"Chris, please say something," Eve pleaded following him into the apartment and closing the door behind them as he stormed off across the room and angrily tossed his jacket across the back of the couch. 

"What more is there to say Eve?" Chris snapped back at her irritably. "I think my father just about said enough tonight when he made his little toast at the Quartermaine's party there." 

"Chris, don't you think you're over reacting even the slightest bit here?" Eve questioned watching him move over to the mini bar pouring himself a drink. "Chris I think you've had enough of those for tonight." 

"Look right now there's nothing that I'd like more than a long, hot shower and a stiff drink Eve." Chris informed her hastily pulling the top off of the bottle and pouring himself a glass. "Can I get you one as well?" 

"No Chris, I'm not in the mood." Eve commented watching him down his drink in one gulp. "Chris please slow down here. Just take a moment to sit back and think things through." 

"Just like my father decided to take a moment back at the Quartermaine's mansion?" Chris questioned with a bitter laugh still feeling the stinging sensations running through his hand. 

"You know, I knew there was some reason he was so hell bent on walking back into my life again and tonight only reaffirmed why life is better without Henry Ramsey in it. I can just see the smug expression on his oh so conniving face as he told the world just what a fool his son was." 

"Chris, I don't think he was trying to hurt you." Eve started hating to see him so upset as she approached him. "He seemed genuinely happy about his engagement to Vivian." 

"Yeah well, let me clue you in on a little something Eve," Chris started leaning in towards her, "my father doesn't have a genuine bone in his body. Face it, the only reason he arranged this whole thing tonight was so that he could break the news to me in the hopes of me not making a spectacle of myself in front of that crowd. Don't you see this was just another one of his not so subtle manipulations?" 

"Chris you didn't even give it a chance before you decked him." Eve pointed out watching Chris move across the room trying to work through the anger inside of him. "I still can't believe you did that." 

"Well what was I supposed to do when he announces that he's marrying that woman?" 

Chris asked shaking his head. "She has done nothing but destroyed everything she touches and after the hell she's put my family through, he has the audacity to even consider marrying that self centered, maniacal witch and then to think that I'd just welcome this relationship with open arms. If he was expecting a warm congratulations and a pat on the back, he can just think again." 

"Chris I just don't understand why you'd just hit him like you did. I mean, didn't you think that maybe tonight was a less than appropriate time for you to just haul off and let loose like that?" Eve questioned watching his twisted features as she stepped towards him. "I mean, couldn't it have waited another hour?" 

"No it couldn't have waited. He did that tonight to humiliate me and serve out that final slap in the face that he'd been waiting to give me after I'd turned my back on him a couple of months ago." Chris continued in a rant pacing around the room. "I shouldn't have fell for this like I did. I should've seen it coming back at the cabin when he just showed up unexpectedly with her. I knew that they were up to something when they were together like that." 

"Chris would you just take a breath here and try to relax?" Eve asked pulling on his arm and turning him to face her. "Please, I hate to see you this upset." 

"You're right." Chris nodded drawing in a breath as he looked back at her. "I know you're right." 

"Good, then please just calm down and we can talk about this and work through it together." Eve suggested reaching out to caress his cheek. "Okay?" 

"Eve, right now I don't want to talk about it or even think about my father. I'd rather drown myself in you and feel part of that magic you bring to me. Just for the moment I just want to lose myself in the taste of your lips, the feel of your skin pressed to mine, to see that look in your eyes when I hold you close to me and the way you tremble beneath my touch when we're together." Chris insisted pulling her into his arms and placing a frantic kiss on her lips while holding her firmly against him. "Just let me lose myself in you Eve." 

"Chris," she started pulling back from their kiss, "I'm not going to let you use me as a distraction to keep your mind off of what's happening between you and your father." 

"I'm not using you as a distraction Eve." Chris insisted kissing her once more. "I want you." 

"I don't doubt that Chris, but right now the part of me that you need is right here with you already." she urged looking up to meet his gaze. "Talk to me Chris." 

"Damn it Eve. What do I have to do to prove to you that I want to focus on you right now? I just want to hold you in my arms and forget about the rest of the world tonight while I make love to you." Chris replied in frustration taking a step back. "Why can't you just give me that?" 

"Because if we made love right now, it wouldn't be making love because you're not with me Chris." Eve explained watching him turn away before forcing him to look at her once again. "We both know that you're back in that room with your father and I can't go through the motions knowing that I don't have all of you with me." 

"Eve, you've had all of me with you for months or haven't you noticed?" Chris questioned with a hint of anger in his tone. "I've been with you since the day you walked into my life and I've been devoted to you since long before you even picked up on it. Damn Eve, I've spent years wanting you and devoting myself to you when you needed me and now when I ask you to return the favor and just be with me, you accuse me of not giving you all of me." 

"Chris this isn't about you and me right now." Eve started confused by his sudden outburst. "This is about you and your father and you know it." 

"Maybe it is and maybe it isn't." Chris answered with a cool undertone looking her over for a moment. 

"Chris I realize that you're upset, but we're not going to just forget everything in the blink of an eye and us making love isn't the answer." Eve explained reaching out to him and taking his hand in hers. "Please help me understand what happened back there." 

"What is there to understand Eve?" Chris questioned shaking his head. "I hit my father. 

Case closed." 

"Yes I understand that Chris," Eve began reaching out to him, "but what I don't understand is why you'd do something like that at such an inappropriate time. I mean that's not exactly the kind of behavior you'd want to exhibit in front of your boss and half the hospital staff unless there was some good reasoning behind it." 

"Some good reasoning behind it, huh?" Chris repeated growing silent for a long moment before pulling away. "So tell me Eve, now that we're on the subject of appropriate and inappropriate behavior, care to explain what that little scene with Kevin was all about earlier when I found you in his arms?" 

"We're friends Chris and we just started talking," Eve pointed out knowing that he was looking for an outlet to release his frustrations. 

"Talking huh?" Chris questioned shaking his head again. "Tell me something Eve. How did talking progress to you seeking comfort in his arms like that? I saw the two of you on that terrace right before I interrupted whatever heartfelt conversation was going on between you." 

"Chris, Kevin and I have both been through a horrible ordeal." Eve reminded him quickly. 

"So horrible that you're only way of easing the pain was to seek comfort in one another." 

Chris added bitterly looking at her. "Tell me something Eve, how much more comforting would've gone on if I hadn't walked out there when I did?" 

"That was low even for you Chris." Eve replied feeling the sting of his words as she stepped back. "You should know me better than that by now. You're the man I'm in love with, or have you forgotten that already?" 

"Yeah well considering that you spent the past year in love with Kevin on some level, it kind of struck me as odd that you were standing there with him underneath the moonlight tucked away from the rest of the world obviously sharing something with him when you were supposed to be at my side tonight, but alas as usual when Chris Ramsey needs Eve Lambert for support, she's no where to be found." Chris pointed out his eyes narrowing. 

"It's always a trend with you. If it's not about Eve, then it just isn't too damn important now is it?" 

"Yeah well maybe it had something to do with me needing a moment to clear my head about everything that's been going on." Eve spoke up firmly. "Chris, there's a lot going through my mind right now and Kevin just happened to catch me in a moment." 

"A moment, huh? Eve, I've been here with you through it all doing my best to support you during these tough times. I've never given you reason not to trust that or what I feel for you, but then I see you tonight pouring your heart out to another man about something that you obviously didn't feel comfortable sharing with me." Chris shot back irritably looking her over. "And you talk about me not being with you. Like always you're the one shutting me out Eve." 

"I'm not shutting you out Chris." Eve insisted hating this argument they were having. 

"Then what was that all about Eve? Well? I'm waiting?" Chris questioned awaiting a response from her as a long silence fell between them and he shook his head. "Yeah it's just what I thought. You'd rather share that part of yourself with Kevin." 

"Chris, you don't have a clue what you're talking about." Eve started thinking about her conversation with Kevin. 

"Then enlighten me Lambert." Chris snapped back staring at her expectantly. "What was so damned important that you could find yourself at complete ease in Kevin's arms, but tonight you won't even let me touch you when I need you now more than ever." 

"Oh Chris, don't twist this around any more than you already have." Eve muttered rolling her eyes as she looked him over. "You're obviously too upset to be rational right now and I refuse to stand here dignifying this conversation a moment longer." 

"Where are you going?" Chris asked watching her walk towards the hallway. 

"I'm going to leave you alone until you have time to come to terms with whatever button your father pushed with you tonight and whenever you're ready to fess up to me about what's going on inside of you, I'll be waiting to listen to you." Eve explained turning back to face him momentarily. "I realize that it's your father that you're upset with and that's why I'm not going to listen to this a moment longer." 

"Eve," Chris started watching her disappear around the corner as he looked around the empty room tossing his glass into the fireplace listening to the sounds of the glass shattering vibrate through out the room echoing against the walls. "Damn it!" 

****************************************** 

"Tell me something Doc, did that woman always stoop to such juvenile measures to capture your attention?" Lucy questioned stepping out of the bathroom to discover Kevin laying in bed thumbing through one of his medical journals. 

"What did you say Lucy?" Kevin asked looking up from his book and noticing her standing before him. "Wow, you look extraordinary." 

"Thanks, I thought you might like this little number." Lucy smiled modeling her nightgown for a moment before slipping underneath the blankets with him. "I thought we could use it as a little motivation to get things heated up for tonight." 

"Lucy, you should know by now that being with you is all the motivation needed to get me going." Kevin responded kissing her hungrily as he pulled her down next to him. 

"Doc, I know that we shouldn't get our hopes up just yet," Lucy started after they'd parted from the kiss, "but I really get the feeling that we've really done it this time. I know you're going to tell me that it's too soon to speculate on this, but there's just something inside of me screaming out that our baby is growing inside of me right at this very moment." 

"You really think that's possible to have that kind of certainty this early on?" Kevin asked as she snuggled in against him. 

"I think it's highly possible in this case Doc," Lucy confessed wrapping his arms around her in a loving embrace as she nestled in against him. "I just know in my heart that our little miracle is very much alive inside of me right now. I know you probably think I sound crazy Doc, but I could feel it tonight when we were at that party. I mean for example, I was craving those teeny tiny little cocktail weenies, you know the ones that they serve with that marinara sauce and normally I wouldn't even think twice about looking at one of those things considering that they have so much sodium in them and they really don't taste all that good, but tonight I just couldn't seem to get enough of them. I mean there I was sneaking in one every now and then when we passed by the little buffet tables. They were just sort of there and I heard this little inner voice calling out to me, begging for just one more and well, I just couldn't stay away." 

"So you're basing this feeling of yours on cocktail weenies?" Kevin smiled in amusement pressing a kiss on her forehead. 

"Well, that's part of it Doc, but then there was more like when I was talking to Luke earlier, he'd mentioned that I had this certain glow about me. You know that kind of glow that a woman gets when she's truly happy that's also been known to have been accompanied by pregnancy as well. At first when he said it, I thought he was just being Luke with his usual flattery and all, but when I was in the bathroom just now changing, I could see it in my face and he was definitely right. I do have that glow and this feeling coming from deep within that it's really happening for us Kevin. That our prayers have been answered and our baby is very much alive at this very moment." Lucy started looking back up at him, "You think I'm crazy, don't you?" 

"Not at all Lucy," Kevin shook his head noticing the way her eyes twinkled and her face lit up as she spoke, "in fact I must confess that I've never seen you look more beautiful than you do in this very moment. I can definitely see some kind of luminance about you right now." 

"Doc you're not just saying that to pacify me because if you are, I have to tell you that....." 

Lucy started as he pressed his fingers to her lips silencing her. 

"Lucy, I would never just say something to pacify you when you know how much I value the honesty and openness between us especially where matters of this much importance are concerned." Kevin answered earnestly reaching for her hands covering them with his own as he held her. "I just don't want to our hopes to get so elevated only to have them shattered into a million pieces. While I want this to happen for us, we still have to be realists about this." 

"Kevin you and I both agreed that we weren't going to be pessimistic about this and that we were going to see this through even after everything that your horrible brother has done to try to prevent us from being together," Lucy started noticing a dark expression cross Kevin's features, "oh Doc, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant to say that we were going to overcome the odds despite Ryan's little attempts to destroy our love." 

"I know what you meant to say Lucy, and you're right. I shouldn't be so pessimistic about this situation and if anything, I should be showering you with words of encouragement about this feeling you're experiencing. I mean this thing with cocktail weenies, now that I think about it, I could've sworn I've read an article that the APA published that there is some kind of correlation between those and pregnancy....." Kevin started with a devilish smirk and a light chuckle. 

"Now I know you're poking fun at me." Lucy pouted nudging at his ribs slightly as she looked up at him. 

"Who me? No never." Kevin answered with a laugh. 

"Yes you are and I swear Doc, if you keep this up, I'm going to...." Lucy started as he reached out to her flipping her over onto her back. 

"You're going to what?" Kevin questioned in amusement looking down at her. "Make me pay for my mocking you by subjecting me to reading endless issues of Cosmo boning up on the therapeutic value of cocktail weenies? Or perhaps you've developed a more elaborate scheme of revenge that you're devising in your head. One to surely keep me on my toes constantly guessing what will happen next." 

"Actually I was thinking more along the lines of tickle torture," Lucy confessed with a delicious grin as she reaching out to him, "but from this angle it looks like I'm at a certain disadvantage." 

"Oh I'd have to say that if you keep that up Ms. Coe," Kevin began feeling her hands roam across his torso, "you're surely have a fairly high chance of gaining the upper hand in this situation." 

"Is that so?" Lucy questioned with a smile pulling him deep into a kiss as their lips met in a heated frenzy until she slid her fingers in underneath his pajama top and played them across his abdomen lightly. 

"Lucy," Kevin started breaking away from the kiss as she continued to tease him causing him to fall backwards on the mattress. 

"It looks like you were right Doc," Lucy smiled crawling up into his lap with the look of victory in her eyes, "I did come out on top as the reigning champion here." 

"I didn't expect any less from you," Kevin breathed pulling her into another kiss as he was suddenly hit by a vision of Ryan taunting him back at the institution forcing him to watch one of the tapes used to torture Kevin. Abruptly Kevin shifted in the bed breaking away from her. 

"Doc, what is it?" Lucy questioned sensing the distance in his eyes. 

"Nothing Lucy," Kevin tried to assure her unable to get the disturbing images from his mind as he pulled her close to him once again, "really." 

"Dr. Collins, you're not fooling anyone at this moment." Lucy pointed out placing her hand firmly in the center of his chest. "I hope you do realize that it's pointless to even try to keep whatever it is going on inside of you from me." 

"Lucy, it's honestly irrelevant at this moment in time." Kevin explained shaking the thought away. 

"So irrelevant that you're miles away from me at this very moment." Lucy said shaking her head. "Doc I'm not buying that when I can still see that dark and gloomy look in your eyes and it doesn't take a genius to see that you're thinking about Ryan." 

"There's no fooling you is there?" Kevin questioned light heartedly as the faint beeping sounds of his alarm filled the air. He met Lucy's stare for a moment, silently exchanging thoughts with her before reaching over to the night stand and pulling out his pill bottle from the top drawer. 

"I hate when that thing goes off." Lucy spoke up faintly moving over to her side of the bed and leaning back just watching Kevin take his medication. "It's a constant reminder of what's happening here...of what he did to all of us." 

"I'm sorry Lucy," Kevin began reaching out to her and seeing the look of sadness in her eyes, "I hate it just as much as you do, but we can't change the past and though this alarm represents the changes brought forth via Ryan, it's what keeps me going." 

"I know Doc, but it just doesn't seem fair that we have to live like this constantly wondering how much time we have left," Lucy sighed leaning up against him as they lay back underneath the thick blankets. 

"Lucy, I know that given our situation it's an awful thing to think about, but what in life is ever a guarantee? I mean if you think about it, no one really knows when their time is going to expire here and the only difference between everyone else and my situation is that someone hypothesized how much time I have left." Kevin started seeing how upset she seemed to be. "Granted there may be some medical evidence to back up the estimation I've been given, but that doesn't mean that I'm just going to lay down and accept what someone else tells me is going to happen in my life. I'm going to keep living with you until the bitter end and try not to worry about this time factor." 

"I know Doc," Lucy nodded looking at him briefly, "It's just that here we are fighting so hard to stay together and have this family, but for Ryan it's all come so effortlessly. I mean he's had no trouble moving in and destroying as many lives as he possibly could because of his jealousy." 

"I think it goes beyond that Lucy, but you're right." Kevin agreed thinking about his brother for a moment. "Ryan has caused a lot of damage, some of which is far beyond repair." 

"I hope you're not referring to us here Doc, because I think we've worked too hard not to let that happen to us. Granted he may have tried from our wedding day to separate us from one another, but the love that we share with one another is just too strong." Lucy spoke up suddenly filled with a panic as he fell into a deep silence. "Doc?" 

"I'm sorry," Kevin began snapping out of his daze as he looked at her. 

"You seemed so lost just now." Lucy commented reaching out to him. "Kind of like you had the weight of the world on your shoulders." 

"It feels that way sometimes." Kevin confessed thinking back to his conversation with Eve. He leaned back into his pillows thinking about the irony of the situation as he reflected on how hard he and Lucy were trying to bring about this family. 

"You'd think that by now just when Ryan is forced to be held accountable for his actions, that we could rest easy, but no, instead we need to think of things like the media hounding us, Scott taking his case, which still leaves a very bad taste in my mouth and your fading health." Lucy sighed leaning into him as they held onto one another. "It just isn't right that someone as good and wonderful as you has to endure this kind of pain, while your brother sits around basically clear and free for now." 

"He'll never be clear and free Lucy." Kevin pointed out thinking about Ryan. "He's carrying around his own set of demons that in time will catch up to him." 

"That day can't come soon enough." Lucy added watching Kevin's features so deep in thought. 

"Tell me something Lucy," Kevin started after a long pause. 

"Anything Doc," Lucy answered listening to his heart beating beneath her. 

"When Ryan tried to move in on you, just how far did things progress." Kevin spoke up thinking about the months of Ryan's taunting and tormenting. 

"If you're thinking that he and I...." Lucy trailed off shaking her head. "It never got that far with us Kevin. Not that he didn't try, but he never was able to violate me like that. 

Not like..." 

"...like he did with Eve." Kevin finished staring off into space. 

"Eve?" Lucy questioned a bit puzzled as she looked up at him. "Doc, please don't tell me that you're thinking about little Evie when we're here with one another talking about our futures." 

"Not exactly Lucy," Kevin replied meeting her gaze, "Granted she did cross my mind earlier because I've known about her and Ryan for a long time. Ryan made sure of that and he had no problem bringing by the tapes of each and every one of his conquests with her." 

"He forced you to watch him making love to Eve when he pretended to be you?" Lucy questioned with a disgusted look on her face. "Boy oh boy is that man one sicko to subject you to something like that. I mean it's bad enough that she thought that the two of you were intimate with one another and had that thing for you all those months, but then to actually be forced to see that act....ugh!! That alone would've killed me to be subjected to that kind of display of....." 

"That's not all he subjected me to Lucy." Kevin pointed out softly looking away from her. 

"What do you mean Kevin?" Lucy asked feeling him tense up beneath her as it dawned in on her what he was referring to. "Oh no, Doc he couldn't. He just couldn't have." 

"Couldn't he?" Kevin asked meeting her gaze. "Lucy, he was able to make everyone believe that he was me and able to come in and take over where I left off. I don't think it was beyond his means to break into the firehouse and capture scenes of you and Scott making love to one another." 

"Doc, oh Doc." Lucy began at a loss thinking about what he'd been subjected to as he turned away. Without a word, she reached out to him forcing him to look into her eyes, to reach into her soul and see the truth. "He may have forced you to see me with Scott, but what I'm sure he never took the time to stick around and capture on video were the nights I sat in that window unable to contain the deep sorrow and despair I'd felt knowing that I'd lost you. Every night after Scott went to sleep, I would get out of bed unable to sleep knowing that you were somewhere underneath those stars and not with me. I know at the time I'd believed that it was Eve that you'd given your heart to, but now I see the truth and despite what you may have seen, I never stopped loving you." 

"I know that Lucy," Kevin replied in a whisper, "and that's why I'd never given up hope. I would've rather seen you in Scott's arms, despite how much it killed me, than to have seen you wound up another one of Ryan's casualties." 

"Oh Doc, I never would've been with Scott like that if I'd only known that you were alive and waiting for me." Lucy started realizing that they hadn't really touched on the subject in depth since his return. "Don't get me wrong, I love Scott as my pal and part of me always will, but it's always been you in my heart. There was never any room for anyone else no matter how hard I tried to fool myself." 

"And there will never be another soul who touches me inside like you do Lucy." Kevin whispered urging her into a heartfelt embrace. "You've been my strength all these months and now that we're together again, I will do everything in my power to keep you from ever feeling that kind of pain that you went through during our separation again." 

****************** 

Eve slammed her bedroom door behind her as she heard the noise from the collision in the other room when the wine glass Chris was holding must've shattered. She pressed her head up against the door for a moment thinking about his anger and she felt tears burning in her eyes, not so much by what he'd said, but by what she was feeling hating to see him so upset. 

"Chris, I want to tell you everything, but I just can't." she whispered wiping at her tears of fury before moving across the room and throwing open her closet doors. After scanning her wardrobe, she pulled out her bath robe deciding to take a shower to calm her nerves before she made another attempt with Chris. She could hear him going off in the other room before she locked her bedroom door and headed off towards the bathroom eager to take her shower. 

"I can't keep going on like this." Eve thought to herself as she turned on the water and slipped out of her clothes. Stepping into the shower, she felt the warm beads of water striking her heated body as she let out a frustrated moan thinking about everything that had happened during the evening between Kevin discovering the truth and the fight between Chris and his father. Leaning against the shower wall, Eve closed her eyes trying to lose herself in the waters pulsating rhythms hoping to rid herself of the tears she'd been unable to contain a moment longer when she heard a loud thud coming from her room. 

"What the.........." Eve began as the shower curtain was ripped open and she noticed Chris standing before her. 

"We need to talk. Now!" Chris explained as she noticed the look of surprise as he cast a gaze over her body for a moment, obviously distracted by the sight before him as she reached for the curtain to cover herself. 

