Silence filled the room as the Harts turned slightly to face each other, a look of disbelief, and even shock, evident on both of their faces. Andrea wasn't sure what to make of their reaction. Should she explain the bombshell she had just dropped on them? Or should she give them a few seconds, allowing them to absorb what they had just heard? They looked positively overwhelmed at the news they had just received. At that precise moment, the decision was made for her.

"You're Max's daughter?" Jonathan spoke first, suspicious of what he had just learned, but still careful not to offend the woman who had just been through a terrible incident. "I've known Max since I was 15 years old, and he never mentioned having a daughter." He didn't mean to, but his tone revealed to Andrea that he wasn't quite sure if she was to be believed. Both women in the room couldn't help but notice Jonathan's referral to Max in the present tense. Though Max had been gone for nearly two years, and Jonathan had accepted his death, he still often spoke of him as he was still with them. And in many ways, he was.

"He never knew about me. In fact, I didn't know who my real father was until just six months ago. My mother was hospitalized, dying actually, and she felt that I had a right to know the truth. She died a few days later."

Jennifer, who had been listening to their exchange, now spoke up. "I'm sorry, Andrea. That must have been very difficult for you."

"Please, call me Andie. That's what my friends call me. Andrea has always been too formal for me and the only one who calls me that is my step-father."

"Okay, Andie then." Jennifer rose from the side of Andie's bed as she spoke. "Let's get you out of here. You're coming to our house and you can tell us the rest of the story there. Jonathan, could you check with the nurse at the desk and see if Andie is ready to be released? You seem to have a way of getting information out of her." She smiled at him and the blank look she got in return confused her.

"Jennifer, I need to talk to you in the hallway for a moment," he said insistently. "Andie, we'll just be a minute." His arm intertwined through hers and he pulled her out into the hall. A doctor, who in Jonathan's opinion looked too young to be practicing medicine, passed by them and entered Andie's room.

"Jonathan, what are you doing?" Her tone was somewhat harsh, she was irritated about being dragged into the corridor. Andie had surely noticed his rudeness.

"Darling," he picked his words cautiously, "We need to be careful here. I'm all for listening to her story, but how much of it can we really believe? I'm not sure that inviting her into our home is a good idea."

"But darling, she's Max's daughter. How can we turn her away? I know you are unsure of her, but I believe her."

"All I'm saying, Jennifer, is that I think we need some proof here. We've had enough experiences with people who have less than honorable motives, I think we need to proceed with caution."

"I have all the proof I need, Jonathan." His wife was pleading with him now, both with her words and her eyes. He found the latter much more difficult to resist. "When we were in the parking garage, right after she was shot, I looked into her eyes. She didn't speak, but when I stared into those eyes, I felt something. Something familiar, something that made me want to help her. I didn't know what it was at the time, but now I do. It was Max's eyes I was seeing. We have to help her, it's what Max would want us to do."

Jonathan stared off into space for a moment. What if she was right? If this was Max's daughter, he had to help her. Max had done so much for him, he had been the only father he had ever known, he had taught him about life. If it wasn't for Max, he wouldn't be where he was today. To help his daughter was the least he could do. Though he wasn't convinced of her intentions, he wasn't willing to risk turning his back on her either. If she was Max's daughter and he had turned her away, he would never forgive himself.

"I think the doctor just took her release papers in to her." He never did have any luck saying no to Jennifer. Or to Max either. He motioned toward the entrance to Andie's hospital room, "Shall we?"

She threw her arms around her husband's neck, kissing him on the cheek. "Have I told you today how much I love you?"

"I think you mentioned it this morning, but don't let that stop you!" He smiled at her with that smile that always caused her to melt, his arms still holding her close.

"If you play your cards right, I'll show you later." She kissed him again before moving away from him and toward the door.

"Now, there's an offer I can't refuse!"

She winked at him with a silent promise of what the evening held, and they entered Andie's room, hopeful that the doctor would allow her release.

"Wow! This place is amazing! So beautiful!" Andie looked around the Hart's home, awestruck at the accommodations she would be sharing for the evening. Her eyes grew larger by the minute, as she tried to take everything in. She quickly moved to within inches of the huge glass windows that framed the view of the ocean, which this evening was calm and glistening in the light of the moon. It was now nearly eleven o'clock, though none of them felt tired. Jennifer and Jonathan were anxious to hear the rest of Andie's tale and she was finally feeling ready to tell it.

