Chapter 1: Life On The Other Side (18+)

[Gerard Finnegan]

The two of them were out until about 4 AM that night.  Just singing songs, drinking, and making s'mores.  At the end of the night Gerry walked inside with her, hand in hand.  They quietly made their way up the stairs, parting ways at his door, Kara holding onto his hand for an extra moment before she closed the door behind her, throwing a tired, smiling glance over her shoulder.  

The next day Gerry woke to the sounds of activity bright and early.  His eyes bloodshot and his hair wild.  With a frustrated groan, he rose out of bed, hands going to his head as he looked at his clock.  7:30.  Ugh.  What the hell was wrong with these people?  He stepped out onto the balcony, looking over his family.  Ginny and Rose were...vehemently discussing the merits of Once Upon A Time while Bill stood at the stove, cooking up some breakfast.  Nasya was in the redhead's arms as they discussed.

"It's pretty much Disney jerkin' it in front of a mirror!"  Ginny argued.

"Hush!  Not in front of the baby!" Rose reprimanded her daughter.

Ginny rolled her eyes.  "She doesn't know what I'm saying.  Do, ya, ya little poop machine?"  she asked the baby in a funny voice, earning a delighted squeal from Nasya.

Rose gave her a pointed look, such a decisively "mom" expression on her face.  "It is not.  They play with the old fairy tales and give them a little twist.  It's fun!"

"Oh really?  Then why was that one season basically Frozen 2?"  Ginny fired back.  "And Merida!  With her...godawful wig!  Totally lifted RIGHT out of the movie!"

"Do you enjoy ANYTHING?"  Rose said with narrowed eyes.

"...I like that show where the kids cook."

Gerry barely noticed the figure who stepped up beside him.  Her white tanktop and pj pants rumpled, her hair a wild mess.  She dramatically leaned against the bannister, turning exhausted crystal blue eyes up at him.  "What the hell is wrong with these people?  Who wakes up this early?"

Gerry shook his head slowly.  "They're out of their minds, obviously."  

Kara smirked and leaned against him, her mouth opening in a long, wide yawn.  The pair of them trudged downstairs and went through breakfast.  Bill and Rose suggested a run into town and Ginny was the only one game for it.  Gerry and Kara opted to stay behind.  

After a nice long nap, with Nasya snoozing away in her crib, they woke up to an empty, peacefully quiet house.  Kara stood in the kitchen, all the accouterments for an epic sandwich spread before her, when Gerry walked in, his daughter in his arms.  

"Wow.  You putting everything in the fridge into that thing?"  He asked her, eyebrow quirked.

"Only most of it."  She responded with a smirk, spreading mayo over the pile of meat.  Gerry stepped up next to her, grabbing a couple pieces of bread from the loaf.  She glanced at him as he piled on salami and swiss cheese.  Her brow furrowed derisively.

"That's it?"

"Yup."

"Dude.  It's just meat and cheese.  What the hell?"  She chastised him.

"Yeeeeeup.  I knows what I likes, woman."

"For christ sake, man, put on some mustard or something!"  

A smug grin on his face, Gerry shook his head.  "Don't ruin my awesome sammich with your demon condiments."

"Come on, man!"  She pleaded reaching over with her squeeze bottle of mayo.

"Nooooo, dooooon't!"  Gerry said imitating a childish cadence, pushing her hand away.  "You'll ruin it!"

She stopped a moment and then and swiped some of the condiment off her own sandwich and wiped it on his.  He stared at her wide-eyed for a long moment.  "Oh.  Oh, you are dead."  he said.

He reached over and swabbed some off her own sandwich and quickly smeared it across her nose.  She recoiled, her face scrunching up as she started laughing.  "Oh-hohohoooookay..."  She nodded as if accepting defeat.  A pair of delicate fingers scooped up some mustard and then slid it down his face in twin lines from his eybrows to his cheeks.

Gerry pulled away from her, a shocked expression on his face.  The two of them stared each other down, daring one another to make the next move.

