~~About three weeks later~~

Justin stuck his head in the partially ajar office door. "Abs, you want something to eat?"

Abby shook her head without responding, raising her cup of tea absently as she tapped on her computer screen with an electronic pen, listening intently to whatever the voice on the headset was telling her.

Justin sighed with a roll of his eyes, pulling back with a mutter.

"She still working?" Joe asked, coming down the hallway with a sandwich in one hand, a can of soda in the other.

"Yup. Must be some exciting stuff."

JC shook his head, walking towards them with two plates in hand. "You have a lot to learn youngun'."

"What?"

JC nudged the door open, walking into the office casually. "Hey, Abs, what'cha doin'?"

He walked over to her desk, setting one of the plates down in front of her, and perched on the corner, popping a chip in his mouth.

Abby paused when the loud crunching registered, glancing up finally. "What?" she asked absently, then scrawled something on the screen.

JC rolled his eyes. "Hello, Abs, how are you? How's your day been? Mine's been good. We're having fun outside, how 'bout you?"

Abby smiled thinly. "Glad to hear it, JC. I'm coordinating a massive stock buyout; how was your volleyball game?"

JC grinned as Justin and Joe plopped down on the love seat.

"Sounds really interesting. Hey, I've got an idea!" JC exclaimed with enormous enthusiasm. "Why don't you take a break and eat something, then we can all go out and enjoy the afternoon!"

Abby's smile turned dry. "Thank you, no. My day's kind of tied up at the moment."

Justin sighed heavily. "Abs--"

She held up a hand, finally removing her headset and tossing her pen aside. "I'll eat, happy now?"

"Delirious. Are you really doing what you said you were?" JC inquired curiously, picking up his sandwich.

They all watched with interest as Abby's hand drifted over the plate JC nudged in front of her, ascertaining the locations of everything, then picked up her sandwich and bit into it. She chewed and swallowed before answering.

"No, I'm surfing 'Net sites about parasailing in Aruba," she declared drolly. "Yes, JC, I am doing what I say I'm doing."

"Why?"

"Why am I buying stock?" Abby asked, swinging lazily in her chair and tearing off some of her sandwich to pop in her mouth.

"Because the company is in distress, and all the controlling stock owners on the board are hopelessly mired in squabbling while the company goes down the drain. But with proper management, they can pull out of bankruptcy and avoid laying off several thousand people. If I own fifty-one percent of the existing shares, I can force the board's decisions in that direction."

Justin swallowed before commenting, "That's rather generous…"

Abby snorted. "Altruism it's not. They have the potential to turn a profit. That's what I'm manipulating," she informed them sharply.

There was a beat of silence.

"If you say so, sugar," Joe agreed easily.

Abby rolled her eyes. "Of course that's why." She straightened abruptly as a loud tone emitted from her headset. She pulled it on as they sighed regretfully.

"Report."

She listened, continuing to slowly swing back and forth in her chair. She made one small sound of satisfaction, then sat up straight.

"Dictation."

"Thank you for positive response. Send paperwork immediately for verification. Will send necessary forms. Proxy board rep to be dispatched with my lawyer. Please expect them within 48 hours; have all papers in order. A.P. Descartes."

"End Dictation."

She took off the headset and tossed it to her desk with a sigh of satisfaction, a bright smile curving her lips.

Justin shook his head, grinning.

"You’re just like Lance."

Her face went blank for a moment, and he held his breath, returning JC and Joe’s eye rolls with a defiant stare.

"And why would that be?" she inquired neutrally.

Justin shook his head in disappointment. "Lance is Mr. Business Head, remember what I told you?"

Abby hesitated. "Yes, of course."

She reached for the cell phone lying on her desk, effectively ending the conversation. She opened it, hitting a button and listening patiently for the other person to pick up.

Justin ground his teeth in mild frustration. They’d all managed to appear at least twice a week at Abs’ house in the past two and half, during which she’d generally closet herself in her office and politely refuse invitations to come outside.

As for Lance, Justin had convinced him to come out once, and cajoled JC and Chris into dragging him along on two other occasions. But that only served to make Abby even more reclusive, and Lance avoided her at all costs. It was enough to make anyone give up, but Justin was determined. They would at least be friends. Despite herself, Abby had shown a few glimpses…

"Thank you, Mr. Morgan. They'll be expecting you and Max," Abby's voice snapped him out of his reverie as she ended the call.

"So, if you just finished, that means you can come out and play, right?" Joe prodded before burping. "Whoops, 'scuse me."

Abby's mouth crooked in a half-smile. "Joe, I--"

The clatter of footsteps down the hall made her break off, the screen door slamming shut extended seconds later.

"It's Chris," Abby stated calmly, her smile amused.

Sure enough, Chris burst through the office door, breathless and red-faced.

"Hide me, he's gonna kill me!"

Chris dove behind the sofa Justin and Joe were occupying as Lance barreled into the room, covered to his hairline in whipped cream.

"Chris, you are so dead!" he boomed.

The others burst out laughing. Joe and Justin quickly vacated the couch, huddling with JC in front of Abby's desk. They didn't notice her eyes slowly widening as the scene continued.

Chris bolted out from behind the couch and froze, finding himself caught between the door and the others as Lance approached him with retribution glowing in his eyes.

He shot a glare behind himself as the others snickered.

"Some friends you are," he snorted.

"Man, you brought this on yourself," Joe defended, grinning. "We're just lucky enough to watch the fur fly when you get what's coming to ya."

Chris rolled his eyes and faced Lance, who stood with his arms crossed.

Chris fell to his knees, assuming a penitent posture with his hands clasped in a prayerful gesture.

"Please, Poofoo, have mercy! I am but a poor, confused soul who simply does what the little devil tells me!" he cried, impassioned and trying not to crack a smile. He crawled a few steps on his knees, shaking his clasped hands.

Lance lifted a brow. "Little devil?" he unsuccessfully hid the amusement as he deliberately swiped at the whipped cream sliding over his eyebrow. "Are we listening to the voices again, Chris?"

"You're just jealous that the voices talk to me," Chris pouted, then caught himself, widening his eyes innocently. "The little devil beat the little angel up and took over! Oh, great Poofoo, have mercy!" he pleaded again.

Lance pretended to think about it for a minute. "No," he chuckled.

Chris shrieked and leaped to his feet, racing around the desk before anyone could react. He was mildly startled to find Abs there, hidden by three male backs, but grinned, using the situation to his advantage.

"Abs!! Save me!" He lifted her surprised form easily out of the chair, hooking an arm around her waist and hefting his shield triumphantly as he spun to face the others.

Justin, JC, and Joe stared at him in amazement. Lance paused, checking his movement to go after the older man as he realized where he was and what he was doing.

They eyed Abby warily, wondering what her reaction would be.

Abby coughed.

Crossed her arms, patted Chris's arm where it wrapped around her middle.

