Lucy woke to the sound of her own crying. A feeling of nausea overcame her and she jumped to her feet. Running to the bathroom, she fell to her knees on the cool tile.

The bed shaking woke Kevin, and he watched her run into the bathroom. Sitting up, he waited to see if she was going to come out on her own.

After a few minutes, Lucy was finally able to stand and went to the sink. Running the cold water, she rinsed her mouth and stared at the mirror. Her own bruised face stared back at her, but it didn't feel like her. It was like staring at a stranger. She shook her head. That wasn't it. It was her, but she felt like a stranger in her own body. That was it. A million things went through her mind, anger at him, at herself for not being able to stop him, the feeling of being so out of control that she'd never be back in control of herself again. Knowing it was a bad idea, she opened her robe and stared at herself in the mirror. The deep bruises that covered her were a reminder of where Trent had put his hands on her. She started to shake as the feeling of being dirty returned with a force, and she moved to the shower. Dropping her robe, she stepped inside and turned on the water. Initially it was icy, and she shivered, but didn't move. The water warmed as it beat on her, but she didn't notice. Keeping her eyes closed, she shook as she cried. The water got hotter, but she still didn't move.

Kevin stood outside the door to the bathroom, trying to decide what to do. Part of him wanted to go to her, but part of him was afraid it would only make her feel like he was 'shrinking' her.

Facing the back of the shower stall, she leaned on the wall to stay on her feet. The hot water was beating on her back, but all she could feel was the cold kitchen tile under her back as Trent violated her body. As hard as she tried, she couldn't shake the memories, feeling them as if they were happening to her all over again. As she began to cry harder, she slid down the wall to sit on her knees on the shower floor. Water ran over her head, and down her face. As it ran into her mouth, she remembered the feeling of the blood from her nose when he'd shoved her into the floor. Coughing, she started to scream.

Her screams convinced Kevin. Running into the bathroom, he went to her and reached for her gently. The water hit his hand, and he jumped. It had to be nearly scalding, but she didn't seem to notice. Her skin was already red, and he turned up the cold to lower her body temperature. As the water cooled her, he reached for her again, this time putting his hand on her back. As soon as he touched her, she screamed again and pulled away from him.

"Lucy," His heart was racing, but he tried to keep his voice low. The last thing she needed was for him to let her know how scared he was.

Sliding to the far corner of the stall, she leaned against the wall and cried. Making a decision, Kevin turned the water off and moved closer to her. The water instantly soaked his jeans, but he kneeled beside her and touched her head. "Lucy.."

"It won't stop." She continued to cry, but she didn't fight him when he tried to touch her again. "I just want it to stop!" Actually sitting behind her, Kevin stared at the bruises on her back and tried to think of something to say. "I don't understand, Doc. It's over! Why can't I just get over it! Every time I close my eyes he's all I can see, and I hate it!" Her voice dissolved into sobs, and Kevin moved closer to her before trying to respond. He tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat. He could physically feel her pain, but he knew he couldn't begin to understand what she was feeling inside. Finally tears ran down his face and all he could do was whisper.

"I don't know how to help you. I want to, but I don't know how. I love you so much, it's tearing me apart to see you like this and not be able to help you."

"I just want to stop thinking about it." Her voice was quieter, but she was still crying. "Why can't I just get over it?"

"Because it hurts, Lucy." Taking a chance, Kevin reached for her, being careful of the bruises. "You're asking too much of yourself." His hands held her shoulders and he tried to comfort her without crowding her. "You need to-"

"DON'T!" She screamed at him. "You promised you wouldn't shrink me!"

"I'm sorry."

Her voice was quieter and she sighed. "I just want to stop feeling it
every time I close my eyes."

Leaning away from her, Kevin reached for a towel off the rack. Laying it on her back, he began to slowly dry her body. As his hands passed over the bruises, she tensed, but didn't pull away. He watched her for a moment before he stood and gently pulled her to her feet.

