Wednesday morning at the Bradfords. Nancy is out getting the paper when a man approaches her.

"Excuse me I'm looking for Nancy Bradford," the man says.

"That would be me. What do you need?" she asks.

~Sheesh, she's so young. She's just a kid, and I could've killed her that day.~ "I'm Harry Simmons," the man says.

Nancy ponders where she's heard that name before and then remembers. The other driver was a Harry Simmons. She wasn't able to go to the hearing but she remembered the name very clearly. This bastard left her to die. Didn't even check to see if she was all right after the accident which had been caused by his carelessness.

"Get the hell out of here." Nancy says trying to control her temper.

"Please hear me out. I came to apologize," Harry pleads with her.

"Oh really?! Well I don't want to hear it. I never want to see you again!! You could've killed me you idiot!!" Nancy shouts.

Tommy comes out. "Hey what's going on?"

"He's the other driver," Nancy says to Tommy.

"I just came to apologize," Harry says.

Tommy looks at Nancy and then tackles Harry to the ground.

"Tommy no!!" Nancy pulls him off of the man and glares at the man. "Get out of here, now!!"

Harry takes one look at the two of them and then goes home deciding he'll try again later.

"You OK Nancy?" Tommy asks.

"Yeah I'm ok, but he had no right showing up here like that."

"No. Maybe we should call the cops," Tommy suggests.

"Yeah." They go inside and call the police. They tell Nancy that Harry is out on bail till the trial and she can get a restraining order to keep him away. She hangs up and relays the information to Tommy.

"I think we should tell Dad," Tommy says.

"So do I." They go and find Tom in the kitchen with Abby, she had come over for breakfast. Nancy tells them what happened outside and what the police said.

Tom boils over with anger. "If that man sets foot in our yard again."

"Tom, don't you think you ought to find out why he came over and how he got your address? Maybe this is part of what the court ordered him to do, in which case you're getting angry at the wrong person. Or maybe hitting your car was the shock he needed to stop drinking, and
he really does want to apologize," Abby says.

"Abby, if he stopped drinking and is changing his ways then good for him, but I don't want him anywhere near this family. However, you're right and I do intend to find out how he got this address and why he came over." He goes to make a few phone calls.

When he hangs up, Abby asks, "Well?"

"The court definitely didn't send him and they don't know how he got our address."

"You don't think he's a danger, do you?" Abby asks. "I mean, it sounds like if anyone was in danger out there today, it was he. He left after Tommy tackled him."

"No I don't think he's a danger, unless he's drinking. But..." He observes Nancy who is still trying to calm down from the incident. She catches him at it.

"Forget it Dad, I'm not going to talk to him."

"Honey no one expects you to talk to him." Tom thinks everything over. "But maybe if you two met in a neutral location. You wouldn't be alone, I'd come too. At least hear what he has to say."

"Why?! He played coward and fled the accident scene so why should I give him the time of day?"

"Because it's not about being nice to him," Abby points out, "it's about confronting something that's scared you half to death. Maybe you'd stop having the nightmares if you found out why he drove drunk and why he ran away."

"I'll think about it today and let you know something tonight." Nancy says as she starts to simmer down.

"Fair enough." Tom says.

"If you want to, you could meet him at my place," Abby offers. "It's friendly territory, but it's not your home," she adds, hoping to convince Nancy that meeting the man is a good idea.

"Yeah and I could come along and be your bodyguard." Tommy says trying to get a smile out of Nancy.

Nancy smiles. "That's very nice of you two and ok I'd like that Abby, and Tommy no wrestling him to the ground unless he provokes it, ok?"

"You take all the fun out of it," Tommy replies

"Sorry little brother," Nancy says to him as she gets some eggs.

"Should I call him to set it up?" Abby asks, wondering if she's presuming too much. "Or would you like someone else to do that, Nancy?"

"Sure if you don't mind," Nancy says. "But right now you're here for breakfast, so relax and eat please."

Abby laughs uneasily. ~Relax. Right. I'm too busy wondering when Tom's going to ambush me with that 'romantic dinner' and trying to decide what to tell him.~ She decides to ignore Nancy's advice. "Tom, do you have that man's number? It ought to be on the insurance papers. And Nancy, when do you want to do this?"

"Yeah I have it, I'll get it for you after breakfast." Tom says. ~Oh no you don't. You came here to have breakfast and relax and that's just what you're going to do.~

"If tomorrow isn't too soon, or the day after." Nancy tells her.

