Carly turned the blow dryer off and ran to her ringing phone on the nightstand. She scooped it up waiting for a return call from her parents. She answered without looking, "Mom!"

She wasn't expecting the voice on the other end.

"Carly." Allan was surprised she had even answered.

Her mood instantly changed as she sat down on the bed, "What do you want Allan?"

"Already with the attitude." His voice was steady but icy. "What happened to you, Carly? You went on that trip and all of a sudden you turned against me. Just like that!" he snapped.

"It wasn't just like that, Allan. It's been coming for a long time. You refuse to see me or hear me. I tried for a long time to pretend like I mattered to you, but I don't. You proved that with your final stunt."

"That's not true."

"Yes it is! As long as I say and do what you want, everything is picture perfect, but the second I need something in return from you…" she sighed, "I'm dismissed as being nagging or demanding."

"Ok, fine. We'll go see that counselor person again if that's what you want." He tried to appease her, having no intention of going, but knew it's what she wanted to hear. It was a game he played in order to get her in a position where he could manipulate her later on.

She almost laughed into the phone. "It's too late Allan."

Those words sent him into a panic. He gripped the bottle of beer in his hand. "I haven't had a drink since that day and the girl, it's over. No more lies, Carly. No more drinking. Come home to the house tomorrow after you land. We can talk about it."

"No Allan."

He paced the room, "Yes! I want you to come home so we can discuss this like adults and not over the phone."

"You mean so you can get me in the room alone with you and try to intimidate me like you always do."

"Don't push me Carly. I'm trying to be reasonable with you."

"As I am with you Allan, but as always you don't hear me. I won't take the abuse anymore."

He gritted his teeth, trying to calm the anger, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put my hands on you."

"Didn't you mean to say, I shouldn't have put my hands on you, again?"

"Why are you being so difficult?"

"I'm being difficult?" she laughed.

His patience finally reached its point. He was getting nowhere with her. "I'm tired of playing this cat and mouse game with you, Carly. I'll be at the airport tomorrow to pick you up. You'll come back to the house and we'll work this out."

She had no intentions of talking things out with him. "Why did you come back to the house the other night Allan?"

"What are you talking about?"

"See," she huffed, "you're lying already. I saw you."

"I came back to bring you home."

She narrowed her eyes, bewildered by that statement. "What? What did you think I was just going to sneak off in the middle of the night with you after what you did to me?"

"Don't be so dramatic. You were partly to blame for all that! You were trying to make me jealous of Steve from the very first day, so don't try to act like you're innocent in all this."

She closed her eyes wanting to cry. She couldn't believe she had wasted the last seven years of her life with this person. "No Allan, you were jealous of Steve before you even got there. You were jealous of Jack and Craig and Jules. You just couldn't stand that I had friends that were better than you. Because that's how it's always been. You surround yourself with people who you think are beneath you and that makes you feel powerful. You held me down in that hole with you for too long, but you know what I just realized Allan. I'm better than you too, and I'm stronger than you on so many levels. You tried to keep me beneath you, but this last two weeks opened my world back up."

"You better be careful with your words Carly," he threatened.

"Or what Allan?" she shook her head, "There's nothing you can do to me anymore because it's over."

"Don't bet on that, Carly. And it's over when I say it's over. Don't you forget that you still have to come home. To my home! This is my house and everything in it belongs to me and if you want to see any of it again you better change that tone of yours really quick!" his voiced bellowed.

"You know what Allan," she said passively, "keep it. Sell it, throw it away, hell have a fire and burn it. I don't care anymore. I'm with someone now that knows what makes me happy and…" she paused, but didn't care if it hurt him or not, "I love Steve and I'm going to Hawaii with him tomorrow. Nothing else in this world matters to me except for that. So take all my stuff. Take the house, take everything," she stood up as if she were standing her ground, "because there's nothing you can do to hurt me ever again." His silence felt like a huge victory, until he finally spoke.

"I knew you were screwing him. I should have given you enough of that medicine to get rid of you and the baby. I could have killed two birds with one dose."

She was wrong. His words were like a knife in the heart. She feeling a chill spread throughout her whole body. She felt light-headed, reaching down and bracing her hand on the bed before she sat down. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. He had actually done it to her on purpose. He admitted it as if it meant nothing that he had killed their baby. She held the phone in her lap unable to speak to him anymore, not that there was anything else to say. She never wanted to hear his voice or see his face ever again.

