This might be the quietest dinner ever at the Jackson household, and this is with Lauren home for a change instead of in the US or Russia or wherever else the bouncing ball takes her. For her first trip home in months, the first time she's seen the family she always credits for holding her together when she thought she was about to break, she doesn't have a lot to say to them, though she certainly does have a lot to say. She loves her new team, and she's made it clear as bluntly as she dares in front of her parents that she loves them in more ways than one. She loves Seattle more than she ever did, no small feat; she tells her family, "Don't expect me back too often now, I've really gotten comfortable Stateside and the flight time to get back here is ridiculous. I'll stop in if I'm in for Opals, of course, if I can find a day or two." Her tone is so light and so airy that her parents and her brother look at each other to silently ask if she's serious, or if she's just making a badly presented joke.

But she's not offering them laughter and a real smile, not tossing a napkin at Ross or offering Maree an apology. Instead, she's pulling back her chair and going for her jacket. Instead, she's telling them, "It's been grand, but I've another engagement scheduled for tonight, and I don't fancy leaving her by herself for too long. I'll see if I can sneak a day during training, but it's not likely- see you at Christmas, then. Love you!" And she's out the door without another word, disappearing into the starry night; her car makes an unholy squeal as she heads back towards the bright lights of the big city.

The quiet lingers for a long time in the living room until Maree says, "That is not the daughter we raised." No wasted words, no wasted motions, in her fury. The men of the family look at her and see her daughter in her intensity, and sure enough, Maree pulls her hair up into a messy bun before letting it, and her hands, drop in frustration. "Something's not right with her. Something's not right at all. She grew out of the little shit stage, so what on earth's brought her back down to that level?"

Gary shakes his head. "I thought she might be shaken by that trade and the roster change-up, but she sounds happy with her team."

"Too happy," Maree says darkly. "If there's anything I taught her from my time on the team… but it's not as if she listened to me on that point before. Still, I don't like this at all. Home for the first time since Christmas and she's acting as if she wants to be out the door as soon as she comes in?"

"Single-minded, wasn't she?" Gary asks. "Not in her usual way, either. You'd think she'd have something to say about her teammates on the court. She spent so much time the last few months wondering if she'd have another post option, but she'd rather talk about Jackie and Ash getting physical off the court, not on it. And it's a wonder Seattle have won as many games as they have if their star player can't describe their offense."

"I'll give her a call tomorrow. Maybe this was just a bad night for her and she'll tell me what's the matter," Maree decides. But she's observant enough to notice the tiny shake of Ross's head, and the fact that he's stayed quiet while his parents hash out everything not-obvious that's wrong with his sister. "One unfriendly and maladjusted child is more than enough for tonight. What's on your mind?"

"Mum… I'm not sure that was our Loz." He hesitates before going on, but Maree and Gary don't seem too terribly surprised, perhaps because they had enough practice with two temperamental teenagers saying things they'd regret the next day. "Looked enough like her, to be sure, and talked a bit like her, but… mum, dad, she didn't have any of her tattoos. Not one of them. At least not the ones you can see without her dropping trou or the like- and she wore her hair up tonight almost to show she didn't have the rose. You know how important they are to her- I can't think she'd have them all taken off without mentioning she had it in mind. No scars, either, and I saw her wrist enough that I'd know if something were wrong. It's as if she never had them at all."

Maree's face clouds up, and again she is her daughter's mother. "Anyone who's been fucking around with my little girl won't live to regret it," she promises, and when a Jackson woman makes a promise, it's as good as done.