Then drawled calmly, "Please try not to get blood on the carpet or flooring. It's the very devil to get the stains out. I can't see them, but they disturb Anna."

Chris gave a crack of laughter, squeezing her affectionately. "Go, Abs!"

Justin and JC exchanged grins as Abs lofted an eyebrow.

"Seeing as how it's my blood now, I thought I'd make a stab at it," she stated dryly, barely smiling.

Joe snorted as he caught the pun. "I do believe that Abs is a smartass."

Abby turned her gaze to the older man, eyes glowing with amusement. "I wouldn't know. I've never had the opportunity. Might I ask where we're going, Chris?" Abby inquired curiously. Calmness threaded her voice with an effort, her heart pounding with a combination of fear and excitement. She hadn't played with anyone since she was eleven.

Chris froze in mid-step in his shuffle towards freedom and smiled sheepishly as muffled snickers emerged from their audience. "Um…"

Lance shook his head, his forced smile a little easier as he gazed at Abby's amused face. "Put the girl down, and take your punishment like a man, Chris," he baited, stalking towards the older man.

Chris smiled innocently, dark eyes glinting with sudden mischief.

"When did I become a hostage?" Abby wondered aloud, detecting the lack of tension in Lance's voice with a small pang of relief. "What happened to 'Save me, Abs'?"

Chris chuckled and kissed her cheek, hugging her as her eyes widened with the gesture of affection. "You are, sweet Abs, you are," he declared dramatically. "I really appreciate the sacrifice you're about to make, believe me, I do…"

Lance eyed him suspiciously, stopping less than three feet away. Abby blinked in confusion.

"Chris…" JC began cautioningly. "What are you--"

"Thank you, Abs!" Chris cried tearfully.

Abby yelped as she was abruptly thrown from Chris's arms.

Straight at Lance.

Her surprised target didn't have time to do anything more than grunt as she hit his chest, falling backward. Only instinct made him grab Abby to prevent her from hitting the floor as well as they went down in a tangle of arms and legs.

Chris snickered and raced from the room at JC's exasperated, "Christopher!"

After one startled moment of stillness, Abby rolled off the warm familiarity of the body beneath her, wincing as her shoulder barked the coffee table painfully. Large hands were wrapped around her elbows, assisting her to her feet. Justin.

"You alright, Abs?"

She nodded, her heart tripping oddly. She glanced towards the sounds of movement. "Are you okay?" she asked cautiously.

"Yeah, I'm fine," was the gruff response.

Abby swallowed, biting her lip uncertainly as her hearing read something entirely different into the response. An emotion that utterly confused her.

"Lance? Are you su--"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he repeated abruptly. "I just have to go kill Chris. 'Scuse me." He made a quick exit.

Abby blinked, feeling her cheeks burn with the snub, however politely delivered. She'd heard enough to recognize them. Her shoulders slumped slightly. Though the others had evinced no lasting hard feelings, Lance obviously did. Not that she could blame him.

She forced a smile, jumping into conversation before the other men could. "Since he's already made plans, I guess I don't have to worry about mine. Let me know what time the burial is, okay?" She skirted around Justin, gaining the safety of her desk and seating herself before her shaking knees could collapse. She groped blindly for her pen and headset, slipping the latter around her neck

Justin stared, non-plussed, at Abby, then JC and Joe.

"What just happened here?" Joe mumbled so only they could hear.

JC shrugged, eyeing Abby thoughtfully as she determinedly returned her attention to the computer in front of her, then stared at the empty doorway where both Chris and Lance had disappeared.

"I dunno…" Though he had his suspicions.

Justin stared at Abby, finally drumming his fingers on the desk and clearing his throat. "Abs?"

Abby barely reacted, frowning and glancing towards him.

"What?" She returned her attention to the laptop.

"I thought you were done with work? Why don't you come outside and help us drown Chris?" Justin turned his smile on full force automatically.

"I always have work to do, superstar," Abby replied imperturbably.

Justin rolled his eyes towards the ceiling and opened his mouth to try another tack when JC and Joe clamped hands around his biceps and escorted him towards the door.

"If you didn't notice, Lance just shot her down hard. She's not going to go willingly," JC warned him in an undertone.

Justin glared at him. "We just started getting someplace with her…"

"Give it up for now," Joe advised, urging him out the door.

Justin snorted, throwing back at the young woman hunched at the desk, "Twenty minutes, Abs, then I'm coming back to get ya."

Abby made no reply.

JC rolled his eyes, mumbling, "She can't see the charm, Curly. You're not gonna get your way with her."

Justin shrugged, breaking away and jogging down the hall.

He turned and gave them a confident smile. "Just wait."

JC smirked. "Like to place a small wager on that?"

Justin smirked back. "Twenty bucks?"

JC nodded. "Twenty it is. You get Abs outside, we bow to your power of persuasion with the female of the species."

He and Joe exchanged glances as Justin grinned and snapped his fingers. "Piece of--"

"Willingly," JC added, chuckling. "She has to come willingly, Curly."

Justin paused. "Cake," he finished, grimacing slightly.

"Feeling confident there, baby J?" Joe teased.

"Shuddup, superfreak."

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

Abby sat back with a small sigh, tossing her pen onto her desk carelessly. Its tether wouldn't let it go far. Her lips twisted. Just like her own leash.

She groaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose. It was getting so hard to stay true to her vow not to get involved with people. They just kept coming back. She'd proudly refused to leave when they started visiting, just to prove JC wrong.

But silence didn't deter them. Politeness to barely veiled rudeness didn't either, and she really didn't have the heart to be completely, coldly rude. If she were honest, in some small part of herself, she'd come to crave the moments of almost connection, the conversations and friendship. Felt a small amount of longing for the laughter she could hear through the open doors. Actually missed them on the days they didn't come.

They were wearing her down, creeping past her defenses.

She was coming dangerously close to relaxing with them more and more often. Like today, before reality had intruded, reminding her that she wasn't a nice person. She groaned again. She was so confused. She kept trying to push them away, to view them as strictly a business interest.

And it wasn't working.

She growled softly in frustration.

"You can't do this, Abby. You know this. They're going to leave sooner rather than later, and then where will you be? Attached, that's what. All you have to do is stay away for a few more weeks and they'll be off touring again, and then you'll be safe…" her whispered lecture trailed off into lonely silence. "Safe in your tower," she sighed, shoulders slumping.

She nearly leaped out of her skin when someone else entered the room, her normally acute senses tuned inward.

"Abs?"

"Justin," she greeted weakly, resisting the urge to pound her head on the nearest hard surface. Out of all of them, Justin was the most obviously persistent.

And the most overt when it came to trying to get her and Lance to 'be friends'. She sighed inwardly. Was she the only one who could see that the other man didn't like her? Just…didn't like her. The thought was strangely hurtful, but she brushed it aside. She couldn't blame him, and she had people who hated her guts, so why was the thought of another person disliking her so unsettling?