"Just go away Chris." Eve spoke up from behind the shower curtain. 

"Come on Eve, it's not like I haven't seen you naked before." Chris mumbled watching her sudden movement as she slid back behind the curtain disappearing beneath the stream of water. "Just let me talk to you." 

"Did you come in here to throw out any more accusations about me while you're stuck in this little rampage of yours?" Eve questioned bluntly leaning up against the tiles as she tried to wipe away her traces of tears. 

"Eve, I'm not trying to throw accusations out at you," Chris started in frustration reaching out to the shower curtain before taking a step back. "I...I just don't want to leave things like we just did a minute ago." 

"Chris, can't you see that I'm in the shower?" Eve asked silently pleading with herself not to fall apart now with Chris in the room. "Just get out of here Chris." 

"No. We're going to have this out once and for all Eve." Chris insisted standing his ground as he pushed the shower curtain aside firmly and stepped inside with her. 

"Chris, what are you doing?" Eve questioned in shock as she turned to face him watching him standing before her as the water effortlessly drenched him. "What? Chris I'm in the middle of taking a shower here. Are you crazy?" 

"Maybe I am," Chris shrugged reaching out to her and pulling her into his arms, "but I know that I'd be even worse off if I left things like they were when you walked out like that." 

"Chris," Eve started looking up at him in confusion. 

"Eve, you're right. I was being a jerk and I shouldn't have been taking out my aggressions on you especially after everything we've been through together." Chris continued cutting her off. "It's just when I saw you in Kevin's arms tonight, it did something to me. 

Something that I wasn't ready to own up to and it made me realize that if I lost you to another man, that I'd be unable to control myself." 

"Chris, you aren't going to lose me, unless you want to let me go." Eve confessed looking away for a moment. 

"Eve, what's going on?" Chris asked lifting her chin to look back at him. "What aren't you telling me?" 

"Chris, I...." Eve started taking in a breath as her heart raced in her chest. She felt her eyes misting over once more as he brushed his hand up against her damp skin. 

"Look, I'm sorry Eve." Chris replied in a soft whisper as he glanced her over with tears of agony in his eyes. "Just seeing you with Kevin made me so angry and I didn't like it. 

Somehow you just have a way of getting to me like nothing I've ever experienced before. 

I try to spend my life in control and always on top of things, but when it comes to you, control just sort of slips away and all I want to do is just be with you, protecting you and loving you. Basically I turn into this spineless romantic sap which I swore I'd never let myself become where you're concerned and it infuriates me at times that you have that kind of hold on me." 

"And you're just sunshine and roses for me Ramsey." Eve shot out at him moving towards him placing a soft kiss on his lips. "Look I'm sorry if you thought I was being pushy, but you had me worried there and I hate seeing you this upset. Do you hear me?" 

"Loud and clear." Chris nodded pulling her close to him as they stood under the cascade of water holding onto one another engaged in a kiss until Eve broke away unable to contain her laughter. "What?" 

"Look at you," Eve commented seeing he was soaked, "I mean I'm glad we're not fighting anymore, but you're soaked." 

"Yeah so it would seem." Chris answered with a sly grin. "Looks like I should get out of this suit before it's ruined completely." 

"Not so fast Ramsey." Eve insisted pulling him back to her as the steam filled the tiny stall. 

"Since you're already in here, you may as well stay for a while." 

"Just what do you have in mind Eve?" Chris questioned raising an eyebrow introspectively as she plucked at one of the buttons on his shirt causing a splosh when she pulled at the damp material. 

"I'm sure we can come up with something." Eve smiled pressing her mouth to his as the sound of water running pounded in the shower behind them. 

*************************** 

Scott looked at his watch for a brief moment realizing that he was twenty minutes early before straightening out his jacket and stepping into Judge Wilson's office. He noticed the secretary in the corner of the room sitting at her desk and working on her calendar for the month. 

"Hello," Scott spoke up interrupting her updating as she looked up at him. 

"May I help you with something?" she asked holding a bottle of white out in her left hand. 

"I'm here for a meeting with Judge Wilson. She should be expecting me." Scott explained noticing the girl looking over the appointment book. 

"And you are?" she asked scanning the page. 

"Scott Baldwin," he replied as she located her scribble on the page. 

"Ah yes Mr. Baldwin, she's been waiting for you," she nodded towards the chairs, "but at the moment she's in with someone, so if you would just take a seat, I'll call you when she's ready for you." 

"Sure," Scott nodded opting to sit in a chair next to one of the large open windows looking out into the morning below. He drew in a breath looking down at his briefcase knowing oh too well what was inside and just how he was prepared to use it once Charlie arrived. Losing himself in his thoughts for a brief moment, he looked out the window thinking about the upcoming case when he heard a door open up and he watched Charlie emerge from Judge Wilson's office. 

"What the....?" Scott muttered to himself watching the two shake hands before Judge Wilson closed the door behind Charlie. Feeling his anger boil, Scott moved towards Charlie ready to snap as she turned to say her good-byes to the receptionist. "What are you doing here?" 

"Oh Scott, I'd been expecting to see you." Charlie replied spinning around to face him. 

"Yeah I'll bet you were." Scott mumbled under his breath eyeing her skeptically. "Care to tell me what you were doing in there when we were supposed to have a meeting in twenty minutes." 

"Why I was just having a discussion with Maria about this case, nothing more." Charlie shrugged swinging her purse strap over her shoulder. "I hope you don't have a problem with that." 

"Have a problem with that?" Scott repeated in disbelief watching her walk away. "You bet I have a problem with that considering that you shouldn't be in there trying to ham it up with Judge Wilson before our little meeting in there." 

"Oh I think I've had my say in there for the morning Scott." Charlie informed him with a smile. "She's all yours." 

"Why you...." Scott started reaching out to her and seizing her arm before noticing the stares they were receiving from the receptionist. With a huff, he pulled her out into the narrow hallway shaking her as he released her. "Just what were you trying to pull back there?" 

"I was just getting out what needed to be said." Charlie explained calmly looking back at him and folding her arms in front of her chest. "You know, you should really switch to decaf in the morning Scott because I have this strange feeling that if you don't you're a likely candidate for a heart attack." 

"Now you listen here, you may think that you've found a way to bamboozle her into seeing things your way, but when I get in there and tell Judge Wilson about your experience in the field of psychiatry back in Baltimore, then she'll have no reason but to throw you off of this case." Scott warned feeling his anger rise. 

"Are you threatening me Scott?" Charlie questioned curiously. 

"It's a promise Charlie." Scott snapped back glaring at her. "You may think playing dirty comes easy for you, but I'll have you know that I'm going to have no problem going in there and destroying you." 

"So you'd rather us both get thrown off Ryan's case rather than seeing me win? Is that is?" Charlie questioned shaking her head in disbelief. "You know, you really have this male ego thing down pat, don't you? I mean I can just feel this hallway getting crowded just by the levels of testosterone flying around at this moment." 

"Don't even try to be cute Charlie, because I'll have you know that what you tried to do back in Judge Wilson's office will come all undone when I have my say in this matter." 

Scott snapped back irritated by her smug attitude. "I will defend Ryan and there's nothing you can do to stop me." 

"Fine," she shrugged looking at him, "if you feel so passionate about it, then who am I to object?" 

"What?" Scott questioned in disbelief looking at her. "What did you just say?" 

"I'm saying you win Scott." Charlie answered waving her hands in defeat. "You got me this time councilor and I have no choice but to back off." 

"Just like that?" Scott asked skeptically. 

"Just like that." Charlie repeated shaking her head in amusement. "What did you actually think that I'd have you destroy my career over this?" 

"Well, I just thought....." Scott started suddenly unclear on how to take what she was saying. 

"Look Scott, my purpose for being here it to help Ryan and granted, while we didn't see eye to eye with one another on this subject before last night, I realized that if you're willing to go to such great lengths to help Ryan, then who should I be to stand in the way?" 

Charlie explained letting out a sigh. "I know you may find this hard to believe, but all of us can make a mistake and I'm willing to admit to that Scott." 

"Is that so?" Scott asked skeptically. 

"Yes that's so." Charlie nodded in defeat. "In fact, my meeting with Judge Wilson was to tell her that after the two of us undergoing a few sessions with one another, I feel that there isn't anyone else more qualified than you to be on this case." 

"You're lying." Scott replied unimpressed. 

"It's the truth Scott and if you don't believe me, then ask her yourself when you meet with her." Charlie insisted watching him very closely unable to contain his amazement. "Go ahead and gloat Scott. You've earned it." 

"But....." Scott started at a complete loss. 

"Look Scott, I have to go down to the jail house for my session with Ryan." Charlie explained taking a step back. "I've also seen to it that when you're finished here with Judge Wilson you're free to confer with your client at any time." 

"So that's it huh?" Scott asked watching her walk away. "After all the fighting and arguing that's it?" 

"What else did you expect when you had that information hanging over my head Scott?" 

Charlie asked facing him once again. "Or didn't you realize the power you were holding in your hands?" 

"So Baltimore did you in, huh?" Scott questioned a bit skeptical. 

"Yeah Scott it did." Charlie admitted in defeat moving towards him. "Granted, I'm not too proud of the way things turned about in Baltimore, and hopefully you won't resort to using that information against me still even though I backed off." 

"And what if I still plan on showing it to Judge Wilson?" Scott asked boldly. 

"Then that's your choice Scott, but I don't want Ryan's treatment to suffer because of a mistake I made in the past. Granted things may seem very black and white to you when you were given the information you were given, but I'll have you know that my patient's best interests were at heart. They always were and they always will be as far as I'm concerned." Charlie explained softening her tone a bit as she locked gazes with him. 

"Hopefully in time you'll understand that." 

"Mr. Baldwin. Judge Wilson is ready for you," the receptionist called out stepping into the hallway and interrupting the two of them. 

"Thank you," Scott nodded turning back to look at Charlie. 

"Go on Scott. You have to do what you have to do. Good luck." Charlie responded walking down the hallway towards the elevators. 

************************************** 

Chris walked out of one of his patient's rooms doing his best to avoid the stares he was receiving more than usual as word buzzed around the hospital about him and his father's blow up at the Quartermaine mansion. He'd run into Monica briefly at the beginning of his shift, but she hadn't brought up anything other than to praise him for a moment on his work with a difficult patient. Now moving down the hallway, he just wanted to put in his time and return home to Eve without any hassles along the way. 

"Chris, I was looking for you," A voice called out to him as he turned to find Vivian standing before him. 

"Oh God, what are you doing here?" Chris questioned glaring at her for a moment before walking off. "Never mind I don't care." 

"Don't you think you owe me and your father more than that after what you pulled at the party last night?" Vivian asked chasing after him. 

"Look Viv, I have to work." Chris pointed out smugly rounding a corner trying to ignore the fact that she was right on his heels. 

"Chris, you can't just keep walking away like this." Vivian urged chasing him still. 

"Watch me!" Chris snapped entering the locker room and slamming the door behind him. 

"I'm not going to let this go like this Chris." Vivian informed him boldly stepping inside. 

"What are you doing in here? Can't you see it's for staff only?" Chris snapped back at her angrily. 

"I don't really care Christopher and I'm going to stay here until you and I finish this with one another." Vivian announced firmly. 

"You never did know when to quit did you?" Chris asked with a hallow laugh. "I'll bet you're still thinking that you have some kind of chance to change the way I feel about this upcoming marriage." 

"Don't I?" Vivian asked watching him move towards his locker. "You can't tell me that you're willing to walk away from your father again just because of this." 

"I've done if for less Vivian." Chris pointed out slamming open his locker. 

"Yes Chris, but if you walk away from him now, it's only because of jealousy." Vivian spoke up watching him closely. "Admit it Chris. The real reason you hit your father last night was because you were seething with jealousy." 

"Over you?" Chris questioned with a hearty laugh. "I don't think so." 

"Come on Chris. You can't deny that what we felt for one another was once so strong." 

Vivian urged stepping towards him. "You know I could see it in your eyes back at the cabin when you saw Henry and I together." 

"What you saw was my disgust and animosity towards you Viv. You mean nothing to me." Chris blurted out turning to face her. "So tell me. Why him?" 

"Why not?" Vivian shrugged taking a step back. "It's not like there were so many other desirable alternatives after you decided to quit playing the game." 

"The game. So this is what it's all about to you?" Chris questioned looking at her full of contempt. "All my father is to you is another one of your pawns after all." 

"Not necessarily." Vivian insisted with a grim expression. "He has his redeeming qualities and I've grown attached to him, but of course it's nothing like the attachment that I had to you before." 

"Yeah well, don't get your hopes up about that one because my father will see through you given time." Chris replied moving past her. 

"He hasn't so far." Vivian announced with a laugh. "You know you really should've seen yourself last night with the way you hit him. I mean, you didn't hold anything back did you? It almost made my heart melt knowing the sentiment behind that one. Too bad your father didn't realize what it's true meaning was." 

"I was trying to knock some sense into him and keep him from being with a wretched person like yourself." Chris blurted out angrily. "You may think that you've got him wrapped around your finger Vivian, but I'll find a way to stop this marriage from taking place." 

"Will you now?" Vivian asked with a pleased smile curling across her lips as she reached out gliding her index finger across his chest. "Why Christopher I didn't realize that you still cared?" 

"I don't Vivian....at least not about you." Chris snapped lurching away from her. 

"You're not going to still hold the past against me, are you?" Vivian questioned innocently reaching out to him. "I'm sure if you give me a chance I could find a way to fix things." 

"You're beyond repair Vivian." Chris spoke up feeling her hand upon his shoulder as he stood frozen. 

"Is that so Christopher?" she asked slinking around him until they were facing one another. She pressed her finger firmly in the center of his chest as their eyes met and she moved in against him. "You never had any complaints before when we tried to fix one another like only we knew how to do." 

"That was a lifetime ago Vivian." Chris responded stiffening against her touch as he glared at her. 

"But you can't tell me that part of you has died." Vivian continued tracing his chest with her finger. "You can't tell me that wild part of Chris Ramsey that was revealed to me night after night doesn't still live on in that pounding heart of yours like it used to just begging to be wild and free." 

"Stop it Vivian." Chris snapped out of his daze looking at her for a moment. 

"I'm sure your girlfriend has no idea what an adventure you truly are, does she?" Vivian questioned her eyes feasting upon him. "I have to admit that right now Chris all I can think about is just tearing your clothes off and picking up exactly where we left off back in Monaco. Remember those long hot nights we had there together?" 

"Vivian please," Chris started his eyes moving back to those dark lips that had entranced him long ago. 

"The endless nights of passion we'd shared together just indulging in one another." Vivian continued in a faint whisper bringing her lips in closer to Chris. "Do you remember the way we used to feast upon each other playing out all of our fantasies? I'll bet little Evelyn could never give you what you need like I could." 

"Like you could Vivian," Chris repeated feeling her breath upon his face as he slipped his arms around her waist pressing her up against the lockers firmly. 

"That's right Chris." Vivian smiled pleased with his reaction as he held onto her. "Like only I can." 

"Let me tell you a little something about what you did to me Vivian." Chris whispered lowering his head nearer to her. "I remember every last detail of our time spent together through the years and believe me not a day goes by that I don't think about what we had together until you destroyed any chance of us being together when you took away my one opportunity for happiness." 

"Chris," Vivian started as he shoved her into the lockers once again his eyes full of rage, "you can't still hold that against me." 

"I'll hold it against you until the day I die and that's why I won't allow you to destroy my father like you damn near destroyed me." Chris explained pushing her away as he walked out of the room. 

************************************ 

Eve stood in the middle of her living room trying to make sense of the package she'd received after Chris had taken off for work. She closed her eyes thinking about the ringing of the doorbell and how she'd just assumed that the sound was Chris returning to pick up something he'd forgotten, but when she'd opened the door, she'd only discovered a small box with her name on it before her. 

"What could this be?" she'd asked herself stepping back into the apartment as she held the package in her arms wondering if this was some kind of peace offering that Henry had decided to dish out after she and Chris had left so abruptly in the midst of things after Chris had punched his father. 

Tearing at the ribbon on the package, Eve pulled it open to discover a card placed on top of the white tissue paper. She pulled it out of the envelope and held it in her fingers taking note of the eloquent scrawling of her name across the front of the floral print card. With a soft grin, she pressed her fingers over the velvety feel of the card and opened it, to read the excerpt inside. 

"Congratulations Mommy," she read to herself dropping the card as she felt it burn against her touch. Feeling her heart race, she pulled open the box and found a rattle and a bib inside. She shook her head in disbelief not quite sure on what to make of it as she pulled out the bib for closer inspection. 

"No," she screamed dropping the bib as the words printed on it, I LOVE MY DADDY cut through her like a dagger. 

***************************** 

Kevin looked around the lighthouse trying to find some way to make himself comfortable as he thought about his sleepless night in between thoughts of his brother and the cough that had overtaken him shortly after midnight. Now sitting alone at the lighthouse, he felt weak and frustrated wishing that he'd been able to go with Lucy to her appointment with Dr. Neuman as they'd anticipated doing before he'd gotten another weak feeling. 

"I don't want to leave you alone Doc," he heard her voice saying to him as he'd urged her to go for the appointment. 

"I'll be fine Lucy," he'd tried to assure her as she'd left, but now sitting in the chair, he could feel his chest tightening up with each breath he took. 

"Think positive Kevin," he tried to assure himself as he reached for his pill bottle popping another one into his mouth before the telephone rang. Pulling together the strength to cross the room, he picked up the phone. "Hello," 

"Long time bro," Ryan's voice spoke up on the other end of the line, "did you miss me?" 

"Ryan," Kevin breathed feeling himself stand taller. 

"Tell me Kevy, how are you doing these days?" Ryan asked curiously. "I hope all is well in Lucyville. Now that you're home again, tell me is it everything you'd anticipated it being?" 

"What do you want Ryan?" Kevin questioned firmly not breaking his even tone. 

"Awe Kev, believe it or not I missed you." Ryan answered with a laugh. "I was so used to seeing you all those months any time I felt like it, but now that I'm here and you're there, it just doesn't seem to be working out like it was before. I mean you'd think that you'd at least have the common courtesy to return the favor and visit some time." 

"You want me to visit you?" Kevin repeated curiously. 

"Well yeah bro, I mean it's only natural that family come and see family in their time of need and believe me Kev, I'm really needing your support right now." Ryan explained briefly. "I mean you wouldn't want to turn your back on me like you have so many times in the past when I need you now more than ever." 

"You need me now Ryan?" Kevin asked after a moment. "I thought your goal was to destroy me." 

"I've always needed you Kevin. We both know that without the other one, we'd be lost." 

Ryan confessed with a sigh. "Just think if you didn't have me, your life would be so dull. 

I mean think about it Kevin, over the past year, you've done everything you've ever dreamed about and didn't have to answer for it. I gave you the freedom to be what you truly were meant to be." 

"No Ryan, you were what you wanted to be." Kevin answered firmly. 

"Now see that's where you're wrong Kevin." Ryan insisted with a laugh. "There's still one thing that I wanted that I just couldn't acquire in my time out, but I'm working on it." 

"And what's that Ryan?" Kevin asked curiously. 

"Well now Kevin, if you're really that curious to know, I trust you'll make time out of your schedule to pay me a visit soon. Oh and Kevin, tell Lucy I said hello and I've been thinking about her." Ryan answered flatly before hanging up the phone leaving Kevin with nothing more than a dial tone. 

"Lucy," Kevin repeated thinking it over for a moment before reaching for his jacket opting to go down to the jail house and have a word with Ryan when he felt his knees grow weak and he leaned up against the counter trying to catch his breath. 

*************** 

Lucy stepped off the elevators singing a little tune to herself as she passed by the nursery unable to keep going forward as she stopped to watch the infants before her eyes. With a smile, she leaned in towards the glass watching the nurse's interacting with the children as she pressed her hand to her abdomen. 

"Soon, very soon." she whispered to herself with a smile thinking about her upcoming visit with Dr. Neuman when she heard footsteps in the distance. She looked up and noticed Henry Ramsey standing before her. 

"They're truly precious, aren't they?" Henry questioned moving in beside her. "I mean there's nothing like a child to make everything in this world that once seemed so jaded, just feel so perfect, now is there?" 

"I suppose there's not a greater gift one could be given in life and it's nice to see others feel that way as well." Lucy replied with a smile looking at him watching the infants. "I must admit however that when we met last night, you didn't strike me as a softy." 

"I love children." Henry explained turning to her with a smile. "And obviously so do you from what I've seen." 

"From what you've seen?" Lucy repeated with a grin realizing she was still holding her hand to her abdomen. 

"Expecting?" Henry questioned looking her over for a moment. 

"Hopefully," Lucy answered turning back to look at the babies once more. "Right now there's nothing I could want more in my life than to have one of those precious little angels running around my house." 

"Well I'm sure if you play your cards right, you and Dr. Collins will have a home filled with many of those little tikes." Henry replied watching her face light up. "I can tell you have that certain spark about you." 

"Spark?" Lucy repeated meeting his gaze. 

"Yeah that look that crosses your face every time you mention a child, it just kind of over takes your features." Henry continued to explain. "I know we don't know one another very well at all, but I can already see that you'd make a wonderful mother Lucy." 

"I hope so." Lucy added with a smile. "So tell me Henry, what are you doing lurking around here by the nursery? Surely board members have better things to do with their time."

"Actually today, this is the only place I'd want to be at this moment." Henry confessed with a smile. "I was just taking a proverbial trip down memory lane so to speak." 

"Is that so?" Lucy questioned curiously. "I take it this has something to do with Chris, doesn't it?" 

"Somewhat," Henry nodded briefly turning to her, "It's no secret around here that my son would rather have a root canal than spend any lengthy period of time with his old man here." 

"Yeah I heard about last night," Lucy nodded noticing the bruise on his jaw line. "Chris has a knack for letting his temper go lately." 

"Well, don't hold it against him. Christopher means well, but sometimes there are just things he doesn't understand." Henry continued with a dry laugh. "Don't get me wrong, I realize what a bastard my son can be at times, but he also has a very caring side to him that he seldom shows since his mother's death. He was very close to her you see, and once she was gone, he changed so to speak, but his heart is still there buried deep." 

"Very deep," Lucy mumbled under her breath before listening further. 

