Luke took a breath and walked the length of the hallway to Hallie's room. He was pretty sure she had spent her time away with Stephen Roth but he couldn't prove it. Nor did he really want to. Right now though, he was going to give her the opportunity to either confess or commit. One or the other. If she committed he assumed, everything went on as planned. They were just a business arrangement after all. If she confessed...well, he had to admit he would have to think about what he would do in that eventuality.

The door was open. Without bothering to knock, he walked in, closing the door behind him, and settled himself into a chair across from her, waiting for her greeting.

"It's ten o'clock, Luke," Hallie said without looking up from her book. "Shouldn't you be at home?"

"I wanted to see you and your bridal shower was short from what I heard," he replied. "Unless you don't want to see me?" Hallie took her glasses off and set them on the table next to her, meeting his eyes as she did so.

"What is going on between us Luke?" She asked suddenly. "A month ago we couldn't keep our hands off each other...and now we're acting as if we just got a divorce."

He shrugged casually, eyeing her carefully. She had no idea that he even suspected her dalliance. "You tell me Hallie. You're the one who went off to...where was it? Richmond? Without so much as a goodbye."

"I'm sorry about that. And I should tell you the truth about that too...I didn't go to Richmond. Well, I ended up there but I really went to Savannah." Luke arched an eyebrow in mild surprise but said nothing. If she was going to confess, now was as good a time as any. "I met Isabelle Allen. Or I think I did, but I'm doubting it very much right now."

"And you couldn't have told me you were going to see her before you left? Am I that bad at keeping your secrets?" He asked. By now, Hallie surely would know his loyalties were with her even if hers weren't with him. "I believe I am slightly offended."

"You have every right to be. I apologize, Luke. I just thought the less people who knew, the better off I would...we would be. The only person I told was Liza. She would have told you if something had happened."

"Thank god nothing did. So, was it worthwhile? Your trip?" Hallie smiled and came around the desk to him. She paused in front of him, giving him an expectant look. When he made no movement, she climbed onto the bed, making sure he could see how high the slit in her skirt went.

"Probably not...like I said I don't think the woman I spoke to was Isabelle. She said Gwen and Uncle James had to get married because Gwen was pregnant. And that's an outright lie. Jamie was born almost ten months after they were married. You would think if they were going to lie, they would pick a better one." She played with her skirt, smoothing it here and wrinkling it there. For effect no doubt. It was working though. He could feel his skin grow hot as he watched the patch of skin just below her skirt appear and reappear.

"You're a fucking tease, Hallie," he said after a moment.

"Oh...so now you've noticed that I'm right in front of you have you?" She purred, sliding onto his open lap. "Let's just call whatever is bothering us water under the bridge shall we?" She nuzzled his neck with her nose, breathing lightly on his skin. "What do you say? After all, we're getting married in two weeks. Can't be arguing then, can we?"

"No, of course not," Luke replied, cradling her in his arms. "New start, then? I think I can deal with that," he murmured drawing her close to tangle himself in her.


Scene 2:

"What is going on?" Michaela said from the doorway.

Jamie exhaled and lowered his head. Now was as good a time as any. He raised his eyebrows at Jude, who stood quickly and made a hasty exit.  

"You're home early," Jamie noted as the door closed behind Jude. "I didn't expect you until much later. The kids are in bed already." He moved from the window towards the fireplace, avoiding her eyes as best he could. "I guess you heard part of that," he began.

"The concert ended a little early," Michaela said, tossing her bag down on the couch. "And Cade was too tired to go out for drinks. So here I am. Want to tell me exactly what it is that I heard?"

Jamie sighed, wondering where to begin. There was so much he hadn't told her since they had moved to Conlan's Glen. "Kerri is here," he said slowly. "I've spoken to her."

Michaela's eyes went wide, and her heart slammed into her throat. "She's what? How long have you known that?" Suddenly, Jamie's paranoia and their fight from earlier made sense, in the most infuriating way.

"A while. She showed up...I don't know, in July maybe," he answered. He kept his eyes lowered, certain he did not want to see her gaze just now. "She showed up at Four Winds to see my mother. She wants custody back."

Michaela's dark gaze bore into her husband, and she found that she was shaking with fury. "When exactly did you plan on telling me this? Does Chris know she's here? My god, Jamie..." she broke from her frozen position and began to pace, raking her fingers through her hair. "I don't believe you!"

"No, Chris doesn't know. And I was hoping that I could get this settled before you had to know. I was only trying to protect you," he added lamely, watching her pace. "I've hired a new lawyer who specializes in child custody cases. His name is Ryan Corday."

"Protect me? Jamie, I don't NEED protecting!" Michaela hissed. "Believe me, I've protected myself from worse dangers than you've ever seen in your life. And now you lie to me, so I can't protect one of the most precious things in my life! I thought you knew me, Jamie! I thought I knew YOU!"

