The lamp and two chairs that were sitting near the entrance to the room were tipped over on the floor. Laura called out to JC and looked around the room to find him, but he was no where in sight. She walked towards the bathroom and heard something crack under her shoe. She looked down and saw broken glass on the floor. She leaned down to pick the larger pieces up as she called out to JC again.  As she stood up she was startled by the figure standing in the doorway to the bathroom. "JC? What the hell happened in here? Are you okay?"

JC put his hand up on the frame of the door and let his head slightly fall as he looked towards her. He never spoke a word. Laura's heart was beating a million miles a second.  The silence seemed to be deafening. She slowly walked towards him and could see he had been crying. "JC...Talk to me. What happened here?" she asked as she reached to touch his chest. JC stepped away from her and walked over towards the bed and sat down. Wearing only a pair of sweatpants he leaned down and started to put on a pair of socks.

"Will you please talk to me!? What is going on?" she asked loudly.

JC spoke softly to her. "I don't even know who you are anymore," he answered, continuing to put on his socks.

Laura was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Don't do this to me. I don't need this shit right now, Laura!" he said as he laced up shoes.

"JC. What-"

He quickly interrupted her and began to raise his voice. "A whole year...A whole fuckin' year and you have been in my life everyday and not even said a word about it!"

Laura realized what he was talking about and let her body slide down the wall until she was sitting on the floor. "Rachel came by while I was gone, I gather."

"Yes. Apparently, she needed to get a few things off her chest."

"What did she tell you?"

JC's anger was building as he tightly gripped onto his t-shirt to keep from throwing something across the room. "She told me everything you didn't. That's a whole year of his life that I have missed. A whole year that someone else has been taking advantage of, in my fuckin' place!" he yelled as tears began to fall down his eyes.

Laura sat against the wall crying to herself as she watched JC and saw how much pain he was in. He started to pack his things up to leave. Laura slowly got up and walked over to him at the dresser.

"JC I'm sorry...I didn't know Nikky was--."

"Dont' fuckin' lie to me, Laura. Just stop. Don't make shit any worse than it already is!" He walked away from her back over to the bed to pack up his shirts and plane ticket.

"She is my best friend. What was I supposed to do, JC? Was I supposed to betray her after I promised I wouldn't say anything to anyone about it? She never told me he was actually yours."

"But you knew he could have been. You knew there was a possibility that Nikolas could have been my son!?" JC threw his head back in dismay as he thought back to all the times the three of them were together with the baby. "I mean all those times that we all sat around together and I played with him. You knew how much I loved that kid. You knew how badly I wanted kids. How could you just sit there each time and not be able to tell me that the little blue eyed kid I adored was mine?"

Laura kept wondering why JC kept referring to Nikolas as his own. Rachel had only told her there was a possibility. Laura was curious to find out exactly what Rachel said to him. She wanted to make sure that Rachel wasn't up to anything and that she told him before she found out about their recent marriage to one another. Laura was about to ask when she looked down and noticed that JC's wedding ring was not on his finger. "Did she tell you this before or after you told her about the wedding?"

JC paused and looked towards her. "I never got a chance to bring it up." He said.

Laura rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I guess you must have left that part out." She pointed down towards his hand. JC looked down and remembered that he wasn't wearing his ring. He went to explain but shook his head and said, "Don't try and turn this around on me."

He grabbed his bag and walked towards the door. Laura ran in front of JC to stop him. "Where are you going?"

"I'm getting the fuck out of here before I go crazy." he said as he started to walk past her.

"No, you're not going...You're not leaving." She grabbed his arms to stop him.

JC threw his bag down. "What do you want from me, Laura!" He yelled loudly.

"I want us to talk this out. I want to explain this to you. I want to know what you are thinking right now."

"You don't want to know what I am thinking right now. You don't want to know that I don't even want to be in the same hemisphere as you. You don't want to know that I can't even stand to look at you right now."

Laura began to cry even more. "JC, please. I am so sorry." She wept as she inched towards him. With every move she made in his direction JC moved back from her. "I didn't know. I was trying to protect you." she pleaded.

"What the fuck? Do I have a fuckin' sign on my back that says protect me? Do I look like I need saving!?" he yelled.

"No" she nodded. "I was only trying to be the best friend I could be. I only did it because I love you..." she cried as she went to place her hands on his face. "I just want to be with you."

