Songs I listened to while writing this chapter:

Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Backstreet Boys

Turn Away by Beck

So Far by Olafur Arnalds ft. Arnor Dan

Some angsty, angsty stuff in here...sorry!

The Next Night

"Oh, man," Tyler was saying as he sipped his beer and looked around the bar. "My brother can be a real wanker sometimes."

Emily wasn't fully listening. She was wondering how to slip into the conversation that she wasn't interested in dating him. Tyler barely took a moment to breathe, and when he got drinking, it doubled. She started thinking about Lee whether she wanted to or not. She knew it could be tricky to not see him since he'd be coming in to see Jane to plan his wedding, but she knew she could hide when he was there, and Lacy was supposed to take over after all. Jane had told her that. Once that happened, Emily was counting on not seeing Lee again.

"I mean, it's one thing that he rubs it in my face how much better he is, but he always got the best pick of the ladies, you know? Then he'd get pissed if they showed more interest in me than him."

He had Emily's attention now, and she stared at him. He had no idea how his own brother operated. She almost wished Erica was there so she could set them up to have a miserable life together.

"Lacy doesn't seem to be interested in you," she pointed out.

"Not yet," he laughed, winking at her as he took another swig. Emily bit down on her tongue to stop from yelling at him. Instead, she grabbed her purse and slid off her chair, walking away She didn't make it very far.

"Oye!" he shouted, chasing after her. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" she repeated. "What's wrong?! I can't listen to you bash your brother like that. It's disgusting."

"Why? You got the hots for him or something?"

"No, but I respect him as a human being, and I won't tolerate listening to this garbage. It's safe to say we're done here, Tyler," Emily said, backing away and leaving again. He didn't follow her this time. She went out into the night air and exhaled roughly, trying not to feel emotional. She could still see Lee's pleading face when he asked her to not date his brother. She knew she'd feel the same way if he went out with Erica.

She missed Lee. She had refrained texting him, even after he'd written her that morning. She just couldn't do it. She couldn't stay friends with him, not after recognizing what it was doing to her. She had to let him go.

And let him go she would.

Two Days Later

Nigel found Emily sitting on the floor of her office with one leg pulled up and the other stretched out. She looked exhausted.

"What's up, love?" he asked, sitting down next to her. He knew things had been a little tense since Lacy had caught Lee and Emily dancing at the Yang wedding, and then Mel dying made it all worse. Then Lee had quit, and he knew they weren't talking until last night. He assumed they were back to not talking again. She made it obvious that she hid whenever Lee did come into the office, which wasn't often these days.

"I'm just tired," Emily answered.

"I know there's more to it, but I'll let it slide," Nigel said, patting her knee. They could hear the sounds of Andy and Jane fussing over something cute in the boardroom. He reflected on how Lee had stopped self-defense classes and felt sad that he was no longer working with them.

"Come on," Nigel said, getting up and pulling her with him. "Let's go see what's so damn cute in there." She resisted at first but eventually caved. They walked together and found Lee with four kittens in his arms. Nigel felt Emily stiffen beside him. Lee didn't see them as he laughed and grinned while the kittens climbed all over him. Jane reached to snag one before it jumped off his shoulder.

"I want this one," Jane said, stroking its fur lovingly. It mewed.

Then Lee caught sight of Emily, and he froze slightly. Nigel moved to stand next to Andy, who was watching almost nervously. Jane hovered in the background, watching too.

"Hey," Lee said to Emily.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I was with Jane. Lacy is taking over full time after today. I...I just...wanted to say goodbye," he replied, gesturing to the cats. Nigel was almost holding his breath. Would they tell each other how they really felt? Because it was so blatantly obvious in this room watching the two of them. It was all Nigel could do not to smack the both of them.

Emily just nodded and turned to leave. Nigel watched Lee's face when she went out the door, and he refrained from groaning.

"Lee," Jane started, reading Nigel's mind. She missed Nigel's sharp look.

"I should go," Lee said, setting the kittens down one by one at Soapy's feet. He reached to rub her head fondly before standing up and straightening his coat. "Thanks for everything, guys."

"Don't be a stranger," Nigel said, making Lee look at him.

"I'll do my best."

The three of them watched him leave next. Then they looked at each other.

It really sucked that their friends were being complete idiots.

Christmas

"So where's the hot lover?" Erica asked when they were doing dishes together. Their mother, Lois, was wiping down the table. Emily saw her pause to listen. She gritted her teeth, hating her sister all over again. She'd been fooled by the cold shoulder all day and evening into thinking she could escape some form of embarrassment in front of her parents.

