"Ricky!" Rachel cooed as he brother walked in the front door and hugged her. "You're two whole weeks early for the wedding."

"I know. I came to town with Laura. She had some business to take care of with Jerry. She asked me to tag along."

"Oh..." Rachel acted as though she didn't care.

JC walked down the stairs from his private gym, "Rick."

"JC."

Never smiling, both men gave each other "The Nod". You know the one. Where men mentally say hello or acknowledge each other without waving.

Rachel and her brother sat down on the couch and caught up on with one another while JC tried to make himself scarce. Things between the two men hadn't been back to normal since their fight at the club. Even though it was in the past and apology upon apology was handed down, the two were never the same. JC went off to the bedroom to take a quick shower.

As he was in the kitchen grabbing himself something to eat, he could hear his fiance and her brother loudly talking in the other room. His ear perked up just a little bit anytime Laura's name was mentioned.

"...Yeah, she wanted a small one, but I personally thought she should have a larger one."

JC assumed they were talking about engagement ring sizes and decided that was not the conversation he wanted to eavesdrop in on. He grabbed a bottled water from the fridge and headed towards closet to grab his jacket and keys. As he was walking into the living room to say goodbye he heard Rachel laugh lightly at something her brother had said before digging for more gossip, "So are you and Laura...You know...yet?"

"Well I want to wait till after we get-"

To spare himself anymore details JC interrupted, "Rachel. I'm going to pick up the baby from Laura to take her to see my dad. I'll be back in a little while."

"Ummm...Okay, swetie."

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Yo, Laura!" Justin called to her from down the hall. "I'm running out for a bit. When Hallie get's out of the shower tell her that I couldn't wait any longer. It was imperative that I left now. She'll understand why."

"What's with the cryptic messages?" Laura asked.

"Not cryptic. I just don't want to waste anymore time explaining. See you later." Justin mooshed up Laura's hair before heading out the front door.

Not even ten seconds later the doorbell rings and Laura takes her time to answer it, "See Justin, being a smart ass will get you nowh-"

"Hey." JC smiled down at her.

"Umm..hi." Laura almost smiled back at him but remembered the last time they talked.

She looked down and recognized that he was wearing the shirt she had bought him for his birthday back when they were still together. She looked back up at him and was about to speak, until memories of his smile rushed through her mind of happier times. Times when he would walk in the house and he'd be awaiting a much needed hug and kiss. Times when just his smile could brighten up her day or cause so much heat between them that the only thing they could do was give in to their needs. Times when his smile was the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes most mornings. And of course times when it spoke volumes to her about the way he felt. Was it the same smile? Or was it just wishful thinking on her part?

He noticed what appeared to be a confused look on her face, "I'm here to pick up Lacey. Taking her to see my father...Remember?"

"Oh...Yeah" she replied snapping out of her gaze. She motioned for him to come in and went through all the instructions for the day as she packed the baby's bag. JC was overwhelmed by it all. How many hours between feedings, how to heat up bottles, what type of formula that she was only allowed to drink. It was all too much for his as he sat on the couch delicately placing his three month old daughter gently down in her car seat.

"So what do you have to do at two o'clock, JC?" she quizzed.

JC looked up towards the ceiling trying to remember, "Put her down for a nap?" he guessed.

"Josh, please. She get's a bottle a two."

"You're going to have to come with me, Laura. I'm not going to remember all this."

"Yes you can. You're mom will be there. She'll know what to do."

"No she went out shopping with her friend. You know how she is when she goes shopping, I don't know when she is coming back."

Laura stood there for a minute struggling with the decision of whether or not she should go with him. Reluctantly she grabbed her jacket off the couch and placed the diaper bag over her shoulder and followed JC to the door. He stopped short and placed the blanket over the baby before turning to Laura and thanking her for coming with him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Where is my niece!" Heather called out as JC and Laura entered the front door of his parents' house. As they walked into the family room, both Heather and her father were surprised to see JC ad Laura there together. Heather got up from the couch and gave Laura a long hug before scooping the baby up from her car seat and taking Lacey back over to the couch to meet her grandpa.

