Disclaimer: I don't own ABC or AMC. If I did, do you think the show would be in the state that it is? Plus, it would be Zendall 24/7!
Title: The Dance That We Do
Author: Jayta
Rating: PG13
Show: All My Children
A/N: Wow. Quite a response. I love you all for giving me some feedback. Because as everyone knows, feedback is an author's friend!
A/N 2: Your praise is unwarranted. God is my inspiration for he has shown me what true love is. And though it seems a departure to speak about him, it is through him I know clearly what love is. And how I can see that Kendall and Zach all the makings of people who could be each other's other halves.

Chapter Two: Like A Moth To A Flame

Surveying the room upon entering, Kendall saw a fair-sized living area that had a floor-to- ceiling window opening to the beach. As she slowly meandered into the living area, she noticed the open entranceway that led to the bedroom. The room was fairly big, but not by North American standards. There was a king-sized bed, with a thin-net canopy hanging from above. Fresh arrangements of flowers adorned the room, as the dim lighting and copperish-salmon walls made the room feel intimate - as any honeymoon suite should be. There was also two french doors against the far wall. It was dark, so she couldn't make out what was exactly out there, but she assumed it was a veranda overlooking the ocean as well, similar to the living area. "Looks...uh, comfy," she quipped awkwardly.

Zach followed her into the bedroom. He obviously hadn't thought this thing through. What was he thinking, when he suggested they wait until morning to begin the divorce proceedings? "Uh," he cleared his throat, while his gaze fell upon the bed, "yeah."

Okay, get a grip, man. He knew how to control himself. He was a master of his emotions.

'Ha,' a silent voice scoffed.

"I've got dibs on the bed!" Kendall blurted out.

"W-what?" Zach frowned.

"Dibs. On. The. Bed." She grinned. The jetlag certainly had slowed his reaction time down.

"Now wait a minute," he drawled.

"What, you're going to forego chivalry and make me sleep on the couch?" she challenged. "It's definitely a good thing we're here to get a divorce."

"I would have offered you the bed," Zach said coyly. "You just never gave me the chance. Selfish as always."

"You so were not going to offer me the bed," she retorted. "You're just saying that now because you think you look bad."

"Did not." He took a step forward towards her.

"Oh, you so did!" she exclaimed, pushing her index finger into his chest.

Zach loved their often inane, yet deliciously fun banter. He loved to rile her up. Many times he would say things that he wouldn't necessarily believe, just to see that fire light up in her eyes, and watch her warm up for a fight. And as he stared into her sparkling green eyes, he was drawn in again. His pulse sped up, and all he wanted to do was get closer to her - touch her cheek, caress her hair.

'Wait a second,' a cautious voice rang in his head. 'Danger. Danger.'

"Didn't," he said huskily, dipping his head slightly, so his cheek brushed hers, before pulling away.

It took all she had to not collapse into his arms right then and there. Even his merest touch sent shivers down her spine. Too dangerous. Her thoughts were jumbled, and she was taking her damn time trying to recompose herself. "Well," she said, taking a deep breath. "We probably should get to bed."

Zach spun around at her remark. Tilting his head, as the corner of his lips curled, he raised his brow.

Kendall closed her eyes and silently kicked herself for opening her mouth. "I-I didn't mean...well, go to bed, everyone says that," she began to ramble. "I mean, it practically is said by every person on earth."

"I'm sure they do," he smirked.

"You know I didn't mean it like that," she coughed, growing slightly flustered. "You know I meant, you go to bed and I go to bed..."

"Well there's only one bed..." He motioned to the bed to their right. "So, are you suggesting something so intimate," Zach said, inching closer. "On the eve of our divorce. Maybe a sort of celebration of sorts?"

"For pete's sake!" Kendall yelled, partly out of frustration at the man and fear of the implications of his innuendo. "You're such a jerk! Why do you take the most simple phrases and twist them around to mean something...so not there?"

"What do you mean?" Zach feigned innocence. "All I was trying to do was clarify your statement," he shrugged, "because you, and women in general, don't always say what you mean."

"Okay, that's it," she said, flinging her hands up in the air. "Out! Get out of my room."