"He's with his family," she answered, not looking at Erica.

"It was fake," Erica corrected. "I'm not stupid, Emily. Please." She scoffed. "And to think you could actually land a guy that handsome. Don't make me laugh."

"Erica," their mother warned.

"What? It's true. Emily has always been jealous of me, so she invents a fake boyfriend to try and make me feel like shit. I mean, come on. It's the lamest thing she's ever done, and you never give her crap for stuff like this."

"Stuff like what?" Emily asked, glaring at Erica. "I don't do anything! You're the one with the remarks and digs at me."

"See? Now she's lying," Erica said, looking at their mother.

"Emily, be honest," Lois said on cue.

"Oh my God," Emily laughed. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"I don't blame Lee for taking pity on you. You're such a lost cause that even I would throw you a bone just to not feel bad about your pathetic life."

Emily didn't even hesitate. She pulled out the soaking wet dish rag from the sink and whipped it across her sister's face. The resounding slap and scream was so worth it. Their mother ran to console Erica, who was still screaming and wailing about being assaulted. Emily stormed out of the room, pushing past her father, Jack, who had come to see what the commotion was about. She grabbed her coat and purse and went out the door. She started walking, not caring that she was in heels and not caring that it was cold.

She started to cry about five blocks later. Her sister always got away with being a bitch. Emily didn't understand why. She rested her hand on her phone in her pocket. The person she wanted to talk to the most was the same one who'd hurt her by being an idiot. She wiped at her face with her sleeve before managing to get a cab. She went home and changed into her pajamas, curling up on the couch under a blanket. She did her very best to not think about Lee.

...

Lee was out walking. It was late; Lacy was sleeping. They'd had a good day together. Tyler had been sulking over Emily dumping him, but Lee hadn't felt the slightest bit sorry. He could breathe easier knowing that Emily wasn't going to be sleeping with his brother.

He sat down on a park bench and folded his hands on his knees. He thought about his mother. Christmas had been her favorite holiday. Lee didn't like celebrating it much because of that; it made him miss her, but it was also why he'd picked "Christmas" to be his fake last name. He carried her around with him every day. His heart ached as he thought about what she'd think of his life now. He'd promised her he'd look after Tyler and to keep himself safe. He'd done one of the two.

He heard giggling and turned his head to see Andrea and a guy walking with their heads together. Then they were suddenly standing in front of each other, and he kissed her. Lee turned his head away to give them privacy, but he was smiling. He was glad Andy was happy. He hadn't talked to her as much, but she always seemed like a nice person.

"Oh, Lee," Andy said, catching sight of him and looking embarrassed.

"Hey," he said.

"Um, this is Kyle," she said, gesturing to the man, who lifted a hand in greeting.

"Nice to meet you," Kyle commented.

"You too."

"We spent the day together since our families both live far away."

"That's nice."

"Everything okay?" Andy asked Lee. He bowed his head in a nod.

"Everything is just fine."

"Listen, I really am sorry about the whole Tyler incident. I got her out of there as fast as I could..."

"It's fine," Lee said, interrupting. "Emily is a grown woman who is capable of making her own decisions."

"I just wanted you to know that I was looking out for her. I think she would have ended up in another Scott scenario, you know? It scared me to see her heading in that direction again so easily."

"She's hurting," Lee said. "We do stupid shit when we're hurt."

"Don't I know it," Kyle chuckled. Andy shot him a look with a raised brow. "Oh, don't worry. You'll hear all about my tramp stamp."

"Oh no," Andy said, starting to laugh.

"Have a good night, guys," Lee said, and Andy took the hint. She smiled and nodded before taking Kyle's hand again and walked away with him. Lee watched them go, feeling an ache inside at how content the two of them looked with each other. Then he rested his head on his hands and closed his eyes before pulling out his phone. He hovered over the keys, wondering if he was crazy. Then he did it anyway.

Merry Christmas, Em, he wrote. He sent it. He waited. He got nothing in return. He sighed, knowing she wasn't going to answer him. Their friendship was over. He'd officially killed it with his own stupidity.

He sat on that bench long after snow started falling again. He'd never felt more alone.

...

Lacy sipped her water as Tyler shuffled to join her in the kitchen. His hair was sticking up from his pillow. It was the only night he stayed on their couch, claiming it completed Christmas after being with them all day.

"I'm sorry you got the couch," she apologized.

