Disclaimer: I do not own anyone, all events are fictional and for entertainment only.

Picking Up the Pieces…

Pilar Helmsley sat at her kitchen table holding a picture and stared out to the living room area. She sighed and thought of the day it was taken, the happiest day of her life, the day she married the man of her dreams, Dr. Hunter Helmsley. At that time she was a young intern and he was an established surgeon. They had so many dreams and plans of what their life together would be like. She sighed again to herself and wiped the single tear that fell down her cheek. Never did she think eight years later she would be where she is, newly divorced from Hunter and two small children wanting to know why daddy is gone.

She stood up and turned the picture face down. As she walked into the living room, she stopped and looked around the space, everywhere she looked, she saw memories of her family, when they were happy. It made her stomach hurt just thinking about all the holidays and birthdays that were celebrated just in that room. She thought about just moving away and making a fresh start, somewhere she and Hunter have never been, but she just couldn't bring herself to take away the only home her children have known. She also thought of both sets of grandparents, they were getting older and would be devastated if they couldn't see their grandchildren on a regular bases.

Pilar was pulled from her lingering thoughts by a tugging at her leg. She looked down to see the smiling face of her daughter Lily. The four year old was a spitting image of Pilar, with long dark brown curls and dimples, but she did have Hunter's eyes. "Mommy…Mommy…Mommy…When daddy coming?" Lily couldn't wait to see Hunter, she was his little princess.

Pilar reached down and lifted the little girl. "He will be here baby. Why don't you get your dollies and your brother?" Pilar kissed the little girl and put her down. She watched her child skip upstairs. It broke Pilar's heart to see her little girl miss her daddy so much. Lily didn't sleep much the night before, she was too excited for today, seeing her daddy.

Outside…

Hunter sat outside of his old home inside of his black Cadillac Escalade, he hated not being with Pilar and he especially hated not seeing his children. He too had been thinking of the day he and Pilar got married. "How did we get here...? You know how, but you can't fix it, now can you?" His mind wandered more, it went to the times he and Pilar would make love until they heard little footsteps running down the hallway to get to their bedroom. All the times she would listen to his every dream, she knew him inside and out. She was his lover, best friend, wife, and mother of his children, but that was gone now. He closed his eyes trying to get his thoughts off of the past. After several minutes, he finally walked to the door, he shook his head in frustration as he rang the doorbell. This was his home, or use to be. Pilar changed all the locks the day Hunter moved out.

Pilar practically was knocked off her feet as Lily came running down the stairs to answer the door. "Lily Elizabeth Helmsley! What do you think you are doing!" Lily looked up to her mother with the same look in her eyes that Hunter would have when he did something wrong. "Sorry mommy…DADDY…I saw his truck."

Pilar shook her head and tried not to laugh at her excited daughter. "I don't care…Adults answer the door. Right?" Lily smiled cloyingly at her mother. "Yessss…the door mommy."

Pilar answered the door, and both she and Hunter stared at one another. That undeniable feeling of wanting each other coursed through their bodies, it was like an invisible force, their other half to their hearts needing to be put back together as a whole. Both wanted to say something to one another, but Lily immediately went up to Hunter and reached up her arms. "DADDDYYY"

Hunter picked her up and held her tight as Lily's small arms wrapped around his neck. "Hey Tata tot."

"I missed you daddy…" Lily squealed. Pilar stepped back as Hunter walked inside. All she could do was smile at her daughter. Hunter walked inside to the living room, he looked around searching for his son. "Where is Liam?"

"I'll get him." Pilar knew her son was taking the divorce the hardest, he just wanted his parents back together. She went to the one place Liam has been hanging out at, Hunter's study. She frowned as she saw him sitting inside the window still. "Hey papi…Your father is here for you and Lily." Pilar tried to soften his demeanor.

Liam slowly faced Pilar. "Are you coming with Lils and me?"

Pilar sat next to him and pulled him on her lap. "Not this time, but daddy has something special planned for you and Lily."

"I want you to come…I-I want daddy to come home." Liam whimpered.

"Baby, I know…But daddy and I are…divorced now. You remember, we both explained that to you." Pilar cupped his small face, and kissed him on the forehead. Liam looked more like Hunter, blonde ringlets and those honey brown eyes. He did have his mother's dimples.

Liam snuggled into his mother. "I wish things where like before."

"I know, but things are going to be even better than before…I promise…I love you baby boy."

Liam whimpered a little more before hopping down, he held Pilar's hand as they walked into the living room. Liam looked at Hunter with sad eyes, but then ran into Hunter's open arms. He put his head on Hunter's shoulder. "Hey big boy."

Pilar came behind Liam and rubbed his back. "You will have a great time. You and daddy can pick out…" She stopped and scratched her head playfully. "Pick out what you want for your birthday. That is if you want something, I think you mentioned a red toy Ferrari…What else would a boy turning seven want?" Pilar tickled his sides, and Liam couldn't hold back his laughter.

Hunter looked over his son's head and mouthed thank you to Pilar. Pilar couldn't hold his gaze, she immediately started picking up the children's things to walk them out. "You guys should get going."