"Don't bullshit me." he said as he grabbed her hands.

Laura kept repeating that she loved him. JC pushed her back against the door and continuously pounded his fist into the wall next to her head "Don't bullshit me...Don't you fuckin bullshit me!!!" he yelled. JC slowly backed away from her.

"I love you." she cried as she began to walk back towards him. JC pushed her hands away, but she didn’t relent in her pursuit to make him understand. He grabbed her wrists in his hands to keep her from touching him and looked away from her to avoid any eye contact. He eventually let go of her wrists as she placed her hands on each side of his face trying to get him to look at her. He looked down as she continued to speak. "I love you...And I know you love me too. I would never do anything to hurt you. I want to hear you say that you don't love me, JC. Cause if you do, then I won't bother you ever again." she said, taking off her wedding ring and placing it in his hands.

Laura moved her face in closer towards his. "Just tell me now, and I will get out of your life." she said as she slowly kissed his cheek.

JC looked up into her eyes and they both stared at one another for a brief moment before he calmly stated matter-of-factly, "My mother was right...I don't love you." He quickly leaned down and grabbed his bag and walked out the door.

The words hit Laura like a bullet to the stomach. She doubled over in pain as she fell to the floor and began to sob uncontrollably.

~~~~~

"Ma'am? Would you like a pillow and a blanket before we take off?"

"No thank you. But could you please possibly get me a drink?"

"Sure. What would you like?"

"I would like a-" Laura stopped in mid sentence as she saw JC boarding the plane.

They both made eye contact. JC rolled his eyes and slowly walked towards her looking down at his ticket to see where he was sitting.

"On second thought, is there any way that I can sit somewhere else?"

"I'm sorry ma'am, the entire flight is full. We would have to wait until all the passengers are here and ask if anyone would be kind enough to switch with you." The stewardess turned around and saw JC approaching.  "Oh, Good morning, Mr. Chasez. It's good to see you again." The stewardess said as she moved out of the way so JC could take his seat.

JC recognized her from his flight into Philadelphia and slightly smiled before putting his bags in the overhead compartment. He overheard Laura talking to the stewardess about her seat change. He looked around and noticed that alot of people were staring at him and whispering to one another. He knew that if she changed seats he would be at risk of sitting with someone who wouldn't let him get a moments rest until they got an autograph for everyone in their family.  "You don't have to move. I think we can get through two hours together, Laura."

The stewardess was surprised that they knew each other. She looked down and noticed that the same notebook JC had been reading a few days before was the same one Laura had been writing in. Her curiosity was peaked.

"Did you still want that drink?"

"Yes. One..No…Two of those little bottles of vodka would be fine. And a sprite also."

JC inched past Laura to the window seat and fastened his belt.

"Anything for you?"

"Just a pair of headphones like last time. I need to get some sleep." he smiled to her.

Laura was under the impression JC wanted to talk to her when he told her she didn't have to move, but soon figured out why when a lady and her two teenage daughters walked by and suddenly stopped when they saw him. JC smiled and talked to them briefly and signed his name on a couple napkins for them before the stewardess came over and instructed the ladies that they needed to take their seats.

Neither of them spoke a word to one another during the flight. JC grabbed the airplane phone in the compartment and pulled out his credit card to make a call. "Hey...It's me...No, I'm on my way back now. I should be home in the next couple hours or so."

Laura could hear him talking and watched him through the corner of her eye.

"When will you be back in town? I want to get together and talk. There's alot I need to tell you...About us...I also want to see the baby." JC continued his conversation.

He looked over at Laura every few moments to see if she was listening. Laura was writing in her notebook and seemed to be busy in her own thoughts. In actuality she was writing a bunch of garble to make it look like she were not interested in what he was doing. She knew he was talking to Rachel and she had to try and focus on something else to keep herself from crying. She called over the stewardess and asked her for a pair of headphones. She needed to block out his voice. The stewardess returned with the headphones and Laura placed them over her ears and adjusted the sound so that she could only hear the music.

After his conversation was over, he leaned his chair back and put his headphones back on and closed his eyes and listened to the music. JC was awaken by a familiar tune playing. His eyes lit up as he listened to the song. He recognized the group was Jagged Edge and soon realized it was so familiar because it was a remake of an old Air Supply song, "All Out Of Love". He smiled to himself at how good the old hit sounded. He glanced over at Laura and could see her staring straight ahead. He noticed the tears falling down her cheeks and his smile faded. He pretended to sleep as he peeped over and saw her wiping the tears from her eyes. She sat there listening to the music playing through the headphones and thought of JC as she listened to the lyrics.

I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you

I know you were right, believing for so long

I'm all out of love, what am I without you

I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong......

When they arrived in Florida, Laura and JC went their separate ways through the terminal. Once they were outside, they both began to hail down a cab. JC flagged one down first and proceeded to get in. He told the driver where he wanted to go and sat back and looked out the window towards Laura who was struggling to get a taxi of her own. JC took a deep breath and told the driver to pull up to where she was standing. She stood there and was about to walk over until she saw JC. "You comin' or not?" he asked as he rolled down his window. Laura walked over and got into the cab. "She's going to the same place." JC told the driver.

The drive home was long and silent. JC looked straight ahead the entire drive. Laura wanted to say something to him, but knew she was better off leaving him alone. When they reached her house she slowly opened her door and started to get out. She leaned in and got her bag and looked towards JC and said, "We'll need to meet soon to get everything situated, so that things are taken care of swiftly and not drawn out too long."

JC looked towards her and nodded before turning his gaze back out the opposite window. Laura shut the door and watched as the car drove off around the corner. She picked up her bag and walked up to the door. She took the mail from the mailbox and slowly entered her house. Laura dropped her bag by the door and went and laid on the couch. She stared up at the ceiling trying to figure out what she should do next. She decided to try and forget about her troubles for one day and just use the day to sleep away her sorrows. She leafed through her mail and noticed a card from Hallie. She smiled as she opened it. Her smile soon faded when she saw the card. It had two wine glasses on the cover. She opened it up and saw a special message from her friend:

Hey girl,

Sorry this is late, but you didn't give me much notice...j/k. Call me when you get this. Don't laugh at my poem I wrote either. It took me forever to write. =o).

Your best bud,

Hallie