"Eh, it's fine," he said, waving his hand. He leaned on the counter and took her all in. Lacy was well aware that she was in a silk nightgown. She was also aware that Lee had left ten minutes earlier for his late night walk. He did that a lot lately. She wondered if he was going to see Emily, but he always just smelled of the outdoors when he returned, and he always looked sad. She tried not to think that he was sad about Emily.

"Going home soon?" she asked.

"New Year's Day. Gonna hang out with my mates before going back to work. I got an extra few days off in January."

"That's fun."

"So, what's a girl like you doing with someone like my brother?" Tyler asked, tilting his head at her.

"What do you mean?"

"You look like a good time girl," he said with a shrug. "I know Lee is more of the monogamous type."

"So am I," Lacy said hotly. He snorted.

"Sure. Then explain to me why I've been picking up vibes from you since I've been here?"

"What are you talking about?" Lacy asked, feeling her cheeks go hot. So he had noticed. It wasn't her fault. He was incredibly attractive. He was like Lee but with more hair and a bit skinner, less buff but still muscular. He was also taller.

"Please," Tyler scoffed, going closer to her. "You're very easy to read."

"Clearly not because Lee never noticed."

"He's blind with grief," Tyler replied. "My brother is running away from pain, and you're helping him do it. He doesn't see it because he desperately wants to have something normal that's gonna bring him back to reality. What happens when he wakes up one day and dumps you? You deserve better than that."

Lacy blinked at him. Was that all she was to Lee? Did he even love her? Was that why he had a thing for Emily? This realization was making her feel different emotions. Tyler reached out to touch her face gently, and she looked into his eyes.

"Come on, luv," he said with a smile. "Don't pretend like you don't want it."

She smiled back.

...

Emily found herself at the office. She couldn't sleep anyway. She was trying not to respond to Lee's text. Instead, she sat down with the Dawson's wedding file and made herself cry at remembering everything about it. She heard the mewing and bent down to pick up her favorite kitten. He was orange and white striped, and he liked her the most. She called him Tigger.

"Hi, baby," she whispered, kissing Tigger's head softly. "I missed you." She rubbed his head gently. "I know I said I didn't want a cat, but you've grown on me. Maybe I'll take you home after all." Tigger mewed again, and Emily held him against her chest as she tried not to think about Lee holding all four of the wriggling kittens with that smile on his face. She wiped at the tear sliding down her cheek.

"It's all gonna be alright," she said out loud, more for herself than for Tigger. Now if only she'd believe it.

February 2013

Two months. It had been nearly two months since Emily had seen Lee. It was made easy when he no longer came to see Jane, and Lacy did most of her dealings with her over the phone. She'd done her best to pick up the pieces and move on. Lee was going to marry the wrong girl, and that was his choice. There was nothing she could do about it. Jane, Andy, and even Nigel kept giving her sad looks at the office, but they had long stopped trying to talk about it. Instead, she would mention Jane's pregnancy, which was an exciting miracle, and they ran with it and stopped paying attention to her.

Ever since Christmas, her mother tried making her apologize to her sister, but she refused. Erica wasn't speaking to her, which she didn't care about. New Year's Eve had been lonely, but Nigel had shown up at her door with a bottle of wine. She'd been grateful that he hadn't brought anything up, but he had told her one thing. He'd told her that Lee looked miserable the last time he'd seen him.

What was she supposed to do with that information? He was the one making himself miserable! Emily was not going to wait for him to wake up and realize he didn't need to punish himself by being with the wrong person.

He'd texted her a few times in the beginning but she hadn't answered. She ignored his calls. He had the sense to not show up at her apartment, though, which had been a blessing.

Now, she was reclining on her couch and watching a sappy movie. She was trying not to think about anything. It was just better that way.

...

Lee was picking up on something wrong with Lacy. They'd spent more time together after the holidays, and Christmas had been a good day aside from his sad feelings about his mother. Even his brother had been on good behavior.

Tyler left to go back to England on New Year's Day, so Lee had some small comfort knowing he wasn't going to be seeing Emily again by "accident," which he knew his brother liked to do. He just hoped they weren't still communicating. He knew Lacy had picked up on him being distressed about Emily and his brother. He knew it had her on red alert that he had feelings for Emily, and he couldn't say he didn't because he was realizing that he did. He had no idea what to do about any of it, though. Emily, it seemed, was done with him. It was over.

"What's wrong?" he asked her after she started fidgeting with her fingers in her lap again. She looked at him, and he could see it in her eyes.

Not again.

His heart crashed. She wouldn't have done it again, would she?