"How about if I make us some coffee and something light to eat?" Jennifer wanted to make their guest feel comfortable. "I'm a little hungry, none of us have had any dinner. Jonathan, why don't you show Andie to Max's room and she can settle in."

Jennifer disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Jonathan and Andie alone, and each unsure of what the other was thinking.

Andie spoke first, "Listen, Mr. Hart, I can understand how you could doubt what I am telling you is true. I didn't even believe it at first. I pop up out of nowhere, claiming to be your friend's daughter…who wouldn't find that difficult to believe? If you would rather I go…"

"No, I want you to stay here with us. And please, call me Jonathan." He then looked at her, really looked at her, for the first time and saw what Jennifer had been seeing there all along. "Your father would want us to help you."

She felt a wave of relief. "Can you tell me about him? I mean…I know some…but I would really like to know what kind of a man he was. I'm sure he must have been a good man though to have friends like the two of you."

Jonathan searched his soul, unable to find the words to describe the man who, other than Jennifer, had been the most important person in his life. "There is so much to tell. Max was a complicated man, a kind man, one with a gentle spirit and a zest for life. He had an amazing sense of humor. He would do anything for anybody. I wish you could have known him." His voice cracked slightly as he struggled to maintain composure. "He made me who I am today. I grew up in an orphanage, never really having anyone who cared about me. Then Max came along. I was 15, and he changed my whole life. He told me I could be somebody, and for the first time I believed it." He glanced over at the gold-framed photo of Max that sat on the mantle among the many photos of he and Jennifer.

Andie's gaze followed his and she moved toward the mantle, till she was standing face to face with her father's photo. She reached toward it, gently brushing the face in the photo lightly with her fingertips. "I have only seen pictures from when he was younger. I have a few that my mother left me. But he looks the same, only older."

"We have many photos of him. We can get copies of them for you to have." The ringing of the phone interrupted him. "Excuse me, let me get that." He quickly moved to the bar area and began talking to the person on the other end of the phone.

She stood there, as if frozen, staring at the photo of her father. Jennifer came into the room, placing a tray of sandwiches and coffee on the table in front of the couch, and then coming up behind her, trying not to startle her.

"I always liked that picture of him." Jennifer's voice broke the spell. "Did Jonathan show you to your room?"

"No…actually we got a little side tracked…he was telling me about my father. They must have been really close."

"Yes, they were." She paused briefly. "When I met Jonathan, Max was already a part of his life. I think I fell in love with both of them actually. Max was such a sweet man. And he had the biggest heart you could imagine. If you were to look at him, his exterior looked a little rough, but it was deceiving. He was the gentlest and kindest man…and we both loved him."

"It must have been hard for you to lose him. It might sound strange, since I never even met him, but I miss him too." A single tear trickled down her cheek and she quickly brushed it away.

"I'm sure you do. It must be hard to find you have lost someone even before you have found them." Jennifer reached out to her, hugging her gently, careful not to bump her arm which was bandaged and hanging in a sling at her side. She glanced down toward her injured arm, "How does your arm feel? Did they give you anything for the pain?"

"Surprisingly, it doesn't really hurt at all. Or maybe I just haven't stopped to think about it. A little sore maybe."

Jonathan rejoined the ladies, curious about what he had missed. "That was Lieutenant Grey on the phone." He looked at Andie, "He heard from the hospital that you had left with us and he wanted to make sure you would be available to come down to the station tomorrow to answer a few questions. He also asked if I though it would be necessary for you to have police protection until we get to the bottom of this. I honestly didn't know what to tell him. He decided that it was better to be safe than sorry so he is sending a man over to watch the house. He is also alerting our security company to pay special attention to anyone in the area tonight."

"Thank you. I feel safer knowing that." She looked at them as if she knew what they were thinking. "I guess I owe you two an explanation, huh?"

Jennifer piped up, "Why don't we sit down and have something to eat and then you can tell us all about it."