Goosebumps chased up her neck. Sometimes she heard that voice in the night, in her nightmares, and she wondered whether it had all been a part of her dreaming then as it was now.

Or if it had been real. Her throat ached until she swallowed hard.

"Abs," Justin repeated, jerking her out of her musings.

"What, Justin?" Abby asked patiently, coming back to herself and reaching for her headset and pen. They had become her crutch and excuse, she realized with a spurt of amusement at herself.

"You're twenty minutes are up," Justin declared brightly, sitting on the corner of her desk.

Abby bit her lip.

"Really?" she inquired neutrally. "Thank you. Could you tell me when the next twenty are up too? If we could eventually work up to the minute, you'd be better than a watch, superstar." She groaned inwardly, unable to stop the sarcasm. You have to stop reacting at all, Abby.

Justin chuckled. "Were you always like this, or have we corrupted you?" he asked with interest.

"A little of both, I think," Abby sighed without thinking, then shook her head in frustration, finally throwing the pen away from her. "You have to stop this, Justin. We had an agreement…" she cut herself off, knowing that there really hadn't been any such thing. If she'd thought she could get away with getting them to verbally agree to staying away from her without revealing the threat they posed, she would have.

"Do I get to call you on that one?" Justin inquired casually, reaching across her to peek at her screen. "How long do you have to be idle before your screensaver comes on?"

She gritted her teeth. "None of your business," she snapped, shoving her chair back to gain even more distance. She wanted desperately to leave. To go somewhere where she could find some peace. She needed time to gather her defenses again, to patch her walls.

"Why?" Justin persisted. "Abs, you're not doing--"

Abby threw her hands in the air, feeling the shell crack a little wider. "Why?" she returned, standing stiffly. "Why won't you people leave me alone?! I've done everything I can to discourage you, but you won't…Aagghh!!" Abby paced rigidly, trying to control everything again.

"If you wanted us to leave you alone, you only had to say so," Justin replied, seemingly unfazed by her outburst. She couldn't see the intense interest on his face as he followed her choppy pacing across the floor.

Abby stopped abruptly, wanting to laugh at the absurd statement. She'd told them, maybe not verbally, but she'd tried to hint. She sighed gustily.

"Do you like us, Abs?"

The question came out of nowhere, and she opened her mouth to return an immediate and emphatic 'No!', knowing it was perhaps the surest way to gain some space. But couldn't force the words past her lips. Because they were a lie. She did like them, all of them. Each of them, with their own little idiosyncrasies, quirks, and faults. She was admittedly a quick judge of people; she had to be. And her perceptions were rarely wrong. Damn it all.

Justin grinned as he witnessed the struggle on her face, knew she was trying to say 'No', and couldn't.

"Come out and play, Abs."

It wasn't, perhaps, the best thing to say.

Abby's eyes narrowed, protective anger shooting up around her like thorns. "No, thanks, superstar." She turned on her heel, heading for the door.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Justin leaped to his feet, going after her. In the hall, Abby turned to go towards the front of the house, beginning to call for Anna.

"Sorry, Abs," he mumbled briefly, then grinned anyway and scooped her up.

For the first couple of seconds, she was too surprised to protest, and he took advantage, practically sprinting down the hall and through her bedroom. He was on the deck and down the stairs before she recovered her voice.

"What are you doing, Justin?"

He shot a wary look down at her calm face. Was it just him or was she seething?

"Yes, superstar, I am mad."

His eyes widened slightly, his grin getting bigger as a plan formed in his head.

"That's okay," he agreed cheerfully, striding across the sand.

Abby opened her mouth, but Joe cut her off.

"Well, would you look at that? Curly found himself a woman!" Laughter followed that comment as the others stopped their horseplay and watched him approach. Except from Lance, Justin noted with an inward smile. Lance looked a little strained from his position treading water beyond the dock.

"Yes, but did she come willingly, or are we witnessing a kidnapping rather than a gallant 'swept her off her feet' situation?" Chris mocked, hauling himself out of the water, dreadlocks dripping.

Justin rolled his eyes, looking down at Abby, who had her arms tightly crossed over her chest. "I don't suppose you could lie to them?"

"I think that's a very firm 'no', Curly," JC cracked as Abby's eyes turned to silver metal. Justin was by now standing on the dock, Abby hanging from his arms since she refused to assist in her transport.

Justin shrugged with a sheepish smile. "I, uh, got a little, um, zealous." Hoots of laughter followed that remark.

Abby's face stiffened even further. "Do you plan on forcing me to 'play' too, superstar?" she inquired through gritted teeth.

Joe snickered. "If looks could kill, J. I don't think we've ever seen Abs this mad."

"I dunno, we haven't known her that long. We can always test that theory out later," Chris pointed out cheerfully.

Abby closed her eyes tightly, breathing deeply. "What is it with you people and manhandling me?" she asked politely.

JC emerged from the water with a splash, flopping down on the sand next to Chris and looking up at the two on the dock, squinting in the glare.

"Is that what we do? I thought we were just being friendly. Sorry, Abs," he chirped, laughing under his breath.

Justin shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry, Abs. You're right," he murmured contritely, not bothering to hide his evil smile since she couldn't see it. The others could, and they snorted.

"We can't force you to play, but now that we've got you all hot under the collar, the least I can do is help cool you off…" His grip loosened threateningly as he moved towards the end of the dock.

Abby went still, a strange expression flitting over her face.

"Do not throw me in the water, Justin."

He paused, raising an eyebrow.

"What was that? Why shouldn't I?"

Abby looked at him like he was nuts. "Because I told you not to."

He chuckled, swinging her slowly back and forth. She stiffened even more, but was too stubborn to grab onto him. Joe swam over next to the dock, shaking his head.

"You better run fast, boy."

Justin snorted, ignoring him. "Okay, I'll make you a deal. You stay out and relax with us for the afternoon, and I won't throw you in the water," he proposed.

An incredulous look passed over her face. "You're trying to blackmail me into staying outside?"

"Basically, yes," Chris called, snickering. "Ain't we smart?"

"Not particularly," Abby retorted. "Put. Me. Down. Now."

Justin grinned. "Okay, if you insist, Abs."

Abby's eyes flew wide as Justin flung her outward.

"NO!! I can't sw--!" Her panicked words were swallowed as she slammed into the water with a splash beyond Lance.

"Oh, hell! Lance--"

But Lance was already diving for Abby.

He caught her as she struggled to gain her bearings, pulling them both upward. Abby broke the surface, choking and gasping. Lance treaded water, holding her gingerly around the waist, and passed his hand over her head to push the hair off her face.

"Is she alright?"

Lance glanced back at his fidgeting friends on the shore and dock, where Justin looked about ready to jump in himself. He nodded briefly and shrugged, looking back down at Abby as her coughing spasm eased.

"Abby? Are you--" 

Huge, terrified grey eyes the color of stormclouds flew open, hitting him somewhere in the solar plexus. Then she completed the job by throwing her arms around his neck, burying her face against his shoulder and plastering her shivering body against him.