"Well, I have some meetings tomorrow, but I can try to make sure they end by early evening," Abby says. "I'll call him as soon as your father gives me the number," she adds, pretending to glare at Tom.

Nancy stifles back a laugh.

"Abby," Tom begins. "I can't rise from this seat til I finish breakfast and until you finish breakfast. Strange I know, I can't explain it myself, but that's just the way it is," he jokes

"Well, we know where your priorities are," Abby says. "Now I'm just going to eat really quickly and stare at you until I get that number."

Tom smiles. "Ok you win." He goes and gets the phone number and brings it to her.

"Thanks. May I use the phone in your study?" Abby asks. "After all, wouldn't want you to hear me work my wiles on another man."

"Sure." Tom tells her. "And please, no flirting with him."

"Not even a little?" Abby pouts.

"Come on Dad, don't be possessive." Nancy teases.

Tom pretends to grumble about it.

"Don't worry, I'll save all my best flirting for you," Abby says as she stands. She almost gives him a kiss but thinks better of it, with Nancy and Tommy there, and instead only puts a hand on his shoulder before going off to the study.

~Hmm, I wonder why she didn't kiss him?~ Nancy ponders.

Tom starts reading the paper that Nancy brought in.

Five minutes later Abby comes back into the kitchen. "Tomorrow at 7. I told him that there would be more than just Nancy there, though I didn't say whom, so whoever would like to come as backup is welcome."

"Thanks Abby," Tom smiles, wanting to kiss her. "I'll come with you honey. If you want me to."

"Thanks Dad, yes I'd like that. Thanks Abby, did he say why he's apologizing?" Nancy asks.

"No. He wouldn't say how he'd gotten your address, either, but maybe that was from the insurance papers, like your father got Simmon's phone number."

"I don't think it's a good idea," Elizabeth adds her two cents. "He should just stay away and leave us alone," she says as she walks into the kitchen

"Now that he knows where Nancy lives," Abby points out, "the only way to get rid of him is to let him have his say and tell him that's enough."

"You have a good point, but I still don't like it. He better not try anything."

"Little sis you worry too much. Everything will be ok," Nancy tries to convince her. "Dad and Abby wouldn't be going along with it if they thought there was any danger involved."

"My living room's very small and there are a lot of you Bradfords. I'll bet he's too intimidated to do anything more than stammer out 'I'm sorry' and run for his life," Abby says.

Elizabeth laughs. "Now that would be a funny sight."

"Hey, why don't you wait until you hear what he has to say before you decide if he's to be laughed at or pitied."

"I don't care what he says. There's no way I'll pity that man," Elizabeth says and leaves the room.

"Elizabeth!! Get back here and eat!!" Nancy goes after her.

"Do you think I should go try to talk to her?" Abby asks Tom.

"She's not mad at you, Abby. She's mad at Simmons," Tom says. "But if you think it would be a good idea, yes."

"I don't want her upset with me," Abby says. ~And if I can't express an opinion around here without someone taking off in anger, well, that's something more I need to think about.~ Abby gets up from the table and goes upstairs to Nancy and Elizabeth's room, knocks on the door.

Nancy opens the door and lets her in.

"I'm sorry I ran out like that," Elizabeth says. Nancy leaves the room. "It's just that every time I hear about that man I want to strangle him."

"Being angry with him won't make things easier for Nancy," Abby says. "But maybe hearing him out and seeing that the whole accident had nothing to do with her--except bad timing--might."

Elizabeth sighs. "You're right, but I can't be there. If I am he won't get a chance to apologize."

"And what if Nancy needs you there? Is that less important than being angry at that man?"

Elizabeth's face clouds over as she ponders this. "No it's not less important, if she asks I'll go and be on my best behavior, but if not..."

"Fair enough," Abby says and rises to go, but hesitates before actually leaving. "Elizabeth..."

"Yeah?"

"You're not upset with me because I think Nancy ought to listen to this man, are you?"

"No I'm not upset with you. You're only trying to help," Elizabeth replies.

"OK, then." Abby says, relieved. "Talk to Nancy. See what she wants. All any of us want to do is help her."

"I will, but right now I'm missing breakfast. Let's go back downstairs." She smiles.

"Good idea. After all, your father threatened to stay glued to his chair until I finished eating, so I'd better go do that."

Elizabeth laughs. "Dad's so cute sometimes." They head downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Yeah, he is," Abby laughs as they walk into the kitchen.

"Wow you have her downstairs and smiling already?" Tom whispers to Abby, amazed. "You're better at this than I am."

"Don't give me so much credit," Abby whispers back. "They're just being nice to me because of you."

