She leaned forward. "I don't want you to be anyone but-"

"Yeah, you do," he said. "You only want the happy f.u.c.k-me guy."

Eden laughed at that-a burst of disbelieving air. "You think I want-"

"I'm leaving," he interrupted her. "Tomorrow. You don't need me here, so...I really should get back to the base."

Now she was looking at him and nodding as if in agreement. But her lips were pressed tightly together, like a little kid who was trying desperately not to cry.

"So that's it, then?" she said. "I mess up, once. One time once. One time. And you leave leave...?"

"That's not why I'm leaving," he told her quietly.

"You said said you'd you'd stay, stay," she started hotly.

"For as long as you needed me," he finished for her. He sighed. "Sweetheart, let's be honest here. You don't don't need me anymore. Dan and Jenn are going to help Ben and...He's going to be great with them. It's better this way, not just for Ben, but-" need me anymore. Dan and Jenn are going to help Ben and...He's going to be great with them. It's better this way, not just for Ben, but-"

"For you, you," she said, sliding down off the sink. "Yeah, okay, I get it. Sorry to have inconvenienced you. I'm glad I don't have to do that anymore."

Izzy stood up, too. "Not for me," he said, moving to block her path back to the door. "For you. This way you don't have to sacrifice-"

"Yeah, sorry, I think you're projecting-"

"And this way"-he raised his voice to speak over her-"Ben gets to live in a home that isn't so G.o.dd.a.m.n dysfunctional for a change, where we don't have to keep lying lying to him about why we're together. He's still innocent enough to believe that people get married because they love each other-" to him about why we're together. He's still innocent enough to believe that people get married because they love each other-"

"Oh, like Danny and Jenn?" Eden countered.

"Exactly like Dan and Jenn," Izzy shot back. "You know know she loves him. You can't spend more than two seconds in a room with her, without feeling it-the Force is strong in that one." she loves him. You can't spend more than two seconds in a room with her, without feeling it-the Force is strong in that one."

"So what?" Eden said. "She loves him. Big whoop. Doesn't it fit your definition of dysfunctional if it doesn't go both ways?"

"I'm sorry, weren't you there tonight?" he answered her stupid question with a stupid question of his own. "Have you ever, in your entire life, seen Danny that happy? I thought he was going to s.h.i.t himself with joy. And believe me, that wasn't about Ben. That was all all Jennilyn. If that's not love? I don't know what is." Jennilyn. If that's not love? I don't know what is."

Eden was silent at that, because he was right, and she d.a.m.n well knew it.

"It's better for Ben this way," Izzy told her, quietly now. "And yeah, okay, it is is better for me-" better for me-"

"Because you don't want to be Happy f.u.c.k-Me Guy, Happy f.u.c.k-Me Guy," she said. "Glad we worked that out. Sorry to have put you through all that inconvenient s.e.x."

"And it's better for you," he finished. "Eden, you can have a life."

"Getting rich from stripping," she said, "because screw you, you can't tell me what I can and cannot do if you're...leaving me." She started to cry then, with huge gulping sobs, as if something had broken inside of her, and she couldn't keep her emotions hidden any longer.

Izzy was caught by surprise. She was usually so stoic that a single escaped tear was, for her, the equivalent of an emotional explosion that needed to be immediately brushed away and hidden.

She turned and ran-no doubt horrified by her outburst-flinging the bathroom door open so that it hit the wall with a bang.

She escaped into her bedroom, slamming that door, too, and as Izzy prepared to follow, to apologize and-holy s.h.i.t-to try to talk her out of the stripper thing, which was clearly a knee-jerk reaction, he stuck his head into the living room, to rea.s.sure Ben that everything was okay.

He expected to see the kid sitting up. There was no way he could've slept through those door slams, but he hadn't moved. In fact, he wasn't even stirring, and Izzy went toward him to investigate, concerned that he was sick. The whole diabetes thing was a little scary and he didn't know enough about it, other than the fact that kids with it sometimes went into comas.

