DISCLAIMER: See Chapter One for disclaimers, etc.
 

TITLE: Picking Up The Pieces-Chapter Ten
 

SETTING: Nov. 23, 2001-Dec. 2, 2001
 

AUTHOR: CTL (AugieSwan2@AOL.com)
 

SUMMARY: Mike and Jill strive to give each other a second chance while Thomas prepares to go into the Marines.
 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've been given the job of putting Mike and Jill back together again, kind of like the King's soldiers in 'Humpty Dumpty.'
 
 

Friday-Nov. 23, 2001
 

Jill woke up to the sound of jungle drums pounding in her head. After several minutes she realized that it was the piano being furiously played in the den. She staggered out of bed and pulled her robe on before walking toward the sound of the music. She stood in the doorway of the den watching Mary Kathryn furiously pounding on the keys, her brow knotted in concentration. Usually the more light-hearted of the two girls, when stressed, she had the tendency to take it out in her piano playing, when she would play either 'Exodus' or 'Fur Elise' endlessly. At the moment, it was Beethoven's 'Fur Elise.' Jill walked over and sat down on the piano bench beside her daughter and tried to straighten out her waist length curls.
 

"Where's Pete? Surely he's not sleeping through all this racket," Jill smiled.
 

Mary Kathryn stopped playing and looked at her in irritation. "He's outside helping daddy and Eddie with some important project dealing with the wedding."
 

"Mary Kathryn, medical technology changes all the time. You're only 24 years old. You still have plenty of time before you need to worry about your biological clock ticking," Jill tried to reassure her daughter.
 

"Mom, it isn't fair. You and I both know that Michelle doesn't really want this baby. She's just having it because Thomas wants it," Mary Kathryn complained.
 

"How do you know Michelle doesn't want this baby? Did she tell you that?" Jill asked.
 

"No, but she did tell me when I was here in September that Thomas wanted to have a family and she wasn't sure if she was ready," Mary Kathryn answered slowly as she stared at the piano keys. "I want one, mom," she whispered plaintively.
 

"Look, wait a few years and then you can see other doctors," Jill advised as she hugged her daughter close. "Maybe by that time you'll be ready to stop traveling and then you can devote your time to a baby. Besides, it's more important to find the right person to have the baby with."
 

"I think I've already taken care of that part. Anyway, I also talked to Patrick this morning and I'm going back to London after Christmas. Apparently they're doing some kind of Prince's Trust concert to benefit the British citizens who died in the Trade Center attack and Patrick said that Prince Charles called him personally wanting me to perform."
 

"Mary Kathryn, that's wonderful! Do you know who else is going to be there?" Jill asked excitedly.
 

"Just your usual British artists. Sting, Eric Clapton, you know, those guys," she replied as she got up and started walking out of the room.
 

"Mary Kathryn, how can you act so nonchalant about this?" Jill asked as she followed her to the kitchen.
 

"They're just people, like you and me," Mary Kathryn reminded Jill as she poured a glass of juice.
 

<><><><><>
 

Mike and Pete were out back setting huge posts into the ground. "Can I ask you a question?" Pete asked as he held a post level.
 

"They're for a tent," Mike said while he anchored the post to the ground.
 

"Was it a difficult decision to adopt two older children?" Pete blurted.
 

"Once we made the decision, it wasn't difficult," Mike answered carefully as he stared at Pete.
 

"Did it take them a long time to adjust?" Pete pressed.
 

"I don't think Michelle ever adjusted," Mike admitted. "Savannah was never a problem. I feel for Thomas because he has his hands full with Michelle.".
 

"Well, he's been living with her for three years. I think he'd realize that by now," Pete told Mike.
 

"She has a lot of unresolved anger. We had both girls in court ordered therapy before we adopted them, but as soon as we signed the papers, Michelle flat-out refused to go back. It wasn't worth the effort to force her, but there are times when I wish we had," Mike angled his head back to make sure the pole was straight before they moved to the other side of the patio.
 

"Do you worry about her with the baby?" Pete asked in an anxious voice.
 

"No. I think she'd hurt herself before she'd hurt a child. So, what's with all of the questions about Michelle and Savannah?" Mike asked.
 

"I was talking to Mary Kathryn last night and. . ." He broke off.
 

"She told you about herself," Mike surmised. "What they told her mother and me was there was a 90 percent probability that Mary Kathryn would never be able to have a child. I read that as saying there's a 10 percent chance that she could," Mike returned his attention to their work.
 

"Does Mary Kathryn know? About the 10 percent thing, I mean?" Pete followed Mike as he went to anchor the third post down.
 

"She knows, but she reads it like her mother does. It's never going to happen," Mike commented as he glanced at the sky. "We'd better hurry. It looks like it might storm soon."
 

"You seem happy about that," Pete noticed.
 

"It's history, young man. Stay with my daughter and someday, you'll create your own," Mike told him.
 

