four months later: Dana was in bed. Nick was in the office doing something on the computer. It was late at night. He looked at the time on his cell phone. Then he turned off the computer and got up. He navigated through the dark house to get to the bedroom. Once he got their he took his pants off, followed by his shirt and got into bed.

"Where were you?" he heard his wife's distinct voice ask.

"I thought you were sleeping."

"You thought wrong." she turned over to face him. "You're cheating on me aren't you?" she asked with an unstable voice.

"Where the hell did you find that theory?"

"You're late, every night. We don't talk anymore and we haven't had sex since before Alexa was born."

"What?!" Nick laughed "We had sex last week."

"I don't know who you had sex with last week but it sure as hell wasn't with me."

"Are you sure?"

"I think I know my sex life better than anyone in this room."

"What are you trying to say? You want me to have sex with you? Come on let's go." he got closer to kissed her. She turned over and wiped a single tear rolling down her cheek. "Dana come on. I can't sleep knowing you mad at me. Talk to me." he put his hand on her bare shoulder. Hoping she would say something. He knew he was hurting her, he knew that the secret he was keeping from her was taking a toll on their marriage. "I love you, Dana. I'm not cheating on you." he reassured. She didn't answer. He gave up and they both fell asleep.

As time went on things between them continued to get worse. Nick was hiding the truth from his wife. He loved her, and he knew that if he was to tell her she would get hurt. He also knew that this crucial secret was effecting his behavior around her and he knew that she noticed that. He didn't know how to confront her so he didn't. The silence between them grew as did the distance.

2004: At his point Alexa was 4. Dana was 24 and Nick was 33. Dana had finished her residency and she became an attending and a parter in the RWHC. She was promoted to the head of woman's medicine. Nick got promoted to the Chief of the ER and Trauma. They were both at the top of their game. They bought a mansion with 12 bathrooms and 10 bedrooms. Heated pool with waterfall, Tennis court, basketball court, home gym, complete home theater and a library/office. They bought two new cars. Dana got a Mercedes Benz SL. Nick got a convertible Aston Martin. Given that both cars were 2 seaters they needed something more family ordinated, and what's better than a Maserati. Financially they were set.

"Come on, Lexa. I'm gonna be late." Nick said, standing across from the counter waiting for Alexa to finish eating her cereal.

"I don't want to go to Day Care today, Daddy."

"Well, you don't have that choice." Nick put her bowl in the sink. He helped Alexa put her jacket on and grabbed the car keys.

"Daddy, where's mommy?" she asked at she sat in her booster seat.

"She's at work. You'll see her in a couple minutes, okay?" he answered as he buckled her in. He went to the other side and sat in the drivers seat. Putting the key in the ignition. He drove off in a rush. In a couple minutes he reached the hospital. Quickly taking her out of the car and running toward the entrance to the RWHC. Alexa saw Dana the second she walked in and ran toward her, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist.

"Will you take her to Day Care? I have a meeting that I can't be late to."

"I have a patient waiting for me in the ER, Nick. And the place is a couple feet from the ER." she answered.

"It'll take 10 minutes, Dana. You're patient can wait, this meeting can't" he replied and took the cup of coffee from her hand. He took as sip as he walked toward the elevator. "This is way too sweet, Dana. You should use less sugar." The elevator doors opened and he went in.

Alexa took Dana's hand and tugged it. "Let's go, Mommy." she said as she pulled Dana to the hall. She ran down the hall toward the Day Care when she tripped on her shoes lace. Falling on face. Dana ran a couple feet to catch up with her. She helped Alexa up and tried tie her shoes.

"Stop it." Alexa yelled and pulled her foot away. She tried to continue running, Dana took her arm and pulled her back. "Stop it." she yelled and begun crying. Dana sighed and pulled her aside, Alexa just continued crying.

"Lexa, stop screaming." she said calmly. "You're fine, okay? Nothing happened. You're gonna be late and I have to get back to work. You need to stop crying." she wiped away her daughter's tears. But she won't stop crying.

