Part 55:
**************************************************************************

Shan parked her car in the parking lot of the beach. She'd spent the last
two hours driving aimlessly around, trying to find a place she could be
alone and think. Getting out, she headed straight down to the sand and
kicked her shoes off, walking barefoot in the sand. Deep inside she was
afraid of what was going on back at the house. Everything around them was
falling apart or so it seemed, the addition of Cassie into the mix didn't
help her worries any. What if they were having an affair? It was the one
thought she didn't want to think about, if Nick had been lying it was very
easy for Brian to be too.


AJ watched Lis, she played with her food. "What's going on Lisa? Your so
quiet its kinda scaring me."

"Sorry J." she smiled weakly. "I'm just thinking."

"Sometimes it helps to talk you know."

"Yeah but your one of his best friends."

"Lis the minute he didn't believe I wasn't doing drugs was the minute I
turned my back on him and the rest of them."

She sighed, "I just don't get why.....he did it, why he said what he did..."

"You never know what's going on in his head a lot of the time. But Lis
I've known him for a lot of years...and I honestly don't see him doing
that. He flirted we all did, but every one of us knew where to draw the
line and he was one of the best at maintaining that."

"What are you saying? He didn't?"

"I'm saying Lis right now its a nice little optical illusion which may or
may not be true. That's what everything is right now. Lou's got everything
so carefully planned who knows whats going on. Knowing what's real and
what isn't is tricky. Like that bag Jenn found, I swear Lis I don't
remember it...the only things I've done during this whole mess is the
alcohol and the cigarettes. Hell for all I know Lou planted that in our
house just to break us up. Face it, when us guys are alone we're way more
susceptible then when we're happy with our wives."

"I get what your saying J, but when we fighting he didn't...it wasn't like
he wanted me to stay. He gave up on me J..."

"Aren't you giving up on him?"


Howie and Jenn sat outside, listening to the occasional zap of the
bugzapper as they talked quietly. "What do I do D? I'm not sure right now
he wouldn't slam the door in my face, even if I knew where he was."

"Do you want me to step in Jenn? Go see him for you?"

"I don't know how wise that is. He may not appreciate it too much."

"I'm his best friend, I can at least feel him out for you."

Jenn laughed, "I'm not sure how much he'd enjoy that either."

D cracked up, "Fine no feeling, just talking. I may know where he is, I'll
swing by in the next couple days...he should have cooled off enough to
talk I'd think."

"I hope so. I just want my husband back Howie."

He patted her hand. "You'll get him back, I promise you....you will."


Alec walked past Nick's bedroom door, making a questioning face at the
silence as she headed down to hers and Kevin's room. "Its pretty quiet in
there."

"Well they either killed each other or he's passed out."

"Don't say that Kev!" she sat down on the bed, "It worries me. If he's
like that..."

"Lis would call if she needed you.."

"I hope so. Tomorrow we see JC right?"

"Yep, he said he was looking forward to the meeting when I called. I have
a feeling Justin may have tipped them off to what's going on."

"I just hope he'll be easier to talk to."

"We've just got to be rational."


Ty was outside reading through one of the pregnancy books her and Howie
had picked up earlier that week when Brian walked out, two drinks in hand.
"Hi Ty. Thought you could use one."

"Thanks Rok." she took the drink and moved her book as he sat down.
"Where's Cassie?"

"Upstairs...she's catching an earlier flight home."

Ty nodded, "Shan will be happy to hear that."

Brian shook his head, "I don't understand what's going on with her."

"Brian she just found out you had a first wife you never mentioned and to
top it off, you two could still have been married. That's enough to send a
person over the edge. And secondly Lou had those pictures taken of you and
Cassie..."

"When you put it like that it makes sense."

She smiled, "I knew I did."

"Now if only I knew where she was so I could talk to her."


E laid in Nick's bed, his head still rested on her chest. In the moonlight
the half dried tears were still visible on his face. She ran her fingers
through his hair as she listened to him breathe. There had to be a way to
get him through this, and get to the bottom of Alannah's story. Bubba and
David's stories had matched up almost identically, and her's was the odd
one out. She had almost fallen asleep when she heard Nick start to mumble.

Nick's eyes fluttered open, "E?" he whispered in the darkness.

"What honey?"

"I feel really hot."

"Do you want me to open the doors?"

"No just turn the fan on?"

"Course." she leaned over and flipped the switch beside the bed.

"Your not gonna leave are you E?" he asked, his voice almost that of a
little boy.

"Since when would I leave my best friend?"

"Thanks E."


Howie let himself into the house, surprised to see Ty in the living room
listening to her discman as she laid on the couch. He walked over and
knelt beside her, carefully lifting the headphones out of her ears. "What
are you doing up?"

"Waiting for you. How's Jenn?"

"She looks horrible, I don't think she's slept a lot lately. I think
she'll be better once she talks to AJ."

"She wants to talk to him?"

"Long story, cliffnotes version we went through his office and there's no
proof to him being back on the drugs so she's ready to talk to him and say
she was wrong." he glanced around, "Where is everyone?"

"Brian went out to find Shan...Alec and Kevin went to sleep early...I'm
not sure about E and Nick, their awfully quiet."

Howie shook his head, "I hope he's okay. He looked so awful when I saw
him."

"E will help him...she gets through to him when you guys can't."

"And Lis does when she can't." Howie finished. "I blame this all on Lou."

"We'll get him D, don't worry."

"Easier said than done. I've got a gut feeling something's going on I'm
not gonna like."


Brian parked his car in front of their house, it was completely dark and
there were no signs of life but he had a feeling. Something was drawing
him there. Quickly he headed inside and walked around, "Shan? Shan you
here?" he called as he headed upstairs. Stopping in the doorway he smiled
seeing her asleep in their bed, holding his pillow to her.