Suddenly, she smashed the top of her mustard and mayo slathered slathered food onto Gerry's grabbing the whole thing and running off, giggling madly.

Gerry stood there, blinking.  He looked own at the little girl in his arms.  "These are the people in your life.  I apologize."

A delighted smile appeared on her face as she stared up at her mustard-faced father.

[Gerard Finnegan]

The pair sat out on the dock, pair of poles in the water.  Kara was in a form-fitting black tanktop and cut-off jean shorts.  Her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, strands coming down to frame her face blowing gently in the light wind.  Gerry in a simple, faded grey t-shirt and shorts, baseball cap on his head.  Nasya was strapped to  Gerry's chest, little sunglasses and a pink hat covering her head.  Gerry and Kara's legs hung over the side of the dock as they sat.  A nice cool breeze blew in from the lake cutting through the warm air.  

"You ever think about doing anything else?  Closing up shop and trying something new in a different state?"  Gerry said, looking over to her.

Kara scrunched her face and shrugged.  "I dunno.  Not really?  I mean, I've got a pretty good thing going with the bar.  I'm my own boss, I set my own hours and all that stuff...I don't think I could work for someone else.  Plus....I like doing it.  I like the people, I like the town."  She turned to him, those bright blues hidden behind a pair of aviators.  "What about you?  You gonna bail on me to go be a dirt farmer in the midwest at some point?"  

Her smile hid a secret pain that maybe he would say yes.  Or worse, that he would say maybe.  There was nothing worse to her than being left hanging.  To her relief, he just laughed and shook his head.

"Nah.  I think I'd miss mom and dad and Gin too much."  He smirked to her.  "And you're okay, I guess."

She shot him a wry look .  "Gee.  Thanks."  She shot him a nudge to the ribs with her elbow.    "What about you?  You miss...the other place?"

"Rhydin?" He asked.

Kara shrugged.  "Sure."

Gerry thought a moment.  Rhydin held its share of great memories, but there was a lot of bad there, too.  He turned to her.  "Yeah, sometimes.  I mean...everything there was sort of...heightened.  Dramatic.  There was always something crazy going on.  Things here are quieter.  More peaceful.  You don't have vampires and werewolves wandering around here and I can't remember the last time I saw a weird demon pop up."

"That sounds exciting!"  She said, her eyes wide beneath the lenses.

"Eh.  It IS until one of them throws a fireball that burns your storage unit or your wife is crashing in the bed of a werewolf and his gay lover."  He said it like it was the most mundane thing ever.  Kara just stared at him.

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"Were there any, like...crazy kinds of chicks you were with?"  She asked him.

He took in a breath, thinking back.  "Ummm...."

"Did you **** a mermaid?!"  She said excitedly.

"What?  Ew, no!"  he responded vehemently.

"Why NOT, man?!  You could have been takin' it to Ariel!"  she insisted.

"Do you know how fish reproduce?"  He said, staring at her like she were a mad woman.

"Oh...Oh, ew.  Yeah, I hadn't thought that.  No, nevermind."  She said, grossed out with herself.

"I did date this one woman...superhuman strength and speed.  Not a vampire or anything, but something else.  Beka.  Kind of an odd duck, but sweet once you got past all the toughness."  He said with a fond smile.

Kara grinned.  This sounded familiar with Gerry.  "You DO have a type, don't you?"

Gerry let out a breathy scoff and shook his head at himself.  It would appear he did.

"What happened?"  Kara asked.  

Gerry just shrugged.  "Life. "  The smile faded slightly before he continued on.  "I got busy with work and she was busy with whatever she was doing.  Just lost touch.  Never did see her again."

"Geez...not even a official break-up."  Though a part of her was happy that it worked out that way, as it brought him to her, another felt a swell of pity for him.  The way he talked about her sounded full of regret.  Like she was the one who got away.   Or one of them, as it were.

"I'm sorry."  She said.  "That sucks, man."

With a shrug of his shoulders he looked to her.  "Never had much of a rudder anyway.  Life just kind of takes me places...some things end.  New things begin.  You just try to cling to what you have as long as you can and hope nothing takes it away."

