Wednesday morning. March 3, 2004.

Henry entered the hotel lobby at a run, dashing toward the elevators. He didn't notice Sara Ellis sitting in the lobby, but she called his name and ran after him. He pushed the up button and forgoing his usual finesse with the people who worked for him he asked, "Aren't you supposed to be on vacation? What are you doing here?"

She seemed surprised at his abrupt tone, but rallied quickly. "The team's worried. We expected you back at work on Monday."

The ding of the elevator had Henry moving. "I am working. Allen Winston has a special project I'm helping with." He entered the elevator and pressed the button for his floor.

Sara followed him into the elevator. "Then tell us. You need to stay in touch. There are rumors going around and someone needs to deal with them."

"I can't tell anyone. It's top secret. Just..." He ran his hands through his hair, impatient to get to Neal. "Just tell them everything's all right and I'll be back as soon as I can."

"That isn't going to help," Sara insisted. "The rumors are that you're in some kind of trouble, and you won't come back because you're either banned by the board, or you're running away again."

"Who's spreading that kind of story?" Henry asked as the elevator stopped on his floor. He strode toward the suite at a rapid pace, but Sara kept up.

"I don't know, but it's all over the office."

Henry unlocked the door and stepped inside, looking for Neal. He was at the far end of the suite, on the sofa, playing the guitar. In the rush of relief, Sara's words sunk in and Henry paused just inside the suite. "What do you mean, run away again?"

"According to the rumors, you ran away twice already. Once at seventeen, and then again at twenty."

This was bad. Sara's older sister had been a runaway, and that was a hot button for her. Not only was someone spreading rumors, but these rumors were crafted to demoralize his team. "That's seriously twisting the truth. Yes, I left home at seventeen. To go to college. And then at twenty I dropped out of college for a while, but I stayed in contact with my parents."

Jones had walked over toward them. "I should get back to the office, back to something I know how to handle. No offense, but this is freaking me out. You good with it?"

"Yeah," Henry said. "Did he give you any trouble?"

"He was fine as long as he had the guitar. Keeps playing the same song, over and over. Hasn't said a word since we got here."

"Thanks. I'll take care of him." Henry walked across the room and sat on the ottoman in front of Neal as Jones left. "Neal? You okay?"

Neal kept playing the song.

"Neal, talk to me. What's going on in that head of yours? You hate that song."

"Because it always works. It isn't working this time." He sounded distant, his words slurring.

Henry checked his watch. His mother should be here any minute, thank God, because it felt like his world was crashing around him. Neal really needed a professional.

Sara walked over. "Can I help with anything? I've never seen you look so... discombobulated."

"I... Give me a moment." He turned back to Neal. "You remember the lyrics, right?"

That got a reaction. Neal's look of disdain was encouraging. This was the Neal that Henry was used to bantering with.

"Right. Try singing it. See if that helps." Henry stood up and motioned for Sara to follow as he walked over to the bar to pour himself a glass of ginger ale.

Neal was softly singing the words to "Nothing Else Matters."

"We knew it had to be something serious to keep you out of touch," Sara said. "Do you need help?"

Henry shook his head. "Neal's the one who needs help. I'm just trying to hold things together until the cavalry gets here. And I... I'm sorry I can't introduce you. I'm not sure how he'll react to a stranger right now, and anyway I want to keep him off the radar." He shrugged and gave her a crooked grin. "We're nosy investigators. I know if I give you his full name you'll run it back at Win-Win."

"What's... I mean is there..." She rolled her eyes. "Nice job of getting inside my head. No matter what I ask now, I'll come across as nosy. Do you want to talk about it?"

Somewhat to his surprise, Henry realized that he did. "Neal went undercover last week and was given a massive drug overdose by someone who wanted to interrogate him. The hospital released him this weekend, but he's still a little messed up. More than a little."

"This was a Win-Win case?"

Henry shook his head. "FBI case. Neal works for them. I was along as a consultant, but the Bureau took the lead. It all went to hell, and I'm not going back to Baltimore until I'm sure he's going to be okay."

"What's the deal with the song?"

Henry looked back at Neal and smiled at an old memory. "It's a lullaby."

"Since when is anything by Metallica a lullaby?"

"If you play a soft, acoustic version it works. A few years ago Neal was seriously sick. I tried a lot of different tricks to get him to sleep. I knew playing a traditional lullaby would annoy him, and to get past his defenses I picked a song no one would think of that way. Eventually he figured out what I was doing and ever since he hasn't been a fan of that song. But the last few nights he's had trouble sleeping."

"He thinks he can fall asleep while playing a guitar?"

"Sleep deprivation doesn't lead to clear thinking. Trust me, normally he's brilliant." And it hurt to see his brilliant cousin struggling to cope. Henry needed to wrap this conversation up and get back to Neal. He took a deep breath as he considered the implications of Sara's presence. "Very convenient that you happened to be in New York to tell me about these rumors. It reminds me of a rumor I heard. Are you interviewing with Sterling-Bosch?"

"I met with them yesterday. I've always been upfront about the fact that I'd rather live in New York."

That was true, but it still hurt. It had only been six months ago that he'd finished training Sara. Henry sighed. "I'd planned to open a branch of Win-Win here, you know. I thought in a couple of years I could get Neal to leave the FBI and help me run a New York office."

"I wish I'd known," Sara said, looking guilty. "I might not have accepted their offer."

Henry felt his brain belatedly kick into gear, and his mother's warning came back to him. He guessed the source of the rumors. "Listen, Sara, I get it. I need to get back to Baltimore and take care of the people who work for me. I'll be there as soon as I can. In the meantime, you can help me clear the air. I didn't run away as a teen, and I'm not running away now. Let people know the rumors are simply the result of petty jealousy."