Taking the towel, he wrapped it around her over her arms and continued to dry her gently.

Closing her eyes, Lucy stood still and tried to relax in his arms. When his hands rubbed her arms, she dropped them to her sides and let him continue. His touch was comforting and terrifying at the same time, and she began to tremble. The towel moved, and as he traveled down her body to dry her legs, she bit her lip and waited.

Kevin realized how much he needed to touch her. She was his, and what Trent did to her had only made him more.....His mind couldn't come up with a word at first, but he understood how he felt. She was his. That was all there was to it. Keeping the towel between his hands and her body, he turned her to face him. Her eyes opened, but she stared at his chest as he stood to run the towel over the front of her body. As he neared the bruises on her ribs, she tensed in anticipation of the pain, but he simply brushed the towel over her ribs to remove the water. Visibly relaxing, she waited for him to finish. With the towel still separating them, he moved his hands over the rest of her body. As he finished, her eyes finally raised to meet his. Reaching for her robe, he wrapped it around her and waited for her to put her arms in the sleeves before he wrapped it around her and tied it gently. Picking up the towel again, he gently dried her hair as she continued to stare into his eyes. Once her hair had stopped dripping, he pulled her into his arms, and she sighed into his chest. They stood like that for a few minutes until Lucy finally forced herself to pull away. She stepped back, but kept her hands on his sides.

Keeping his voice low, he touched her face. "Are you ready to go back to bed?"

She nodded.

"I need to dry off myself." He smiled at her. "I'll be out in a minute."

She nodded again, and he leaned closer to kiss the side of her head.

He barely heard her whispering and looked at her. "What?"

Her eyes met his, and she said it again a bit louder. "I'm yours. You know that."

Feeling like she'd read his mind, but not surprised about it, he smiled. "You're mine, and I love you."

Moving back into his arms, she hugged him tightly. "I love you."

Kissing her head once more, he released her. Watching her leave the bathroom, he pulled his very wet jeans off and dried. Exiting the bathroom in a towel, he crawled under the comforter, but not the sheet. He didn't think she was ready for his naked body to be up against her. Lying on his side, he waited to see what she was going to do. She had her back to him, but as soon as he stopped moving, she moved closer to him.

When she realized that her robe and the sheet were separating them, she leaned back into his chest. His arm circled her and she held it tightly. She felt him sigh and she snuggled closer. "I feel so warm."

"Good." He squeezed her hand. "I want you to feel safe."

"I always do with you." Now she sighed. "I know you're trying not to shrink me. And I appreciate it. Even if I don't sound like it."

"You sound like you feel. You always have, and that's one of the things I've always loved about you."

"Yeah, a hysterical basket case." She shrugged.

"You're entitled. I want to help you, and I want you to promise that as soon as you figure out what it is that you need me to do, you'll let me know."

"Right now, all I need is for you to hold me."

His answer was to hold her against him. Closing her eyes, she felt herself relaxing more than she thought she was capable of at the moment.

Feeling her relax, Kevin closed his eyes and sighed. He tried to stay awake until she fell asleep, but he wasn't sure he did.


Eve opened her eyes and sat up, wincing from the light in the room. The sofa was not a good place for her to sleep, but she'd wanted to know when Kevin came home. Deciding she'd slept through his entrance, she walked slowly up the stairs, only to find the bedroom empty.

Confused, Eve decided it was time to find out where he was. She'd been there almost 24 hours, and he hadn't come home, even to change. There was the chance he'd gone away himself. First, she checked the closet. His suitcase was there, so he hadn't packed if he'd left. Still trying to get an idea where to look, Eve checked along the dresser, the nightstand, and the bathroom. The thought of calling his cell passed through her mind, but she still felt it was better to do this in person. Finally, wondering if she was maybe intruding on his privacy, she opened the top dresser drawer. If he'd made a reservation somewhere, the information might be there. The first thing she saw was a folder from a travel agency. Sighing, she thought she'd solved the mystery, but when she opened it, she found his airplane ticket still inside. The dates were open, and the destination was Manhattan. There were two tickets inside, and a pang of guilt went through Eve. Everything she'd done to him, and he was still planning to go away with her. Holding his ticket in her hand, her eyes finally drifted to the other ticket and she stopped. The other ticket had Lucy's name on it.

