"Abs? What's wrong?"

Damn he thought. Hard ball, or soft? He licked his desert dry lips and made a quick decision.

"Lance? Lance, dude, wake up, we’re here." A friendly hand slapped his knee as the couch shifted, and Joe climbed to his feet, moving to the bunks to gather his things.

Lance blinked, jerked abruptly out of his thoughts, and glanced up at the back of the venue. He sighed softly. Strange.

It had been almost a month since those hours out of time. His lips twisted. Funny, they had only known her less that 48 hours, and she had managed to make an indelible impression on them all.

He'd managed not to think about her beyond a passing thought most of the time. Becoming ill soon after that had helped. His smile turned wry. He'd never thought of being sick as a blessing until he'd actually experienced Hurricane Abby.

The extent to which she'd managed to wriggle into his thoughts and emotions had been unnerving after the fact. After he'd calmed down and realized how violently he'd reacted, after just a day and night, he'd forced himself to distance, throwing himself into the last leg of their tour until he'd gotten sick. Effectively eliminating her and the hurt anger that she roused from his mind.

For the most part.

As for the others, he knew they'd been upset on his behalf for several days until he'd shown them his own indifference convincingly enough. They'd never told him what had transpired after he'd left, though Justin had seemed upset for an entirely different reason for over a week afterwards, demonstrated by several arguments with Chris, JC, and Joe that would abruptly end if Lance came in the room. Abby quickly became a taboo subject of discussion, and they did their best to ignore any topics that might touch on the sensitive place.

With a quick sigh, he climbed to his feet, going to his own bunk to gather some things. This was their last concert of the tour. After tonight, there was a break. Then recording, promotion, planning, for the new album.

Excitement stirred. A new album. Their album. This one would be truly theirs, one they would have more input in, songs of their own choosing, their own making. His mood lightened as he deliberately focused on the more positive thought.

He shoved a few changes of clothes into his bag with his laptop and other items to keep himself entertained during lulls. His hand brushed the hard, worn edge of a thin book and stilled briefly before continuing on.

He looked up in question as Justin stormed into the bunk area, slamming his cell phone closed before hopping up to sit on the edge of a bunk.

"What's up, Curly?" he asked, having his own suspicions from the dark look on his younger friend's face.

Justin glowered at his shoes.

"He just dumped Tracy," Chris announced, sticking his head through the door of the lounge and rolling his eyes eloquently.

Lance raised his eyebrows curiously, zipping his bag closed. "Why isn't the dumper happy?" he prodded.

"She was cheating on me. That's why I dumped her," Justin grumbled.

"And how do you know she was cheating?" Lance inquired neutrally.

"When another guy answers the phone and I can hear her giggling and whispering to him to hang up quick, I get these strange ideas that my girl is cheating on me," Justin answered darkly.

Lance winced, grimacing sympathetically, and gripped the younger man's knee. "That sucks. I'm sorry, man."

Justin threw up his hands in frustration. "I don't get girls. I really don't. I told her I was going to be gone a lot. She swore that was okay, that she understood, that she would wait." He sighed gustily.

"Sometimes girls have just as many honesty issues as guys," JC observed, appearing at the kitchen counter and opening the fridge to grab a bottle of water.

Justin flushed. "I only did that once, and we weren't really serious," he defended.

JC rolled his eyes.

"Okay, guys, you ready?" Mike climbed the steps to the idling bus. "The area's secure, you can come out and play."

"Are you really really really sure?" Chris asked, widening his eyes with fear. He tugged on his dreads anxiously, tucking them around his chin and darting his eyes around wildly to make the others laugh. "Last time the school bully was waiting on me," he whined.

"Why do you think we told you it was safe?" Mike chuckled.

"Let's go, guys," JC urged with a yawn, gathering up his bag and following the huge bodyguard with Chris.

Lance slung his bag around his shoulder, hopping off the bus behind Justin, then slung an arm around his shoulders. "You going to be alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," Justin tried to grin, attempting to make himself feel better before they met any fans. "Just bruised, not mortally wounded."

Lance snorted, sighing dramatically, "Women." Justin smiled wryly.

"Women? Where?" Joe asked breathlessly, catching up.

They groaned simultaneously, laughing at Joe's puzzled expression.

"What? What'd I say?"

"Nothing, man." Lance smiled as two fans approached, eyes huge with excitement. "Hi, ladies. How are you doing?"

They smiled and giggled shyly, thrusting pens and CDs at them. Lance dropped his bag and accepted one, Justin the other, as Joe dispensed hugs and flirting with the giggling girls, their bodyguards hovering over them.

Lance bent his head to sign, then paused, a flash of reflected sun catching the corner of his eye. He turned his head in time to see a head of long raven black hair disappearing through the side door of the building. His heart raced for a second, prickles of awareness dancing down his spine, as an image of another young woman rose up, huge, wounded silver eyes in a wary face.

"Lance?"

Lance jerked to attention, looking up as Justin tugged the signed CD from him and handed him the other with Joe's and his own signatures. Justin lifted an inquiring brow, and Lance shook himself, smiling and nodding when they were asked for a picture.

"Lance? Something wrong?" Justin prodded under his breath as they took their places with each of the girls, laughing and joking.

He shrugged. "Nah. Just wandered off for a minute."

He smiled and waved as the girls raced off with shouts of thanks, clutching their CD's, then picked up his bag again.

"Sure?"

"Yeah, let's go rock the show," Lance grinned, changing the subject smoothly, and dismissed the lingering image, running to catch up with Joe so Justin had no option but to follow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lance smiled as he finished the moves to the chorus, adrenaline pumping as the words echoed back to them a thousandfold as the audience sang along, thousands of arms waving in the slowly strobing lights.

Justin and JC began the next verse, eliciting several hundred screams, and he exchanged an amused glance with Chris, sliding his gaze towards Justin and raising his brows as he caught Justin intensely studying the offstage area.

He followed Justin's line of sight curiously, missing a beat as he swayed, his eyes narrowing as the moving lights swept across the side of the stage, glinting off long dark hair and a slender, small figure almost hidden by another body.

He jerked his attention back as the chorus began again, unable to stop his eyes from sliding back towards the place which had caught his younger friend's attention, the racing of his heart and goosebumps over his skin having nothing to do with the adrenaline rush from the concert.

The spot was empty. He did a double take, scanning the immediate area quickly as Justin began the closing verse, and sang his part automatically, moving down into the bow.

But whoever it had been, was gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Did you speak with their people, is everything taken care of?" Abby asked quietly, listening as the last soft strains of the song faded, picking up into a fast song as the screams swelled.

"Yes, Miss," Raymond replied immediately, guiding her around obstacles with a careful hand under her elbow. "Have you decided whether you wish to attend the reception?"

Abby sighed softly, exhaustion tugging at her bones. She closed her eyes in an automatic gesture. She owed them this. Dread clutched at her stomach, drying her throat and lips. Maybe they didn't expect it, but she needed to absolve the guilt that had dogged her, if only to move on. She needed to move on. To what, she wasn't sure, but she couldn't seem to be free of the guilt over her words until she did the deed and apologized. Her stomach roiled.

"I'd like to leave at seven."

"You wish to go?" Her chauffeur couldn't hide his surprise.