"I guess you could say is that as time went on, he became less disenchanted about who his father truly was. He discovered things about me that weren't exactly what a child should discover about their parent and he pushed me away so far that I thought I'd never find my way back. Now I suppose the answer to your question about what I'm doing here is that I'm trying to repair the relationships with my children that I never allowed myself to actively participate in before like a father should." Henry explained looking her over for a moment. "I'm trying to make up for lost time with them before it's too late." 

"Well, they say it's better late than never." Lucy nodded taking note of the time. "Listen Henry, I hate to run, but I have a doctor's appointment to be getting to." 

"I understand and perhaps we'll be able to do lunch in the future Lucy," Henry called out to her. 

"Certainly. I look forward to that." Lucy smiled with a nod taking off towards Dr. 

Neuman's office with her heart filled with promises for the future and things to come for her and Kevin. 

*************************** 

A few minutes after Henry and Lucy left, Eve passed by the nursery watching the small infants being transported in and out of the room as happy fathers and other family members passed by waving and giggling as she remained frozen in place thinking back to the talk with Matt days earlier that had changed her life forever. 

<i> "Look Matt, normally I wouldn't bother you, but I just think that maybe I won't be so on edge all of the time especially after all the nightmares I've been having lately as things keep coming back to me like they have been. Granted I've been dealing with it allright so part, but if perhaps you prescribed a sedative, I probably wouldn't drive Chris crazy like I do half the time when I wake up in the middle of the night fighting off demons who aren't there." Eve explained shifting around on the hospital bed and throwing her legs over the side to get up. "I know that I'm starting to sound like a head case Matt, but after the telephone call I received this morning, I just think that it would be....." 

"I can't do that Eve." he said to her seriously. 

"Why not Matt?" she asked confused shaking her head. "You said yourself that my little accident was probably stress related and I'm fine now really." 

"Eve, it's not that simple." he said taking in a deep breath. 

"Sure it is Matt. You can just write me up a prescription and then we can call it a day. In fact, on second thought you don't even have to worry about it because I can just worry about it later when my shift is up." she insisted sitting up on the edge on the hospital bed. 

"I don't know about you, but I really wish that this day just ended as soon as possible and we could all start over fresh especially after that little disaster that was I walked into between Chris and Scott earlier...." 

"Eve, you're pregnant." Matt blurted out at her not knowing any other way to break the news to her. 

"That's nice to know Matt, but I really need to get back to work so if you could write me up that prescription." she said as his words suddenly sank in. "Wait a second. What did you just say?" 

"Eve, you're pregnant." he repeated looking at her. "You're going to have a baby." 

"That's a good one Matt and I have to admit that you had me going for a minute there, but really I'm not going to let you use that one as a lame excuse to get me home again." Eve teased noticing the seriousness in his eyes. "Did Chris put you up to this because I swear if he did.....?" 

"Eve, you should know by now Ramsey can't put me up to anything." Matt pointed out after a moment. 

"Matt, please tell me you're joking right now." Eve pleaded looking back at him. 

"I'm afraid not Eve." Matt replied softly. "I don't know what it was......call it a hunch I suppose, but I just ran a test just to rule out anything else since Ryan did inject you with toxins while you were in his hands." 

"That can't be possible Matt." Eve gasped as she thought about what he had just said. "I can't be pregnant." 

"Well, according to these you are." he said handing her the charts. 

"Are you sure Matt? Can't these be wrong?" she asked looking at the charts as her heart started racing. "It's not exactly the right time in my life to be having a child Matt and if this is anyone's idea of a sick joke...." 

"Eve, it's not a joke and you know that these tests are pretty accurate." Matt said after a long moment. 

"But how?" Eve questioned shaking her head in disbelief. "No, this isn't happening." 

"Eve, look I know it's a lot to deal with, but...." Matt started giving her a hug as her eyes started to mist over, "Eve it's not going to be that bad." 

"Matt I can't be having a baby now. Not when I have too much to deal with now between Ryan's upcoming trial and my trying to move on with my life with Chris. You know now that his father is back in his life again, it's making him a nervous wreck and for me to pop this on him like this, it just wouldn't be fair. I can see it now, 'gee Chris, how was your day? Oh really...well while you're over there working on the martinis, I'd better tell you, I'm pregnant'. Matt that's never going to work. Besides, Chris and I were really careful so that this wouldn't happen." she thought out loud as her eyes filled with tears. 

"Eve, you're about six weeks along." Matt explained looking over her chart once more. 

</i> "Six weeks." Eve repeated snapping back to reality as she turned to discover that she was no longer alone. 

"Hey Eve," Matt nodded noticing that she appeared to be in deep thought, "how are you?" 

"Better than the last time we saw one another." Eve explained looking around the hallway. 

"Do you think we could talk somewhere?" 

"Of course," Matt nodded leading her down the corridor into Ellen's empty office and closing the door behind them. "I take it you've talked things through with Chris and have come up with some kind of decision here." 

****************************** 

Tracie Richards entered the hospital eager to have a word with Matt before she headed down to the office to finish up her work on the project she was working on. She checked watch once more making sure that she'd allow herself enough time to make sure that she'd allow herself a window to make it into the office without being more tardy as usual. 

As she scanned the hospital corridor, she noticed Matt and Eve talking to one another and she felt her skin crawl a bit. This had been the first time she'd seen Eve in quite some time and just the thought of facing her now was not on her top list of things to do, but she knew that if she didn't talk to Matt, she was going to be beating herself up later about this. 

Drawing in a breath, she pushed herself forward. 

"You can do this," she assured herself as she approached Ellen's office hearing voices from inside as she moved to knock on the door, but stopped herself as Eve's voice grew louder. 

"I haven't mentioned a word of this to Chris, but I have made a decision." Eve explained drawing in a breath. 

"And what might that be Eve?" Matt questioned looking into her eyes again. 

"Matt, I've decided I have no other choice than to terminate this pregnancy because if I don't, Ryan will never be out of my life." Eve explained trying to dismiss the feeling tearing away at her insides as she struggled to remain firm in her decision. 

"Eve, I can see that your mind is set on this, but are you sure you don't want to take a while to think about this? I mean this is an innocent child you're talking about here and to just go off on a whim and...." Matt started to protest. 

"Matt, it's my body and I'm not going to allow Ryan to destroy another life. I won't be held responsible for this when I know how many lives it will impact." Eve insisted trying to blink back tears as she drew in a breath. "I have no other choice." 

"Eve there's always a choice." Matt pleaded with her seeing that she still wasn't sure about this. "Eve, listen there's still a chance that this child belongs to Chris, right?" 

"A very slim chance," Eve noted thinking back to the first time she'd made love to Chris. 

"Well isn't that in itself reason enough to give yourself time to think this through. I mean at the very least, you should talk to him about this and discuss your options before you choose to terminate this pregnancy Eve." Matt continued looking her over for a moment. 

"I know that you're bothered by the idea that Ryan is the father of this child, but what if it turns out that Chris is in fact the father and you've ripped away his chance at parenthood just for your own self preservation." 

"Matt, it's not like that." Eve started to protest. "IF I bring this child into the world, I'll spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder wondering who's lurking in the shadows just waiting to attack. Plus how can I go day in and day out knowing that this child was formed from a bit fat lie. I know that this isn't something to be taken lightly, but I don't see any other alternative." 

"It's quite a big risk Eve." Matt pointed out seeing her hands were shaking. 

"I realize that Matt," Eve nodded turning away unable to let him see the tears in her eyes. 

"Do you Eve? I mean have you really thought about the aftermath if you choose to go through with this abortion before taking the time to think things through?" Matt asked listening to the soft sounds of her sniffling. "Granted I know you're afraid and hurting right now, but Eve if you're wrong about this and that baby does in fact belong to Chris, you stand to lose more than you realize." 

"I know Matt." Eve stammered now unable to hide the tears burning at her cheeks as she face him. "Don't you think I've thought about that? Don't you think I realize what I'll be doing when I walk in there to terminate this pregnancy? I know that it's the worst thing a person could do, but at the same time, if I keep this child, I'll never be free of Ryan. 

Never!" 

"Fine Eve, I won't tell you what to do, but before you go to that clinic you should ask yourself this," Matt started taking in a breath as their eyes met. "Maybe you need to ask yourself Eve, at what price is your freedom really worth?" 

Tracie took a step back as she heard Matt approaching the door. Taking off down the hallway, she realized that now was not the time to have her talk with Matt and as she rounded the corner she ran into a very flustered Chris Ramsey. 

"Chris," she gasped in surprise as they collided with one another. 

"Traice," he replied feeling his frown disappear as their eyes met, "listen I'm sorry for running into you like that. I suppose I just wasn't paying attention and...." 

"It was my fault." Tracie responded meeting his gaze for a moment before looking away. 

"Tracie, is everything all right?" Chris questioned sensing something in her face as she took a step back. 

"Actually Chris," Tracie began taking in a breath, "I know this really isn't my place but I want to talk to you about Eve." 

"What's up Tracie?" Chris asked noticing that something was wrong. 

"Chris, I don't know how else to say this other than start by letting you know that I've always valued you enough to be honest with you and I think that there's something that you should know about Eve." Tracie said taking in another deep breath. 

"What is it Tracie?" Chris questioned again worried about what she had to say. "What's wrong with Eve?" 

"I shouldn't be telling you this, but you have a right to know." Tracie began as she looked at him ready to reveal what she'd just discovered. 

*********************** 

Scott Baldwin entered the visitor's room at the jail to find Ryan sitting at the table with a pleased expression painted on his face. 

"Well, it looks like you came out on top, now didn't you councilor?" Ryan questioned with a wicked smirk as Scott took a seat across from him. "And to think I was starting to have my doubts about you. What was I thinking?" 

"It doesn't matter now." Scott responded firmly meeting Ryan's icy gaze. "I think that since we've broken through this little barrier it's time to get down to business." 

"I couldn't agree with you more Scott and quite frankly I've come up with a wonderful strategy for my defense that I'd like you to go over." Ryan explained reaching for a few papers he had tucked inside of his shirt. He noticed Scott's puzzled expression and smiled accordingly. "They don't exactly let you keep personal things in here, so I had to find a way around it." 

"Ryan, I'm not talking about your defense at the moment." Scott pushed back with a serious tone. "I've made my attempt now it's time for you to give a little." 

"What attempt Scott? We haven't gone to trial yet." Ryan pointed out leaning back in his chair. "You can't expect me to give up my trump card just yet." 

"Oh I think I've more than earned a little something after everything I went through to see to it that I was on this case." Scott shot back in irritation. 

"Hmm......well, I suppose you could be onto something here Scott and since you did go through all that hard work in dealing with that lady shrink of mine, who seemed like one tough cookie I might add, I suppose it's only fair to give you a little something in return." 

Ryan decided scratching his head as he looked at Scott. "Go on. Ask me whatever it is that's on your mind right now." 

"How can I help Kevin?" Scott questioned realizing that they'd wasted enough time already. "Tell me." 

"That's it? That's all you have to ask me Scott?" Ryan replied in amusement. "Surely I was thinking that you'd be more interested in knowing why since that seems to be a question on everyone's minds lately, but instead you just want to cut straight to the chase with boring old Kevin. Somehow everything always leads back to him and it's truly a shame." 

"Ryan, just tell me." Scott urged feeling his patience running thin. 

"Well, it's quite simple Scott," Ryan explained cocking his head slightly as he let out a hollow laugh, "the answer to all your questions about saving Kevin lie right here inside of me." 

"I understand that Ryan and that's why I'm asking you." Scott started again taking in a breath. 

"No Scott, I don't think you fully understand the importance in all of this." Ryan chuckled in amusement. "Not only are you defending my in this trial, but in keeping me alive, you're keeping Kevin alive because I am his only hope and as long as I'm unharmed, then the same will go for Kevin. You see the irony of all of this is that his fate is solely dependent on me." 

****************************** Lucy stood at the front steps to the lighthouse holding up the two shopping bags in hand looking at them both for a moment contemplating which one was more appropriate for the occasion. 

"Pink or blue?" Lucy asked herself over and over again as she played with both of the bags. "Oh who am I kidding? They both will do just fine and once I talk to Doc, I just know that he's going to be thrilled about this either way." 

With an excited smile on her face, Lucy pressed her key into the door and stepped inside unable to contain herself a moment longer. She looked around the room setting her bags down and moving further into the lighthouse. 

"Doc?" she called out her voice more of a shrill than anything else as she pranced around the living room. "Doc, are you around? Kevin please come down here because we REALLY need to talk about something as soon as possible here. Kevin?" 

Lucy waited for a moment expecting Kevin to come out from hiding as she moved towards the stairs calling out to him once again. After no response, she moved up the stairs only to discover he wasn't in the bedroom. 

"Where could you have gone when I need to talk to you so desperately?" she asked herself when a foul odor captured her attention and a smoke alarm sounded from the kitchen. 

Instantly she rushed down the stairs noticing the black smoke coming out from inside the kitchen. 

"Doc?" she questioned pushing the door open to find a pan with some unidentifiable charred matter on the front burner. Pushing it back, she turned off the stove and turned to look around the kitchen when she noticed Kevin's pill bottle spilled out across the counter. 

"Kevin," She spoke up rushing around the counter to find him sprawled out across the kitchen floor unconscious. "No! Oh Doc, no!" 

Chapter 25
"How is that possible Ryan? How are you Kevin's only hope?" Scott questioned watching the smug expression on Ryan's face. 
"It's quite simple really Scott. You see what my brother has is a very rare condition, one which will surely kill him, that is unless of course modern medical science chooses to listen to what a so called madman like myself has to say." Ryan explained casually. "You see I have a very detailed procedure on how to save my brother's life tucked away for a rainy day. As you can see, I did my homework." 

"Where is it Ryan?" Scott asked without a moment's hesitation. 

"See, now that's where the fun part comes in. You don't get the answer to that question until you're willing to play by my rules here." Ryan explained with a smirk. "You see push comes to shove I intend on following through on my promise to help Kevin, but before we get to the act of saving Kevin, there are a few hows I'd like to clear up along the way." 

"What hows?" Scott questioned watching Ryan closely. 

"It's quite simple really." Ryan began getting up from his seat. "First of all, one must realize that in going in to this little procedure, I'll be putting myself on the table, allowing myself to become the sacrificial lamb here and given the nature of my influences here in Port Charles it could be quite easy for my to never wake up from anesthesia and we wouldn't want that, now would we when I have oh so much to live for." 

"Fine Ryan, if I can guarantee that you survive this procedure, then will you clue me in on what needs to be done for Kevin?" Scott wondered watching Ryan slither over to the window extending his arms out across the frame. 

"There are no guarantees here Scott because let's face it, you want me dead just as much as the others do." Ryan answered grimly looking back over his shoulder for a moment. 

"Admit it." 

"My job is to see to it that your best interest is taken care of Ryan." Scott explained flatly. 

"My best interest, ah yes. That's right. Good old Scott Baldwin ready to look out for my best interest." Ryan chuckled scratching his head. "That's a good one here and oh I can see why we have plenty of catching up to do since we're pals now. Tell me Scott, did Lucy ever tell you in detail how she was going to leave you for me? How the moment you and Serena left town, she just couldn't wait to jump into my arms and pick up exactly where she and Kevin left off and I do mean exactly where they left off?" 

"Ryan this isn't about Lucy." Scott pointed out doing his best to ignore his comments. 

"But isn't it though? I mean why else would you place yourself in this position for any reason other than to please Lucy?" Ryan questioned with a wicked smirk seeing that he'd struck a nerve in Scott despite Scott's trying to hide it. "Of course I don't blame you because if it was up to me, I'd like to find my own way to please Lucy just like I continued to please Eve night after night. It's too bad that I wasn't allowed enough time to do just that, but I suppose that fate had other plans for me. You know, I never did thank you for tossing Eve aside like you did. If you hadn't, she and I never would have been able to expand upon our relationship like we did. It's funny though because looking back I never really imagined Eve to be a screamer like she was but when she really got going she was sure full of surprises and Lucy, well, that woman was just oozing with seduction the moment she walked into my place in her tight little dress and...." 

"Enough Ryan!" Scott snapped slamming his hands on the table. 

"What? Did I say something?" Ryan questioned innocently seeing Scott struggling to keep his cool. "If this line of conversation is bothering you, then by all means let me know and we can find something else to discuss or perhaps what's really bothering you is the fact that you're enjoying this conversation we're having with one another more than you'd like to admit. If you'd like, we could always swap Eve and Lucy stories. I'm sure that in itself would be interesting. Kind of to compare notes." 

"Why don't we talk about Kevin?" Scott responded firmly. 

"Ah, now why does everything always have to keep going back to him?" Ryan questioned with a scowl. "Kevin, Kevin, Kevin! You'd think by now the world would grow tiresome of such a pompous, arrogant windbag like Kevin, but for some reason everyone just keeps eating it up and spooning him on in. I never could quite understand what it was about Kevin that everyone thought was so damned special. I mean he's truly a bore....no need for adventure, no seeking excitement, just good, old by the books Kevin with his humdrum life and his fatuous character. I'll tell you the only reason Kevin went into psychiatry other than to explore his own little demons was because he didn't know how to live and by learning through others, he was able to hash out his desires without even daring to try. He could like in his own safe little world without taking a risk." 

"Unlike you huh Ryan?" Scott questioned seeing the look of rancor in Ryan's eyes as he thought of Kevin. 

"I may have done a lot of things in my lifetime Scott, but when everything is said and done, I'll be able to say with a clear mind that I lived, something which my brother has incapable of doing." Ryan seethed before meeting Scott's expectant stare. "Despite my feelings however, I will allow Kevin another chance at all of this and perhaps with my blood pumping through his veins, he'll quit hiding behind the mask of who he's struggled so hard to make the world believe he is and be reduced to his true primal form as the Kevin we all know he truly is." 

************************************ 

"Doc, don't dare you do this to me!" Lucy urged kneeling beside him on the cold, floor tiles. Frantically she turned him over on his side checking for a pulse and seeing that he was still breathing as she struggled to awaken him. "Kevin please if you can hear me open your eyes. Kevin!" 

"Monk? Lucy?" Victor called out entering the lighthouse as he found Lucy crouched over. "Lucy, what are you doing on the floor?" 

"We have to get Kevin off the floor here and into the other room." Lucy explained frantically tugging at Kevin's sleeve hoping to get him to move. "I just found him on the floor and he won't budge." 

"All right Lucy," Victor responded moving to her side and helping her to move Kevin. 

"How long has he been like this?" 

"I don't know Victor. I just walked in about five minutes ago and the last thing I should be doing right now is moving Doc like this considering that I could very well be...." Lucy trailed off dismissing the thought as Victor wrapped one of Kevin's arms around his shoulders and they started to drag him into the other room. "Well never mind. Kevin is what's most important right now. We need to get him to wake up." 

"Right," Victor nodded pushing open the kitchen door and leading Kevin over to the sofa as he began to mumble incoherently. 

"Doc, Doc honey can you hear me?" Lucy questioned placing a pillow under his head as she realized he was slowly coming to. "Doc?" 

"What about his medication Lucy? Has he been taking his medication?" Victor asked his voice full of concern. 

"Of course he's been taking his medication ritualistically." Lucy responded hearing the beeping sounds of his alarm coming from his jacket pocket. She reached inside for it, pulling it out. 

"What is that?" Victor asked puzzled. 

"It's time for Doc's medication." Lucy explained standing up and darting off towards the kitchen. "Victor I'm going to get his medication. You try to get him to wake up. Just try to get some kind of response out of him." 

"Okay," Victor nodded turning his full attention to his son. "Monk? Monk, can you hear me?" 

Lucy pushed open the kitchen door feeling her thoughts run rampant and her heart pounding in her chest as if it would explode at any moment as she began searching for his pills that had spilled along the floor tiles. She noticed that most of them had been crushed into fine white powder during her struggle of transporting Kevin from the kitchen into the other room. She searched for one pill hoping that she could find one in tact when she reached for a paper towel opting to scoop up the powder instead. 

"Don't worry Doc, I'm on my way." Lucy whispered to herself trying to remain in control as she poured the contents into a cup, along with filling another glass with water and walking out into the living room. 

"Most of them were crushed when we brought him out here Victor." Lucy announced turning to Victor seeing that he was no longer the one at Kevin's side as she witnessed Charlie leaning over Kevin. "What are you doing here?" 

"She was in the car with me when I arrived here." Victor explained seeing the confusion in Lucy's eyes as she darted towards the couch. 

"Listen you! You have no right being here now when I need to take care of Doc and if you don't get out of my......" Lucy started shoving Charlie out of the way as she took her place in front of Kevin trying to give him his medication. 

"Lucy, I'm a doctor." Charlie reminded her placing her hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Please let me just take a look at him." 

"He doesn't need you to look at him. I have the situation under control." Lucy informed her sternly as Kevin's eyes opened and she touched his cheek lightly. "Doc, honey can you hear me?" 

"Lucy," Kevin responded drawing in a shallow breath. 

"That's right baby. I'm right here." Lucy answered soothingly as she urged him to accept the broken pill pieces that she'd managed to scrounge up. Silently he accepted the medication followed up by the glass of water as she coached it down. "That's a boy. Now just a little more Doc." 

"Wh-what happened Lucy?" Kevin asked blankly looking up at her before wheezing once again. 

"Doc," Lucy called out in a panic as Charlie pushed her aside and moved in next to him. 

"Lucy, we need to get him to a hospital." Charlie informed her as Kevin went into a series of tremors. 

"We can't do that Charlie." Lucy responded feeling her heart sink and her hands shake as she drew nearer to Kevin. "I promised him that I wouldn't do that to him." 

"We don't have a choice Lucy. He needs to be treated as soon as possible." Charlie explained checking Kevin's pulse. "His heart is racing and he's...." 

"Charlie, there's nothing they can do for him at the hospital." Lucy informed her feeling hot tears burn her cheeks. 

"And why not Lucy?" Charlie asked glancing at her briefly. "Because I suggested you take him there? Is that what this is about Lucy?" 

"No!" Lucy snapped as Victor released her. Instantly she slid Charlie out of the way and moved in along side of Kevin trying to ease his pain. 

"Then why Lucy?" Charlie questioned watching Lucy lean over Kevin whispering soothing words in his ear. 