Realization hit her, and it all came together in her mind. Kevin wasn't working or out of town, he was with Lucy. He was planning on taking Lucy to Manhattan.

Part of her was furious, but a small part of her mind tried to remind her that SHE had been the one to walk out on him. She'd known that the marriage was over, but how long had he known it? It didn't surprise her that Kevin was with Lucy, but she did have a right to wonder how long they'd been having an affair.

The options ran through her mind. If Kevin was at Lucy's house, there was no telling how long he'd be gone. She could wait there, or go to GH, but the thought of everyone knowing all about Kevin and Lucy there made her rethink that. The first person she wanted to talk to about it was Kevin. And the odds of him coming home alone when he did decide to come home were probably pretty slim. He had no way of knowing she was there, so the chances were pretty good that Lucy would be with him. As far as Lucy went, if she knew Eve was back in town, she would make sure she was with Kevin if he came home.

Deciding that she and Kevin were not going to get a chance alone to talk, she made up her mind. Grabbing her keys, she got in her car and headed for Lucy's.


Opening his eyes, Kevin looked around and realized he couldn't move. Wrapped up in the sheet, Lucy was lying almost across the bed with her head on his chest. Staring at the back of her head, Kevin tried to figure out if she was awake or not. After a few minutes, she lifted her head and looked at him.

"I didn't know if you were still asleep." He smiled at her.

"I've been awake for a while. Just listening to you snore."

"Snore. Snore? I do not snore." His voice was indignant, but he was smiling at her.

"It that's what you choose to believe, that's okay. YOU don't have to worry about going to sleep listening to yourself. I guess a little self delusion never hurt anybody."

He laughed. "Now's who's trying to shrink who?"

"Somebody's got to do it." She was still smiling until she tried to move, then she winced.

"You okay?"

"Sore. Karen said I would be for a while." Holding the sheet, she moved away and looked at him. "I'm hungry, actually."

As far as Kevin was concerned, that was the most positive thing she'd said, and he sat up. "So am I. I guess I'll do the honors."

"We can order brunch or something."

He shook his head. "That's okay. It's been ages since I've had the chance to cook for you. Guess I should get used to it, right?"

"Only if you have the desire for home cooking."

Laughing, he moved to the side of the bed and realized that his clothes were hanging in the bathroom. Taking the towel off the floor, he wrapped it around his waist and headed for the bathroom. His jeans were still a little damp, but he put them on and went back out to the bedroom. Lucy was sitting up on the side of the bed.

Walking around to her side of the bed, Kevin reached for the phone.

At her questioning glance, Kevin pointed to his jeans. "I'm going to call Victor and ask him to pick me up some clothes at the lighthouse."

"Doc," She reached for his hand. "You don't need to baby sit me. This is my home, and I'm not going to let.. HIM, make me afraid to be here. If you need to go home, go. I'll be fine here."

Knowing that she was trying to prove it to herself as much as him, Kevin sat on the bed next to her. "I don't need to go home. I do have to run to the hospital later today, but it won't take long. All I have here is a suit and a pair of jeans. That's not really what I'd call a lot of options."

"I know you have to go home sometime." Lucy sighed. "This isn't going to wreck EITHER of our lives."

"Okay, we'll talk about it after dinner, deal?"

Now she laughed. "I thought I was the one that liked to put things off."

"I'm learning. And right now, what I'm not going to put off is food." Standing, he touched her face. "While I'm slaving in the kitchen, why don't you slave away in that closet and find something to wear."

"Okay." Reaching up, she took his hand and squeezed it.