"I don't know," Tom says. "I think they like you."

"Oh, I know," Abby says, but leaves unspoken, ~only because I'm not a threat to their mother's memory, not yet.~

They eventually finish breakfast. Nancy gets her siblings together and asks who wants to come tomorrow night. "I know there's a lot of us, so don't feel you have to come along. But I do need you there and if you want to come you're more than welcomed."

"Just try to keep me away," Joannie says. "But I don't know how he's going to say anything to you after I've knocked his teeth down his throat."

Nancy chuckles. "Thanks, Joannie."

"Hey...get in line," Tommy says "I have first crack at him."

"Come on you two. Violence will just make matters worse," Nancy says to her brother and sister.

"I'd like to come along," Mary says. "I'd like to hear what he has to say. You know, see what kind of excuse he thinks he has."

"Thanks Mary." Nancy smiles.

"No problem, that's what sisters are for," Mary says.

Nancy hugs Mary and Joannie.

"I'll be there." Tommy says "But what about Nicholas?"

"Hmm, I don't know. Nicholas do you think you'd be able to handle it? Things might get intense. You don't have to come if you don't want to."

"I want to come," Nicholas says.

Nancy smiles and hugs him. "Ok you get to be there."

"Count me in," Susan replies.

"Thanks, Susan," Nancy says to her.

"I'll be there sis," Elizabeth says and Nancy thanks her.

The next evening at Abby's apartment. Everyone who agreed to come is gathered around waiting for Harry Simmons to show up. He finally shows up a few minutes later and is a little intimidated by the amount of people there.

"You wanted to talk, so go ahead and talk," Nancy tells him. "It's ok anything you say to me you can say in front of my family."

Harry looks around. Half the family is giving him the evil eye. "Er ok." He sits down. "Look I'm not asking for your forgiveness you'll probably be mad at me for the rest of your life. I just want you to know I'm sorry and if I could take it back I would. What I did that day was stupid and careless and things could've turned out much worse than they did. I don't have a good excuse there's no good excuse for what I did. Sure I can say I did it because I lost a job again or because my ex-wife won't let me see our kids but there's nothing that can excuse what I did. All I can say is I'm sorry and that I'm glad you weren't hurt or killed all because I was an idiot that day." He looks over at Tom. "Mr. Bradford you probably want to hit me or worse and I wouldn't blame you if you did. I sure would if anyone caused or almost caused harm to one of my children. But please know I really regret what I did and I'm sorry."

Nancy remains silent not being able to think of anything to say to the man. Tom just glares at him.

"You're right there is no excuse for what you did," Tom says. "You almost cost me a daughter that day and I probably will never forgive you for that, but it also took a lot of guts for you to come here today and I admire that. Just please don't repeat what you did that day. I'm sure your children would be heartbroken if anything happened to you and I'd hate to hear about another family being in turmoil because of your actions."

"Never again, I'm going to make sure of that," Harry replies and observes the children. "Kids let this be a lesson. I know I'm a fine one to talk and give advice. But just remember drinking and driving doesn't mix. Don't let any of the other kids at school talk you into doing anything stupid. The life I'm trying to put behind me is no life at all." He turns to Nancy again. "I really am sorry kid. Anyway that's all I wanted to say. Unless you want to talk, yell at me, or sock me in the jaw I guess I'll be going now."

There's a long pause and then Nancy finally speaks. "Maybe when your ex wife sees that you're sincere, and you better be sincere, she'll let you see your kids again. And you're right I might never forgive you but don't let that stop you from making a better life for yourself."

After a while Harry leaves and goes home.

"Well that wasn't too bad," Nancy finally admits.

"I feel kind of bad for him," Abby says. Before Tom's kids can gang up on her, she explains, "He doesn't have anyone. From what he said he probably pushed them away, but still. Trying to go through life alone isn't easy, especially if you have problems. It did take courage to talk to you, Nancy, and it took courage to listen to him, too."

Nancy smiles. "You're really a good person, Abby," she tells her.

Abby waves the compliment away. "I wouldn't go that far."

"I would," Tom smiles.

"You're biased," Abby smiles back. "Look, have you all had dinner yet? If not, if someone will help me, I could make something," she offers.

"Yeah I'll help," Nancy offers.

"Count me in too. I'll help. I'm starved," Mary replies.

Tommy says, "I am hungry."

Nicholas turns to him "You are always hungry."

Tommy just gives him a stare.

"Well, I think two's all my kitchen can handle," Abby says. The three women go to the kitchen. "I'm not sure what I have that will feed a crowd. Pasta and soup, I guess, though your father will think that's all I know how to make. Susan's a vegetarian, isn't she?"