The four of them sat around talking mostly about the baby and work, trying to skate past the issue of JC's upcoming wedding to Rachel. But it was hard to get past the subject when there were wedding magazines and arrangements spread across the room. Laura could tell that Karen was going all out to help Rachel plan the wedding. She gave a good impression of a woman who wasn't phased by it all, but deep inside she was dying to get out of that room and away from reminders of his upcoming nuptials.

An hour later, JC's mom walked into the living room with about 7 bags in her arms. Laura jumped up to help her and found it refreshing that Karen hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek as she said hello.

"I ordered us some lunch from Gaetano's deli but I forgot that you were coming over sweetie, so you might as well run out and get you and Laura something to eat."

JC turned around and asked Laura what she wanted. JC had forgotten that she was a picky eater, but soon remembered when she gave him a run down of what she didn't want to eat. Just as JC was about to open his mouth to speak, Laura cut him off, "I'll just come with you."

The two of them shared a few laughs while driving around trying to find a place they could agree on to eat. They finally agreed on pizza and stopped at a small pizzeria nearby. They sat in a booth by the window and both ordered personal pan pizza's and sat talking more and more as they waited on food.

"Need anything else?" the waitress asked as she set down JC's pizza.

"No, this is perfect," he smiled looking over at Laura.

JC finished his pizza almost in an instant, while Laura struggled to cool off the hot cheese by continuously blowing on it. He sat back against the seat and watched her, "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot." she replied.

Defeated in her attempts to eat the slice like it was intended, she grabbed a knife and fork and went to work. he smiled to himself, watching her. "Would you think of me as an asshole if I told you I wanted you back?"

The fork stopped short of her mouth. "You're joking right?"

"No." he said as he wiped his mouth.  "I am as serious as I was the last time we talked."

Laura placed down her food, "You're getting married in less than a month, JC. This is just pre-wedding jitters talking. I'm sure you're nervous, but don't be. Everything is going to be ok." she smiled patting him on his knee.

He grabbed her hand and held it there.  "I'm not nervous about anything. I've had these thoughts for a long time now."

Laura looked around and noticed that there were many ears around them and didn't want to get into that discussion out in public. "Let's talk about this later." she stated looking around.

JC reluctantly agreed. 

The drive back to his parents' house quiet. And the ride home was the same until JC pulled into Justin's driveway. The baby was in the backseat fast asleep. JC turned the car off and turned to face Laura who was about to get out of the car. He grabbed her arm lightly to stop her.

"What is it?"

"I need to know what you think about what I asked you earlier."

"What do you want to know, JC?" she asked, turning her body to face him.

"I want to know if you'll be there for me afterwards..."

Laura shook her head and huffed to herself, "What happened, JC? Did she cheat on you again? Things not going well at the Chasez ranch?"

"Nothing like that at all. I finally realized what I want now. And it's you and my daughter."

Laura was infuriated by the fact that he was just not realizing what he wanted.  Like this was all a game of trial and error and he figured out that the grass wasn't that much greener on the other side.

"There is no guarantee that you won't change your mind again tomorrow, JC. This had happened before so you can see why I don't believe you!" she whispered loudly, not trying to wake up Lacey.

JC lifted his hand to touch her face, "I love you, Laura."

When he said those three words, they seemed genuine. Laura didn't know if it was her heart  only what it wanted to hear or if he was indeed true in what he'd said. She didn't want to take any chances with another heart break, "And? You love Rachel as well. That's nothing new. You've made your bed, now lie in it, JC."

Laura turned to leave again, but JC hit the lock button on the doors. She turned around glaring at him. Hallie could see them from the window and decided to go outside to retrieve the baby before things got out of hand. She walked over to the car and gently knocked on the window.  JC unlocked the back door. As she opened the door, she could hear Laura up front almost yelling, "Yeah right, the fuck you care...Especially about anyone except yourself.  Selfish bastard!"

Neither had noticed Hallie much as she took the baby back into the house. They were too busy going back and forth with one another. JC was very calm as he tried to explain his side. Laura was the only hostile one, as she cursed him out about his behavior throughout the entire ordeal. She got out of the car and walked around the trunk waiting for him to open it so she could grab the baby's bag. He walked back and stopped short of turning the key and looked deep into her eyes. Laura looked up towards the sky to avoid any eye contact, "Look JC, this will be the last thing I say on the matter. This back ad forth bullshit is old and tired! You can't keep doing this me...I won't let you. What's going to happen the next time Rachel decides to show up on the doorstep needing you? I can't take that kind of chance. For my sake and for Lacey's sake. Now I'm sure this is just wedding jitters. You'll be fine once the two of you walk down the isle." Laura lightly pushed his hand away and opened the trunk herself, grabbing the bag and slamming the trunk closed.

