A/N: Thank you to everybody who reviewed! I can't say that enough, and keep supporting this story. I just have one question, how does everyone feel about the Caleb/Rebecca relationship, like it or hate it? I'm asking 'cause I am shipping them so hard, I wish they could be on the show. :) Also, here is the link to the trailer for this story. watch?v=uCR5nnlrVuI&list=UUfWMPnaQu5dHIIAYBqAgXjQ If the link doesn't work, there is one in my profile.


Chapter Eight

Indecision

Rebecca was frozen; she didn't know what to say. Her mouth opened and closed several times as she tried to come up with something to say. Caleb was still staring at her, waiting for her answer. Rebecca didn't know why she was hesitating, she was always going to tell him about Adam. Wasn't she? She had to tell him, now. It would get only harder, the longer she put it off.

"I was at Maggie's," Rebecca started, licking her lips. "But I wasn't alone."

"Ok, who were you with?" Caleb pressed.

Rebecca pressed her lips together and sighed. She had to do this. Taking Caleb's arm and leading him to the couch, Rebecca sat down and he sat down next to her. Rebecca turned towards him. "I'll tell you, but you have to promise you won't get mad," she said.

"Well, I can't really promise that, especially when you're acting so weird," Caleb replied. "Just tell me who it was."

"Well, you were right about the phone call. I lied, it wasn't Lou who called me, it was someone else," Rebecca explained. "It was Adam." She quickly squeezed Caleb's arm when it looked he was going to get up and say something. He stayed sitting and silent for now, but Rebecca didn't know how long that would last, so she rushed on. "He had called me earlier and asked if I could meet him somewhere. I was caught completely off-guard by the call, but I had told him I didn't want to see him. Adam kept saying how he just wanted to talk, and, I don't know, I suddenly thought that he could come by the apartment and stir up trouble. I didn't want that, so I went."

"So, what did he want?" Caleb asked, and Rebecca could see that he was trying to stay calm and rational for her sake.

"He apologized for everything that he had done and he said how he'd gotten his life together..." Rebecca paused unsure if she should continued, but, in the end, she did. "And, he wants to see AJ."

"You said no, right," Caleb said. "Please tell me you said no."

"I told him that he could meet AJ, but then we'll talk about what comes next," Rebecca answered.

"Are you crazy?!" Caleb exclaimed, standing up. "You're just going to let that guy back into your life? After everything he's done?"

"It's not that simple," Rebecca replied. "Adam is AJ's biological father. He has the right to see his son."

"As far as I'm concerned, he gave up that right, the second he left the two of you at the hospital," Caleb said angrily. He paced from the couch to the sliding door and back again.

"Well, fortunately, it's not your decision to make, it's mine," Rebecca told him, feeling like she not only had to defend her own actions, but Adam as well.

Caleb was silent for a long moment, but when he finally did speak, his voice was low. "Do you still love him?" he asked her.

The question came as a complete surprise to Rebecca that she actually opened and closed her mouth a few times, unsure of what to say. Did she still love Adam? They had been really serious before he had started drinking, planning their future together, including marriage. Then, in only a matter of weeks, all that was taken away from her with no warning or explanation. It would make sense that she would still feel something for Adam, but love? Rebecca didn't know.

"I think I just got my answer," Caleb said, turning away, he started walking to the door.

Rebecca realized her mistake immediately and jumped up from the couch. She hurried and blocked his path to the door. "Whoa, wait a minute," she replied. "I'm with you, Caleb. I love you. Adam is my past, that's all he is."

"Are sure about that?" Caleb asked her. "Then, why would you meet with him behind my back and lie to me about it? That doesn't tell me it's over between the two of you, it's actually the exact opposite."

"You don't understand!" Rebecca covered her face with her hands. She could feel herself losing control and was on the verge of tears. She didn't know what she could say to keep Caleb from leaving.