"That sounds very lonely."  She said.

"It can be..." he admitted.  "But...it brought me here.  I've got you, I've got my daughter, I've got my family...I'm doing okay."

"But are you just waiting until something takes us all away?"  She asked him.

"...partly."

"How do you ever manage to appreciate something if, the entire time, you're just waiting for the other shoe to drop?"  She asked him with a shake of her head.

"Kara...if my life has taught me anything, it's that I can't afford to do that.  I had a good home.  Friends.  Family.  It was taken.  I made a new family, new friends, new home and new life when I got to Rhydin.  That was taken.  I got married and had a beautiful baby daughter with a woman I loved.  THAT was taken.  Don't you think I'd be a bit naive to believe that THIS...THIS was the thing that sticks?"  He didn't want to hurt her feelings or make her feel bad, but he knew the truth, and he certainly didn't want to lie about it.

The offended way Kara stared at him told him that he had.  "So...you've pretty much got one foot out the door with us, huh?"

"No, that's not what I'm-"

"Well, that's great for you.  But you know, the rest of us are kind of invested in you being here.  We've waited a long time without hope of it ever happening again, so if you're just looking for the way out you might want to just tell us." she started, her voice betraying how upset she really was.

"Kara."  Gerry stared at her, unsure of what to say.  "That's not what I was saying."

"You don't think this is permanent.  Yes or no?" She asked him.

"I don't know!"  Gerry answered.

"So, you're prepared for this all to just end and that's cool?"  In her heart, she knew that it wasn't true, but something about what he said just pulled a massive trigger in her mind.

Gerry stopped and just stared at her.  This was ridiculous.  He'd said nothing wrong and she was acting really odd.  "Kara...what is this?"

"You don't care if you lose us!  That's basically what you just told me!"  She stared at him accusingly,

"Kara.   I would be devastated.  Yeah, I would move on eventually, but it would break my ****in' heart.  You, Gin, Mom, Dad?  I just got you back and I'm terrified that I'm going to lose you all again.  Life has taken and taken and taken from me.  And I'm scared that it's going to take more."  He looked down at the little girl in the sunglasses attached to his chest.  He wasn't just talking about them.  He was talking about her.  In a life that stole so much from him, this little girl he didn't plan on had become so very important to him.  The thought of losing her was unbearable.  She was his.  His little girl.  Everything he'd done since being sent here had been for her.  The long hours working, denying himself time grieve properly.  It was all for her.

Kara stared at him, her expression softening as she understood.  "I'm sorry.  I just...I don't want to lose you again."  She sighed, lowering her head a moment before looking to Nasya.  The little beauty a bit disturbed by the harsh tones in the big people's voices.  She smiled and tickled her chin gently.  

Gerry's lips twitched into a smile before he looked to the side.  "Kara..."

Her attention turned upwards to him.  "Hm?"

Gerry pointed a finger at her pole.  The bob was pulled under the surface of the cool clear water.  Kara pulled off her sunglasses, eyes wide with excitement.  "Ooooh!"  Quickly, the brunette snagged her pole.  The fish put up a decent fight, but she was game.  "Jesus...come on, you little bastard!"  

She was really struggling, but Gerry was right there with her, cheering her on.  "You got it!  You got him!  Come on!"

She yelled excitedly, still reeling the fish in.  "I'm gonna put youuuuu in mah bel-leh!"  

Finally, she pulled a wriggling, 15 inch catfish from the water, an exuberant squeal leaving her.  "YES!  LOOK AT THAT!"  She said, her face lit up in elation.  "Is it a keeper?!  What's a keeper?!"

"That is TOTALLY a keeper!"  Gerry assured her.  

"YES!  I'm gonna name him Henry!"

[Kara Aimsley]

The family sat down to dinner that night to feast on Henry and his fishy brethren.  A look of such smug pride on Kara's face when her catch was presented to the family, that Gerry couldn't help but chuckle.  After dinner they were gathered on the porch, Otis Redding's Dock Of The Bay playing on the radio.  Rose sat in Bill's lap, a glass of sangria in her hand and a beer in his.  Kara's feet rested on Gerry's thighs while Ginny was snoozing away in a hammock, a glass at the end table by her side.  