"Because there's nothing more they could do at this point," Lucy informed her sharply feeling the words sting her throat, "because Kevin's dying." 

*********************************** 

"Eve's pregnant?" Chris repeated staring back at Tracie and seeing the solemn look cross her features. "You can't be serious about this Tracie." 

"Chris, I know it's not my place to tell you this, but I came here to have a word with Matt before I headed into work and the two of them were talking about it together in Ellen's office." Tracie explained watching him take a step back as the realization of the situation began to sink in. "I wouldn't have said anything to you, but when she started talking about terminating the pregnancy without even giving you the opportunity to even discuss it with her, I couldn't just let it go. I'm sorry that I had to be the one to tell you this, but I thought you had a right to know." 

"Eve's having my baby?" Chris spoke up again more so to himself than anything else. He paced around the hallway thinking about how strangely Eve had been acting lately in between her mood swings and her reluctance to talk to him. "Of course, that's why she was crying on Kevin's shoulder last night because she didn't want to tell me that we were having a baby...that the two of us were having a child together. She didn't want to break the news to me on top of everything else we were talking about. I should've picked up on it last night, but I wasn't paying attention to the signals she was sending out to me." 

"Chris I'm so sorry that you had to find out like this." Tracie began seeing the look of anguish on his face as he sank into a nearby chair. 

"How could she do this to me?" Chris questioned shaking his head in disbelief. "I love her Tracie and I've told her time and time again that if she needed anything, anything at all that I'd be there for her that nothing would change my love for her and this is how she chooses to repay me. By keeping a lid on the fact that she's carrying my child and that she wants to get rid of him or her." 

"Chris, I'm so sorry." Tracie began hating to see Chris in so much pain as she knelt before him. "You have no idea how much it kills me to see you hurting like this." 

"Tracie, I trusted her. I let her in on so many levels and then to have her do this to me after everything we've been through." Chris continued unable to come to grips with the situation meeting Tracie's concerned gaze. "I gave up everything for her, put my life on the line time and time again and this is how she chooses to express her feelings for me, by keeping this from me." 

"Chris, she hasn't done it yet." Tracie reminded him quickly. "She was just talking about it with Matt and now that you know what she's up to, you can stop her before she follows through on her decision." 

"You're right," Chris nodded firmly, "I'm not going to let Eve take away my chance at happiness. I won't let her do this to me because I can't go through this again. I refuse to let her do this to me!" 

"Chris," Tracie started reaching for his hand. 

"I have to find Eve before it's too late." Chris announced getting up from his seat. "I have to get to her before she has a chance to follow through on her virulent plans for my son or daughter." 

"Chris wait!" Tracie called out to him watching him race down the hall as she was overcome by guilt now hating herself completely for what she'd been reduced to. She stood up and walked out of the hospital unable to look back for fear that she'd come clean with Chris about her true motivation for just breaking his heart. 

**************************************** 

"Kevin's dying?" Charlie repeated turning to look at Kevin's face once more noticing how pale he was. "No that can't be right." 

"That's right Charlie. Poor old Ryan had no trouble guiding him down this road and I'll be damned if I let anyone get in the way of the time I have left with Doc." Lucy warned menacingly glaring at her. 

"Lucy I......" Charlie trailed off after a moment. 

"Yeah take a good look Charlie because see Kevin here," Lucy started with a hint of anger, "you can thank your patient for this." 

"Lucy, I'm so sorry." Charlie began watching Lucy try to comfort Kevin. "Had I known of his condition." 

"What would you have done? Had him stuck in a hospital, huh? Well let me tell you this, the last thing he wants is for anyone to keep him locked up in some dreary hospital room and I intend to see to it that no one interferes with what he wants or needs right now." 

Lucy explained sharply before lowering her voice trying to coach Kevin out of his seizure. 

"Doc, baby please if you can hear me." 

"I had no idea." Charlie started looking at Victor before reaching into her purse. "Lucy, let me take a look at him." 

"Just stay away and let me help him." Lucy instructed feeling Victor's hand upon her shoulder as she broke into tears. 

"Lucy," Victor started reaching out to her and pulling her into an embrace as Charlie pulled out a syringe and rolled up the sleeve on Kevin's jacket. 

"Wh-what are you doing?" Lucy questioned her voice shrill as Victor held her back. 

"Helping Kevin." Charlie announced starting the injection. 

"Just let her try to help Lucy." Victor instructed holding her tighter as Lucy fought to break free. 

"Victor, I just gave him his medication and she can't just do that to him. She has no idea what's going on with Doc. She knows nothing about his medication or anything like that. 

We just covered that not even two minutes ago...." Lucy began to protest breaking free of his grip and pushing Charlie aside knocking the needle from her hand. "Stay away from him." 

"Lucy, it's to stop the convulsions." Charlie explained meeting her gaze as Kevin began to calm down and his breathing slowly returned to normal. "See." 

"Just back off Charlie!" Lucy warned caught up in the whirlwind of the moment as she moved in beside Kevin again. 

"Lucy you can't be serious about just leaving him here like this. He still needs to get to the hospital especially after...." Charlie began to protest feeling Victor's hand upon her shoulder. 

"She knows what she's doing with him Charlie." Victor nodded to Kevin responding to Lucy. "If anyone can get through to Monk and pull him out of this it's her." 

"Lucy," Kevin whispered hoarsely feeling his eyes adjusting to the room and the shallowness in his breath. 

"I'm right here Doc," she answered in a soft, soothing tone pressing her fingers against his damp skin. "I'm here." 

"I'm sorry.....so, so sorry....," Kevin breathed feeling as if his chest was going to collapse with each word he spoke. 

"Sorry? Kevin Collins, what do you have to be sorry about other than giving me a scare just now?" Lucy questioned forcing a smile despite the tears flooding down her face. 

"Lucy, I tried so hard to fight this," Kevin whispered in between coughs, "but the pain, it's just so strong. The hold it has on me, it's just getting harder to fight this...." 

"Don't you dare start talking like that Kevin Collins because I don't want to hear it!" Lucy warned snapping at him. "This little attack will pass I promise you that. Do you hear me?" 

"Lu-Lucy...." Kevin whooped coughing again. 

"Shh.......Doc, don't speak right now. Just concentrate on relaxing." Lucy explained pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Okay?" 

Kevin nodded to her and reached out to wipe at her tears. She felt the warmth of his finger tips against her skin and pressed his hand to her lips kissing it lightly. 

"Why don't we go into the kitchen and give them a moment?" Victor suggested in a low whisper in Charlie's ear. 

"Of course," Charlie nodded watching Kevin and Lucy interact for a moment longer before leaving the room right behind Victor. 

************************************** 

Chris walked to Ellen's office bursting through the doors to find Matt and Ellen sitting there engaged in conversation with one another. His gazed fixed upon Matt as his anger rose with each passing second. 

"Where is she Harmon?" Chris questioned sharply glaring at Matt. 

"Didn't you ever hear of knocking first Ramsey?" Matt countered with a frown meeting Chris' raging scowl and matching it. 

"I'll just bet you loved the fact that she came to you about all of this, don't you Harmon?" 

Chris screamed out in a vehemence. "In fact, I'd even go a step further and take a stab in the dark here that you even provided her with a name and a number for someone to do the procedure or better yet, maybe you even suggested your own services on this one, didn't you? You always did hate me and this would be your one final way of sticking it to me big time." 

"What are you talking about Chris?" Ellen questioned getting up from her chair and watching him shake with fury. 

"Boyfriend didn't tell you Ellen?" Chris continued angrily with his eyes still fixed on Matt. 

"He's been giving my girlfriend tips on how to make the world a better place without traces of me in it." 

"I have no idea what has you so upset here Ramsey, but if you don't calm down, then I swear..." Matt started as Chris stepped forward. 

"You'll what?" Chris questioned with contempt. "Help Eve find a way to betray me and murder my son or daughter?" 

"Murder your son or daughter?" Ellen repeated blankly turning to Matt. 

"I take it she told you about the pregnancy and her decision to terminate it despite her concerns on how you'd react." Matt spoke up watching Chris intently. "Somehow she'd been anticipating that you'd go off the deep end if she told you everything." 

"Go off the deep end? Matt what in the world would you expect if you were in my shoes? I'm sure that her decision in part had something to do with your coaching her on what a terrible role model I'd be or how any child born of my blood would only live a life of pain and misery because they were mine." Chris snapped vehemently. "I'm even going to guess you two worked together to come up with the brilliant idea to keep me in the dark about this and make him look like a fool." 

"What is going on here?" Ellen questioned looking at both men engaged in this heated discussion with one another. "Matt?" 

"Eve's pregnant Ellen and she had some concerns about this pregnancy due to the recent turn of events around here." Matt explained calmly meeting Chris' icy glare. "Chris, regardless of our history, I suggested that she talk to you about this before making any hasty decisions. I realize what's at stake here." 

"Well, if that was the case Harmon, she opted not to take you up on your advice because Eve wasn't the one who bared all to me. She opted to take the easy way out and leave me in the dark here." Chris informed him seething with anger feeling as if he would explode at any minute. Taking in a breath, he tried to remain as calm as possible before he sank into his thoughts and lost control. He exhaled and spoke up sharply. "Where's Eve?" 

"I honestly don't know Chris, but given your condition, I don't think it would be wise for the two of you to be together right now. Not when you're ranting and raving like a lunatic." Matt added pointedly seeing how worked up Chris truly was. "She's in a very confused state of mind and she's hurting Chris and I believe this was the kind of thing she was hoping to avoid." 

"Don't even start defending her now Matt!" Chris warned feeling his anger rise. "Where is she?" 

"Obviously in a place that's much better suited for her than here given your current state of mind." Matt informed him firmly. "I can see that you're upset, but you need to cool down before you run off after Eve." 

"That's not for you to decide Harmon." Chris breathed in a low roar narrowing his eyes at him. "Now I'll ask you one more time, and then I won't be asking you again. Where is Eve?" 

"Chris, I don't know where she is and that's the truth." Matt informed him unbending in his words keeping his voice steady. "She left here about fifteen minutes ago and I haven't had contact with her since. She said she needed some time to think about things and I agreed that maybe some time would be good for her." 

"If Eve goes off and does anything stupid, I'll hold you responsible for this one Harmon." 

Chris fumed glaring at him for a moment more before moving toward the door. 

"Chris, if you didn't hear this from Eve, then I think you should keep an open mind before you start...." Matt spoke up again watching Chris leave the room slamming the door behind him. 

"What was that all about?" Ellen questioned trying to make sense of what happened. 

"It's a long story Ellen," Matt explained with a sigh turning to Ellen, "I just hope that Eve knows what she's doing here." 

************************************* Tracie found her way back inside her car, she pressed her head up against her steering wheel hating the position she'd been put in. She hadn't wanted to do any of what she'd been forced to do, but she had no choice. Reaching into her purse, she dialed the number he'd instructed her to call once she'd gotten to Chris. While she'd anticipated how she was going to break the news to him about Eve's pregnancy, she'd never expected that she'd find so much ammunition to use against Eve, but know she knew given Chris' history that there was no chance he'd allow Eve to abort that pregnancy which was exactly what Ryan wanted. She pulled her cell phone in closer towards her ear and waited for the recipient on the other end of the line to pick up. When she heard the familiar click, she took in a breath and spoke. 

"It's done. Chris knows about the pregnancy and everything is as you wanted it to be. 

You were right about his reaction. He won't let her terminate this pregnancy." Tracie explained not bothering to hide the tone of disdain in her voice. "I hope you're happy." 

"You've done good Tracie." Ryan smiled enthusiastically on the other end of the line. 

"Excellent work and I trust Eve also received my little care package." 

"Yeah, I'm sure she has." Tracie added feeling a bitter taste in her mouth. 

"Good. Then our work is done for today. Somehow I've managed to kill two birds with one stone." Ryan purred in delight thinking about his arrangement with Scott. "I'll get in contact with you I need you." 

"I'm sure you will." Tracie muttered hanging up the phone and throwing it across her car as she looked at her reflection. She stared back at her cold, blue eyes looking back at her as tears misted in her eyes. Angrily, she reached for the rear view mirror that she'd just had glued back on and she tore it off the windshield in a rage. "Damn you Ryan!" 

***************************** "I don't know how I'm going to deal with losing another son," Victor started peeking out of the kitchen and watching Lucy with Kevin for a moment. "He overcame so much to come back to us, for us to just lose him again." 

"Victor, I had no idea that Ryan had caused so much pain here with Kevin." Charlie began sinking into her chair and looking into her coffee mug. "When I came back to town, I thought that I'd be helping Kevin by working on this case. I'd hoped that perhaps Kevin and I could find a way to help Ryan come out from the shadows he's been living in all this time, but I had no idea that he was dying." 

"I know Charlie. It's been hard for all of us to deal with this," Victor confessed closing the door behind him and moving over to the table, "but if anyone can find the best possible way to approach this, it's Lucy." 

"She and Kevin are rather close aren't they?" Charlie questioned taking a sip of her coffee as Victor took a seat across from her. 

"It goes beyond that Charlie. I've never seen Monk happier than he is when he's with Lucy. What the two of them have together goes beyond love, it's stronger than you might think." Victor explained shaking his head. "If it hadn't been for Lucy, then I doubt Monk and I would've found our way back to one another." 

"Lucy brought you and Kevin closer together? How?" Charlie questioned seeing the strain in Victor's face as his eyes misted over. 

"There was a time when things were very dark in my life especially after the time period when you were around Monk and I. I slipped into a bit of a depression and lost touch with the world around me, but somehow Kevin and I found our way back to one another and Lucy was there every step of the way." Victor explained choked up on emotion. 

"She's been so strong through everything even when Monk had hit his lowest point not so long ago and she always seems to find a way to pull him through whatever it is that's going wrong in his life. Their love has overcome some incredible odds." 

"So you believe she's the one for Kevin, huh?" Charlie questioned softly. 

"The only one for Kevin." Victor commented meeting her gaze and sensing a sadness in her eyes. "Charlie, I know that you and Monk had a history, but..." 

"It was a long time ago Victor." Charlie pointed out forcing a weak grin. "While I'll always care for Kevin, I can see something there with him and Lucy." 

"He'd give his life for her Charlie and vice versa." Victor explained thinking about the previous year. "He fought so hard to come back to her before it was too late. He struggled and overcame many horrors to make it back to his home and back to her heart and I'd hate for it all to end like this for them. Just the thought that I'm going to lose my son again....." 

"Victor," Charlie spoke up as he broke into tears. Silently she reached out to him pulling him into an embrace as he cried upon her shoulder unable to contain himself. 

"I truly believe that Lucy's spirit is what keeps Kevin holding on." Victor sniffled closing his eyes tightly not wanting to think about what was happening. "I just pray that he's strong enough to fight this." 

*************************** After Chris left Matt's office, he found himself caught up somewhere between the hospital and his apartment still not quite clear on how to think, feel, or be as he thought of Eve. 

His anger had somehow transformed into something else......something darker that couldn't quite be explained. It was a mixture of despair eating away at his insides as he made his way through the empty park taking a seat on one of the benches. 

"Why didn't you tell me about this Eve?" Chris questioned in a low, guttural tone burying his head in his hands as traces of the previous evening flashed back to him. 

<i> "You know I was thinking," Eve's words broke through the silence between him. He noticed her face was painted with a devilish grin as Chris started tracing the small of her back with his fingers as she nestled against him underneath the blankets, "if we continue to spend the night with each other like this in my room constantly, we could probably transform your room into a study or something." 

"My room?" Chris repeated looking down at her with a frown. "Why on earth would we transform my room into a study when your room has more optimal lighting for that type of thing? Besides, who's to say that we won't want to venture into my room sometime in the near future?" 

"Well I just assumed that since you seemed to hold a preference to this place and all my things were in here, that it would only be fair for the two of us to stay in here with one another." Eve explained softly meeting his gaze. "Wouldn't you agree?" 

"No, I wouldn't agree." Chris protested firmly, wiping a stray hair from her forehead as a smile crossed his lips. "My room is much bigger than yours and besides if we moved my things in here, they'd be lost in your cascade of clothing Lambert." 

"Ha-ha," Eve muttered rolling her eyes before resting her head on his chest, "but I'm serious here." 

"So am I." Chris explained running his fingers across her smooth skin and savoring the feel of her in his arms. "Knowing the two of us, we'd end up killing each other by the end of the week, if we even tried to share closet space with one another. Besides, why the urgency to cohabitate in such close quarters? I thought you were a woman who needed lots of space to keep from feeling claustrophobic." 

"Are you trying to say you're sick of me already Ramsey?" Eve questioned raising an eyebrow as she looked up at him. 

"Never," he responded brushing a finger up against her cheek, "I was just merely suggesting that you don't let me suffocate you just yet this early into the relationship or else you're liable to regret ever getting involved with me in the first place." 

"Regret? Nah, never. It won't happen Ramsey." Eve repeated thinking it over for a moment. "So if I started talking about marriage and children, you'd start running in the opposite direction, huh?" 

"Eh, domestic bliss. I shudder at the thought." Chris teased with a chuckle tapping her nose lightly. "Now I know you're not feeling up to par. Could you even imagine the two of us bringing children into this arrangement this early in the game? It would be complete insanity." 

"It is a crazy thought isn't it?" Eve replied turning away. 

"Not that crazy about me wanting to spend the rest of my life with you, but the idea of me as a father, uh I'd be horrible. I mean just think about the role model I had growing up. 

Good old Henry Ramsey and his fifty ways to get yourself ahead in this world with as little effort as possible." Chris replied shaking his head. "Our kids would be cursed for sure, not that you wouldn't be a wonderful mother, but me, oh God, I can't even imagine." 

"Yeah I suppose I'm not the mommy type either." Eve added closing her eyes after a moment. "However, don't under rate yourself Chris, I've seen you with children and you have a knack with them." 

"That's because at the end of the day I can come home, pour myself a good martini and be done with them knowing that they're someone else's problem." Chris confessed with a soft laugh. "I couldn't even imagine what it would be like to have one around constantly." 

"Come on Chris, I think you'd be great." Eve continued softly. "I can see you now coaching little league with your son or daughter just hamming it up and maybe even bribing the other team to let you win." 

"If it was my son or daughter playing, there wouldn't be a need for bribery since they'd be the best there is." Chris boasted proudly at the thought. "They'd never have to worry about not having anything because I'd be sure to give them everything I never had starting with a strong set of morals and ethics since we all know where I stand on the subject." 

"You teaching them about morals and ethics? Oh I'd love to watch that one." Eve chuckled in amusement. "I imagine that would come after the in depth course on outdoor photography from high levels of elevation?" 

"Very funny Lambert and I'm sure once I'm finished with photography you could give them a lesson or two on dress tailoring or perhaps using non-lethal gas through vents as an illusion used those with whom you have a problem with and if they don't believe that you have a knack for it, then we'll just send them to ask Lucy Coe." Chris added raising an eyebrow wickedly. "I'm sure she'd have lots of information for them." 

"Oh you crack me up Ramsey." Eve replied rolling her eyes before sinking into his chest. 

"One thing I know for sure is that I'd see to it that my son or daughter never went through the heartbreak and pain that I went through growing up. You know sometimes when I was a little girl I used to sit up late at night in my bed thinking about my father and how he'd bailed out on my mother and us girls. For so long I'd hated him for leaving us like he did, for not being a part of my life, but now in retrospect maybe it was best that he wasn't in my life. After all having no father is better than having one who's only going to hurt you in the end." 

"Tell me about it," Chris agreed thinking of his own tense relationship with his father, "So many times I watched dear old dad getting so wrapped up in his games and for so long I thought that was the only way to get ahead in life, by following the rules and teachings of Henry Ramsey. I was so sure that my father was the greatest man that ever lived, but then one day I woke up and I realized my old man wasn't everything I'd built him up to be. 

That everything he'd taught me only lead to a dead end road.....the path to loneliness and if I'd just forced myself not to get attached and not to care, then I'd never be hurt again. If I could like the Ramsey way, then I'd never have to own up to responsibility and I could life free to bail whenever I pleased, free to go after whatever it was I wanted at any cost and free go where the day took me with only myself to depend on. No attachments, no heartbreaks, no pain." 

"What happened with the two of you Chris?" Eve asked softly taking note of the sadness in his voice. 

"It's a long story Eve. One that isn't even worth retelling again." Chris explained after a moment's hesitation. "Sometimes things are better left unsaid words best kept unspoken....." 

"I suppose," Eve answered looking at the ring on her finger momentarily as he reached out intertwining their fingers. 

"Hey, the last thing I wanted to do was depress you about my father and I." Chris spoke up seeing how lost she appeared to be. "He's not worth getting into." 

"Maybe not, but judging by your reaction to his engagement earlier, it just seemed like you had a lot on your mind." Eve commented looking back up at him. 

"Yeah well when Henry comes around, there's always a lot on my mind." Chris confessed with a sigh. "I just thank God that no child of mine will ever have to endure him like I did. 

Heaven only knows what kind of mess I'd make of some poor kid's life if they were brought into this nightmare I called my life."</i> 

"No wonder she didn't say anything to me." Chris whispered to himself as the realization dawned in on him why Eve had been keeping this pregnancy from him. Sitting up straighter, he pulled himself to his feet more determined than ever to stop Eve from making the worst mistake of her life. "I'm sorry Eve, but regardless of what I said last night, I can't let you take this away from me." 

He stood up from the park bench and moved towards his apartment ready to find Eve and hash this out once and for all. He stood at the door about put his key in the lock and the door opened causing him to come face to face with her realizing that his search was over as she stood before him. 

"Chris," she gasped suddenly after their near collision, "I um, I wasn't expecting to run into you like this." 

"I don't doubt that Eve." Chris commented looking her over for a moment. "Going somewhere?" 

"I was just on my way out to run some errands." she explained holding her purse close to her. 

"Before you run off and do that Eve, I think we need to talk." Chris answered firmly pulling her back into the apartment and slamming the door behind them. 

"Okay," Eve nodded. "Did you have another run in with your father at the hospital?" 

"Not exactly," Chris answered. 

"I see, well if you didn't run in with your father then what's going on?" she questioned. 

"Why don't you tell me?" he suggested. 