Pete shook his head as they walked toward the house.
 

A short while later Pete was looking at the framed pictures on the living room wall when Jill walked in with a basket of laundry in her hands.
 

"Mary Kathryn's in the den," she told him as she set the basket on the sofa and began folding clothes.
 

"Who's this lady in the pictures with the lieutenant?" Pete asked curiously as he automatically walked over to help Jill, who looked at him in shock. "I'm used to helping with laundry at the fire house."
 

"Thanks. The lady was Eddie's wife, Mary Kate. That's who Mary Kathryn's named after," Jill explained.
 

"You must've thought a lot of her to give a child of the 70's a name like Mary Kathryn," Pete grinned.
 

"We never knew her. She died long before we even met Eddie," Jill told Pete.
 

After finishing folding the clothes, Pete wandered into the den where Mary Kathryn was staring glumly at the piano keys. "You were up early this morning," he remarked.
 

"I couldn't sleep," she explained as she began leafing through her music book as the phone rang in the background.
 

"Mary Kathryn, telephone!" Jill called.
 

"Tell whoever it is that I'll call back later," she shouted back.
 

"It's Michelle," Jill said as she appeared at the doorway with the cordless phone in her hand.
 

Mary Kathryn reluctantly took the phone. "Hello?"
 

"Mary Kathryn, I have the day off and I was wondering if you wanted to come over and go shopping with me for a dress," Michelle went on breathlessly.
 

"Michelle, you're getting married in eight days. Please don't tell me you don't have a dress," Mary Kathryn responded in irritation.
 

"I have a dress. I just thought that maybe you'd need a dress. Come on, Mary Kathryn. Daddy always said you were the sensible one," Michelle pleaded.
 

"Oh, yeah. That's me, the sensible one. I'll get Pete to drop me off, but you'll have to bring me back to the house."
 

"Why don't you just drive yourself over?"
 

"Because I don't drive in New York and I no longer have my California driver's license. I'm the sensible one, remember?" Mary Kathryn answered in a reasonable voice.
 

"You don't have to get so nasty. Anyway, come over and we'll shop and have lunch. Please?" Michelle begged.
 

"Okay, I'll be there in an hour," Mary Kathryn promised as she hung up the phone.
 

"I'm not sure I can find their house," Pete told her.
 

"That's okay. I'll see if my dad can take me over there. I think he was going to Willie's to pick up the kids, anyway," she said as she walked towards the door.
 

<><><><><><>
 

Michelle drove them to Century City Mall where they shopped until they couldn't hold any more bags. It was mid-afternoon when they stopped to get something to eat.
 

"Mom told me she's going out with daddy tonight," Mary Kathryn said as she took a bite of her hamburger.
 

"Do you think they're going to get back together?" Michelle asked curiously.
 

"I don't know. Maybe," Mary Kathryn replied mysteriously.
 

"Do you think my getting married is a good idea?" Michelle suddenly asked.
 

"Why? Are you having second thoughts?" She asked as she almost choked overa sip of her soda.
 

"Second thoughts, third thoughts, fourth thoughts. You do get where I'm going with this, don't you?" Michelle asked.
 

"I think the person you should be talking to is Thomas, not me," Mary Kathryn informed her sister with a nod.
 

"I've already talked to him," Michelle sighed. "He says I've just got cold feet. Maybe he's right. All I know is I keep thinking of the fact that I'm going to be stuck here taking care of a baby while he's off doing God knows what in the Marines."
 

"Do you want the baby?" Mary Kathryn asked.
 

"That's a stupid question! Why do you think I wouldn't want the baby?" Michelle accused.
 

"I'm sorry. I just know how ambivalent you felt about getting pregnant," she explained as she played with the straw in her drink.
 

"Yeah, well, I want the baby," Michelle spat back bitterly.
 

"Michelle, you'd better decide what it is you want to do. I mean, don't you think you're getting a little old to be playing these wishy-washy little girl games?"
 

"I'm not being wishy-washy," Michelle snapped as she shot daggers at Mary Kathryn. "Daddy told me to stick with a major so I stayed with pre-med. Thomas wanted to us to move in together so I did that. He wanted to have a baby so I'm doing that. And he wants us to get married . . ."
 

"I get the picture," Mary Kathryn interrupted. "Michelle, has it ever occurred to you to do what you want to do for once in your life? I mean, you do have a mind of your own."
 

"I don't want mom and dad to be disappointed in me. Remember how upset they got when Savannah got pregnant? I have enough anger and disappointment from the Raeford's," she sighed as she absently picked up a french fry.
 

"They're not going to be disappointed, Michelle. They just want us to be happy," Mary Kathryn assured her sister.
 

"Are you happy? With Pete?"
 

"Yeah, I'm happy with Pete," Mary Kathryn answered back with a grin. "Michelle, the person you should be talking to is Thomas."
 

