Thanks again for all of the feedback on the first two chapters. Here's the 3rd and final chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 3: Bill

Bill glanced into his rear view mirror car and, once he verified that the lane was clear, he indicated a right hand turn and slipped the BMW sports car onto the I-95 North on ramp. He stepped on the clutch and shifted as he accelerated in anticipation of moving from the ramp into high speed traffic on the heavily traveled north-south artery that runs the length of the east coast of the United States. But it was 3:30 in the morning and there was very little traffic.

Like Jack and Tony, Bill came home almost half a day ago from over 24 hours worth of hell and the only thing he could think about was falling into bed and sleeping for about the next three days. He climbed the steps to his loft, Karen's loft really. She had lived there during her stint as National Security Advisor and they still owned the property. He climbed the steps and entered the main room trying to ignore the sophisticated computer equipment that turned what had been a beautiful apartment into his own version of CTU. He continued, oblivious to his surroundings until he reached the bedroom. There, without another thought, he stripped off his clothes and dropped into bed. He was too tired to care that the midday sun was blazing through the windows. Sleep came easily and brought a peace that Bill hadn't felt in a long time.

The next time Bill awoke it was dark. He was a little disoriented but it didn't take long for a flood of bad memories to come back. He suspected that the whole operation bothered him far more than it bothered Jack or Tony. They were used to field work and he wasn't. He had been trained in field ops, but after a couple of years found his real niche in administration. Bill was far better suited to direct the battle from the staging area than to be on the front lines. He wasn't used to bullets whizzing past his head. And the explosion at the White House came a little too close to killing him for his liking. Fortunately, it had worked like a charm. Jack set the whole thing up for himself as a suicide mission, but Bill saw an opportunity and took it. He created a diversion and grabbed a weapon from one of the terrorists and shot him. As he did, another terrorist who happened to be standing just inside the door of the gas-filled room, took aim and fired. Bill had counted on that. He knew that that man would have the best angle to fire. The bullet caught in Bill's vest leaving a nasty bruise just above his heart, but nothing more. The shot, however, created enough of a spark to set off a huge explosion. In the ensuing chaos, he, Jack and Aaron, along with the FBI agents who had just stormed the place, were able to re-take the White House and secure the president. It had been a calculated risk. Bill knew that he could have easily died in the process, but it was a risk worth taking. Looking back he was just happy that it worked so well. Now here he was, in the middle of the night, trying to put his life back together. Grimly it occurred to him that maybe dying would have been easier.

He checked the dashboard clock and mentally calculated his arrival time. Roughly ten hours of drive time from Washington DC to just outside of Burlington, Vermont… and Karen. That was assuming that he could avoid any big backups around the major east coast cities along his route. He would pass through Baltimore and Philadelphia before their rush hours started. New York City, however, would be a problem since he would get there around 7:30. He knew the route well and decided that it was worth some extra miles to avoid New York and its brutal rush hour. With the added mileage and a couple of stops for food and bathroom breaks, he could comfortably plan on arriving at his Vermont home between 2:30 and 2:45 this afternoon.

Bill set his cruise control on 70 and sat back for the ride. He reached for the large Starbuck's coffee in the drink holder and sighed. It was a long drive when you were alone. A lot of time to think. The last time he made this drive was six months ago and that time he was going south from Vermont to Washington. That was just a few days after being contacted by Tony Almeida. Let's talk about life's big shocks. Getting a call from someone who you thought had been dead for over five years certainly changed your perception of reality. Tony's explanation was believable, if not exactly acceptable. It took Bill several days to get over his anger toward Tony and really consider all that his one time colleague and rival for the affections of Michelle Dessler was telling him. The corruption in the government ran deep; deeper than he could have ever imagined, but at the moment there was simply too little proof to take it to the authorities.

But it was over now. Six months of covert work and careful planning. Six months of listening in on conversations and plotting strategy. More people had died than Bill had been prepared for. That was the part he hated. At the same time, more people had been arrested than he had expected, too. And much to his own surprise, he was still alive. He unconsciously rubbed a spot just above his heart remembering the force of the bullet. His ears were still ringing slightly from the noise of the explosion.

Still he had to smile. He was really proud of the work that he and Chloe and Tony and Jack had done. Bringing in Aaron Pierce had been a stroke of genius. Even wounded Aaron was an asset at the White House. This was clearly the best and most important work he had ever done. He honestly had never worked harder in his life.

But now he faced an even more daunting task. Now he needed to put his life back together and move forward. More than anything in the world he wanted to do that with Karen. The question was: would she agree? He nervously adjusted his wedding ring. He hadn't taken the ring off since the day he left Vermont. It hadn't left his hand for even a minute. And in that time, his love for Karen hadn't wavered. She was all he thought about when he got into bed at the end of the day and she was his first thought when he got up in the morning. Bill wondered if Karen felt the same way. He wondered if she still wore her wedding ring.

Bill left Vermont six months earlier without explanation. He didn't want to involve Karen in the operation with Tony. It was dangerous and he knew it. If he told her about it, she would have wanted to be a part of it and he simply could not put her at risk. He didn't mind risking everything for what he believed in but he would never risk Karen. So he left without telling her where he was going or what he was doing. He told her that he needed some time alone; some time to think things through. It wasn't an unbelievable excuse and Karen seemed to accept it.