His eyes widened, and he nearly forgot to tread water. Oh, no no no…this isn't a good thing…wet T-shirt…Abby…NOT good…don't go there, Lance, just don't go! He tried to delicately nudge her back, but she refused to budge. He groaned inwardly. The one time she wants to be close…Land! Get out of the freakin' water, Lance! He wrapped one arm around her waist and kicked off.

He stopped at the end of the dock when Justin crouched down, unwinding Abby's arms and letting Justin pull her up onto the wooden dock. She stumbled slightly, dripping heavily, but appeared to finally snap out of her shock once she was out of the water.

"You son of a--" Abby coughed and shoved Justin back from her, staggering slightly as she glared daggers at him.

"I think this answers the question of whether Abs is okay," Chris muttered.

Justin flushed guiltily. "Abs, I'm so sorry. I didn't know--"

"That's right! You didn't! But that didn't stop you, did it?" she demanded, eyes flashing. She hissed something that made his eyes widen, then spun and strode off the dock, breaking into a run and disappearing through the screening trees.

Justin slapped his forehead with a groan once she was out of sight.

"What did she say to you?" JC finally asked.

Justin grimaced woefully, then slumped backwards, falling off the dock and sinking into the water. He finally floated to the surface, squinting in the sun.

JC, Joe, and Chris had moved to the end of the dock, and were gazing at him expectantly. Justin twisted his head around, finding Lance watching him guardedly, arms crossed.

"I asked her earlier if she liked us," he admitted.

JC lifted his brows. "And?"

"And she couldn't say she didn't," Justin sighed.

"She just asked me if I wanted an answer to that question right now," he continued glumly.

"Ouch."

"You got some heavy apologizing to do, youngun'."

"I know." Justin gestured helplessly, flipping upright. "I didn't think about that--she didn't act frightened. Just irritated."

"She knows that. But you injured her pride."

Justin turned to stare at Lance as he uttered the quiet words.

"What do you mean?"

Lance rolled his eyes. "Think about it." He moved to get out of the water, going back up to the house.

"Do we want to discuss that little comment or go get something to eat?" Joe asked after a moment of silence.

Another beat of silence.

"Eat."

"Eat."

"Discuss it." Justin raised a demanding eyebrow.

"Sorry, you're outnumbered." JC grinned and shook his head. "C'mon. It'll help the crow go down a little easier."

Justin grumbled and slogged out of the water, following reluctantly as his friends sprinted for the house.

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

Abby grimaced, pulling another twig from her hair before continuing to pull the wide-toothed comb through her tangled locks. The ceiling fan in the bathroom whirled lazily above her. She dropped her arm with a sigh as it started to fall asleep again.

She leaned forward, propping her elbow on the edge of the ceramic countertop, her chin on her knuckles. She knew there was a mirror in front of her, but decided she was happy she couldn't see her reflection this time. Wet, she'd probably resembled a drowned rat. Dry, now she probably just looked frightening. She absently returned to combing her hair.

She winced as the comb caught on a snag, tears springing to her eyes. She started as a knock vibrated the door.

"What--?"

"Abs?"

Justin, sounding much chastised. Abby sighed inwardly, turning on the stool in front of the sink.

"What, Justin?"

"Can I come in?"

Abby gestured, listening as he seated himself on the commode.

"I came to say I was sorry," Justin finally spoke when Abby remained silent. Abby turned back to the mirror, dragging the comb through her hair.

"You already said that."

"Yeah, and then you said--"

"I know what I said," Abby cut off the miserable statement. She hissed out a breath as the comb jerked on a particularly bad tangle.

"Here," Justin plucked the comb from her fingers, beginning to work through the tangle himself. Abby's hand remained suspended for several surprised seconds before she let it drop to her lap.

"Did you mean it?" Justin asked glumly.

Abby rubbed the bridge of her nose tiredly. "No," she admitted reluctantly. "I was upset, and just spoke the first thing that came to mind." She frowned, then shook her head. "Why do you care if I meant it or not?"

"Because…Sorry," Justin grunted, and she winced as her hair was pulled sharply. "I thought we were friends, Abs."

Her eyes widened. "Friends?" she echoed, feeling warmth circle her chest. Completely unwanted, she reminded herself, in vain.

"Yes, or at least, trying to be." Justin made a sound of satisfaction, drawing the comb easily through the long strands. He set the comb on the counter, moving to rest his rear against the edge.

Abby drew her feet to the top rung of the stool, wrapping her arms around her steepled knees. "Justin…"

"I really am sorry. I didn't know, and you didn't act scared, just mad," Justin offered. "I was purposely trying to ruffle your feathers, but I didn't mean to frighten you."

And that was the crux of the matter Abby thought with a sigh. She could handle anything except helplessness. Nothing scared her more, or made her more furious in response after the fact.

"I know. I don't like being told what to do, superstar. People have tried to tell me what's 'best for me' my whole life. If you want to be my friend, you have to let me be myself…" Abby trailed off, realizing what she'd just said.

She could almost hear the triumph in Justin's voice when he spoke next. "Do you realize what you just said?!" he practically crowed.

Abby groaned, lowering her forehead to her knees.

"Unfortunately, yes," she mumbled, shoulders slumping.

"No, this is a good thing!" Justin was nearly jumping up and down, laughing to himself.

"Proud that you wore me down?" Abby grumbled darkly, shaking her head. "This doesn't mean a whole heck of a lot," she warned. "I'll…I'll…try, okay?" she temporized, feeling as if she were losing control of her life. "I can't guarantee anything…"

"I think the fact that you said it aloud means something," Justin stated with satisfaction.

"You realize that you're leaving in a little over three weeks, right, superstar?" Abby pointed out cautioningly, already feeling tingles of dread. Can't get attached. Distance, Abby.

"Yeah," Justin agreed thoughtfully. "Don't worry, Abs."

She grimaced, shaking her head. "Jus--"

She squeaked as she was enthusiastically hugged, the breath squeezed from her.

"Don't worry, you won't have a chance to miss us," Justin assured her cheerfully. "Anna has cookies in the kitchen, better get some before they're gone."

Before she could protest, he was gone. Abby swayed slightly, feeling as if she'd just stood in the middle of a hurricane. She groaned softly and pounded her forehead on her knees.

"What have you gotten yourself into? Better get your priorities straight before your life gets shot all to Hell…right before they leave you," she reminded herself harshly, then sighed. "What is it with them and hugging?"

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

~~Two Days Later~~

JC managed to haul himself up on the dock, dripping profusely, and swiped at his face to clear his vision as he twisted around and sank onto his rear with a sigh. Joe and Chris continued to attempt to drown one another, then Lance, and JC smiled distractedly, staring off into the distance as the words and music tickled at the edges of his mind.

"JC?" Justin poked him curiously, plopping down beside him with a soda in his hand.

JC grunted absently, the words beginning to coalesce.