Abby smiled faintly. She wasn't known for her sociability.

"Yes, Raymond. Will you be available for the evening? I'll pay you extra for your time."

"Nonsense. I'd be glad to go. When you aren't at the house here, me and the wife have nothing to do anyway. And I'm sure Anna would love to help doll you up."

Abby nodded, hiding a slight grimace, as they passed through the door, the cooler night air caressing her cheeks.

"Then it's settled."

She shivered slightly as the air seemed to intensify, whispering softly into her ears, too low to understand its secrets.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Okay, this is our reception, our album, etc, etc. Why can't I wear something besides this God-forsaken monkey suit?" Chris demanded, fidgeting with his cuffs and neckline in agitation.

"Because this is being held in our honor, so we can meet and impress these people, especially the investors and sponsors of our tour and other promo stuff," Lance answered logically. "You can't do that in old baggy jeans and a sweatshirt, Chris."

"But this thing is choking me," he whined, gagging slightly as he stuck out his tongue.

"That's just one of the perks," Justin teased, cringing away as Chris threatened to smack him.

JC clucked his tongue, grinning, "Child, child, you should know better than to harass him while trapped in a moving vehicle."

"Shut up, that doesn't help me much now," Justin wailed, trying to hide behind Joe and unsuccessfully stifling his laughter.

The window separating the front and back of the limo slid down.

"Ahem," Steve cleared his throat. Joe paused in the middle of shoving Justin away and raised a brow.

"What?"

The limo slid to a halt.

"We're here," Steve announced unnecessarily. "Please try to act like mildly civilized wild animals," he urged dryly.

Joe and Chris exited the limo howling, which didn't faze the screaming at all. JC rolled his eyes and stepped out, the screams getting louder. Justin adjusted his collar with a sigh.

"Time to schmooze?"

Lance nodded, straightening his jacket.

"Schmooze mode to the max, baby," Justin muttered, sliding out of the limo and flashing a smile at the fans held back by ropes and bodyguards.

Lance sighed, grinning slightly with a shake of his head as he heard the chants of "I love you, Justin!" begin.

His grin got bigger as he stepped out of the limo, waving as he heard his name. He watched Justin stroll towards the doors, stifling laughter. Ghetto superstar, that is what you are… He took a calming breath, jogging towards the doors where his friends waited impatiently, still humming under his breath.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just once she thought. Please let Kyle be here. She made her way carefully to the tables, using her cane as unobtrusively as possible, wanting Sunny there with her desperately.

Abby woke in a cold sweat, the taste of rejection and betrayal bitter in her mouth. She sat up, the damp sheets polling in her lap, and cradled her head in her hands. Fear bit at her, making her stomach lurch.

The worst part was knowing that this time, these young men had every right to reject her.

"Miss Abs?" Anna's voice emerged from the door as she stuck her head in. "You should be getting around or you'll be late for the party."

She shuddered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lance resisted the urge to yank on his collar and tie, resting his rear on an unoccupied table and watching the crowd of people mingling and talking. Schmoozing. He smiled slightly, taking a gulp of his punch.

He had to hand it to whoever planned this, though. While distinctly formal, the reception had been designed so informally it put everyone at ease. Laughter and conversation flowed freely under the chandelier, where dozens of candles flickered among the actual lights. Mixed music filtered from the speakers for those who wanted to dance, food spread on buffet tables set up unobtrusively at the sides of the room. At which Joe and Chris were currently scarfing grapes and carrot sticks like candy, chatting up some of the younger women at the reception.

While he watched, grinning, Steve strolled up and slung an arm around their shoulders, holding a brief conversation before steering them away. Lance shook his head, glancing up as JC appeared at his elbow.

"What's up, man?" he asked idly, humming along absently as "Unchained Melody" flowed out of the speakers.

"I'm on a mission," JC intoned with a half-smile.

Lance snorted. "Generally, so is Joe. Go talk to him if you want advice," he teased.

JC rolled his eyes. "Maybe later. Right now, I'm sent to gather the rest of the group. We're supposed to meet someone. Someone important."

Lance eyed him curiously. "And who would that be?"

"That would be A.P. Descartes. Mystery man extraodanaire. Thrower of this shindig, a very possible big sponsor for our upcoming tour," Justin answered his question, walking up to his other elbow.

"How'd you find this out?" JC demanded.

Justin shrugged, smiling charmingly. "I made a few friends."

"Schmoozed," Lance spoke with him simultaneously, chuckling. "Find out anything else, big man?"

Justin swirled his drink, gazing out at the milling crowd. "Not much. Just that this guy is worth millions. And when I say millions, I mean millions. As in, tens of millions. But my source didn't know much else about him. Except that he's a recluse."

"And why would he be investing in us?" JC asked, puzzled.

Justin shrugged. "Evidently he's a investor. And decided to invest." He grinned crookedly. "I'm not arguing."

"I bet Transcon isn't either, yeesh," JC mumbled.

"Ah, hello, you're 'N Sync, correct?" inquired a silver-haired, middle-aged man, stopping in front of them.

"Three-fifths," Justin replied. He gestured to Joe and Chris as they walked up with Steve. "And there are the other two."

The man nodded in greeting. "I am Richard Trask. I believe my secretary Greg talked to one of you?"

"Yeah, that would be me. I'm JC Chasez, and this is Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Joe Fatone," JC ran down the list. "That's Steve, Joe's brother and our videographer."

Trask smiled politely. "Nice to meet you all. We're very pleased to have you. I asked Greg to find you because A.P. Descartes arrived. We certainly weren't expecting this, but I thought you might like to meet A.P.?"

They exchanged glances, curious. "Sure," Lance answered for them all.

Richard motioned them to follow, and they trailed along behind him.

Lance elbowed Chris with a grin as he quacked under his breath. "We had duck for dinner," he whispered.

Chris shut up, looking horrified. "My poor Aunt Helga," he sniffled. "And my cousins Vinny, Clark, Ned, and Wally."

Lance smothered a laugh, rolling his eyes.

Joe snorted. "Don't forget the Beaver," he whispered.

JC sent them a shushing glance, lips twitching.

They saluted, crossing their eyes.

"Would you act like grown-ups for once?" he muttered under his breath.

"What are those?" Chris inquired innocently, slapping on a smile as Richard looked back at them.

Lance bit his lip, shaking his head. He looked in front of them, scanning the crowd as Richard slowed, speaking briefly with someone.

"Greg," JC identified. Richard headed towards a small knot of people. Lance craned his neck along with his friends, examining the group of people.

"A.P?!" Richard spoke with pleasure to someone they couldn't see. "It's wonderful to see you again. We certainly hoped you'd come, but didn't expect it."

The knot of people parted, revealing a small, raven-haired young woman wearing a floaty silver slipdress and dark sunglasses that glinted against lightly tanned skin, her hand tucked into the crook of an older man's arm.

Everything inside of him froze with disbelieving surprise. He heard Chris and Justin both mutter something.

Abby smiled faintly, offering her hand. "Thank you, Richard. I hope your family is well," she spoke softly, barely perceptible nervousness in her voice.

"Yes, very, thank you. I would like you to meet 'N Sync, A.P. They…"

"We've already met," Chris interrupted tightly.

Abby's smile stiffened slightly.