The four years since the two of them were forced to resign their government positions and accept early retirement had not been without bumps in the road. The two were notorious workaholics. Both were known to put in 10 to 14 hour days on a regular basis. And that was just their office time. Both also maintained an office at home from which they worked additional hours. That was the biggest reason that both of them had failed marriages in their pasts. It was also one of the reasons that they got along so well: they understood each other even when no one else did. And sometimes understanding is as important as love.

Their marriage had never been perfect, but then whose is? It had been a good marriage for the first year. Then Karen became a consultant for Wayne Palmer's presidential campaign and later his National Security Advisor. All of that had driven a bit of a wedge between them. Not a huge wedge, but a distance, both geographical and emotional, that both of them felt. When Karen eventually fired Bill as Director of CTU, that distance became a chasm that made the Grand Canyon look small. They reconciled, but it was difficult especially for the first couple of years. They were dealing with the emotional trauma of the day as well as their new found unemployment - not an easy thing for two professionally driven people to accept. Not to mention the fact that Karen had shattered Bill's trust in her. As much as he tried not to, he found himself questioning her loyalty and commitment to their marriage. Several months into their retirement, Bill and Karen started a new business. They used their previous experience and began to market themselves as consultants to businesses looking for help with both US and foreign government contracts. The business took off and rather than work on their struggling relationship, they both dove headlong into their work and pretended that their personal problems didn't exist.

Over the next three years their marriage floundered. It was clear to both of them that they loved each other but neither was very good at expressing themselves. They rarely argued, in fact they agreed on almost everything, attended many of the same social events, played tennis and golf together and even slept in the same bed. But despite it all, emotionally they were miles apart. So when Bill eventually sat down with Karen and told her that he needed some time and space to think things out, she didn't question him. It didn't seem out of character or an unusual request. She asked him where he was going to go and he gave as few details as possible. He was noncommittal but did admit that he planned to use the loft in Washington at least at first, but also asked her not to try and contact him. He remembered how her eyes filled with tears. She obviously thought he wanted out of the marriage and would eventually come back and ask for a divorce. He hated that he had to hurt her, but there was no other way. He knew when he left that there was a decent chance that he would be killed in course of the operation. Or, if he was lucky enough to survive it, Karen might find someone else in his absence or simply not want him back and he would lose her forever. Those were all chances that he had to take. Now, having survived it all, Bill drove through the early morning darkness. The lights of Baltimore passed on his left as he continued north on the interstate all the while praying that Karen still loved him as much as he loved her or barring that, that she would at least hear out his explanation and give him a second chance.

The monotony of the long drive and two more cups of coffee were just beginning to get to Bill as he exited route 87 in rural New York and crossed the state line into Vermont. It took all of his concentration to maintain his focus. All he could think about was the fact that home was less than an hour away and he had no idea what he was going to say to Karen. "Hi, Honey. I'm home." wasn't going to cut it and unfortunately, he couldn't think of much else to say. A combination of caffeine and nerves had him trembling by the time he pulled into their driveway. Bill closed his eyes for a second before stepping out of the car. This was it. There was no turning back now.

Bill stepped from the car and took a deep breath. He smiled involuntarily. The air was so clear. It was so unlike Washington. He smelled the pine trees and felt the breeze coming off of Lake Champlain. Their property was lakefront and if he looked between the trees, he could see the water lapping at their pier. He couldn't wait to get his kayak back into the water. Nothing cleared his head better than a couple of hours on the lake. Bill quickly put the thought from his mind. Karen had to agree to let him in the house before he could think about kayaking.

Knowing that, he made his way onto the front porch and rang the doorbell. Before he even rang the bell he could hear Sheena, their Siberian Husky, barking frantically. He liked that Sheena was there to protect Karen for the six months that he had been away. She was a gentle dog but her bark was vicious. As Sheena reached the door the tenor of her bark changed. Bill knew that she had caught his scent and recognized him and, as she did, the bark turned to an excited whimper. Karen would immediately know that Sheena knew the person on the other side of the door.

"Easy, Sheena!" Bill could hear Karen say as the dog pawed the door. "Calm down. Let me get to the door, girl."

After what seemed like an eternity, Karen opened the door. Sheena bolted out and jumped up onto Bill, her paws landing just above his waist. Bill hugged her and scratched her ears. "Hi, Sheena! Hello, girl. How have you been?" Slowly, he raised his eyes to look at Karen. "Hello, Karen," he whispered softly. He allowed his gaze to drop to her left hand. Her wedding band still encircled her third finger.

"Bill?" was all that she could muster for a long moment. "Well, this is a surprise."

"I know," Bill said softly in return. "I'm sorry. I was afraid if I called you that you'd refuse to see me. I owe you an explanation."

"That's an understatement!" Karen scoffed.

"I'm sorry, Karen. Please, give a chance to explain. After that you can throw me out if you want. I promise you that if you tell me to go, I'll leave quietly. I just want you to hear me out," Bill said. He scratched Sheena's ears absently as he looked pleadingly at Karen.

