AN: Guest: There's no other bad stuff for Kelly now in the story... I think :D

Just Breathe

Here in town you can tell he's been down for a while

But my god it's so beautiful when the boy smiles

Can you help me unravel my latest mistake?

Winter just wasn't my season

We walk through the doors, so accusing their eyes

Like they have any right at all to criticize

'Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable

And life's like an hour glass glued to the table

No one can find the rewind button, girl

So cradle your head in your hands

And breathe, just breathe

Oh breathe, just breathe

Dylan woke up on the couch. He observed the many pieces of paper that were scattered around his coffee table. Remembering he had been up half the night writing this letter, he rubbed his eyes.

Before he could get up and head to the bathroom, there was a knock on his door. He groaned lightly as he attempted to wake up properly.

He scratched his head before opening the door.

"Hi..." He was surprised to see Pamela in front of him.

"Hi," She replied coyly. "Is uh James here?"

"No... He's staying with his cousin."

"Oh." Maybe that's why he's been so standoffish... She wondered, maybe he and Tommy are making peace without me.

"You want to leave him a message?" Dylan asked in a sleepy voice.

"No that's okay." She smiled politely, "Thanks..." She uttered before turning on her heel.

"Bye." He breathed out.

"Hey mum!" Pamela yelled out as soon as she got home.

"In here!" Kelly called from the kitchen. "How was your night at Delilah's?" She asked when Pamela walked in.

"It was fun. Thanks for letting me stay last night." Pamela joined her at the counter. "Cameron texted me by the way. Said he's sorry he couldn't make it to the party."

"Yeah, actually he stopped by here." Kelly chimed in

"Oh okay." Pamela exclaimed. "Well listen I just came by to pick up some stuff to take to dad's. I'll be back Monday."

"Alright, honey." Kelly beamed

"Everything okay?" Pamela checked in before heading to her room.

"Yeah." Kelly sighed.

"Love you!" Pamela yelled as she walked off

"Love you more!" Kelly smiled at her daughter's words. Happy with how much closer they've gotten this year.

"How you coping?" Thomas asked as he joined James in the Walsh kitchen.

"I'm coping." James said as he was sat eating a sandwich.

"Pamela tried calling you... " Thomas tried to hide his slightly bitter tone over James' phone going off all morning.

"I know." James grumbled

"Did something happen?" Thomas questioned

"No."

"Why aren't you talking to her?" Thomas squinted his eyes.

"I just need some room to breathe." James sighed

"Well... she has gone through her own parents separating... maybe she can help." Thomas shrugged

"Not if her mother is the reason my parents are separating." James refused to look up

"What?" Thomas said in disbelief

"I'm pretty sure." James breathed out

"What was it with our dads and this woman?" Thomas quipped, almost to himself

"Maybe I should've seen it coming... " James announced, barely listening to Thomas. "Ever since that time capsule leak last year, my dad's been off."

"Come on, Jimmy. You know better than that." Thomas groaned. "Whatever's going on between uncle Dylan and aunt Brenda is between them. No one can get between the relationship unless there are cracks already."

"Is that what you thought when you came between me and Pam?" James finally turned to face Thomas.

"Hey... " Thomas soothed, not wanting to offend him. "All I'm saying is even if there's something between your dad and Pam's mum, don't they deserve to straighten things out?"

"Revisit some... 20 year old connection?" James wasn't impressed

"If it's still there..." Thomas breathed out, throwing ideas out there.

"So, you don't think you should just let it go?" James' question seemed more like a warning.

"I think... second chances aren't such a bad thing." Thomas shrugged again.

"Why's that?" James eyed him.

"They... allow you to orchestrate and say the things you never got to say." Thomas thought about the night he went over to Pam's house to say what he always wanted to say.

James observed him. "Are we still talking about my dad?"

Kelly hung up the phone after making an appointment with a therapist. Dylan was right; hiding in her house was not going to help her heal. She wanted the tools to take control over her life again. It was a step in the right direction; it was a chance to regain some of the power over her own body.

It seemed that's all she and everyone else needed right now: a breather.

Pamela stood in front of the Walsh house. She hesitated, wondering whether or not she should have come down here. She was just about to knock on the door when Brenda opened it, ready and dressed to go out to see Rick.

"Pamela!" She was surprised to see her standing there.

"Hi, Mrs McKay." Pamela said sheepishly.

"It's Walsh, but you can call me Brenda." Brenda assured

"Oh okay." A bashful Pamela breathed out. "I uh I went by your house but your husband said that James was here."

"Yeah, the boys are upstairs, go on up." Brenda said as she was about to leave the house.

"Actually... " Pamela fidgeted, "Would you mind asking him to meet me outside?"

Brenda noticed Pamela's anxious demeanor and nodded.

"Hi!" Pamela stood up straight when James came to the door.