"Lacy," he prompted.

"I have to tell you something," she blurted at the same time.

The sentence after those words never ended well, and that unlucky streak was continuing in Lee's life. He braced himself as he looked at Lacy. She was wringing her hands. She looked guilty.

He'd so badly wanted to be wrong about all her late nights, her work trips...

"What did you do?" he demanded.

"I didn't do it this time," she replied quickly. "He came on to me, and I said no..."

"Who?!"

"A guy from work."

"What's his name?"

"It doesn't matter. He's gone now..."

"I can't believe you, Lace," Lee said angrily. "You promised me this was over. Promised me!"

"And it is! I didn't initiate it! He did!"

"But you still went along with it," Lee fumed.

"No, I..." Lacy tried, but he was already storming out the door. "Lee!" She ran after him. "Lee, wait!"

"Stay away from me," he ordered, pointing a finger at her.

"Please don't drive angry," she begged. He stopped and looked at her again.

"Then you should not have slept with someone else," he replied.

"Lee!"

He left her behind in seconds. He was furious. He could hear her crying in the distance. He didn't care. Let her worry about him. He knew where he was going. He started to drive, feeling that blind rage pulsing in around his ears and skull. He didn't know why this kept happening to him. What was he doing wrong? Was he that easy to forget? Was he that stupid to hope that the person he loved wouldn't hurt him like this again? Did he even love her? His heart was crashing around in his chest the closer he got to his destination. He was just going to talk, that was all. He needed a friend to talk to.

He needed her.

When Emily pulled open her door, she said his name, surprised. She was in a black, sloppy long sleeve shirt and grey sweatpants, her hair a mess around her face, and she looked like the most beautiful woman in the world to him. All of his feelings for her hit him in a rush despite his best efforts to keep them at bay, and his hurt for what Lacy had done pushed them over the edge. He didn't say a word as he grabbed her face and kissed her with everything he had. All his longing and missing her poured out of him. She was taken aback at first, but then she was kissing him back just as fiercely. He moved inside; she closed the door. He kissed her as he kicked off his boots and she pulled off his coat. He kissed her as they moved slowly towards her bedroom. He pushed her against the wall halfway down the hall, just wanting to be close to her, to feel her against him. She slid her hands up his skin under his shirt, eliciting a groan from him. He kissed her face, her neck, her jaw, and her mouth, reveling in the sounds she made in return. He ran his fingers along her skin where her shirt had ridden up.

It was only when he had her underneath him on her bed with her legs wrapped around him that he realized what he was doing.

"Lee?" she asked when he stopped. He was shaking, breathing hard. His rage had been replaced with intense attraction for Emily in this moment. She was looking up at him, waiting for him to keep going.

"I can't," he said. He untangled himself from her and moved off to sit on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. He felt her sit up after a moment and move to sit beside him.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"I'm no better than her," he answered. "I shouldn't have done this."

"I don't understand..."

"I let my anger take over, and I almost did something that not only would have hurt Lacy but also you, and that's what I can't stand. I can't stand the idea of you ever getting hurt, and I'll be damned if I'm the person to do that to you."

She said nothing as they continued to look at each other. Lee had wanted to kiss her again for so long that it felt surreal he had been less than five minutes ago.

"You're still with Lacy," she said, matter-of-factly. Lee then realized that she had assumed he'd broken up with Lacy and came for her, and that made him feel even worse.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully.

"You don't know," she scoffed, starting to laugh. She looked up at the ceiling before closing her eyes and groaning. "You need to leave."

"Em..."

"How could you do this?" she asked, growing angry and getting to her feet. She crossed her arms tightly and stared at him. "How could you do what Scott did to me? How could you make me the other woman?! You just said you didn't want to hurt me! What do you call this?!"

"I wasn't myself...I wasn't thinking..." he tried.

"You burst into my apartment after almost two months of not seeing me and start kissing me like you're a dying man, and now you're telling me that you weren't yourself?!"

"I wasn't! I was angry."

"Oh, so I'm a good time when you're angry. That's nice," Emily said, standing up now.

"That's not...Em, that's not what I'm trying to say here."

"Go run back to her, Lee. Go back because it's safe and you won't have to feel anything."

"I do feel something..."

"No you don't!" Emily shouted. "Stop kidding yourself!" She was crying now. In trying to avoid hurting her, he had still managed to hurt her. He was an idiot. He never should have come here. Then again, it made him see what he really wanted.

"Emily," he tried.