Zach stumbled back, as he felt the force of her anger, in the simple push backwards, towards the living room. "Hey," he pouted. "No need for violence."

"I'll violence you, if you don't get out of my room."

"Are you sure?" he said, trying not to smile, knowing it would only make the situation worse. Leaning forwards slightly, he countered her weak pushes, trying to calm her down as she tried to force him out of the room. "You might need me for something?"

"In your dreams, Zach Slater," she huffed, as she placed both hands on his chest and pushed with all her weight. "Now get out. I'm tired and want to catch the first flight out of here."

He stood his ground.

Why did he have to be so tall and strong?

Zach gently grabbed Kendall's wrists and tugged upwards. The result of this, was her losing her traction and slightly tumbling into him. He quickly slipped his arms around her waist, to keep her from falling down.

She tried to brace herself against him, but it was too late. Now he held her tightly against his body and she could feel the heat emanating from him, like it was permeating her body and causing her own body temperature to rise. The nearness of him, his scent, made her mouth go dry. It was as if she couldn't catch her breath, as their eyes locked, and his lips were only millimetres away.

He could kiss her. All he would have to do is lean tilt his head slightly and her warm, sweet lips would be entangled with his. It would feel good and it would...be all wrong.

Kendall searched his dark unreadable eyes. Was he really there? Was this all a game? She wished she knew what it was he wanted from her. At moments like these, she felt like the dream she had when she was at the hospital could be true - that he could have declared his love for her.

"Are you all right?" he asked, clearing his throat, his gaze never leaving hers.

"Y-yeah," she whispered, her hands sliding down the length of his arms. "I'm fine." She smiled faintly and looked away.

"All right then," he said, speaking a little louder now, slowly extricating his arms from around her waist. "You were right. It is getting a little late."

Backing away - running away - it was what he was good at.

She watched him lean towards the entranceway, slowly, as if hesitating, before disappearing from sight. It was crazy; loving him was crazy. Kendall wanted to scream, as she remained staring at the empty entrance. He was only a few feet away; yet they were miles apart.

--&--

After arguing with Zach in the courtyard about bringing a nightbag, here she stood without even a toothbrush. She sighed to herself, trudging into the bathroom to see what she could find. It was creepy; as if the hotel elves heard her thoughts, she found a toothbrush, toothpaste and even a little shaving kit, neatly arranged on the bathroom counter. They think of everything.

Slipping out of her grubby clothes, she turned on the shower, letting the droplets of cool water dance across the palm of her hand as she waited for it to warm. Humming to herself, she tried to push the fact that Zach was just in the next room. Of course he would have to enter the bedroom to get ready for bed. As the sound of water beating against the walls filled her ears, Kendall began scheming how to avoid another confrontation - good or otherwise.

She could just pretend to be asleep by the time he realized where the bathroom was. Or she could hide out on the veranda, until she was sure he was safely on the other side of the suite. Slipping into the shower, Kendall realized how childish this seemed. She was a grown woman. She should be able to handle having her soon-to-be ex-husband in the same room with her. But of course, their circumstances were not exactly typical.

The water felt good against her skin. She could feel the tension slipping away under the hard, fast pressure of the hot water. All she needed to do was forget about Zach Slater. All she needed to do was get through one night, without crumbling under the pressure of being in love with a man who didn't even want her.

--&--

He would have unpacked, but it seemed pointless. It wasn't as if he had anywhere to put his things. He would have to wait until tomorrow - until she left on a plane back to Pine Valley. He would have to wait until his divorce was final.

But here they were stranded in the same room together. He had foolishly believed that it would only take the afternoon to be free from this woman he had come to care about. Stupidly, he thought the quicker he got this over with, the faster he could attempt to forget her. However, the end of the night had proved how hard that was going to be.

Glancing over his shoulder, he imagined Kendall lying in that bed alone, and what it would be like to quietly slip in beside her, to slide his hands around her waist and hold her close. Stop it. Groaning slightly, Zach tried to turn his thoughts to business. He had a couple of meetings with old acquaintances from his past that happened to be vacationing on the island.

He scanned the living room, looking for a place where there might possibly be spare linens, or blankets or pillows. Nada. His eyes darted over to the open doorway between the living room and the bedroom. It would most practically be in one of the drawers or closets in the bedroom. He sighed. Surely she couldn't fault him for wanting something to sleep with.