"It's not a good time, Pam." He said dismissively

"I was worried about you." She expressed

"I'm fine. I just wanted to be alone... That's what it means when I don't answer the phone." He remarked

"...You know," She exhaled, frustrated. "I don't know why you're being so cold to me. I'm trying to be a friend!" She paused. "...At least I thought that's what we were." She turned on her heel and began to walk off.

He sighed in response before finally calling out "...My parents split up."

She turned back around to face him. Her face displayed her sympathy. "I'm sorry." She consoled

"Me too." There was a bitterness in his voice. "...Affairs affect everybody."

Pamela crinkled her forehead, "Affair?"

"Come on, you and I both know what's really happening here. You said it yourself. Your mother's not over him."

"James, that was speculation." She debated

"But you wouldn't put it past her." He shrugged and Pamela's eyes widened

"That's not fair." She shook her head, "Besides when we first met, you're the one who said your dad wasn't an open book."

"And you said your mother was trying to protect you from making her mistakes... Guess she was too late with you."

Wow, she thought. Why bother? "Okay, you want to let our parents come between us again, that's on you." She turned back around to leave.

"Oh yeah sure it's because I let our parents come between us; it had nothing to do with the fact that you slept with my cousin." He scoffed

She looked back at him and sighed. "It wasn't too long ago that you admitted we had problems before I did that... If you're not over it just say so."

"Hey, me holding myself accountable for my part in this does not justify cheating!" He snapped. And right there Pamela knew that this wasn't about her. This was about him and everything he's gone through the past year and a half. Their relationship, his relationship with his cousin, his parents separation, and all this change felt like it was all beyond his control.

"I know... " She soothed, her tone was softer. "...But judging everyone for not being perfect isn't fair either, James... These are people's feelings. And sometimes they're messy... Look at you right now. You're not saying very nice things to me here but it's okay... You're feeling what you're going through... I don't need you to be perfect." She shrugged before walking away.

He stood there, watching her leave.

"You sure you wanna be here?" Donna asked as her and Kelly sat down at a table at the PPAD that evening.

"Yeah..." Kelly nodded.

"What's this?" Donna asked as a waiter brought them two glasses of champagne.

"Uh we didn't order this." Kelly blurted out

"It's from Dylan. Over there." The waiter answered. Kelly looked over to the bar where Dylan was stood. He raised his glass of water and she reciprocated the gesture, raising her own glass.

"He can't leave it alone can he?" Donna chuckled to herself

"Actually... he's doing quite well." Kelly sighed, appreciating the unobtrusive approach.

As Kelly walked along the parking lot to get to her car, Dylan followed her.

"Kel," He called over, speeding up his pace.

She sighed, letting out a deep breath, "Not now, Dylan. Come on."

"Kel, just wait." He urged as he made his way over to car. "Please."

She was just about to turn her car in the ignition when he hopped in the passenger seat. "What are you doing?" She asked

"I just wanna talk to you." He whispered

"Dylan... " She ran her fingers through her hair, and he couldn't help but stop and stare. "Look." She began, "I appreciate everything you did for me at the house. Thank you for your help. I even took your advice and spoke to a professional." She assured. "So now please... leave me alone when I ask you to." She urged quietly.

"Please just let me say one thing and if you still want me to leave you alone, I will. But I gotta get this out of me." He pleaded

She huffed slightly in response, and remained silent, looking at the floor. He took that as his cue to speak.

Dylan cleared his throat, "...I know I haven't been able to say what you wanna hear; I haven't been able to say what you don't wanna hear." He drawled. "And I think it's the not knowing that's messing us up. So... here." He pulled out the letter he wrote.

"What's this?" She asked, grudgingly

"Everything." He said with a raspy whisper

"Everything?" She cocked an eyebrow, not convinced.

"It's... everything I've spent too long blocking out." He sighed, "...And in facing all this, I hope it brings some closure." He stared at her, waiting for her to react.

She finally turned to face him. "For you or for me?"

"Both." He didn't take his eyes off her.

She pursed her lips, her eyes remained firmly on the steering wheel, although her vision wasn't really focused on anything; she was too lost in thought, trying to process it. He clicked his tongue and exhaled slowly. "...I know you're angry. I know I've hurt you, and I hate that I let you down... I hope this makes it easier to understand."

"I hope so too." She breathed out in a whisper.

He nodded slowly and let himself out of the car, leaving the letter behind on the seat. Before he was about to walk off and head back into the PPAD, he gazed at her for a moment.

After a beat, he drawled: "I just want you to be happy, Kelly. Even if it's not with me."

There's a light at each end of this tunnel, you shout
'Cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out
And these mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again
If you only try turning around

2am, and I'm still awake, writing a letter
If I get it all down on paper, it's no longer inside of me, threatening the life it belongs to
And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd
'Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud
And I know that you'll use them, however you want to

And breathe, just breathe
Oh, breathe, just breathe