"Chris if I knew what was going on with you, do you honestly think I'd be questioning you on it?" Eve answered drawing in a breath. "Why don't you just tell me instead of making me play guessing games here?" 

"Guessing games? Now it's interesting that you brought that up Eve seeing as you've been playing a few guessing games of your own with me for a while now," Chris spoke up smoothly, "but I'll bet that's just part of the master plan right?" 

"Chris, I don't understand." Eve answered shaking her head. 

"Of course not. Perhaps I should spell it out for you." Chris suggested meeting her gaze. 

"Chris....." Eve started as he rose from his seat extending his large frame and creeping toward her. 

"When were you going to tell me Eve?" Chris questioned raising his voice. "Huh?" 

"Tell you what Chris?" Eve questioned innocently watching him step towards her seizing her in his arms. 

"Quit with the games Eve!" Chris snapped feeling himself close to his breaking point as he looked at her. "I know you're pregnant." 

************************* 

"I love you Doc, and I know right now you're feeling a bit disoriented and weak, but I don't ever want to hear you even attempt at giving up on me now because we have a lot to talk about." Lucy informed him sternly looking into his tired brown eyes. "You and I we have a lot to get into about our futures and I refuse to sit back and let you be pessimistic especially after that little discussion we had with one another last night." 

"Lucy, I'm not trying to...." Kevin started as she placed her hand over his mouth to silence him. 

"What did I say Kevin Collins? Not another word!" Lucy warned taking in a breath as she continued to speak to him. "You'll never guess what I brought home for you. I brought home some of those tiny little chocolate desserts from the Outback that you and I used to munch on during those late nights that I just wasn't quite able to drag you away from your office when you were burying yourself so deep into your work and I had to throw out all the punches to get you to just relax. I even bought a can of whipped cream and a jar of cherries to complete the dessert I have lined up for us. Plus, even though it's not exactly home made, I brought you some chicken soup. I would've made it myself like I'd been promising you for so long, but I figured that my cooking would be the last thing you'd want right now especially after the last time I tried to make French toast. That was a like a lab experiment gone wrong rather than breakfast." 

"I love your French toast Lucy," Kevin spoke up lightly looking at her. 

"What did I tell you?" Lucy questioned shooting him a look. "Be quiet now." 

"I'm sorry," Kevin whispered behind a smile. 

"You'd better be." Lucy insisted rubbing his cheek gently. "Hey, you know I have something else that I'd like to tell you, but I want to make sure that I have your full, undivided attention before we get into something like this with one another because heaven knows that if you're going to be a pessimist, then they're is no point in even bringing it up to you." 

"Lucy," Kevin started as she shot him another glare, "please tell me." 

"Okay Doc, but before I do, you have to promise me that you're going to keep fighting this Kevin Collins because I love you and I refuse to let you go. Call me selfish and whatever else you may, but I love you damnit and I intend upon keeping you around for a long time. Do you got that?" Lucy asked feeling tears fall down her cheeks despite her effort to remain calm. "Don't you ever give up on me or what we have because having you is the one thing that makes all of this worthwhile, do you hear me?" 

"I'm trying Lucy," Kevin whispered trying to pull himself up a bit on the couch. 

"I know you are Kevin and that's why I don't want you to stop....not now when we're so close to having everything that we've worked so hard for together. I can't lose you now.....I just can't....." Lucy trailed off in tears as he pulled together enough strength to wrap his arms around her. 

"Don't cry Lucy. I hate to see you cry and I promise that I won't give up on us...not now or ever." Kevin answered feeling tears burning in his own eyes as he held her close to him. 

"I'm going to fight this as hard as I can for as long as I can." 

"You promise me that Kevin?" Lucy questioned feeling a lump form in her throat as she listened to his heart racing. "Doc, you can't give up on me now." 

"I'm going to fight this until my dying breath Lucy." Kevin insisted feeling her tremble as she pulled away from him taking his hand in hers and giving it a squeeze. "Whatever it takes, I'm going to keep pushing myself because I can't bear the thought of losing you." 

"You'd better Doc, because this isn't about just you and me any longer." Lucy informed him with a sniffle as she held onto him tighter. "It's so much more than that now." 

"I realize that," Kevin whispered pressing a kiss onto the top of her head as she gazed up at him. 

"No Doc, I don't think you realize just what importance you being around means to me at this moment because right now I think that I've come up with a very important reason for you to stay around and not just because I love you and need you." Lucy insisted clearing her throat a bit. "Victor needs you, Sigmund needs you and most of all, our baby needs it's father in his or her life Kevin ." 

"Baby?" Kevin repeated wondering if he'd heard her right as he gazed into her sad eyes. 

"That's right Kevin. It's official." Lucy nodded with a smile feeling her tears of sorrow transform into tears of joy. "I'm pregnant." 
 
 

''You're pregnant?'' Kevin repeated in astonishment meeting Lucy's tear filled gaze. 

''That's right Doc,'' Lucy nodded unable to contain her enthusiasm as she let out a soft laugh. 

''You're really sure?'' Kevin questioned unable to believe his ears as he touched her face. 

''I'm really, really sure Doc,'' Lucy replied bringing his hand to her lips and kissing it as the tears spilled from her eyes. ''I wasn't going to say anything until Doctor Neuman confirmed it, but I've been feeling it for a while now. You know how I've been saying there have been signs?'' 

''Like the whole thing with Luke and the cocktail weenies?'' Kevin added with a smile feeling an incredible weight lifted off his shoulders as he looked up at her. 

''Exactly,'' she nodded unable to contain her excitement a second longer. ''I just knew that this was going to happen for us just like we said it would. This time I really put my heart and soul into this and look Doc, it's happening for us.'' 

''It is, isn't it?'' Kevin agreed with a weak smile suddenly overcome with a sadness. 

''What is it Doc?'' she asked seeing the distant look in his eyes. 

''I was just thinking about how much I love you Lucy,'' he confessed touching her cheek. 

''I love you so much Doc.'' Lucy cried placing her hand on top of his. ''For so long the cosmos just weren't in sync with us, but when I went to see Dr. Neuman I realized our dreams were coming true and I was so happy knowing that we were going to have this child.'' 

''Oh Lucy,'' Kevin said with tears of joy in his eyes as he looked at her beautiful face, ''tonight you've blessed me with two of the best things that a man could ever have: your love and this baby.'' 

''Doc, I love you so much.'' Lucy said as tears of happiness rolled down her face. ''You mean everything to me. I'm just sorry that things had to unfold like this for us after all of these months. I mean I shouldn't have ever believed that you didn't love me anymore and that you'd pushed me away like you did. I should've seen through Ryan.'' 

''Lucy, none of that matters right now.'' Kevin explained wiping away her tears. ''All that matters is that we are together and I'm going to fight to be with you and this child of ours as long as I can.'' 

''I wouldn't expect any less out of you Kevin,'' Lucy agreed with a smile seeing him letting out a yawn. 

''There is so much that we need to talk about Lucy. So much to think of.'' Kevin yawned again looking to her. 

''I know sweetheart, but you need some rest right now.'' Lucy said running her fingers through his dark hair. ''You need to concentrate on getting better.'' 

''I don't want to sleep...'' Kevin protested looking at her. ''I'd rather spend this time with you celebrating our good news together.'' 

''Doc, you're exhausted.'' Lucy explained looking him over. ''Both the baby and I feel that you need some rest considering all that you've been through today.'' 

''Alright, but only under one condition.'' he sighed as his eyelids grew heavy. 

''What's that?'' she asked noticing how weak he looked. 

''You have to be here when I wake up.'' he explained fighting to keep his eyes open. 

''I promise you that Doc.'' Lucy said leaning down and gently kissing his forehead. ''I love you.'' 

''Lucy,'' he began opening his eyes again, ''I just want to tell you one more thing.'' 

''Anything Doc.'' she said watching him fight his sleepiness. 

''For what it's worth, I just want you to know that you've given me my reason and I'm going to try to pull through this with all that I have in order to be with you,'' He whispered faintly as he closed his eyes. ''Finding you was the best thing that's ever happened to me Lucy and while I may have been difficult at times, I can't imagine what my world would've been like if I didn't have you in it. I love you with all that I am Lucy.'' 

''I love you too Doc.'' she whispered taking his and kissing it as he fell asleep. 
 
 
 

''Quit with the games Eve!'' Chris snapped feeling close to his breaking point as he looked at her. ''I know you're pregnant.'' 

Eve stood frozen at his words feeling her body tremble slightly as she met his angry stare. She looked at him seeing how upset he was as he continued. 

''You're pregnant,'' he replied releasing her and moving across the room, ''and you had no intentions of ever telling me, did you?'' 

''Chris I....'' Eve began feeling her heart pounding in her chest. 

''Did you?'' He repeated raising his voice to another level. ''Answer me!'' 

''No!'' Eve blurted out shamefully. ''No I didn't.'' 

''Damn it Eve!'' Chris snapped slamming his fist into the top of the entertainment center. ''How could you not tell me something this important? What is this to you? Some kind of game?'' 

''Chris it's not as simple as....'' Eve started breaking her silence as she watched him sink onto the couch trying to clear his head. 

''There you're right Eve. It's not simple at all.'' Chris cut her off again feeling his anger mount with each word he spoke. ''It's a delicate situation in which you chose to make it more complicated by not telling me about it Eve.'' 

''Chris I wanted to, but....'' Eve began seeing the hurt in his eyes with each word that fell from his lips. 

''But you just couldn't bring yourself to clue me in on what was going on in your life, our lives Eve! Didn't you think about what this would do to me?'' He asked with a bitter laugh standing up again. ''Of course not seeing as all you seem to think about these days is yourself, huh Eve?'' 

''Chris don't do this,'' Eve pleaded feeling her eyes clouded with tears. 

''Don't do this?'' He repeated with a stunned expression continuing to tear at her. ''Why? Does it hurt sweetheart? Well I've got news for you. I am doing this and I refuse to let you keep me in the dark any longer.'' 

''Chris please,'' Eve urged moving toward him, ''if you just give me a minute I can explain everything.'' 

''A minute? Eve I was willing to give you a lifetime of love and happiness and this is how you repay me?'' Chris snapped back moving away from her. ''Eve you have no idea how furious I am with you right now knowing that you were planning on ending this pregnancy without even so much as mentioning it to me after everything we've been through. Just the thought that you could be so cold and heartless about something so miraculous.....it makes my skin crawl.'' 

''Chris you don't understand.'' Eve cut in wanting to get a word in as he moved towards her. 

''No Eve. You don't understand!'' Chris snapped seizing her with his hands feeling himself on the verge of breaking. ''If you end this child's life, then you'll end us along with it. Do you understand me? If you even think about terminating this pregnancy, we're over Eve and I'll never look back. Never!'' 

''Chris if you'd only let me explain,'' she started again unable to contain her tears as he released her. 

''No Eve I'm tired of your explanations and right now if I have to sit back and listen to one more empty promise come out of your lips.....'' he stopped himself short and looked at her, ''......well, I just don't think I can deal with it right now. In fact I need some air. I'm leaving.'' 

''Chris wait! You can't leave!'' Eve pleaded chasing after him tugging on his arm. ''You can't leave...not like this.'' 

''You're right Eve,'' Chris replied taking a breath and opening the door, ''I'm not going anywhere. You are!'' 

''But....'' she started as he pushed her out into the hallway slamming the door shut in front of her. 

Eve stood still for a moment looking at the cold, metal door in front of her unable to believe that Chris had kicked her out. She knew he was angry, but never in her life had she envisioned him kicking her out of their apartment and out of his life. With tears of anguish in her eyes she pounded on the door unable to give up. 

''Chris let me in!'' Eve yelled slamming her fists into the door. ''Chris!'' 

Chris stood on the inside of the door hearing Eve scream out to him, but unwilling to let go of the pain he was feeling, he moved away pouring himself a drink. 

''Chris please,'' Eve sobbed hitting the door again and feeling her strength leave as she was overcome with tears. Without a word, she sank to the floor holding her knees to her chest as she cried and the realization that she'd jeopardized the best relationship she'd ever had in her life took over. ''Oh Chris.'' 
 
 
 

''How's he doing?'' Victor asked Lucy as he tiptoed into the bedroom to find Kevin tucked in underneath the blankets. 

''He's resting.'' Lucy said turning to face Victor. ''What are you doing out of bed? I thought you were going to try to get some rest yourself mister.'' 

''Yeah well you should know by now that there isn't a way for me to rest easy knowing that my son's life is hanging by a thread.'' Victor confessed seeing the concern in her eyes. ''All that keeps coming back to me are the missing years that I can't ever get back with him.'' 

''I know Victor,'' Lucy replied placing her hand on his shoulder. She could see exhausting creeping in behind his eyes as she continued, ''but Kevin wouldn't want you to think about that right now. He'd want you to try to live life to the fullest cherishing the time that you two have together now. He'd be furious if he saw what you were doing to yourself right now.'' 

''I know,'' Victor nodded quietly. ''I just had too much on my mind.'' 

''I know what you mean.'' Lucy admitted looking back to Kevin for a moment. She felt her heart sink seeing how pale he looked, but trying not to dwell on the negative. She sighed looking to Victor once again. ''You really should be resting.'' 

''He looks awful Lucy.'' Victor commented ignoring Lucy's comment as he walked towards the bed to take a closer look at his son. 

''I wish I could say that it just looks worse than it is.'' Lucy sighed. 

''We could've lost him tonight...'' Victor whispered trailing off as his eyes filled up with tears. 

''...but we didn't Victor. I'm so thankful for that and for you Victor because you were there tonight when we needed you.'' Lucy softly reminded him. ''If you wouldn't have shown up when you did, then....well, I don't even want to think about it.'' 

''I'm just glad I was able to help.'' Victor replied lightly turning to his son. ''I just wish things weren't so hopeless right now.'' 

''They're not Victor. In fact, the way I see it, things just have to get better.'' Lucy insisted placing her hand over her abdomen rubbing it slightly. ''If anything happened to Doc, then I don't think that I'd be able to make it through this....even with the baby....'' 

''Lucy?'' Victor questioned turning to look at her. ''Are you....?'' 

Lucy nodded feeling the excitement she felt earlier come rushing back to the surface as Victor's eyes lit up. 

''So you're really pregnant?'' Victor asked looking at Lucy unable to contain his astonishment. 

''That's right Victor.'' Lucy smiled weakly at Victor reaching out to give him a hug. ''You're going to be a grandpa.'' 

''A grandfather? Wow I didn't expect that I'd be hearing those words again in the near future, but you and Kevin had wanted a family so badly and now you're saying it's really going to happen. I'm going to be a grandfather?'' Victor questioned hugging her tightly. ''Oh Lucy, this is the most fantastic news I've heard in a long time and why I was just thinking to myself the other day about how much you truly wanted this and how unfair it was that you and Monk weren't able to have the time to live out all the dreams that you'd planned on for the future, but now you're saying that the two of you are going to have a family.'' 

''That's right Victor. Doc and I decided that we were going to focus on the positive that life would bring to us from now on. We realized this was one fight neither one of us wanted to give up on and we made it work.'' Lucy continued with tears of joy in her eyes. ''Not only did we find a way to bring back the love of my life, but now I'm going to have his child as well.'' 

''Lucy, that's truly wonderful news and you and Monk must be so happy to...'' Victor trailed off turning to look at his son tucked in under the blankets. He thought of all that had happened and a sadness filled his heart knowing that Kevin's time could expire at any moment leaving Lucy again. He turned to Lucy. ''I'm so sorry for everything that happened. I wish that I would've known about Ryan sooner, then would've tried harder to make things they way they should've been months ago.'' 

''That's the past Victor. Neither one of us had any idea of what was going and there's no one to blame except Ryan.'' Lucy explained giving his hand a squeeze. ''I thought we already talked about this Victor....'' 

''We did, but I still feel like I have so much more apologizing to do.'' Victor insisted to him. ''I was so wrong not to pick up on the clues sooner.'' 

''Victor, you can't continue to blame yourself for something you can't change. Kevin and I both love you very much and nothing is ever going to change that.'' Lucy insisted giving him a hug. ''Somehow we're going to overcome this and have the family we've always wanted. I just know in my heart that fate wouldn't be cruel enough to take that way from us.'' 
 
 
 

''Well if it isn't my over ambitious psychiatrist here for another visit this evening.'' Ryan spoke up walking into the visitor area and seeing Charlie sitting on the opposite end of the table. ''Dr. Dubous, I thought we weren't scheduled until later this week.'' 

''I thought that you might appreciate an earlier visit.'' Charlie explained watching him take his seat. 

''You know if you keep showing up with these surprise visits of yours I'm going to start thinking that you like me here.'' He teased with a laugh. 

''I thought maybe you'd appreciate the session today.'' she commented moving across the room. 

''I see, so in other words you have plans later and this session we were supposed to have is more of an inconvenience.'' Ryan responded sinking into his chair. ''So where should we start today?'' 

''Why don't we pick up where you left off last time?'' Charlie suggested looking over her notes. ''I believe you were discussing the night of the fire.'' 

''The fire,'' Ryan nodded in response looking her over for a moment. ''Tell me something Dr. Dubous, why is it a pretty woman like yourself has taken an interest in a case like mine? You obviously know of my history, yet that doesn't seem to dissuade you from wanting to work with me.'' 

''My interest in you is clearly professional Ryan and I want to help you,'' Charlie explained setting her pen down. 

''Just like the others?'' Ryan questioned softening his tone. ''I know your type and you just want to come in here and fill my head with your ideas about how things should be and you just want me locked away.'' 

''No Ryan, I want to see to it that you're given the treatment that you deserve after everything that you've gone through.'' Charlie answered watching him fold his hands in his lap as he rocked back and forth in his chair. ''Tell me what you're thinking about right now.'' 

''No,'' Ryan answered shaking his head before glimpsing over at the door and seeing a shadow, ''I can't do that.'' 

''Why Ryan?'' Charlie questioned moving in closer to him. ''Why can't you tell me?'' 

''Because it's bad....she'll hurt me if I tell you all the things that I've done. The things she made me do.'' Ryan insisted shaking his head. ''She's been waiting to get me all these years now. She knows that I've tried to get away, but her hold on me is just too strong. She's trying to hurt me again.'' 

''Ryan please, why don't we start back with what happened that night of the fire?'' Charlie suggested hoping he'd open up. 

''All I ever wanted was for them to love me....me the bad one. All I asked was for someone to care, to value me and make me believe I was something, but that someone never came.'' Ryan responded his voice shrill and full of emotion. ''I begged for them to come to me, to come back for me, but they never did.'' 

''They? Who is they?'' Charlie asked. 

''Victor and Kevin. I wanted Kevin to understand, to see what she'd done to me and how I couldn't escape her hold on me. I needed him, but he never came. He was just like the rest of them. I wanted him to see, but he couldn't. He couldn't come to me and be there for me no matter how badly I needed him.'' Ryan trailed off tearfully getting up from his seat. ''They never came! Not a damn one of them!'' 

''Ryan please,'' Charlie started watching him make his way towards the window. 

''You can't imagine how many times I begged her to stop the madness and I found myself promising her over and over that I'd be a good boy, if she'd only love me instead of hurting me, but she never stopped. She never did.'' Ryan continued painfully looking out into the chilled day. ''Even then she sealed my fate, never giving me a chance to feel the warmth of what love was, never allowing me to see what having a family and people who care about you could be like. All my life I'd thought I never deserved it until....'' 

''Until what Ryan?'' Charlie asked noticing him slump over. 

''Until I fell in love with Eve.'' Ryan explained looking back at her. ''She was so warm and vibrant. Everything I'd ever wanted in a woman and while I knew she'd never love me for who I am, I couldn't let her go. She wanted Kevin, the good son, just like everyone else did, but at the same time being with her just felt so real. I felt almost complete like I had a chance again. Dr. Dubous, I never meant to hurt anyone, I just wanted everyone to love me......'' 

''By taking over Kevin's life?'' Charlie began after a moment. 

''I didn't have a choice. She wouldn't have it any other way and I knew better than to cross her. I still do.'' Ryan answered shakily looking across the room at the wall before backing up. ''No, stay away! Don't you come any closer.'' 

''Ryan?'' Charlie spoke up seeing him shake before her. 

''She's here.'' Ryan insisted choked up on his tears. ''No mommy please. I promise that I'll be a good boy, just don't hurt me again. I'll keep trying to be good. Please...'' 

''Ryan, your mother isn't here.'' Charlie spoke up watching him sink to the floor beside the window curled up into a ball. ''Ryan.'' 

''She's everywhere. Can't you see that?'' Ryan questioned tearfully swinging his arms around into the air swinging his fists. ''She never goes away. She's always here. Can't you see that?'' 

''Ryan she's not going to hurt you again.'' Charlie explained softening her tone. ''You're strong now and she's not going to harm you in any way.'' 

''No mother, I won't allow you to hurt any of us anymore. I don't want to be bad.'' Ryan spoke hoarsely speaking to the invisible ghost before him. ''Please mommy.....don't take me again....'' 

Charlie was about to speak up again when the guard entered the room after hearing the noise came inside. 

''Is everything okay in here?'' the guard questioned as Charlie silenced him redirecting her attention to Ryan. 

''Ryan, I'm going to help you if you'll let me.'' Charlie spoke slowly extending her arm out to him. 

''You can't help me. No one can.'' Ryan whimpered trembling as she placed her hand on his shoulder. 

''Ryan she's not going to hurt you anymore. I promise you that and if you let me we'll make her go away.'' 

''Can we do that?'' he asked looking at her with innocent child like eyes. 

''We can try.'' Charlie nodded feeling him accept her hand as she turned to the guard. ''Everything is under control here.'' 

''You sure?'' the guard replied still not convinced. 

''Positive.'' she nodded watching him leave the room closing the door behind him. She looked to Ryan meeting his eyes keeping her voice soft and controlled. ''I promise you Ryan everything is going to be just fine.'' 
 
 
 

Alex Garcia sat at his desk looking at the paper in his hand. He couldn't believe his number was finally coming in and once this case with Ryan was under way, it would be so long Port Charles. He looked up to see the guard he'd placed outside the interrogation room approaching him. 

''What are you doing out here?'' Garcia asked curiously. ''I thought you were going to be keeping an eye on Dr. Dubous and Ryan.'' 