The three of them enjoyed a relaxing meal, making small talk about everything except what was foremost in their minds. They showed her to her room so that she could change her clothes, get settled in, and just be alone for a few minutes. When she reappeared a little while later, the Harts were waiting for her, curled up together on the couch, having changed into their pajamas and bathrobes. It made Andie smile just to look at them, they were obviously very happy together, and she was glad that her father had been cared for by them.

"Did you find everything you need?" Jennifer was an excellent hostess and wanted to make Max's daughter feel at home there.

"Yes, I did." She sat down, sinking into the large, cream colored sofa directly across from the Harts. "The room is lovely. It's almost like I can feel his presence in there." Her hosts had thought she would feel most comfortable in Max's old room. Often, when they missed him, they would find themselves in that room, still untouched since his death, reminiscing about the times they had shared. Sometimes they laughed there, and sometimes they cried, but it was always emotional.

"We thought you might like to stay in there." Jonathan was curious about what Andie had to tell but didn't want to push her. "Are you feeling tired? We can do this in the morning."

She shook her head. "No, I think I would rather talk about it now. I think I would actually feel better if I shared it with someone. I'm not sure where to begin though."

"Wherever you feel comfortable." Jennifer knew that she had to be feeling uneasy, they were basically strangers to her and she had been through a lot that day. "Maybe you could tell us about how you found out Max was your father?"

A few seconds later, after quickly contemplating where to start, she began. "Well, like I said at the hospital, I didn't even know until about six months ago. I always thought that my step-father, Derek, was my father. He and I had always had a rather impersonal relationship, he was a very cold man, but I never thought anything of it. I thought that was just the way he was. I have an older cousin, Michael, and he and Derek are pretty close, but I always thought that their closeness was because he was a boy. In many ways he was the son that Derek was never able to have. Derek just never seemed to want anything to do with me. I never wanted for anything financially, he was a good provider, but emotionally he just wasn't there. I spent most of my childhood and teen years trying to gain his approval. No matter what I did, it was never good enough. That can be kind of tough on a kid."

Jonathan found himself relating to a child without emotional support. Though his situation had been vastly different from Andie's, he knew what emptiness felt like from his years in the orphanage. "What about your mother? What was your relationship with her like?"

"My mother was a very quiet woman, very reserved. A good woman though. We were always very close. Her name was Kathryn." She drifted away from them for a few seconds, then suddenly returned. "Please don't think badly of her, she did the best she could. I think it was fear, maybe of Derek, that kept her from telling me the truth all those years."

Jennifer looked at her, a look of compassion in her hazel eyes. "I'm sure your mother did the best she could. It's not our place to judge her."

"Thank you. She really was a kind and wonderful woman, I think you both would have liked her a lot."

"I'm sure we would have," Jonathan speaking softly, "Max always was a good judge of character."

"How did she and Max meet?" Jennifer was curious about their relationship.

Andie smiled. Jonathan and Jennifer could not help but notice the change in her when she began talking about her mother and Max. "By the time my mother told me about Max, she was already hospitalized, but I can remember the glow I saw on her face at the mere mention of his name. He meant a lot to her." She paused to compose her thoughts. "Apparently they met in Las Vegas, at one of the casinos there. She was there with some of her girlfriends, her last "fling" before marrying Derek. Max was at one of the blackjack tables, and doing quite well apparently."

Jonathan chuckled. "We should have known…Las Vegas…His favorite place in the world, the local track being a close second." Jonathan wondered silently if perhaps the time Max had spent with Andie's mother has what had repeatedly drawn him back to Las Vegas. Apparently Max hadn't shared all of his secrets. Maybe this one had been too private, too personal, to share even with Jonathan.

"My mother saw him there, she said she was instantly drawn to him. Said he was a charmer, but that there was something about him that made her feel that he was sincere, that he really meant the things he said to her. No one had ever made her feel like that before. She said that he made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world."

Jonathan and Jennifer looked at each other. The man in Andie's story sure sounded like the Max that they had known and loved.

Andie continued, "They only had a week together but my mother spoke of it like it was a lifetime. I suppose for her the memories did last a lifetime. " She was looking misty-eyed now. "During the last days of her life, the only time I saw a light in her eyes was when she spoke of her time with my father. She said that her biggest regret was that I had never know him. She told me that he had passed away a few months earlier. I almost think that she welcomed death, so that she could be with him again. I like to think that they are together now, somewhere."