Another good reason to leave the parenting to Danny and Jenn. Izzy would be tempted to check on the kid twenty times each night. G.o.d help him if he ever had a baby of his own...

"Yo, Ben," he said as he bent down to look. He found himself face-to-face not with a face, but with one of the sofa pillows. He pulled the covers back and, h.e.l.l yeah, it was cla.s.sic high jinks from overnight camp. Ben had put pillows beneath his blankets to make it look as if he were in bed, asleep.

Son of a b.i.t.c.h.

Izzy slapped on the light both in the entryway and in the kitchen, but the kid had definitely left the apartment. In fact, he'd left behind a note on the kitchen table.

Ran to the drugstore on the corner. Be right back.

Son of a b.i.t.c.h. of a b.i.t.c.h.

"Eden!" Izzy grabbed his cargo shorts, and on his way back to the bathroom, he hammered on the bedroom door. "I know this is bad timing, but Ben's gone AWOL."

She opened the door immediately, eyes red, and he thrust the note at her, then headed into the bathroom, stepping into his shorts as he went.

This time, he had no problem with the mechanics of taking a leak.

And also because, this time, he'd left the door open, it wasn't that that big a surprise when Eden came in, too, to splash water on her blotchy face. big a surprise when Eden came in, too, to splash water on her blotchy face.

"Do you think he left because he heard us fighting?" she asked as she dried herself on one of her faded pink towels.

"I don't know," Izzy said as he flushed and zipped, moving past her into the living room to jam his feet into his boots. "But I'll ask him when I find him. After After I kick his a.s.s." I kick his a.s.s."

"Yeah, well, you can't kick his a.s.s until I I kick his a.s.s first," Eden said, hopping as she slipped her feet into her sneakers, even as she fastened the b.u.t.ton on her cutoff shorts and stuck a baseball cap onto her head. She scooped up both her cell phone and her keys and was out the door before Izzy. kick his a.s.s first," Eden said, hopping as she slipped her feet into her sneakers, even as she fastened the b.u.t.ton on her cutoff shorts and stuck a baseball cap onto her head. She scooped up both her cell phone and her keys and was out the door before Izzy.

SAt.u.r.dAY, MAY 9, 2009.

1:06 A.M.

Jenn wasn't sure which woke her up-the sound of Danny's cell phone ringing in the darkness, shrill and persistent, or his whispering, "s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t, s.h.i.t..." as he tried to pull his arm out from beneath her without waking her.

But he couldn't find his phone and he let loose with a whole string of creative sailor words-all sotto voce-until she told him, "Your pants are over the back of that chair...? By the window...?" as she sat up, turned on the light, and reached for her gla.s.ses.

"d.a.m.n it!" he said as the moment he dug his phone from his pants pocket, it stopped ringing. He turned to look at her. "G.o.d, baby, I'm so so sorry that woke you." sorry that woke you."

"It's all right," she said, because there were plenty of bad things one could find when turning on the light in the middle of the night. Her naked new husband was not one of them. "I know you're not supposed to turn off your cell phone, but...Was that...work?"

She knew that, as a Navy SEAL, when he got the call, he had to go.

"No," he said. "I'm not...It would have to be World War Three for them to call me in while I'm out on medical leave." He shook his head as he glanced down at his phone, then looked back at her, trepidation in his eyes. "This is a different World War Three. That was my mother."

Jenn glanced over at the clock on the hotel bedside table to find that it read 1:06. What kind of mother returned her son's phone call after one o'clock in the morning? And okay, maybe that was unfair. Maybe a mother who was used to her son being in exotic time zones would call whenever she could, hoping he'd be available. Plus, the messages he'd left had had stressed how urgent it was that she call him immediately... stressed how urgent it was that she call him immediately...

"You could call her right back," she suggested.

Danny nodded, looking down at the phone somewhat expectantly. "I could," he said. "But I'm waiting to see if..."

The phone beeped.

"Jackpot," Dan said. "She left a message." He dialed his voice mail as he came over to sit on the edge of the bed. "I know this is probably reading as really cowardly but-"

"Baby, you know I don't think that," Jenn told him.