Leaning her weight against the trunk of the car, she took a deep breath closing her eyes, trying not to envision the two of them in a church. JC moved in closer to her. His face now inches away from her ear, "You invade my thoughts every day, Laura. I love you. Please tell me that when I go home and tell Rachel it's over, I can leave knowing that you will be there."

Trying to compose herself she looked at him and said, "I won't be there waiting for you, JC."

"I can't live this li-"

Laura cut him off and said, "It's too late." before making her way up to house.

She hurried into the house and shut door, before leaning up against it and trying to catch her breath. She so desperately wanted to run outside and stop him from leaving.  Her heart was pounding against her chest like it was trying to break free to run after him. 

Hallie walked out into the living and could see her best friend sitting on the couch with her face in her hands.  "What happened?"

Laura looked up at her friend with tears running down her cheeks. Hallie found a seat next to her and rubbed her back gently. "He wants me back." Laura cried.

"Then why are you crying?"

"I have a daughter to think about now. He can't just come and go in and out of my life as he pleases, Hallie. One minute he can't stand to be in the same room with me and the next he loves me?"

"You keep overlooking the fact that the main reason JC went back was because they had a son together. He wanted to be a real father. Now that Lacey is here. Things have changed. This whole situation could be something completely different from what I am thinking, but that's how I see it right now."

Laura rolled her eyes, "He's probably having problems with Rachel and is looking for a way out."

"Maybe he is, but do you see the way he looks at you? You can't mistake that for anything else but love."

"He doesn't love me."

Hallie shook her head standing up to leave the room.  Laura wasn't trying to listen to what she had to say and Hallie wasn't going to continue to talk to a brick wall, "No one is perfect. We make mistakes. Don't let your pride get in the way of what you feel."

"I can't"

Hallie left her in her own thoughts and went to check on the baby. As she was walking back into the kitchen, she heard Justin walk into the front door yelling, "Hallie! We got that bitch now! Just wait till JC see's what I got."

Hallie motioned for him to shut up, but it was too late. Laura walked out towards the two of them and asked, "Wait till JC see's what?"

Justin stopped dead in his tracks, "I thought you were still out with JC."

Hallie smacked herself in the head looking off to the side. "You might as well tell her now."

"Tell me what?" Laura asked.

Justin and Hallie had her sit down. Laura was confused, "What the hell is going on here, guys?"

Justin sat down across from her holding a large manila envelope in his hand, "Back before you moved to Chicago, me and Hallie were out at the store and saw Rachel talking to some woman."

"So?"

"Hallie was curious about Rachel's friend, because she had on a nurses uniform."

"Well Rachel did tape an episode of ER back then." she stated matter-of-factly.

"I didn't think about it anymore until I was at JC's engagement party and he pointed her out and told me that Rachel had only met the girl a couple weeks ago, when it reality I'd seen them together months ago."

Hallie and Justin went on to explain everything about what little Jonathan had heard up to the day that Justin confronted Jerry's private investigator after his date with Cassandra. Justin opened the envelope. "We don't have proof that she and Rachel tampered with those results. She covered her tracks well, but the investigator took these, " he said placing the black and white photos on the table.

Laura looked down at the assortment of surveillance photos with her jaw hung open in shock. There were stills of Rachel handing Cassandra an envelope full of cash on 4 different occasions, as well as photos of Cassandra leaving work from the same clinic that JC and Rachel had the baby tested. There were also pictures of Rachel and Cassandra arguing in that same parking lot. The last set of pictures were of Cassandra following closely behind Rachel on different sets and finally ending up in different small parts for shows and movies. Justin continued to speak, "We can't be positive about this until JC gets the baby re-tested somewhere else. I am going to call him to meet up so he can sees these himself. He has to know the truth."

"No. You can't do that, Justin!" Laura demanded.