Jennifer wiped away a tear. "I'm sure they are." She was deeply moved by Andie's story. She and Jonathan had found so much happiness in each other, she hoped that Max, if only for a week, had found that same happiness.

Jonathan wanted to hear more. "But she went ahead and married Derek. Why? If she and Max were so happy together…"

"She told Max from the beginning that there was no future for them, that she was engaged to another man. She knew it was wrong, but couldn't help herself. And Max told her that he would only take what she could give. At the end of their time together, Max told her that he wouldn't contact her, but that if she ever needed him he would be there for her. They went their separate ways, and according to my mother, they never saw each other or spoke again." She stopped for a moment, then proceeded. "See, marrying Derek was what was expected of her. Their two families had planned for this for years, the father's being business partners, this merger of sorts was the only acceptable thing for them. Ever since they had been kids, they knew they would end up married. Her father, my grandfather, had been very strict and demanding, she didn't dare go against his wishes. It was different then, a different time."

"Did Derek ever find out about her relationship with Max?" Jonathan wanted to know.

"After she got home, one of her friends must have said something to him, though she never found out who. It was just before their wedding, and she had just discovered she was pregnant with me. She knew it was Max's baby, Derek was unable to have children because of an accident he had been in a few years before. Derek came to her one night and accused her of being with another man while on her trip. She knew there was no point in denying it, her pregnancy was starting to show, and would soon be discovered anyway."

"How did he react?" Though she knew it was a difficult subject for Andie, Jennifer wanted to know.

"To say that he was furious would be an understatement. I guess it was an ugly scene-yelling, throwing things…she even eluded to him becoming physical with her, though she never actually came out and said it. She always tried to downplay the negative things about Derek, as if she were trying to convince herself. I know she was really afraid of him though. When I was a child I remember them having terrible fights. She would always blame herself. When he cheated on her, she thought it was because she wasn't there for him. When he drank too much, she said she provoked it. It made me sick to stand by and watch this man destroy my mother, one day at a time. But she wouldn't leave, she said she couldn't. I never really understood that, and she told me she hoped I never would."

"But she married him anyway?" Jennifer couldn't imagine staying with a man like that. What could have caused her to marry him, despite being fearful of him?

"Yes. Derek may have been many things but he wasn't a fool. He knew that by marrying my mother he would eventually inherit my grandfather's company, as my mother was an only child. Money can cause people to overlook things they ordinarily wouldn't. So, the next day Derek came to her and told her that they were to be married anyway and that she was to tell people that the child she was carrying was his. He knew that this was the only way he would ever have a child. But when I was born, and not a son, he really had no use for me. Maybe things would have been different had I been a boy. But he has Michael, my cousin, to fill that void for him. Michael moved in with us when I was 10 and he was 13. He had been giving his parents problems, but he was always close to Derek. After Michael arrived, Derek pretty much gave up even the appearance that he cared about me. Michael's parents were killed in a car accident a few years later, causing Derek to become even closer to him. Michael became the son that Derek always wanted. Someone to pass the business on to, I guess. Little did I know that there were other reasons for his lack of interest in me. I just thought that it must be something that I had done…something horrible…something that would make a father so cold toward his only child. I couldn't understand…"

"Are you and Michael close?" Jennifer inquired.

"Somewhat. We were basically raised as brother and sister. I think it was a typical sibling relationship. We fought over some things but we love each other. When we were young, Michael was my protector, my hero. He would stick up for me when I got bullied at school, and even when I got the bullying at home. I miss him a lot. He was the closest person I had, other then my mother. We grew apart somewhat as we got older, especially when I left home."

"How old were you when you left home?" Jennifer asked.

"I left when I was eighteen. I went to college at a nearby school, I didn't want to be too far from my mother. I spent four years there and got a degree in accounting. Not a terribly exciting field, I know, but I enjoy it. I rather like working by myself. I guess it comes from spending so much time alone as a child."

"Is that what you do now, work as an accountant?" Jonathan inquired. "Do you live in Los Angeles?"

"I was working at the family business, for Derek, until shortly after my mother's death. I did all of the books for him, and was quite well compensated. I grew up in San Diego, that's where Derek's business is located."