She sat on the bed staring out the window, feeling numb and still reeling over Allan's words that left her empty inside. She had defended him. Held him while he cried fake tears and stood by his side the entire time, never dreaming he was capable of such a heinous thing. She felt sick to her stomach thinking how hard she had tried to talk him into trying for another baby and worse yet how she had stopped taking her pill at one point to just let it happen, but it never did. Thank god, she thought. The guilt over that hit her hard. What kind of horrible father would he have been? It didn't matter that she was an innocent victim; she was the sole protector of that little life, and she had let him slip past her and do the unthinkable. It broke her heart that she had failed as a Mother, the one thing she wanted to be more than anything else. It hurt almost as much as loosing the baby. That pain in her gut returned. That horrible ache that told her something was wrong. She remembered then Allan telling her it was probably just morning sickness. If she wouldn't have listened too him and left for the hospital, maybe it could have been prevented. The guilt returned with a vengeance.

She heard their voices below and went to the window. Steve, Jack and Craig came out of the woods from their run and stopped in the yard. Craig collapsed on the ground, lying on his back. Jack bent over bracing his hands on his knees while Steve stood with his hands on his hips, smiling.

He looked around the yard and down by the dock, not seeing her. He glanced at the house and then up to the window. There she stood, and right on cue he felt his adrenalin kick in. He smiled up at her but detected right away her unhappiness as if it had become a sixth sense to him. The need to get to her was just as urgent as ever, if not more.

The second she saw him she felt tears flood her eyes. She braced her hand on the window wishing she could just fall through and land in his arms, knowing it was the safest and most comforting place she could think of.

He ran up on the deck and met Jules and Marisa as they were coming out with three glasses of water. Marissa reached one out to him but he declined.

"Did something happen while we were gone?"

The two women looked at each other. "No," Jules replied. "Why?"

"Nothing." He went past them heading for the stairs, taking them two at a time.

She wiped her fingers over her eyes and didn't see him anymore but heard footsteps on the stairs and just knew it was him. She took a deep breath to calm herself and then quickly tried to clean the rest of the tears off, but the second he entered the room and approached her, the floodgates opened and she just couldn't control it.

He came in the room not sure what to expect but the second he saw her he knew his instincts were correct. She tried to force a small smile for him but it was short-lived as her hands went to her face and the most heart wrenching sound he'd ever heard came from her.

She wrapped her arms around his body, clutching his wet T-shirt. She could feel his hands gliding down her hair over and over, trying to comfort her. "Carly, are you hurt?" he asked, fearfully.

She shook her head against him, crying softly.

He glanced around the room trying to get a clue on why she was so upset, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He didn't rush her or demand an explanation. He just held her close sensing this was more important at the moment.

He sat her down on the floor under the window, keeping an arm around her as she laid her head on his shoulder. He reached over to the chair and pulled on one of his shirts. He used it to wipe her eyes and then her nose.

"Steve?" she finally began, sniffling.

He kissed her on the hair, relieved that she was settling down. "Yes."

"Do you like kids? I mean," she sniffed still trying to fight off another wave of sadness, "I know you like to be with Gracie, Danny's daughter." She used his shirt to wipe her nose again. "But do you want kids of your own someday?"

He still had no idea what it was that had got her all upset and now this had come from complete left field, blindsiding him. He wanted her, but hadn't quite got to the part about wanting kids just yet. He hadn't expected this discussion so soon, wondering what brought it on to begin with. "What happened Carly?"

She didn't answer him. She didn't know how to say it. It would have been easy if he just said no. She loved him enough and was scared enough that she thought she just might be able to live with that.

The detective side of him kicked in and he started to piece things together and then all at once it hit him. He leaned forward so he could see her. "Carly?" She didn't look up at him. "Carly," he said nervously, "are you pregnant?" He held his breath, knowing that it wouldn't be his and the thought of that scared him to death.

That got her to look up. "No!" She saw the look on his face and got the answer to her question.

"Are you sure? You would tell me right…if you were?"

She nodded and went to stand up when he held her arm, pulling her back down.

"Will you just wait for a minute? What's wrong?"

"I think it's good that you don't want kids because I don't know if I can have them." She felt those damn relentless tears coming again but held them back.

He ran his hand over his sweaty hair, completely baffled. "What are you talking about?" he shifted so he could see her, "When did I say I didn't want kids?"

"Just now," she in turned looked at him in the same way. "I saw the look on your face and heard it in your voice."

"Jesus Carly," he pushed up off the floor. "What the hell is going on?" He walked away from her, running his hand over his hair again.

"Don't yell at me."

"I'm not yelling!" He yelled back and then put his hands up, taking a deep breath. "I come in here and you're standing there crying. Out of the blue you ask me if I want kids, and then don't even give me a chance to answer. You just start filling in the blanks for me. We're leaving tomorrow and all of a sudden it's like you're testing me."

She shook her head, still sitting on the floor. "I'm not testing you."

"Then what is it?" He felt both confused and frustrated with her

She looked down at the shirt in her hands, twisting it over and over. She started to get flustered, not sure what to say to him. She didn't want to make him angrier and didn't want to tell him about Allan now either. She was falling back into the same hole she would allow herself to go when she felt a confrontation coming on. Instead of talking she got quiet.

