Robert stood watching Lexie as she lulled Max to sleep and he had to take a deep breath. The reality of the situation was starting to take affect and he wasn't sure what to do with the emotions that were hitting him. He knew that they were going to be parents but he also thought he had a few months to still prepare for it. A part of him wanted to run, run back to Chicago, back to his old life, no matter how dismal it seemed to him now. True, he had never been happier since he and Lexie had been reunited but in his old life he was in total control. He looked at Lexie again and turned and walked out of the room to the mini bar. He poured a glass of scotch and downed it with one drink, pouring another before the burning sensation had even stopped in the back of his throat.

Lexie stood in the doorway watching him. She had pretended for the last few months that she hadn't noticed the increasing amount of scotch that had been appearing in the bar at home and then disappearing just as quickly but had said nothing because she felt that if that was his way of dealing with all of the things that had been going on that she had no right to intrude. But the truth was she was afraid to confront him on it, or in rather she wasn't ready to confront herself with the fact that he wasn't perfect. She rationalized it that he never got drunk enough to make it obvious but he would never drive after he got home at night and she figured that he probably started before he even left the office at the hospital. Little things had started to help put the pieces together for her over the last few weeks. They were small things but added together they formed a picture of a man that was falling. He would always carry chewing gum with him but he would only chew it when he was sure he was done seeing patients for the day and then he would chew it non-stop. He had started to seem exhausted and sick every morning and would start to feel better after he had power drunk glass after glass of water.

She finally walked over and touched his shoulder, causing him to jump. He set the glass down and smiled an awkward smile at her. "I think we have some things to talk about." She stated simply and he nodded. They walked over and sat down on the sofa that faced the bar.

There was an awkward silence between them and then Lexie took a deep breath. "There are some things that you need to know and I want to warn you that they aren't very pretty but this is your life too and you need to know everything."

He nodded and sat back to give her his full attention. "Sara and I met a few years ago. Landon wanted us to join this stupid country club and as usual I went along with it but I hated every minute of it. I grew up in that life and so I figured that was just how it was supposed to be. Michael was a golf buddy of Landon's and Sara and I used to use the time when they were off golfing to get to know each other. She hated the club as much as I did. We used to joke that we were going to form our own anti-club. One day she saw a bruise that Landon had given me and we realized that we had more in common than we knew. Michael was abusing her and that just formed a tighter bond between us. We would talk about ways to get away, depend on each other to make it out but we never did and then she found out she was pregnant with Max. She debated whether or not to even have him. Michael had started to become increasingly angry at their daughter Kelly and Sara was afraid that it was only a matter of time before he stared in on the new baby. But in the end she had Max and he became the love of her life. And she asked me to take care of the kids if anything should ever happen to her. I agreed and meant it but never thought it would really happen."

Lexie felt the tears burning again and Robert put his hand on her knee in support. "Sara knew that I would never let Landon hurt the kids, that I would take the beating for them and I would have." She looked off into space and the first tear drifted down her cheek and she finally looked at him. "I know that this is a huge thing for you to have to take on and I want to do the right thing and give you the option of not having to deal with it. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. This isn't what you signed on for. So honestly Robert, you don't have to decide anything tonight but just be honest with me and we will deal with what comes."

He nodded and looked at her. Ever fear he had was still there but he knew without a doubt that she wasn't going to do this alone.

"It is true, I didn't know this was how it was going to be but when I asked you to marry me I didn't just mean through the easy times. I love you, more than maybe I will ever know. And I know it will take some adjusting but we will make it work."

She smiled at him and touched her palm to his cheek. "You amaze me." He kissed her palm. She smiled at him. There was more and she knew it. It was time.

"Robert, we need to talk about something else." He nodded as he took another drink from his glass. Lexie looked from his eyes to the glass then back at him, his eyes following hers.

"This?" He asked, motioning to the glass in his hand. She nodded. "You think I have a drinking problem?" He was getting defensive and she wanted to be able to discuss this rationally.

"No, I don't think you have a problem. I think that you have been using alcohol to hide from what has been happening."

He was getting more and more pissed by the minute. "This is asinine Lexie. So I have a few drinks every once and a while, big deal, who doesn't?" His voice was rising with each word.

"Can you please just calm down. I am just worried that this will become a habit and I don't want to see that happen."

He stood up and slammed the glass down. "Well, will the drama continue? If so than maybe I should just get used to it and then it won't be a drinking problem, it will be life."

Lexie sighed. He was freaking out and she was starting to get a little pissed also. "Do you really think that I am enjoying the drama? If so than the booze had clouded your judgment even more than I thought." She stood up and walked over to the window.

"Is that what you really think? That my mind is clouded?" He yelled and she turned around and glared at him.

"All I am saying is that you shouldn't hide from the world behind a scotch glass." They both knew that this was getting out of hand and if they didn't stop soon one would say something they would regret but neither would waiver.

"Well if I didn't have to deal with so much dramatic shit so often I wouldn't have to hide. Maybe my mind wouldn't be so clouded. Maybe I would make better choices for my life but I guess that is just the booze talking right?" He hissed.

"And what life decisions would you have made differently?" She asked in a quiet warning voice as they both stared each other down. They knew that what ever his answer was could possibly change the outcome of their future.