"What made you leave?" Jennifer was speaking now.

"I can't really explain it. After my mother died, I felt like there was nothing for me there. And knowing that Derek wasn't even my father…I just felt like I needed to leave there…to find myself…to learn who I really was. I'm sure this probably sounds crazy to you…"

"Not at all, " Jennifer replied, "It would be more strange if it hadn't affected you at all. You had been through a lot…losing your mother…finding out the man you had though was your father wasn't really at all…it makes perfect sense to me. So where did you go when you left?"

"Here, to LA. Somehow I thought being here would make me feel closer to Max. My mother had somehow managed to learn about his whereabouts, though she never made contact with him. She knew he was here and that he worked for you. She said she learned of his death in the newspaper. She even attended his funeral, though she was afraid Derek would find out. I'm sure you don't remember her but she said she met you that day. Said you seemed like nice people. I guess that's why I felt I could come to you."

Jonathan and Jennifer shared the same thoughts at that moment. They knew exactly who her mother was, they remembered her from that day-it had to be her. A woman had come into the service, just as it was about to start, and sat alone in the last pew of the church. She had been dressed in black, from head to toe, and after the service she had knelt next to the dark wood coffin, gazed at the picture of Max which sat on top, and placed a single rose next to it. She was trying to leave the church unnoticed when Jonathan and Jennifer had approached her. They hadn't meant to bother her, just to thank her for coming to pay her respects, but she seemed uncomfortable in their presence. They exchanged pleasantries, thanked her for coming, and asked her how she had known Max. She had replied simply, "He was a friend." But the tears in her eyes told them she had been much more, though they didn't know then how much more. She slipped away before they could ask for her name. Though the exchange had lasted only a couple of minutes, it had made an impression on both of them. They had forgotten about it until this moment.

Almost in unison, the Harts replied, "I remember her."

"She said she had to be there, to say goodbye again. And to apologize for what could have been." Moisture began to well up in Andie's eyes as she reached for a tissue on the coffee table in front of her. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be carrying on like this…"

Jonathan looked at the large grandfather clock which was now chiming from it's perch atop the mantle. It was now nearly one in the morning. "Andie, I think you've had enough for one day. Why don't we all get some rest and then take this up in the morning. The doctor said you would need a lot of rest, I think it's time you took his advice."

Jennifer looked at her husband, warmed at the sensitivity he was showing to Max's daughter. "I think Jonathan's right," she said, looking at Andie. The dark circles were becoming apparent on Andie's light skin, and she looked as if sleep would be welcomed. "Let's get some sleep and we can continue this in the morning. I'm sure there's nothing that won't keep till then."

Andie felt relieved. She was starting to feel the need for sleep and the emotional exhaustion was beginning to catch up with her. It had been a long day and she knew she was facing Lieutenant Grey the next morning. She wished she knew what to tell him. It was easy talking to the Harts but the police were a different story. But she would tell Jennifer and Jonathan the rest in the morning and maybe they could help her. They seemed to be friends with Lieutenant Grey, judging by the way they spoke of him. "I am feeling tired, I didn't realize it was so late." She rose from the couch, wishing that there was some way to express her gratitude to them. "Thank you both so much…for everything."

Jennifer stood up and gently pulled her into her arms. She whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, Andie." Andie was comforted by Jennifer's kind words, as well as the way in which they were delivered.

She looked at both of them, feeling thankful that she had come to them. "Goodnight then. I'll see you in the morning."

They both bid her goodnight and watched her slowly ascend the staircase, finally disappearing into her room. As the door closed behind her, they both turned to face each other.

Neither one of them knew what to say, instead they just held each other.

Finally pulling away, Jonathan spoke first, "Darling, I'm sorry about our trip. I know how much you were looking forward to it. I was too. But I think for now this is where we need to be."

"New York can wait, Max's daughter can't. I have a feeling that there is much more to this story, much more than even she knows." Her eyes twinkled, "Just promise me that you'll find a way to make it up to me!"

"Oh, you know I will! Shall we go upstairs?" He didn't wait for her to respond. He took her hand, gently leading her up to their room where, for the rest of the evening, their thoughts were only of each other.