He blew out a breath, feeling like he was getting nowhere with her. "The silence is hard to talk to Carly."

She went to look up at him but put her head back down.

"I can't drag things out of you. I'll listen, but you have to talk to me."

Her heart was pounding a million miles a second. Even if she wanted to say something she was pretty sure nothing coherent would come out. She was angry with herself for allowing this weak side to take control of her and she hated Allan even more for encouraging it until she became this person sitting on the floor, afraid to open her mouth.

Steve sighed, squatting down in front of her, "I'm going to go take a shower. I'll be around when you're ready." He paused another couple of seconds hoping he wouldn't have to wait, but she declined his offer. He stood up and walked out of the room.

She watched him leave, feeling both relieved and angry with her herself for letting him walk away. 'Don't blow this Carly,' she thought, 'don't let Allan win.'

She pushed herself up off the floor, hearing her cell phone ring. She slowly walked toward it, almost afraid to look at it. She saw the word 'Mom' and picked it up, holding it until it went to voice mail. She had been so excited to tell her parents about she and Steve, but that excitement was gone now.

Steve walked toward his room when he ran into Marissa carrying a load of towels down the hallway.

"I heard yelling. Is everything ok?" she asked.

"We weren't yelling," he said as if it were any of her business.

"I didn't hear 'we'," she snapped back, "I heard you!"

He tilted his head, getting even more annoyed by her. "Were you eavesdropping on us?" He wasn't sure if it was her or Carly that was frustrating him the most at the moment.

She rolled her eyes, "No, I was putting away towels and the door was open. You were advertising it." She opened the hall closet, "My Dad was a Marine. He yelled at my Mom a lot. He was impatient too." She set the pile of towels on the shelf. "I also came from a bad relationship before I met Craig. Yelling can be very intimidating even when you don't mean it to be." She closed the closet and looked at him. "It can make you shut down."

She had probably said two words to him the entire week, to anyone one of them for that matter, and now here she was giving him advice. "Carly knows that I would never hurt her Marissa."

"I know, but when you come from something like she did, it's hard to trust again, no matter how bad you want it, it's still very hard to get there."

"Thanks for the advice but I think I know what I'm doing."

She huffed, "Oh yea, I forgot," she looked up at him as if he was partly to blame. "We're not all as perfect as Marines. Civilians have to work at it."

He went to correct her for labeling him in the wrong branch of the armed forces but just let it go, shaking his head at her.

"I'm not trying to interfere in your relationship with Carly. I'm just trying to tell you what I see."

"Really, and you got all that from what you just heard?"

She turned and walked away. "Never mind, you're right," she said sarcastically, "Carly seems so happy right now. What do I know anyway? Dumb blond, right?"

He stared at her as she walked off. Her sarcasm pissed him off but after his conversation with Jules earlier in the week, he had to admit that maybe Marissa had a point and knew something he didn't. She was a woman after all and lately his head was either spinning because of the one he was in love with or he felt like he was being slapped up side the head by the other two in the house. Why should this encounter be any different?

He looked over toward Carly's room and thought that maybe his way wasn't the best way to go. He hated what he was about to do, but suddenly felt it was his best option.

"Hey, hold on."

She was almost down the stairs and stopped, slowly turning around, dripping with sarcasm. "Yes."

He came down, standing two steps away. "What a…" he sighed heavily. "What do you think I should do? I mean, if you were Carly in this position. What would you want from me?"

She crossed her arms; "Don't raise your voice at her anymore. That's for sure."

He shook his head, "I won't."

"At least not until she knows there really isn't going to be any kind of slap or harsh punishment following it."

"I would never do…"

"Yes, I know you wouldn't," she interrupted him. "And she probably believes you but whether you like it or not it's in the back of her mind. Look at it this way. She probably never thought the other guy was capable of it either."

That simple statement was profound to him. At one point she loved Allan and trusted him too. It really pissed him off that he had to pay for that prick's fucked up head. He ran his hands down his face. "Patience right?"

She nodded. "And don't push..."

"Hey," he defended, "I don't push…"

"Are you going to listen or argue over every word I say?"

He held his hands up, "Sorry," and then motioned for her to continue.

"I was going to say. Don't push her because that can just make her even more flustered."

He nodded like he knew exactly what was expected of him. "More patience right?"

"You're a quick leaner."

He had to admit it was good advice. He stood waiting for more as she stared at him, her expression becoming confused.

"What?" he asked.

"Why are you still standing here?" She said it as if the quick learner compliment she had just given him flew right out the window.

"Should I go back to her right now?"

Marissa threw her arms up in the air. "Oh my God. Yes!" She shook her head, sighing loudly. "I don't know how you ever made it as a Marine."

Steve glared at her, "Navy! I was in the Navy!"