Hunter put down his son. "You guys get the rest of your things. I need to speak to mommy." The two little ones went back upstairs, hoping things would change. "Thank you, I know he is having a tough time. How are you doing?" Hunter tried to make eye contact with Pilar.

Pilar kept fidgeting with the kid's things as she talked. "I'm fine. Make sure Lily wears her coat, and make sure Liam wears his hat." She handed Hunter their coats and hats.

"I know." Hunter made a point to hold her hands as she handed the coats and hats to him. "Maybe we can plan Liam's birthday party together? I would like to be here the morning of his birthday, you know...to make our traditional birthday pancakes."

Pilar snatched her hands away, she wanted so badly to tell him no and that he didn't deserve to be in her home after what he did. "Fine, but this will be the last year for both of them having you cook their birthday breakfast. They will never get use to us being divorced."

"They are my kids too, and this our home." Hunter said in an upset tone.

"No…This is my home, you lost that right…Remember Chief of Staff…Forget it…I'm not doing this. Just take the kids. I'm on call this weekend, so I may be a little late picking them up."

Hunter sighed, he knew his actions has caused this. "How can I forget…but you and the kids." He was cut off by Lily and Liam running to him.

Pilar kissed each of her children. "You two be good for daddy, and I will see you Sunday night." Both children hugged her around her neck. Lily kissed her mother's nose. "If you lonely, come see us." She turned and reached up for Hunter. Pilar smiled trying not to cry. "You two go…Have fun and don't worry about me. Okay?"

Hunter watched his ex-wife, he wanted to say something, but the time was not right, things were still too raw. "Okay, and don't worry, if you get called in, I'll keep them for as long as you need."

Pilar watched and waved as the escalade drove off. She closed the door and leaned against, she felt the familiar hot tears start to sting her eyes. Every time she saw Hunter, all of the memories came flooding back. The pain in her heart seem to hurt worse than the day before.

An hour later…

Pilar had tried to busy herself, if ever she wanted a baby to be born, it was today. She loved her job of being an ob/gyn, it gave her joy to help bring a new life into the world, but the job could also be a curse at times. She had to report to her now ex-husband, he was the medical chief of staff at the hospital where she worked.

She was about to make her third cup of coffee as the doorbell rang. She looked at the clock and it was 5:00 pm. When she opened the door, she laughed and cried.

The woman standing at the door pulled Pilar into a hug. "I figured you needed me."

Pilar whimpered. "It hurts so much."

"I know sis, but that is why I am here, and with wine." Nikki laughed as she walked inside pulling Pilar by the arm.

Pilar gave a half smile through her tears. "You know me too well. Unfortunately, no wine for me, I'm on call."

Nikki set the wine down on the coffee table and made her sister sit down. "Sucks…I wanted to get you drunk so you could forget about that asshole."

Pilar cocked her eyebrow. "Nikki…Stop."

"What? He is an asshole, I will never forgive him for what he did."

"He is the father of my children."

"And, he is an asshole. Plus, he wasn't thinking about them or you when he did what he did."

"Yeah Nikki, I know." Pilar had a look of hurt.

Nikki sighed knowing she can't hold her tongue. "Sorry, but he had a beautiful wife, beautiful kids, wonderful home, and great job and it wasn't enough."

"It wasn't us, it was his ambitions. I knew that Hunter wanted to be chief of staff, I just never knew he could do what he did to get it. Maybe I should have…" Pilar trailed off.

"You did everything for him and he shit on it, for what…a position he would have eventually got...? He just wanted it now, and it cost him you."

Pilar sniffled. "I don't want to talk about it. What Hunter and I had is gone. He has his golden job and he will continue to do what he wants until he has become CEO of the hospital."

Nikki shook her head. She was the first one to be happy for her sister when she married Hunter, but she can't stand that he has broken her heart. "Don't worry, you will be happy again…And that doesn't include Hunter...You will find love again, and this time it will be with someone who deserves your love."

"I am done with men. I have my kids to think about." Pilar wiped her face of the tears that seemed to keep falling down.

"You are still so young…Don't you miss…SEX…"

Pilar had to laugh. "Everything is not about sex. Besides, I can't even think about that without…"

"UGH! Stop it. I know you and Hunter were rabbits, you couldn't get enough of him." Nikki was right about her sister and Hunter, they were still like newlyweds, and she was surprised she didn't have more nieces and nephews.

"You are hopeless…. Those feelings just don't magically go away."" Pilar had to admit to herself that she indeed missed sex, but she missed how Hunter would please her…how they would please each other. Pilar blushed. "Let's talk about something else before you get me…"

"I knew it. You haven't had any good loving since he left. That is a long damn time." Nikki smirked.

"Stop talking about my hus…" Pilar tried to hold back her tears.

Nikki pulled her sister into a hug and comforted her. "I'm sorry, me and my big mouth. You will get through this, and I will be right here with you." Nikki was determined that Hunter will never weasel his way back into her sister's heart. But will faith have a different plan?

TBC…Thank you for reading…This is a new story, so your reviews are needed to determine if it is a go or flop…What did Hunter do to destroy his marriage…How will Pilar and Hunter work together….Will they find their way back to each other…Next chapter, if you all like the story, will be a big surprise coming into Hunter's life…Again thank you…