"Then help me to," Caleb said. "Why are you letting back into you life, your son's life? You're giving him the benefit of the doubt, after everything he's done, without any proof that he's stable now. How do you even know that he's really changed?"

"Because you're right!" Rebecca burst out, uncovering her face. "I still love Adam."

Tight-lipped and jaw clenched, Caleb didn't say anything.

"I never stopped," Rebecca continued, willing her voice to stay steady until she finished. "The drinking and then Adam leaving only pushed those feelings aside. I thought he was gone, so I moved on. But then, I saw him again, today at the diner. It was like I was seeing the boy I grew up with, the man I fell in love with. I wanted so much to believe everything he was telling me, but I stayed rational, for AJ, because, in the back of my mind, that voice kept telling me that Adam would hurt us again. I am trying to be strong for AJ, but I can feel myself slipping when I think of everything that I had ever wanted in the past is right there in front of me." As she finished, Rebecca realized that two tears had escaped and were sliding slowly down her face.

Caleb had been silent throughout her whole speech, but now Rebecca could see the sadness and hurt on his face. "Then, there is only one question left," he said quietly. "What am I still doing here?" Caleb made to move past her, but Rebecca stepped into his path again, her back slamming up against the door.

"No, wait!" Rebecca stopped him, regretting now her whole confession. "That doesn't mean I don't love you, because I do. I love you. After Adam left, I was a mess, there were times I just wanted to give up and not have to deal with anything. But you stayed with me, through all those long nights and convinced me that I could be a good mother to AJ and have a good life. You put me back together again and I am so grateful for everything you've done, for loving me and my son. AJ loves you and I'll hate for him to lose you. So, please stay, we can talk about this."

Caleb shook his head, and Rebecca could see how much she was hurting him. "I'm sorry, Becky," Caleb replied and Rebecca closed her eyes as more tears fell. "I've been in this position before and I told myself that I would not let that happen again." Caleb reached out and touched her cheek. She put her hand over top his. It looked like he was about to lean in and kiss her, but at the last second he pulled back. Then, there was a click and the door jerked open against her. She stepped away from the opened door and looked at Caleb.

"Goodbye, Rebecca," he whispered. Then, before Rebecca could stop him, Caleb slipped out the door and closed it shut behind him. Rebecca leaned against the now-closed door, covering her face with her hands and let out the huge sob she'd been holding back. AJ's playful voice floated to her from his room down the hall and Rebecca wondered if she had just ruined both their lives?

~OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~

Caleb was torn; a part of him wanted to turn the truck around and head back to Rebecca's apartment, to tell her that he would stay with her and help her through this situation. But the other part of him, the rational part, knew better. He remembered how he felt after Ashley left him and he didn't what to take the chance of it happening again. He had grown too close to both Rebecca and her little boy to just leave, but if he didn't get out now then he would just be setting himself up for an even worse heartbreak. No, this was the right thing for him.

Stepping more on the gas pedal, the truck picked up more speed. Caleb needed to get home to his trailer, he needed to get off this street, so that he would stop thinking of her. No good came of thinking about her. Rebecca had told him herself that she still loved Adam, they have a son together, why shouldn't they become a family? Because, Adam was only going to end up hurting her again, the same way he did two years ago. Only this time, it won't only be her, AJ would get hurt too. Caleb shook his head, he couldn't think about that.

Movement on the sidewalk on his left caught his eye, and when he glanced over, Caleb almost couldn't believe it. Adam was walking out of a grocery store, a plastic bag in hand, toward a beat-up, old car parked on the side of the street. There was no doubt in Caleb's mind that was the guy who had beat up both Amy and Rebecca two years ago, and then left the latter alone to raise a newborn. Just seeing the guy filled him with a rage with only one possible way to let it out.