''I was sir, but then he started flipping out in there and things sounded a little crazy.'' the guard explained. 

''So you just left?'' Garcia questioned in confusion. 

''The doctor said she had it under control.'' he replied with a nod. 

''She had it under control?'' Garcia repeated shaking his head. ''Your direct orders were to stay there with the two of them until Ryan was transferred back to his cell. I thought I made that clear to you.'' 

''Well you did, but at the same time I wasn't sure that I should wait to tell you this as he seemed very frantic screaming and yelling.'' 

''Great.'' Garcia mumbled getting up from his desk and moving towards the interrogation room in time to see Charlie emerge from within. ''Dr. Dubous.'' 

''Detective Garcia,'' she replied turning to face him, ''just the man I wanted to talk to.'' 

''Well I'd like to have a word with you too.'' Garcia began. 

''Detective recently it's come to my attention that my patient would be more suited in some type of medical facility rather than in his place.'' She explained firmly. ''I realize that there are rules about these things, but I also feel it would be in my patient's best interest to have him transferred to somewhere to better suit his needs.'' 

''Your patient is a murderer Dr. Dubous.'' Garcia informed her bluntly. 

''That's not for you to decide Detective and while you may hold judgment on the man you believe to know, there's a lot to my patient that you don't realize.'' she explained after a moment. 

''Oh no I realize exactly what your patient is and that's why I hope to see them throw the book at him.'' Garcia answered smugly. 

''That's really too bad Detective. I mean a man in your line of work is suppose to gather the facts and be impartial.'' Charlie said with a frown. 

''The facts are your patient killed two of my men along with his list of crimes,'' Garcia continued wondering why he was even bothering to have this conversation with her. 

''Detective sometimes things aren't as they would seem and a man in your position, well he should try to look beyond the surface and see what's truly before his eyes.'' Charlie instructed looking at the time. ''I realize that you're not to decide where Ryan is to be placed, but I also wanted to express my feelings about this type of confinement you have him in.'' 

''Well I'll take note of it.'' Garcia nodded smugly. 

''Thanks,'' she replied taking a step away, ''oh and Detective, I hope that if your time comes and fate throws you a bad curve ball that someone shows you the same compassion that you're not showing towards Ryan. After all, you never know when life is going to come up and take you by surprise.'' 

''I'll take my chances.'' Garcia replied instructing the guard beside him to take Ryan back to his cell. Without waiting around, he moved to his desk again thinking about Charlie's words. He knew he didn't like her already and could only imagine what someone like her would do for Ryan's case. 

''Hey handsome.'' Tracie greeted Garcia holding two brown paper bags in her hands. 

''Tracie hi.'' Garcia half smiled. 

''I figured since you couldn't come to dinner, that I'd bring dinner to you.'' she explained brightly setting the bags down on his desk. 

''What are you doing back here? I thought I explained this area was off limits.'' Garica replied looking around the half empty office. 

''I bribed one of the officers and promised to put him on the front page if he let me in.'' Tracie teased lightly. ''Alex, I was kidding.'' 

''Oh huh? Oh yeah that's funny.'' He shrugged looking back to his desk. 

''Alex, what is it?'' she asked sensing something was wrong. 

''Tracie, I don't know how to say this to you, but I'm being transferred.'' he started after a long pause. ''I'd put in for it a while back and it finally came through for me.'' 

''You're being transferred?'' Tracie repeated seeing the long face. ''To where?'' 

''Baltimore.'' he explained holding the transfer sheet in his hand. ''I was so sure for a while that Port Charles just wasn't what I needed anymore so when I got caught up in the whole General Homicide case, I decided that a change was in order.'' 

''A change huh?'' she asked feeling her heart sink. 

''Well I figured things were going slow around here, so I'd give it a try in the big leagues.'' Garcia continued looking up at her. ''I had a friend in the FBI and we got to talking about some of the things going down in the area and I applied. It wasn't really something I'd been expecting to get a response on considering my track record around here, but then this morning, I got the letter and they'd like me to fly down in two days to begin some of the training.'' 

''Two days?'' Tracie repeated with a frown. ''Wow....I mean that's great, but I wasn't expecting you to be leaving so soon.'' 

''Well Port Charles doesn't hold anything for me anymore and about the only thing I look forward to is being with you.'' Garcia admitted reaching out to take her hand in his. ''I hate the thought of leaving now when you and I have found something in each other.'' 

''Yeah I wish it didn't have to be this way, but it's a great opportunity and you should take it.'' she smiled trying to mask her own disappointment. ''I mean I'll probably be so swamped with work anyways that we'd hardly have time for one another.'' 

''I was thinking about that Tracie,'' Garcia began with a pause. ''I know that things are going good with work around here, but you know I was talking to my friend in Baltimore and they have a couple of openings out there for a good reporter and I thought that maybe.....'' 

''Alex I can't leave Port Charles now.'' Tracie blurted out sensing where this was going. ''I know my job's not the greatest, but I love it and I have commitments to it...to being here.'' 

''So where does that leave us?'' He asked knowing that she'd refuse his offer but he'd wanted to try anyways. 

''Well I guess it leaves you in Baltimore and me here.'' Tracie sighed giving his hand a squeeze. 

''Tracie I'm sorry.'' he began not knowing what to say. 

''Hey, it's a great move for you and you'd be a fool not to take it.'' she insisted forcing a smile. ''In fact if you didn't take it, I'd be furious with you. I'd never forgive you.'' 

''I wouldn't want that.'' he half-teased. 

''No you wouldn't because the wrath of Tracie Richards is one that no one should ever have to endure.'' Tracie smiled slightly. 

''You know what?'' he said flipping off his desk lamp. ''It's been a long day. What do you say we take this somewhere else?'' 

''I'd say you're on.'' she replied swinging her purse over her shoulder trying to forget how her day was going from bad to worse. She had two days with Alex and she was going to make the most of them trying to do her best to forget everything else that was going wrong with Ryan manipulating her life. 
 
 
 

Chris walked over to the apartment door feeling the long agonizing day catching up to him as he opened the door and stepped into the hallway to discover Eve hunched over against the wall. He stepped out further and realized that it was she sitting close to the doorway with her head buried in her hands. 

''You're still here huh?'' Chris asked doing his best not to display any emotion as he noticed she was shaking. Seeing that she was unresponsive to his voice, he lightly tapped her with his foot. ''Well?'' 

''I didn't have anywhere else to go,'' Eve confessed looking up at him with a tear streaked face. 

''Sounds like the story of your life Lambert, but don't worry some dumb sucker will come along soon enough to take you in.'' Chris added seeing that she was more shaken than he'd ever seen her before. ''They always do.'' 

''Is that really how you feel?'' Eve asked looking up at him with a sadness clouding over her brown eyes. 

''I honestly don't know what I feel about you anymore Eve.'' Chris confessed looking at her and feeling his heart break in two after he said the words. 

''I guess I deserve that, don't I?'' she replied with a sigh looking down at the floor. ''I know that I shouldn't be sitting outside the door like this especially after you kicked me out, but I just couldn't leave things like this. I needed to see you again and try to work things out somehow that is if it isn't already beyond repair.'' 

''Eve when you didn't tell me, it just made me see that....'' He started before stopping to think about his words clearly. He stood still for a moment seeing how pathetic she looked, before caving in slightly. ''Get up.'' 

''Chris?'' she questioned noticing he had his arm extended out to her. 

''Come on back inside Eve.'' he decided seeing she wouldn't move before lowering himself down to next to her. 

''You really mean that?'' she asked hopefully. 

''This is probably against my better judgment, but yes, yes I do.'' he confessed lightly brushing her left cheek with his hand. 

''Alright.'' she said giving his hand a gentle squeeze before pulling herself back up while he began to stand alongside of her. She took in a breath and walked inside as he followed slowly behind her. 

''All this time Eve. I asked you to open up to me. To just be honest with me, but you couldn't do it, could you?'' Chris started trying to come to terms with what had happened between them. 

''Chris please if you'd just listen.....'' Eve began desperately. 

''Listen?'' Chris asked with a dry laugh glaring at her trying to keep his anger under control. ''Eve, when have I not listened to you? When have I ever given you reason to assume that I wouldn't be here to listen to? After everything we've gone through together, all the times we've shared, after I've done nothing but repeatedly try to show you how much I love you...this is what I get in return? You hide the fact that your pregnant and I'm just supposed to lay down and accept that.'' 

''Chris I wanted to tell you, but I just couldn't with everything that's been happening.'' Eve confessed stepping towards him. She placed a hand on his shoulder and took in a breath. ''I came so close to telling you, but then something always came up.'' 

''So you decided it would be better to leave me in the dark while half the world knows the truth. I mean you go to Harmon about this instead of talking to me, the man who loves you and whom you supposedly love.'' Chris snapped bucking away from her touch. ''I'll bet Kevin knows too, doesn't he? On second thought, don't answer that seeing as I can already see the truth in your eyes.'' 

''Chris please....'' 

''How could I have been so stupid here Eve? To actually think that you and I could have something together? Something special based on trust and honesty. Granted I know those two things don't usually run high in me, but they have when I'm with you Eve. I've pushed aside that aspect of my life and been up front with you when it counts.'' Chris explained his voice full of pain. ''You're the one person in my life that I've been able to open up to and feel complete with. I've let you in on so many levels as more than a lover Eve. You were my best friend and I thought that in itself meant something, but obviously not enough seeing as you'd rather tell Matt and Kevin about your pregnancy rather than the father of your child, right Eve?'' 

''Chris you're not being fair here.'' Eve responded with tears in her eyes. 

''Not being fair! Eve, you were going to go off an terminate this pregnancy without even giving me a chance at being a father! Something that I know I'm more than capable of doing.'' Chris yelled back unable to contain his rage another second. ''You were going to take away the one thing that I've done right in my life just because....you know, I never really got around to figuring out the just because in all of this Eve. I don't understand. I mean if you loved me, then why kill our child?'' 

''Chris I do love you,'' Eve pleaded watching him move away from her, ''I love you more than I ever imagined loving someone. You're everything to me that's why I was doing this....for you, for us.'' 

''Killing an innocent child? Eve think about what you're saying here and try to see how crazy it sounds.'' Chris snapped back at her. 

''I am thinking about what I'm saying which is why no matter how hard I wanted to go with that detached feeling in all of this, I just couldn't. I wanted so much to erase this pregnancy from my life, but when I went driving around by the clinic this afternoon, I couldn't go through with it.'' Eve admitted tearfully sinking to the floor. ''I tried so hard not to feel anything about this baby. I wanted so hard to erase this mistake from my life and move on, but when I was there in my car waiting to do this, I couldn't bring myself to do something so horrible knowing how much was riding on this.'' 

''You mean you were already had decided upon terminating this pregnancy on your own?'' Chris questioned watching her cry on the floor and feeling his heart breaking in two to see her in such pain. 

''Yes Chris I did.'' she continued through a tearful admission. ''I was all set there ready to end this pregnancy, but not because I didn't want to have your baby, but because I didn't want to have Ryan's baby.'' 

''Ryan's baby?'' Chris repeated standing frozen. 

''That's right Chris. Chances are this child I'm carrying isn't yours, isn't ours, but his.'' she explained burying her head in her hands. ''How could I have been so stupid?'' 

''Eve,'' Chris began watching her sob on the floor. Silently he moved in beside her on the floor reaching out to her. 

''How could I have let this happen Chris?'' she continued feeling him beside her. ''Just when I thought I'd found a way to rid myself of him forever, this comes up.'' 

''Eve hey,'' Chris whispered suddenly piecing everything together. He placed a hand on her shoulder before speaking again. ''Eve I had no idea. I mean if I would've thought about Ryan for a moment, maybe I would've reacted differently, but I didn't think about it.'' 

''And I didn't want you to either.'' Eve cried shaking her head. ''I know it was wrong to keep you in the dark about all of this Chris, but I didn't want to hurt you again like I have in the past where Ryan was concerned. When Matt told me I was pregnant, I was afraid....terrified and then when I got that in the mail, it only ignited my fear.'' 

''Got what in the mail?'' Chris asked as she nodded towards a box on the table. He reached over to the box scanning over it's contents and discovering it's eerie message. ''When did you get this Eve?'' 

''Earlier,'' she explained looking back at him, ''Chris he knows that I'm pregnant. I don't know how, but he knows,'' 

''Eve listen to me. I won't let Ryan hurt you, but you have to be honest with me here.'' Chris started trying to stay as calm as possible despite the many feeling raging inside of him. ''Now how long have you known you were pregnant?'' 

''I found out the other day when I passed out. Matt ran some tests and we think that I'm about six weeks along.'' Eve explained with a sniffle. ''I wanted to tell you, but then that night at the Quartermaine's dinner party your father got you so upset...'' 

''Forget about my father for now.'' Chris urged reaching out to wipe a tear from her cheek. ''Six weeks huh?'' 

''Yeah,'' she nodded bringing her hand up to her cheek to cover his. 

''Well Eve you and I were first together about that time give or take a few days.'' Chris reminded her seeing the lost look in her eyes. ''So there's still a chance that this baby is mine right?''

''Chris we were careful. I don't think that this baby is....'' she began feeling her eyes fill with tears again. 

''But there's still a chance right?'' Chris cut her off as she nodded. ''And as long as there's a chance Eve, we're going to find a way to make this work. Eve, I know what I said the other night about how awful it would be bringing children into this relationship between us this early on, but maybe, just maybe this is the way things are meant to be. I mean maybe you being pregnant is a way of taking our relationship to the next level here.'' 

''Chris I don't understand...'' Eve began seeing he was deep in thought. 

''Honestly at this point neither do I,'' Chris confessed bringing his arm out around her. 

''Chris I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.'' she whispered her voice hoarse from crying. 

''Yeah well you did Eve,'' Chris started looking a her tear stained face and letting out a sigh, ''but at least now I'm starting to understand why you kept this from me. Not that I'm saying it was right because it still hurts knowing that you couldn't trust me enough to voice your concern about this with me. I still wish you'd let me in to share the load on this one and we could've come up with some way together to get through this.'' 

''I was wrong to even try to go about this on my own and now knowing that I can depend on you, it makes this a bit easier.'' Eve confessed leaning up against him wanting to forget about everything. ''Chris what am I going to do? How am I going to get through this?'' 

''WE are going to have this baby together Eve and make it the happiest child that ever lived.'' Chris replied pressing a kiss on her forehead not willing to let the Ryan factor slip into this moment between them. He watched her pull away for a moment and he continued. ''We're going to give our son or daughter everything that we never had and more with all the love you and I have to give.'' 

''Chris, we both know...'' Eve started in frustration feeling her hands shaking as Chris reached out to her. 

''...that we've been together for quite some time and this child is mine regardless of what that psycho may believe. Nothing is going to change that either. Do you hear me?'' Chris finished cutting her off as he pulled her into his arms. ''Eve, we're going to work through this.'' 

''But Chris.......'' Eve began feeling the tears in her eyes. 

''Eve, now listen here.'' Chris began wiping at her face as he gazed back into her brown eyes. ''This child is our child and nothing is going to take that away from us. Do you understand me? We conceived this baby with love that first night at the cabin that we shared together and that love is exactly what we're going to give this child from this day forward.'' 

''Chris we can't ignore the fact that.....'' Eve started doubtfully as he pressed his lips to hers cutting her off with a kiss. 

''I love you Eve.'' Chris explained pulling her tightly against him. ''And you love me and together we're going to do this right with no doubts.'' 

''But Chris, it's not that simple.'' Eve began to protest looking back at him. ''Ryan knows and we can't forget that. I don't know how, but he knows and I guarantee that he's not going to just sit back and accept the fact that you and I are having this baby together.'' 

''Well Ryan doesn't have a choice in the matter because I'm not going to let him intrude upon my family.'' Chris continued touching her face. ''That's what we have together Eve and Ryan won't spoil this for us.'' 

''Chris I just feel that as long as this child is around, then so is Ryan and that terrifies me.'' Eve confessed with tears in her eyes. ''I just feel like as time goes on for us, we're not going to have a choice in this when he finds a way to get to me...'' 

''That's just it Eve.'' Chris informed her hopefully. ''I won't let him get to you ever again Eve and we do have a choice about how to overcome this. I know if we work together to find a solution to the problem at hand anything is possible for us.'' 

''Chris how can you be sure about something like this?'' Eve asked looking into him. ''I think it's going to be nearly impossible for us to get rid of him.'' 

''Hey I'm Chris Ramsey,'' He smiled back at her confidently, ''and you should know by now that I have ways to make impossible possible.'' 
 
 
 

Henry Ramsey sat in his lounger looking at the faded black and white photograph in his hand of the woman and the small child in her arms. He traced the outline of the picture thinking of the years gone by and the time he wasted and his heart sank. 

''What are you doing in there Henry?'' Vivian called out stepping into his study and seeing him in deep thought. ''I thought we were going out tonight.'' 

''I'm not really in the mood Vivian.'' Henry shrugged tucking the photograph into his pocket before looking out the window. 

''You're still thinking about Chris, aren't you?'' Vivian asked moving across the room and positioning herself comfortably into his lap. She draped her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly. ''He's not worth it darling.'' 

''Vivian, he's my son and that alone makes it worth it.'' Henry snapped back with a hint of irritation. ''Christopher may be angry with me, but the fact remains that he is my son and I can't lose that especially now.'' 

''I hope you're not forgetting our objective for being here Henry.'' Vivian replied a frown curled upon her lip. 

''I haven't forgotten Vivian, but in life sometimes things happen and you start to see the value of something other than the dollar signs.'' Henry admitted lightly thinking of the problems he's been wrestling with since his return to Port Charles. He looked to Vivian. ''Have you ever done anything that at the time didn't matter, but in retrospect you see that maybe it could've been one of the worst choices you've ever made?'' 

''You're kidding right?'' she asked with a laugh. ''Rule number one: feel no remorse for your actions.'' 

''Of course, how could I have forgotten?'' Henry laughed lightly looking into her sparkling eyes. He brushed his finger to her cheek. ''I taught you well didn't I?'' 

''Well I learned from the best.'' she agreed kissing him hungrily. ''We make a great team Henry.'' 

''We do, don't we?'' He agreed half-heartedly feeling his mind elsewhere. 

''You know perhaps we've been going about this thing with Christopher all wrong. I mean it's obvious that he's trying to turn his life around for that Evelyn woman and in doing so, he's lost his fire.'' Vivian commented thinking about her last meeting with Chris. ''She seems to have more of an effect on him than I realized. Perhaps if we got rid of her like that other little goody he used to play with...'' 

''No!'' Henry snapped looking at her. ''No Vivian, we're not going to get rid of her.'' 

''But why not when she's obviously turning your son into a spineless wimp?'' Vivian protested thinking about her own interest in Chris. ''He used to be one of the big players, but now he's rather be a do-gooder.'' 

''Vivian, I know this might be hard for you to comprehend, but I've never seen Christopher happier than he has been when he's with her.'' Henry noted thinking back to his son's response to having Eve beside him. ''That ring he gave her. That says it all.'' 

''The blue one she was flaunting off at the cabin?'' Vivian questioned with a frown. 

''It was his mother's ring. A token of the love between her and I before I lost her.'' Henry commented thinking about his late wife. He let out a laugh thinking it over for a moment. ''She was the only one who'd ever truly reached me, who had the potential to turn me around and what we had, well, it was something that could've moved mountains. If she would've lived, things would've been a lot different for me.'' 

''Yeah you would've been completely boring.'' Vivian commented rolling her eyes slightly as she saw the glazed expression in his eyes. ''You should be thanking your lucky stars she's not around anymore to stunt your freedom to express yourself.'' 

''You just don't get it do you?'' he snapped back at her. 

''No Henry I don't.'' Vivian replied getting up off of his lap. ''I just don't understand why you're getting emotional about this now when we clearly have other plans ahead of us. I mean moving in on the hospital wasn't just about reconnecting with your dear son and becoming the perfect father.'' 

''No it wasn't Vivian, but....'' He stopped himself not wanting to get into it further with her. ''Never mind. Let's just say I haven't forgotten why we're here.'' 

''Good because for a minute there I thought you were turning into a softy on me.'' she smiled crossing the room. ''I'm going to go finish getting dressed.'' 

''Okay.'' He nodded watching her leave before pulling the photograph out of his pocket. He looked at the woman in the picture remembering a time when he'd been a young man trying to find himself and she'd breezed into his life. He smiled thinking about it for a moment and how for a brief time, he'd managed to start down his road to destruction. He took one last look at the woman's face thinking of the eyes he'd seen just the other day so much the same as she stood in the photograph holding a baby. His baby....the one he'd left behind and in turn a reminder of his biggest mistake ever. 
 
 
 

''What are you doing Lucy?'' Kevin asked opening his eyes to find her rummaging through boxes in the closet. ''Lucy?'' 

''Oh Doc, I didn't mean to wake you.'' she replied pulling down one more shoe box. ''I'm sorry.'' 

''It's okay Lucy, but what on Earth are you doing?'' he asked seeing the mess she'd made in the bedroom. 

''This is going to sound silly, but after we decided to move you up here, I got to thinking about things and you know how my mind gets when something is in my head. The wheels just start turning and turning until I just have to get up and look for whatever it is that I was thinking about.'' Lucy explained pulling the top off of the box in her hands and smiling brightly. ''Found it!'' 

''And what might I ask was it that you needed to find so desperately?'' Kevin asked sitting up in the bed and eyeing her. 

''This!'' She explained excitedly taking a seat beside him. She held the box in her hands for a moment before over turning it. 

''What is all this?'' Kevin asked picking up one of the loose papers on the bed. He held it up and inspected it. ''Psycho?'' 

''It was from a date of mine.'' Lucy replied snatching the stub from his hand. 

''You went to see Psycho on a date?'' Kevin asked curiously. 

''Well yeah, I mean it wasn't exactly the greatest of dates, but there was this little movie theater just outside of town and this guy, Todd Hilley...no, Horne....or was it Hickney...well I suppose it doesn't matter.'' she shrugged with a laugh. ''Anyways Todd was this guy I happened to cross paths with. He was charming, intelligent and he had these cute little dimples that I just loved to look at.....'' 

''Are you sure that I want to be hearing about this?'' Kevin asked with a playful laugh. 