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she once again sighed.
 

<><><><><>
 

That evening Jill was in her bedroom getting dressed when Shelby walked in and sat down on the bed.
 

"Where are you going?" Shelby signed as she watched Jill put make-up on in front of her mirror.
 

"Papa asked me out to dinner," Jill told her.
 

"Are we all going?" She wanted to know with a frown.
 

"No, Pete and Mary Kathryn went to rent some videos and get a pizza. You and Michael are going to have a great time," Jill assured her.
 

"I don't want pizza. I want whatever you and Papa are having," Shelby signed petulantly.
 

"Shelby, please don't do this," Jill signed with a sigh. "You're going to have fun with your aunt Mary Kathryn and Pete. I bet if you play your cards right, you might even get to stay up late," Jill promised her.
 

Shelby stared at the ground unhappily.
 

"Why don't you go play in your room so I can finish getting ready?" Jill shook her head as the little girl slowly walked out of the room. She knew that part of Shelby's behavior was her fault. Since her birth, she'd kept her to herself almost exclusively,. She heard the front door open as Pete and Mary Kathryn returned from the video store. Jill was about to go greet them when Mary Kathryn walked into her bedroom. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked.
 

"What's on your mind?" Jill asked.
 

"Michelle'sthinking about calling off the wedding," Mary Kathryn blurted out after she'd closed the door and sat on the edge of Jill's bed.
 

"I was afraid this was going to happen," Jill sighed as she sat down beside her daughter. "Has she talked to Thomas?"
 

"Not yet. I told her she needed to talk to him," Mary Kathryn told her mother about her conversation with Michelle at the mall.
 

"Do you think this has anything to do with Thomas joining the Marines?" Jill queried.
 

"No, I think she's been thinking about this for a while. I think it really has a lot to do with Michelle being selfish," Mary Kathryn spat out.
 

"She's confused," Jill protested.
 

"She's not confused," Mary Kathryn interjected, not buying her mother's comments. "She's selfish! She always has been and she always will be! And I'll lay money down right now that says that you'll probably be raising her baby, too!"
 

"Look, I know that you're upset," Jill agreed. "Let me talk to daddy and we'll see if we can talk to Michelle and hopefully, drum some sense into her thick skull."
 

Half an hour later Jill walked over to the tiny travel trailer that Mike had been sleeping in since her return. She knocked on the door and then came inside,noticing an untidy stack of text books stacked by the computer. "Are you going to school?" She asked curiously as she looked at the titles of the books.
 

"Yeah, I'm taking some college courses over the internet," he admitted. "I'm trying to get my degree in social work. Remember a while back when you suggested I do that?"
 

"How long have you been doing this?" She asked with a smile as she watched him try to tie his tie.
 

"Almost two years. Is everything okay at the house?" He asked, changing the subject.
 

"Not exactly. We might have a problem with our oldest daughter," Jill told him as she sat in his computer chair.
 

"What kind of problem? Is she thinking of leaving Thomas at the altar?" He queried.
 

"She told Mary Kathryn this afternoon that she's having serious second thoughts about this wedding. Mike, if she's having doubts, maybe she's right to wait. Mary Kathryn was really shook up," Jill told her ex-husband.
 

"If she was having doubts she should've spoken up a lot sooner than a week before the wedding," Mike commented as he walked over and sat down beside his x-wife. "Eddie and I have done a lot of work trying to fix the place up for the wedding, not to mention the money we've spent for caterers."
 

"I told Mary Kathryn that we'd talk to her and try to find out what's going on. She also suggested to her that she'd better be talking to Thomas about this," Jill told Mike.
 

"Oh, we'll talk to her, all right. What I'd really like to do is take her and shake her until her teeth rattle," Mike shook his head in irritation.
 

<><><><><><>
 

Michelle was pacing frantically around her North Hollywood living room awaiting Thomas' return from work. She didn't know exactly what she was going to say, but she did know she couldn't go through with the wedding. It wouldn't be fair to her, Thomas or their unborn baby to be in a marriage she didn't want. She jumped when she heard his car pull up in the driveway.
 

"Hi," he greeted her when he walked in a few minutes later.
 

"Hi. Thomas, we need to talk," she blurted.
 

"Can I take a shower first?" He asked.
 

"If I don't say this now, I'm never going to say it. Thomas, I can't marry you," she blurted.
 

"Do you mean next week or never?" He asked as he stared at her in disbelief
 

"I don't know. I've been watching the news, and the way they've been talking you'll probably be going to Iraq or Afghanistan or some other place I can't go. I'm going to be stuck here with the baby. I figure if things are going to be that way, then what's the point of us being married," she concluded in a teary voice.
 

"How can you say that I'm not going to support you and our baby?!" He demanded furiously as he walked towards her. " If you need more time we can postpone the wedding. We can even get married once the baby's here. Don't do this to me, Michelle," he begged.
 

