“Oh.”  Shane said, thinking she was stepping on everyone’s toes in the last few weeks.  Alice hadn’t been returning her phone calls and Shane hadn’t given up, she saw Alice chatting up a cute dark haired woman in the corning, and swigging a drink.  She had avoided Alice at all costs, giving her a bit of breathing room.  She just wasn’t sure that Alice was really breathing.

*****

            Sam got up from the corner and walked to the balcony she over looked the city.  Such a different city than all the other places that she’d lived.  All the women, all the choices and none of which she even looked at twice at now, how ***** ironic.  After all the years of she and CJ playing the field and then running right back into each others arms, she couldn’t get up the nerve to even hit on anyone.  She sighed, that’s what had been wrong at the Island, and she didn’t want to be with anyone else.  She just wanted CJ, and now she was gone.  They’d gained an extra 18 months against the cancer.  It had been a good year, hadn’t it?  Sam thought, and it had been, but she wasn’t ready to move on just yet.

            She wondered if she’d ever feel comfortable in her own skin again.  She felt the tears threatening as she thought of CJ she’d have loved seeing Dana tonight, glowing and happy that her life was on track.  She would also have knocked the ***** out of Sam for what had happened on the Island Sam took in a ragged breath and calmed herself. 

            Nothing bad had happened, in fact, everything had been good.  Lara had made her laugh, and most certainly eat.  She’d gained about 10lbs and Lara had loved whipping up new and exotic things for the tomboy to try and test. 

            Sam rubbed her chin, thinking about just what had happened in that week and a half, things were just not good in Sam‘s world right now.  She hoped that the fabled ***** gods didn’t have a sneak attack planned; she didn’t know if she could handle it.

*****

            Tina was dancing with Rosita happy to be home again and in Ro’s arms.  They hadn’t had much time together since Tina had been back.  Rosita had started classes and the night that Tina had come home, she’d found an exhausted Rosita laying on the couch, a law book resting open on her chest as she slept.  Another book this one on babies lying on the floor.