Before he even realized what he was doing, Caleb pulled the truck over to the side of the road and jumped out. He crossed the street in five large strides and hurried to catch up to Adam. He had just unlocked his car door and tossed the plastic bag onto the passenger seat by the time Caleb caught up to him. The street was empty except for the two of them, but Caleb didn't want to waste any time, in case someone did come out from one the buildings or pass by in a car. Caleb reached out and grabbed Adam by the back of his jacket collar and spun him around. Adam gave a small yelp of surprise as he was almost yanked off his feet.

Caleb didn't waste any time on pleasantries, instead he pulled back his fist and punched Adam right in the face. Adam flew back against the car and looked at Caleb in shock, clutching his face. It took a minute for it to register in Adam's eyes, but once it did, Caleb was sure that he remembered who he was.

"If you love Rebecca like you say you do, then you'll leave, before you hurt her again," Caleb told him. Not waiting for a response, Caleb turned on his heel and started walking back up the sidewalk. He didn't get very far, though, when Adam did speak up.

"He's my son, I want to make things right!" Adam called.

Caleb stopped short and turned slowly around to face him again. There was only one thing he could say. "No, he's not."

~OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~

Later that night, Rebecca tucked AJ into his new toddler bed and lay down beside him. So far, AJ didn't show any objections about sleeping in a bed by himself, but Rebecca had gone all the way to make the getting-ready-for-bed routine as fun as possible. There was the twenty-minute long bath, where AJ was a pirate captain and Rebecca was the evil octopus guarding the treasure. Then after AJ was dressed in his favorite frog jammies, they had his favorite cookies, chocolate chip, and milk in the kitchen. Now, the two-year-old was finally showing signs that he was sleepy as they lay watching the Disney/Pixar movie, A Bug's Life.

Rebecca looked down at her son as he lay still and quiet as he often does whenever he watches TV or a movie. One hand clutched his blue, goldfish blanket and the other one was behind his head. His thick, dark hair framed his small head like a halo and his brown eyes absorbed the movie. Rebecca wasn't sure exactly how of much of the movie AJ actually understood, but he laughed at the parts he thought were funny, like when the line of ants panicked over a leaf falling in their path.

"So, do you like your new house?" Rebecca asked him, after he finished one of his laughing fits. AJ nodded, his eyes still glued on the television. "What's your favorite thing about it?"

"My new room!" AJ exclaimed, throwing his arms up and smiling.

"You do?!" Rebecca feigned surprise. "Good, because I made it just the way I hoped you'd like it." AJ had turned his attention back to the movie and Rebecca glanced at it quickly, before adding, "I love you, baby."

"Love you, mommy," AJ said, looking up at her. Rebecca kissed the top of his head and settled herself down on the small bed to watch the movie until the little boy fell asleep.

It was a few minutes later, when Rebecca's eyes were starting to get heavy with sleep, she felt a small tap on her arm and then, AJ's voice. "Mommy?" he was saying.

Rebecca opened her eyes and saw him looking at her. "Yes, baby?" she asked him, yawning.

"Daddy coming?" AJ asked.

That woke Rebecca up completely. She sat up, causing AJ to follow suit as he continued to look at her. Rebecca didn't know what to say. AJ had never referred to anyone as daddy before, and he certainly didn't know about Adam. He must have learned it from listening to Lily and Jackson say it all the time. But this was the first she'd ever heard him say the word.

"Do you mean Caleb?" Rebecca asked him, to be sure. AJ nodded, looking at her expectantly. She pushed his hair back out of his eyes, hating to disappoint him. "No, not tonight."

AJ's face fell for a second, but then perked back up when he asked, " 'morrow?"

To be honest, Rebecca didn't know when or if AJ would see Caleb again, and it was all her fault. "I don't know, baby," she finally said. "I don't know."


A/N: I'm sorry this chapter took so long to post, but I hope it was worth the wait, because this chapter was a pain in the butt to write. I know, there hasn't been any Tamy in the last two chapters, but don't worry, the next chapter will be Tamy filled. So review, if you would like more Tamy and let me know what you thought about this chapter as well. :)