Disclaimer: I do not own JA or any of the characters.

Second Thoughts

Bruce had stopped pacing. He couldn't get the image of David kissing Amy out of his head. He looked up at the house and saw David leaving. Amy was embracing him; he held his breath as she kissed him. He stepped out of the shadows, ready to confront David but he stopped short when he saw somebody else running out of the house.

"Come on Dad, we have to get home." David reluctantly released his hold on Amy before replying.

"I'm coming, I will see you tomorrow baby." He kissed her quickly on the lips before following Victor to the car. Bruce stepped back into the shadows. He let them leave before walking up to the house, and rang the door bell.

"Bruce, why are you still here?"

"Amy I need you. Please talk to me."

"Mom, who's at the door? Is Victor back?" Lauren came running up to the door. "Oh it's only you. What are you doing here Mr Van Exel?"

"Lauren I told you to go get ready for bed." Lauren turned and went up the stairs. "Let's speak out here." Amy closed the front door and walked out onto the porch.

"What is it you don't get? I am giving David a second chance! You, you caught me off guard. I would have regretted sleeping with you, you have to understand that. I do have feelings for you, we have some deep connection. But us being together would be, it just wouldn't work."

"But we could be so good together, as you said we have some deep connection."

"Yes, we probably could be good together but I think that what we have is more lust than anything else." Tears were filling Amy's eyes, she knew that what she was saying was hurting Bruce. But it was something that had to be said. She looked up at him and saw the sorrow in his eyes. "Maybe if David had never come along, then maybe, but Bruce it is too late. I was swept up in the moment."

"An all day moment?"

"Bruce stop it. I admitted I have feelings for you. But me and you. We can never be together, it's a fact that you seemed to take pleasure in telling me before. I can't deal with you being like you are, you always have to be right!"

"And you don't?"

"Bruce, you have to understand. It's something you have been asking me to do since, since for what seems like forever. We can be friends and nothing more!" She stepped forward and hugged him. He stood frozen like a statue. His arms embraced her, his fingers entangled in her hair. "We will always be friends Bruce. Always." She moved away from him, and looked up into his dark mysterious eyes. "Always." She dragged herself back inside and closed the door. At first Bruce didn't move, he wanted to do was call her back and say that he had been wrong all those times before, that being friends, it just was going to be too hard. That he had always loved her, especially since his trial and the speech she had made. He sighed before he stepped off the porch and walked to his car. He would wait for her, she would come around. He hoped that she would come around.

Amy stood leaning against the door. She hurt from what she had said to him. She hurt so bad that she wanted to run out and take it back. But she loved David too much. She owed him his second chance, Bruce had never let his guard down apart from once in her apartment, and even then he had backed off. He had in a sense had more than a second chance already. Her feelings for Bruce were deep down, buried. Only let out when her emotional guard was down. Like today, her anger had caused her to drop her guard, and for some reason Bruce's guard had also happened to be down. Her confused thoughts and feelings were interupted by the phone ringing.

"Hello? Gray residence."

"Amy, I miss you already."

"David?"

"Yeah it's me. I can't wait to tomorrow night."

"Me either, what time shall I come over?"

"Well, I was thinking that I would pick you up at yours at about 7."

"Sure, why not."

"I have a surprise for you."

"Really, what is it?"

"If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?"

"I hate surprises when I have to wait for them!"

"You only have to wait till tomorrow morning, I will tell you then!"

"Now I won't be able to sleep,"

"Uhuh, you need to get your sleep though because you won't be getting that much sleep tomorrow night either."

"Is that so?"

"Yes that is so."

"Mom I can't sleep." Lauren stood on the top step.

"Well neither can I," Amy mumbled,

"What?"

"Lauren go back upstairs, I will be with you in a minute."

"But mom,"

"I'm sorry, I have to go, duty calls."

"Can I call you back?"

"I'll call you."

"Ok, I'm thinking of you."

"Speak to you in a minute." Amy hung up the phone and went upstairs to deal with Lauren.

"Why can't you sleep?" Amy played with Laurens hair,

"I keep thinking about bad stuff that can happen."

"Like what?" Amy asked concerned,

"Nothing specific, I just can't sleep."

"Well try thinking of something nice."

"Like Victor?" Amy had to block out images of Lauren and Victor together. It was too much.

"Um, yeah sure."

"Ok," Lauren rolled over and left Amy sitting on the side of the bed bewildered."Night mom."

"Night noodle." Amy kissed her on her forehead and then turned off the light and made her way to her room.

After having her shower she settled on the bed and picked up the phone. She dialled David's number.

"Hi Amy,"

"You knew it was me?"

"Well you did say you were going to call back. So what was the problem?"

"Lauren couldn't sleep."

"You sorted it?"

"Yeah, but...."

"What?"

"I told her to think of something nice to help her sleep, and she made a suggestion."

"What was it?"

"That she would think of Victor."

"Ahhh, so you're freaked out now?"

"Just a little bit."

"Are you going to go to sleep thinking about me?"

"Could be, hang on I have to braid my hair, it's making my shirt all wet." She left David with that comment and placed the phone on the bed while she braided her hair. "There that's better."

"I wish I could be there with you."

"You'll just have to wait until tomorrow," Amy smiled and lay back into her pillow, twidling the phone cord.

"Couldn't you sneak over here, you know and then sneak home before tomorrow?"

"David, I can't."

"I'm only kidding."

"I wish I could but Lauren would wake up."

"You don't know that, besides your mother is there isn't she?"

"Yeah, but she would panic if I disappeared."

"Well you could leave a note."

"I could, but I still can't. Not tonight. I will see you tomorrow."

"I'll be thinking of you as I sleep."

"I'll be thinking of you, sweet dreams."

"They will be. I love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

"Bye sweetie."

"Bye." Amy threw the phone onto the bed. And thought about everything that had happened to that day. It all seemed so surreal.

Bruce lay on his bed thinking about Amy, he picked up the phone several times, but hung up before it could ring. All he wanted to do was make sure she was happy, and he had almost spoilt that by confronting David. He sighed and threw his phone on the side, he would just have to be patient. All the guys that Amy went out with, all of them ended in tears and so would this one, and he would as always be there to comfort her. He hoped that she would realise what she meant to him, that he was always there for her no matter what. Everything she had said was true, they had always had feelings, deep down they both knew that.