Footfalls on the stairs from the bedrooms caught Bill's attention. His heart immediately dropped as he feared that the footsteps belonged to a new man in Karen's life. But she's still wearing her wedding ring, he thought hopefully.

"Mom, who are you talking to?" said the voice as it neared the bottom of the steps.

Bill steeled himself as he recognized the voice. "Hello, Isabelle," he said pleasantly.

"Bill?" Isabelle Hayes said incredulously.

Isabelle was Karen's 27 year old daughter from her first marriage. She was like her mother in so many ways. Blond and blue eyed, Isabelle was a striking woman if not a stunning one. She was as strong willed and self confident as Karen. And one of the things she was confident about was that Bill Buchanan was the wrong man for her mother. This wasn't anything new. Isabelle and Bill had butted heads since he and Karen started dating. Fortunately at the time, Isabelle was in college in Chicago. More recently she took a job in New York City which meant she was close enough to plan an occasional visit, but too far away to drop in uninvited. She and Bill had settled into a peaceful relationship over the years, but neither made it a point to be in the other's presence if it wasn't necessary. Within the last two years, Isabelle met the son of the couple that lived next door to Bill and Karen. Isabelle and Seth Reynolds started dating and, just before Bill left Vermont, his stepdaughter was talking about finding a job in Burlington in order to be closer to Seth. Bill had never relished the idea of Isabelle living that close but Karen was thrilled so he managed to stay quiet about it. Their marriage was in enough trouble without him alienating Karen. Now Bill wondered if Isabelle had, in fact, moved to Burlington while he was gone. He glanced down to her hand and noted a large diamond ring which more or less answered his question.

"Whatever you're selling, Mom isn't buying," Isabelle said dismissively.

"I think that's a decision that your mother needs to make for herself. I've already told her that I'll abide by whatever decision she makes, I just want the chance to explain myself."

"There is no explanation for what you did, Bill," Isabelle snapped. "Do you know how much you hurt Mom?"

"Could you two stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Karen said looking back and forth between them. "Bill, please come inside." Karen stepped back from the door.

"Mother! What are you doing? He walked out on you six months ago. You haven't heard a word from him since and now you're just going to let him waltz back in the door. Have you lost your mind? How many nights have you cried yourself to sleep. Don't let him do this to you. He's hurt you enough as it is. You've just started to get over him!" Isabelle shouted at her mother.

"That's enough!" Karen shouted back. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath to compose herself. When she spoke again it was in a calm, quiet voice. "Belle, I know you're just trying to protect me and I appreciate that. Believe me, I would have had trouble getting through the last six months without having your shoulder to cry on, but I'm an adult. I have to make my own decisions about my life. I'm not walking away from my marriage without at least hearing Bill out. I'm not asking your permission for that; I'm telling you that that's what I'm going to do. So, if you'll excuse us, I think Bill and I need to talk privately."

Isabelle's eyes blazed with anger. She was angry that she had just been chastised by her mother, but she was even angrier that her advice to her mother was going unheeded. "Fine. You do what you want, but don't say I didn't warn you." Mother and daughter stared at each other for a long moment. "Come on, Sheena," Isabelle said when she finally broke the stare. "Let's go for a walk."

Bill and Karen stood silently and watched as Isabelle clipped the leash to Sheena's collar, grabbed a jacket from the entrance closet and stepped out the front door.

"I'm sorry," Bill offered as she left. "Karen, you know I have never wanted to come between you and Isabelle."

"I know," Karen replied softly. "Let's not worry about Belle right now. She'll calm down after Sheena drags her a couple of miles." She smiled obviously amused by the thought.

"Some things never change. I guess Sheena still isn't very good on a leash." Bill smiled in return.

"No, it's still a struggle to walk her. You're the only one who could ever put her on a leash and have her behave," Karen said. She looked uncomfortable as she tried to think of something to say. "I'll make coffee," she offered as she turned to go into the kitchen.

"Could you make it decaf? I had three cups on the way here. I'm a little wired."

"Sure," Karen agreed without turning around.

The silence that surrounded them was awkward. Bill wandered around the first floor of the house. It was just as it had been the day he left. Karen hadn't moved any of the pictures of them or replaced his favorite chair, the one that she never liked. Bill felt compelled to fill the silence. "I take it that Isabelle has moved to Burlington."

"Yes," Karen said from the kitchen. "She found a job about two months ago. She's been living with me."

"When are she and Seth getting married?"

"In October. She liked the idea of the fall foliage and the lake in the background."

"She'll be a beautiful bride," Bill noted.

"I wish you two could get along."

"We don't hate each other. We're just not close. From a stepparent perspective, I think we've been able to coexist better than most."

Silence descended on them again. And again it was Bill who felt a need to fill it. He chose the subject that the two of them always talked about: work. "Are you still working as a consultant?"

"Yes," Karen answered while she busied herself making coffee and getting out their favorite mugs. "The business is going pretty well. We need to expand or upgrade our services or something to make ourselves more competitive. I could use your help. Some of the clients are still asking for you."