''Oh you poop. I was fifteen at the time.'' she replied swatting at him lightly. ''Granted I wasn't your typical fourteen year old and some of the things I got into well, they'd just blow your mind sometimes, but with Todd it was very sweet.'' 

''I can see that. Psycho tends to speak for itself.'' Kevin added with a laugh. 

''Ha-ha. Laugh it up now Doc, but I'll have you know that night was one of the best nights of my life.'' Lucy replied glaring at him. 

''Better than this?'' Kevin questioned raising an eyebrow. 

''No Doc, but he was one of the only people back then who treated me like a person,'' Lucy confessed with a hint of sadness in her voice. ''Back then people didn't take too kindly to a girl on the wrong side of the tracks like myself. I mean they'd think you were good for killing time, but when it came to the really important stuff, people like me were kind of overlooked a lot. Todd was different though because it didn't really matter to him. His family had money and lived on the better side of town, but somehow he managed to overlook all that other stuff and see me for me.'' 

''Sounds like he was special after all.'' Kevin noted hearing the sadness in her voice. 

''He was,'' she added with a smile, ''but shortly after our movie date, his father was transferred to another base out west and I never saw him again. I always wondered what could've happened had he stayed.'' 

''An ill fated romance huh?'' Kevin commented reaching out to squeeze her hand. 

''The story of my life......well, up until you Doc.'' Lucy added squeezing his hand. 

''But of course,'' Kevin smiled reaching for another one of the things that was inside the box. ''What's this?'' 

''Oh no Doc. Don't you dare....'' she started in protest but it was too late as he held the photograph. 

''Was this you?'' He asked looking at the girl in the picture wearing tattered jeans and pigtails. 

''You weren't suppose to see that Doc.'' Lucy started to protest watching him scan over the photo. ''I looked terrible in that picture.'' 

''No you don't.'' Kevin replied. 

''Yes I do. I look absolutely horrible in that picture and I thought I'd burned it over the years.'' Lucy said tucking the photo in the top dresser drawer. ''I hate that you saw that.'' 

''Lucy, you're the most beautiful woman in the world back then and even right now at this moment.'' Kevin replied tenderly kissing her lips. ''I love you so much.'' 

''Doc, you don't have to flatter me.'' she responded as she imagined what his thoughts really were about what she looked like as a child. ''You can be honest with me about how I looked.'' 

''Lucy, I'm telling you the truth. You looked fabulous.'' he insisted taking her hand in his. ''In fact I have to admit that I think pigtails on you can be quite a turn on.'' 

''Oh Doc,'' she smiled looking at him, ''you're crazy.'' 

''Crazy about you.'' he grinned sheepishly at her. 

''Oh I like that answer Doctor Collins,'' she replied kissing him again, ''and I've got to tell you, I'm crazy about you too.'' 

''Then I guess we make a perfect team don't we.'' Kevin smiled taking her into his arms. 

''Kevin you should be resting.'' Lucy reminded him with a laugh as she slipped out of his arms. 

''I will later, but now I want to spend this time with you.'' Kevin informed her stubbornly. ''Let's see what else we can find in your box of goodies here.'' 

''Kevin!'' she blurted out snatching the photo from him he was reaching for. ''Would you at least give me a chance to censor these before you get into them?'' 

''I'm sorry. I just couldn't wait to see what we had here.'' Kevin admitted with a smile seeing the color drain from her face. ''Lucy, what is it?'' 

''It's a picture of my mother.'' Lucy said sadly looking at the black and white photograph. ''It's one of the few things I still have felt of her.'' 

''Let me see.'' Kevin urged reaching out to take the photograph in his hand. ''She was beautiful Lucy.'' 

''Yeah beauty was never a problem for her. Motherhood was.'' Lucy commented looking at the picture. ''I never quite understood why, but she somehow couldn't find the strength or desire to stick around for me. I always used to think it was my fault you know...like maybe she knew how I was going to turn out and that's why she ran, but still I missed her.'' 

''Lucy I'm sorry that you had to go through something like that.'' Kevin replied wrapping his arm around her. 

''No, it's okay. I mean I had Aunt Charlene and she was great you know. I mean growing up with Aunt Charlene was something that well, it was something that I'll appreciate forever, but it's not like having your mother in your life.'' Lucy sighed feeling an emptiness in her heart. ''Growing up I always looked at those other kids you know...the one who seemed to have it all with a mom and a dad there to be with them......to come to all their dance recitals, the school plays....'' 

''Lucy....'' Kevin started reaching out to her. 

''I promised myself Kevin that I'd never let any of my children go through that. I didn't want them to have to live without the love of their mother.'' Lucy continued with tears in her eyes. ''I always told myself that when my time came, I was going to be the best mother this world had ever seen and I'd never let my son or daughter feel what I felt growing up.'' 

''Lucy I have no doubt in my mind that you're going to be an amazing mother. Our child is going to have so much love between the two of us and nothing is going to ever take that away from them.'' Kevin explained wanting to ease her concerns. 

''How do you know Doc? I mean how do you know that when this all happens that I'm going to be ready for it? How am I going to be the best mother when I don't have you here with me?'' Lucy started crying feeling her heart sink. ''How can I do this?'' 

''You can and you will Lucy, but for now we're not going to think about right now.'' Kevin insisted reaching for her hand. ''Right now the last thing I want to do is think about that okay?'' 

''But Doc we can't just forget that....'' she started sadly. 

''I'm not asking you to forget what's going on. I'm just asking you to listen to what I say.'' Kevin started taking a breath. ''Lucy, we need to talk.'' 

''About what?'' she asked looking him over. 

''Well, I know that I seem to have the worst timing with things lately, but I've been thinking....'' he began softly as he held her hand tighter. 

''Uh-oh that could be dangerous.'' she teased him lightly. 

''I'm trying to be serious right now. Okay?'' he insisted looking into her eyes as his heart began to race. 

''Okay,'' she replied feeling her sadness melt away as she returned his tender gaze. 

''What I'm trying to say is that tonight when I had my attack, my thoughts went to you and now to the baby. Once again I realized how precious our time together is and I don't want any more of it wasted. We've been through too much for too long to spend another minute apart.'' he explained pulling a small box out of the top drawer next in his dresser next to the bed and opening it to reveal her engagement ring inside of it. ''I know that we agreed that the next time you wore this ring it would be forever.'' 

''Kevin.....'' she interrupted with tears in her eyes as he took the engagement ring out of it's box and held it up in the air. 

''Lucy, what I'm trying to say is that I can't wait to put this ring back on your finger and make this official.'' Kevin insisted taking hold of her delicate hand. ''Lucy, I love you and I'm ready for forever....or at least however long that we're given together. What do you say?'' '' Doc I......'' Lucy started speechless as she looked at the ring. 

''Lucy, I love you more than life itself and I've been dreaming about this moment. You hold the key to my heart and soul and I can't bear to spend another moment apart.'' Kevin pleaded watching the tears flow down her face as he moved back and began to play with her engagement ring. ''Will you marry me?'' 

''Oh Kevin,'' Lucy gasped watching him at her side twirling the ring around in his hand, ''I can't marry you...'' 

''What?'' he asked suddenly confused by the words she just said. ''You can't marry me?'' 

''Kevin...I...'' she began to explain realizing that she upset him. 

''I love you so much Lucy. I know that I may not be able to give you everything you deserve, but I can't imagine not being with you.'' Kevin pleaded wholeheartedly as he began to feel tears forming in his eyes. ''I want you, me, and this baby to be a family. I need you so muc...'' 

''Kevin, you didn't let me finish.'' Lucy insisted placing her hand over his mouth to quiet him down. 

''But Lucy I love you...'' Kevin interrupted again although his voice was muffled by her hand. 

''Doc, would you please shut up and let me finish?'' Lucy asked trying to calm him down. 

''Alright.'' he replied kissing her hand. ''Go on.'' 

''What I was about to say before you interrupted me is that I can't marry you until you quit playing around with my engagement ring and put it on my finger.'' 

''What?'' he asked confused as he realized that he was nervously twirling the ring on his index finger. ''Oh, sorry.'' 

''That's okay.'' she smiled at him as his face lit up. 

''Let's try this again.'' Kevin began holding the ring to her finger. ''Lucy Coe, will you marry me?'' 

''Of course I'll marry you silly. You didn't think I stuck around this long for nothing, did you?'' Lucy smiled as her eyes filled with tears. 

''Lucy,'' Kevin smiled slipping the ring on her delicate finger. ''You don't know how much this means to know that we will finally be together. After all of those months of separating that we were going through, I was so afraid that this day would never come again.'' 

''Me too, but it did and that's all that matters Doc. We're together and nothing is going to change that.'' Lucy insisted as she touched his face. ''I love you so much.'' 

Scott drove over to the lighthouse thinking about his conversation with Ryan. He had no idea how he was going to approach the situation with Lucy given how he'd upset her in taking Ryan's case. 

''There's no time to dwell on that Scott,'' he thought to himself as he drove along. 

''So what are your conditions Ryan?'' he'd asked waiting for Ryan to dish out his demands. 

''The procedure is very experimental and involved, but I'll feel confident knowing that you'll be able to find the right doctor to pull it off,'' Ryan concluded with a smirk. ''I know with Eve at my side, I'll be able to come out of this just fine.'' 

''Eve? What do you mean Eve?'' Scott questioned in confusion. 

''Well you're going to persuade Eve to perform the surgery. I think it only seems fitting as she's the only one I trust,'' Ryan continued with a smirk. 

''Eve won't agree to that Ryan and you know it,'' Scott informed him bluntly. 

''Oh she'll agree and she will do it as Eve has it in her heart to be a good person. Trust me. She'll try to save Kevin if she can,'' Ryan laughed lightly. ''It's the least she owes him for destroying his wedding day.'' 

''I'm glad you feel confident about this, but Eve won't come near you. She made that plainly clear the last time her and I had a discussion about you.'' Scott informed him briefly. ''She's rather have her eyes poked out than raise a finger to help you.'' 

''But she's not helping me. She'll be helping Kevin and in helping Kevin, she'll lose sight of everything else.'' Ryan explained calmly. ''I trust with your history together, you'll have no problem persuading Eve to do this for you and as for the rest, well the rest of the information you'll need is at the lighthouse. I have a key to a safe deposit box in one of the closets at the lighthouse. All you need to do is go over there and bring me back the key and I'll tell you everything else you need to know.'' 

''And if I refuse?'' Scott asked. 

''Kevin dies. It's your choice.'' Ryan smirked watching Scott rise from his seat. ''Oh and Scott, I warn you now, if you even breathe a word of this to my brother or Lucy until I'm ready for them to know, I promise you this will blow up in your face one way or the other starting with Serena.'' 

''Don't you even try to threaten me Ryan or I swear it'll be the biggest mistake of your life,'' Scott had shot back angrily. 

Now sitting in his car Scott parked in the driveway wondering how he was going to get inside without telling Lucy the truth. He walked up to the door and rang the bell waiting for her to answer. 

''Victor, somehow I knew you'd be back as you forgot the coupon on the table right here, but lucky for you I just happened to have found.....'' she started seeing Scott standing before her. ''Scott.'' 

''Have a minute Lucy?'' he asked seeing the anger behind her eyes. 

''Actually I'm a little busy at the moment....'' she started as he pushed his way inside. 

''Great that's just what I was hoping to have you say.'' Scott replied moving into the living room. 

''Just what do you think you're doing here?'' she asked angrily. 

''I'm coming over to see you,'' Scott informed her turning to face her. 

''What right do you think you have coming over here after what you did? After what you're doing to Kevin and I by taking Ryan's case?'' she asked raising her voice. 

''Lucy I can understand you're upset here, but if you'd just shut your yap for about five minutes here, then maybe we could try to have a civilized conversation for a change.'' Scott started seeing that she was ready to go off the deep end again. 

''A civilized conversation. Ha!'' Lucy snapped at him. ''You have the nerve to come over here asking me to be civil when you were clearly the one with the problem here.'' 

''Lucy I--'' 

''I know why you're doing this Scott and I'm not going to let you sit back and take out what you're feeling about me on Kevin. I know you're hurt, but he didn't do anything to you. I did and in your helping Ryan,'' Lucy began. 

''Listen to me Lucy,'' he said stepping forward and seizing her arms, ''right now this isn't about you or me or what I feel about this. It's about saving Kevin and I strongly suggest if you want that to happen, you shut up and hear me out starting now.'' 
 
 
 

''Hey beautiful,'' Chris knocked on the door stepping into the lab Eve was working in, ''got a minute?'' 

''For you,'' she began looking up from her microscope with a smile, ''always.'' 

''Good because I needed to speak to you. I had something really important that I needed to talk to you about,'' Chris started with a slight grin. 

''And what might that be?'' 

''Well I got to thinking about us earlier after you'd left and I was cleaning up the dishes,'' Chris explained linking his arms around her as he drew her near. 

''Doing the dishes made you think of me?'' 

''Most everything does, but that's not the point,'' he shook his head, ''you were in my thoughts none the less.'' 

''I hope that was a good thing,'' she said searching his eyes as his smile widened. 

''It's a very good thing Eve and I got to thinking,'' he explained his hand pressed to her abdomen, ''I think we should do this right.'' 

''Do what?'' 

''Us,'' he smiled, ''with you, me and the baby. I know that things have been a bit intense lately and after the other night, well I realized just how much the two of you mean to me and I've come up with the best way to protect you both.'' 

''Chris,'' she opened her mouth to speak. 

''Just hear me out Eve,'' Chris cut her off with a kiss, ''I know that Ryan's been able to evade capture in the past and escape from jail many times and until now no one has been able to keep him down, but this time, well we're going to have an advantage over him. I'll find a way to ensure he'll never touch you or our child again.'' 

''And how might you do that?'' she questioned raising an eyebrow. 

''Why it's quite simple my dear,'' he explained leaning in to give her a kiss before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ring, ''marry me.'' 

''Marry you?'' she repeated with wide eyes. 

''Don't look so surprised,'' he said linking his fingers with hers, ''I know that we pledged our lives together in the past but I want to make it official now and make you my wife.'' 

''To protect me?'' she repeated. 

''Not only to protect you, but because I love you Eve,'' he said meeting her eyes, ''I love you and that's never going to change. This is just the right move for us I think given everything we've been through together. We've faced almost everything and what better way to seal our love and futures together than this?'' He watched her eyes then frowned slightly, ''you do want to marry me, don't you Eve?'' 
 
 
 

''Lucy would you just hear me out?'' Scott questioned as she pulled away from him. 

''I have nothing to say to you Scott,'' she huffed. 

''Fine, then don't say anything. Just listen,'' he stepped towards her, ''I came here to talk to you about Kevin.'' 

''There's nothing more I want to hear from you,'' She snapped in return, ''you can just leave now.'' 

''Lucy, I'm not leaving until you hear me out.'' 

''You can leave now Scott,'' she replied watching him stand firm, ''I mean it.'' 

''I'm not going.'' 

''Yes, you are.'' 

''No,'' he stepped forward, ''I'm not until you at least hear my out.'' 

''Scott, Doc is upstairs trying to rest and the last thing he needs is you coming in here bothering him like this. Get out!'' 

''Lucy come on. Just five minutes and then I'll be out of here,'' Scott urged again. 

''No, Scott....'' she shook her head as he stepped forward and reached out to her taking her arm. 

''Lucy now is not the time to argue with me,'' Scott warned sternly. 

''Get your hands off of her Scott!'' Kevin snapped from the top of the stairs. 

''Doc,'' Lucy began looking up at him, ''you should be in bed resting.'' 

''I was before all the commotion,'' Kevin replied as Scott released Lucy. 

Scott looked up at Kevin seeing his sunken eyes and his ghastly white features as he stood before them. He had to fight the urge to cringe slightly as he saw what Kevin had been transformed into over such a short period of time. 

''Is there a problem here?'' Kevin asked again through a labored breath. 

''Scott was just on his way out, weren't you?'' Lucy explained throwing him an icy glare. 

''No actually I wasn't Lucy.'' 

''Yes, you were,'' she said shoving him towards the door. 

''Lucy, I'm not going anywhere,'' he replied pushing her away as Kevin began to descend from the stairs. 

''Yes you are.'' 

''No I'm not.'' 

''YES you are.'' 

''No, I'm staying right here.'' 

''Scott Baldwin, you are leaving now!'' 

''Not until I say what I have to say here.'' 

''That's enough,'' Kevin shouted as the two of them began to argue with one another frantically. He stepped forward and lost his footing toppling over on the stairs. 

''Doc,'' Lucy gasped rushing over to his side as she moved away from her conversation with Scott. She moved in to Kevin's side seeing him unconscious, ''Doc, oh Doc can you hear me?'' 

Scott rushed over to help her checking for his pulse, ''He's still alive,'' he noted looking to Lucy. 

''Just barely,'' she said unable to contain her tears of concern, ''Look what you've done.'' 

''Lucy I had nothing to do with him falling down the stairs,'' Scott started in his defense. 

''If you wouldn't have shown up here today, he wouldn't have been awakened like this,'' She said trying to pull Kevin up as he started to mumble incoherently, ''We need to move him Scott.'' 

''He needs to go to the hospital Lucy,'' Scott decided, ''he could've broken a bone of something.'' 

''NO!'' She snapped back, ''no hospitals. I promised Doc no hospitals.'' 

''You've got to be kidding me Lucy,'' Scott started seeing that Kevin was bleeding, ''he needs help.'' 

''No, what he needs is some peace of mind and he's surely not going to get it from the man that's helping his psychotic brother out,'' She snapped back at him as she held onto Kevin, ''it's going to be alright. You're going to be fine Doc.'' 

''Lucy,'' Scott started. 

''Haven't you done enough Scott?'' She asked with tears streaming down her face as Kevin's eyes fluttered open. 

''Lucy I was just......'' 

''Just get out,'' She screamed at him, ''Get out.'' 

''Lucy...'' he opened his mouth to speak again as he watched her tending to Kevin. 

''What happened?'' Kevin asked with a groan. 

''You're going to be okay Doc,'' she said kissing his forehead as she held him close to her, ''Everything is going to be just fine.'' 

Scott watched her for a moment with Kevin and found himself completely torn as she shot him another icy glare and he opened the door to leave. He could hear her talking to Kevin still as he began to close the door behind him. 

As he took in a heavy sigh, he wondered why he couldn't have just told Lucy why he was there. Sure maybe she'd cut him off, but he still could've gotten a word in if he wanted to. Maybe Ryan was right. Maybe he didn't want to help Kevin considering that he'd lost so much since Kevin's return, but then again when he'd seen Kevin, he never expected it to be so bad. He closed his eyes for a moment and then took in a breath knowing what he had to do and he wasn't going to accomplish it here. 
 
 
 

''You don't want to marry me, do you?'' Chris questioned in disbelief as she took a step back, ''Eve, I thought that we had something together here.'' 

''We do Chris,'' she started to protest. 

''Then what is the problem?'' 

''Chris, it's just...'' 

''Just what....'' he frowned, ''you really don't want to marry me, do you?'' 

''Are you kidding?'' She asked her voice slightly strained, ''Chris, I love you and there's nothing I'd love more than to be your wife, but are you sure you're doing this for the right reasons?'' 

''What's that supposed to mean?'' he questioned. 

''Chris, you said it yourself. You want to protect me and marrying me is your solution to do just that,'' Eve blurted out. 

''So?'' 

''So Chris that's not why I want to get married. I want it to because I love someone and they love me. I always thought it would be this magical thing where we both knew that we were going to have our happily ever after once we'd decided to get married. It was this dream of mine if I ever did it, to do it for all the right reasons. You know romance, love, happiness,'' she shook her head, ''I'm sorry, but maybe I have no right to get into this, but when I always dreamed of tying the knot, I never envisioned it being because a psycho-killer was obsessed with me and the man I love wanted to use marriage to shield me from that.'' 

''Eve, are you saying you don't think I love you?'' he asked feeling a heat rise in his cheeks as she looked towards him, ''That's it, isn't it?'' 

''Chris, I never said that....'' Eve started again. 

''You didn't have to Eve,'' he replied unable to mask his anger, ''I understand it fully now. The reluctance to tell me the truth about things, your wanting to keep the pregnancy from me, the way you walked out on me the first time we'd been together, oh I read it perfectly clear Eve and if you don't want to be with me, don't sit back and sugar coat it. Just lay it out on the line.'' 

''Chris, I just want us to do this because it's what we both want and it's the right time for us, not because of the threat of Ryan,'' she continued further, ''When we get married I don't want it to be because we have the threat of Ryan hanging over our head. I want us to be happy not constantly looking over our shoulders on our wedding day waiting for him to pop out from the trenches somewhere.'' 

''Well, you're not going to have to worry about that Eve,'' Chris replied snapping the ring box shut and tucking it back into his pocket, ''Because I just withdrew the offer.'' 

''Chris...'' 

''Save it Eve,'' He looked at her feeling a pain run through him, ''In fact, you don't have to worry about me doing anything for the wrong reasons anymore. All I wanted was to protect you and my son or daughter here, but who knows? Maybe you were right before and this child isn't even mine,'' he spoke tightly as he took a step back, ''Hell, wouldn't that be just great for you?'' 

''Chris just stop....'' she started again stepping towards him. 

''Just think Eve,'' He said with a dry laugh, ''wouldn't it just be perfect for you if this baby isn't mine and then you won't have to deal with me at all? Then you could have your own fear of Ryan without my irritating attempts to protect you because far be it from Eve Lambert to have to depend on anyone. You can just go on without having to worry about my intereference. Life would be easier for all of us then, wouldn't it?'' 

''Chris, you don't mean that,'' she said reaching out to him. 

''No, no actually, I think I do,'' he said pushing her away from him, ''I don't know what the hell I was thinking.'' 

''Chris....'' she started as he stormed out of the lab. She looked around wondering what just happened between them. So many nights she'd dreamt about spending her life with him, yet when he asked her, she shot him down. That wasn't what she wanted to do or say, yet she did it and once again made him feel like he hadn't mattered. 

''God Eve, what are you doing?'' she asked herself in disbelief as she started to chase after him. ''Chris wait...'' She called out as she opened the door to find Scott standing before her. 

''Eve, we need to talk,'' he said seriously. 