"Yes, one day she's going to turn into a rabbit if she's not careful," Nancy jokes. Susan shouts that she heard that and Nancy laughs.

"Well, I think I still have some rabbit food in here from my socially responsible days," Abby says, digging around her cupboards until she finds some texturized soy protein. "Which one of you is good with a vegetable peeler?"

"That would be me." Nancy says.

"Great. The peeler's in that drawer there," Abby points, "and the carrots are in the cripser. Peeled and diced, please--cutting board's over by the sink. And Mary, could you get down two big pots from the cabinet above the sink? Fill them halfway with water and put them up." Abby busies herself getting out ingredients for the sauce and as the girls finish each job, she gives them more to do, until everything's simmering.

While she's waiting for dinner to be cooked, Joannie walks around Abby's living room, examining the pictures, the books, the statuettes, everything that's lying around and open for snooping.

Elizabeth observes her doing this, laughs, and shakes her head.

"I think I'll go find the bathroom," Joannie says, and walks into the back of Abby's apartment. She opens one closed door, takes a quick look around Abby's bedroom, then open another door and locks herself in the bathroom. She opens Abby's medicine cabinet. ~I'm not snooping. If Dad's going to marry her, it's just--it's intelligence work. Besides, everyone looks in their hostess's medicine cabinet.~ Some stuff falls out at Joannie and she makes a mental note of what is and what is not in the cabinet as she tries to shove stuff back, roughly in place. ~She doesn't have any...interesting. Well, I guess that answers one question.~ After a reasonable amount of time Joannie goes back into the living room.

In the kitchen, the food is almost done. "One of you can tell the hordes out there that dinner will be ready soon, and ask one of them to come help set the table. Strike that--you won't all fit around my table; we'll have to do this buffet. Just tell them not to chew the woodwork, that dinner's on its way soon," Abby says.

Mary goes and tells the others that dinner is almost ready.

Abby sticks her head out of the kitchen. "Could some of you come help take stuff out there?"

Joannie leaps up to help, but really to get a look into Abby's kitchen, having been stymied before by Nancy and Mary's quick volunteerism. She barely gets a look around before Abby hands her a stack of plates and flatware.

Later at home Elizabeth corners Joannie in the kitchen. "Ok what did you find?"

"She's got a ton of stuff. Pretty nice stuff, too. I wonder how she manages it on a teacher's salary," Joannie says. "But what's even better isn't what I did find, it's what I didn't."

"And that's better because?" Elizabeth inquires.

"Remember you said Dad probably wouldn't go farther than kissing? I certainly hope so. Unless she hid it, and why should she--she didn't know we'd stay for dinner--no pills, no nothing. So either they've been very good or we may have a shotgun wedding," Joannie says, only half-joking.

Elizabeth eyes go wide in shock. "I know Dad likes to present a good image to us but he's still a man. Joannie, I think it might be the shotgun wedding. What are we going to do about it?"

"Hope she's infertile?" Joannie says. "I don't know. We can't exactly go to Dad and ask him for details on his sex life, and no matter what the party line is, you know that at least a few of us weren't planned, so I wouldn't trust his track record."

"Joannie, what if he does get her pregnant? Can you imagine how that will change things around here?"

"You mean, besides her coming in here and taking Mom's place? If it's a girl, it'd have to go in your room, and Nancy would have to move in with Susan and I'd have to move in with Mary. If it's a boy--we don't have room for a boy at all. And what if she wanted another one after that? A whole house of little babies." Joannie shudders theatrically.

"I'm too old to share my room with a baby," Elizabeth protests.

"Well you sure aren't acting that way, either of you." Nancy says as she enters the kitchen and glares at her sisters. "Come on, Dad and Abby are adults. They know what they're doing."

"I'm sure they do," Joannie says. "I'm just worried that they've forgotten what what they're doing can lead to."

Nancy shakes her head. "Well whatever scheme you two are concocting count me out."

"But we were there for you, Nance," Elizabeth reminds her. "Have you forgotten already?"

Nancy smiles and calms down. "No I haven't forgotten, but I still don't want to take part in it. If it was anything else I'd help you two in a heartbeat."

"Besides, we're not scheming," Joannie points out. "There isn't really anything we can do, except maybe put saltpeter in Dad's food. I mean, we can't drag Abby down to the Women's Health Center, could we?" She turns to Elizabeth, "Could we? We could say that one of us needed to get a prescription, and see what her reaction is."