He put his hand on her foot, holding on to her through the blanket as if he needed that contact as he listened to Ivette's message. Jenn couldn't hear what his mother said, but he made a face as he listened, then winced again and said, "Jesus," as he hung up.

"I gotta call Zanella," he said, already redialing his phone. "Apparently Ivette didn't lose her phone, it just ran out of juice and she didn't have her charger. She's home now and..."

Izzy must've picked up-no doubt thrilled to be awakened at this unG.o.dly hour-as Danny said, "Yeah, Z, it's Gillman. Sorry to wake you, man, but I just got a call from Ivette. She's back and she left a message saying that Greg's got a bender going-she doesn't sound all that sober herself-but she said he's threatening to go over to Eden's to get Ben and..." He paused, then replied, "Yeah. Apparently CPS contacted them and Greg went bulls.h.i.t. I don't know how he did it, but he found out where Eden's been living and..." Another pause and Dan's body language changed, and his voice went up a full octave. "What the h.e.l.l? When When?"

He looked at Jenn, and put his phone on speaker, so she could hear what Izzy was saying.

"...Eed and I were just having an argument about whether or not to call you. We really don't know when he left the apartment, but we're pretty sure he never made it to the CVS. The clerk there's been on all night, working the register by the door. He says he didn't see Ben come in."

"Hang on," Jenn said. "Wait. Are you saying that-"

"Ben's gone," Dan finished for her grimly.

"Eden's spitting fire," Izzy reported. "She's ready to go grab Greg by the b.a.l.l.s and twist 'em off..."

"Yeah, well, tell her to hang on," Dan said, "because from what Ivette said, Greg's only in the nefarious plotting stages and-"

"I don't think she's going to buy it," Izzy said. "Ivette isn't exactly the most trusted source in news. Besides, there's no saying that Greg didn't already call the posse from Crossroads and...Seriously, bro, I'm not going to be able to stop her from going over there. She's already starting to walk it, and, well...I thought you might want to be there for the impending family reunion. I know the timing sucks, wedding night and all, but-"

"It's okay. We'll meet you over there," Jenn said as she got out of bed and started searching for her underwear.

"Thanks, your bride-ness," Izzy said. "But, Danbo? I haven't said anything to Eden yet because I didn't want to freak her out, you know, more more than she's already freaking out? But I keep thinking that this might not be Greg. Eden's address was also on that police report that got filed tonight. If the goon squad who's after Neesha has someone in the local PD in their pocket? They could've been watching the place. And when Ben went out for his little late-night walk? He could've walked right into their hands. And if they think he knows where Neesha is...?" He exhaled loudly, his breath making a rushing sound against his phone's microphone. "Sorry to be going all than she's already freaking out? But I keep thinking that this might not be Greg. Eden's address was also on that police report that got filed tonight. If the goon squad who's after Neesha has someone in the local PD in their pocket? They could've been watching the place. And when Ben went out for his little late-night walk? He could've walked right into their hands. And if they think he knows where Neesha is...?" He exhaled loudly, his breath making a rushing sound against his phone's microphone. "Sorry to be going all Charlie's Angels Charlie's Angels episode on you-you know, heavy with the overblown drama with the diabetic kid being tortured for information he doesn't have-but I already went back to the apartment and got Greg's weapon. Just in case. I'm locking it in the trunk for now, because guns and Greg don't mix, but I wanted you to be aware of what I'm thinking. That maybe we should ramp it up to DefCon three or even two. s.h.i.t, I say that and it sounds nuts, but every instinct in my body is screaming that we shouldn't leave Jenni or Eden alone at the apartment until we really figure out what's up." episode on you-you know, heavy with the overblown drama with the diabetic kid being tortured for information he doesn't have-but I already went back to the apartment and got Greg's weapon. Just in case. I'm locking it in the trunk for now, because guns and Greg don't mix, but I wanted you to be aware of what I'm thinking. That maybe we should ramp it up to DefCon three or even two. s.h.i.t, I say that and it sounds nuts, but every instinct in my body is screaming that we shouldn't leave Jenni or Eden alone at the apartment until we really figure out what's up."