Jamie nodded. Of course, he deserved this, he thought. He had meant to tell her though, he reasoned with himself. When it was finished. "You do know me. You know that I will do anything to protect you and the children. Kerri doesn't stand a chance of winning custody. She's just being...difficult."

Michaela bowed her head, seething. "Did you hear a god-damned word I just said? I don't care what you're doing. I don't care about Kerri being difficult. I still can't get over the fact that you hid all this from me! Anything else you've been hiding that you'd like to tell me about?"

"No! Nothing!" He snapped back, his ears turning pink with anger and embarrassment. "I swear. I just didn't think you needed this on top of...look, you were still recovering after Lily's birth. I didn't want to just drop this on you when you were ill. You couldn't even get out of bed, Michaela!"

"Did you ever stop to consider for a moment that the only thing worse than being weak is being ignorant?" Michaela asked, refusing to back down an inch. "And I've been up and about for weeks now! I think I'm well past recovered! You've put this entire family in danger by trying to play super hero! I hope you're proud of yourself, now."

Jamie jerked back at her words. He'd felt as if she had slapped him. She was right though. Wasn't she? He'd been so intent on not letting Kerri ruin their perfect little world that he had succeeded in doing just that. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I was only trying to do what I thought was best at the time."

Michaela's expression softened a little, and she took a deep breath. "I know you were," she said. "I just hate when you keep these things from me. It makes me feel like you think I'm an inferior partner in this marriage. Like I can't handle things. How can I be a good wife if I don't know what's going on?"

"You are a good wife. I'm just not the best husband," Jamie replied miserably. "I want you to be so happy, Michaela. You were making friends," he continued, leaving out how he felt about said friends, "and getting out to do things. I didn't want to disrupt your life. I apologize." 

"Jamie," Michaela said, walking over to him and taking his hands. "I want friends, and I want a life. But you and the kids are always going to be what's most important to me. Everything else goes by the wayside for you guys."

"Can you forgive me?" He asked, gazing into her eyes. "I don't deserve forgiveness, but maybe for this one mistake?"

"Of course I'll forgive you," Michaela said, without a second thought, leaning up and tenderly kissing Jamie's lips. "That's part of the job description, right?" Her anger faded -- it was still there, but she knew Jamie had made an honest mistake -- and she returned his gaze, remembering why she loved Jamie. He was incredibly proud and fierce, but he was also honest. Those were qualities she had admired in him since the beginning. "So what is being done about her, then?"

"Ryan's on it. She has a new lawyer...unfortunately it's Cynthia Mitchell. She's the one Jude was involved with in DC. But Jude is going to try and do some damage control for us," he added quickly. "So far, no judge has agreed to hear her plea."

"Well, that's a relief," Michaela muttered. "We've got more than enough evidence on her to keep her far away anyhow, don't we?"

"Absolutely. She's still under psychiatric care at the very least. And besides, she's here. If she gets too close, she breaks the restraining order and risks it all." Saying it all out loud now, he was ashamed of himself for having kept it from her for so long. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner," he added tenderly.  

Michaela smiled. "It's over now. Let's just move on and put her out of business for good, all right?"

"Sounds good to me," Jamie answered taking her into his arms. "I wouldn't want another day like today ever again. I don't want you to be angry with me ever again. I love you Micki."

"Well, I can guarantee you I'm going to be angry with you again... that's just life. But how about just not being angry over this again." Michaela chuckled, wrapping her arms around Jamie as well, and resting her head against his chest. "I love you too."



Scene 3:

"What a waste," Maura muttered picking up half eaten pieces of cake and tossing them into the trash bag she carried with her. Hallie's bridal shower had been a total bust. Not even the bride seemed to have a good time. And no one had bothered to stay to help clean up either. That was irritating, she thought picking up another paper plate and dropping it into the bag. A knock on the window made her jump and she looked up to see Jude waving at her. She motioned for him to go to the door and hurried there, the wastefulness of Hallie's guests forgotten.

"Party's over," she announced the smile on her lips disappearing when she saw his face. "What's the matter?"

He edged his way inside, letting her close and lock the door behind him before answering. "I just talked to Jamie. Cynthia is representing Kerri," he said, his mouth a grim line.

"Oh that's not good is it?" Maura asked, the ins and outs of the Mason family still something of a mystery to her. "Is she doing it to hurt you?"

"I have no fucking clue," he swore. "But she's managed to make a mess of things. Michaela knows now... at least I hope Jamie had the balls to tell her and Cynthia is bound to take it to the press. Christ. This is the last thing I needed," he muttered.

"I'm so sorry, Jude," Maura offered, clearing a booth and offering it to him. She slid in next to him and squeezed his arm. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No," he answered with a sigh. "I just needed someone to vent to. I'm sorry I shouldn't have laid it on you."