"Get the hell out," she ordered.

"For you," he said, finishing his earlier statement. "I feel something for you." He stopped talking, and she looked at him through her tears. She seemed taken aback.

"What?"

"I'm leaving her," he said, tasting the words in his mouth and realizing they felt good.

"W-What? What are you saying?" Emily asked, and he stepped into her and grasped her face with his hands again.

"I'm saying it's over," he told her, searching her eyes. "I'm leaving her. I want to be with you. I...I want to try to be happy, Emily, and I think you can help me with that. You can help me stop hating myself for what happened to Billy, and the first step is to help me see that I'm allowed to be happy."

"Lee," she whispered.

"Give me an hour," he said. "I'm going to go end it, and then I'm coming back here."

"Lee..."

"I'm serious," he said, stopping her. "Unless you don't want to be with me. Then I'll just wander aimlessly around New York."

"I'll believe it when you come back," she said finally. He could tell she was skeptical, and he didn't blame her.

"Alright," he said, nodding. "I'll come back."

He released her and stepped away, heading out the door and down to his truck. He drove home, feeling the anticipation building. He was ending it. This was over.

Lacy looked up with red eyes when he entered the apartment.

"Lee," she said hoarsely. "I'm so sorry, but you didn't let me finish. We didn't sleep together. We just kissed. That was it. I swear. It happened twice, and I told him to stop. Then he got transferred. I swear to God we just kissed. That's bad enough, I know, but I wasn't looking for it. He came onto me both times. I should have stopped it, but I didn't because I wasn't thinking...I've been so stressed. That's on me, but I stopped it from happening again."

He stood there looking at her earnest expression. The fact that she told him when he never would have found out said something, didn't it? She was being honest. He gave himself a mental shake. This was over.

"Lacy," he started.

"Can we move forward from this?" she asked, cutting him off. "Please, Lee. It was just a kiss, like what you did with Emily."

"We both know my context was different."

"Was it?" she challenged. "Don't forget I saw how you looked at her on that dance floor."

"I don't think we can come back from this," he said, ignoring her jab. He was being honest now. Even if Emily was done with him, if he went back there and she said no after all, he was still feeling like maybe Barney was right, he shouldn't do this with Lacy. "I think we should..."

"Lee, I...I'm pregnant," she cut him off.

The words hit the air and then hit his ears hard and fast. He felt jolted. He felt shocked. He looked at Lacy, and she was resting a hand on her belly and looking at him with a mixture of joy and fear in her eyes.

"You are," he stated.

"I am."

"And it's...?"

"Yours," she answered, sounding hurt. "I've only been with you that way since...since my last mistake back home. I just told you. It was only him kissing me, that was it."

"Okay," he said after a moment, his mind racing. "Okay."

"I know I screwed up and you're not sure about us anymore, but can we please try? Will you still marry me? Let us be a family? For our child?" she asked. He studied her. She'd told the guy no. She hadn't slept with him. She told Lee about it. This was progress. She was proving she was invested in this relationship, but his heart broke slightly at the knowledge that he had wanted to end it. He thought about his child, and he knew in his heart of hearts that he didn't want his child to grow up in a broken home. He was an honorable guy. He always did the right thing no matter the cost, no matter how much it hurt him. He briefly closed his eyes, knowing that Emily would never speak to him again after this, that her hurt was going to be tenfold compared to his. He opened them again, seeing Lacy watching him. They were having a child together. He was going to be a father. He couldn't stand the idea of his child not having their parents together. He had to take responsibility.

"Yea," he answered softly. "I'll still marry you." Her eyes grew wet again, and she moved in to kiss him tenderly. He tried not to notice that it felt nowhere near the same as kissing Emily.

"I swear I love you, Lee. I only want to be with you." Her tone sounded honest and truthful. She was trying. She'd told him about this guy in order to get past it. She didn't have to tell him, but she did. And now, they were having a baby. A child. He was trying to wrap his head around that one still. He wanted to be a father. He wanted a family. He could work towards a better relationship with her. He could get over his feelings for someone else who didn't deserve someone like him, who deserved someone so much better than him. This could work.

"I love you too," he answered, trying to feel it.

If only the image of Emily's hurt face would stay out of his mind. He knew he had to tell her. He waited for Lacy to go to bed before slipping out, leaving her a note saying he'd gone for a walk. He drove back to Emily's and walked with heavy steps up to her door. When she answered, his heart broke again at the sight of relief on her face.