"What's up, man?" Justin prodded again.

"Inspiration," JC looked up, then climbed quickly to his feet. "I need a pen and paper, like right now."

Justin chuckled, watching him head rapidly back across the sand, nearly breaking into a run as he reached the house.

"Where's he going?" Lance asked breathlessly, struggling out of the water to escape the other two.

"Find some paper to write something down."

"Ah, okay. NO! JOEY!!" Lance gurgled as he hit the water with a splash. Justin uncovered the top of his can with a grin and took a drink, lying back on the sun-warmed dock with a happy sigh.

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

Abby looked up briefly as he came into the office.

"JC? You need something?"

He was mildly amused that it no longer surprised him that she knew exactly who it was before he even opened his mouth.

"You have some paper and a pen? I need to write something down before it escapes me."

Abby smiled faintly and reached into a drawer, withdrawing a notebook and pen.

He took them with mumbled thanks, sinking down onto the comfortable couch and hurriedly scribbling the words and phrases down, not pausing for long minutes until he'd managed to wring the last idea from his mind. He sat back then, mentally singing the words and briefly wishing for a piano to work through the notes and inflections aloud.

He began to hum unconsciously, crossing out words here and there and changing the wording until it sounded right in his head. When he couldn't go any further without musical arrangement, he began chewing on the head of the pen Abby had given him.

"What are you doing?"

Abby had been so quiet he'd nearly forgotten she was in the room. He smiled sheepishly, even though she couldn't see it. "Oh, I got some ideas for song lyrics. Have to write them down, or they're gone forever. I'll just have to work out the score later, I guess."

He tossed the pad onto the low table in front of the couch, looking up curiously as Abby remained silent for extended moments.

"You mean, you need some sort of instrument?" she finally asked.

There was a strange, contemplative expression on her face. JC got up, stretching, and sighed, knowing he had more than likely interrupted her. Anna had informed them that she was having problems with one of her investments.

"Yeah. I usually do these on piano or keyboard, mess around with them." He grimaced slightly when he saw the amount of sand he'd brought into the room.

"Whoops, I carried in half the beach with me. Sorry, Abs. I better get out of here before I do anymore damage. And thanks for the paper."

"Wait."

He paused, eyeing her with surprise. "Yeah?"

Abby rose from her chair, moving around the room and going to the coffee table. She found the pad of paper, looking over at him and chewing on her lip.

"Would you like to continue to work on this, or go back outside?" she inquired abruptly.

"I can't really continue with it until I get the music down, but that's okay. I've got the main theme down now," he explained.

He watched, mildly surprised, as Abby approached him. Justin had told them about their little conversation in the bathroom, but Abby had continued to be wary.

Abby stopped next to him, and a small, cautious smile curved her mouth. "If you had your choice, would you work on this or play outside?" she repeated.

He laughed softly. "I'd rather make the music, but--"

Abby shook her head, and took a step away from him. "Follow me," she ordered.

Highly curious, he followed as Abby made her way back down the hall, but instead of going through her bedroom door, turned and began to ascend the shadowed stairs.

JC paused on the first step, glancing through the open bedroom door where male shouts and laughter drifted through.

"JC? Are you coming?" Abby's soft, husky voice inquired above him.

"Yeah."

He bounded up the remaining steps, grabbing the carved wooden railing at the top to steady himself.

"Whoa," he mumbled, slowing as he took the last few steps to where Abby stood quietly.

Dust motes danced in the muted atmosphere of the second floor. He turned in a slow circle, gazing upwards at the graceful spread of the elegant chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling. Boxes upon boxes filled the single room, partitioned only by the heavy wooden beam supports. Sunlight streamed in from the windows set in the front of the house, splashing over the boxes stacked everywhere around them. More windows fronted the back of the house, and he would bet that there was a gorgeous panoramic view of the lake beyond the boxes that obstructed his vision.

"What is this, Abs?" he ventured curiously, finally stopping to glance back at the young woman.

Her expression caught him. Her eyes were closed, face still as she seemed to listen to something only she could hear.

Her face softened suddenly, and he felt like a voyeur.

"Abs?"

Abby's eyes fluttered open, a faint smile curving her mouth as the look of bittersweet happiness on her features gradually melted away. He had the oddest feeling that he'd seen a glimpse of something he wasn't supposed to.

"My past," her tone was soft and melancholy, faintly wry. She shrugged with a slight sigh, but to his surprise, didn't shutter herself again.

"JC?" she raised her eyebrows, and he looked down to find her offering him her hand.

He stared at it stupidly.

"It's rather confusing in here, even for me…" Abby cleared her throat, beginning to pull her hand back.

He grabbed it quickly. "I'll bet," he agreed cheerfully, holding the small hand firmly. "But I doubt you'll have problems. Lead the way, magic."

Abby stared at him in bemusement. "Magic?"

She shook her head, turning and finding the narrow path between the boxes without hesitation.

JC grinned. "Magic. Like what you just did."

"What did I just do?" Abby threw back, wending her way slowly through the maze of boxes. JC craned his neck as he saw flashes of different objects through the cracks in the stacks. A rack of clothes, the brass of a standing lamp, the soft, worn fabric of an overstuffed recliner.

"You do stuff that, well, is frankly weird since you can't see," he explained, ducking as his head came too close to a leaning box. "Like finding the opening to this maze without even trying."

Abby surprised him by laughing softly. "Practice, JC. Years of practice. And I found the opening because I can feel the air currents coming out. The boxes block everything else. And practice has taught me to feel these things without thinking about them. There's very little 'magic' involved. Who said such a thing?"

JC nodded thoughtfully, then grinned faintly. "Lance said it."

Abby missed a step, and her head twisted to look back at him. He saw the flash of surprise before she could hide it. "Okay," she finally replied.

"Okay? Is that all you're going to say?" He wondered why he was jumping on Justin's bandwagon and shook his head at himself.

"Yes."

He rolled his eyes. "Abs…"

He stopped abruptly, his mouth opening in awe. The boxes had finally given way to Abby's destination, an oasis in the middle of the cardboard jungle. They were in the back corner of the house, and he could finally see the view he'd mentally betted on. But the huge baby grand piano, whose mahogany varnished surface glowed richly under the sunlight, captured his attention.

Abby's hand snuck from his, to be replaced by the notebook he'd scribbled in.

"The piano should still be in tune; Raymond checks it regularly. I hope this helps you," she offered softly, then turned.

"Uh-uh," he negated, catching her hand again. He tugged gently, drawing her reluctantly over to the piano. "This is a beautiful piano. Now that you've shown it to me, why not tell me where on earth you got it?"

Abby stood against the curve of the side as JC slid onto the bench seat, opening the keys and running his fingers over them lightly. The notes chimed out lightly and rippled smoothly down the scale, evidencing recent tuning. He looked up to find Abby standing where he'd left her, a sad, contemplative expression on her face.

"Abs?"