Kara smiled at the older couple, still so in love after all the years.  They were so good together, so happy with each other.  God, she wanted that.  "How did you two meet?"  She asked, taking a quick sip of her drink.  

Bill glanced to his wife, brow wrinkled in thought.  "Where were we?  Dave's?"

Rose nodded.  "We were at a party a friend of us was throwing.  I was just out of a bad break up, and Dave was always trying to get us to meet.  For whatever reasons it just never worked out.  Either he was busy or I was busy, or we were dating other people.  We'd never even met."

Bill smiled up at her.  "So, Dave throws this big shindig at his place down by the beach, and we're both there.  I walk in the door and I see this...stunning woman standing by the record player talking to her friends.  And immediately, I'm thinking, 'I gotta talk to her.'"

"And this hunky guy walks up to me, flashing those baby blues at me and that smile...and suddenly, there's no one else at this thing.  Just me and this handsome, charming, funny guy who I am just completely smitten with."  Rose continued the story placing a smooch on her husband's lips.

Bill turned to them.  "We ended up sitting out in the sand, sharing a bottle of wine until sunrise.  Just talking and laughing...And that was it.  I was cooked."

Rose giggled.  "We didn't even realize we were the people Dave had been trying to get together until our first date."

Kara's smile widened, looking between the two of them.  "You guys are so lucky."  She said.  "How do you do it?  I mean after all these years?"

Rose shrugged.  "It hasn't always been easy.  I mean, people are still people, and we can still drive one another up a wall.  You go through tough times.  You argue, you fight, you butt heads.  But at the end of the day, when he looks at me, it's still the look he gave me that night.  And it still gives me the butterflies I had that night.  It's just more now.  Because he's not just a guy I met at a party.  He's the father of my children.  The man who has stood by me through everything.  The man who has never let me down."

Gerry beamed at his parents.  What they had was beautiful.  Perfect.  It might seem mundane or boring to some, but to him, it looked like heaven.

"She's all I could I want.  All I could need.  She gave me so much in this life that I can't, and don't want to imagine a life without her."  Bill finished, placing a lingering kiss on Rose's lips.

Gerry turned to Kara, looking at her a long moment.  Those smokey blue eyes connected with his, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.  

Not much later, Bill and Rose retired to bed,waking Ginny to sleep indoors, lest she be eaten alive by mosquitoes.  Gerry and Kara put all the glasses in the kitchen sink and headed upstairs.  She turned around to face him as they got to the door of his room.  "Well..."she said.  "Night, G."

Those beautiful azure hues looked right into his, a warm smile gracing her perfect features.  

"Goodnight, Kara."  He said quietly.  The tension between them thick enough you could cut it with a knife.  Kara chewed the back of her lower lip a moment, still staring at him.  Finally her eyes lowered a bit and she turned to head for her room.

That was when she felt his right hand wrap around her arm.  She turned to find him moving toward her, his left hand going to her cheek and that was all the prompting she needed.  The two them collided, his lips pressing softly to her's, his thumb moving gently along her cheek bone as one strong arm wrapped around her waist.  Her body melted into his, feeling like this moment could be her last and she would die happy.  

Kara's hand moved up, fingers pressing into the hair at the back of his head as she deepened the kiss, breathing him in through her nostrils.  This was what she had been wanting for so long, what she had dreamed of.  And this moment, it was perfect.

Their lips parted, and she could not stop the wide, blissful smile that took over them.  Their foreheads resting together, the pair of them just laughed quietly, looking into each other's eyes.  Gerry brushed her hair behind her ear and sighed.  Kara nudged her nose lightly to his, the two of them exchanging another quick peck.  "Good night."  She said, elation dominating her expression.

