Megan sat quietly on the bed in the dark. She waited alone, not knowing if he'd even show up. Not knowing what she would say when he did. And just when she was lost in a sea of endless emotion, she heard the lock click. The door opened and he appeared, clothes wrinkled and disheveled, eyes tired, face sad and scruffy from a few days minus a razor.

"Hey", she said.

He looked surprised. He should have been knocked out of his socks with pure shock to see his wife in New York in his hotel but with the way things in their lives had been going recently, stranger things had happened.

"Hey."

"I hope you don't mind. I'm sorry. I had to find you. You left so quickly…"

"I had to."

"I know", she said.

He rubbed his chin and took a seat at the foot of the bed.

"We have to talk", he began.

"I know."

"I…I haven't been honest with you."

"I know."

Nathan raised an eyebrow.

"You know?"

"She's your baby, isn't she? Haley's daughter…"

There was no more denying it, no more skirting around the issue. No more lies or sorry excuses.

"Yes."

Meg fought back tears. She knew the truth but it still hurt her just the same to hear him speak it.

"Nathan…"

"I'm sorry, Meg. I know I've said it a thousand times but I am. I'm real sorry. For everything. I have failed miserably as a husband and a father and a human being in general. You were so good. Your personality and your heart…you gave yourself to me and I messed up…bad. You never deserved any of it. I put you through so much."

"You know, a part of me hates you. It really does. I am so beyond hurt right now. This whole situation between us is unreal."

"It is but it's my fault…"

"Most of it? Yes, it is. But I can't help but admit some blame myself."

"Meg…"

"I knew."

"You knew what?"

"Everything. Gosh, I'm not stupid, Nathan. From the minute we met and every time Haley came up, I saw the love in your eyes for her."

"That was hate."

"There's a thin line between love and hate, Nathan. I saw raw emotion, a love that wouldn't lay down and die for time or anything else. That's a powerful thing you and Haley had…still have, I guess. But I didn't think she'd come back so I went on loving you, hoping you would love me back."

"I did."

"I know you did. As much as you could, at least."

"I guess it wasn't enough."

"For you or me, Nathan?"

He shook his head.

"How can you be so calm about this? I can't believe you aren't chasing me around with a machete by now."

"What good what it do? Erase all this? Bring Yoanna back? Stop our hurting? It won't do any of that, Nathan. Besides, I'm done. I'm tired. I've cried and been silent. I've yelled and tried to be Mrs. Perfect for you. There is nothing left to do."

"Meg…"

"I shouldn't have married you."

"I shouldn't have cheated."

"No, you shouldn't have but when you got back from Santa Domingo…it was written all over your face. I just chose to ignore it. I blamed it on the stress of surviving the tsunami. But it was more than that. You had so much to deal with that you never dealt with. How could you love me without facing your past first?"

"I don't know…"

"I don't know either. I don't know how or why I let it get this far. I have never been that 'pathetic woman' and I never wanted to be. But I guess I am after all."

"No, you're not."

"How can you say that? Look at what our marriage was. We weren't happy a day since we said 'I do', Nathan. Me holding onto something that wasn't there was just pathetic."

"You just wanted to be happy."

"And so did you. But I wouldn't let you. I couldn't let you go, Nate. Not when you told me you loved her, not even when you admitted you slept with her."

"Megan…"

"I knew the baby was yours. All along I knew it. Even from that very first time we saw it flash on the entertainment news. I had a gut feeling that night. But I didn't say anything. I let it go. I…I tried to pretend it away. But pretending it away didn't make it go away, now did it? I ignored it and it got worse. And now it's in my face."

"I'm so sorry you had to be involved in this. I never meant for it to be this way. I never meant to hurt you…and neither did Haley."

Megan looked away.

"I know but it doesn't matter because it hurts all the same."

"With what happened to us and Yoanna…I know this must be tough on you. You probably don't understand. Hell, I don't understand. But I have to be here…"

"I understand. She's your daughter. As much as I might want to, it isn't in me to hurt or blame an innocent baby."

"I just wish there was something I could do to make this up to you, make it better…"

"Just take care of this baby. Protect her always…from everything. Remember that. It shouldn't matter who her mother is or how she got here. She is here now and despite all of that, she if your daughter."

Nathan nodded. How right she was.

"Look, I know this isn't right and you probably don't want to and I have no right to ask but…can you stay? Just for a little while. My dad is being my dad and trying to act like he's not gonna help but I know he will. He'll come through. Until the transplant is over, I'm gonna stay in New York. I'm not expecting you to have a smile on your face or dive right in to help but I do need you. I know it sounds selfish but I hope it doesn't sound crazy. I need your friendship. I need you right now, Meg."

She looked away.

"It's not crazy at all. I've always been there for you, Nathan."

"Even when I didn't deserve it…and even when I wasn't there for you."

"I always will be. You know that."

He bit his lip and stared at the floor but it didn't stop the tears from sliding down his face. Nathan wiped them away, ashamed, frustrated and angry.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered.

"Too late for apologies now."

"I…didn't want it to be this way", he croaked.

His broad shoulders heaved as his exhausted, strong body released all the built up emotional pain.

"Come here", she beckoned.

He willingly went to her embrace, sobbing like a child as she cradled him in her arms.

"What have I done, Meg?" he kept crying. "What have I done?"

Her own silent tears fell as she held him tighter. They fell back on the bed in each other's arms, no sound except for the echo of sniffles ever so often.

"Nathan?" she finally whispered after an hour or so.

"Yeah?"

Megan took a deep breath.

"I…I just want you to know…I don't know if I've ever said it but I don't hate you. Okay? I hate what you did but I could never hate you. I don't know if that means anything but I really wanted you to know."

"It means everything to me. I hate myself sometimes, Meg. I've hurt you so much and you're still here for me when I need you. That says a lot about your character."

"I'm here for you now. For whatever you need. I can't make promises about tomorrow or next week or next month or next year, hell even two hours from now. But I'm here now."

"I know…and I love you for it."

"I know", she said softly.

He stretched as he sat up and checked the time.

"It's late", he finally spoke. "I have to get back to the hospital…"

"I know", she nodded.

He put his shoes back on. There was so much he wanted to say but it was impossible to get the words out.

"Megan…"

A single tear slid down her cheek as she cupped his handsome face in her tiny hands. She kissed his lips before pulling away.

"You don't have to say a word", she told him quietly. "Just go."