"Descartes?" Justin mumbled.

Abby swallowed visibly. She hesitated, removing her hand from the man at her side and taking a small step towards them.

"If I could, I would like to talk to you. All of you," her voice trailed off uncertainly.

The strange stillness inside him suddenly broke, and he felt the old anger stir. In some small place, he was surprised that at the degree of resentment and fury that kindled when he looked at her, but didn't care.

"I think we've already talked quite enough," he kept his voice calm, perversely pleased as she visibly flinched, falling back a step and paling slightly.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Chris muttered, moving protectively towards the front of the group.

Puzzled, Richard glanced between them all. "Is something wrong, A.P.? Is there some sort of problem?"

Abby's lips tightened as Lance and the others simply stared at her silently. "No, Richard," she whispered. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as her gaze located him unerringly, an odd pleading threading her voice. "Lance…"

"She's right, there's no problem," he interrupted abruptly, suddenly leery of what she might say. He wanted desperately to hang onto his anger. "Because I'm leaving." He pivoted, the quick look of pain on her face biting at him, and brushed through the crowd towards the doors.

Justin watched him leave with a sense of frustration.

Chris mumbled a curse, glaring at Abby's pale face. "Haven't you caused enough damage? You--"

Abby held up a hand to halt the flow of words. "Could we go in the hall?" She smiled thinly. "That way you'll feel free to yell at me as much as you like."

"I feel mighty free right where I am," Chris shot back, refusing to back down.

"I know," she countered softly. "But these are all people who want to invest in your careers, not just me." Her voice was laced with meaning, and JC moved to grip Chris's arm.

"She's right, man." JC eyed her curiously, then directed them to the doors where Lance had disappeared. "Let's go out into the hall."

The procession filed out into the quiet hall with a confused Richard watching them. Abby released the arm of the silent man beside her as soon as they gained the relative peace of the hall.

"Would you pull the car around, Raymond? I think I'll go to the house after this," Abby instructed tiredly. With one piercing glance at the four men, Raymond nodded abruptly and agreed, withdrawing a slim metal tube from under his jacket and handing it to her.

Abby dropped the hand with her cane to her side, silence descending as the other members of 'N Sync stared at her. She stood perfectly still, not fidgeting, simply waiting.

Justin glanced at his friends, then at the young woman in front of them.

"Explain this," he requested firmly.

Abby sighed softly, looking almost relieved. "I looked into your career and decided to sponsor you. You have potential." Her voice twisted slightly on the last word, a strange smile flickering over her face. "I know a good investment, and you promise to be one. You have talent."

"Is that supposed to make everything all nice and pretty? You throwing money and backhanded compliments at us?" Chris growled.

"Chris," JC reprimanded softly.

"Don't 'Chris' me," he snapped. "Lance is too softspoken and considerate to speak up for himself the way he should! I'm tired of watching him get taken advantage of, then have it thrown back in his face."

Abby paled even more, looking sick.

Justin's lips tightened. "You aren't her judge, jury, and executioner, Chris," he countered, caught between wanting to protect Abs and worry over his friend.

Chris snorted. "I know you're only eighteen, kid, but start thinking with the head above your belt," he drawled dryly.

Justin flushed, shooting a glare at his friend. "That's not--" he ran his hand through his hair in agitation.

"That's enough, Chris," JC shook his head, raking a hand through his hair. "I know that we all--"

"I don't give a damn what she said to us! But Lance practically bent over backwards when she was smoked out of her mind, and she repays him by accusing him of something he would never do? He may take it with barely a word, but I'm not going to stand by and--"

"Shut UP, Chris!" JC ordered.

Chris subsided with a glare, beginning to pace and mumble under his breath.

Abby swallowed, hands twisting in the soft material of her dress, the knots in her stomach the size of bricks.

"Take off your shades," Joe requested suddenly, breaking the seething silence.

Abby started. "Why?" she asked warily.

"Do I need a reason?" Joe shrugged when the others looked at him questioningly. "Maybe I just like seeing a pretty girl's eyes when I talk to her."

"Joe," Chris groaned. "Now is not the time to flirt."

"Don't you mean yell?" Abby muttered, reaching up to pull her dark glasses off, slipping them into a hidden pocket. Nerves appeared as she fidgeted, reluctantly raising her eyes. "Happy now?"

"Why does it always look as if you're actually watching a person?" Joe asked curiously.

Abby paused, confusion fluttering over her face. "Because I had my sight until I was twelve. So I automatically focus even though I can't see. That's why I do many things that a seeing person does. I still have those habits."

"Have your eyes always been that color?"

"Yes. I inherited them from my mother," Abby answered softly, sadness flashing over her face.

"Can you see anything at all?"

"No. Not even shades of light."

Joe pondered for a second. "Do you dream in color?"

Abby's eyes widened, a wan smile crossing her face. "Yes."

"So, if…"

"Joe, why are you playing twenty questions?" Chris asked irritably.

"So you all can calm down," Joe retorted.

JC straightened from his position leaning against the wall, smiling in approval. "Wow, I'm impressed."

"Thank you, thank you, I do try," Joe muttered dryly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I'm calm," Justin spoke softly, walking over to her slowly. "A.P. Descartes, Abs?"

Joe having successfully distracted her, Abby bit her lip, gathering her wits. "Abigail Prentice Descartes," she listed quietly, giving it the French pronunciation of Deh-cart. "Prentice was my mother's middle name also. I normally don't use my full name unless I'm doing business."

"And why did you come tonight, Abs?" JC questioned, moving closer. "He said they weren't expecting you, even though you threw all this?"

Abby's eyes studied the floor. "Whether I came tonight or not, didn't change my decision to sponsor you."

"And you came because?" Justin prodded.

Abby hesitated, looking torn. Her eyes located a pacing Chris worriedly. "I came to apologize," she replied softly.

Chris opened his mouth, disbelief and surprise warring on his face.

"Nothing," JC warned. "Not a word. You've said plenty already."

Abby smiled slightly. "He's free to say whatever he wishes, JC. I deserve them."

"You don't deserve to be verbally abused," Justin denied firmly.

A pained smile twisted her lips as she looked to the side, arms rising to wrap around her middle.

She directed her gaze to Chris. "Say what you want," she invited.

Chris snorted, opening his mouth, then closed it. "Why? Why did you do it?" he sighed finally.

She licked her lips, her smile deepening wryly. "You sure know how to slice right to the heart of the matter, don't you?" she mumbled.

"So they tell me."

"It's the answers that you can't get out of him for anything," Justin muttered, reaching out hesitantly to touch her wrist. "Abs?"

She moved back, gently breaking his hold. "I don't have a reason. I was just…disoriented. I didn't know where I was and I panicked."

"So your reaction is to get angry and start flinging around accusations?" Chris asked with barely veiled disbelief.

Her jaw tightened. "Yes."

"Liar," Chris bit out, becoming angry with her continued close-mouthed attitude. "You can't even apologize truthfully."

Abby went white, backing up slightly. For a second, Chris was sure she'd give up and bolt, and felt almost guilty for the harshness in his tone.

Abby's eyes closed briefly. "Sunny died."