"I honestly didn't think you'd come back," she said, reaching to take his hand. He felt emotion build in his throat as he looked at her. She frowned, noticing he wasn't coming inside.

"Emily," he started.

"You're staying with her, aren't you?" she asked, her voice dropping to an almost ragged whisper.

"She's pregnant," he answered, and the shock was across her face in seconds.

"It's...?"

"Mine," he answered.

"You believe her?"

"I have to."

Emily took her hand back, and she pressed it against her mouth. Tears slid over her fingers. He met her eyes and saw the anguish there, and it just about killed him inside. He'd caused it. He'd done that to her. How could he have done that to her? He really was an asshole.

"I have to do the right thing, Emily," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

"And that means marrying someone you don't love for the sake of sparing your child a broken home," she said.

"Yea."

She nodded slowly, taking in some breaths. Then she looked at him again.

"Don't ever talk to me again," she said.

"Em..."

"I mean it," she said louder. "I'm done. Stay out of my life." He worked his jaw, trying to think of something, anything, to say that would help this situation, but he knew nothing he could say would make her feel better. He'd always love her, but he'd made his choice.

"I'm sorry," he said, a tear escaping now and sliding down his cheek.

"Just go," she ordered, her voice choked. He took a step back, and she closed the door hard. He could hear her crying harder through it, making him rest a hand on the door as if he could touch her to comfort her, and as much as he wanted to force it open and hold her to try and help her feel better, he knew it wouldn't. With his chest tight and eyes burning, he went to his truck and drove back to his place.

...

Emily didn't sleep well, and when she woke up, she didn't want to face the day. She hid under her covers until Nigel started calling and asking her where the hell she was. She couldn't hide from the world any longer. People were counting on her.

When she got to the office, Jane noticed her immediately.

"Em," she said, hurrying after her as Emily walked to her office. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong."

"Your face says the complete opposite," Jane insisted, gesturing. "Tell me what happened." Emily felt the tears come then. Why had Lee come to her last night? Why had he told her he wanted to be with her and then in the next breath say he was staying with Lacy for his kid?

"He...he came over last night," Emily managed to say. Jane moved to shut the door and lock it before moving closer and giving Emily her undivided attention.

"Who did? Lee?"

"Yea."

"Why?"

"I still don't know," Emily choked out. "I'm guessing a fight with Lacy. He gets to my place, and he's kissing me, and I'm kissing him back, and we almost had sex. He stops and tells me he doesn't want to hurt me, but in the next breath he's saying he's still with Lacy."

"Oh. My. God," Jane said, sounding furious. "What an asshole! Em, I'm so sorry."

"I wanted him to kiss me," Emily surged forward, still crying. "I wanted it. I'm a terrible person, Jane."

"No, no, no, no," Jane said quickly, reaching to hug her. "He should not have done that to you. That's on him."

"I kissed him back," Emily whispered.

"What were you supposed to do? He takes you by surprise, and you've already got feelings for him, so naturally your reaction is to reciprocate. It happens."

"I don't think I would have stopped him, though," Emily reasoned. "If he had gone for it."

"Well, he shows up and starts kissing you, so naturally you think he's a freshly single man. Right?"

"Well, yea..."

"I blame him for this," Jane said strongly, pulling back and giving Emily a shake. "He toyed with your emotions, and he hurt you in the end anyway."

"That's not all..."

"What?" Jane asked, sounding afraid.

"After I yelled at him, he told me he wanted to be with me, that he was going to go back home to end the relationship with Lacy and come back for me. Then he comes back to tell me he can't leave her because...because..."

"No," Jane said, realizing. Her eyes were wide.

"She's pregnant," Emily whispered.

"Oh my God. The baby's his?"

"Yea."

"Crap."

"I feel so shitty," Emily said.

"I think if I see him right now, I'll punch him in the face."

"He's not a bad guy," Emily said to her. "He's not. He was confused, and now he's doing what he thinks is the honorable thing. I love guys who think like he does. I just...I hate that it's being used against me, that the honorable traits in him are being abused by someone who has no problem doing it."

"Oh, Em," Jane said sadly. "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you for listening," Emily sniffed, wiping at her eyes.

"Anytime," Jane promised with a small smile. "I do consider you a friend." This took Emily by surprise, but she liked the idea of being friends with Jane. She was nice. She cared. She was just scared of losing her too since her track record was losing everyone she cared about.

"Shoot, I have to deal with my 1pm," Jane said, looking at her watch. "Come find me later if you need to?" She posed it as a question.

"Okay."

"Good."