"What have you told them?"

"That you took a few months off to travel and to try and assess the business climate in Europe. What was I supposed to tell them? I had no idea where you were," she added without hiding the bitterness in her voice.

"I can only say 'I'm sorry' so many times, Karen. Can we sit down so we can talk?"

Karen nodded. She was obviously flustered. Neither of them had ever been able to handle their emotions very well and Karen was having difficulty now. "I'll pour the coffee," she said. Bill couldn't miss the waver in her voice that told him she was near tears. He hated that he had reduced her to this.

"Maybe I should just go," Bill suggested.

"No, Bill. I don't want you to go. I want to know why you left. You're right. We need to talk."

Bill followed Karen to the kitchen. He watched while she poured coffee into the mugs and then added cream and sugar to her own and stirred. Bill took the cup of black coffee and strolled toward the bay window that gave the most perfect view of the lake. "I've missed this place, Karen, and I've missed you."

"So, where have you been for the last six months?"

"I've been in Washington," Bill said as he sat on the cushioned window seat. Karen sat in a rocking chair that faced the window.

"In Washington, DC?" Karen smiled vaguely.

"Yes," Bill replied.

"You had something to do with the terrorist attack two days ago, didn't you?"

Bill nodded. "I did."

"So, you were working for the government again."

"Not exactly."

"Don't tell me you were working for the terrorists."

"No. I wasn't working for the terrorists either."

"Bill, stop! This isn't a game. There are two options. Either you work for the government or the terrorists. I'm not going to sit here and guess what you've been doing for the last six months while I've been running our business and spending my nights alone. Why are you doing this to me?"

"Karen, this isn't easy to explain."

"Try me! I'm not stupid. If I don't understand I'll ask questions but talk to me, Bill."

Bill stood and started to pace. "Okay. Six months ago I was approached by someone who used to work at CTU about corruption in our government. He had some evidence that the corruption ran through every agency and possibly as high as the President's cabinet. He also had evidence that members of the government were involved with the Juma regime and that there was potential for a terrorist attack. He recruited me for a covert operation."

"What agency were you working for?" Karen asked.

"We weren't. We were working outside of the government."

"You were working for a rogue agency?"

"Basically, yes."

"Who recruited you?"

"You're going to find this hard to believe."

"Tell me who recruited you, Bill."

"Tony Almeida," Bill said matter of factly.

"I don't know what you've been smoking, but whatever it is it's illegal! Tony Almeida's been dead for five years. I was sent over to CTU from Homeland just after he was killed by Christopher Henderson. Remember? We went to Tony's funeral together."

"That's what I thought. Believe me I was as surprised and as suspicious as you when Tony contacted me, but it's the truth." Bill sat back down and ran his hand through his white hair ruffling it slightly. "Let me start at the beginning."

With that, Bill began to explain everything from the time Tony first made contact with him to just over 24 hours earlier when he arrived home after debriefing at the White House. The story took over an hour to tell. Karen sat with rapt attention interjecting or asking questions only once or twice.

"You know," Karen said as Bill finished the story. "When I first heard about the attack on DC, part of me knew that you were there. Somehow I just had this feeling that you were in the middle of the fray. I was so afraid that I was going to get a call or the doorbell was going to ring and someone from the government was going to tell me that you were dead and I needed to identify your body."

"I'm sorry," Bill whispered again. "I never wanted to hurt you, Karen. I hope you understand that."

"Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" Karen asked. "Why did you lie and make me think that you were leaving me?

"If you had known the truth, would you have let me go to Washington alone?"

"No, I would have come with you. I could have helped. I do have some experience with these matters, you know," Karen said sarcastically.

"I couldn't risk you, sweetheart," he said gently. It was the first time he had allowed himself to use a term of endearment. "I knew what kind of a risk I was taking and I didn't want to put you in that same position."

"Shouldn't that have been my choice?"

"Maybe it should have been, but I decided against it. I wanted to protect you because I love you. Is that a crime? I'll admit that maybe I went about it the wrong way, Karen, but it's too late to go back and rectify it. All I can do now is ask for your forgiveness and understanding."

Karen said nothing. Her eyes were filled with tears. Bill took her left hand in both of his and fingered her wedding ring. "You're still wearing this. That must mean something."

Karen withdrew her hand somewhat abruptly. "It might just mean that I didn't want people to ask questions or maybe I just wanted to avoid any advances by other men." Her voice was cool.

Bill averted his eyes and nodded. He could feel his heart breaking. The last six months without Karen had made him realize how much he loved her and the idea that she was rejecting him now made him wish that he had died in the explosion at the White House. Bill stood and walked a few steps away, his mind reeling as he tried to figure out what he could say or do to make Karen feel differently. "I guess it's time for me to go then," Bill said in a hushed tone. "I'm sorry, Karen. I don't know what else to say or how else to say it. I'm so sorry for the pain I've caused you." He paused for a moment before turning to exit the room.

"No, Bill! Wait!" Karen called as she stood and ran after him. She caught up with him in the entrance hall just as he was reaching the front door. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that about the ring. I don't want you to go. Please, don't go." She was crying now, big tears chasing one another down her cheeks. "Bill, I love you."