They exchanged glances, shocked into silence. Justin sighed, making a gesture of apology that she couldn't see. "We're sorry…"

"I didn't tell you that to make you pity me," Abby rapped out in agitation, shaking her head with a sigh. "She died that morning. I found out when I left." Abby fumbled, continuing more slowly. "I dreamt…I knew when I woke up." Her voice was nearly inaudible, the familiar mask dropping over her face as she took a deep breath.

"I am messed up."

She spoke with such certainty that they all stared at her with their mouths open, speechless.

A half-smile kicked up the corner of her mouth.

"Without the gory details, which you might already guess at, it's safe to say that you can't tell me anything bad about myself that I don't already know."

Chris flushed slightly as her unseeing gaze focused on him wryly.

"My life is not one of wildflower fields and sunshine, and it really has nothing to do with being blind. I don't need to waste my time on a leather couch to hear some overpaid psychiatrist tell me that I have abandonment issues, and trust issues. I'm cynical, I'm abrasive, I'm the poster child for emotional constipation." She smiled strangely. "That's not an excuse for anything; it's just fact."

"How's that for a summary?" She gestured, seeming oddly pleased with herself. "I am screwed up, and I have no doubts that if I wasn't worth several million dollars, I would live the life of a penniless hermit and be quite happy. But as for right now, I'm content to play with money and watch people fall all over themselves trying to make some off of me. It's rather amusing that…" She caught herself before she completed the sentence. "The only thing I ever made a rule was not to get involved with good people. And all of you constitute good people," she sighed softly, losing her smile.

She directed her gaze at Chris, then the others. "You wanted truth? Will you accept my apology then?"

She didn't wait for an answer, plunging ahead, wanting to get the emotional soul-baring out of the way. "I have no clue why you all took such an interest in me." There was genuine confusion on her face as she shook her head. "You didn't know me, beyond the fact that I…lost it in a public place. And then you took it upon yourselves to…take care of me when I decided to drown my sorrows, so to speak."

She took a deep breath, barely pausing. "To say I was surprised would be an understatement. And to say I was sca…" She swallowed, catching herself. "No one takes care of me but me, alright? Not since my uncle died. There never has been, never will be. And I like it that way. There is a boundary…somehow I got separated from everyone else, and no one crosses it. Except Sunny. She was the last." Her tone was full of finality. "I suppose the only defense I could offer is that I was…grieving…and reacted badly, all the way around. But I didn't come here to offer a defense. I've come to the conclusion that I don't have the right to ask for forgiveness, but I was wrong, and ungrateful, and I'll admit that, and offer my apologies. I had hoped to say this to Lance…" her voice faded as she shrugged, lips tightening.

"But that's just something else I'll have to live with," she finished softly, turning her head as the man she was with appeared again at the door that led to the lower parking garage.

"I'm ready when you are, Miss."

"I'm ready," Abby concurred, walking towards him, not waiting for a response.

"Abs?" Justin finally recovered his voice.

Her head turned briefly as she heard him, a sad smile crossing her face before she disappeared, the door whispering shut behind her.

He looked over at Chris. Chris stared at the door, meeting his eyes briefly before walking over to the closest wall and slowly banging his head on it. Thud. Thud. Thud.

"Uh, Chris?" JC asked.

Thud. "Why is it that when you really want to dislike a person," he hissed in frustration. Thud.

Joe shook his head with a roll of his eyes. "Give it up, man, you were mothering her all over the place. You just got angry. Now she's let the air out of all your reasons for being mad."

"Dammit."

"Christopher."

Chris sighed. "Why can't I stay mad? She hurt the albino's feelings, or he wouldn't clam up like he did," he grumbled. Then glared at Joe. "Mothering?" he muttered.

"But he didn't clam up," JC pointed out, suddenly remembering. "He looked furious."

"Lance doesn't show anger. Especially with girls, too much of a gentleman," Joe mused, ignoring Chris.

"Interesting to say the least," Justin mumbled softly, walking over and catching Chris's head before it could hit its target again. "Stop that, you have to have enough brain cells left to hold the game controller and warm the basketball court," he ordered absently.

Chris rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks." He plopped down unceremoniously next to the wall.

"He should have been in here to hear her apology. He was the biggest target, and she knows that."

JC looked at him suspiciously. "What's jellifying in your dye-addled brain, boy?"

Justin looked back at him, straight-faced. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Then you better get a clue, cause it's going to take more than you to carry out whatever misguided plan you're hatching," Joe groaned, beginning to pace randomly.

Justin sent him an offended look. "I am not misguided, thank you very much. I'm trying to think of a way for our dear Poofoo to get some satisfaction. By hearing her apology," he tacked on innocently.

Three snorts.

"I am."

"Whatever. I'm going to go find him so we can mingle a little longer and make a graceful exit," JC mumbled, heading for the doors to the reception area to motion for a bodyguard before leaving for the outer doors.

Once they were alone, Chris stared up at him, drumming his fingers slowly and raising a brow. Joe paused his pacing to smirk and shake his head in disbelief.

"I am. I just have to think on it some more."

Chris rolled his eyes. "I just want to be there when Poofoo gives him the beat down."

"Me too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"No, Richard, I'm fine. I'm sorry for the slight scene. Thank you for your concern, though. Wish your wife the best for me?" Abby ended the call, closing the cell phone with a soft snap. She stayed where she was for a moment, the warmth of the late May sunshine bathing her from head to foot, then swiveled back around to face her desk, picking up the headset that was her communication link between herself and her computer.

She sat, clutching the headpiece for a minute, but found little motivation for doing any sort of business. With a sigh, she finally slipped the headset around her ears.

"Report," she ordered tiredly. She rubbed the bridge of her nose absently as the computer's pleasant female voice reeled off stock quotes.

She drummed her fingers, making several quick calculations before the list was complete.

"Directives?" the voice inquired.

"Yes."

A soft tone. "Please instruct now."

"NYSE. Ten thousand shares of DTI. Sell two thousand FcI. NASDAQ. One thousand MRT. End directives."

"Thank you. Additional directions?"

"No. Sleep mode. Track all shares." Abby paused, riffling through her mental file. "End directive."

"Thank you. Sleep mode initialized. Tracking all shares." Abby dropped the headset beside the keyboard, starting to rise and snapping her fingers automatically.

"Sun--" She took a quick breath, sinking back down carefully.

The sun was warm against her back. The house was silent around her. Anna was doing her market shopping, and Raymond had gone with her to take care of his own business. So Abby was alone. A not uncommon occurrence. At least, according to public standards. But always before, she'd had Sunny. It was so easy to forget she was gone.

Her throat burned and she cleared it, feeling the brick lodge in her chest. She closed her eyes, pressing against the lids with her fingertips.

"I miss you, Sunny." Her voice barely penetrated the silence. Sudden, unbearable loneliness clawed at her with the familiar grief.

"Nonsense, Abby. She's gone, get over it," Abby's voice rapped through the quiet. She swallowed.

"I don't want to get over it," she answered her own order in a whisper. She clutched her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. Why do people think money buys happiness? I would give everything to have my family back. I don't care about being blind, just give me back the love I had.

She rose abruptly, swiping at her damp cheeks in frustration. "Whine much, Abby?" she asked harshly.