"Thomas, I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you. I just can't do this. I don't know if I'll ever be able to do this."
 

"What about the baby?" He shouted.
 

"What about it?" She asked in confusion.
 

"Who's going to take care of the baby?" He asked.
 

"I am. Who did you think was going to take care of it?" She wondered out loud.
 

"Is this the way you've felt all along? About getting married, I mean? Because, if it is, I really wish you'd told me when we first moved in together instead of stringing me along like your own personal little puppet. Do your parents know about this?" He asked.
 

"Probably," she answered as she bit her bottom lip. "I talked to Mary Kathryn this afternoon. Thomas, please believe me when I tell you that I never meant to hurt you. I'll pack some things and go to my parents house tonight."
 

"How can you tell me you never meant to hurt me when you knew this would? And, as for leaving, I'll go. This isn't over, Michelle. Not by a long shot," he warned as he stalked towards their bedroom.
 

<><><><><><>
 

Mike and Jill discussed Michelle and Thomas' situation over dinner. "She has problems, Mike. She's probably always going to have problems," Jill pointed out as the wine steward brought their wine over.
 

"Well, the only person I see getting hurt in all of this is Thomas. Maybe we can get them together with Willie and Jen and try to figure out what to do," he sighed as he took a sip of his wine.
 

"Mike, nothing that we say or do is going to make any difference. I think the best thing that all of us can do is give them some space. It'll either work itself out or it won't."
 

"Were you as unsure? When I asked you to marry me?" He asked curiously.
 

"No," she answered with a faint smile as she took his hand. "I knew I wanted to marry you. I loved you very much."
 

"Past tense, huh?" He looked at her with such intensity that she had to look away.
 

"I still love you, Mike. I'm always going to love you. Things are just so different now," she removed her hand from his, picked up her wine glass and took a sip.
 

"So, do you think that's what's going on with Michelle? She really doesn't love Thomas?"
 

"I don't know," she answered honestly with a shrug of her shoulders. "It's probably a good thing that she's having misgivings now. Divorce is ugly...especially when there are children involved."
 

<><><><><>
 

Willie and Jennifer were watching television with Natalie and Eric when the front door opened and Thomas stepped inside, carrying a duffle bag over his shoulder, which he dumped unceremoniously in the middle of the floor.
 

"Oh, this doesn't look good," Natalie commented as they all looked at Thomas.
 

"Michelle's called off the wedding," he announced in a wooden voice as he collapsed into a vacant chair.
 

"Called off the wedding? Why? I thought everything was going so well," Jennifer exclaimed in stunned disbelief.
 

"I don't know what's going on," Thomas sighed. "I came home this afternoon and she threw this bombshell at me. She said she worries about taking care of the baby when I'm going to be God knows where. I told her that we could postpone the wedding or even wait to get married after the baby's born but she doesn't want to do that. Nothing that I say or do ever makes her happy."
 

"What're you going to do about the baby?" Willie asked in a low voice.
 

"What do you mean, what am I going to do?" Thomas repeated in confusion. "I'm going to support our baby."
 

"That's not what I'm saying," Willie clarified in a patient voice. "Think about it, Thomas. Michelle works ungodly hours at the hospital. Jill's already taking care of one grandchild. Do you really think she's going to want to take care of another one? I think you should seriously consider getting custody of the baby. After all, do you really think Michelle really wants this baby? She's always been adamant about not wanting children. The health and safety of your child could be at risk."
 

The entire family stared at Willie in disbelief.
 

"Dad, I don't even know where I'm going to be after basic," Thomas explained. "I won't sue for custody and then leave it with you and mom. That's not fair to the baby and it's not fair to you. At least Michelle will have a support system here. I'd like to try to work things out. It's not too late for that. Maybe we can all get together and talk. Until then, I'm going upstairs," he concluded as he picked up his duffle bag and headed for his bedroom.
 

<><><><><>
 

Mike was sound asleep the next morning when he heard someone banging on the door of the trailer. He staggered out of bed and walked to the door. He opened it and found Lt. Ryker impatiently getting ready to pound on the door one more time.
 

"Danko, I need you to drive to San Diego," Ryker ordered gruffly.
 

"Now?" Mike asked in a blank voice as he stepped aside to let Ryker enter.
 

"No, Danko, next Tuesday!" Ryker snapped. "Of course, now! I got a call from the San Diego P.D. that Brian Mills was spotted up there with his kids. We need to get him before he makes another run."
 

"Can't you send Willie or Trap?" Mike suggested as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "I wanted to spend some more time with Mary Kathryn before she has to fly out."
 

"Willie has a crisis of his own and Trap's on another case. Here's the information on where Mills was spotted," Ryker informed him as he thrust some papers onto Mike's lap. "Keep me posted," he called over his shoulder as he left.
 

