Hunter took Stephanie's hand and led her back to his locker room. She couldn't help but smile softly as she looked down at their clasped hands. Sure, it hadn't been that long since they had touched, but it had felt like an eternity. She felt his thumb gently rub the back of her hand, just like he always did when they were holding hands. She comforted in this familiar touch.

He let her go inside first and closed the door behind him. She tentatively sat down on the couch in the room, looking down at her wedding ring. He turned around and faced her and in that moment she seemed so sad and lost. It broke his heart to see her that way, especially when he knew the cause was mostly his fault.

He sat down in a chair adjacent to the couch and looked at her, not knowing how to start things off. Her outburst earlier had struck a chord with him, and he had been willing to talk with her. But now that they were alone and so much hung above them, he was unsure of what to say.

"Um, this is awkward," he said lightly, hoping to lighten the dapper mood in the room.

"I guess," she mumbled softly, still looking down.

"You said you weren't with Chris earlier," he said, though he was sure she knew that already.

"Yeah," she said, again mumbling.

"Is it true?" he asked, finally confronting the situation.

She looked up at him finally, her eyes shining with unshed tears, "Is what true? That I'm not with him?"

"Yeah."

"It's not true, I've never, ever been with Chris like that, he's just my friend, same as he's always been."

"I didn't know what to think about you two," Hunter admitted.

"Did we ever, ever give the impression that we were sleeping with each other?" she asked.

"Well, I mean, you're always all over him."

"Because he's like my brother," she explained, "I don't think of him as someone I'm attracted to, I think of him as someone who protects me."

"I protect you."

"I know you do Hunter, but it's different. Chris is someone I go to when I'm mad at you. Shane hardly travels, I need someone who I can confide in."

"Yeah, I know," he conceded, "But I mean when you guys were business partners, I always thought that maybe there was something more."

Stephanie couldn't help herself, she laughed, loudly, "More than business partners!"

"Ok, it's not the funny, I mean, you guys were pretty chummy."

"I was breaking up with you, I was miserable and Chris offered to be my shoulder to cry on, that's it."

"I was just jealous I guess."

"Why would you need to be jealous," she said coming over to kneel in front of his chair and grabbing his hands.

He shrugged. He didn't want her to know that he was just stupid about the whole thing, he had made so many errors in judgment when it came to her. It seemed their lives together had just been a comedy of errors, with them always at cross purposes.

"We were apart for so long, I don't know why you wouldn't go out there and you know, see other guys."

"Hunter, I didn't see anyone, I was too miserable and aching for you," she said sincerely.

"You were?" he asked, actually surprised.

"Of course, I love you, I've loved you for so long," she said to him.

"I love you too."

She smiled and moved in closer to him, looking up into his eyes. She closed her eyes and leaned in. He closed the gap between them and kissed her softly. As they were kissing, she reached up to caress his cheek softly, as he moaned into her mouth. They pulled away breathlessly.

"Do you believe me now?" Stephanie asked, her lips still covering his.

"Yeah," he said, his lips turning up into a smile.

Suddenly the door barged open, the noise startling Hunter and Stephanie, causing them to look up. Chris stood there, he had had enough of the petty anger Hunter was displaying towards Stephanie and he had just heard that Hunter had pushed her from someone who had seen it. This was going to end now.

Chris didn't bother looking around, because if he would, he would've seen Stephanie was already in there, "Now listen here Hunter, how dare you treat Stephanie like you did!"

"Chris," Hunter said, moving to the side so he could see Stephanie.

Of course, Chris was so enraged he didn't bother looking, "She loves you, you idiot and there is nothing going on between us, there never has, and to think that you wouldn't trust your own wife is preposterous. All she did was fall asleep waiting--"

Stephanie cleared her throat, cutting him off, "Um.Chris."

Chris stopped his ranting and finally saw Stephanie smiling up at him, "I took care of it."

"Huh?"

"We worked it out," Hunter explained.

Chris looked exasperated, "Then why didn't you stop me from yelling."

Hunter and Stephanie laughed, "We tried, but you were so mad you didn't see Stephanie."

"Well, thanks for letting me look like a fool. So you guys are cool?"

"We're cool," Stephanie said, leaning against Hunter, who wrapped his arms around her.

"Very cool," Hunter added.

"Well thank God, it's about freaking time. I had to shelter your wife in my house and feed her. She's too much of a neat freak I could barely stand it," Chris said, shaking his head.

"I like it," Hunter said, kissing the top of her head.

"See, this is why you two are meant for each other," Chris said, "Because there is no way I could live with her."

"Hey," Stephanie said, mock pouting.

"Aww, Princess, you know I love you, but I could never live with you," he laughed, "So I'll let you two lovebirds be alone now."

"Finally," Stephanie winked.

"Have fun, and don't be too loud," Chris winked back, then exited.

Hunter looked down at Stephanie who was grinning like a little girl on Christmas morning. He tucked some hair behind her ear and leaned in to kiss the tip of her nose. Her eyes twinkled and he thought she looked so beautiful in that moment. And he knew that every moment hereafter he wanted to spend with her.

"Steph, baby, have you thought about kids?" he asked.

She looked at him, a bit taken aback by the question, "Like having them or just about them in general."

He chuckled at her innocent question, "Having them."

"I guess, once or twice. Why do you ask? Do you want kids?" she asked, trying to search his face for an answer.

"Well, I'd like some."

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see won't we?"