"If he tries calling to talk to me, you tell him I'm not here," Emily insisted. "I told him to stay out of my life and never talk to me again."

"Okay."

Emily left to go to her office and sank into her chair. This was why you didn't fall for the groom. This was why she didn't want to fall for anyone. She had gotten in too deep with Lee, gotten too close, and look what happened.

Never again.

...

Barney was sitting with the boys in the bar when Lee called. Toll was laughing with Caesar about something to his right. Tool was on his left going over some sort of drawing with Gunner.

"What's up, Christmas?" Barney asked, answering his phone. He took a big swig of his beer while waiting for Lee's response.

"Lacy's pregnant."

Beer shot out of Barney's mouth, spraying Caesar right in the face. Toll started laughing hysterically while Caesar blinked in shock, beer droplets going down his face and dripping off his eyelashes.

"What the hell man?!" he exclaimed.

"WHAT?!" Barney exploded on the phone to Lee. "She's what?!"

"I knew I shouldn't have called you," Lee sighed.

"Are you sure it's even yours?" Barney demanded. Toll handed Caesar some napkins to wipe his face off, which he accepted and started doing immediately while coughing and spitting remnants of beer out of his mouth that had gone in there.

"Uh oh," Gunner said, realizing what was being said.

"The baby is mine," Lee said firmly. Barney growled.

"I don't believe it."

"You better."

Barney gripped his face, feeling anguish inside. Lee would never leave Lacy now, not with a baby involved. He would feel he had to do the right thing by marrying her and being a family. It was Barney's worst nightmare coming true.

"This is not good, Lee," Barney said.

"I should have known you wouldn't be happy for me," Lee sniped.

"You don't even sound happy!" Barney exclaimed. "Your tone says this is a death sentence!"

"Easy," Tool warned, knowing that if Barney went too far, Lee would sever ties with them all.

"We're moving up the wedding," Lee said. "If you're gonna be a part of it, let me know."

"How soon?"

"Next month."

Barney pressed his index finger and thumb on each closed eyelid before sliding them to pinch the bridge of his nose. All the guys were watching him now, and he could hear Lee's breathing on the phone.

"I can't do it," Barney said. "I'm sorry. I just...I can't watch my best friend make the biggest mistake of his life." Tool reached to rest a hand on his shoulder as he listened to Lee exhale slowly.

"Alright. Thanks for being honest."

"Lee..."

"I guess this is it then," Lee went on, cutting him off. "I can't be friends with someone who hates my wife."

"Don't say that," Barney said. "I don't hate her. I just don't trust her."

"Take care of yourself, Barns," Lee said, hanging up. Barney sat there with his phone in his hand, listening to the dial tone. His hand slowly slid down, his fingers snapping his phone shut.

"What happened?" Toll asked.

"Christmas just ended our friendship," Barney answered, feeling hollow. Tool's fingers dug into his shoulder, making him wince.

"You're kidding?" Caesar asked, shocked.

"No."

"Over Lacy?" Gunner questioned.

"Yea. They're getting married next month instead, and they're having a baby."

"Wow," Tool said, his tone hard to read.

Barney finished his beer and banged it on the bar top. He tossed down a few bills and slid off the stool. No one stopped him as he threw on his coat and walked out of the bar. He'd just lost his best friend.

He needed to be alone.

...

Jane could barely keep from giving Lee a scathing look when he came in that afternoon. She was furious at him for what he'd done to Emily. Soapy ran to him when she saw him, and he bent to scoop her up and let her rest in his arms as he sat down across from Jane.

"You're a shit," she said to him.

"I know," he said back softly. The baby gave Jane a swift kick, making her grunt a little.

"My baby agrees with me," she told him, placing a hand on her belly.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you here? We don't have another meeting until next week," Jane went on. "And I thought Lacy was doing the planning now?"

"I came to tell you that Lacy and I are just having a small thing with the justice of the peace," Lee started, stroking Soapy's head slowly. "We're doing it next month. We are cancelling everything we've got planned for May."

"Because of the baby?"

"I see you've been talking to Emily."

"Yea, and you're lucky I'm not strangling you right now."

"I get it."

"It'll cost you, cancelling everything."

"I don't care. Money isn't a problem."

"Well, I hope you enjoy having your head up your ass for the rest of your life."

"Thanks," he replied, standing up. He set Soapy down on the desk and gave her one last pat. She meowed, looking up at him as if knowing this was goodbye. Her kittens were spread out in the office. They were going to be taken home with their prospective owners soon.