Bill reached for his wife and pulled her into his arms. She clung tightly to him as she cried. "I love you so much and I was so worried about you," she sobbed. She pulled back slightly as she began to compose herself. "Now I understand how you felt four years ago when I fired you. At the time I thought all I should have to do was explain myself and say that I was sorry and our love would make it all okay. I couldn't understand why you didn't see it the same way. Now I get it, Bill. Now I understand why you were so hurt, because I feel the same way. I understand what you did and why you did it. And I know that you're sorry. I know that you never meant to hurt me, but it did hurt and it's hard to let go of that."

Bill pulled her close again. The warmth of Karen's body against him seemed to melt an iciness that had consumed his soul in the last six months. "I hung onto that anger and hurt for far too long, Karen. I wouldn't let it go and, in the process, I damaged our relationship. I know I was wrong four years ago. I love you so much and I'm just praying that you're smarter than I was and that you won't make the same mistake."

Karen said nothing but raised her teary face to Bill's and leaned in for a kiss. It was a long, slow kiss and its intensity grew. Bill finally broke the kiss. He gently wiped tears from Karen's face with his thumbs. "I've got an idea. Let's go to Lakeside to celebrate." Lakeside was their favorite restaurant. Set in a big, old Victorian house, the first floor was an elegant restaurant. In the summer, an outdoor café gave an unmatched view of Lake Champlain. The second floor was a wine bar and jazz club called Claret. "I can almost taste the lamb chops," Bill said. "After dinner we could go to Claret and listen to some jazz."

"That sounds wonderful," Karen said as she smiled. "I'd really like that."

Bill smiled back. "I could even shave for the occasion."

"Don't you dare!" Karen scolded him. She stroked his face. "I love the beard. It's incredibly sexy. So is the longer hair. I just look six months older, but you look wonderful. You were back in your element and you really liked it, didn't you?"

Bill sighed. "The intelligence work was great, but being in the field was a little disconcerting. Tony and Jack do it like it's nothing. Even Aaron Pierce just takes it in stride. He got shot in the shoulder and you would have thought it didn't even happen. He just got up and kept firing. It's not as easy for me. I'm more comfortable behind a desk. I wasn't all that afraid of dying. I was more concerned with how that would have hurt you. That worried me more than anything."

"It's over now. And if you ever get approached about something like this again, you're going to tell me, aren't you?"

"I promise," Bill whispered as he moved his face closer to hers. The two fell into another long kiss and it wasn't until the front door opened, startling them out of their reverie that they looked up, remaining in a close embrace. Isabelle and Sheena entered the house.

Sheena ran immediately to Bill and Karen once Isabelle removed her leash. Isabelle then silently hung up her jacket and the dog's leash without looking at her mother and stepfather. "I'll go upstairs," Isabelle said quietly. "I know you two need some space."

"It's okay, Belle," Karen started. "We've talked everything out. We're going to try again."

"You're an adult," Isabelle said nodding as if agreeing to a business deal. "As Bill said earlier, it's your decision to make. I just want you to be happy, Mom."

"I am happy, Belle. This is what I want. This is what we both want."

"Then I hope it works. Maybe I should go over to Seth's tonight and leave you two alone. I should probably start thinking about moving out. Seth and I have been looking for a house. Maybe we need to speed up that process."

"There's no need for you to leave this evening, Isabelle," Bill said. "And we don't want you to change your timetable for buying a house."

"Bill's right," Karen agreed. "Besides, I thought you were having friends over here tonight.

"I'll call and cancel that. It was nothing special. We were just going to sit down by the lake and build a fire in the fire pit, maybe watch a movie later on. I'll just let them that it won't be convenient."

"Don't cancel," Bill said shaking his head. "Your mother and I are going out tonight. You'll have the house to yourself."

Isabelle looked at her mother who nodded agreement. "We're going to Lakeside for dinner and then to Claret. We'll be out late."

Isabelle shrugged. "If you're sure it's okay…"

"It's fine," Karen told her. "That's settled. Now I need to go upstairs and get ready for dinner." Karen squeezed Belle's shoulder as she passed her and then bounced up the stairs. Bill and Isabelle both watched her go.

"Mom hasn't been that happy in a long time," Isabelle said quietly to Bill. "Please don't hurt her."

"Isabelle, there's a lot of things that you and I don't agree on, but the one thing we do agree on is that we both want your mother to be happy. I have no intention of hurting her again. I didn't want to hurt her six months ago, but…"

Isabelle interrupted. "Let me guess; it was a matter of national security. Everything is classified and if you told me, you'd have to kill me." For the first time, she smiled at Bill. "Mom was pretty sure that you were working to stop the terrorist attacks. I guess she was right."

Bill nodded.

"Maybe you two know each other better than I thought you did. Your minds certainly work the same way."

Bill extended his hand toward Isabelle in order to shake. "How about if we call a truce, for your mother's sake?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Isabelle agreed as she took his hand. "I owe you an apology."

"No, you don't. I got what I deserved when I walked in here today."