"I don't want to go." she heaved.

"Honey, come on. I don't have time for this. During my lunch break I'll take you out to eat. I promise. But right now I have to get to work." at that second Nick came walking down the hall.

"What's going on?" he asked as he picked Alexa up. "Why's she crying?"

"I don't know. I don't understand her."

"Of course you don't understand her. You spend most of your time at work. When was the last time you actually did something with her?"

"Since when do I have to justify my parenting skills with you?" she answered. Nick opened the door to the Day Care and Alexa ran in. They turned around to go back to the ER.

"Since you stopped giving a damn about your family."

"I stopped giving a damn?! Are you kidding me? We haven't had a normal conversation since we had a kid." she reminded him.

"I don't think anyone else needs to hear this discussion. Let's go to your office."

"I have a patient that I need to see in the ER."

"I took care of her." he replied. He held her office door open. They walked in. "I'm serious, Dana. You wanna talk, let's talk. Like adults."

"What do you want me to say? I really don't know what happen to us? We were so in love..."

"Are you saying you don't love me anymore."

"No, that's not what I'm saying. It's just that I feel like we've grown apart. I was 19 when we got married, Nick. I was literally a kid. I've changed as a person since we got married and honestly I don't think you know the person that I've become. And honestly I don't know who you've become."

"That's insane. I know you better than you know yourself."

"No, you don't. I'm not the same person I was 5 years ago, Nick. Everything has changed since we had Lexie. Everything about me has changed, I've gotten more mature and more patient. I've started thinking in a different way. And you, you completely changed. You stopped talking to me, we stopped spending time together, you became predictable and ass numbingly. It's like you're hiding something from me and you're afraid that if we spend a little time together I'd figure it out."

"You're being ridiculous, Dana."

"Am I?" she looked into his eyes, "Or is it just ridiculous because you know it's true?"

"I didn't know you were unhappy."

"Maybe if you paid attention you would have."

"It's not like you haven't changed." he brought up. "You're not exactly the same person you were. You, you..."

"I want, Nick. I'm not as innocent and naive as I used to be. I'm not the same romantic, I'm not satisfied with just the thought that my husband loves me. I need to him to show me. I have changed, I opened my eyes and now I see the world as it really is."

"Well you're looking in the wrong direction because nothing you're seeing is the truth."

"In that case point me to the right direction."

"Why do you think I don't love you? You do you always think I'm cheating?"

"Because you don't show me that you love me. You don't even say it anymore."

"I love you. There I said. Do you feel better?"

"I don't want to continue this conversation, just leave." They looked into one another's eyes for a few seconds. Without another word Nick left. That entire day they avoided any contact with one another. That night Dana and Alexa got home before Nick. She gave Alexa a bath and put her to sleep. But, she stayed up waiting for Nick to get home. Finally around midnight he came home. She woke up from the sound of the door opening and closing.

"Nick?" she asked in a groggy voice as she sat up.

"Yeah, why are you sleeping down here?" he asked

"I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Again? I don't want to talk about it, Dana."

"I'm really sorry for accusing you of cheating, and all that. I just want things to go to the way they were."

"I just need you to understand that Ido love you and I don't mean to hurt you. I just want you to be happy." he replied. She leaned in to kiss him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Wanna go upstairs?" she asked as he was kissing her neck. He picked her up and took her upstairs, lying her on the bed. They continued kissing. Dana pulled away slightly. "I wanna have another baby, Nick." she admitted. Nick pushed her aside.

"What?" he asked unable to believe what she said. "I think we shouldn't. Not now at least."

"Why not? It's not like we can't afford it. Alexa is four..." he interrupted her sentence

"Yeah, Dana she's only 4. And you're only 23..."

"24." she corrected.

"Whatever. We still have time. We don't have to rush."

"We're not rushing. What's wrong with you, Nick? What are you hiding from me? Why don't you want to have another baby with me? What the hell is going on?"

To Be Continued...
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