He had closed the door on Maura after her brother's engagement party. She didn't want him and she didn't feel compelled to tell him why she had left him so long ago. Why beat his head against a brick wall repeatedly? He had found Jillie to be reinvigorating in every sense of the word. But his own mind betrayed him repeatedly by going back to the morning Maura had shown up at his door. If Jillie hadn't been there, would it have been the reunion he had been hoping for? If she hadn't been there, would Maura have even shown up at all? He had a lot of questions and only one way to find out.

The Conlan home was picture perfect in the setting sunlight. Rick couldn't have imagined a more peaceful place in the world as he parked his car and headed up the shaded path to the porch. He hoped Jillie would be off somewhere else for this, praying for it actually. This might go nowhere and he didn't want her to know he had even tried if it blew up in his face. He knocked on the door thinking of the different things he could say if it was anyone else but Maura opened it. Irony, however, decided to leave him alone for a moment though as Maura pulled the door back and met his gaze.

"She's not here, Rick," Maura said shortly before he could get a word out.

"I'm not here to see Jillie. I came to see you. May I come in?" He asked. Maura threw a look over her shoulder and shook her head.

"No, I'll come out there," she replied reaching for a sweater. She shrugged into a thick gray sweater and stepped outside. "What do you want, Rick?"

"I remember that sweater," he said, smiling. His fingers reached out and touched her elbow gently. "I can't believe you still have it. I think you were wearing it when we met."

"Rick, we met in a bar. I was probably wearing something a little less bulky," she answered, her face clouding with memories.

"Oh yeah. That's right. Ernie's. Hell of a bar. There was a band there that night too. God, who was that? The Moonlighters or something?"

She smiled and shook her head. "The Sunspots. They were terrible." She hugged herself as a cool breeze shifted, chilling them. "Did you come here to reminisce?"

"Maybe. I came to ask you why you showed up at my apartment the other day," he said without hesitating. The smile vanished and her eyes clouded.

"Does Jillie know you're here asking me this?" She asked, avoiding the question.

"No. This is between you and I, not Jillie. Or are you not going to tell me now because of her?" He stared at her, trying not to sound defensive or accusing.

"It's not important."

"But it was important enough to show up on my doorstep on a Saturday morning unannounced? Come on Maura, I'm not stupid. What do you want to say to me?"

Maura's eyes flashed at him. He'd seen that look before. How many times had she turned stubborn on him for no reason? Too many to count. How she responded depended on her mood. And her mood was unpredictable. He sighed and took a step back from her, adopting a nonchalant stance as best he could. He was nervous and he was certain she could see through him.

"I wasn't going to tell you anything important. Just, well you've been after me for an explanation and I was going to give you one. But, you don't need one anymore. You've found your own closure."

"What does that mean? I don't have closure on us at all," he replied icily, all nonchalance disappearing. "I couldn't just sit back and wait for you to work up the nerve to tell me whatever it was that made you leave me. I had to move on."

"With my sister? That's really moving on Rick. Grow up," Maura snapped back. "Jillie's about as deep as a kiddy pool. You're looking for some way to hang onto me and you're doing it with my sister."

"I can't believe you just said that! I don't want you anymore than you want me. I just don't want to be wondering why you left me for the rest of my life. Is that so wrong? And your sister has a lot more going for her than you think she does," he added, rushing to Jillie's defense and to his own.

"Oh really? You think she likes you don't you?" Maura asked with astonishment.

"Of course she does," Rick replied, taken aback by the surprise in Maura's voice. "I'm not some slug that can't get a date you know."

"Jillie's a user, Rick. She has her own agenda. Consider yourself used."

"That's really unnecessary, Maura. Forget it. Forget I even tried to give you a chance," he replied turning away from her. She had done it again. Put him on the defensive by attacking. And he was walking away again. Not this time. He turned on his heel and planted himself in front of her. "Why did you leave? Tell me and I'll leave." Maura's eyes didn't move from his. He could see her thoughts tumbling in her head as if she was deciding what to say.

"I left...we didn't want the same things. You didn't want a family. I did. You didn't want to live in a small town and be a small town newspaper man."