"Not just for today. I've been too hard on you for as long as you and Mom have been together. You have to understand, I was 15 when Mom and Dad separated. Mom tried to hide it, but she was really hurt when my father told her that he wanted out of the marriage. I remember what it was like and I guess I thought that it was better for her to be alone than to ever be hurt like that again. I just didn't trust that she could make a marriage work."

"And my history isn't much better than hers," Bill offered.

"Not from my perspective. All I could see was two people with failed marriages behind them who looked like that were going to do it all over again. It was wrong of me and I apologize."

"Thank you, Isabelle. I appreciate that. Congratulations on your engagement. Seth is a good man and you two make a wonderful couple. Take all the bad that you've learned from your mother and me and make your marriage work the first time around."

"That's our goal," Isabelle said. "Now you better go get ready to go or Mom's going to be waiting for you for a change!"

"That'll never happen," Bill laughed.

Sheena followed Bill as he went out to his car to get his bags and then climbed the stairs. As he turned to go into the master bedroom suite, he realized that Karen had closed the door. This wasn't anything new. Karen always closed the bedroom door when she dressed and Bill knew that, but standing in front of the door he found himself uncomfortable. When he left for Washington, he had only taken essential clothes. Suits and much of his wardrobe had been left behind. A coat and tie was required for the elegant Lakeside, so if he wanted to go, he had no choice but to enter the bedroom and retrieve a suit from the closet. Nervously, he knocked on the door.

"Come in," Karen called. "You're allowed to come in without knocking."

Bill opened the door a few inches. Sheena pushed past him, walked into the room and settled down on the floor in front of a sunny window. Bill didn't cross the threshold but leaned in slightly. "I just want to get a suit. Are they still in here or did you move them to another closet?"

"Why would I have moved them? This is your bedroom, too."

"I'll just be a second," Bill said as he opened the closet door to find it unchanged since he left. "I can go over to the guest room and get changed."

Karen stepped from the dressing room into the bedroom in a robe. "Bill, I just said it's your bedroom, too. There's no reason for you to go to the guest room and change."

Bill looked down sheepishly. "It feels a little funny changing clothes in front of you."

"Why? Are you afraid of me seeing you in your underwear?" Karen teased. "I've seen you in a whole lot less, you know."

"Yes, I know that," Bill smiled in return. "It's just that after six months I wasn't quite sure that you wanted me in your bedroom. You're in the pilot's seat here, Karen. When I came back, I knew whether I stayed or not was dependent on you. Now that you've decided that you want me to stay, I'm letting you choose the form that the relationship takes. If you want to take it slow, that's fine. I can sleep in the guest room until you're ready to move forward. I'll follow your lead."

"When I said I wanted to start over, I meant it. I don't want you sleeping in the guest room or putting me in charge of our relationship. It was a partnership from the beginning and that's what I want now. So let's get dressed and go out to dinner and put the last six months behind us."

"Thank you, Karen. You're taking this so much better than I thought you might. I'm grateful for that." Bill smiled an embarrassed smile and moved to his closet.

It only took him a few seconds to pick out his favorite charcoal gray suit, a starched white shirt and a yellow, coin print tie. His back was turned to Karen as he took off the black pullover sweater he was wearing. He was slipping his arms into the white shirt when Karen said something that made him turn towards her. Her eyes immediately fell on the bruise on his chest.

"Wow! That's nasty," she commented. "How did you do …" Karen's eyes widened as realization of the source of the bruise dawned on the former FBI agent. Without saying a word, she closed the space between them and allowed her fingers to trace the margins of the bruise at the apex of his heart. Bill could hear her choke back a sob. "My God, Bill! It would have killed you." She looked up at him and caught his eyes. "The shot would have gone right through your heart," she said softly. He could hear the disbelief in her voice. "You never said that you were hit."

He put his arms around her. "It caught in my vest. I'm fine. That's why I was wearing the vest, honey. I wanted to make sure that I came back to you."

Karen composed herself and they both finished dressing. Bill surveyed Karen in her black cocktail dress that was cut in a deep V at the neck and hugged her curves gently on the way down to where it ended just above her knee. She stepped into strappy high heels and grabbed a short black jacket. Bill held the jacket as she slipped it over her shoulders. "You look gorgeous," he said as he kissed her neck.

Karen smiled back coyly and picked up a silver evening bag. "Ready?" she asked.

Bill responded by clasping her hand firmly in his. Karen followed him out of the bedroom and down the steps. "Belle, we're leaving," Karen called out to her daughter as they neared the door.

Isabelle stepped from the kitchen so she could see them. "You two look great," she smiled.

"Thanks. Don't wait up. It might be late when we get home," Karen told her.

Isabelle laughed. "Well that's role reversal! I'm usually the one telling you that. Have a good time," she told them as she hugged and kissed her mother and then Bill.

Karen looked over at Bill as the two stepped out onto the porch. "So, what happened between you and Belle? I've never seen her hug you before."

"I think we understand each other a little better than we did before. We've agreed to put the past behind us."

"I'm glad," Karen said as she slipped past the car door that Bill had opened for her. "It's hard having the two most important people in my life at odds with one another."

