Luis watched as the plane landed on the runway.

'She's home!' he thought to himself, trying not to look to happy in front of everyone else, but none would have noticed. Everyone waiting for Sheridan at the airport was smiling. Especially Hank and Ethan.

"Look Luis, I don't know how you managed it, but I will forever be in your debt," Hank said, giving his old buddy a firm pat on the back. "Now she's mine, all mine. You, my friend, have just earned a place in my soon to be very large estate!" Hank laughed at his own joke, but all Luis could think about was seeing Sheridan.

"Yes, Luis, thank you again," Ethan said with less enthusiasm than Hank. Luis knew that Ethan still blamed him for Sheridan leaving in the first place, but was not going to bring it up since the end was the same.

"I'M BACK!" came the cry from the terminal. Sheridan was overwhelmed to see so many people waiting for her. She quickly gave hugs to Pilar and Gwen, and gave Ethan a larger-than-life smile.

"I'm so glad you're back, Sheridan!" Ethan exclaimed, giving her a rib crushing squeeze.

"It's good to be home, Ethan," Sheridan confirmed. "Even though it's only been a few days," she could not help looking at Luis, "I've missed all of you more than you can imagine." 'You most of all, Luis.' She kept that thought to herself. 'We're just friends, remember that. Nothing more than friends.'

"Welcome home, Sheridan," Beth said, genuinely happy to see her again. Luis had told her about what they decided and it suited her just fine. 'Hank's happy, I'm happy, and soon Luis and Sheridan will be, too. Just not together.'

Hank grabbed Sheridan. Before she knew what was happening, Hank picked her up by her waist and was spinning her around. Sheridan couldn't help but laugh at his enthusiasm. When he finally put her down, he made a play for a kiss, but Sheridan, seeing it coming, quickly dodged his advance.

"Boy, you don't waste any time, do you Hank?" She asked, a little embarrassed. "Can't a girl get settled in before you move in for the kill?"

"A girl can do anything she wants if she will agree to have dinner with me tonight."

Sheridan was about to kindly decline (she could always blame jetlag), when Beth spoke up.

"That's a great idea, Hank. Why don't the four of us go?" she asked, taking Luis' hand. "We'll make it a double-date. So what do you guys say?" She looked from Luis to Sheridan and back.

Before Hank could protest, Beth took his arm and pulled him aside.

"What the hell are you doing?" Hank asked.

"I'm finding out if Sheridan and Luis are really just friends, like they say. If they are, and they don't have feelings for each other anymore, than they will have no problem coming with us. But if they do still want to be together..."

"They'll try to get out of a double-date," Hank finished for her. "Okay, I guess that makes sense. I want to know what I'm up against."

While Hank and Beth were talking in the corner, Luis and Sheridan were trying to think of what to say to one another. After a moment, Luis started to laugh.

"What?" Sheridan asked.

"It's just that..." Luis started, then changed his mind. Finally he started again. "Okay, I think that we need to reestablish the rules."

"I thought those were dating rules," Sheridan asked, remembering how they had set ground rules for their first date.

"Well, they'll work for friends, too. After all, what else is a date but a chance to spend time with someone you like being with. I like being with Hank, you like being with Beth, right? So they are almost the same thing. I just don't have to pay for the biggest lobster in the tank this time!"

Sheridan smiled, remembering how he had nailed her for ordering cheap when he had taken her to the Lobster Shack. Luis set the rules. Rule 1: Speak openly with each other. Don't worry about pissing the other person off. Rule 2: Order what you want, no matter what it is.

"Okay, I'll stick to the rules if you will," she said.

"So, do you want to go to dinner with them?" Luis asked, trying to sound casual.

"I don't know," Sheridan replied, biting her lip nervously. "I am kind of tired, but..." 'I would love to spend some more time with you, even if it is with Hank and Beth, and we are just friends. Stop It Sheridan!' she admonished herself. "If we don't, they might think that we still have a thing,"

"which we don't,"Luis finished quickly. 'We can spend a few more hours together, even if it is with Hank and Beth, and we aren't together, we're just friends, but damn she's beautiful today...'

Hank and Beth walked back to Luis and Sheridan.

"So, you guys feel up for it, or what?" Beth asked again, looking at Luis.

"I'm game. Sheridan?" Luis asked.

"Sure, why not," Sheridan said, already nervous. "I just need to get home, take a shower and change."

"Great!" Hank said, shooting an ecstatic look at Beth, who returned it double. "I'll pick you up around 7," he said to Sheridan, "and we'll meet about 7:15." When no one protested, he led Sheridan towards the door to the parking lot. "How bout a lift home?"

"Sure."

When she got back to her cottage and got rid of Hank, Sheridan began barreling through her suitcases. 'I have to find the perfect outfit for my date with...' Sheridan stopped short realizing that Luis would be with Beth. A smile crept up on her lips. 'Well, just because I'm not on a date with him doesn't mean I shouldn't look fabulous. I will be on a date, after all. So what if he's there? That doesn't really mean anything. Just because we're just friends doesn't mean I shouldn't look presentable.' Satisfied with that, she went back to finding her outfit.

On the other side of town, Luis was looking at himself in the mirror. 'Man, I need to shave before I see...Beth?' Luis thought about that. 'It's still a date,' he reasoned to himself, 'and as a gentleman, the least I can do is not look like a slob. It has nothing to do with Sheridan.' Luis went to his closet, found a suit, and headed for the shower.

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