Cautiously, he made his way to the entranceway. He peeked around the corner of the dimly lit room. It was empty, though he could see a light from the crack underneath the bathroom door. Safe. Quickly, Zach zipped through the dresser drawers and found a couple of spare pillows. He then went to the closet, beside the bathroom door. There were a couple of spare sheets and a blanket. "All set," he said to himself. As he turned to leave the room, he heard the sound of the shower suddenly grow silent. Quickly he snuck back onto 'his' side of the suite before she caught him.

He couldn't help but chuckle to himself. It was like was a teenage boy or something, sneaking around girl's rooms. Shaking his head, he threw his 'bed' onto the decorative couch. It was more like a loveseat than a couch; and it looked like it would be even uncomfortable sitting on it, compared to spending the night on the thing.

This was going to be one long night.

----&----

"Zach?" Kendall began to look through the dresser drawers, to see if the resort had left any other goodies for her. "Zach?" she repeated herself. "Oh soon-to-be ex-husband of mine! Are you there?"

Sifting through his open suitcase, he gathered his bathroom accessories, as he was ready to turn in for the night. "Yes dear," he sang, with syrupy sweetness. "Now would you answer me this?"

"What is it?" Kendall stood up, glancing towards the entrance with its contrasting bright light, streaming into her room.

"Are you done with the bathroom, dear?"

"Yes," she sighed dryly. Kendall rolled her eyes and trudged over to the other side of the suite. Peeking around the corner, she stuck her tongue out at her husband. "You can use the bathroom now."

"Good." Zach grabbed his things, prepared to wash up.

"So I see you found a pillow and blanket," she said distractedly, her eyes fixed upon the small pile of linens and pillows.

"Well, who said chivalry wasn't without its sufferings, eh?" he sighed. "But, I do it for the well-being of my ladyfair. Besides, I've got the bed for another week."

"Say," Kendall said perking up. "You planned for more than a few days here, right?"

"Right," he said slowly. He didn't like that expression on her face. Already he could hear the gears grinding.

"Then you must have brought extra clothing?" Sliding from behind the safety of the wall, Kendall tugged at the large terrycloth bathrobe tied loosely around her.

"Possibly."

"Because today, someone dragged me onto a plane without even a change of clothes, even though I firmly told them that I could not leave without at least carry-on bag," she said slowly and deliberately, layng the foundations of her case. "And then proceeded to tell me we were going to have everything settled by the end of the day; which left me to believe I should depart to a remote island with just the clothes on my back."

Zach folded his arms across his chest, tilting his head slightly bemused, as he allowed her to finish her elaborate rambling.

"Which now leaves me with no clothes to wear tomorrow, when we get to the courthouse as well as to sleep in."

"Are you finished? Because it's getting late," he yawned. "And I think I just might fall asleep standing here."

Kendall narrowed her gaze on Zach, who seemed to be having fun at her expense.

"Though I now see how the stories of falling asleep while standing, is an actual probability."

"You're such a jerk!" she growled, as the floppy sleeves of her bathrobe folded across her chest. "Go!" She gestured with a sharp jerk of her head, towards the bathroom. "Use the bathroom, while I'm still gracious enough to let you into my room."

"So there wasn't a point to that intriguing story?"

Kendall bit her tongue and refused to reply.

"You do have something to where," he informed coyly. "What are you talking about?" Zach chuckled as he strode past his fuming wife. "You know," he said, slowing down as he passed. "You could just sleep in your birthday suit."

"Shut up," she hissed, giving him a shove towards the door. "Wash up quick because I want to sleep."

As the soft padding of his feet drifted from hearing, Kendall eyed Zach's suitcase. She was his wife after all. The divorce wasn't final yet. She took a step closer to the couch, where he had propped open his suitcase. Licking her lips, she tried to see what exactly he had packed.

All she needed was something to sleep in.

As Zach had mentioned so obnoxiously before, sleeping in the nude had been a thought, but with Zach next door, she didn't feel quite inclined. And sleeping in the bathrobe didn't appeal to her either. Inching closer to the couch until she was standing over top of it, Kendall rubbed her hands together and smiled mischievously. What do we have here?