Mike sighed as he checked the battery on his cell phone. Brian Mills was involved in a custody dispute with his wife, who had hired Eddie's firm after Mills had disappeared with the kids following a visitation weekend. They'd been on his trail for almost three months, but Mills had always managed to stay one step ahead of them. Mike started to pack and thought that maybe he'd stop by the hospital and talk to Michelle before heading to San Diego.
 

Jill was getting Thomas ready for the school bus when Mike walked into the house. "I have to drive to San Diego and I'm not sure how long I'll be gone. Is Mary Kathryn still asleep?" Mike questioned as he entered the house.
 

"I think she's out back with Pete. He said something about changing their reservations so that they're leaving tomorrow or the next day," Jill informed Mike as she helped Thomas with his backpack.
 

"I figured as much. Let me tell them goodbye now in case they're not here when I get back," he mumbled as he walked out the back door where Mary Kathryn and Pete were sitting and drinking coffee on the patio. "Aren't you too young to drink coffee?" He commented drily as he sat down beside his middle daughter.
 

"Just don't tell me it'll turn my toe nails black. That was always mom's line," Mary Kathryn bantered back.
 

"Mom said you guys are heading out soon," he told her.
 

"Tomorrow morning," she confirmed. "Patrick's having a fit about concert schedules, so I guess I really should get back."
 

"I have to drive out to San Diego this morning. I might be back later today, but I wanted to tell you goodbye in case I'm not. I'm sorry everything fell apart so crazily," he apologized.
 

"It wasn't your fault, daddy. But, if you see Michelle, tell her that we're not coming back out here to see her married until we have an invitation in our hands. Why are you going to San Diego?" She asked.
 

They all got to their feet and slowly started walking back inside the house.
 

"It's a parental kidnaping case we've been working on. The guy's had us on the run for almost three months now. Hopefully, we're going to finally nail him. If I don't see you before you leave, have a good flight and be careful. Call your mother when you get back home. I love you," he choked out as he hugged her tightly before releasing her to shake Pete's hand.
 

"I love you, too, daddy," Mary Kathryn said in a tearful voice.
 

When Mike left, he drove to UCLA Medical Center and took the elevator up to the cardiology ward where he had Michelle paged. Fifteen minutes later she strode into the waiting room and gave her father a look of disgust. "Let me guess. Thomas sent you," she complained as she threw herself into a nearby empty chair.
 

"Thomas doesn't know I'm here. I'm on my way out of town and thought I'd stop by here to try to find out what the hell is going on," Mike told her.
 

"There's nothing going on. I just changed my mind. Wouldn't you rather that I change my mind now instead of being stuck in a miserable marriage for three or four years? I thought I'd be doing everybody a favor," she tried to reason.
 

"This isn't about the fact that you changed your mind, Michelle. This is about the way you've been thinking during this whole engagement. Did you ever have any intention of marrying Thomas?" Mike wanted to know.
 

"I don't know. I don't think I ever gave it any serious thought. I don't feel the way about him that all of you think I'm supposed to feel. I never have," she responded in a quiet voice.
 

"How are you supposed to feel about him, Michelle? Tell me so that I'm in the loop here," he shot back sarcastically.
 

"You and mom think I'm supposed to be over the moon about him," she retorted in an icy voice as she threw her hair over her shoulder in defiance. "One of those can't eat, can't sleep, ball hit over the fence type of thing. I don't feel that way about him and I never have. That was you and mom, it was never me."
 

"Michelle, number one, you've seen entirely too many movies. Number two, your mother and I never expected you to feel the same way about Thomas that we felt about each other. But, this isn't just about you and Thomas any more. Now, you've involved an innocent baby in all of this. Don't you think that this baby deserves two parents?" Mike pleaded..
 

"With Thomas in the Marines, this baby wasn't going to have two parents to begin with. Let me guess. You and mom don't think I'm capable of taking care of a baby, either," she accused.
 

"You want my honest opinion on that one?"
 

She nodded hesitantly.
 

"No, I don't. Michelle, you're a cardiac surgical resident. You work 36 hours on and 24 hours off. Who's going to take care of the baby while you're on duty? And don't even suggest your mother. She has her hands full taking care of Michael and Shelby," he warned her.
 

"I'll hire someone. I won't be making a pittance forever. Once I finish my residency, I'll be able to establish myself and my salary will go up considerably. Besides, I'll be getting child support from Thomas," she reminded him.
 

"You've got this all figured out, don't you?" Mike snapped as he tried hard not to lose his temper
 

"I thought I had it all figured out, but I forgot that I'm not the always brilliant, sensible Mary Kathryn, a.k.a. your real daughter!" Michelle shouted back.
 

Mike winced. "Michelle, how long are you going to play this game? The day your mother and I signed the adoption papers for you and Savannah, you became our real daughters... every bit as real as Mary Kathryn. You need to move past all of this anger or your child is going to lead as miserable a life as you are. I'll talk to you later," he got to his feet and left the room, slamming the door behind him.
 

