly see in Luke that would blind her to your charms?"

"Beats me," he shrugged. "Maybe his blind devotion to her, I have no idea Hal. It doesn't matter anyway. I'm through with women." He swallowed the rest of his wine and set the glass on the bar top. "No more blind dates, no more sophisticated socialites. And especially, no one that knows our family. Oh god, here comes Max Jency again. I do not want to meet his niece." Dane slid off the barstool and slipped through the crowd leaving Hallie alone at the bar.

Blind devotion echoed in her head and a smile played across her face as an idea formed around the words.

Scene 5:

"You want his job, don't you?"

The question was so quiet he almost didn't hear it. He knew what she was talking about and, dammit, she could still read him quite well. She'd known how status hungry he had been at 25 and even now, after ten years how much he still yearned for what he couldn't have in Conlan's Glen. He'd left this town thinking it didn't matter that the social elite would always see him as Liam McCormick's kid. Nothing but the local drunk's son. It had drawn him back of course. That and the desire to prove to all of them that he was better than Liam. Better than all of them.

"His job?" He repeated, still turned away from her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you do," Ellen said sidling closer to him, her calm demeanor restored. "John Stafford is dead. His job is empty. Jamie's not a doctor, just an administrator. But you're a doctor. A well-qualified doctor too. It makes perfect sense for you to want to move up. Doesn't it?"

"Sure, makes sense," he repeated feeling his mouth go dry. This wasn't sounding good.

"Well, maybe someone close to the administrator can help you. You know, put in a good word for you and all. Perhaps even persuade him to promote you above everyone else. I could do that for you, Ian. Jamie listens to me. He thinks I'm an angel." She touched his shoulder lightly, running her hand down his arm. "I might help you, Ian. All you have to do is ask."

"There's a price tag though. There always is," Ian replied. He turned his head to look at her, trying to gauge her motivation.

"There is a price tag, you're right. But now isn't the time to discuss it. We've already had quite a conversation. You just think about what we've said to each other today. Think about how nice we can be to each other when we try. And think about how much you really want that job. Then we'll talk. For now though, I think I'm going to head home. It's been a long day and funerals bring me down. Call me when you want to talk some more."

She walked away from him and he had just enough time to realize how calculated her last comments had been before Georgia caught his eye. She gave him a quick puzzled glance but smiled brightly at him. God, she was beautiful, he thought as he moved towards her. Beautiful and kind, not to mention vulnerable. She was a lot more woman than Ellen would ever be, he decided.

"What do you say we get out of here?" He asked lowering his voice so her mother, who glared ferociously at him, wouldn't hear. "I think I've had enough of feeling sad."

"Sure. Everything okay?"

"It will be when we are alone and I can forget about the rest of the world and think about nothing else but you." She grinned happily and slipped her arm through his as they made their way through the crowd. He caught a glimpse of Ellen as he held the door for Georgia. She smiled sweetly at him, but Ian saw the malicious look in her eye that was aimed directly at Georgia.

"Oh wait!" Georgia cried, pausing in the doorframe. "I have to say goodbye to Jory. He's really upset about Dr. Stafford's death. Will you wait for me?"

"Of course," Ian replied wishing the plague on Jory Conlan at that moment. "I'll be right here." She nodded and moved off in the crowd. He tapped his foot nervously wanting nothing more than to flee at that moment. Too many goddam Masons in the room, he thought watching Ellen speaking brightly to her cousin.

"I don't want you seeing Ellen."

Ian flinched at the hissing voice beside him but plastered a smile on his face. "I'm not," he replied turning towards Jamie. "We just had a pleasant conversation a moment ago. But we're not seeing each other. I'm involved elsewhere."

"I see that," Jamie remarked dryly. "I'm very serious Ian. You messed her up the last time. I won't have it happen again."

"I've got news for you, Jamie. Your sister was already fucked up by the time I met her," Ian muttered angrily. The last thing he needed right now was a bunch of empty threats from a do-gooder like Jamie Mason. "And another thing, did it ever occur to you that maybe your sister is the one chasing after me?"

"Somehow I doubt that. Considering everything you did to her."

"Everything I did? I'm not having this conversation. I didn't do a thing to her. It was ten years ago. Can't you people forget I even met your sister?" He quirked an eyebrow up at the incredulous look Jamie shot him. "Apparently not. Fine, I'll stay away from your sister. It's fine by me. She's certifiable anyhow."

"Look, Ian. It took Ellen a long time to recover from the mental and physical anguish you put her through. I don't want to see her suffering at your hands again." He took a menacing step closer to Ian. "I wasn't in a position to help her before. But if you lay a hand on her now, I can make your life a living hell."

"I'm sure you can," Ian muttered catching sight of Georgia as she wound her way back towards him. "Don't worry, Jamie. I have no interest in your sister and as far as I'm concerned she is definitely off limits."

"As long as we understand each other..." Jamie trailed off and left Ian's side. Ian turned his attention away from the Masons and their delusions and back to Georgia. There would be other confrontations with them, he was certain.

Scene 6:

"I always have a minute for you, Maura," Kevin replied smiling affectionately. Maura smiled back uneasily, still upset by his handling of the situation. "Do you want to go to the office?"

"No, there's no need. This won't take long. Look, I wanted to let you know, I've thought about it and I'll quit Connie's. You can have it back."

"Maura," Kevin sighed touching her shoulder. "You know I didn't want to make you quit. That wasn't my intention at all."

"It's okay, Dad. I don't really want to go into the whys of the whole thing. It's over and done with. And I don't want to fight with you anymore..."

"And I don't want to fight with you or any of your sisters and brothers," Kevin interrupted quickly. "Does this mean you might be more willing to get to know Gina?"

"Where did that come from?" Maura asked bewildered. "I'm not even thinking about her right now, Dad."

"She is a part of my life. In fact, I'd like to see more of her."

"Fine, do what you want. But I'm not going to sit around and watch it." She softened a little, glancing over her shoulder. "Jude asked me to move in with him and I said yes. I'll be moving my things out as soon as I can."

"Maura, that isn't necessary..." Kevin started but cut himself off at the sharp look she gave him.

"I thought you wanted Jude and I to get back together? Or was all your matchmaking just an attempt to get me occupied with something else other than Connie's?" She snapped at him. Kevin took an involuntary step back at her attack, blinking in surprise. What was she doing? Yelling at him? Accusing him of terrible things? You should be ashamed of yourself, she heard her mother's voice say in her head. Accusing your father of something so deliberate! That isn't the way he is and you know better! Maura dropped her gaze, staring at the ground. "I'm sorry Dad. That was uncalled for."

"Yes it was," Kevin replied regaining his composure. "Look, I know you kids are against Gina for some reason but she hasn't done anything to deserve any of your venom. I want it to stop. Pass that on to your brothers and sisters. Gina's my friend and if I want to have friends, I'll have them."

"You can't make us like her, Dad!"