Kevin heard the door from the kitchen. Thinking it was Victor, he went to it and opened it. The shock of seeing Eve standing on the doorstep left him speechless for a moment.

"Hi. Took a chance you'd be here." Eve shrugged. "I'm back in town."

"I can see that." It came out a little sharper than he intended for it to, but he really didn't think Eve being there was a good idea at the moment. "I didn't know how to reach you."

"I know. But I think we have a few things we should talk about." Hoping that Lucy couldn't hear them, Kevin kept his voice low. "Eve, this really isn't a good time. I have to go-"

"Why? Because of Lucy?" Eve knew she had no right to be, but she was angry. "To be honest with you, Kevin, if Lucy didn't want me showing up at her door, she shouldn't have jumped into bed with my husband!"

Before Kevin could answer, Lucy exited the bedroom and approached them. "You gave up any right concerning what I'm doing with your husband the minute YOU walked out on him!"

Her long sleeves and jeans hid the bruises on her body, but when Eve saw the bruises on Lucy's face, she stopped. "Oh, my god. What happened to you?"

"Don't worry about it." Lucy's tone was sharp. "How long have you been back in town?"

"Since yesterday." Still in shock at Lucy's appearance, Eve automatically answered the question. Suddenly she remembered why she was there, and she turned to Kevin. "I just wanted to talk to you. Alone. I think I still have the right to talk to my husband without his other woman hanging around."

"Other woman?" Lucy's voice grew louder. "Who the hell do you think you are? Showing up at my door to barge into my home and insult me!"

Looking past Kevin, Eve met Lucy's stare. "I'm still his wife, Lucy. That makes you the other woman. But, I guess you've been there before, huh."

Lucy moved closer to Eve, but Kevin turned to her. "Lucy..."

Biting her lip, Lucy thought Kevin was about to take Eve's side and she stared at the ground. Tears came to her eyes and she mentally berated herself for being so emotional. Before she really began to cry, she knew she had to get away from them and headed for the kitchen.

Kevin knew Lucy wasn't up to a verbal assault from Eve, and he tried to put a stop to it. But as Lucy started to move past him into the kitchen, her eyes avoided his and he realized what she was thinking. Reaching for her, Kevin pulled her to him and put his arm around her shoulders. "Eve, you've been gone for almost a month. Not a word about where you were going, or even a phone call about when you were coming back. So to show up here out of the blue and act like the injured party is way out of line."

Eve sighed. "I didn't show up here to fight. I just want to talk to you."

"And I said this isn't a good time. But to make it short, I'll give you something to go on. I'm not going to deny what's going on between Lucy and me. I would have told you if you'd bothered to contact me."

"How long?" Eve stared at him.

"What?"

"I have a right to know how long you've been having an affair with her!"

Lucy closed her eyes, but Kevin sighed again. "Not long."

Eve stared at Lucy, surprised that Lucy wasn't fighting Kevin to get to her. Once again, she wondered who had put that bruise on her face. Responding to Kevin's resigned attitude, Eve sighed. "I had a feeling, but I just wanted to know. I'm not stupid, Kevin."

"This started after YOU left town."

Eve realized that Kevin thought she was accusing him, and she shook her head. "I'm not talking about this, I mean, when I found the plane tickets, I knew for sure, but-"

"Plane tickets?" Now Lucy stared at her.

After almost glaring at Eve for a moment, Kevin turned to Lucy. "I was going to surprise you once Eve came back. I have tickets to take you to Manhattan for a few days." He shrugged. "Before.."

Lucy's eyes dropped, and Eve was more curious than ever. But Kevin turned back to Eve. "Eve, this isn't as easy as you seem to think it is."

"Easy?" Eve felt a fury she hadn't known she had. "You think this is easy? Do you think I didn't know where you really wanted to be? She's your best friend, the woman you tell everything, the one woman who really understands you? Didn't you tell me all of that constantly? How far of a leap was it to go from being her friend to her lover, Kevin!"

