Well this is it! The last chapter! But don't worry there is a sequal on its way :D.

Lee - Did ya like the punch in the last part? hehe.

History Repeated Part 28 Final: Listen To Your Heart

Tess woke in the middle of the night. For a moment she'd forgotten where she was and what had happened. Then in an instant it all came rushing back to her. She shut her eyes again, wanting to block it all out. Like so many times before, it didn't work.

Looking around the slightly illuminated room, her eyes fell on Alex. He was in the corner, asleep in a plastic chair. He looked so uncomfortable, hunched over in it.

Again, Tess closed her eyes, squeezing tightly. She couldn't bear it. The pain was unbearable. Her heart was shattering all over again as the memories came flooding back more vivid than the moment before.

She felt a hand on hers. With enormous courage her eyes flicked open. Through the blur of her tears she saw Alex.

Knowing that Tess needed all the comfort in the world, Alex took her in his arms and laid beside her in the hospital bed.

He held her sobbing body until the first rays of sunlight began to poke through the window.

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He looked like death on legs when he left her room in the early hours of the morning. Being up most of the night had taken its toll on Alex Ryan.

Moving down the corridor he saw his mother and Nick were still in the waiting room.

"Oh Alex," Liz stood up, rushing over to him, whilst Nick stayed seated, "How's Tess?"

Alex shook his head as his flat reply came, "As you'd expect. She's a wreck."

Liz's hand came to her son's cheek, "Darling you should get some rest. I'll sit with Tess"

Alex was exhausted , so took his mother up on the offer.

Handing him her car keys Liz said, "Now I know you won't go to a motel, so put the seat down in my car and try and get some rest."

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"I'm so sorry for your loss, Tess," Liz whispered as she took the woman's hand in hers.

"Thank you, Liz," Tess whispered, meeting the older woman's eyes.

Liz sat on the bed beside Tess, still gripping her hand. She wanted to offer some words of comfort, but for the first time in her life found that she was speechless. Seeing Tess so vulnerable had really knocked her.

"But you've suffered a loss too," Tess went on, holding the tears back, "The baby's father... that married man, it was-"

"I know," Liz whispered, patting Tess' hand, "I've always known Tess."

Tess looked away, unable to hold the tears in anymore.

"I know it hurts now, Tess," Liz spoke softly, "But it will get better from here on."

"I hope you're right," Tess whispered, looking back at Liz again, "Because it really hurts, Liz."

Leaning over, the two women embraced. Their relationship had reached a new height.

"It hurts so much," Tess sobbed.

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Nick stared at the white walls around him. He felt sick. Finding out he'd had a child, and losing it in the same day... it was the stuff that nightmares were made of.

He wanted to comfort Tess, but knew Alex was doing that. He knew that she probably wasn't ready to see him yet, anyway.

But he hated doing nothing. He hated being on the outside. But it was his own behavior that had landed him there. If he hadn't been such an idiot and thrown such wild accusations around, they probably wouldn't be where they were that day.

Standing up, he made a decision to visit Tess. He needed to see her, to at least try and explain.

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Alex grunted, moving about in the lowered car seat. It was obvious that sleep wasn't going to come easy to him. Too much worry was on his mind.

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Liz had left the two of them alone, hoping that her son wouldn't upset Tess anymore than she already was. The girl needed to heal, not receive any deeper gashes to her heart. Liz hoped Nick remembered that.

"Nick, I don't want you here," Tess whispered, thinking perfectly clearly now. She'd made the decision that she had to cut all ties with Nick. The need to make that clear to him was stronger now. She had to listen to her heart, or it would never stop aching. History could not be repeated anymore than it already had been.

"I need to explain..." He was almost pleading.

"Please, would you just leave? All you've ever done is caused me pain, and I can't take anymore of it... It hurts, Nick... it hurts too much to have you in my life."

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Nick whispered, his eyes full of pain.

"I know," Tess replied, "But it did happen, Nick"

Nick needed to know one thing, so he asked the question that had been playing on his mind ever since he had found out about his child, "Tess, would you have told me about the baby if this hadn't happened?"

Tess looked away, not able to answer him.

Taking the answer as it was given, Nick silently left the room.

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Their paths crossed in the corridor. Alex had given up on sleep, and Nick had just left Tess's room.

"Don't worry, I didn't upset her," Nick got in before Alex could threaten him.

"Keep away from her, Nick," Alex warned as their mother moved towards them, "You leave her alone."

As Nick moved away, Liz took Alex by the arm. Looking up at him concerned, she spoke, "There's something more to this, Alex... What is it?"

Alex took a deep breath and openly whispered to his mother, "I love her, Mum."