"I hear you," Dan told him as he watched Jenn hang up her rented wedding gown and slip it into the plastic garment bag that the Fudds had given her. "And crazy or not, I agree. Maybe you should bring Eden over here, to the hotel, while we go talk to Greg and Ivette."

"Yeeeeah," Izzy said, drawing out the word. "That's not going to happen. Look, I gotta go chase after her. See you in about fifteen?"

"I'll be there." As Danny ended the call, Jenn glanced over to find him looking at her, as she finished putting on the clothes she'd been wearing before they'd gotten married.

I'll, he'd said.

"No," she told him. "Nope. I won't won't stay here, so don't even bother suggesting it. There's no way I'm letting you attend stay here, so don't even bother suggesting it. There's no way I'm letting you attend that that circus parade on your own. Nuh-uh. No way. Not a chance in h.e.l.l, Gillman. Wear your uniform, by the way. Full-on white power ranger-in case it gets noisy and the police show up." circus parade on your own. Nuh-uh. No way. Not a chance in h.e.l.l, Gillman. Wear your uniform, by the way. Full-on white power ranger-in case it gets noisy and the police show up."

Dan smiled at her, but it was rueful. "In case?" he repeated. "I think you mean when when. This is really going to suck."

"It's nothing that we can't handle."

He kissed her-hard-before he went past her to find his shirt and shoes. "Circus parade is a good way to describe it. In the rain, with a serious outbreak of diarrhea among the elephants, a squadron of evil clowns, and a lion or two on the loose." He paused to look at her. "Still sure you want to go?"

"Positive," she told him. "Evil clowns? Can't wait. Throw in Greg, the dancing douchebag, and some cotton candy...I wouldn't miss it for the world."

He laughed as he tied his shoes. "I love it when you say douchebag douchebag."

"I know." Jenn smiled back at him as she gave up trying to make her hair look as if she hadn't just gotten out of bed. Instead, she simply pulled it back into a ponytail. "Hey, I'll make a deal with you. Make it through this without killing anyone, and when we get back here?" She paused dramatically. "I'll let you be on top."

He laughed, but then asked, "You really think we're coming back here?" Because, in silent agreement, they'd gathered up all of their things.

"A woman can dream, can't she?" Jenn hoisted the wedding gown over her shoulder as she smiled at him and led the way out the door.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR.

SAt.u.r.dAY, MAY 9, 2009.

1:15 A.M.

If someone had designed a level of h.e.l.l especially for Eden, this would be it.

Stuck in a car with a man who'd just announced that he was leaving, heading toward a showdown with her jellyfish of a mother and ugly-mean d.i.c.k of a stepfather, anxious that Dan was going to blame her for losing track of their little brother, and worried sick about Ben.

Izzy broke the strained silence. "I didn't think to check Ben's blood-sugar-meter thing before we left the apartment. You know, to see when he did his last reading." He glanced at Eden. "Did you?"

She shook her head at yet another fail. "No."

"How often does he need to do that, you know, check his insulin levels?"

"Before meals," she recited, "before things like tests at school, before driving-although he doesn't drive yet, before and after strenuous physical activity, in times of high stress, or if he's just feeling wonky."

"So...Not so much before running out to the store."

Eden stared at the road. "Nope. And especially not if he left quickly-to escape the screaming."

Izzy made an exasperated sound. "We weren't screaming."

"Yeah, well, he didn't know that we weren't going to start-did he."

Izzy sighed. "Eden-"

"Chht!" she said, making the hissing sound that the Dog Whisperer used on his TV show, to discipline an unruly animal.

"I don't-"

"Chht!"

He had the audacity to laugh. "Well, that's that's f.u.c.king productive." f.u.c.king productive."

She couldn't let that one go. "Productive? There's no more productive productive. You're leaving. You're done. And that's fine. That's great great, actually. I'm glad you're finally being honest with me. But what I don't don't get is why you're still here. In fact, you should just drop me off and go." get is why you're still here. In fact, you should just drop me off and go."