"You can take her," Jane offered.

"Lacy is allergic," he said, shaking his head. "As much as I'd love to."

"Well, she'll be cared for here."

"I know," he said softly, smiling a little. "Take care, Jane. All the best." She said nothing as she watched him walk out of her office, and her heart broke.

...

Emily was rooting in her purse for her pad of paper when her shoulder connected with someone in the hallway.

"Shit, sorry!" she exclaimed, looking up and expecting to see Nigel or Andy, but she found Lee instead. She froze.

"Hey," he said quietly. So much for him never talking to her again.

"Hi."

He stood there looking unsure of something, his fingers fidgeting at his side. He cleared his throat.

"I really am sorry, Emily," he said. "I should never have confused you with everything. I hope you can forgive me."

She stood there looking at him and noticed he looked defeated. Had he hurt her? Yes. Had he confused her? Definitely. Did she want to make him suffer for it? No. She wasn't that kind of person. She also didn't want to spend forever holding onto this hurt, even though right now it was suffocating. It was better to let it go and move on. She didn't care if people thought she should hang onto her anger longer. It was exhausting to do that, and she was tired of being so tired.

"I already have," she said to him. "I just hope you can find happiness, Lee."

"Me too."

They looked at each other for a moment, and then he bowed his head and started to walk out again, and Emily contemplated going after him, but in the end, she let him go. She went to her office and sat down. She focused on her work.

"Em?"

She looked up to see Jane standing there.

"Yes?"

"Can we talk?"

"Sure."

Jane came and sat across from Emily, folding her hands on the desk carefully.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked, feeling concerned. "Is the baby okay?

"Baby's great," Jane replied. "Kevin is going crazy with reading all the books and getting things ready. I think he's more excited than me, which I didn't think was possible. Anyway, no, this is about Lee."

"We're fine," Emily said quickly. "I've forgiven him. We just aren't going to talk anymore."

"He's getting married next month, Em," Jane said softly. "He closed his file with us. They're doing a small thing with the justice of the peace."

"I should have seen that coming."

"This whole thing sucks," Jane sighed, pushing her hair out of her face and giving Emily a rueful smile. "I'm sorry, Em."

"Don't be sorry. He's the one going to live a life of disappointment and heartache, not me." Emily did her best not to reveal how upset she really was. Lee was going to be a father. He was marrying Lacy. He was gone.

"If you need to talk, I'm over there," Jane said, gesturing to where her office was.

"Thank you."

She barely registered Jane leave. She was too lost in her own thoughts.

...

Lee was leaning against the headboard while watching Lacy brush her hair and talk about her day. It was almost eleven at night, and he was still thinking about everything that had happened that day.

"My parents are excited," Lacy was saying. Lee tried to listen. He knew her parents' opinions mattered a lot. He knew they didn't entirely like him. They thought he was too gruff, rough, and tough, and they wanted their daughter with someone more sophisticated. They hadn't flat out expressed their displeasure of the wedding, but he knew they were thinking it.

"That's good," he said.

"You look sad about something," she commented, joining him now and sitting beside him. She took his hand in hers. "You're not sad about the baby, are you?"

"No."

"Then what's going on?"

"Barney and I are no longer friends," Lee answered quietly.

"Oh," she said, sounding surprised. "Why?"

"Differences of opinion."

Lee knew she wouldn't ask because she didn't really care for Barney, and she would be happy they weren't friends, so why try and fix it? It seemed in one day he'd lost all of his friends here and in New Orleans.

"I'm sorry," she said. "How can I help?"

"I'll get over it," he answered. She squeezed his hand and rested her head on his shoulder. She started talking about something that happened at work, but all Lee could think about was how completely, utterly alone he felt.

...

Emily was feeling hesitant as she went to answer her door. She felt fluttering in her heart as she reached to pull it open. Had Lee changed his mind? Was he going to tell her he would co-parent with Lacy but not marry her? What would she even say if he did tell her that? She didn't know. She had nothing in mind to say as she pulled open the door, but Lee was not standing there looking back at her. The person standing there was someone Emily never thought she'd see again. Their presence caused so much confusion and emotions inside of her that she had no idea what to even feel let alone think. He smiled at her, sending her back in time.

"Hi, Em," he said softly. She finally found her voice and managed to say one word: his name.

"David."

To keep it fair to new readers who may check reviews first before reading this story, please don't put the spoiler of David in the review. Feel free to say "*spoiler* is back!" or something like that, but please keep his name out of it. Thanks so much I appreciate it!