The half hour drive to the restaurant at sunset was pleasant. The sun blazed red and made the choppy lake sparkle beneath it. Bill took his hand from the gear shift and reached for Karen's hand. Neither said a word, but both smiled, clearly understanding that this new chance they had to start over was precious and not to be taken lightly.

The sun had just set when Bill pulled up in front of the restaurant. He helped Karen from the car before handing the keys to the valet at the door. They entered the restaurant and were immediately greeted by the maitre d who knew them by name.

"Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan! It's been months. Where have you been hiding?" he asked.

"I've been out of the country on business," Bill lied.

"It's good to have you back. Is it just the two of you or are you waiting for others?"

"Just the two of us tonight, Harry," Bill said smiling at Karen.

"Could we get a quiet table in the side dining room?" Karen asked.

Harry consulted his list. "It's going to be about a 20 minute wait for a table. If you'd like to wait in the bar, I'll call you as soon as the table's ready."

Bill looked at Karen who nodded in agreement. "Take your time," Bill told him.

Karen walked in front of him into the bar, a room which had served as a library to the original owners of the house. They chose a corner table and shifted the chairs so they were sitting close together. A server appeared less than a minute later and placed cocktail napkins in front of them.

"What can I get for you?"

Bill looked at Karen. "How about a bottle of champagne?"

"I'd love it," she returned.

He consulted the wine list and turned to the server. "A bottle of Pertois Moriset Gran Cru," he told her.

"What are you celebrating? A wedding anniversary?" she asked.

"Sort of," Bill said with a smile.

The young woman looked confused but simply smiled back and retreated to the wine cellar.

Bill and Karen sipped champagne and settled back into comfortable conversation. From there they moved on to dinner, eating and chatting and catching up on the six months that both had missed. The familiarity of the evening, their favorite restaurant, a jazz guitarist and a fine bottle of champagne, made them feel as if the six months past had just evaporated. They ate dessert and drank port as the guitarist took a break between sets. Again they had adjusted their chairs so they sat inches apart.

"Bill, I've dreamed about this evening for the last six months. In my heart I was sure that you'd come back and we'd start over. That dream was about all that kept me sane," she said softly.

Bill reached under the tablecloth and placed his hand just above Karen's knee. He squeezed lightly. "It's what I dreamed about, too."

Karen slipped her hand on top of Bill's. His heart pounded fearing that she was going to move his hand away. Let Karen maintain control, Bill thought. If she's not ready to be this close then I'll wait. Instead of moving his hand away, Karen stroked his hand for moment before sliding it a little higher on her thigh.

Bill immediately knew why she did it. It allowed him to feel that she was wearing stockings and a garter, something that she knew turned him on like nothing else. "Oh my God!" Bill whispered into her ear and then kissed her cheek. "You're making me crazy."

"Good," Karen whispered back. "That was the plan."

Bill moved his hand and swallowed hard knowing that if he didn't get himself under control that he wasn't going to be able to stand up anytime soon without embarrassing himself. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Home's a half hour away and Isabelle's there," Karen said breathily. "We'd have to be very quiet," she added.

"You're killing me," Bill said feeling heat flush his entire body. "I'd suggest the car, but it's a two seater and the gear shift would get in the way," he virtually panted.

"Let's get a room," she suggested. "The Vermont House is just down the road."

"They book months in advance."

"Not at this time of year. Call them; I bet they have a vacancy," Karen suggested. She stood and picked up her bag. "I'm going to the ladies' room. I'll be right back."

Bill pulled out his phone as he signaled the server for the check. It took less than a minute to go online and find a phone number for the hotel. Karen returned and sat down just as Bill hung up. "We have the bridal suite," Bill smiled. "A bottle of wine will be chilled and waiting for us."

Karen took her phone from her bag. "I'll call Belle and let her know we won't be home."

"That could be awkward," Bill said not sure why he was embarrassed. His stepdaughter obviously knew that he and Karen slept together.

"Don't worry about it," Karen said. "I know how to handle it," Karen assured him.

Bill got his credit card back from the server, mentally calculated a tip and signed the check as he listened to Karen's end of the conversation.

"Belle, it's Mom. Honey, we've had a little too much to drink." She paused to listen. "Oh, no, Belle, it's nice of you to offer to come and get us, but that would just mean we had to come and get the car tomorrow. No, we'll just get a room for the night." She paused again. "We're going to The Vermont House. It's less than a mile away. Bill's fine to drive that far. I just don't think we should drive the 20 miles back home. We'll be home in the morning, honey. If Seth wants to spend the night, that's fine."

Bill smiled realizing that Karen had just turned them into the responsible couple who wouldn't drive after drinking and deflected the attention away from them and onto the young, unmarried couple they were offering their house to. It was brilliant.

"How was that?" Karen asked.

"You're a genius," he laughed. "That's why I married you."

They drove the short distance to the hotel and parked the car. Karen started giggling uncontrollably as Bill helped her from the car.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I've never checked into a hotel without luggage," she laughed.

"Never?" he asked now beginning to laugh, too. Bill hit the remote lock on the key fob. "Oh, then this is a new experience," he said devilishly. "You know that the desk clerk is going to think we're cheating."