Slate grey eyes drifted over the piano.

"My father played," she admitted softly, more readily than he thought she would. "He wrote music in his free time. Not the lyrics, but the scores. He called it his 'messing around'. He and Mama would sit and play together, or Mama would sing while Daddy played. Sometimes they'd set me on Daddy's lap, and we'd play together," she added wistfully, voice catching.

Concerned, JC caught her wrist and pulled her to sit on the bench beside him, turning and rubbing her cold hands in between his own. He tried to read her eyes, but Abby ducked her head, mired in her own memories. She turned and faced the keys, running the fingers of one hand over them lightly, the notes singing out.

"Abs? When did your father, and mother…" JC trailed off as Abby's fingers danced more definitively over the keys, the notes to "Unchained Melody" plucked out carefully.

The back of his neck prickled, and he glanced up, meeting a pair of focused yellow-green eyes. His eyebrows hiked, and he slid a glance at Abby, but she wasn't aware of anyone else, caught up in whatever was playing through her mind. He looked back at Lance, a question in his eyes, but his friend's face remained closed. JC wondered how long he'd been standing there.

"A long time ago," Abby finally whispered, almost absently. JC released her other hand, watching intently as she hesitantly continued, the notes becoming uncertain.

"How long ago?" he persisted, deciding to pretend Lance wasn't there. She still called them 'Mama' and 'Daddy', how young had she been?

Abby's fingers missed, and she winced as a discordant note sang out. Her hands dropped, and she pulled back, staring out into space.

"Nine," she murmured. "It was Christmas. They were coming to get me with Gramma and Grampa. But they never arrived. There was an auto accident. They never came," she repeated, then shook her head sharply, blinking.

"I'm sorry, Abs," he offered softly, the words feeling terribly inadequate. He could only guess at the amount of sorrow that would burden a child so young.

"Not your fault," Abby sighed. JC stared thoughtfully down at her sad, pained face and wondered at the seeming defenselessness she was showing.

"All this, it's your parents'?" he probed, realization prodding at him.

Abby nodded slightly. "Most of it."

She groped between them, finding his hand on the bench, and lifted it to the keys. "Finish the song, any song," she requested quietly.

He brought his hands to the keys, running them over the ivory and watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"Can I ask you a question?" He watched her face flicker before she shrugged, smiling faintly.

"One."

He rolled his eyes, mulling over the question he wanted to ask her. "Better make it a good one, huh?" he asked rhetorically.

"Is that your one question?"

JC glanced at her sharply, catching the amusement before she could hide it.

"No, magic, it's not," he told her dryly, pleased at the startled expression that flared across her face at the nickname. He snuck a glance at Lance and stifled a laugh at the expression of almost jealousy on his friend's face.

"Will you answer it honestly?" he asked idly. "And, no, that's not my one question either."

He began to play the opening chords to "Sailing". Abby was quiet for long minutes.

"I've never lied to you, any of you. I've not been completely forthcoming sometimes…but I've never lied to you--I would never lie to you…" she trailed off with a frown, then shook her head quickly.

"I said I'll answer it, and I will," she affirmed.

JC shot another glance at Lance and raised an eyebrow, but Lance just shrugged, holding his tongue.

He continued to play, still thinking.

"Changed your mind?" Abby's whisper barely disturbed the notes.

He made a negative sound, then smiled slightly. "Okay, I've decided on my question, but it has a few parts," he temporized.

Abby snorted.

"Do I still get my question?"

Abby shrugged, her eyes closed as she listened to the music. "Yes."

"What do you see in your future, Abs?" he fired off the first question and waited expectantly.

A frown pleated her brow. "My future?"

"Yeah, like what are you doing, who are you with?" he kept the questions casually neutral, mentally laughing at himself as he saw Lance straighten out of the corner of his eye. Wouldn't Justin be proud.

Abby was silent for long moments before she shook her head. "I don't know how to answer that, JC. I'll be doing the same thing I am now."

"Okay, which is what?" he asked agreeably.

Abby shrugged. "Doing business. Managing everything I'm involved in." Her lips twisted slightly. "Paying my relatives' bills," she mumbled under her breath.

He almost pursued that, but decided not to risk it.

"And who are you with?"

Genuine puzzlement flickered in her eyes, followed briefly by regret. "No one," she stated gently.

"You mean you don't see yourself--"

"No one, JC," Abby interrupted. "One big thing about my life that I've come to accept is that people will always leave me, maybe not because they want to, but they do. I appreciate the fact that you all seem to want to be…" Abby stumbled over the word, "friends, but I know how these things work. That's just life." She shrugged.

"We could argue this all day," JC sighed. "Okay, then what about another dog?"

Abby blinked, caught off guard. "Another dog?" she echoed, pained.

"Haven't you thought about that?" JC asked curiously. "Abs, maybe--"

"I've thought about it. Maybe in a little while," Abby agreed quickly. "But I don't need another one right now. Maybe later." She huffed a sigh.

"Miss Abby?" Anna's voice echoed up the stairs, and JC glanced up, finding Lance gone.

"Here, Anna," Abby called. "What is it?"

"It's Claire," came the simple statement, distaste evident.

Abby stiffened as JC watched her, concerned. "Where?" she called sharply, moving to leave the bench.

"Phone, Miss."

The rigid line of her back relaxed slightly.

"I'm coming." Abby paused at the entrance to the path, looking back with a faint smile. "May I ask why you asked that question to begin with?"

JC shrugged and grinned. "I like to get to know my friends," he informed her casually, watching her blink, an odd expression crossing her face.

"Oh," she murmured, then disappeared. JC shook his head, tapping out a few notes before his curiosity got the better of him and he closed the piano, heading back through the maze and hoping he wouldn't get lost.

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

Abby buried her head in her knuckles, digging them into her closed lids as Claire continued to rant at her. Sunlight heated the top of her head through the open curtains of the kitchen window, birds twittering in the trees.

She waited until the other woman quieted, waiting for a response that Abby refused to give to her. Why in the name of all that's holy am I making these decisions? She sighed softly. Oh, Uncle, I wish you were here. Abby heaved a silent sigh, preparing herself for another onslaught.

"No, Claire. I will not allow Cecile to drop school and dash off on some hare-brained scheme for modeling. What on earth are you thinking?" Abby demanded. "She's a sixteen-year-old girl, for God's sake. She needs to be home with you. And I'm not paying through the nose for that private school you insist she attend for her to leave in the middle of the summer term because of some whim you both have."

She winced, a slow throb building behind her temples as Claire snapped a reply.

"Claire, Cecile already hates me," Abby countered wearily. She was aware of several bodies entering the kitchen, but didn't care. They'd seen it first hand with Cecile, so what difference did it make?

"No, Claire, though I'm sure you think this is out of jealous spite, I couldn't care less that I'm not model material." Abby's lips twisted. "This has nothing to do with me. This has to do with the fact that Cecile's future depends on her getting an education. I'm fulfilling Uncle's wishes by ensuring she gets just that. After she turns eighteen and holds her diploma, I couldn't care less what she decides to do. Until then, the only runway she walks is the hallways at school."