Furious, Kevin stepped towards her, but as he did he pulled Lucy with him, and she fought a cry of pain. Instantly, Kevin turned to her. "I'm sorry." Reaching for her, he lowered his voice.

"I'm okay." But her face was white, and Kevin wasn't sure she was going to stay on her feet.

Holding her hands, he turned to Eve. "This is pointless. You made your choice, I made mine. We can discuss this at length another time. If you want, I can handle the divorce, and you can stay in the lighthouse as long as you need to. I'll stay here."

Shocked at Kevin's tone, Eve stared at him, but he was looking at Lucy. Eve realized how bad Lucy looked, and she knew that a conversation at this point wasn't going to happen. Whoever had put that bruise on her face had done a whole lot more, and Kevin's attention was focused on her.

"Okay. Whatever. You handle it. I'll let you know as soon as I can move out." Backing out the door, she looked at Kevin, but he wouldn't take his eyes off Lucy.

After Eve shut the door behind her, Kevin sighed. "I'm sorry. Are you sure you're okay?"

Nodding, Lucy held his hands. "I just need to sit down."

Leading her to the sofa, Kevin sat beside her. After a few minutes, the color returned to her face and she seemed better. Reaching up, he touched her hair. "I'm sorry that happened the way it did."

"Don't be. You know, she was right about one thing."

"Which is?"

"If I didn't want her showing up at the door, I shouldn't have jumped into bed with her husband."

Wincing, Kevin stared at the floor for a moment. "I'm sorry."

"Kevin, I knew what I was getting into. You didn't twist my arm. I loved you, I wanted you, and." Lucy shrugged. "We're all part of this. We didn't expect that to go well. It's just that I know this isn't how you wanted to do it."

"Lucy.." She looked at him and he sighed. "You're right. That wasn't how I wanted it to go. But it did, and what happens where she's concerned now, happens. All I care about is you, and I'm sorry that she attacked you like that, and I'm sorry I hurt you."

Tears came to her eyes again and she stared in his eyes. "You really mean that, don't you."

"Of course, I do. I didn't mean to pull on you like that-"

"No, I mean about not caring what Eve does now."

He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't. And I really don't think I have for a while now. I'm right where I want to be." Her eyes met his and he stared at her for a moment. "I guess I should have asked you before I invited myself to stay here."

"That was kinda pushy." But she was smiling. "But I'm glad."


Victor saw the note in the dining room table and realized that Eve was out looking for Kevin. Eve was NOT a stupid woman, it wouldn't take her long to track Kevin down at Lucy's. Reaching for his cell, he dialed Lucy's number.

When Kevin answered, Victor quickly began to speak, but Kevin interrupted him.

"Victor! I know Eve's back in town. She's already been here."

Victor instantly stopped. "I guess it didn't go well."

"How many ways could this have gone?" Kevin's voice was bitter. "I do need you to get more than just a couple things for me. I guess I'm going to be staying with Lucy for a while."

"I understand. Don't worry, I'll take care of things at this end. How did Lucy take it?"

"Pretty good, actually. I mean, she wasn't really up to a major confrontation. But as far as she's concerned, as long as I'm with her, it's okay. She doesn't pretend to care about Eve's feelings. Not that she should," Kevin quickly added. "but I think Eve asking what happened to her didn't start the conversation off on a good note."

"Did Lucy tell her?"

"No. I mean, Eve wasn't being nasty at that point, but Lucy wasn't ready for questions about it. It didn't take much, though." Kevin sighed. "But I guess I'll ask Scott to handle the divorce, and Eve agreed to look for a place to live."

"I see." Victor was worried about how well Kevin was taking it. As sorry as he was that Lucy was hurt, it did give Kevin something to focus on besides what was happening in his life. "I'll pack a few bags for you, then, and I'll head to Lucy's as soon as I'm done."