"But strangely enough, here I am. A small town newspaper man. And as far as the family goes, I might have changed my mind if I'd even known you were interested, Maura. Now tell me what the real reason is."

"That is the real reason. You can choose to believe it or not, I don't care. The fact of the matter is Rick, you are now dating my sister who, last I checked, wasn't interested in raising a family and didn't want to be a small town anything. You've found a perfect match and I'm happy for you. I really am."

Rick nodded and turned away. Whether or not that was the reason or not, it was all she would tell him and he would have to accept that. Accept and move on, he told himself as he climbed into his car. He had Jillie now. Maura was the past, Jillie was the future.

Scene 2:

Liza Gennaro wasn't one who let life happen. Well usually she didn't. But lately, it seemed that nothing she did could stop her life from becoming a train wreck. Her divorce from Mark was final, she had her name back at last, and she was at Galen's after months of trying to get the guts to ask him if she could stay with him. Pride was a terrible thing and she'd held onto hers for too long. It wasn't until her best friend, Maxi, had pointed out that she might not like it but she had to do what she had to do for Matty.

Matty was her whole reason for living right now. Maxi was right. She needed to step up and do what any good mom would do. After months of barely making it, she had called Galen and asked if he would let them stay with him. Just until she could find something a little more permanent, she had added. To her eternal surprise, Galen had agreed. Not without stipulations but he had agreed and that was the important thing.

She was his babysitter. That was the agreement. But today, Liza had a very important meeting. Getting her life back on track meant making sure she made this appointment. She paced nervously checking her watch, waiting for Galen's babysitter to arrive. The front door opened and closed and footsteps echoed in the front hall.

"Hello?" Liza pulled the door to the foyer open and stared at the girl in front of her. A spitting image of Galen's ex-wife. It had to be Dinah. She hadn't seen Dinah since...well, since Galen's wedding to Kelly and that had to have been six years or more ago. "Dinah? My goodness! You certainly aren't the bratty ten year old from Galen's wedding!"

Dinah shook her head and offered a tolerant smile. "I was twelve and I'm really sorry. How are you Liza?"

"I'm better than I have been. I'm sure Galen told you about Danny." Dinah nodded. "Good, then there's no need to go over those lurid details. Look, I'll be gone for about two hours, three if all goes well. I really appreciate this."

"Oh sure. It's between classes and I don't have to work at the Diner today. You got lucky," Dinah replied seeing Mia run around the corner at her. "Hey Mia! Feel like hanging out with me for a while?" Mia nodded enthusiastically and disappeared back into the living room.

"Matty is sleeping and I promise I will be back before Galen gets home, okay?" Dinah shrugged and followed Mia to the living room. "Thanks again Dinah!" Liza called, grabbing her purse and car keys. She would have just enough time to make it.

Scene 3:

Jillie bumped the fridge door closed with her hip, taking a bite of the crisp, cold green apple she'd just retrieved, savoring its tangy juice as it slid down her throat. Grabbing her water bottle from the kitchen counter, she made her way through the quiet house. Her tank top was plastered to her skin, still glistening from the sweat she'd worked up from her run. It was time to relax now, and it sounded like no one else was home. That meant one thing, and one thing only: it was now safe to turn on the television without fear of one of her family members wandering in to watch Oprah. Falling back onto the living room couch, she propped her feet up on the coffee table as she flipped through the stations, randomly pausing on MTV before she settled on a Mel Gibson shoot-em-up movie. Home alone with Mel, yep, life was pretty darned good these days.

Jory dropped his car keys on the kitchen table. He dug into the cookie jar and grabbed a handful of Oreos before heading towards the living room. Oprah was on and no one was around to stop him from checking out what Dr. Phil had to say today. He'd seen Maura on the porch with a guy. He didn't recognize the guy, whose back was to him as he pulled into the driveway. She'd be out there for a while at least, long enough for him to get a good fix of Dr. Phil's advice before she barged in and told him to turn it off. She was really a pain about Oprah. As he neared the door, he heard the strains of gunfire coming from within and the unmistakable drawl of Mel Gibson. So much for Dr. Phil.