"That's a great idea Joannie, but which one of us is going to do that?" Elizabeth asks.

"Well, which one of us isn't already on something?" Joannie says, staring back at Elizabeth significantly.

"Ok I'll do it," Elizabeth says.

"Great." Joannie checks her watch. "It's not too late to call now," she hints.

Elizabeth dials the number and waits for Abby to answer.

Abby picks up the phone and when Elizabeth identifies herself, Abby asks if something is wrong--after all, the family hadn't left that long ago.

"Well not really, can I come over tomorrow after school. I need someone to talk to and I can't talk to Dad about this." Elizabeth says.

"Of course you can," Abby tells her. "But are you sure you're all right? You sound a little...strange."

"Yeah I'm ok, I just need to talk to a woman about this. Who isn't one of my sisters."

"Sounds serious. If you can get up early enough, you're welcome to come by before school, if you want. All I have tomorrow are some meetings that don't start until the late morning, and you sound like you have a lot on your mind."

"Oh believe me I do, and thanks Abby that would be much better," Elizabeth says.

"All right, then, I'll see you tomorrow morning," Abby says and hangs up the phone before going back to washing the dishes, pots, and pans. ~A lot of dishes. If you tell Tom yes, this is what you'll be doing every meal for the next decade or so.~

The next morning. Elizabeth knocks on Abby's door. ~I hope she falls for it.~

"Hi, Elizabeth," Abby says as she opens the door. "Now will you tell me what's wrong? You look like you're about to fly apart with nerves."

Elizabeth sits down. "Well this isn't easy to say so I'll just go ahead and get it out. Abby, I want to go on the pill."

Abby lets out a long breath. "I see. Why? Is there some guy you're interested in, or is it because the other girls in school are on it?"

"Well there's this guy and we've been going out a while and he really wants to well you know."

"It shouldn't be about what he wants, Elizabeth. Do you want to? If you can't even say it, maybe you shouldn't be considering it."

"Well I've been thinking about it for a long time and the answer yes I do, I really do."

Abby turns to face her. "Are you really certain? There's a lot more to sex than just two bodies. There's all the emotions, and if it's just something passing, well, it's a shame to expose yourself emotionally like that. I'm not saying you should save yourself for marriage or anything like that, I'm not that old-fashioned, but you should be really sure of what you want before you complicate your life like that, because once you make love to a man, your whole relationship changes."

"Yeah I'm sure, at least I think so." Elizabeth starts to reconsider going through with this scheme. ~She's a smart lady. She wouldn't risk having a baby she wasn't ready for yet, and she doesn't sound like the kind of person who would trap Dad.~

"You only think? Maybe you should wait a few more days, think it over. I don't think I've ever regretted waiting, only going too fast," Abby confides. "Besides, at your age you might need some sort of signature from your parent, and I can only assume your father would not be pleased with the idea, to put it mildly."

"Yeah maybe you're right, thanks for listening and for the advice Abby," Elizabeth says. "I better get going. They get iffy when we're late."

"I could give you a lift, if you're running late," Abby offers. "I have to head down that way sooner or later myself."

"That's ok, I already have a ride. But thanks anyway." Elizabeth says. She leaves before Abby can ask who's waiting and meets Joannie out of sight of Abby and her apartment and gets in the car. Joannie then drives away.

"So? Do we have to break out the bassinet again?" Joannie asks.

Elizabeth sighs. "I tried Joannie really I did, but she was so nice and told me what she really thought I just couldn't finish it."

"Wimp," Joannie teases. "Well, when all else fails...We'll just have to ask David to have a talk with Dad. I'll drive over to his site after I drop you off."

"Joannie I don't think it's necessary and I am not a wimp. Stop this car right now. I guarantee I'll win and send you crying home to Dad," she teases back.

"Oh, good idea. Then I'll go back to Dad," Joannie pretends to cry, "She beat me up because I wanted to find out if you and Abby were..." and then breaks up in laughter. "OK, OK, I'll lay off. But if Dad comes home late at night, or doesn't make it home some night, or if they announce a quickie wedding, don't say I didn't warn you."

Elizabeth laughs at her theatrics. "I won't but it's not going to happen, Joannie." Joannie pulls up next to the school. Elizabeth feels the ground shake slightly. "Joannie did you feel that?"

Joannie opens the car door and looks up at the tree above where she's parked. "Yeah. Let's get into the school, OK?" ~Please do not let that be the first shock. Do not let that tree crash on the car, or I'm dead.~

They head into the school. They make it there in time before the earthquake hits.