"No he won't," Karen disagreed. "Our wedding rings match."

"What wedding ring?" Bill asked as he slipped his ring off and stuffed it into his pocket as they walked into the hotel lobby. Bill stopped before they got to the desk and turned to Karen. "Are you sure your husband isn't going to wonder where you are when you don't come home tonight?" he said just loud enough to make sure that the desk clerk would hear him.

The young man looked up with interest taking in the scene before him.

At first Karen looked mortified, but just as quickly she decided it would be fun to play along. "Are you kidding? He'll stumble in drunk after the bar closes and pass out in bed. He won't even know that I'm not there. I'll be home tomorrow before he wakes up."

"I don't need him coming after me," Bill said nervously. "You said he has a gun."

Now the desk clerk looked away anxiously.

"He'd have to find the bullets. I hid them." Karen smiled slyly and stroked Bill's face. "Come on now, darling. We've got the bridal suite. Let's not worry about my husband."

Karen strode to the registration desk and smiled at the clerk who was wearing a name tag that identified him as David Winters. After a quick greeting Karen got right down to business. "David, we called a few minutes ago to reserve the bridal suite. The name is Buchanan. Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan."

"Of course, Mrs. … ah… Buchanan. I believe I spoke with your… ah… husba… I mean I spoke with Mr. Buchanan," David said.

Bill looked away in order not to burst out laughing. He scanned the lobby and the parking lot as if still concerned about the sudden appearance of an armed and irate husband.

Check in took a few more minutes before David finally handed Karen the keycard for the bridal suite. Bill stepped over to the bank of elevators and pressed the up button several times while he continued playing the part of the anxious lover. As the elevator door opened he and Karen stepped in and waited for the door to close before looking at each other and laughing. Bill pushed Karen gently but firmly against the side of the elevator and leaned in close. "You're incorrigible," he told her.

"You started it," she fired back.

Bill kissed her hard.

Karen groaned quietly into his mouth. "Are we there yet?" she asked as he let his hands slide down her body.

"Soon," he whispered in return.

"Not soon enough," she hissed as she angled her knee to make her thigh press against him. "I feel like a teenager. God! I want you right now."

Scenes from the movie Fatal Attraction raced through Bill's mind. He could just see Michael Douglas and Glenn Close making love in the elevator and for a split second considered the possibility. A second later the elevator door opened and brought Bill back to reality. The two stepped out, moving quickly down the empty hall to the room. Karen's hand shook with excitement as she swiped the keycard to unlock the door. Bill glanced quickly up and down the hall looking for obvious security cameras. When he didn't see any, he pressed against Karen from behind and fondled her insistently. Karen finally got the door opened and she and Bill rushed inside. They put the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door and retreated into the suite.

Bill knew that the well known hotel probably had a beautiful bridal suite, but at the moment it was the least of his concerns. All he cared was that he had Karen in his arms and they were stripping clothes off of one another as quickly as possible. They made love frantically first in the suite's front room on the sofa and the floor and then again in bed. They made love long into the night before both collapsed in utter exhaustion onto the pillows. Their bodies were damp with sweat.

"I need a shower," Bill gasped.

"I'm game," Karen answered.

"Are you kidding?" Bill asked. "I'm too tired to even think about it. I haven't had sex like that since I was 19 and that was a long time ago."

Karen laughed. "It did feel like we were trying to finish before we got caught."

"How in the world did you keep up that pace?"

"That was six months of pent up frustration."

"If that's the result, I should leave you more often," Bill suggested.

Karen pulled the sheet up to cover herself and shifted away from him. She sat up leaning against the headboard. "Don't even think about it," she said softly. "Don't joke about that, Bill, please. It's not funny." She glared at him unable to suppress the hurt that their separation had caused her.

Bill immediately sat up and closed the space between them. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn't realize how cold that sounded until after I said it. I will never leave you again and I mean it. I love you far too much."

Karen's face softened but her eyes still brimmed with tears. "I'm sorry. I over reacted. I'm just so afraid of losing you."

"Come here," Bill offered as he drew her into his arms and they slid back under the covers. "I'm not going anywhere without you."

Karen kissed him and smiled into the darkness. "I know your kind," she teased. "You're just staying for the sex."

"Maybe you're right. Do you have a problem with that?" he teased back.

"Not at all," she whispered as tilted her head back to kiss him.

"One more time?" he asked hopefully.

"Not tonight, dear. I have a headache," Karen said playfully and rolled over on her side, back facing Bill.

He laughed and curled up against her. He could feel her sigh softly as he wrapped an arm around her and it felt so good. Good enough that he never wanted it to end. And this time, he knew that it wouldn't. This time it was forever. He promised himself, as he had promised Karen earlier, that he wasn't going anywhere, he was never leaving her again. They would love and honor each other until death as they had vowed five years earlier. Somehow, discovering how great their love really was, made the last six months worthwhile, valuable. It gave them an insight they hadn't had before and Bill was grateful. He kissed Karen's neck and nuzzled against her hair inhaling deeply before settling in to a restful sleep.

Thanks again for reading. Hope you'll take a second and review. I just love reviews!