"Hey, this crap will rot your brain," he announced dropping into the recliner.

"Hey, that crap will rot your body," Jillie replied with a grin, nodding to the Oreos as her brother sat down. "Then again, we're probably a lost cause. It's a well known fact I've got the looks and you've got the smarts."

"So I've been told over and over again by pretty much everyone in the world," Jory responded without hesitating. "What are you doing home anyway? Shouldn't you be off taking pictures of something for the paper, Miss Photographer?"

"It just so happens I'm off for the day. I had an assignment early this morning and decided I'd take the rest of the day to relax a bit before I go resign myself to the dark room to develop. What's your excuse, Mr. Big Time Lawyer?"

"I won my first case today and the powers that be let me take the afternoon off," he grinned, sharing his good news. "And okay, it was a lousy divorce case, but I still won."

"Oh my god, I'm so proud of you!" Jillie squealed, hopping up to lunge at her twin brother and embrace him in a bear hug. "This calls for a celebration. But I think Luke took all the bubbly. With a fiancée like Hallie, I'd probably be hitting the bottle too." She settled down for a moment, considering the possibilities.

"You could always go out with me tonight. See how the finer half lives. With all the time you've spent with your nose in the books, I'm surprised you realize the sky's blue and the grass is green. But then," her smile softened, "it definitely paid off for you, didn't it? I really am proud of you."

Jory grinned in embarrassment. "Thank you. That means a lot. I should go out and celebrate. Then again, I have no friends so it's not like I could call anyone to join us. Not only did you get the looks you got all the personality too."

"Not so. I happen to like your personality just fine. You just happen to save it up for special occasions. I, on the other, love to flaunt what I've got," she grinned. Jumping to her feet, she cocked her head at Jory. "Don't you guys ever knock off after a case, go get a beer or something? Come on, I've watched Ally McBeal."

"Trust me, I'm no Ally McBeal," Jory said catching his sister's gaze. "Actually, though, there is something I want to talk to you about. Do you think I'm...god, I don't know. Do you think there's something wrong with me?" He asked, unable to look up at her. She knew what he was talking about, there would be no spelling out of anything for Jillie, thank god. Of all the people in the world, he was glad to know that Jillie was the only one who knew and that he had never had to tell her.

"Wrong with you?" Jillie echoed, slightly puzzled. "God, no, Jory. Why would you even ask something like that?" Perching on the arm of his recliner, she shook her head. "Besides, with me for a sister - a twin sister at that - how could you be anything less than perfect?" she asked, offering another teasing smile.

"I'm serious Jillie. A perfectly nice guy asked me out for a drink tonight and I said no. Why? Why would I do that unless something was wrong? It's just stupid. I know it is. But what am I supposed to do? Say yes?" He dropped his head into his hands and sighed. "Yeah, I know that is what I'm supposed to do."

"What exactly are you afraid of, Jory?" Jillie asked. It worried her to see her brother this way. Ever since their mother had passed away, he was the only one she could count on, the only one she would have done anything to protect. But she wasn't sure how to make this better for him.

"Who says you aren't smart? You always cut right to the chase. What am I afraid of?" He leaned back in the chair and mulled that over. "I think I am most afraid of upsetting people. It sounds stupid but there it is. I need Dr. Phil right about now."

She arched a brow, but bit back the comment. "I'm way prettier than Dr. Phil, and I know you better. Annnnd...I can tell you that upsetting people...it's underrated. Hell, I've spent most of my life upsetting people and look at me now." She grinned. "Maybe that's a bad example."

"Well, you might think it's fun to irritate Maura, but I kind of like her. A little. Not that I think my dating would upset her. But you know, I wouldn't want to upset Dad...," he trailed off. Shaking his head of the thoughts, he smiled at Jillie. "Ignore me. I'm just feeling morose. Tell me where you were Friday night."

"Dad's not incapable of handling the truth. Meanwhile, you shouldn't put your life on hold just because of what other people might think. That's not living." Her words faded into another smile. "Speaking of living...I was with Rick, actually."