"Thanks, Victor. Can you stay here for a while? I need to run to the hospital, and Lucy wants me to believe she's okay by herself, but..."

"Say no more. I would be happy to spend the afternoon with her."

"Thanks."

Hanging up the phone, Victor went upstairs to pack a few bags for Kevin.


Sighing, Mac knocked on Lucy's door. He really didn't want to do this, but he had no choice. It had been hard enough convincing Dara to let him do it instead of sending a patrol car.

Kevin opened the door and stood back for Mac to enter. "Any news?"

"Yeah, and you're not going to like it." Walking in to the living room, Mac looked around for Lucy.

"She's in the shower."

"How is she?"

"Up and down." Kevin shrugged. "If I could take a step back and be objective, I guess I'd say it's perfectly normal for the situation. What's the news?"

"Davis's lawyer, Schneider, filed formal charges against you this morning. Assault and Battery, and... attempted murder."

Sighing, Kevin stared towards the bedroom door, hoping Lucy was still in the bathroom. "I pretty much expected that. Well, not attempted murder, but... Scott said he'd handle it."

"Since when did you and Scott become so buddy-buddy?" Mac shook his head. "I mean, he's a good lawyer, but you two never seemed to be..."

"We're not going to hang out together and do any male bonding, but we managed to reach an understanding. And he already told me he can handle this."

"Handle what?" Lucy's voice startled both of them.

Mac looked at Kevin and waited for him to make the first move.

"Hi, Mac. I guess there's something neither of you want to tell me?"

"Mac's here to... to arrest me." Kevin decided to just spit it out.

"WHAT?" Turning to Mac, Lucy stared at him. "Arrest Kevin? Why? How could you arrest your best friend?"

"Lucy," Taking her arm gently, Kevin turned her to face him. "Mac's doing me a favor. I'm betting that if he wasn't here, it would be a squad car, right?"

Mac nodded, but Lucy was more confused. "Why are you being arrested at all? This doesn't have anything to do with.. what... With me, does it? I mean, you-"

"Lucy," Staring in her eyes, Kevin touched her face. "This has nothing to do with you. But when I figured-"

"Kevin, you can't."

They both turned to face Mac. "What do you mean I can't? Mac, I'm tired of people telling me what I can and can't tell her! She deserves to know everything!"

"She knows and they can make her testify. Same goes for me, Mate. The only person you can talk to is Scott."

"Doc?" Lucy gripped his hands.

"I have to go, Lucy. Don't worry. Scott knows all about it, and he said he'll take care of it." Her face was white, and Kevin moved her to the sofa. Responding to Kevin's expression, Mac moved out of the way and watched him sit with her.

"I want to know what happened." Her voice was quiet, and she was shaking.

"You heard Mac. I can't tell you. They'll come after you, and I'll be damned if you're going to get hurt again by this."

"It does have something to do with me, doesn't it." It wasn't a question.

"I wish I could tell you, Lucy. I do. But I can't. Scott will take care of it, and I'll be home as soon as I can, okay?"

She nodded, but her grip on his hand got tighter.

Sighing, Kevin turned to Mac. "Can you hang around for a few minutes? Victor's on his way here, and I don't want to leave her alone."

The fact that she didn't argue with Kevin told Mac a lot. Nodding, Mac sat down in one of the chairs. "No problem."

Lucy's eyes were glued to the floor, but Mac could see she didn't look good.

Leaning back, Kevin pulled her into his arms and held her. His eyes met Mac's over her head and Mac had a moment where he was sorry he was a cop. Taking Kevin to jail for doing what any man would do in his position felt wrong all the way around. Not to mention what this was doing to Lucy.

Kevin sighed again and kissed the top of her head. Suddenly she pulled away and looked at Mac. "You can tell me."

"Tell you what?" Mac was confused.

"You can tell me what the charges are, right? I mean, it's public record, right?"