She didn't bother grabbing her cane, knowing the layout of the house after years of practice. She strode through the lower floor, making her way to the back bedroom. She'd left the French doors open that morning, luxuriating in the cool morning breeze which blew over the lake. She couldn't see it, but Anna said the view was gorgeous.

Her lips twisted, her skin feeling tight and itchy. Her wordless thoughts were full of turmoil, almost vicious. Everything she had ever lost, through no fault of her own, taunted her with promises of what she might have today if they were still here. The gauzy fabric of the curtains brushed her ankles, cool air eddying around her and stirring the hair that had escaped from her ponytail.

Abby slipped outside, her bare feet registering the sand scattered over the wooden deck, still warm from the heat of the morning sun, now hours past.

She could hear the soft music of the windchimes Anna had hung in the trees, accompanying the gentle slap of the water against the shore. She descended the steps of the deck, the breeze strengthening slightly, bringing with it the tang of fresh water. Sand as fine as powder shifted under her feet, her light skirt twining around her legs.

 She felt the heat of the sun as she passed out of the shadow of the house, and lifted her face, goosebumps shivering over her slightly. She walked until she felt the damp line where the internal tide of the lake brought the water, turning her steps to scuff through the dry sand.

Birds called gently. She heard the lulling rush of the water, the wind, the light, musical chimes. The whole scene offered such peace and quiet. Why couldn't she be at peace?

Frustration filled her. By all standards, she should be, if not happy, content. She was young, intelligent, and rich beyond any need she could ever have. Considering her circumstances, she'd been informed by many a person that blindness was an inconvenience, a minor drawback. Her lips twisted. It all came down to money. Of course, as she'd told… Her thoughts paused. As she'd told them, she deliberately associated with those people, so she couldn't complain about their priorities.

But inside, she did. The smooth exterior she put forth hid a wealth of internal conflict. She was incapable of anything but brutal honesty with herself. Her life sucked. Plain and simple. And she knew it was her own fault. She consciously made all those decisions, and usually she was satisfied with them. It was so much easier that way. If people weren't there beyond surface friendship, if you didn't let them get close, you couldn't lose them, period. And those who wanted to get close, you drove away.

She swallowed hard, stopping abruptly. She'd wanted many things in life at different times, wished for them desperately. Wished for her parents and grandparents. Her uncle. The closeness she and Cecile had once shared. Wished for someone to love, to be loved. She'd pleaded with the highest power to give them back. But she knew there was no going back. Now she just wanted one thing.

She crouched, staring sightlessly out towards the water, then reached down to gather a handful of sand. The fine grains slid like water out of her palm, and aching loneliness filled her. Everyone slips away. Her fingers closed around the sand, and it escaped faster. The strongest grip can't hold them. She relaxed her hand, flattening it out, and the sand ribboned over the sides of her palm.

Her forehead puckered slightly as the escaping sand slowed and finally stopped, but a small amount was left in her palm, content to lie where it was.

She took a soft breath, then quickly flipped her hand, the grains raining from her palm like dust.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you sure this is the right direction?" JC flipped the map upside down, then turned it around again, craning his neck to view it from every angle.

"Um, yeah. This is what the Trask guy said." Justin swerved slightly to miss a large heron walking slowly across the road. Massive weeping willows, palms, and other tropical brush lined the road, rolling away to low lakes and swamps.

"She lives out in the rainforest. Great. Do you know how fast the rainforest grows? We'll be mulch before anyone can find us."

"Shush, Poofoo. You opinion doesn't count anymore." Chris sat up from his slumped position. "I think I saw an alligator!" he pointed behind them excitedly.

"Great," Lance muttered under his breath, glaring out the other passenger window of the Benz. He felt ridiculous sulking, but couldn't seem to help it. He'd been railroaded and guilted into this, and he planned on complaining for all he was worth. But it still didn't nullify the frustrating, but persistent tingle of anticipation.

Justin glanced up at him in the rearview mirror. "I'm glad to know that you're so excited about our road trip," he smiled cheerily.

"What road trip? She only lives sixty or seventy miles from Orlando," Joe pointed out. 

"Ssshh, don't rain on my party," Justin scolded, playing with the radio controls. "JC, man, look for my Jay-Z--"

"THERE!" Chris shouted.

The car swerved wildly as Justin shouted a curse, finally slowing and stopping the car. "Damn, Chris, don't DO that!" he cried in exasperation, glancing over at JC, who clutched every available surface in a death grip, then back at Lance, who was still slumped back, his arms crossed over his chest. Joe was pale, blinking slowly. Chris wasn't fazed at all.

"What? You missed the turn-off."

Justin banged his head on the steering wheel. "Where?" he finally sighed.

Chris jerked his thumb to indicate the road behind them. "Back there," he replied serenely. "If you didn't drive like the next Mario you would've seen it."

Lance snickered. Justin rolled his eyes, then jerked the car into reverse on the fairly deserted road, backing up until they could see the drive that broke off the road, the thickly screening trees and brush growing over the metal archway that spanned the finely graveled drive.

Justin darted a quick glance into the mirror as Joe cleared his throat, watching with a small smirk as Lance sat up abruptly to gaze out the passenger window to watch the scenery as they turned onto the driveway.

"Holy cow," Joe breathed, and they all nodded, speechless.

Behind the screen of bushes, carefully cultivated lawn rolled away into the distance, flanking both sides of the drive. Trees and bushes grew in artful profusion along with every conceivable kind and color of flower. It was a work of art. Justin slowed, and they watched a series of small, crystal blue lakes pass by on their right, surrounded by weeping willows, with a connecting bridge arching across them. Bright splashes of color flitted about, swans and storks among the many birds habitating the lake. The drive curved gently, disappearing behind a stand of trees.

They passed beneath an archway of incredibly large, old, trees, the branches having grown together far above them. Vines hung down, trailing flowers dropping a colorful blanket of petals over the gravel. Every pair of eyes slowly widened as the house came into view.

The two-story structure sprawled across the ground in front of them, the cool gray stone blending in gently with the surroundings. Flowers bloomed everywhere, quite obviously a passion of whoever cultivated them. A wide wraparound wooden porch ran the front of the house, climbing roses in several colors snaking across the stones of the house. Justin parked the Benz in front of what looked like a two-car port, the engine dying and leaving them in silence.

"Everybody out," JC finally ordered, sliding out of the car and stretching. Lance followed Chris and Joe reluctantly. Justin came around the hood of the car, shaking his head.

"I don't think I actually ever thought about what I said before this," he mumbled, staring towards the house.

"About Abs being rich?" Joe asked, rubbing his jaw.

"Filthy rich," Lance muttered.

JC shook his head, looking back at him reprovingly. "Jeez, Lance, I've never known you to be rude before."

He felt unaccountably guilty. "Yeah, well, I've never had someone accuse me of being a closet rapist," he defended, the resentment stirring.

Chris shook his head, turning as another engine growled behind them. "She didn't mean it, and she would have apologized if you'd have stuck around."

Lance shrugged, tensing up as a large truck with an extended cab drove into view, parking next to them and letting an older, gray-haired woman out of the passenger seat. She was the only person to get out, and he relaxed slightly.

The woman gazed at them curiously.

"We're here to see Abs?" Chris hollered, and Lance winced. Justin pretended to clean out his ear.

"A little louder, Chris?"