"Night."  He whispered back, the two of them reluctantly leaving each other's arms.  Gerry watched as she walked to her room, her joy evident even in her stride.  As she opened her door she glanced back at him, smiling ear-to-ear before stepping inside and closing the door behind her.  The two of them wouldn't sleep much that night, both trying to keep their giddy laughter quiet.  For Kara, it had been a long time coming.  A dream she'd clung to nearly all her life.  And now it was real and she could not remember when she'd been this happy.

[Ginny Finnegan]

Gerry stood out on the porch, looking out over the dock, Nasya in one arm going to town on her bottle.  The others were still asleep.  Last night had been...oh hell, it was awesome.  There was little sleep to be had but the single father felt on top of the world.  Better than he had in months.  Ginny spied him standing there as she put on the coffee.  The redhead stepped outside and came up beside him, her hair pulled back tight, her big blue eyes not even looking at him.  She would play this coy, aloof.  Gerry glanced to her with a tired smile.  

"Good morning."  He greeted her.

A smug, knowing smirk formed as she side-eyed him.  "Yeah, I bet it is."  Slowly, she glanced at him with a playfully quirked eyebrow.  

Gerry couldn't help the grin that came over him.  His sister gave him a playful nudge with her elbow, a low chuckle leaving her smiling face.  "About time."  She said, nodding.  "About damn time."

Ginny turned and leaned back against the railing, crossing her arms .  "So, when's the wedding?" she asked.

Gerry snorted and shook his head.  "Jesus.  It was a kiss.  And how the hell did you know about it anyway?"  

She blew a raspberry and looked at him like he was ridiculous.  "Like we weren't all peeking through keyholes. "

"Creepy."  Gerry said.

She rolled her eyes.  Come on, man, it wasn't like they were gathered outside his door while they were boning.  "We're all rooting for you on this one, Ger.  Plus, we're family.  We're allowed to be a little bit creepy."  She said with a little grin.  "How do you feel?"

Her brother considered that a  moment, his brows raising with a sigh.  "Good.  Really...really good."  He admitted.

That made her happy.  It had been a long road to this.  "You look it.  You look happier than I've seen you since we were kids."  She tried to remember the last time she'd actually seen it.  When she'd shown up in RhyDin, things were already kind of tense between Gerry and Keirra.  She could tell something was off.  He made a good show of hiding it, of course, but when Gerard Finnegan wasn't happy...it was hard to miss.

The two of them were silent a moment, just enjoying being there in the early morning light.  Gerry turned to her.  "Thank you."

Her brow creased, eyes shifting to him.  "For what?"  Ginny asked.

"For making me come back."  Gerry clarified.  "I was against it.  I didn't want to.  I would have missed out on all of this.  You, Mom, Dad, Kara..."  He stared off, somber for a moment.  "I'm glad I came with you."

Ginny smiled and lowered her eyes.  She remembered how hard he'd fought her on it.  She knew what he gave up.  "I know it hasn't been easy.  Leaving her behind.  Moving on."  She turned to her big brother.  "I just want you to be happy, Ger."

Gerry turned and looked inside, Kara was shuffling down the stairs, her hair a wild mess, a faded, rumpled Van Halen t-shirt hanging off her slender frame.  A tired, lazy smile on her face as she noticed to two siblings offering a lazy wave before she went directly to the coffeemaker.  Gerry grinned and looked back to his sister.  "Yeah...yeah, I think I am."

[Gerard Finnegan]

It was the last day of their trip and the whole family spent the day outside.  Gerry and Bill set up the volleyball net and a slightly over-competitive game of girls v. boys began.  Ginny and Kara carried their own with Rose barely paying attention.  In the end they took the W.  The rest of the day was spent getting a big cook-out ready, most of the nearby neighbors across the lake coming by for the big party.  

By the time the sun set, there were tiki torches going, lights strung over the grounds of the cabin, coolers set out, full of community pot of alcohol.  Beer, liquor, wine.  Fireworks compiled for a late night show.  Ginny and Kara spent the majority of the time setting up the music, more than one argument about how to hook everything up taking place over the course of the afternoon.  People from all up and down the lake showed up, piling onto the property.  A few grills going at once, the smell of cooking burgers and brats and steaks filling the air.  The laughter of newly minted friends and playing children filling the air.  