"Rick? As in Rick Upton? Your boss?" Jory asked with mock surprise. Jillie was never one to rest on her laurels as far as men were concerned. He could learn a lot from her. "Isn't that a little...unprofessional?"

Her smile widened mischievously. "Oh, I don't know. We definitely pulled an all-nighter. Negotiations went well, the deal was closed and in the end, I think it's safe to say all parties were satisfied."

A laugh burst from Jory. "That didn't take long! One night. I am impressed. So, is he Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now?"

"I think the jury's still out on that one," Jillie admitted. "But...either way it goes, he's definitely a keeper."

"Seems like everyone in our little family is pairing up. You and this Rick, Maura and Jude Fontaine, Piper and that kid from ME, Luke and Hallie. I guess it's my turn next, huh?" He grinned. "Who's Maura talking to outside? Do you know?"

"Maura's outside?" She shrugged disinterestedly. "Don't know, don't care. And yes, you are next. Because if you don't start looking soon, I'm going to look for you. And you know how well I play matchmaker...."

"If that's a threat, I'll pass." He got up from the recliner and went to the window. "He's gone. Well, anyway, I'm happy for you as long as this Rick guy is nice to you and as long as you really are interested in him."

"It's not a threat. I just want you to be as happy as I am. Happier, even," Jillie amended. "If anyone deserves it, it's you."

Scene 4:

"And for the cake, I'm thinking about this one," Hallie said pointing to a white cake with roses dripping down the side. Luke nodded at it and smiled patiently. This wedding talk bored him and he wondered if Hallie was really that into it. She seemed distracted lately. He knew the reason why but she had yet to admit anything to him. Their relationship was a business deal, he reminded himself. She didn't owe him anything. So he kept quiet about what else he had heard Gwen talking about. Hallie was being used and for a moment, that thought highly amused him.

"And for the groom's cake, what do you think about this?" She showed him a picture of a chocolate cake with strawberries. He shrugged indifferently. "Good, we'll go with that then..."

Luke wasn't listening. His head was elsewhere. He had work he could be doing. Work that was a blessed escape from Hallie's chatter about this wedding that wasn't really a wedding. Only a merger. He was glad his mother wasn't alive to see this. She would shake her head and click her tongue disapproving. But somehow she would make it all right.

"Luke? Are you listening to me at all?" Hallie asked, staring at him.

"Yes, what's the matter?" He answered jerking out of his thoughts. Hallie frowned but didn't say what he saw in her eyes.

"You're awfully distracted. Would you rather talk about something that isn't wedding related?" She closed her notebook and smiled. "Maybe we could go out, just the two of us. To dinner, maybe. Then a movie. A date. It's been a while since we were...together."

"I thought you had an interview."

"I do. But afterwards?"

"Okay," Luke relented. "But let's not eat at Connie's okay? I'd rather eat somewhere my family wasn't for a change."

"Perfect. Oh! I didn't tell you! I tracked her down!" Luke raised his eyebrows in question. "Isabelle Allen. She's in Savannah. All I have to do now is think of a reason to go see her."

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Luke answered as a knock sounded on the door. Hallie rose to answer the door, patting Luke's hand affectionately as she passed him.

"This will only take a moment." She opened the door to her visitor, stepping aside to let her into the office as Luke stood to leave. His eyes met those of Hallie's guest, making him pause. She had the most stunning blue eyes he'd ever seen, but yet, he was certain he'd seen her somewhere before. The woman was familiar but he was sure he had never met her. Her eyes flicked over him and he saw recognition flash in them as well. "You must be Liza?" Hallie said politely.

"Yes. Liza Gennaro," the woman replied pulling her eyes from Luke's.

"Please come in and have a seat," she motioned to the seat Luke had just relinquished.

"Am I interrupting something?" Liza asked uncertainly looking from Hallie to Luke.

"No, not at all. This is my fiancé, Luke Conlan. Luke, Liza Gennaro. We're talking today about adding her to the staff as my assistant here."

"It's nice to meet you," Luke said, edging toward the door, as he realized at last where he'd seen the woman. She had been the woman he had hit on unsuccessfully at Connie's. "Good luck," he added hoping she wouldn't remember that embarrassing moment.