"Jude," she smiled. "You are a silly man. Do you know how sweet it is that you came to me to vent? You could have gone to anyone and you chose me, that's so sweet."

"Who else would I have gone to? You're the only one who listens. You're really the only person that matters," he said laying his head on her shoulder.

She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. How long had it been since someone, anyone, had said that to her? Too long, she decided, too long. She stroked his head gently, soothing the tension out of his body. After a moment, she felt his breath on her neck as he leaned up to kiss her a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"What was that for?" She asked softly, tilting her head to meet his gaze.

"Maura, you make me feel so much better. I can't remember what life was like before you," he told her. Maura felt her face blush deeply but only smiled. "I'm serious. I drop all this family garbage on you and you just accept it without complaint."

"Jude, you need to interact with my family a little bit more before you think that dealing with yours is so tough," she laughed. "My sisters think I am a tyrant and my brothers think I am a martyr. They aren't so angelic either. But I'd take your problems over theirs any day."

"Would you?" He asked, cupping her face in his hand. "The Masons aren't an easy bunch, you know."

"Neither are the Conlan's," she answered, raising her lips to accept the kiss he offered her. She forgot about cleaning the diner and the letdown of the shower and let herself be kissed. His skin was warm against hers and his breath hot on her neck as he lowered his kisses. She found herself clutching at him, awkward though they were in the booth, wanting to be closer than they were. She wanted him, she thought, and that thought alone was enough to make her breath come in ragged gasps as his hand slipped into her blouse to touch her skin. She started in surprise at his touch.

Rick had been the last man to touch her. She had sworn men off completely, but here she was in the arms of a man she never imagined herself having feelings for. She should stop, she warned herself. Stop before he gets hurt. His fingertips brushed the curve of her breast, giving her a quaking sensation. Her flesh trembled at the brief connection. Her eyes flew open as she pulled away from the shock of it.

"What is it?" Jude asked. There was a certain huskiness in his voice that she'd not heard before and it made her pause.

"I...it's been a long time, Jude," she said slowly, confused by her desire to get out of the situation. Jude nodded and released her a little. "I just don't know..."

"It's okay. It's not like we're really in a place to do much of anything," he remarked dryly. "These booths were made for sitting...not what we were about to do. Or what I wanted to do." He smiled at her and let her go completely, sliding out the other side of the booth. She watched him stand and look around the place feeling disappointed and a little annoyed with herself. What was she thinking?

Sliding out of the booth, she went to him, placing her hands on his chest. "Jude, it has been a long time. And it's not you."

"I know," he said with a rueful smile. "It's him. I know it is." She must have shown the shock on her face. He had known the reason when she hadn't. "It's not hard to figure out. You're still in love with him."

"No I'm not!" Maura replied defensively. "Not at all. I just...it's been..."

"A long time?" Jude finished for her. "It's okay, Maura. You don't have to explain yourself." He glanced down at his watch. "I better go. Jamie wants me to talk to Cynthia tonight and it's getting late. How would it look if I showed up at her house after midnight? She might get ideas."
Maura watched him make his way to the door, her emotions in turmoil. She didn't want him to go to Cynthia's. Not tonight, not after that. "Jude! Wait!" She called and practically ran to the door. He paused with his hand on the door handle, a curious look on his face.
"What's the matter, Maura? Did you forget something?"

"I...oh god, Jude. Don't go over there. Please?" She said, reaching for his hand.

"Why not?" His expression was clear. He was not pleased with her at all. She took a gulp of air and plunged ahead anyway.

"I'm not still in love with him. I'm not. He's dating Jillie and I don't care about him, I swear. But I care about you. And I want our first time together to be more memorable than in a booth at my diner."

"It would have been memorable regardless of where it took place, Maura," he said taking her hand. "But I do have to go see her."

"Jude, I am begging you, don't go to her tonight. Not like this," she said with a hint of desperation. She wasn't really inclined to letting him go there to get seduced. She may not know Cynthia personally, but she had a pretty firm idea of what she was capable of and what she was doing. She also had a good idea of what Cynthia would do when presented with Jude in his current state.

"Maura...why do you want me to stay?"

"Because...I wanted you just now. And I haven't wanted anyone for a very long time. It scared me for a minute and that's why I pulled back. But I don't want to lose you....I won't lose you to her or anyone else!" Maura exclaimed. She felt her face turn hot as she stared at him, willing him to take his hand off the door handle.

"Do you mean that?" Jude asked, his grip on the handle easing slightly. "Do you want me?" Her breath caught in her throat at his question, but she knew the answer. There was no other answer for her. She nodded once but distinctly. His hand fell away from the handle. "I still have to see her tonight."

She swallowed, feeling a hard click as she did. "Okay, you'll come back though?" He smiled and lifted her chin with his fingertips.

"I have a better idea..."
 

On the next Episode of Secret Horizons...

Episode 63