--&--

"What are you doing?"

"What?" Kendall spun around, placing her hands against her chest, startled at Zach's quiet appearance. Her heart was racing.

Zach's eyes ran down the length of her body, starting from her shocked and stunned expression to the overly large, white silk shirt that skimmed along her lean frame, that stopped mid-thigh, revealing her shapely legs. She looked sweet and innocent with the oversized shirt almost swallowing her whole; yet she was the harbinger of seduction. The cold shower he had taken had been a mute point; swallowing hard, he forced himself to look away. "I see you found my favorite shirt," he coughed, as he began to fidget with the clothes in his hand.

"I can see why," Kendall grinned mischievously, hugging herself - her hands enveloped in the thin, smooth cloth. "It's really soft."

"My question is, why are you in my favorite shirt?" he asked, somewhat distracted and irritated. Keeping his focus on the disarray surrounding his suitcase, he strode over and began picking up splayed pieces of clothing.

"I never heard you say you'd mind," she said defensively, folding her arms across her chest. "What's mine is yours, and yours is mine, darling?" She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "Well at least until we get divorced, and then half of everything is mine."

"But it's still my shirt." Zach still averted his eyes, knowing how weak he felt when she was fully clothed. "And you don't just go into someone's things and start wearing them," he said, as if he were trial lawyer stating his case. "I mean, what if..."

"What if you started wearing my clothing?" she interrupted him, finishing his thought. "Well, honey, I'd start worrying, more than getting irate." She laughed at the image that popped up at her witty remark.

"Not the point," Zach sighed, rubbing his eyes. "The fact is, you didn't respect my privacy."

Kendall couldn't believe how annoyed and irritated he was getting over a simple white shirt. She was beginning to think it was about something else. But what? "Well I could just take it off for you," she smirked, turning the tension in the room to something else. Moving closer to him, she began to play with the collar of the loose shirt, until she stood only inches away. It could have been likened to something like a moth drawn to a flame.

Their eyes met. She could feel his warm breath against her skin; a sensation that relaxed her, yet sent a tingling sensation through her. He was so very near...

"What is this?" He grabbed her wrists, as her fingers continued to play with thin material, his eyes burrowing into hers. Did she know what she was doing - this game that she was playing - to him? Did she know he only had a certain amount of self control?

Could she tell him? Is this what she wanted? There had always been this fire between them - whether it was out of love or loathing - and she didn't know if was about to consume them both. Is this how it's supposed to go?

"Is this what you want?" he hissed, pulling her closer to him. He lowered his head until they touched, his eyes never leaving hers.

This feeling that burned deep inside of him, the fire she had reignited, that he thought he would never feel or want again, was near the stage of combustion. In this untouchable woman that stood in front of him he had found his equal. Beautiful and full of fire, she was not a woman to be controlled or manipulated. His wife was everything he wanted - and wanted right now.

Just as quickly as she had fallen so easily into the seduction, Kendall found herself quickly frightened at the nearness of him. What she wanted, the man she had so haplessly fallen in love with, stood in front of her. And suddenly a flood of memories filled her head, of the men she had fallen in love with - fallen into bed with - and she was terrified. She had given herself too easily and was left empty and broken; and it could not happen again - not again. "No," was all she said. And he had his answer. Zach quickly released her wrists as if her mere touch scorched him, turning his back to her. How could one woman drive a man to the height of love and to the depths of despair.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, backing away. Part of her didn't even know why she was apologizing. It was their dance - the dance they had done since the very beginning. However, this time it seemed they had crossed that line from subtle or playful banter, into a place where emotions and meaning lay.

"No," he said hoarsely, shaking his head. "No need." And with three words, the emotionless mask was donned again.

It was almost unnoticeable, but it was there. Kendall bit the inside of her cheek, slightly confused and bewildered at what she had seen. Had she seen a flicker of raw emotion from him? an image she had seen before, taunting her, reflected in her own eyes?

Then as if it were yesterday, the memory of the sound Zach's voice resurfaces, as if it had been yesterday. Deep in the darkness, she had heard his voice calling her name. She had heard him confessing to her, 'I'm falling in love with you.'