<><><><><><>
 

Jill was lying on the sofa that Friday night watching the late news. staying She was about to doze off herself when the newscaster announced a story that grabbed her attention. She sat up and turned the volume up as she listened.
 

". . . . San Diego police today arrested a man in connection with the kidnaping of his two young children. 37-year-old Brian Mills was arrested at a San Diego hotel after police received a tip that he was staying there with his nine-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter, who were safely recovered and returned to the custody of their mother in Los Angeles this evening. In other news. . . ." The newscaster droned on as Jill smiled and turned the volume back down just as she heard a knock on the front door. When she opened it, she was surprised to find Mike standing there.
 

"Hail the conquering hero," she smiled as she motioned for him to come in.
 

"Well, at the moment I don't feel very heroic. I just feel tired," he grumbled as he walked into the house and collapsed on the couch.
 

"I just heard on the news about those kids being found and returned to their mother. They said it was due to a tip. Was that tip from you?" She asked.
 

"I found him and called the San Diego police and that's all I want to say about this case. Are the kids asleep?" He questioned as he looked around.
 

"Michael is spending the night with a friend and Shelby's been asleep for a long time. Oh, Michelle called right after you left and informed me that she isn't speaking to you. Would you mind telling me what that's all about?" She asked curiously.
 

"I went to the hospital before I drove to San Diego and read Michelle the riot act. She told me that she's never been 'over the moon' about Thomas -- the way we all think she's supposed to. I worry about the baby, Jill. Talking to Michelle reminded me that she hasn't always been the most stable person in the world," he sighed as he once again closed his eyes.
 

"Maybe I could talk to her and convince her to go back into therapy," Jill suggested.
 

"I don't think it'll work. She hated it before," Mike reminded her.
 

"I know, but if it's a choice between therapy and having the baby removed from her custody, I think she'll take therapy," Jill told him cryptically.
 

"Would you really do that? Take the baby away from her?" Mike asked.
 

"If you worry about the baby, I would," she answered honestly. "Besides, how's she going to juggle taking care of a baby and working?"
 

"Oh, she's got that all figured out. She's going to hire a nanny with the money she'll make once her residency's finished and child support from Thomas. I forgot what it felt like to be 26-years-old and having all the answers," Mike groaned at the memory of his conversation with Michelle.
 

"I still don't think I have all the answers," Jill smiled.
 

"I came by here to see if you wanted to go out tomorrow night. This time, kids are off limits as topics of dinner conversation," he warned her with a grin.
 

"I'll have to get a sitter," she reminded him.
 

"I'll talk to Eddie in the morning. I'd better go before I fall asleep on your sofa," he said as he stood up and stretched. "I'll talk to you in the morning."
 

Mike walked out of his trailer the next morning and smiled at the sight of Shelby playing with her dolls in the backyard. He walked over and sat down beside her.
 

"How many days until Christmas?" The little girl wanted to know.
 

"Twenty-four," Mike told her.
 

She frowned. "Are we going to go to the parade?"
 

"What parade?" Mike asked in confusion.
 

"We always go to the parade," Shelby insisted.
 

"I'll have to ask your Nana if she wants to go," he hedged decided it was best to placate the little girl since he had no idea what she was talking about.
 

"Nana said Michael and I are going to stay with Eddie tonight. Why?" She asked.
 

"I'm going to take your Nana out to dinner," Mike signed to her as she watched him.
 

"Are we going to go get a tree?" Shelby asked, stunning Mike with how quickly she could change the subject.
 

"I'll tell you what. You and I will go get a tree tomorrow. Is that okay with you?" He asked as she weighed the thought in her mind before nodding.
 

<><><><><><>
 

Jill got into Mike's car at six o'clock and buckled her seat belt before Mike put the car in gear and pulled out of the driveway. "Shelby was telling me that you two have a date tomorrow to go get a Christmas tree. She's very excited," Jill informed him.
 

"She was asking if we were going to the parade. I don't have a clue what she was talking about," Mike admitted.
 

"San Antonio has a Christmas river parade. I took the kids the last couple of years and they really enjoyed it. I'll have to explain that they don't have anything like that in L.A.," Jill said.
 

At the restaurant, they were shown to their table where they continued making small talk for several minutes before Mike finally revealed what had been on his mind for several months. "Michael told me that you had been seeing someone in San Antonio," he blurted out.
 

"Yeah, a doctor I worked with at the hospital," she replied as she stared at him with wide eyes. "It didn't work out," she said. "Why are we talking about my love life or lack thereof? Are you going to sit there and tell me that you weren't seeing anyone?" She accused.
 

"No, I was 'seeing' someone. She didn't like my friends," he admitted with a twinkle in his eye.
 

"Didn't like them or didn't like the fact that they are always around?" She commented knowingly.
 