She dropped her forehead to the cool windowsill as Claire's carefully cultured voice rose in outraged denial.

"Claire, did I say that like it was negotiable?" she managed to ask calmly. There was a split-second of stunned silence. A hissed obscenity directed at her.

Abby cut off the call, feeling the urge to hurt something, or throw something. Preferably at her aunt. She gave in to the second urge, hearing the cell phone explode into a shower of electronic parts.

She sighed, feeling only mildly calmed by the little show of temper.

"Anna?"

"Yes, Miss?"
"I'll need a new phone," Abby informed her dryly.

"Yes, you will. I'll call and have them send one."

"Thank you." Abby shot a blinding, sarcastic smile at her silent audience. "Take my relatives, please," she muttered, grimacing. She began to leave the room.

"Abs? Where are you going?" Justin called.

"Away from Anna's dishes," Abby snapped back, already halfway down the hall.

She broke into a run as soon as her feet hit the warm sand, knowing she was risking getting hurt, but not caring. Why did reality always have to come and smack her in the face when she was just beginning to feel like she might belong…just a little?

She slowed as she felt the air change, bringing the green scent of the trees. Her feet found the worn, familiar path, striding quickly towards a small place of peace.

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

Anna just shook her head, going over to the broom closet and pulling out a dustpan and broom. She handed the broom to Justin and the pan to Joe, pointing at the debris.

"You two clean this up. You," pointing at Chris, "Supervise, and you," pointing at Lance, "Go after her and make sure she's alright."

Lance's eyes widened. "Me?"

"Lance?" Justin echoed, then recovered. "Yeah, you better go make sure she's alright, poofoo."

Lance glared at him. "Why don't you go after her, and I'll help clean up?"

Justin gave him a wide-eyed smile. "Because Anna told me to help clean up."

Lance started to protest again.

"No, no, you're one of the responsible ones, so you should go," Chris chirped in encouragement, trying not to laugh.

Lance rolled his eyes and opened his mouth, then caught Anna's raised eyebrows.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Which could mean a whole host of things he thought. He remained silent, waiting to see if there was anything else.

He held the deep brown gaze for a few seconds, knowing she'd seen his quickly checked movement to go after Abby, then muttered a curse and spun on his heel.

"Fine, I'll go."

He stalked out of the kitchen, brushing by a startled JC as he entered the hall.

"Follow the path through the trees, Lance," Anna called out behind him.

"It sounded like something exploded, is Abby--Oh," JC observed as he entered the kitchen.

"Lance is taking care of it," Joe informed him, unperturbed.

Lance clenched his teeth and rolled his eyes, passing through the bedroom and the French doors. How in the world was he supposed to take care of it? They barely spoke, and they obviously weren't comfortable around each other. He sighed, scuffing through the sand.

"Follow the path through the trees," he mumbled. His eyes narrowed in the glare of the sun, and he automatically glanced towards the stand of trees Abby seemed to gravitate towards. He had often wondered where it was she disappeared too. His lips twisted. He'd wondered many things that were best left uninvestigated.

Coolness and green enveloped him as he stepped foot into the shade of the trees, and he scanned the ground, finding a faint, but definite path worn in the sandy dirt. He followed it, becoming more and more curious.

"So many secrets," he murmured to himself, listening to the calls of the birds and the wind through the trees, the leaves and fronds rustling above him. He looked upward, thinking about the conversation he had listened to at the piano. The sun penetrated here and there, diffusely. The path wound continuously further away, heading diagonally away from the lake.

Then it abruptly ended.

"And another surprise," he whispered, watching the half dozen horses grazing in the fenced field before him. He walked up to the split-rail fence, examining the horses curiously.

Four of them started as soon as they registered his presence, skittering away towards the large barn at the end of the field. One ignored him completely. The last one, a sorrel mare who bore scars across her shoulders and flanks, approached him cautiously, stretching out her nose and sniffing the air.

He crooned softly in automatic response, offering his hand slowly as he scanned the well cared for grounds. A velvet soft nose nuzzled his palm, snorting softly as it looked for treats, and he traced the marks grooved into her muzzle and along her jaw. Liquid brown eyes blinked at him curiously.

"Sorry, girl, I'd have brought a treat…if I'd known you were here," he mumbled. What else was Abby hiding? He rubbed the mare's nose one last time and walked along the fence line, the mare following lazily. He turned the corner, walking towards the open barn door. Several barn cats darted across his path as he peeked inside.

A dozen stalls lined the hay-littered cement floor, the tang of hay, manure, and horses invading his nostrils. Another pair of double doors opened on the far end, beyond which a field was visible. A shadow fell across it, and he watched as a tall teenage boy entered, leading a grey horse by his halter, hoofs ringing on the cement.

He did a double take when he saw Lance, smiling in surprised welcome. "Hallo, who are you?"

Lance hesitated, then replied, "Lance. Uh, did Abby come here?"

The boy nodded, jerking his head towards the entrance he'd just come through. He led the grey to a stall, opening the door and slapping the horse's rump lightly to get him through.

"She's out back with the new foal. Cute little bugger."

Lance took the information as an invitation and stepped inside, watching with interest as three equine heads emerged to observe his progress. One was nearly white with age, one was emaciated, and one bared its teeth in wary threat.

"Watch that one," the kid warned, scooping grain from the barrel in the corner. "We just got him, and haven't worked with him much."

Lance nodded, skirting around the horse and heading for the doors. The sunshine hit him again as soon as he stepped out from the shadow of the barn. He squinted, looking around the two fenced paddocks, then heard the soft croon of a female voice. Abby.

The back of his neck prickled, and he smiled slightly as he watched a palomino-looking foal cavort around its placid mother before frisking towards Abby as she stood quietly, stroking the mare's nose. As small as the foal seemed, it nearly reached Abby's shoulder, and he felt a pang of unease as he watched it bump against her gently, demanding attention.

Abby reached out a hand, rubbing the foal's flanks before working her hands over its shoulders and neck, talking all the while. He finally moved towards the separating fence, ducking through the slats. Abby stilled, turning her head as the mare snorted.

"Ryan?" she questioned tiredly

He opened his mouth, choking on what to say. Okay, now's a good time to say something, Lance. Anything.

Abby's brow knit in a frown. "Ry?"

He cleared his throat. "No, it's me."

He watched her eyes round with surprise. "Lance?" Her voice was full of disbelief.

"Yeah." Smooth, Lance. Real smooth. He slapped his forehead, rubbing his face vigorously.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," he tried again.

"I--" Abby blinked, completely at a loss for words. Had he been that rude, and that obvious?

She smiled hesitantly. "I'm fine, Lance," she assured him politely.

"Destroying your phone did the trick?" he asked humorously, approaching her slowly.