"Lucy,"

"Mac if you don't I'll just find out. It'll be on the TV tonight, the internet by morning, and the papers by the next day. So you may as well tell me."

Mac looked at Kevin, who nodded. "The official charges are assault and battery, and.. Attempted murder."

Lucy's head snapped towards Kevin and their eyes met. Lucy knew what he'd done. Because of her. "Doc.."

Shaking his head, he pulled her back to him. "Don't. None of this is your fault, Lucy." Her arms wrapped around his waist and she leaned her forehead against his neck. The tears came and she started to shake. "Doc, why?"

Holding her as tightly as he dared, he kissed her head and whispered in her ear. "Because I love you."

Mac felt uncomfortable, but he was still afraid Kevin would say something to Lucy that he shouldn't. Before he could voice his fears, the door opened and Victor came in carrying Kevin's suitcases.

"Monk? What's going on?" From the way Kevin was holding Lucy, he knew it wasn't good.

"They're arresting Kevin." Lucy looked at Victor.

"Arresting... on what charges?"

Mac stood. "It really doesn't matter, but we do have to go."

Nodding, Kevin tried to pull away from Lucy, but she held him tighter. "Lucy," he pushed her back a little so he could look at her face. "it's going to be okay."

"How?"

"You know Scott. If he said he could take care of this, do you believe he can take care of this?"

She nodded.

"Then let me go take care of this." He kissed her lips gently. "I love you. I'll be home as soon as I can." Taking the bag Victor brought him, he turned to Mac. "I'd like to change."

"Go for it." Mac watched him walk into the bedroom, then turned to Lucy. "If there was any other way to do this, Lucy, I swear."

"I know. Really, I do. I just.."

Moving to sit beside her, Victor took her hands.

Kevin reappeared, and Lucy stood to go to him. Taking her in his arms, he kissed the side of her head. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Promise. I love you."

She didn't answer him, but when Victor took her shoulders, she stepped back and touched Kevin's face. "I love you."

Letting go of her, he turned to Mac. "Let's get this over with."

As they went out the door, Lucy turned to Victor. "This is because of me, Victor."

"No, Lucy. Don't do that." Victor went to her and hugged her. "Let Scott do his job, okay? Kevin will be back as soon as he can."


Scott was already at the station when Kevin and Mac got there.

Nodding, Mac left them alone.

"This isn't good, Kevin."

"Just say it, Scott."

"I can get the attempted murder kicked, but the assault is gonna stick."

"I figured that."

"So, I guess we need to decide what we're going to do. We go to trial, we might beat it, but we might not. You could end up doing some time." At Kevin's expression, Scott continued. "You've got a record, remember? You pled to lesser charges, but you have a history. It's gonna count. Or we can try to plead it out. But that could mean another suspension on your medical license."

Taking a minute to think about it, Kevin finally shook his head. "I'll deal with whatever happens to stay out of jail. I mean, if I go to jail, I'll definitely lose my license. And I don't want Lucy to have to stand behind me again through another trial because I lost my temper."

"Not to mention the fact that she'd be subpoenaed to testify."

"I didn't tell her-"

"She's the motive, Kevin. They'd put her on the stand." Scott held his hands out on either side. "She tells the truth, you go to jail. She lies, she goes to jail. Which do you think she'd do?"

"Keep her out of it, Scott. It's bad enough that she's going to have to testify against him."

Scott's eyes dropped and Kevin knew there was something going on. "What?"

"I don't think it's going to get to trial."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he'll probably cop a plea, and the DA will push Lucy to accept it."

"What kind of plea?"

"I don't know yet, but the defending attorney is digging up all the dirt on the two of you he can get his hands on. And we both know there's a lot of dirt."

Kevin glared at Scott, but there was nothing he could say.

"I've got people on it, and I'm trying to do damage control. But it's not gonna be easy."

"I appreciate it Scott."

Scott shrugged. "She loves you." Standing, Scott moved towards the door. "Let them book you so we can bail you out."