"I think it was a toss-up. So, what happened between you and your doctor?" He wanted to know. "Let me guess. He wasn't nearly as charming as I was."
 

"He saw the scars on my wrists when we were out one night and I made the mistake of telling him how I got them," she answered after a lengthy silence. "He also didn't care for the fact that I was 'saddled down' with two young children."
 

"I'm sorry, Jill," Mike said in a sympathetic voice.
 

"It really doesn't matter. Michael couldn't stand him, so it wasn't going to go much further, anyway," she confessed.
 

"Dance with me?" He asked as he got to his feet and heldout his hand.
 

"Mike, what's going on?" She questioned suspiciously.
 

"At the moment, nothing. Dance with me, please?" He asked her once again as she placed her hand in his and he helped her to her feet.
 

"Okay, then, what's going to happen later?" She asked.
 

"That's going to depend on how charming I can be," he teased as he guided her out to the dance floor and he pulled her close to him.
 

"Do you want to know that main reason why I couldn't stay with him?" Jill asked in a soft voice as she rested her head on his shoulder. "He could never make me laugh."
 

"Neither could I most of the time. The guys always could make you laugh more than I could," he reminded her.
 

"Maybe, but at least you didn't turn tale and run the minute I told you about my past," she whispered.
 

"But you thought I would," he remembered as he pulled her closer.
 

"Where is this going, Mike?" She asked.
 

"Where do you want this to go?" He hedged.
 

"I don't know where I want this to go, but I know where you want this to go. Mike, at the end things got ugly . . . " she began ..
 

"I don't want to talk about the end," he interrupted firmly. "I don't want to get into a debate about who said what to whom and whose fault everything was. I was stupid and that's all I'm going to say about it. I love you, Jill."
 

"I love you, too. I was miserable in San Antonio and I think I made the kids miserable, but I was so angry at you for so long. Then I came back here and it was as if I'd forgotten all of the bad times," she concluded.
 

"So, do you want to take this back to your place?" He whispered into her hair.
 

"As long as this is forever. I won't let you out of my life a second time. There never should've been a first time," she blinked back tears.
 

He leaned down to kiss her. "I think this is definitely going to be forever," he promised her as he pulled away. "Come on, let's get out of here."
 

When they pulled up in the driveway a while later, Jill took a deep breath to try to calm her shaking nerves. It wasn't like she'd never had sex with Mike before. As she remembered it, things had been wonderful until after the events of Savannah's death. It was only then that everything fell apart both in and out of their bedroom.
 

Her hands were shaking slightly as she unlocked the door leading from the carport into the house. Turning on the living room lights, she turned toward Mike. "Do you want something to drink?" She asked as she walked toward the kitchen.
 

"It looks like we're both pretty nervous," he observed.
 

"I'm beginning to think that we've lost our minds. I mean, what is everybody going to think if all of a sudden, we're a couple again?" She asked as she changed her mind about the kitchen and wandered into the living room.
 

"Do we really care what everybody thinks?" He asked her as he followed her into the living room and sat down beside her on the sofa.
 

"No, I guess not. Before you ask, I didn't sleep with him," she blurted.
 

"I don't think that's any of my business, but I have to admit that I'm relieved," he admitted with a half-smile. "Was that another reason why you ended the relationship?"
 

"Yeah. I didn't feel comfortable having him in the house with the kids there. He had trouble understanding that. So, can I ask you about your friend?" She asked.
 

"I slept with her, if that's what you want to know," he answered. "But calling her by your name was definitely not cool," he grimaced.
 

"Oh, no! You didn't!" Jill laughed.
 

"Yeah, I did. Look, why are we talking about people who don't even matter anymore? All I want to talk about right now is us," he whispered huskily as he drew closer to her and kissed her.
 

<><><><><>
 

Mike woke up early the next morning and smiled at the sight of Jill soundly sleeping beside him. The night before had been wonderful and something that he never thought would ever happen again. He had felt incomplete for such a long time and unsure of how to get that feeling of completeness back. Seeing someone else hadn't been the answer, although he had enjoyed her company. But there had been no feeling of history with her and as he'd told Jill, she'd never been that crazy about Willie, Terry and Lt. Ryker and worse than that, she'd never warmed to Michelle. Another of the reasons why he'd ended the relationship was that he couldn't spend the rest of his life with somebody who didn't like his children. He'd told her about Mary Kathryn and Michael, but fortunately she'd never met them. He never got around to telling her about Savannah. He never saw the point. He didn't want a lot of questions and he wasn't sure he could stand the pity. Shaking thoughts from the past from his brain, he rolled over and wrapped his arms around Jill, planting kisses across her shoulders and back.
 

"I've missed having you beside me," she mumbled sleepily as she rolled over toward him.
 

"What time is Michael due home?" He asked as he covered her mouth with his own.
 

"Later this morning," she murmured in between kisses. "What are we going to tell everybody?"
 