~~~~~~~

Marriage Doesn't Come Flat Pack

Marriage is not an impulse buy.

Like buying flat pack furniture from a life style store.

It’s not something you get to impress your friends,

Because Cosmo said it’s of the latest trends.

It’s not cherry veneer on MDF, with castors and handles to match.

Something you can wheel around with the flick of a catch.

It’s more like that old sideboard in the corner supporting the wall.

It has a drawer for odd things like string, hooks, fuses and tape.

Another for old photos, pictures and things that have meaning.

It has solid feet and blocks to prevent it from leaning.

There’s a place underneath for your favorite shoes.

And a nook to store things you don’t want to lose.

There’s plenty of space for things you have been given.

That cake stand, decanter, teapot; things best kept hidden.

All the things you can’t use yet.

And the things you have shared since you first met.

There is room at the back for games, toys and prizes,

To amuse children of all shapes and sizes.

It’s not held together with clever catches and odd shaped screws.

It has dovetail joints stuck with care and old fashioned glue.

It’s solid and warm with coffee ring stains and edges that don’t catch.

It’s totally unique. No others to match.

It has a familiar bees wax smell,

And you know that it will serve you both well.

This thing is BIG.

It can take knocks and scrapes and the odd small explosion.

It can be mended and fixed with care and devotion.

You may decide to have it restored,

A coat of French polish and new liners for drawers.

Hopefully, an occasional rub down is all that’s required…..

You can cover it in chintz, velvet or paint.

It can be kitsch, cheesy, tasteful or quaint.

The point is that it’s yours’ to change.

It doesn’t have to fit with the latest range.

It can be grand, outrageous, fun or tame,

Because it’s built on a hardwood frame.

This piece has no price tag. It’s not on a list and can’t be bought in a sale.

There’s no receipt, it can’t go back to the shop or be sold.

It doesn’t come in flat pack with a plan and some packing.

It may end up battered, tired and lacking.

But it’s yours. Yours alone. Don’t be tempted to chuck it into a skip,

Because fashion dictates that sideboards aren’t hip.

Laura let the tears stream down her face as she finished reading the card. She reached over and grabbed the phone and dialed Hallie's number.

"Hello?"

"Hallie?" she said between sobs.

"Laura? What's wrong?"

"Can you come to Florida? I need you. I'll book the flight and everything...I don't care. Please just come." she cried.