She rolled her eyes, "Same thing." She turned and headed down the stairs leaving him speechless.

He pretended to growl at her behind her back, thinking that Craig deserved a medal for the patients he must have for her. But he couldn't deny that she gave him stellar advice, for that he was deeply appreciative of her.

Carly sat on the bed still holding the phone and the T-shirt. She looked over when she saw him come in. He didn't say anything right away, but acknowledged her with a gentle smile.

She blinked a couple of times, not sure of his demeanor.

He kept the same relaxed grin on his face. "When I was out running I saw this really pretty spot on the lake. I was thinking I'd like to take you there and show you." He held his hand out to her.

She stared up at the tender look in his eyes. Gone too was the irritated sound in his voice. She nodded still a little bewildered by him. "Ok," she replied quietly, setting down the items in her lap on the bed. She took his hand and followed him out of the room.

They came out the backdoor and met the other four sitting on the loungers. Steve focused on Marissa, giving her a smile of appreciation as he squeezed Carly's hand.

"We'll be back in a little while," he said to them.

"Going on a nature walk?" Jack teased.

Carly looked over her shoulder smiling, "He wants to show me something."

"Yea I bet he does!" Craig laughed.

Marissa reached over smacking him softly on the leg. "Let them be. He's making amends."

He looked over at her surprised as if she knew something he didn't. "Amends? They've been like rabbits all week when would they have time to fight."

She sat back putting her dark sunglasses on. "Not a fight, just a misunderstanding. Steve and I talked and he knows what to do now." She closed her eyes unaware of the sudden surprised glances between the other three.

Carly looked down at his hand as they walked. He'd touched her on just about every spot on her body, but there was something about the way he held her hand that really felt satisfying. Their fingers clasped around each other and she followed slightly behind him down the path by the lake.

She didn't know how far they were going but hoped it wasn't too close. She liked the feel of this.

They came around a bend and the lake opened up with the mountains in the background reflecting off the smooth surface of the water. There wasn't a single boat on the lake and everything was silent except for the gentle lapping of the waves on the shore.

He stopped, facing the view and looked back at her. "What do you think?"

She stood next to him admiring the same vision that almost looked unreal it was so beautiful. "Thank you for bringing me here."

He smiled over at her. "You're welcome."

"And I don't mean just for the view. Thank you for coming back for me."

He turned and faced her, "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

She kissed him letting him know it was forgotten. She put a hand on his chest, "I'm sorry too."

"I shouldn't have pushed you." He put his hands on her arms, caressing them, "I know better now."

"I just got flustered and…"

"It's ok. I understand. I do." He put his arms around her. "You take all the time you need Carly. I'm not going anywhere, and I'll never walk out on you again. I promise." He leaned back so he could see her. "And for the record. I do want kids. I want kids with you. I think you'd be an incredible mother."

She didn't know what had happened in those few moments when he left the room but he came back suddenly knowing exactly what she needed to hear. "I have to tell you something."

He nodded as if letting her know she had his full attention.

"I had a really bad miscarriage about six years ago and I'm not sure if I can get pregnant again."

"Did the doctors tell you that?" Already knowing all about it.

"No, but at one point I stopped taking the pill for about six months and it never happened. I'm glad now that it didn't but still." She didn't want to tell him about Allan's confession just yet. "So I'm afraid it might not happen and if you want children then maybe we should discuss that before we leave tomorrow."

He lifted her chin up so he could see her face. "Thank you for being honest with me about this." His hand moved around her neck and he stepped closer to her. "Now I'm going to be honest with you. I love you. I want to be with you. If children are in our future then we'll make it happen one way or another. I'm not going to let that come between us." He kissed her and then smiled devilishly, "Besides, Allan's boys are nothing compared to mine. I'll get you pregnant, or we'll die happy trying."

She started to laugh and hugged him. "I love you."

He felt the mood lighten. "Ok, so we've got all the relationship bases covered now right?" He used his fingers to count each one off. "Love, Marriage, Kids, communication and our first fight. Am I missing anything?"

She put her arms around his neck, "You missed the best one. Sex."

He shook his head, "Oh no, that was never an issue that needed to be discussed. I think we do pretty damn good in that department."

"I read that in Hawaii the smell of the flowers alone is like an aphrodisiac."

"That's true, but I really don't think we're going to need any outside stimulants to get our fire going. Just the thought of you in my bed is an aphrodisiac."

She wanted to tell him about Allan but decided to wait. He was her past now, and Steve was her future. His threats meant nothing to her. She felt confident that she was out of his reach forever. "I can't wait to get there tomorrow."

"Me too." He hugged her tightly, "me too." He hadn't been this excited about anything in a long time. It was like a new chapter in life that he wasn't sure would ever be written, but here he was. Life in paradise was going to take on a whole new meaning.