"I'll tell them that you seduced me and took advantage of my vulnerable state," he teased her.
 

"From the feel of things, you are not in a vulnerable state right now," she teased back as she slowly stroked him.
 

"Well, that depends on your point of view. You don't play fair," he groaned.
 

"I never have, remember?" She reminded him as she wrapped her arms tighter around him.
 

<><><><><><>
 

Later that morning, Mike made good on his promise and took Shelby with him to go buy a Christmas tree. While he was gone, Jill called the guys and asked them to come over for dinner that evening. She was in the midst of getting things ready when Michael came stomping through the door. "What're you doing?" He demanded, dropping his duffel bag by the bar and perching on a bar stool.
 

"The guys and Eddie are coming to dinner. You were supposed to be home an hour ago," she reminded him.
 

"Jake and I were playing with his Xbox. Can I have one for Christmas?" He begged.
 

"Michael, you already have a PlayStation," she sighed. "You don't need another expensive video game system just to want the next better one that comes out. I need you to put your things away, come back and unload the dishwasher for me," she instructed.
 

"Where's Shelby?" He asked as he picked his bag up off the floor.
 

"She went with your dad to look for a Christmas tree. They should be back any time. Put your bag away, Michael, and help me," she told him once again.
 

Jill was still waiting for Michael when the front door opened. She smiled as Willie, Jen and the boys came walking in.
 

"What's the occasion?" Willie asked as he put two loaves of French bread on the counter.
 

"No occasion. I just thought it would be fun to get together like we used to. Thomas, Michelle isn't going to be here. I told Mike I didn't want to make things awkward and besides, she's on duty tonight. I checked," she told him.
 

"Where's Michael and Shelby?" Jennifer asked as she walked into the kitchen.
 

"Shelby's with Mike picking out a Christmas tree and Michael is supposed to be in here unloading the dishwasher. Michael, get in here, now!" Jill shouted toward the direction of his room. "He came home late from his friend Jacob's house telling me that he wants an Xbox for Christmas."
 

"Cool, I love new toys," Willie grinned.
 

"Buy it for him and I'll kill you," she hissed.
 

Mike came home an hour later and walked into the house with Shelby, followed by Terry. "I found this guy wandering around outside and figured the least I could do was bring him in so we could feed him," he teased. "I figured he could also help me bring the tree into the house."
 

Terry followed Mike out to his Montero and helped him untie the tree. "So, what's going on?"
 

"I might be back with my ex-wife," he grinned as they lowered the tree to the ground.
 

"You're kidding! That's great!" Terry congratulated his friend as they carried the tree to the house.
 

Meanwhile, in the house, Jennifer followed Jill into the kitchen to help her carry chips and dips into the other room. "So, what's the occasion?" She whispered as Jill looked at her.
 

"Who said there has to be an occasion?" Jill whispered back.
 

"Jill, I might not know you as well as Terry and Willie, but I do know you well enough to know when something's going on. So, spill. What's going on?" She asked.
 

Jill pulled her to one side and whispered, "Mike and I went out to dinner last night and . . . "
 

"And what?" Jennifer prompted eagerly. "Oh, my God! He stayed the night?" She loudly whispered as Jill tried to quiet her. "Is everything okay? I mean, are you sure this is what you want?"
 

"Jen, this is what I've wanted since I walked out the door. He's been part of my life since I was 19 years old. I don't know how to live my life without him in it. I mean, everything's far from perfect, but I know we can at least work things out now," she remarked.
 

"I'm glad he's back. Have you told Michael?" Jen asked.
 

"Not yet. Mike says he's not ready for that so we're going to play it by ear for right now. How's Thomas doing?" Jill asked, changing the subject.
 

"After we eat, there's something we want to talk to you and Mike about. Terry and Eddie are welcome to stay because we might need their input, but I don't want the kids being in the room," Jen said mysteriously.
 

"We'll send them up to Eddie's to watch DVD's. Is this about Michelle?" Jill asked.
 

"Yeah, but it'll wait until after dinner," she told Jill as they got the snacks and walked back to the other room.
 

After dinner Jill sent Eric, Michael and Shelby up to Eddie's house so that the adults could talk. Willie and Jennifer looked at Thomas, who took a deep breath before he began. "I want to see about getting sole custody of the baby," he blurted out as everybody stared at him in shock.
 

"How are you going to take care of a baby and be a Marine at the same time?" Mike demanded.
 

"My mom and dad have offered to take care of the baby until I finish basic and get stationed somewhere. I can get day care on base. I just worry about Michelle's mental and emotional state," he concluded.
 

"Thomas, Michelle isn't going to just voluntarily sign custody over to you and it's difficult to prove she's an unfit mother when you're talking about a baby that isn't even here, yet," Mike told him.
 

"I just wanted all of you to know that I'm going to do what I have to do," he warned them.
 

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