Gerry overlooked the scene, Nasya in one arm and a bottle of beer in the other.  The baby stared up at the multicolored lanterns, just mesmerized.  Bill stood at one grill, doling out cheeseburgers to the partygoers, Rose laughing with some of the others while Ginny sat at a picnic table chatting flirtatiously with a particularly attractive blonde woman in white.  Kara was attracting more than few glances from the men...some Bill's age, and some far younger than her's.  She didn't pay them much mind.  Just kept making sure everyone was happy and making drinks.  The bartender in her hard at work.  

Gerry smiled.  To him, this was heaven.  

A few of the younger men and women had begun dancing to the music before long.  Gerry stood beside his father, sipping away at his bottle and rocking his daughter in his arm.  Bill glanced to his son and noted Kara standing alone.  He nudged Gerry with lightly with his elbow.  "Hey, Kid."

Gerry glanced over with a smirk.  "You better watch those elbows, old man."

"Oh-ho-ho, you may be a big boy, but don't think I can't still spank ya in front of all these people."  He grinned.   With a nod to Kara he continued.  "You know, where I come from, you see a lady like that standing by herself at a dance, you do something about it."

Gerry glanced to the stunning brunette, her hair done in braided pigtails, a plaid shirt tied off at her chest over a tight, white tanktop.  Tan, toned arms shown off in the firelight.  A pair of khaki shorts clinging to soft, sunkissed thighs.  She sipped at a margarita, a soft smile on her lips.  Gerry glanced to his grinning father.  "Would you mind-"

"Give 'er here."  Bill interrupted  with a laugh.  "Ahhh, c'mere, princess.  You wanna cook with Pop Pop?"  He said in a sweet voice to the child.

Gerry smiled appreciatively at his father, starting away.  Bill glanced back at him.  "Have fun."

Kara was watching the fire, not taking note of the tall man who stepped up beside her.  "Hey there, sticks.  Come here often?"  he asked in a flirtatious tone.

A little grin crossed her lips.  "Nah.  First time, tree trunks.  How 'bout you."

"Mm.  You know, my dad owns this place."

Kara feigned an impressed gasp.  "You don't say?  Well, you much be a big deal."

"Well, I don't like to brag."

She snorted.  "Since when."

He gave her a nudge, smirking.  "Don't break character."

"Oh!  Right."  She cleared her throat and sipped her margarita, eyes widening all sweet and innocent.  "Well, golly gee, Mister.  I hope you won't look too unkindly on po' widdle plain ol' me."

Gerry chuckled, his brow arched.  "Get out here."  he said, offering her a hand.

Kara downed the rest of her drink and quickly moved to join him.  The music then faded into   Haley Reinhart's cover of "Can't Help Falling In Love"
Gerry looked to the radio a moment and then back to the beaming blue eyed goddess waiting for his lead.  He took her right hand in his left and slipped his other around her waist.  Together they swayed slowly to the rhythm of the song.

Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can't help falling in love with you

Kara stared up at him, those ice blue eyes peering into the very depths of him.  Gerry thought back to everything that brought him here...what a winding, unsteady path it had been.  "What are you thinking about?"  She asked him.

He smiled down to her.  "Just....everything.  How crazy life works out sometimes."


Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can't help falling in love with you?

"Good crazy?"  She said hopefully.

"The BEST crazy."  He clarified with a grin.

Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand,
Take my whole life, too
For I can't help falling in love with you

Her arms wrapped up around his neck, her cheek resting against his strong chest, clinging to him.  Those smokey eyes sliding slowly shut as a content smile spread across her lips.  Gerry leaned down and kissed the top of her head and looked over the crowd again.  Ginny was dancing with the blonde stranger, couples taking over the dance floor.  And then his parents.  Bill had his granddaughter in one arm and his wife in the other.  The pair of them beamed watching their children.  Bill caught Gerry's gaze and smiled giving him a nod.  Gerry canted his head in return.

