Thank you to Mariana, JenJenxx, Sunny, Emzzie, Kaz, Jen, Michelle, The Obsessed three, Cynthia and ally for your reviews.

Any mistakes are mine, because I've had a few too many vodkas tonight…oops!

The Rainy Day Women

Sandy had been on the bus for over an hour. It was quiet, except for a handful of passengers. An old man sat near the front and Sandy could hear him snoring. He thought of Kirsten and how she always snored softly when she slept, and how she always denied it when he teased her. A few seats in front of him, a woman was talking excitedly on the phone, and Sandy guessed that she was going home to a loved one. He wondered whether Kirsten would be waiting for him when he got home. Behind him, he could hear a young couple whispering and giggling and kissing. It reminded him of when he first met Kirsten and how they couldn't keep their hands off each other, and how it almost got them in trouble on several occasions.

As he sat alone on the bus, Sandy realised that everything in his life came back to Kirsten. He had known it all along, he had just been too stupid to see it; because while Rebecca had always been running away from him, Kirsten had always been running towards him. He loved Kirsten; he wanted Kirsten. Rebecca was the past; Kirsten was the present and the future. And if Kirsten didn't know that, Sandy was going to make sure that she did. He only hoped that he wasn't too late.

Life had taken its toll on their marriage recently: Ryan moving back to Chino; Seth running away; Lindsey; Caleb; Rebecca. They had all played their part, but Sandy knew that he was a part of this mess too. He had always believed that their marriage was unbreakable and they could stand anything that life threw at them. Only, it wasn't true. They were falling, and every time they started to get back on their feet, something else would come alone to knock them over again. Sandy wanted to put up a barrier around them, to hide from the outside world while they rebuilt themselves.

Lost in his thoughts, Sandy didn't notice them approaching Newport until the bus pulled up at the station. He glanced out the window and saw Kirsten waiting outside in the rain for him. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her. He knew he would be crazy to think that this meant he was forgiven, but it gave him hope. Maybe he had a chance to save his marriage.

He came off the bus and went immediately to her, joining her under her umbrella.

"You took the bus?" Kirsten questioned.

"I told you, nothing's keeping me from you," Sandy told her.

Kirsten looked sadly at him. "Is it over?"

"I promise you, it never started."

Sandy leant tentatively towards her, kissing her. He pulled back and stared deep into her eyes, hoping that she could see how much he loved her. Feeling bold, he kissed her again and was relieved when she reciprocated.

Kirsten accepted the kiss from him, wrapping her arm around his neck and clinging tightly to him. She pushed the anger and confusion out of her mind as she held onto him, finding the familiar taste of his lips comforting. Even though she was still angry with him, Kirsten needed him more; she needed to know that he was back and that he wasn't going to leave her again. If he was unsure where he wanted to be, Kirsten hoped that her kiss would remind him of how wonderful the past twenty years had been.

The umbrella dropped from Kirsten's hand as it joined her other arm around his neck and she hugged him tightly, burying her head in his shoulder. She didn't care about the rain.

"I love you, Kirsten," Sandy said, holding her against him.

"I love you too," Kirsten whispered.

Sandy sighed with relief when he heard her say those words. He pulled back.

"Can you forgive me?" he asked.

Kirsten dropped her head. She wanted to say yes and forgive him, but it wasn't that easy. She couldn't pretend that the past few weeks hadn't happened or that he hadn't hurt her. He had lied and, deep down, she still didn't believe that he hadn't cheated. If she could turn back time, she would; but that was impossible.

"Let's go home," she said eventually, ignoring his question.

She turned away from him and Sandy followed her to the car. They drove home in silence, neither of them wanting to make small talk. There were deeper things to talk about – questions that needed to be asked, answers that needed to be given.

Kirsten pulled into the drive and glanced over at Sandy. She had been unnerved by his unusual silence as she drove, his normal backseat driving absent. She caught his eye and smiled sadly at the awkwardness between them, knowing that he could feel it too. She led them up to the house and paused as they walked through the front door. Sandy almost fell over her as she stopped suddenly and peered over her shoulder. His heart jumped when he saw a pile of luggage in the doorway.

"Oh, God, Kirsten. You were leaving? Did we really reach that far? Please, I know I've been an idiot, but please don't go," Sandy begged, jumping to the wrong conclusion.

Kirsten frowned, looking at the luggage and back at Sandy. "Sandy…"

"Please, don't leave. We can work it out, right? We'll be ok," Sandy continued.

"Sandy!" Kirsten cried. "It's not my luggage."

"It's not?"

Kirsten smiled, genuinely this time, at his concerned expression. She shook her head. "No."

"So, who's is it?"

They heard footsteps come towards them from the kitchen and turned to see a very wet Summer appear.

"Oh, thank God your home!" Summer declared.