The woman looked extremely surprised, but glanced back into the truck cab, holding a brief conversation before waving, picking up two bags and slamming the door with her hip. The truck backed up and turned around, heading back the way it came.

Carrying two grocery bags, the woman approached them, smiling politely, but her deep brown eyes sparkled with interest.

"Here, ma'am, let us take those," JC offered, relieving her of one bag. Joe took the other as the woman smiled breathlessly.

"Why, thank you. My name's Anna Grace. Call me Anna. And what brings y'all out here?" Anna turned and headed for the front door, obviously expecting them to follow.

"Well, like my friend, uh, said, we came to see Abs. Is she here?" Justin asked.

Anna nodded. "Should be," she replied easily. "She was working when we left for the store. And might I ask why you wish to see her?" Anna asked pleasantly, but there was a ring of protectiveness in her tone.

Chris smiled charmingly. "Cause we're doing our darndest to make friends, but she keeps running away?"

Justin winced, shaking his head. "Oh, smooth," he muttered.

They exchanged glances around Lance. Chris would get them thrown out.

Anna stopped, pivoting to stare at them intently, eyes narrowing as she studied them each closely. She lingered on Lance's closed, guarded face the longest, then a slow smile curved her lips, eyes twinkling.

"Why, how nice," she agreed, opening the front door.

Justin's mouth dropped open. Chris nudged him triumphantly, grinning.

They followed her into a high-ceilinged, airy foyer, a ceiling fan turning lazily above them. Sunshine streamed in through the banks of windows, a skylight set in the cathedral ceiling.

"Miss Abs loves the light, and the sun," Anna remarked idly. She detoured into a large, warmly accented and well-equipped kitchen-cum-dining area, which shone with cleanliness. They set the bags on the center island when she gestured to it. She peeked out the French doors that led to a side patio and shook her head slightly.

"Squirrels have been getting into my birdseed again," she commented dryly, then turned to look at them.

She suppressed a grin as she took in the nearly identical stances, hands shoved in pockets like children told not to touch anything, nervous expressions on every face. Except the young blonde with pale eyes. He stood with his arms crossed, expression tense and faintly uncomfortable, but not nervous.

"Well," she began briskly. "Would you like anything to drink? I just made some tea, and some should be steeping…"

"No, thank you," JC answered politely, four heads nodding in quick agreement.

Anna chuckled. "Then I'll just see where little Miss is."

Justin's lips twitched, and he met JC's amused gaze. "Little Miss, huh?"

Anna caught the comment and smiled. She walked to the entryway to the kitchen, and peeked out into the hall. "Miss Abby? I'm home! Do you need anything while I'm in the kitchen?"

Silence greeted her. Anna listened for a moment, frowning. She walked back into the kitchen, beginning to pull groceries out of the bags. She waved a hand when she caught them staring at her, non-plussed.

"Pardon," she smothered a chuckle. "She might be caught up in something in her office. Feel free to wander around and find her. If she's not in the house, she's probably out back."

"Out back?" Joe echoed.

"Out back," Anna repeated. "Just follow the hall back. Abby always leaves her bedroom door open, so it's not hard to find."

She went back to her sacks, effectively dismissing them.

She didn't look up until the shuffling feet finally turned and filed out of the kitchen and down the hall. Then she smiled, beginning to hum and plan what kinds of cookies the five wandering the too-silent house would like.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris peeked in the first doorway, eyes widening reverently. "Yesss."

"What?" Joe poked his head in and groaned in mild ecstasy. "Abs is my hero," he murmured.

They'd found the family room. The sunken room contained the bare minimum of furniture in subdued colors, more windows allowing in the maximum amount of sunlight. But it was the big screen TV in the corner that captured their attention, state-of-the-art stereo and electronics shelved beside it.

"Awesome. But she's not here. C'mon, boys," JC instructed, laughing under his breath after a quick, admiring glance.

Justin, with Lance in tow, appeared as they walked down the hall. "Bathroom on the right," Justin shook his head. They reached the second door on the left and walked inside, finding the room empty as well.

"Her office," Joe guessed, eyeing the large, padded leather chair and computer paraphernalia spread across the desk that was slanted slightly in the corner so the windows were behind it.

Justin wandered along the walls, reading the spines of the books that were shelved there. He shook his head slightly.

"Classics to children's to the latest thriller," he mumbled.

Lance walked slowly towards the wide oak desk, curiosity getting the better of him. He touched the mouse gingerly, the starry sky dancing across the screen of the laptop fading. He blinked as he watched figures and words scroll down the screen, becoming dizzy in seconds. A small scrolling marquee across the bottom alerted him to the program's 'sleep mode..tracking all shares'.

His eyes ran over the surface of the desk, and he picked up the dark glasses lying next to the headset meditatively. A long, slender tube was tossed carelessly to one side of the blotter. Otherwise the desk was bare. He shook his head slightly. You expect her to have pictures of her friends and family? Hello, Lansten. He sighed softly, looking up as Chris wandered across the room, mumbling softly.

"Strike three. I say we go outside. I don't think we're going to find her in the house," he opted, turning and disappearing out the door.

"Wait, Chris," Justin made a sound of exasperation, hurrying after him.

JC sighed with a roll of his eyes. "Define 'impulsive'," he muttered under his breath, strolling after the other two. Lance followed reluctantly.

"To follow one's whims or sudden thoughts. To act with little or no thought. Capricious," Joe recited lightly under his breath, and Lance slid a glance at him, shaking his head.

"You are weird, Joe," he mumbled. Joe flashed his cheerful smile.

They caught up with the oldest and youngest members of the group at the end of the hall, which terminated in a wide staircase on one side and an open door directly in front of them.

"Why are we standing here?" JC finally inquired.

"Lance gets to go first," Chris announced.

Lance glared at his friend, feeling his face heat up. "Don't you even…"

He was shoved up into the front of the huddle before her could finish the threat. He sighed inwardly. "Traitors," he mumbled, going into the room reluctantly.

He felt mild chills run up his back as the light, spicy-musky scent of some sort of flower surrounded him. Her perfume. He'd smelled it faintly on his clothes after she'd left and hadn't smelled it since.

He licked dry lips and advanced further into the room, examining the sparse furnishings of the room with curiosity. The large wooden sleigh bed had only a simple white comforter, a nightstand, large oak dresser and carved rocking chair the only other pieces of furniture. Rainbow pastel throw rugs protected the polished wood flooring. Two doors opened off the bedroom, one slightly open to reveal a bathroom. The room was very cool, lacking color. A ceiling fan whirled lazily above them in the slightly lofted ceiling.

"This feels weird," Justin muttered.

Lance agreed silently.

"No mirrors. No real color. But then again, why would she need them?" JC pointed out logically.

"Yeah," Justin agreed, nudging Lance in the back. "C'mon, hurry up."

Lance rolled his eyes, but complied, walking over to the open French doors, white curtains twisting in the breeze. He stopped in the doorway, mouth opening with awe.

"Wow," was all he could mutter.

He moved onto the sandy deck, going to stand against the railing.

"I would like to go on record and say "Damn!"" Chris muttered.

JC rolled his eyes, but didn't respond, turning one hundred eighty degrees to get the full effect of the panoramic view.