Kara pulled back a bit, turning those eyes up at his, Gerry's attention entirely on her.  Kara Aimsley.  The girl he'd spent most of his childhood with.  The girl who'd waited for him.  Enough waiting.

Gerry leaned forward, taking her lips with his.  An action she was all too eager to return.  Her fingers moved up into the short hairs at the nape of his neck.  Their lips parting just to reconnect and deepen the kiss.  

Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand,
Take my whole life, too
For I can't help falling in love with you

The pair of them clung to each other.  their foreheads resting together.  Life was about sacrifice.  Gerry knew that.  He'd given more than most.  But nights like tonight, here with her in his arms, his family close by, he was reminded that sometimes life gives back.

For I can't help falling in love with you

[Gerard Finnegan]

The party ended with a massive fireworks display down by the dock.  The night sky lit up with brilliant explosions of color, as Gerry and Kara sitting on the grass, her leaning back against his chest, sat between his legs.  He'd lost track of Ginny an hour or two ago, but wherever she was, he was pretty sure she wasn't alone because the blonde was gone, too.

He rested his chin on her shoulder, a little smile gracing his features as she turned her head to kiss his cheek.  Their fingers intertwined at her stomach, watching the display, blissful in their closeness.

After the fireworks, people started clearing out, and heading home.  Bill saw the last of them out and turned to Gerry and Kara as they started cleaning up the mess.  The old man looking tired and happy.  And maybe a little drunk.  

"Good party."  He said with a nod.

"Damn good." Gerry said, glancing up with a grin.  "Why don't you two get some shut eye.  We'll finish up out here."

Bill did not look like he was in the mood to argue.  But...just for appearances...."You sure?"

Kara waved him off. "Go to bed, old man.  It's past your bed time anyway.  Gotta be up early to catch some Matlock."

Bill scoffed and then softened.  "I'd argue, but I kind of like Matlock..."

Gerry laughed.   "Get some shut-eye."

Rose stepped up beside Bill wrapping her arms around his waist.  Her husband throwing an arm around her.  "Thank you."  she said.   Turning to Bill, she began to lead him away.  "Come on, you."

Kara and Gerry had the place spotless in about an hour, the garbage bags wrapped up and placed by the end of the driveway for pick up.  Inside, the pair went, washing up and getting ready to go to bed.

Hand-in-hand, they made their way up the stairs, neither really willing to let go as they came to a stop outside of Gerry's room.  "Well."  He said, his voice a whisper.

She smiled up at him and threw her arms around his neck, a nicely buzzed smile on her lips.  "Yeah.  I had a great night."

He nodded slowly, those dark blue eyes staring into her's.  "Me too."  his hands clasped as is arms wrapped around her thin waist.

She leaned up, on her toes and placed a soft, lingering kiss on his lips.  She remained close when the kiss broke, lowering herself down and clinging to him for one more moment.

Those smokey blue eyes peered up at him as she slowly opened her eyes.  "Good night."  She said to him quietly.  

"Night..."  He managed.  His thoughts wer screaming at him as he watched her walk away to her room.  Don't let her go!  What are you DOING, man?!  Go after her!  GO!

But he didn't .  He just watched her walk into her room and shut the door.  

In his own, he paced back and forth, daring himself to go out there.  But what if she was happy to end the night the way it had ended.  What if it was to soon for...that.  They hadn't been dating long and what about-

OH JUST GO, MAN!

He swallowed hard, and set his jaw, a steely determination forming.  He made his decision, stepping toward the door and pulling it open...only to find Kara on the other side.  Her face flushed, with nervousness, eyes wide as adrenaline flowed through her.

The corner of Gerry's mouth upturned in that lopsided grin just before she launched herself at him, lips and tongue attacking his as they tumbled backwards into the room, letting the door shut in their wake.

[Ginny Finnegan]

Ginny cringed as the creaked open, despite her efforts otherwise.  A cursory glance around showed nobody awake yet.  

Thank god.  She let out a sigh and waved on the woman behind her.  Michelle had been her name.  A sweet, drawling accented Texas girl with sun-bleached blonde hair, the deepest brown eyes, and sun-kissed skin.  