"Summer? Are you moving in?" Sandy asked.

"Why are you so wet?" Kirsten asked.

Summer rolled her eyes. "I came to see Seth and he…well, he's got himself in a bit of trouble."

"Trouble?" Kirsten immediately panicked.

"Oh, nothing bad," Summer relieved her fears. "It's his own stupid fault."

She gestured for Kirsten and Sandy to follow and they did so obediently, following her out into the backyard. Kirsten gasped when she saw Seth still hanging from the roof, while Sandy stifled a laugh.

"Oh my God! What are you doing?" Kirsten asked, dumbstruck.

"Hello Mother! Father!" Seth greeted them.

"Are you ok?" Kirsten asked, bending over slightly and tipping her head as she looked at her upside-down son.

"Uh huh. Apart from all the blood in my body has rushed to my head," Seth answered.

"How did this happen?" Sandy asked.

"The dumbass was trying to fix the aerial!" Summer answered for Seth. "I called the fire department, but because of the weather, they're not responding to anything that's not an emergency. And apparently, this isn't an emergency."

Sandy stood back as he tried to figure out a way to get Seth down.

"I think we're just going to have to cut you loose," Sandy said.

Kirsten and Seth shot identical glares towards Sandy.

"Cut him down?"

"Cut me down?"

They spoke at once and Sandy grinned as he nodded, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"Don't worry, son, it'll only hurt for a minute," Sandy teased, disappearing into the house to find something to cut the rope.

Kirsten looked over at Summer and noticed her shivering, her entire body wet.

"Why don't we go inside and get warmed up while Sandy gets Seth down?" Kirsten suggested, wrapping one arm around Summer's shoulders.

She led her into the house, ignoring Seth's pleas as they left him hanging alone outside. Sandy passed them on his way out, in his hands a pair of garden shears sharp enough to cut the thick rope that was attached to Seth and a camera.

"Sandy? Please be careful," Kirsten instructed.

Ten minutes later, Kirsten had sent Summer to get changed into dry clothes while she made some hot drinks and a bedraggled Seth came through the door to the kitchen.

"Where's your dad?"

"Pulling the cover over the pool," Seth answered. He gratefully accepted a cup of hot tea from his mother. "Where's Summer?"

"Getting changed. And so should you," Kirsten ordered.

Seth nodded and Kirsten noticed a change in him.

"So the boat trick worked, huh?" she asked.

"Uh, no, in the end, Summer just couldn't resist my endearing charms," Seth gloated.

Kirsten smiled. "So we don't have to put up with Boyz II Men blasting through the house any more?"

"Boyz to who?" Seth asked innocently.

Kirsten laughed. "You should go and get changed, before you get ill."

Seth nodded and saluted her. "Yes, Ma'am."

Kirsten handed him another cup of tea. "Here, take this to Summer."

"Thanks, Mom," Seth said, disappearing just as Sandy came in from outside.

He shook his mop of hair and water flew out at every angle.

"That'll be one to pull out on his wedding day," Sandy laughed, waving the camera at her triumphantly.

Kirsten couldn't help but laugh as she handed Sandy the last steaming cup. "I don't know how he gets himself in these situations."

"Well, he doesn't get it from me," Sandy declared.

Kirsten grunted in disagreement and Sandy grinned at her. It almost felt like they were back to normal already, until that awkward silence reappeared.

"I think I'm gonna go take a shower," Kirsten announced.

She left the kitchen quickly, before Sandy could respond. Seth's escapade had distracted them for a while, but she knew the inevitable was coming. They had to talk about her some time. Kirsten escaped to the bedroom, stripping off her clothes and retreating into the shower, making sure the bathroom door was locked behind her. She usually left it unlocked, but she needed time to herself for a while.

He would ask her again to forgive him, and Kirsten needed to know what her answer would be. She wasn't sure herself yet if she could forgive, even though she wanted to. As the hot water cascaded down her body, she closed her eyes and replayed twenty years of memories in her mind. The first time she saw him, the first time she kissed him, the first time she made love to him; the day he had proposed, the day they had got married; the day she discovered she was pregnant with Seth, the day he was born, his first day at school; every kiss, every hug, every 'I love you' they had ever shared. Twenty years of memories that Kirsten wouldn't swap for anything in the world.

And then she found her answer: twenty years wasn't enough. She wanted more time with him, to create more memories. Life without Sandy seemed impossible – more impossible than forgiving him. She loved him.

Dragging herself out from the shower, Kirsten wrapped herself in her bathrobe and went through to the bedroom. Sandy was stood at the window, watching the rain outside.

"There's a storm on the way," he told her.

Kirsten shuddered. She hated storms.