Sara crossed her arms. "I can get confirmation about your past to convince people you didn't run away then. But I need a little more than that if anyone's going to believe me about the petty jealousy claims."

Henry weighed his options. Only this morning he'd been saying that Neal should learn to ask for help. Maybe it was time to stop fighting this particular battle on his own. Sara could bring some things to light without fear of recrimination because she wouldn't be working for Win-Win much longer. "You know my father and I aren't exactly best friends."

Sara raised a brow.

"The thing is, Robert's career is everything to him, and it's plateaued. The board wants to groom me as the next CEO."

Sara whistled. "You're saying this is a smear campaign by your father?"

"That's my take on the situation. I think you can trace the rumors back to him. And Sara, I get what you're saying about the team. I'll talk to Allen Winston and my grandfather, make sure they look after my people while I'm away. I didn't intend to leave you rudderless."

"My fault," said Neal, putting the guitar aside. "I'm keeping you away from what's important."

"Stop it!" Henry insisted. "You have to stop believing you come last. Nothing's as important as you are, not today."

The door to the suite opened, and Noelle rushed in. "Neal, are you... Oh, I didn't know we had guests."

"Mom, this is Sara Ellis. She works for me at Win-Win. Sara happened to be in New York and was asked to deliver a message. Sara, this is my mother, Noelle Winslow."

Sara shook Noelle's hand. "It's an honor to meet you, Ms. Winslow. You're a legend at Win-Win. And, um... Great, I meet a legend and I'm tongue-tied."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sara," said Noelle. "I hope you won't think I'm rude, but I'm here to see Neal."

"Of course," Sara said.

Noelle took a seat on the sofa beside Neal, who was strumming the guitar. "I've never heard you play before," she said.

Henry led Sara toward the door and said, "Call me if you hear any more rumors. I might not be able to answer the phone, but leave me a voice mail."

"I will. I'll be back in Baltimore this afternoon. Let me know if there's anything else I can do."

###

Wanting to keep an eye on Neal during the trip to the cabin, Peter had rented a vehicle large enough to hold everyone and their luggage. He was still somewhat in shock. He'd never pictured himself driving an SUV. But he and El were comfortably ensconced in the front seat, the luggage, guitar and art supplies were in the far back, Satchmo had the back bench seat to himself, and Noelle, Henry and Neal were getting settled into the second row. Noelle took the middle, with Henry behind the driver's seat and Neal behind Elizabeth.

It had taken longer than Peter expected to rent the SUV and get it loaded. They ordered room service at the hotel for lunch, rather than trying to eat on the drive up. If they didn't stop, they could make the drive in four hours.

Neal had been quiet and withdrawn during lunch, and as they started the drive he stared out the window. They were leaving New York City behind when he asked, "Where are we going?" in a tone so plaintive that El made a sound that resembled a sob.

But then she put on her brightest smile and looked back at Neal. "You're going to experience the Burke family cabin. Peter's father and uncles purchased it decades ago and everyone uses it as a vacation spot. It's in the Catskills, about thirty minutes from Cooperstown, which I can tell you from frequent experience is home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. It's truly a beautiful area. You'll be glad we're bringing your art supplies. Many of the cabins nearby are rented by artists and writers seeking inspiration. In fact, the story of Rip Van Winkle was set in the same area. The family keeps the cabin well-stocked, but I'll make a grocery run after we get there to pick up some fresh food. Last time I found some beautiful Cornish hens."

"I remember those," Peter said, trying to support El's upbeat discourse. "They were great. Sounds like something Neal would like. Am I right, Neal?"

Neal looked somewhat confused and suspicious of Peter's unusually boisterous tone, but he nodded accommodatingly. He went back to staring out the window while Noelle and Elizabeth talked about food. A few minutes later he asked, "Why can't Henry come?"

Silence fell. "He's here," Noelle said.

"No. You said Henry can't come to... to... Louis?"

"St. Louis?" Noelle asked.

"Uh-huh. He didn't like it when we left. He yelled at the Marsh people to stop."

"Marshals," Noelle said. "You're thinking of when the Marshals took you and your mother away. Henry missed you so much. But then he found you again, and he's here now."

Henry reached behind his mother to squeeze Neal's shoulder. "Right here, kiddo."

"Did you sleep on the trip to St. Louis?" Noelle asked.

"Uh-huh."

"I'm not surprised. Long drives are good for sleeping. Why don't you try to get some rest now?" Noelle reached behind her for a pillow El had brought along for this very purpose. "You'll feel better if you get some sleep."

Neal looked longingly at the pillow, but shook his head. "No. The only way to stop the nightmares is to stay awake."

"Neal, I'm going to help you control those nightmares, but it's going to be draining. It will be much easier if you're rested. Would you try to sleep if I promise we'll wake you at the first sign of a nightmare?"

"I can't." Neal had been looking down, but now he faced Noelle. "It's giving up too much control."

She sighed. "Neal, do you realize that everyone in this car loves you?"

He looked perplexed. "I don't understand."

"Yes, I can see that. Let's try this another way. Do you trust me?"

There was a pause as Neal considered. Finally he said, "I trust Henry." Another pause. "And Peter."

"That's a start. Henry, will you vouch for me?" Noelle asked.

"You can trust her for the next few days, Neal," Henry promised. "She won't let anything happen to you, and I'll help."

"A few days?" Noelle protested.

"Hey, that's a big step. If I said to trust you forever he probably couldn't handle it."

"A few days," Neal agreed. He took the pillow and leaned against the passenger door. Within minutes he was asleep.