One side of her mouth crooked up in a half-smile. "Yeah. I generally obliterate at least one piece of electronic equipment after any given conversation with my aunt or cousin. The phone people always have one on order for me."

He laughed, then sobered, taking a breath. "Abby…" Okay, Lance, now what are you going to say?

Wariness slid over her face, her eerie eyes shuttering. "Tell Anna and the others that I'm fine. It's nothing I haven't dealt with before or won't deal with in the future."

She moved away from the mare and foal, past him, and ducked between the slats, moving gracefully back into the barn.

Magic. JC's words echoed back to him. He gave a short, mirthless laugh. And he'd started it. A soft, tiny muzzle investigated his windpants, nibbling on his fingers while his mother watched calmly. Lance sighed and gave the inquisitive nose a brief stroke before following Abby back into the barn.

She was talking quietly with the teenager, whom he assumed to be 'Ryan'. She barely glanced at him before moving towards the front of the barn, walking up to the fence and whistling. He squelched the frustration. In a way, he deserved it. She was only keeping to the script he'd laid out over the past few weeks.

Six equine bodies jostled for positions near the fence as Abby stood on the lowest slat, breaking apart sugar cubes and offering them to the horses. He saw her fleeting glance of confusion down at him as he came to stand next to her, resting his forearms on the top rung. With Abby standing there, none of them shied away, and he smiled as the sorrel mare stuck her nose over the rail, huffing into his neck.

"What is all this?" he finally asked, skirting around any other questions.

Abby was silent as a black gelding lipped sugar from her palm. She shrugged. "A hobby of mine."

Tracing the scar on the sorrel's lip, Lance squinted up at her thoughtfully. "Some of them have been abused."

Abby nodded. "Or neglected, or abandoned. Or their owners simply couldn't take care of them. That's how it started. A couple years ago, a local approached me about taking his horse, the grey in the barn. He wasn't able to anymore. Then Anna told me about a farm in the next town over where two horses had been neglected. I had the land, so I built this place and hired Ryan and his sister to care for them. His sister Laurel wants to be a vet, and takes care of rehabilitating them."

Lance waited a beat after she fell silent, then asked, "And the foal?"

"The mother's deaf. It was here or the glue factory. We found out she was pregnant after we bought her. Laurel was ecstatic," Abby's voice was amused, and a smile curved his own mouth at the brief flash of light in her eyes.

"An unusual hobby," he pointed out, impressed.

Abby shrugged. "Anna and Ray love horses. They both grew up on a farm, and it upset them to think about them being auctioned off for glue or dog food because they were old or abused, or their owners were just stupid. I had the money and the land, and the kids needed the job, so why not?" she asked dismissively. Her tone distinctly discouraged any further comment, and he grinned.

"Okay," he agreed as she jumped from the fence. He grabbed her wrist without thinking, and felt his stomach lurch as rounded silver eyes stared up at him in surprise.

"Sorry…" he hesitated, then released her. "We need to talk," he told her firmly. Dread crossed her face.

"Why?"

"Cause we do." There's a good reason, Lance.

Abby blinked, but made no comment. Yeah, she thinks that's a good reason too. He rolled his eyes.

A frown wrinkled her brow, then smoothed. "Don't let Anna or the others railroad you," she shook her head, moving slowly along the fenceline.

"Railroad me?" he echoed.

Abby turned, taking a deep breath, and he was mildly comforted by the fact that she was as nervous as he was. Or at least, he hoped.

She looked at him squarely, and he felt the impact of her intense, light eyes yet again. He shook himself. Get a grip and listen, Lansten.

"Don't feel guilty for being angry with me, and don't let anyone make you feel guilty for being angry with me." His eyes widened as she continued on.

"I know I said unforgivable things to you." She hesitated. "I never thanked you for what you…you put yourself out for me in a way that no one has since…" Pink edged her cheeks, and her eyes dropped to study the ground.

Tightness invaded his chest. For once, she looked terribly young.

"Thank you," she whispered almost inaudibly, then gulped, rushing on. "I acted like a maniac when I woke up, and I don't expect you to forget that. I fully accept that you resent me, and I don't expect anything from you. And I'm sorry that your friends have obviously been dragging you along and trying to force me down your throat. And I'm guessing Anna has jumped on the boat too." She stopped, groping for words, and turned back towards the fence, her knuckles white as she gripped the railing.

"They're wrong," she sighed in a small voice.

"Who's wrong?" he asked automatically, finally recovering his voice.

"Whoever says that 'unburdening' yourself to the person you've wronged makes you feel better. I just feel like a dork who embarrassed herself and then had to lay it all out."

A laugh escaped him, some of the tension inside him easing. Abby turned glum eyes on him, wincing. "See?"

His heart was still beating way too fast for his peace of mind, but he safely shoved the mixture of emotions into a corner of his mind.

"No, you didn't," he disagreed, walking over to stand beside her. "You just made things a little bit easier," he informed her.

Abby blinked, looking up at him in puzzlement. "Easier?" she echoed.

"Yeah." You gave me an out, so I don't have to act like a dork. "I think it would be safe to say I was still angry for awhile." Which was the truth. "But I'm not, not anymore," he assured her. "I just wasn't real sure how to…" Approach you without arousing suspicion. Not that not approaching you didn't. He sighed inwardly. But being friends has to be easier on the nerves than whatever it is we have been doing.

Abby nodded, a faint smile brightening her face. "Thank you, Lance. That means a lot."

He shoved his hands in his pockets, hesitating. "So does that make us friends, then?" he asked casually.

A strange expression fluttered over her face before she turned, shaking her head and mumbling under her breath. She walked a few feet, then turned back around.

"You people are real hyped on being friends, aren't you?" she demanded, waving her hands around and rolling her eyes.

He stifled a laugh. She looked so cute when she did that. He blinked and corralled the thought. "We believe that it's better than being enemies," he responded easily.

Abby paused and sighed. "Okay, okay," she grumbled, then sighed again, looking uncertain. "Will this involve a lot of hugging?"

He grinned slightly. She looked so seriously disturbed by that thought. "Maybe. We tend to be affectionate with our friends." He refused to investigate the possibilities of that thought for himself. "But you don't have to respond or anything," he offered, feeling as if he were negotiating a multi-national peace treaty.

Abby nodded slowly. "I guess I can deal with that," she whispered, biting her lip. She straightened, sticking out her hand with a wry smile. "You've got yourself a deal. I just hope you guys don't feel like you got gypped."

Not hardly. He shook his head, secretly pleased that he'd managed to gain something none of the others had. Abby's willingness to be friends.

"Friends." He slipped his palm against hers, ignoring the butterflies in his stomach as her slim fingers closed around his.

Abby smiled slowly, her eyes glowing in a way that made his breath catch for a second. I can handle this. I can.

"Friends," she whispered, quelling the nervousness in her stomach, and the wild disbelief. What had she gotten herself into? And how had Lance convinced her to do it with barely a word?

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