A/N - JE owns everything you recognize.

No Beta- mistakes are my own.

Posting schedule might be slowing down, I actually may have found a job! Thanks for the love and support, esp for a Lester story! =)

Chapter 29

Keira's POV

I felt like someone socked me in my already very sore stomach when I saw Mark in the RangeMan conference room. I couldn't breathe when his eyes met mine from across the room. When Mark said the word "fiancé" I could feel the tension vibrating off Lester. I wanted to throw my arms around him and tell him that I'm sorry. I should've told him. When I glanced at his face, I saw the hurt and betrayal written all over it. I felt my eyes fill up with tears; I blinked them quickly away as the partners left Mark and me alone.

We argued, threw accusations at each other and yet he kept fighting for us to be together. He doesn't love me. He hasn't in years. He feels guilty, disgustingly guilty. We got engaged a year and a half into dating and I was diagnosed about six months after that. He kissed my lips, held my hand and whispered promises and reassurances in my ear. But our wedding got postponed…indefinitely.

At first, I thought it was a good idea to postpone the wedding until we adjusted to my diagnosis, I never thought that we wouldn't adjust. Mark became more distant with each hospital stay; he was frustrated with me for being ill and mad at himself for feeling frustrated. It was a nasty and vicious cycle.

When Stephanie's sonogram slid out onto the table and I saw Mark's face, I knew it was my moment. I didn't just want to hit the final nail into the coffin, I wanted to light the coffin on fire and burn it to the ground. He couldn't handle the guilt he carried, not just about his cheating, but about how he couldn't handle being with someone chronically ill. He asked me to marry him and right before we said the words "for better or worse, sickness and in health" we got hit with "the worse" and "sickness" aspects and he couldn't deal.

I gave him the one gift that I could. I let him hate me. He got to be the victim, the man whose fiancé left him without so much as a note and then got pregnant by someone else. I saw the hand coming when Mark was about to slap me. Bobby taught me how to block that kind of strike a long time ago. I could've, so easily, but I let him slap me. I felt like it was a fitting end to our relationship.

When Mark left, I was overwhelmed by my emotions. I leaned up against the closed door and a loud sob escaped me. I slapped my hands over my mouth to silence my weeping. My legs could no longer support my weight and I fell to the floor. I don't remember the last time I cried but I couldn't control myself now. I cried for the loss of Mark and the good relationship we once had, I cried for the loss of my life that I loved so much in Washington, I cried for the months that I lost locked in my apartment unable to eat, I cried for the loss of Lester, I hated how much I loved him. I cried for the years I've lost being sick, I cried for the future I could've had if I wasn't sick, I could be married, with children, and had gotten my MBA by now, I cried for the lost years in my twenties that I'd never get back and mostly I cried because it was all just so damn sad.

And then I cried harder for feeling pathetic.

Lester's POV

Bobby released me and I just stared at his computer screen. Keira was collapsed on the conference room floor sobbing silently.

"Go to her. If you love her, now is the time she needs you," Bobby said.

My heart was breaking watching her pain. But was she crying over him? Did she really love him and I was just his replacement?

"What happens if she loves him?" I asked quietly.

"She just told this guy she was pregnant by another guy, I'd say she really wanted to end it with him. He just fucking slapped her for fuck sakes! You really think that they're in love? You said you would always be there for her, time to sack up," he said.

I wanted to kill Mark for laying a hand on her. I could never slap Keira, no matter how bad she hurt me. I wanted to chase after him and break that hand he used to hit her. But right now, she needed me more.

I took a breath, pulled myself together and took off to the conference room. The door was locked so I pulled out my lock pick and popped it. I slowly opened the door.

Keira was quickly trying to wipe her eyes. "Sorry, I just dropped something," she said awkwardly as she scrambled to her feet. Her eyes were red and her face was splotchy.

"No, you didn't" I said quietly.

I walked slowly towards her and gently pulled her into my arms. I felt her body wrack with sobs once again. I began softly whispering to her in Spanish as I held her tight. I told her that I had her and she could let go. I told her I loved her and I would always be there for her.

Her sobs quieted and she was hiding her face against my chest. "I'm sorry. I'm so embarrassed," she said.

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about," I said as I kissed her hair.

"I should've told you. I can't tell you how sorry I am," she said.

I felt a pang of guilt. I never told her about the tracker I placed in her car or how Matty set up our first meeting. She wasn't the only one keeping secrets and lying.

"We can talk about it later. Right now I want to take you back to your place and we can have some tea," I said.

She nodded.

I protectively put my arm around her and led her back to her place. She changed into pajamas while I made tea. She looked drained.

I just got her settled onto the couch when Bobby, Tank and Ranger came in.

"I'm sorry for that interruption today. It won't happen again," Keira apologized.

"We're not down here for that. We wanted to make sure you're alright," Tank said gently.

"I'm fine. Thank you. I also owe you all an explanation," she said.

"Only if you want too," Bobby said.

Keira sighed but then nodded. "Mark and I were engaged. We got engaged before I got really sick. He could never handle me being ill, it drove a wedge between us. It came to head when I was hospitalized and he was supposed to be working. He wasn't, he went out drinking with some of his coworkers and ended up sleeping with someone. When I got home from the hospital he confessed everything to me and told me that he needed some time. The plan was for him to go to his parents' beach house for two weeks and then he'd come home and we'd talk. I let him leave thinking that I agreed. As soon as he was gone, I called Warren. I knew that there was a job opening in Trenton so I told him I wanted to transfer immediately. I knew if I stayed Mark would want to get back together, not because he loved me because he felt guilty. I want to be with someone who loves me and wants to be with me, not someone who feels obligated to be with me," Keira explained.

Ranger nodded his understanding.

"I didn't leave a note and I couldn't tell my family where I was going because they think I'm making a huge mistake. I knew they would tell Mark where I was if they knew," Keira explained.

"Is that why you won't see them?" I asked.

Keira sighed and picked up her cell phone. She played a voice message then put the phone on speaker so we could all hear. A female voice came on, "Keira, I know you're angry, but honey you need to understand. It's going to be so difficult for you to find anyone given your situation. Mark wants to make this right. You were engaged before you got sick, it wouldn't be right for him to leave you and he knows that now. He screwed up, but no one is perfect. He got a lemon, and now he knows he has to deal with it. He calls every week trying to find you. Honey, we love you very much and are just worried that you'll end up being alone, you deserve to have someone taking care of you and Mark is willing to do that. Just think on it. Love you," the message ended.

Keira shut off her phone. "That was my mother and that's why I'm not ready to see them," she explained.

"Your mother actually called you a lemon? Like a broken down car?" Bobby asked incredulously.

"Oh yes. My father came up with that analogy. They believe I'm Mark's responsibility now and that I need someone to take care of me. I don't want to be anyone's obligation and I need to be able to take care of myself. It's one of the reasons I wanted a fresh start," she explained.

"Understandable," Ranger said.

"I'm glad you think so, because I'm going to need your help. All of your help," she said looking around at the four of us.

I glanced around at my partners. I know, just like me, they would do anything they could to help her.