''Scott, I'd love to, but right now I need to speak with Chris,'' She said trying to move past him. 

''It can wait Eve,'' he said placing his hands on her shoulders, ''this is far more important.'' 
 
 
 

Henry Ramsey sat in front of the window in his study looking out onto the city below. The penthouse had a great view. After all it was the best and he couldn't settle for less than that. He closed his eyes as he extinguished his cigar and reached for his whiskey taking another swig from the bottle. 

''I'd thought you'd left by now,'' Vivian's voice called out to him. 

''I was just taking it easy for a while,'' he confessed, ''giving myself a few moments.'' 

''I see,'' she looked to the cigar in the tray, ''Cigars and bourbon, huh? That usually means one of two things.'' 

''Let it go,'' he urged opening his eyes and looking out the window again. 

''What it is now?'' she asked with a frown tugging on the corners of her painted mouth, ''Don't tell me this little father/son reunion has brought about a change of heart in you.'' 

''Hardly,'' he shrugged before extending his arm and reaching for her, ''come here.'' 

''Right here?'' she questioned curling into his lap and draping her arms around his neck. 

''That feels about right,'' Henry smiled seeing her dark eyes staring back at him. He gave her a long contemplative look before speaking up again, ''Do you love me?'' 

''I'm marrying you, aren't I?'' she countered. 

''That's not what I asked.'' 

''Don't tell me you're going to get all mushy and sentimental on me now here,'' she gave him a puzzled expression, ''Please don't tell me you took what Chris said to heart.'' 

''I've never seen him this upset before,'' Henry sighed. 

''He'll come around,'' she coaxed touching his face, ''he always does baby.'' 

''I know,'' he nodded. 

She frowned again, ''Just give him time.''

''That's not as easy as it sounds,'' Henry replied reaching for his bottle again, ''I may not have the time.'' 

''What's that supposed to mean?'' she replied curiously. 

''Never mind,'' he shrugged, ''why don't you go shopping of something? Make yourself beautiful.'' 

''Are you trying to imply something, Henry?'' she asked with a slight frown. 

''Never, but I'm just trying to see to it that you're happy,'' he explained touching her face, ''there's nothing I want more for you than that.'' 

''Oh I'm very happy,'' she smiled reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet. She slipped her fingers inside and pulled out a few hundred dollar bills, ''but this does help.'' 

''I thought it might,'' he replied as she returned the wallet into his pocket, ''now go treat yourself.'' 

''I will,'' she smiled moving off of his lap, ''and thanks baby.'' 

''You're welcome,'' he replied pressing a kiss into her forehead before she walked out of the room and left him to his thoughts. 

Once he'd heard her leave he pulled the old frilled photograph out of his pocket seeing the beautiful eyes staring back at him and he wondered if he was doing the right thing. So many years had passed and the right thing never seemed to coincide with his agenda, but then again, time never had this weight on it before. He sighed as he traced the picture. 

''Is it too late?'' he asked finding himself back in a time when things had been so much simpler, happier. 
 
 
 

Chris sat at the bar watching the world pass by around him as he sunk into his depression. He pulled the ring box out from his pocket and looked at the sparkling diamond wondering how things could've gone so horribly wrong. He sighed thinking about his conversation with Eve as he snapped the ring box shut. 

''That's too good of a ring to be wasted on someone like Evelyn,'' Vivian said sinking into the barstool next to him. 

He glanced over at her briefly then turned back to his drink, ''To what do I owe this displeasure Viv?'' 

''I was just in the mood for a drink,'' she offered with a seductive smile, ''Care to buy me one?'' 

''No,'' he answered flatly waving for the next round of his drinks. 

''I see you haven't lost your touch Christopher,'' she replied her dark lips curling into a frown as she ordered herself a drink, ''So what seems to be the problem now? Your goodie-goodie decide she's had enough of you kissing up to her.'' 

''Viv, do yourself a favor and just shut up,'' He glared at her briefly before reaching for his drink, ''Don't you have my father to play around with or something?'' 

''I'd much rather play with you,'' she replied placing her hand on his thigh. 

He looked down at it saying nothing and making no attempt to remove it as he glanced back up at her again, ''What do you really want?'' 

''What do you think?'' She asked with a devilish grin, her fingers creeping over his thigh. 

He reached for her hand stopping her, ''You're up to trouble again.'' 

''Don't tell me that bothers you,'' She whispered leaning in closer to him, ''it never seemed to bother you before.'' 

''It doesn't bother me,'' He spoke tightly looking into her dark pernicious eyes. 

''Good,'' she replied her eyes fixed on his as he held her hand, ''So what's the problem Christopher? Evelyn see what you're really made of here and it got to be too much for her? She couldn't deal with what you are.'' 

''I don't think you're qualified to be talking about what I am,'' he replied with a slur. 

''Oh I think if anyone is an expert on you,'' she began her hand rising over his leg, ''I'd say it's me. I know you inside and out Chris,'' she leaned in closer to him, ''I know all your tricks and deceptions. You don't have to hide your bad boy ways from me.'' 

''Who says I'm still the same?'' He questioned raising a brow. 

''You are,'' She answered confidently, ''I'm sure of it.'' 

''I wouldn't be if I were you,'' he spoke sharply as her body curled in towards his and he felt himself wrapped up in the all too familiar heat. 

''Oh I know I can be,'' she replied briefly pressing her lips to his in a longing kiss. 

At first he thought of drawing back, but he found himself lost in a combination of alcohol and the past as he began to slink his arms around her pulling her in closer to him. 

''I told you,'' she whispered with a confident smile sliding into his lap, ''Some things never change.'' 

''I suppose they don't,'' he agreed not wanting to think about things as he held her close to him. 

''There's the Chris I know and love,'' she smiled victoriously, ''why don't we get out of here and go someplace else to....catch up?'' 

Chris smirked slightly thinking about the idea of having her again as memories flooded back to him. He remembered the last time he'd been with her, the intensity between them way back when, but in that instant he also remembered Eve and he pulled back. 

''I don't think so,'' he shook his head. 

''Because of Evelyn?'' she asked running her fingers over his chest, ''We both know she's not what you want. She can't give you what you need.'' 

Chris took in those words remembering his proposal earlier and Eve's response. Vivian was right. Eve wasn't going to give him what he wanted. She couldn't allow him his one dream and she'd always find a way to keep them from being happy regardless of how much he wanted nothing more than to be with her. He looked back to Vivian knowing full well that his heart was with Eve, but after months of her endless betrayal in giving her heart to Ryan, even if she thought he was Kevin, it still hurt him. He was hurting more and more and after today giving her his heart only to have her refuse him in the end, he'd had enough. It was his turn to make her see what it felt like to feel like second place in someone's life. He wasn't going to play her doormat anymore. 

''On second thought,'' He replied pulling her in for yet another hungry kiss, ''I think leaving is a good idea.'' 
 
 
 

''No, I won't do it,'' Eve said firmly crossing her arms in front of her chest, ''There's no chance in hell I'm going anywhere near him.'' 

''Eve, Kevin's life is on the line here and right now this isn't about our own personal feelings.'' 

''Scott, the man tried to kill me and now you're asking me to willingly come into contact with him again.'' 

''It's to save Kevin. Eve, we can't just leave him to die,'' Scott sighed hoping to get through to her, ''believe me I know the situation sucks, but we can't just let him die.'' 

''That's funny coming from you. I'd think you'd be glad to see him going considering.'' 

''Eve, while I'm upset I lost Lucy, you know I'm not malevolent,'' Scott spoke up in his defense, ''I had my reservations about this at first, but when I went over to the lighthouse today to speak to Lucy, I saw Kevin. Eve, he's a wreck. He looks so broken and beaten down. This is the only way to keep him around,'' Scott paused, ''Surely you won't deny him a chance at life....a chance at happiness.'' 

''Scott, I can't do this,'' Eve turned away from him, ''It's just too complicated. Can't you get someone else?'' 

''Ryan won't do it unless it's you,'' Scott continued, ''He's made that very clear about this.'' 

''He's trying to manipulate us all here Scott,'' Eve protested, ''He knows how to manipulate people and use them to get what he wants. He liked to fool us and play games.'' 

''This is no game Eve. Kevin's life is on the line,'' Scott sighed, ''You know I wouldn't be here doing this if I didn't absolutely need to.'' 

''Scott, you don't understand,'' she looked back at him with tears in her eyes, ''I can't go near Ryan right now.''

''Eve, he won't hurt you. I'll see to it that you're protected through the whole procedure,'' Scott started again, ''I'll have my best goons in here with you.'' 

''Scott, there's no stopping him when he wants something he feels is rightfully his,'' Eve explained placing her hand over her abdomen protectively, ''I can't let him near me.'' 

''Eve, this isn't about you or me anymore. It's about Kevin and doing what's right for him,'' Scott urged. 

''Scott, you don't even know anything about this mythical procedure Ryan has planned,'' She started again. 

''The details are over at the lighthouse and while I went to get them earlier, I didn't, but I'll go again,'' Scott explained, ''then we can do this right away.'' 

''Scott, Lucy's not going to let you back there especially since you haven't told her the truth,'' Eve sighed. 

''I can't tell her the truth. I shouldn't even be telling you, but since Ryan wants you actively involved in this Eve, I had to get you to listen somehow,'' Scott continued, ''Eve, I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't a matter of life or death.'' 

''Scott,'' she started then stopped looking down at the floor. 

''What is it Eve?'' 

''Scott, I'm pregnant,'' she explained looking up at him, ''and Ryan knows it. I don't know how, but he knows I'm pregnant and if I'm around him.....'' 

''.....oh my god,'' Scott replied as she broke into tears. He pulled her into his arms, ''Eve, I had no idea.'' 

''I can't let him near my baby Scott,'' she explained tearfully, ''If he gets close I'm afraid of what he'll do.'' 

''Are you sure it's his?'' 

Eve shook her head and started to wipe at her tears, ''No, no I'm not sure, but Chris is convinced that Ryan's the father.'' 

''That's what you were fighting about earlier?'' 

''Sort of,'' Eve nodded, ''Scott, I feel like I'm doing everything wrong. I love Chris...more than anything, but things just keep getting more difficult.'' 

''I'm sorry to have to put you in this position Eve, but we don't have time to sit around and wait on this. We need to help Kevin,'' Scott continued moving back to the point, ''We have to push everything else aside.'' 

''I know,'' she nodded, ''Kevin's been a good friend to me and I owe him so much, but I just don't know if I can do that.'' 

''Eve, I'm sure you can if you remember the reason we're doing this.'' 

''Scott,'' she sighed, ''can I think about it?'' 

''Of course,'' he nodded finally, ''but don't take too long because Kevin doesn't have much time.'' 

''I'll tell you my answer in the morning,'' she agreed, ''but right now I really need to speak to Chris. I can't leave things like they are right now.'' 

''Fair enough,'' He agreed letting her go, ''And Eve?'' 

''Yes?'' 

''Just remember, you're not alone. If you need me,'' he offered, ''I'm here for you.'' 

''Thank you Scott.'' 
 
 
 

Dr. Dubois stepped into the visitor's room at the jail and found Ryan restrained in the chair before her. She met his dark eyes and saw that he seemed lost in his thoughts as the guard looked to her. 

''You've got ten minutes,'' the guard remarked leaving the room. 

She nodded before stepping in closer to Ryan, ''How are you today Ryan?'' 

''How do you think I am? I'm locked up in a jail cell,'' he remarked bluntly glaring over at her, ''how would you suppose I'd be?'' 

''Not to happy as one can obviously see,'' she said taking a seat, ''how have things been?'' 

''I've been in a cramped jail cell with less than satisfactory meals and I'm next to a man that sees butterflies in his sleep. How do you think I am?'' he questioned. 

''You're going to get the help you need soon,'' she started. 

''Help? Is that what you people call it now?'' 

''Ryan, perhaps we should talk about what happened here last time we had a session.'' 

''Perhaps we shouldn't,'' he shrugged lightly, ''Have you talked to Scott?'' 

''What is it you'd like me to talk to Scott about?'' she questioned lightly. 

''Don't play dumb Doctor. We both know what I need,'' Ryan remarked with a slight frown, ''have you come into contact with my brother lately?'' 

''Would you like me to?'' 

''I don't think it's really about me, is it?'' he raised a brow, ''I mean we both know what's happening with Kevin. Surely you've seen it by now.'' 

''Yes,'' she nodded lightly, ''Yes I have Ryan.'' 

''And judging by the look on your face, he's progressed into the much more serious stages of his illness, yes?'' he questioned curiously, ''come on. You can tell me. It's just between us.'' 

''Why don't we talk about you Ryan?'' 

''We could do that, but I'd much rather talk about Kevin,'' Ryan shrugged, ''he makes for more amusing conversation these days. I'm cooped up here in this jail cell and Kevin, well I guess he's probably cooped up in a hospital or at home depending on what made him feel more comfortable. I mean he's been in a hospital for a long time and knowing my brother, he's quite sentimental about things, so he's probably hoping that he can get himself as close to him as he can while he's around.'' 

''Ryan, why don't we talk about what you did to Kevin?'' 

''Why don't we talk about what he did to me?'' he snapped struggling with his restraints a bit, ''About what they all did to me? Every last one of them.'' 

''All right,'' she nodded, ''Why don't we talk about that then?'' 

''Don't play head games with me Doctor. You'll find that they're anything but effective here and you're playing with a master,'' he smiled wickedly, ''But somehow I think you were aware of that as well, weren't you?'' 

''I read up on you Ryan,'' she nodded. 

''Read up? Oh now come on. So now you think you're an expert? We both know it was far more than that and we both are aware of what happens next. The question is do you truly want to help me like you say you do or rather are you one to tell me what you think I want to hear while you work to keep me down here?'' 
 
 
 

Chris pulled Vivian to him as they entered the hotel room kissing one another. He held her close to him hoping to rid himself of his thoughts of Eve as he held her. He pressed her body close to his kissing her again and again as the passionate fury came alive in him. 

''Chris,'' she breathed ripping his jacket off of him and tearing open his shirt placing kisses over him, ''you have no idea how long I've waited to have you here again. This is where you belong.'' 

''Right now this is the only place I want to be,'' he tried to convince himself as she pulled back with a seductive grin. 

''I'll be right back,'' she brought her finger over his lips tracing them, ''Why don't you get ready and I'll meet you in bed in a couple minutes.'' 

He firmly grabbed her waist and pulled her to him, ''Don't make me wait too long,'' he ordered giving her a hungry kiss, ''I hate to wait.'' 

''I remember,'' she replied responding to his kiss before leaving him alone again. 

He sat down on the bed and noticed the box on the floor. He bent over to pick it up seeing the diamond inside as his thoughts went back to Eve, her eyes, her lips, her smile, the way it felt to be with her. 

And if I was wrong, I know I don't deserve this 

Don't stay too long, I need to hear those words you use to tell me 

From way back when we were just friends 

Before this love affair began 

He could almost feel her there beside him as he remembered the first time they'd admitted their feelings for one another leading up to the last time he'd seen her. He could feel her arms around him as they spent time together at the apartment mixing martinis and laughing together. 

Tell me how I love you wins 

Or how a broken heart can mend 

Just tell me this is not the end 

Please tell me now 

How the fairy tale begins 

Or how it was supposed to end 

Please tell me that part again 

Caught up in an array of emotions, he found himself back at that cabin with her all over again when he'd held her. 

''Eve, I know that I might be moving too fast with all of this considering that you're still trying to piece things together, but the one thing that I know for sure is that the way I feel about you can't be wrong,'' Chris continued sincerely as he placed her hand over his heart. ''You fill my days and nights with a new breath of life and I'm not asking you to give up life as you know it, but I just want you to know that there is no other person in this world that I'd rather share my life with.'' 

''Chris,'' Eve started hoping to get a word in edge wise. 

''Eve please, let me finish.'' Chris insisted bringing his finger to her lips and silencing her. ''I need to say all of this.'' 

''All right,'' Eve nodded silently. 

''Eve, with you I feel things that I never dreamed possible before and I know in my heart that you're the one for me.'' Chris explained caressing the side of her face, ''I just hope you don't think that I'm pushing you or trying to rush your memories back faster than you're ready, it's just that after last night Eve, I realized that I can't lose you again.'' 

''Chris, you aren't pushing me at all. While I don't remember everything that's happened between us, some of it has been coming back to me and well,'' Eve began shaking her head as she looked down at his face, ''I know what you are feeling and I feel the same way about you. For me it's as if I've gone through my entire life asleep until you opened my eyes to all that was waiting for me. When I'm with you like I am tonight I feel complete.'' 

''From this moment on I want to dedicate myself to fulfilling your every need, wish, and fantasy. I'll make this solemn promise you do my best to make your every dream come true and to be patient no matter how long it takes until you have your memories back,'' Chris explained kissing her hand lightly yet never allowing his eyes to stray from the connection the two of them had as he looked into her soul. 

''Chris, every passing second I'm drawn into the love you give me and it's a feeling that I don't ever want to let go of.'' Eve replied as he pulled her close and held her in his arms. Closing her eyes, Eve was reminded of the last time they were together in a similar situation together. ''I know that last time I made a mistake leaving you after we made love and I'm sorry for that Chris. I don't remember why I left, but I know now that I should've stayed. I should've been honest about the way I felt having your arms around me.'' 

''You remember us making love?'' Chris questioned in surprise as she nodded her head. 

''Clear as day.'' Eve admitted softly with a smile. ''It came back to me when we were dancing. At first I wasn't sure it was real or not, but now I know.'' 

''Oh Eve, I love you so much.'' Chris breathed taking in the scent of her auburn hair as he enveloped her in his arms. 

''And I've never loved you more than I do at this moment,'' Eve replied pulling back to look into his soulful eyes as she pressed her lips to his in a tender union. 

Chris turned his head hearing Vivian in the bathroom as he held the ring in his hand again thinking about all he stood to lose in being here with her. He closed the ring box and placed it back in his pocket as he heard a noise and looked to find Vivian standing in the doorway to the room wearing nothing more than a smile. 

''I hope you're ready for this Chris because tonight you're going to remember everything we had together and this time I won't let you get away,'' she said approaching him as he pushed the jacket and his ring aside. 

Now tell me what's wrong, I never meant to hurt you, no baby, ooh 

Was it the home, the car, or darling all those things we thought we needed 

Tell me even if it ain't true 

But baby please don't say we're through 

Scott slumped over in his chair finding himself lost in his thoughts of Lucy. He held the photograph of Lucy, Serena and him in his hands as he took another swig of his drink. How was he going to make it through this when there was so much he had to do? 

''Tell me something pal,'' her voice rang in his mind, ''are we going to always be this happy together?'' 

''I would certainly hope so,'' he had responded pulling her into a kiss. 

''I love you,'' she'd told him as he'd held her...felt her close to him and found himself wrapped up in a happiness, but all that was transformed the moment Kevin walked back into her life and he took Ryan on as a client. 

''Haven't you done enough Scott?'' he could hear her angry voice screaming at him as he took another sip of his drink. He dropped the photograph as he slumped back in his chair wondering if he'd done the right thing and if was helping anything at all as sadness overtook him. 

Tell me how I love you wins 

Or how a broken heart can mend 

Just tell me this is not the end 

Please tell me now 

How the fairy tale begins 

Or how it was supposed to end 

Please tell me that part again 

Eve entered the apartment and turned on the lights finding herself alone. She set her bags down and walked around. 

''Chris? Chris are you here?'' she asked feeling an ache inside of her as she realized she was alone. She couldn't contain the sadness she felt as she felt more alone than ever without him here. She closed her eyes thinking back. 

''Come on Chris, you can't miss this one,'' she called out to him holding the bowl of popcorn in his hands. 

''Eve, I'm on my way,'' he explained hopping over the back of the couch, ''You didn't think I'd miss one moment of this with you, did you?'' 

''I was starting to wonder,'' she answered with a soft smile. 

''Well, I was late because I had to give you something,'' he explained holding out a tin foil wrapper. 

''An empty gum wrapper?'' she asked with slight confusion. 

''It's not just any gum wrapper,'' he explained circling it around her finger, ''it's your very own custom made ring here.'' 

''It's amazing,'' she said looking it over as he finished with it, ''but I don't have anything here for you.'' 

''Of course you do Eve,'' he smiled draping his arms around her, ''you've given me everything I could ever need right here in my arms.'' 

''Oh Chris I love you so much,'' she replied cupping his face in her hands as she kissed him, ''but you know this wouldn't be exactly fair if we didn't do this both ways here,'' she reached for another piece of gum taking the wrapped and tying it onto his finger as she kissed him again, ''Now you're mine.'' 

''That I am Eve,'' he said pulling her close to him, ''I've been yours for so very long.'' 

''And I'm going to be yours forever,'' she replied squeezing him again. 

''That's right Eve,'' he said holding her, ''We're going to have our forever now and nothing is going to change that.'' 

Now standing alone in the apartment, she noticed a tiny foil gum wrapper on the table and she picked it up feeling the tears fill in her eyes. ''Oh Chris,'' she cried out as she sunk to the floor overcome by tears. 

I wanna know that 

Feelin' that's from way back 

A time when it was true that, love was sweet and innocent 

When you and I could still be friends 

Make all the wrong be right again 

Where true love never has to end 

Lucy stood in front of the window watching the storm pick up outside as she had a heavy feeling in her heart. She thought about Scott's arrival earlier and Kevin's fall down the stairs. She looked back at him sleeping underneath the blankets on the couch and she couldn't suppress her tears any longer. 

''Oh Doc,'' she whispered moving in towards him and taking a seat beside him as she touched his dark hair, ''how could this happen to us? Just when all our dreams are so close to coming true, we're about to lose it all,'' she cried harder thinking about the baby she was carrying inside of her and how she'd dreamt of a life with Kevin, but it was so close to being taken away from her. 

He stirred a bit as his breathing grew labored. 

''It's going to be okay Doc,'' she said softly running her fingers over his cheek soothingly as he began to still, ''Somehow Doc, we're going to keep fighting,'' she tried to assure him as she knew time wasn't on their side, ''I love you.'' 

Tell me how I love you wins 

Or how a broken heart can mend 

Just tell me this is not the end 

Please tell me now 

How the fairy tale begins 

Or how it was supposed to end 

Please tell me that part again....