"It's like a mini-ocean," Justin mumbled.

Fine, blindingly white sand, tinted with pinks and golds, rolled a hundred feet or more to the shore of the vast lake, blue water rippling and glittering in the hot sun. The sand bounded the lake, circling around quite a ways. In the distance, trees could be seen leaning out over the water, dipping their branches into the lake. More willows and palms grew up next to the house at the edge of the sand, chimes sounding gently from one of them. Two palms had been allowed to grow outside the shade of the house, a hammock swinging gently between them in the breeze. A dock had also been built out into the shallows, and a sleek, racy-looking speedboat bobbed next to it under a small, whitewashed shed.

"Holy cow," he mumbled finally. Then blinked. "Is Abs out here?"

Lance had already spotted her, her beacon of black hair plainly visible against the sand and water, even as a small form crouched at the edge of the water. She was still, gazing intently at something she held in her palm, tension in the line of her back.

"There she is," JC pointed. As they watched, she suddenly dumped whatever she held, standing abruptly and brushing her hands off before moving along the shore, obviously heading for the dock.

"Alright, Lance. Your turn."

His palms went clammy, butterflies taking up residence in his gut.

"Uh-oh, the albino has that 'deer caught in the headlights' look," Chris groaned. "Lance, don't chicken on us."

His lips tightened, and he ran a hand through his hair. "Guys, maybe…it was just a one-time deal. She's probably recovered just fine. Telling me…anything…won't change her life one way or the other," he tried to reason, suddenly wanting desperately to leave.

"Whoa, he's going to bolt," Chris warned, grabbing his arm. Lance tried to glare at his friend, but dropped his eyes under the dark, perceptive gaze.

"You don't have to say anything," Chris told him logically. "Like we said before, you need to hear this. If you weren't dwelling on this, you wouldn't have gotten so mad." Chris shot a look at Justin, and he took up the chorus as Lance rolled his eyes.

"And she looked really upset that you weren't there, buddy," Justin continued, taking up the spiel. "I know you were upset too, but you were downright rude by just walking off. And there were mitigating circumstances. We all know that."

Lance groaned at the reminder, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Standing off to the side as the other two tried to convince Lance, JC and Joe shook their heads, crossing their arms. "How about we go down first?" Joe proposed, startling the others.

"Great idea, Joe!" JC agreed enthusiastically, hustling off the deck. He paused to kick off his shoes and socks, Joe doing the same before striking off across the sand.

"This situation just keeps getting more twisted. If I thought Lance was stubborn before…" Joe shook his head, sighing softly as he wiggled his toes in the warm sand. The lake kept the breeze going almost constantly, cooling the air pleasantly.

"Yeah. I'm just worried that we're doing more harm than good by keeping contact with Abs," JC muttered, glancing back at the other three.

"How?"

"As much as she professes to know her limitations in dealing with people relationships, I don't think she's aware of how deep they could go, even if she'll let us be friends with her. And as weird as Lance is acting about this whole thing…"

The statement and its meanings hung in the air after he finished, and Joe nodded. Eyes fastened to the frail figure walking down the dock, he shook his head.

"She needs people, Jace. Anna made that pretty clear."

"What?" JC raised confused eyebrows.

"Think about it. She doesn't know us; she's really protective of Abs. And she sent us looking for her with her blessings after a short conversation."

JC was silent.

"There's more there than what people are allowed to see," Joe continued, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I speak from experience."

JC shot him a startled look, then nodded slowly. "I hear you, Joe."

They crossed the remaining distance in silence.

Sand danced over the wooden dock as their feet hit the boards with a muffled thud.

Abby jumped, then whirled a split-second later, eyes wide.

"Who's there? Anna? Raymond? You scared me, when did you get back?"

"Sorry, Abs," JC replied softly.

The light eyes widened even further, and she fell back a step.

"How did you get here?"

"We drove," Joe answered with cheerful evasiveness.

Abby rolled her eyes. "No, really, I though you flew," she drawled sarcastically.

They both chuckled softly.

"Nice to see you too, Abs," JC teased, walking close enough to touch.

Abby stiffened, but didn't back away.

"Why are you here, JC? Joe?"

"We came to see you, of course," Joe answered cheerfully.

Cautiously, JC took the plunge, hugging Abby gently. She made a strange sound, not struggling, but not responding, and he nearly laughed at the bug-eyed look of shock on her face when he stepped back.

"It's good to see you," he commented serenely, as if they did this every day.

"Yup," Joe agreed, grabbing her small form into a bear hug.

 JC winced slightly, but kept his mouth shut as Joe set Abby on her feet carefully. She wavered slightly.

"Why did you do that?" she asked bluntly, recovering a quick breath.

Joe laughed. "We're affectionate with our friends, sweetheart. Can't help it, it's ingrained."

Abby rocked back on her heels, speechless. Her non-plussed expression altered slightly, and she chose to ignore the 'friends' and 'sweetheart' comments. "Why are you here?" she reiterated.

JC hesitated.

"We're here because you mentioned something the other night about a certain albino, and we wanted to deliver him to you."

JC and Joe turned at Justin's comment, finding the three men behind them, the other two surrounding a perturbed-looking Lance. JC glanced back at Abs cautiously, realizing that backing her into a corner might not be the best thing.

Abby was utterly silent, her face carefully neutral.

Chris poked Lance. He grunted softly, glaring at him.

"I'm here," he admitted grudgingly. "They said you wanted to talk to me."

He ignored the glares he was getting for making the situation more tense.

Abby's face closed off completely. "Of course. Would you like to come inside?"

"No," Justin hastily cut her off, gesturing to the others to back away. "It's gorgeous out here, Abs. We'll just wonder around and explore, if that's alright?"

She inclined her head briefly, her eyes directed somewhere over his shoulder. "Of course, please."

He sighed softly, aware that her responses were only as long as necessity and bare politeness demanded. He met his friend's eyes meaningfully.

Lance returned the look stubbornly, but uncertainty crossed his face in the split-second he slid a glance at Abby.

Justin grinned faintly, herding the others away and calling back a quick thanks.

"I can't believe you're trying some harebrained matchmaking scheme," JC muttered, meeting his gaze. "And don't give me that look. I know exactly what you're doing. And I don't think either one of them would take kindly to it."

Justin shrugged, whistling softly. "I have to get them to be friends first, then I'll work on…anything else."

Chris snorted. "I can't believe I'm helping you," he muttered in disbelief.

"Hey, you recognize greatness when you see it," Justin shrugged, then took off running as Chris winged a hand at his head and whiffed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Silence.

Lance shifted restlessly, feeling his stomach tense and grumble nervously, and Abby blinked.

More silence, except for the soft chiming in the wind.

Abby finally sighed softly, a faint, humorless smile curving her lips. "Guess this is my responsibility, huh? You caught me off guard, I haven't prepared for this one." She turned, walking slowly to the edge of the pier and gazing out at the water.

He took a few steps after her, then stopped, watching her curiously. He was rapidly losing his grasp on his anger. She looked so small, so frail. And so alone. It was easy to forget that she must have had a backbone of steel in order to survive.

"Lance?"

