'What happened in the two years before Lux's graduation?'

Cate looked down at the people gathered in front of her. Her husband, Ryan was laughing, in the middle of a paint fight with her daughter, Lux, and the father of her daughter, Baze. His two friends, Jamie and Math, were having a drink or two while laughing along. She loved how close everyone had become over the past number of months. At the beginning there was no love lost between Ryan and Baze. She wouldn't say they loathed one another, but it wasn't far off that. Now here they were, having a paint fight while decorating Baze's business: Open Bar.

She wondered what would happen to all of them when she told Ryan her news.

"What is it? What's happened?" asks Ryan, a look of deep concern on his handsome face.

Everyone stops to look at her, but her eyes are trained on her husband.

"We have to talk."

Ryan escorts Cate upstairs to Baze's loft, which had thankfully not been affected when the bar was badly damaged in a fire.

"What happened at the hospital? I thought you were just going in for a check-up after the miscarriage?"

Cate and Ryan had just lost their baby while in the early stages of the pregnancy. As devastating as that was, it had been compounded by the knowledge that she couldn't have any more children.

"Yeah, that all went well. That's not what I need to speak to you about."

Things have been very frazzled between the couple over the past few months. They even split up for a while, only coming together again when they found out the baby was on its way. Now that the baby was gone, they didn't know where things were going to go between them. Work wise, things were fantastic. They were back on air together at the station after Cate's firing, and re-hiring as producer of their show. As for their marriage, they were just taking things day by day.

"I saw Julia at the hospital. She's pregnant, Ryan. Very pregnant."

His chin bounces on the ground. He'd had a one night stand with his ex-girlfriend during a break in his relationship with Cate, and thought it was over and done with.

"It's mine?" he asks more to himself than to Cate.

"Yes, it is. You're going to be a daddy after all," she says, a very nervous smile. She doesn't want to lose Ryan. For all their problems, she really loves her husband. But she also doesn't want to hold him back from forming a relationship with his child. From the start of their marriage, he has always told her of his desire to have children.

Ryan collapses onto the couch behind him. He's usually a very together person, but this has really knocked him for six. She takes a seat beside him, putting her hand on his shoulder. She doesn't know how to comfort him.

"I don't believe it. Why didn't she tell me? She told me it was a false alarm."

"I know. I talked to her for a couple of minutes at the hospital. She said she didn't want to disrupt your life, or our marriage. She thought she was doing the best thing for everyone."

"Keeping me from my child is the best thing? I don't think so. I'm going to speak with her!" he says, climbing to his feet. Cate grabs his arm, pulling him back down to her.

"Ryan I don't think you should see her just yet. You need some time to cool down. You'll only make things worse if you go over there angry."

"I just can't believe this is happening."

"I know the feeling."

"Are you all right?" he asks, realising for the first time that this is very difficult for his wife as well, especially considering what they have been through with the miscarriage.

"I don't know how I feel, to be honest. We have a lot of issues to deal with in our marriage, but I never imagined this would be one of them."

Ryan nods his head in agreement.

Downstairs in the bar, Baze has given his daughter a paint brush, and indicated for her to paint one side of the wall he's been working on.

"Do you think Cate and Ryan are all right up there?" she asks, her mind not on the painting task in front of her.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," he replies. He looks over at his daughter. They have had many ups and downs since they were reunited a few short months ago, but things are finally in a good place between them, and he's determined to keep it that way. "How are you coping with everything that's been happening?"

She stops painting and turns to look at her father.

"I'm doing all right. I'm just worried about Cate and Ryan, that's all. They've been through so much, and I want them to be all right."

Baze realises that the two of them probably don't know everything that is going on between the married couple, but he hopes they will be all right as well. Cate and Ryan have always worked through their problems. He has no reason to doubt that this will be any different. He's not willing to admit this to anyone, not even fully to himself, but there is a part of him that always clings to the hope that he and Cate can be together. Even though he has just ended a relationship, he will always have a soft spot, and deep love, for Cate. Aside from the fact that she's the mother of their daughter.

The two of them return to their painting. They are disturbed when Cate and Ryan emerge through the door, entering the bar.

"Is everything all right?" asks Lux, dashing up to them.

For the first time in a while, Ryan and Cate smile.

"Yes, it's fine. We have some things to work through, that's all," replied Cate. She wants to tell Lux what is happening, but it's not really her place.

Lux looks up at Ryan, who smiles down at her. But it's not his usual big warm smile. Something big is going on, and she wants to know what it is.

"Baze, do you mind if I come back tomorrow and give you a hand with the painting? I'm pretty tired, and I have some homework to finish," she lies.

"Yeah, that's fine. See you tomorrow kiddo." He had been looking forward to spending some time with Lux, but he knows that they have some things they need to discuss.