"Coast is clear."

Michelle stepped out, looking for herself,  just to be sure and snuck out onto the balcony overlooking the living room.  Their night together had been amazing.  Something Ginny desperately needed after a long, long dry spell.  Those big blue eyes turned up to the blonde cowgirl in front of her.  A smile crossed her lips as she took her hands.  "Thank you for a great night."

Michelle shot her a sly little grin.  "Mm...thank *you*.  You've got my number right?"

A shade of red spread across Ginny's face and chest, her teeth biting lightly against her lip.  She nodded.  

"Good.  You better call me."   Michelle leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Ginny's lips, those big blues fluttering shut as she reciprocated.  The pair of them stared at each other for a long moment before a giddy little chuckle left them.

"Come on."  Ginny said.  "I'll walk you out."

She took her new friend by the hand and started for the stairs.  And that was when her heart just stopped.  The door to Gerry's room opened suddenly, leaving Ginny freezing in place.

Her eyes wide as saucers, her lips parted slightly.

Gerry looked from her to the girl and back again.  

Oh ****.

A little grin formed on his face.  "Nice."

"Shut up."  Ginny said, her face turning beet red.  

That was when a pair of arms wrapped around Gerry's shoulders.   "Ger, come back to bed-"  a voice said.

Ginny knew that voice.  She peered around her brother...to find Kara.  And it became obvious that she was wearing nothing, hidden behind the mountain of a man that was her brother.

The quartet stared in wide-eyed awkwardness for a long moment before Gerry backed slowly into the room.  The door began to shut before he turned and leaned out holding a fist out to Ginny.

The Redhead's eyes shut in embarrassment as she started to turn away.  A moment's hesitation, she stopped and turned, tapping her fist to his.

[Gerard Finnegan]

Gerry's eyes took in the open road, his father sitting beside him.  The radio filled in the pleasant silence as they made their way back to Clute.  His eyes flicking down to the cooler of snacks and drinks by the slumbering older man's feet.  Try as he might, he couldn't will the old man awake.  

Bill just snored, blissfully dead to the world.  A sinister little smirk crossed face as an idea came to him.  With a quick jerk of the wheel Bill bumped his head against the A pillar of the car.  

With loud, startled snort "Wheh! WHAT?  WH...hemph..."

Bill looked around bleary-eyed, blinking absently.  Gerry glanced over, feigning surprise.

"Oh, hey!  You're up!"  he exclaimed.

Bill rubbed his eyes, looking around.  "Hm?  Oh.  Yeah!   Yeah...what's going on?"

Gerry shrugged and shook his head.  "Hey, can you grab me a sammich?"

Bill dug through the cooler and pulled out a thick cut corn beef sandwich and handed it over.

"Where are we?"  He asked.  

"'bout 3 hours outside of home."  Gerry answered.

Bill yawned and watched a sign pass.  "Oooh, look.  We can get porn."

He watched another pass.  "...and apparently Jesus."

Gerry laughed with a mouthful of food.  Bill grinned to his son.  "So, you have a good weekend, Kid?" he asked, taking his shoulder in one of his strong hands.  Gerry glanced over quick, happily and nodded before turning his attention to the road ahead.

"Yeah.  Best weekend I've had in...probably ever."  

Bill gave him friendly slap on the arm.  "Atta boy."  

Gerry knew there was the elephant in the...truck, and was just waiting for it.  No surprise when his father spoke again.  "So...you two uh-"

"Dad, that's-" he started talking over his father before he could finish his sentence

"-together now?"

"Oh."  A long, awkward silence passed between the two of them.  "Yeah.  Yeah, we're making a go of it."

Bill smirked and nodded.  "Good for you.  Both of ya."  Bill stared past his feet propped up on the dash, watching the road rush toward them, the radio playing faintly.  "Fair warning.  You hurt her, we'll kill ya."

Gerry's brows knit together.  "Jesus, old man!  Whose dad are you!"

"What?!  We like her better."