He took a breath and another step, coming to within touching distance. Her shoulders slumped slightly as she turned.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, stormy grey eyes somewhere at his chest level. "I wish I could make it clear how sorry. Wish I could explain things so you'd know it wasn't you I was lashing out at. You were just the closest target, and I'm not very good at dealing with feelings of…vulnerability," she said the last words carefully, reluctantly, and his eyes widened slightly at the admission.

Her expression turned unconsciously forlorn. "I hope you know how blessed you are to have friends like you do. They were about as mad as you probably are because of what I did." She shook her head slightly, making a helpless gesture.

His chest felt strange, tight, and he couldn't seem to draw a proper breath. He took a step back, suddenly aware of the urge to comfort her, to make the sadness he could hear go away. "Apology accepted," he quickly ended the conversation, his voice unconsciously cool, turning to go back down the dock.

He missed the flare of crushed pain on her face before she could hide it.

"Thank you," she responded softly, her voice nearly lost in the wind.

He didn't reply, leery of getting in any deeper. He was confused, and he didn't like it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lance kicked Justin's foot as he arrived where he and the others had sprawled out in the sun-warmed sand. Justin grunted and opened an eye, raising his hand to shade from the glare of the sun.

"Man, this is awesome. You should try it," he commented blissfully. "No people staring, no demands. Sun, surf, and sand. Pure vegetative states are vastly underrated."

He rolled his eyes, then cleared his throat. Justin sat up abruptly. "Oh, yeah." He looked at Lance, then in his vicinity. "Where's Abs?"

He just shook his head, glancing pointedly at his watch. "We're done. Are y'all ready to go now?"

"Go? We just got here, man," Chris complained, keeping his eyes closed from his position diagonal to Justin.

His jaw tightened. "Chris--"

"Hey, Abs," Justin greeted suddenly, alerting them all that she was approaching.

"Abs, come join us!" Joe carrolled happily. "This is great."

"Thank you, no, Joe," Abby refused softly, pausing a couple of feet away from Lance. He stiffened instinctively, not looking at her.

"You're all enjoying yourselves?" her voice was curious, faintly amused.

JC sat up with a sigh. "Yeah, who wouldn't? This place is gorgeous. Is it all private?"

"Yes. I own about five acres, including the lake, all private. Anna has always said it was beautiful," Abby agreed indifferently.

JC grimaced slightly, realizing his mistake. "Sorry…"

Abby shook her head, drifting a few feet away. "Don't be embarrassed. There are many things people say on a daily basis that would be a faux pas if you said them to me. I myself don't notice them. I would think the ocean would be much more to your liking," she changed the subject.

"The ocean's nice, but…" Chris struggled upright sluggishly. "You tend to have more, um, people there on the beaches. And really, this is better. Are there fish in the lake?"

Abby chuckled. "Some freshwater fish, but they tend to stay in the other end and fairly deep. Why, do people bother you?" She paused, pondering his first statements. "Girls," she stated suddenly, realization hitting her. "They bother you?"

Joe chuckled. "Hell, no."

Justin rolled his eyes. "It's a little harder to be normal in public places, is all," he answered diplomatically, kicking Joe.

Abby smiled faintly, staring out into the lake. "You're welcome to come…" Her absent voice trailed off, a startled expression filling her face. She hesitated, then completed the offer. "You're welcome to come here if you like."

Lance finally turned to stare at her, amazed.

Justin grinned, sitting up straight. Abby hurried on, turning her back to them as they all shifted to sit up.

"I'm--I'm probably going to be heading back soon anyway. The house is empty when I'm gone, but Anna and Raymond live here year round. If you wish to use the lake--or anything--I'll inform them, and you'll always have access to the grounds if you'd like."

"That's a generous offer, Abs," JC thanked her softly. "But if we came, we'd be running you off, wouldn't we?"

Abby shrugged. "Of course not," she snapped irritably, telling them he was right.

"Then where were you planning on going?" Chris inquired with interest, a knowing smile on his face.

Abby was silent. "New York," she answered finally.

"You have business there?"

Abby hesitated. "I always have business there," she temporized.

"Let's put it another way. Were you planning on leaving here anytime soon?" Joe probed.

Abby turned back around, her jaw tight, face set and smooth. "Visit or not. The offer stands; it doesn't matter to me," she informed them, voice neutral. "It won't affect my decisions one way or another. If you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

Back straight, she skirted around them and headed back towards the house.

Chris stared after her, impressed. "How does she do that?" he mumbled.

"Do what?" Lance asked irritably.

"Know exactly where she's going."

He rolled his eyes. "Magic, Chris. She keeps a broom in the closet too."

"Oooh, Poofoo's a little snippy, isn't he?".

Lance sighed. "We should go."

"Maybe for right now," Justin agreed, getting up and brushing himself off. "But I'm coming back."

Lance's lips tightened, disliking the twinge of something that resembled jealousy. "Your hide."

"Ours," JC corrected. He stared out at the lake. "It's so peaceful here. It'd be nice to come back."

Chris stood, brushing his pants off. "We'll see."

Lance turned to stalk back to the house. No matter how much he wanted to stay away from her, his friends seemed to insist on dragging him back.

"You'll see," he tossed back. "Don't even think about it, Curly, cause it ain't happening," he warned when Justin opened his mouth.

Justin jogged after him, pulling him to a stop. "Lance--"

He shook his head, pulling away and continuing up to the house.

Chris made a throat-cutting gesture as he walked by Justin. "Don't force the issue," he mumbled. "Poofoo will come around in his own good time if that's what he wants."

Justin made a face. "I don't--"

JC slapped him on the back as he jogged by. "Do what Grandpa says."

Justin rolled his eyes, and looked at Joe as he strolled by. "What about you?"

"I'm staying out of it," Joe replied. "You're gonna have to be careful, Justin. You can't make two people like each other just because you think you see some sort of possibility. They have to see it for themselves. Why are you so determined to do this anyway?"

Justin paused, then sighed. "I dunno. It's just this feeling I have. She's hiding a lot about herself. And Lance--" he gestured helplessly.

"You can't mess with people's lives on a 'feeling', Curly," Joe stated sympathetically. "Listen to Chris. Just leave it alone for now, okay?"

Justin nodded reluctantly, scuffing along beside Joe. He looked up as a pleasant female voice announced her presence.

"Seems you got the little Miss all stirred up. Like to explain yourselves?"

Anna stood at the deck railing, looking down from her slightly lofted perch expectantly.

They exchanged uneasy glances, then looked back at the older woman, surprised, as she chuckled.

"Don't look so frightened, boys. The little Miss keeps to herself far too much. I think you'll be good for her, as long as you don't abandon her," there was an implicit warning in her gentle comment. "Little Miss has been abandoned more than any one person should be in several lifetimes. Please remember that if you decide to make these visits a habit, as Miss muttered to me before she went in her office and slammed the door."

"Our lives are not such that we're real, uh, able to have constant contact, but we're not going to forget about her," JC offered.

Anna smiled pleasantly. "Be sure that you don't."

Lance rubbed the bridge of his nose, restraining a snort. If it were that easy, I wouldn't still be-- he cut the thought off, finishing tying his shoes and following the older woman back through the house behind the others. The office door was closed, no sound coming from within. All stirred up. He shook his head with a sigh.

"Oh, by the way, what kinds of cookies do y'all like?"

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