She sat down on her side of the bed and began to rub her wet hair with a towel. Sandy walked slowly over to the bed and sat down beside her. Kirsten stopped and looked at him. Silently, Sandy took the towel from her hands and started to dry her hair for her. It was something he had always done for her. Kirsten would close her eyes and Sandy would massage her head as he rubbed her hair dry, usually accompanied with a flurry of kisses over her neck and shoulders.

There were no kisses this time.

"I'm sorry," Sandy apologised, continuing to rub her hair.

"I know," Kirsten responded quietly.

"Will you ever be able to forgive me?" Sandy asked apprehensively.

Kirsten pulled her head away and turned to face him. "I need to know…I need you to be honest with me. Last night, in the motel room, did you and…did you and Rebecca…did you…"

"No," Sandy interrupted firmly. "I promise, nothing happened."

Kirsten searched his eyes for the truth and Sandy persevered.

"I promise," he repeated. "All I could think about was you. How much I had hurt you and how much I wished I could take it all back."

"But you can't," Kirsten said.

"I know," Sandy admitted sadly.

"And Rebecca – has she gone?" Kirsten questioned.

Sandy nodded.

"What about up here?" Kirsten asked, placing her hand on the side of Sandy's head. "Is she gone from up here?"

"She'll always be there, Kirsten. Just like Jimmy will always be there in yours," Sandy said cautiously, hoping not to upset her. "But what I felt for her then is in the past, I promise you. I love you."

A tear ran down Kirsten's cheek and Sandy gently wiped it away. "I love you," he repeated.

"You hurt me. You put her before us, before our family," Kirsten sighed, squeezing her eyes shut and wishing she could find the right words to explain. "I just…I feel like ever since she came back, she reminded you of everything you used to be and everything you used to want. And it was never this, it was never a Newport life."

"Oh, baby, I just want you," Sandy said. "And I know I've done a bad job of showing it recently."

More tears fell from Kirsten's eyes. "I just keep thinking about what would have happened if she hadn't run. Because I can't imagine my life without you."

"You don't have to, because I'm not going anywhere," Sandy said. "You know what I think? I think even if Rebecca hadn't run away, you and me – we would have still met and I still would have fallen in love with you. How could I not?"

Sandy cupped her face and kissed her lips softly, before pulling her into his arms. Kirsten fell into him, letting the tears fall and soak into his shirt. Sandy was the only person she ever showed her vulnerable side to; she couldn't help it, he brought it out of her. She wanted to show him how much she was hurting.

"I'm so sorry," Sandy said again.

"I don't want to ever do this again," Kirsten said, her voice hard.

"We won't," Sandy promised. "You wanted me to choose and I did. I chose you. I choose you, because I love you and I can't imagine my life without you."

He found her lips and kissed them again. Kirsten reciprocated urgently, trying to lose herself in him; trying to banish the thoughts from her mind. She played his words over and over in her head. "I love you…I'm sorry…I love you." It was the same voice that had always spoken to her. They were same eyes that had always looked at her; the same lips that had always kissed her; the same hands that had always touched her.

But what if that voice had spoken to her? What if his eyes had looked at her like that? What if his lips had kissed her and his hands touched her?

Kirsten pushed Sandy off of her. "I'm sorry, I can't do this."

Sandy sighed. "Are we ever going to get back what we had?"

"I don't know," Kirsten answered sadly. "I don't know if I want to."

Sandy looked scared and Kirsten touched his face reassuringly. "I just feel like we weren't almost weren't strong enough to get through this."

"Baby, you and me, we're strong enough to get through anything," Sandy tried to reassure her.

Kirsten nodded, wishing she could believe him, but she couldn't. Rebecca had almost broken them and despite Sandy's words, Kirsten wasn't sure she they could pick themselves up from it.

"I'm just so tired, Sandy," Kirsten whispered.

Sandy smoothed the hair back from her face gently. "Let's get some sleep, huh?"

Kirsten stood up wearily and went back into the bathroom to blow-dry her hair. By the time she re-emerged, Sandy was waiting for her in bed. She climbed in next to him and accepted his embrace, curling up against him.

"We're going to be ok, I promise," Sandy whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too," Kirsten replied.

She listened as she heard Sandy fall asleep next to her, before rolling over away from him. Sandy followed instinctively, his hand draping over her waist and Kirsten smiled to herself.

She knew he loved her; she loved him too. But was it enough any more?

She lifted her left hand and stared at her wedding rings around her finger. She was Mrs Kirsten Cohen. But Rebecca had threatened that, and Kirsten had been left wondering who she would be if she wasn't Mrs Kirsten Cohen. Kirsten Nichol didn't exist any more – she had left her behind twenty years ago.

Slowly and carefully, Kirsten slid each ring off of her finger and looked at her naked hand. It looked strange without the sparkling diamonds. In a funny way, it scared her and she felt a shiver run down her spine. But, as she went to put the rings back on, she paused.

Maybe it was time to find out who she really was.