Chapter Two

"I think we should break up."

And with that one sentence, the world around Bright Abbot fell apart.

"What," he questioned Hannah, who was now staring at the ground, trying to keep her tears at bay.

'Keep it together Hannah,' she repeated in her mind, her decision already made.

"I think we should break up," she repeated.

"I don't get it. Things were…are fine between us," stated Bright, now more confused than he had been for the better part of his life.

And he was genuinely confused, for he honestly couldn't figure out where Hannah was coming from. He had thought he had made it clear that he loved her, but it couldn't hurt to do so once again.

"I love you," he said, taking her by the hands and leading her to the couch.

"I know you do and I love you. That's why I'm breaking up with you," she replied, her eyes glossing over.

"Hans, I don't get it. You love me, I love you and we're breaking up? Correct me if I'm wrong, but people in love do not break up. Well, unless one person is driving the other one insane." As he finished that thought, a look of vulnerability came over him and so he asked, "I'm not making you insane am I?"

She felt horrible about this, but she knew he wouldn't let it go, so she had no other choice, but to explain to him exactly what was going on in her mind.

"There were these girls this morning in the bathroom talking about us and listening to them, I realized that we don't fit."

Seeing his confused expression, she elaborated, "Bright, this isn't some fairytale where all my dreams come true and you're the handsome prince that saves boring old me from a life of ordinary occurrence. This is real life Bright."

"Hans, you aren't making sense. Slow down and explain to me exactly what chatty girls in the bathroom and fairytales have to do with us," he stated, pulling her hands to his once more.

"Bright, you like to party and drink and have sex and I study and read the Bible and am saving myself for marriage. We just don't mesh well and I guess opposites don't really attract. I mean, I guess they must, but in the short run only because in the end, you and I won't be together. Amy was right."

"What does Amy have to do with any of this," he questioned, making a mental note to speak to his younger sister.

"She just made some things clear to me," Hannah answered, pulling back from him and resting her elbows on her knees, head held between her hands.

"Oh? And exactly what did she say?"

"I've had this idyllic perception of us and our relationship. I thought that you and I would stay together forever and get married and have kids and live out our lives until the end comes for us, but now I know. You and I don't mix; we don't belong together. You deserve better-someone like Anna Herring, who will party with you and sleep with you and give you beautiful blonde children. Anyone else really will do, so long as they mesh well with you," she finished her rant, tears freely running.

Bright, blown away by her speech, took a moment to collect himself and fell to his knees before Hannah, tilting her face with his finger so that she would be looking at him.

"You've had your say, so now, you listen to me," he said, collecting his thoughts, so that he could make his case. "I don't care what Amy said or those stupid girls in the bathroom. I just care about you and me okay?" At her nod, he continued, "since you want the best for me and clearly think that I deserve the best, it's you Hans; you'll always be more than I deserve and I don't know if I've not shown you that, but I do think it."

"No you have, it's just…"

"No. No interruptions, just me now, okay? If I wanted Anna or whatever her name is, or the next blonde that walked into my line of sight, I would have done that. You know what though? I would have never appreciated it as much as I appreciate you. You keep me in line and make sure I do the right thing even when you aren't there to tell me what the right thing is. You, Hans, you, make me want to be a better person and not only for myself, but because I want to be worthy of you. So if anyone should be contemplating a break in our relationship based on your reasons, it should be me. You're lucky though, that I'm too selfish to let you go," he said, wiping her tears.

"Okay, what's next? Oh, yes, our so called differences. Hans, I love you for you, only you. I mean sure, I do wish sometimes that you would abandon your religious beliefs, but then I realize that you wouldn't be the bean I know and love; you'd be like every other girl and every other girl isn't you Hans. You and I do mesh well together. We fit perfectly: you fit perfectly in my arms whenever I hold you, you finish my vegetables and keep me in line. You and I are perfect.

"No one knows what the future holds and yeah, I sure as hell am hoping that we have one, but everything with Collin has taught me that life is too damn short and too unpredictable. Hans, I could get hit by the bus today or tomorrow or the next day, or live to be one hundred. The point is, I have no idea what the future holds, but I do know that I love you and I want to be with you for you," Bright finished, looking at Hannah with look that begged to be understood.

Some minutes later, Bright and Hannah were wrapped up in each other, neither of the two knowing exactly who initiated the hug.

"Can I talk now," Hannah asked some time later.

"Yes, but only if you abandon these thoughts of breaking up and such," Bright replied, releasing his hold on her, but still keeping her close, Hannah's curly locks in hand.

"I'm sorry that I freaked out on you, but I can't help but feel insecure every time we're out and some beautiful woman passes you by."

"You feel insecure? How about me? I had to watch that church monkey trying to get with whenever he was free. And now, I still feel insecure. You are one of the best, most beautiful, smartest people I know. How do you think I feel when I realize that college deadlines will be here sooner and sooner and that you might leave me for bugger and better things? I keep thinking that you'll want to start off new in some fancy-shmancy school on the east coast and forget all about me, your partying and average boyfriend and take up with some polo wearing, golf player."

When she started laughing at him, he gave her a wounded look.

"Oh Bright, I am so stupid to think that I was doing the best for us. First off, I will never leave you for some polo wearing golfer; I stink at golf, so that's a no," she said, laughing once again. Containing herself, Hannah continued, "I do know that you and I have relationship issues because it's truly the first real one either of us has had. How about we promise to talk things out any time either one of us gets insecure?"

"Deal, but only if you drop this breaking up business," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

"What breaking up business," she smiled up at him.

A/N: Wow, I took a long break to collect my thoughts and such. Hopefully, there are still some of you left in the fandom, considering the recent cancellation of the show grumbles about 7th Heaven Thank you to all those that have read and reviewed. Eventually I will write an epilogue of sorts to this to tie everything together. Thanks!