The captain came over the intercom and announced that the plane was ready to be unboarded. When he had his bag, he stepped into line and worked his way off the plane. It took ten minutes before he finally reached the lobby and when he pulled free from the crowd, he went to the luggage area. As he waited for his bags, he noticed someone watching him from a nearby corner. He spotted his bag and quickly pulled it off the machine.

He started walking to the exit and heard "Let her go free and leave her alone."

He ignored the idiot and walked out into the downpour. When he found his waiting cab, he slipped in and gave the driver directions to his hotel room. It was a quiet five minutes until they reached the hotel and he got out. The driver took his money and then he pulled away. With a deep breath, he entered the hotel and walked up to the front desk.

When he gave his name, the lady nodded and handed him his room key and one spare. She winked as she gave him his spare and he shook his head as he walked away. He found the elevators occupied and had a long line, so he took the stairs. His room was on the top floor of the hotel and when he reached the door, he used his key and slipped into the room. He flicked the light on and looked around the room before he started settling in.

As he finished unpacking, he listened to the news and checked for any possible reasons his plans could get foiled. Once he knew everything would go as planned, he turned the TV off and settled down for the night. When he was resting on the bed, he closed his eyes and thought about the next night. It had been two years and he was getting antsy about seeing what time had done to her. He knew he sounded foolish, but he didn't care and then he fell into a light sleep.

@#$%

The sound of beeping pulled her out of her sleep and she shut the dumb alarm clock off with a little too much force. It fell onto the floor and she sighed as she leaned over to get it. When it was back on the side table, she rested on her back and took a deep breath. She pulled herself out of bed and walked into the bathroom to take a hot shower. As the water heated up, she picked out her work outfit and she found the outfit she was going to wear to dinner as well.

She closed her bathroom door and slipped into the shower. The hot water woke her up and she let it remove the tension in her muscles. When she stepped out of the shower, she had her towel around her and walked into her room. She combed her hair and then she dressed. As she dried her hair, she let a feeling of calm enter her and she couldn't help but shake her head.

She ran a brush through her hair and when she finished tying her shoes, she left her room. Her footsteps were quiet as she walked into Hallie's room and woke the little girl. She heard the little grumble and complain the entire walk back to the bathroom. When Hallie was taking her bath, she walked into the kitchen and found Kari making breakfast. The woman seemed rather uptight and she waited for her friend to see her.

It took the woman five blasted minutes and all she said was "You're up."

She tightened her lips in disapproval and asked "Late night with your date?"

Kari sent her a watch it look and said "Yes."

Kat shrugged and said "I told you he was difficult."

She grabbed some glasses and began setting the table. Kari finished cooking the food five minutes later and dished it up. When breakfast was finally ready, Hallie stumbled into the room and sat down. She made herself sit without falling down and Kat watched her eat from the kitchen. All she could stand eating was a piece of toast and drink one small glass of orange juice.

When Hallie was finished, she left the table and finished getting ready for the trip to work. Kari cleaned up the table and was putting the dishes away when the phone rang. Her eyes drifted to the answer machine and they heard Daniels apologizing for the previous night. The two women shook their heads in disgust and Kari unplugged the machine and phone. Then she turned on her cell and continued working.

She sighed and asked "Why can't he just apologize when he does something stupid?"

Kat shrugged and said "I couldn't tell you. Most men are like that."

Kari shook her head and said "It's a good thing he doesn't have my cell number."

She nodded and said "Call me if you need anything from town. I'm getting groceries after work."

The woman looked at her and asked "Don't you have plans tonight?"

She nodded and said "I do, but you two come first. Besides, dinner isn't until eight."

Kari shook her head and said "I want to meet this guy. Call him up or something and tell him to pick you up here."

Kat smirked and said "We prefer it this way."

Hallie entered the living room and said "I'm ready."

She nodded and said "I'll talk with you later, Kar."

Kari nodded and the two walked to the door. When they left the apartment, they made their way to the parking lot. As Hallie got in, she put their stuff in the backseat and she got in the driver's seat. Since Hallie had come to live with her, she invested into getting a car and she ended up getting a red camarro. She put the car into reverse and backed out of the parking lot.

Once they were on the road to the elementary school Hallie asked "Are you meeting the guy from our vacation?"

She looked over at her and asked "How do you know this?"

The girl blushed and said "I heard you talking with Daniels the other day."

Kat shook her head and said "Eavesdropping isn't a nice habit."

Hallie fumbled with the radio and said "Well, I like him."

She smiled and said "I'm glad that you feel that way, but you don't even know him."

She shook her head and said "He saved me from that weirdo and he took you out to dinner, which you said was the best you've had for a long time."

Heat was rising in her face and she said "That's enough. I don't need to know how much you hear when Iâ'm having a quiet conversation."

Hallie shrugged and said "That's okay. I just find it funny that he doesn't see you more often."

Her blush disappeared instantly and she said "That's because he lives back home near my mom."

They pulled into the school lot and as Hallie got out she said "You come home late tonight and I'll get all the information."

She disappeared before Kat could counter her words and she drove to work. When she entered her office, she found Travis sitting in her office with a beer like always. The man wasn't an alcoholic but he sure did enjoy having that beer everyday. She slipped her jacket off and sat down behind her desk before she looked at the man.

He stretched lousily and asked "Ready for another long day?"

She rolled her eyes and said "I haven't had a short day the entire four years I've worked here.

Travis nodded and said "Boss wants to schedule a meeting to check in on Hallie when you get the chance."

Her eyes looked at the monitor in front of her and she said "I'll check for a good day and schedule her to come to work."

The man nodded and finally got off his butt. He walked to her door, but then he stopped walking and turned around and she looked at him.

He smirked and said "You've got a note about dinner plans for tonight in your mailbox."

She could have died at the mention of her plans she had tried to keep quiet at work, and she went to the mailroom to get the note. As she walked back to her office, some of the ladies eyed her with smirks and she rolled her eyes. When she reached the safety of her office, she put the note in her bag and got to work. Time took forever to pass and when the workday finally ended, she stretched to loosen her back. Ahe got to her feet and closed up her office so she could go home and get ready.

When she left the office, she saw some of her fellow workers enjoying a cigarette and she walked to her car while listening to their comments. She put her bag in the backseat and climbed into the front. Once the engine was started, she fastened her seatbelt and pulled out of the parking lot. The drive from the office to the apartment was five minutes and gave her a little time to be ready to confront Daniels. As she pulled into her parking space, she saw Daniels sitting on the steps with a stern look on his face and she grabbed her bag while getting out.

She walked up the stairs and when she reached the apartment, she walked in to find Hallie sitting on the couch doing her homework. When she put her bag down, Hallie closed her book and ran over to her. Kat picked her up and let the girl give her a rather strong hug before she put her down. She took off her jacket and walked to her bedroom. As she slipped into some house clothes, she heard Hallie questioning Daniels like always.

PGS