In the morning Annie slowly walked into the kitchen when Allison decided to show off her newest sound. Annie's eyes were red and tears still stained her cheeks. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun on the top of her head. She wore the same clothes she had shown up in the night before.

"Nee nee," Allison babbled.

"Yes baby girl that's Annie," Teddy said, "that's your big sister."

"It's just baby babbling," Annie said.

"She made that sound when she saw you," Teddy smiled, "she says nee nee and dada. I'm still waiting for mama."

"She says ma," Annie said, "I heard it when I popped into the daycare the other day."

Teddy asked, "why did you pop in you don't do that often?"

"Sad day in neuro," Annie said, "tragic brain disease in a one year old. Shepherd has to remove half her brain. I wanted to see a happy healthy baby."

"I heard about that," Teddy said, "it's a tragedy."

"It is," Annie agreed.

"What's your plan for today," Teddy asked.

"I'm meeting Josh at the park to walk and talk," Annie said.

"When," Teddy asked.

"Noon," Annie replied, "he's at Nathan's we texted before I came down. I need to go home and get cleaned up."

Teddy said, "I can lend you a top if you want."

"I need to straighten my hair and you don't have a straightener," Annie said.

"Are you eating breakfast," Teddy asked, "I was doing waffles."

"Do you have raspberries," Annie asked.

"I do and I sent Owen for whipped cream," Teddy said.

"I'm staying," Annie said, "I don't know how much I can eat."

Annie poured herself a cup of coffee and topped up Teddy's cup.

Teddy nodded, "eat what you can. I know you're stressed."

"I am," Annie said, "I just don't understand what happened last night."

"Talk to him and find out," Teddy said, "make a decision once you know what happened."

Annie asked, "what do I do if he meant it?"

Teddy replied, "then we figure it out. Go talk to him."

"I'm scared," Annie said.

"I know," Teddy said, "but you're going to be brave and do it."

At noon Annie met Josh by the playground in their favorite park.

"Annie I'm so sorry," Josh said as soon as he saw her, "I never wanted to hurt you. I don't know how I'm going to make this up to you."

"I walked into Joes and you were kissing someone else! A sub intern at that," Annie yelled.

"Ann she came on to me," Josh said.

"Her arms around your neck her face right in front of yours," Annie yelled, "your hands on her shoulders."

"I pushed her off," Josh said, "I don't want anyone else. I only want you. I've loved you since first year of school. Annie I would never do anything to hurt you."

"Then why did you do it," Annie asked.

"She came up to us and started asking questions about the program," Josh explained.

"So you kissed her," Annie asked.

"She tried to kiss me," Josh repeated, "she had asked about my plans for the night and I told her that I was waiting for you so we could have a drink then go home."

"You told her you had a girlfriend," Annie asked, eyes wide.

"I did," Josh said, "I referred to my girlfriend a few times and used your name."

"But why would you let her get that close," Annie asked.

"I pushed her off me," Josh repeated.

"Is it because she's prettier than me," Annie said, "she actually has curves and boobs. Tall, drop dead gorgeous. Everything I'm not."

"Annie you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. You are perfect," Josh said.

Annie asked, "then why?"

Josh sighed, "she came onto me. I pushed her off. I don't want anyone else. Annie I can't breathe without you. Your the only person I want to be with."

"How can I trust that," Annie said, "after what I saw?"

"I don't know," Josh said, "but I will do anything to prove you can trust me."

"Why would you do that to us ," Annie asked.

"I promise I went to Joe's last night to meet everyone for a couple drinks then you were going to come when your patient was stable," Josh said, "I was waiting for you."

"Why didn't you come after me," Annie asked.

"I didn't see you," Josh explained, "she jumped on me and I pushed her off. I told her again that I had a girlfriend. By the time I turned around you were gone."

Annie cried, "I couldn't look at that. I didn't know how I could face you or our friends after seeing that. It was embarrassing. Another person deciding I wasn't good enough that I wasn't enough. Someone else throwing me away. Throwing what we built away."

"Never," Josh said, "all I want is you. I can't picture my life a year from now or ten years from now without you. Annie what do I need to do to help you trust me on this?"

Annie thought for a moment before saying, "I want to see your phone. Who you've been texting and who you've been calling."

Josh passed Annie his phone. She scrolled through his call logs and texts there was nothing weird. Most of the messages and calls were from her. There were a lot of texts with his dad and Nathan but nothing weird.

Annie handed his phone back, "I still don't understand what happened? Why would you let her get that close?"

"I didn't know she would do that. Annie the moment she put her hands on me all I felt was disgust. It was so wrong," Josh said, "I wanted to vomit. Then I went home and couldn't find you and you weren't answering your phone. No one could find you and I panicked. I thought you were gone. You ran from me instead of talking you ran."

"I didn't know what to do or what to think," Annie said, "so I left. I was too embarrassed."

"You ran from me," Josh said, "instead of talking to me you went to Teddy. You have to talk to me when your upset."

"I was too mad," Annie confesses, "I didn't know who I could trust. I don't even know how much I trust you right now. I knew I could trust mama."

"But you didn't come home," Josh pointed out, "I sat on the couch all night waiting for you."

"I couldn't face you. I couldn't go home and get in our bed after seeing that," Annie said.

"It's not home without you," Josh said, "going in and seeing your UBC hoodie on the bed, your fuzzy blanket on the chair and your book on the coffee table. It all felt so wrong to know you weren't coming home. I don't even know if it is my home. Teddy told me to get out of her house."

"I don't know," Annie said, "it's hard to trust you."

"I know," Josh said, "you don't trust easily and when someone breaks your trust you don't give them a second chance. Please can you give me a second chance?"

"Why should I," Annie asked,"what proof do I have?"

"Have you talked to Jenna, Julia or Cassidy," Josh asked.

"Why would I," Annie asked, "this is between you and I."

"Because they were there last night and trying to find you," Josh said.

"I turned off my phone," Annie said, "I couldn't deal with anyone."

"Why don't you call one of them and I'll wait here," Josh suggested. He knew Annie that she would be more at ease if she heard from someone else.

"I don't want them in our business," Annie said, "this is between us."

"They were there. If you want to hear from someone else," Josh said.

Annie replied, " I want to trust you because I love you but it's hard. My instinct is to run away. I don't know how to fight for this to fight for us."

"I want to do this with you," Josh said, "but I need you to believe me."

"I want to but it's really hard for me to," Annie said, "how do I know this won't happen again? I can't do this again."

Josh grabbed her hands but Annie pulled away.

"Annie don't do this. Please just listen to me," Josh said, "I know you're hurt and I know you're having a hard time trusting me. Please hear me out."

Annie rolled her eyes and hugged, "I'm going to take a lot of convincing."

"We have all day," Josh said, "have a seat."

"Fine," Annie huffed.

"Last night was a disaster from the moment we got there. There was the group of sub interns hanging out and being stupid. We tried to keep our distance. I was just going to have a beer while I waited for you. I knew the sub Is were to drunk to be anywhere near the hospital. Duncan tried to tell them to go home. That girl I don't even know her name came up and started asking me questions about the residency program and being an intern at GS. I didn't think anything of it. It was work talk, definitely not flirting. I know I mentioned that doing this with my girlfriend was the best part. That having you to share this with and do this together made it so special. Then out of no where she had her arms around my neck trying to kiss me. I pushed her off as hard as I could and yelled that I had a girlfriend that I was taken," Josh explained, "I looked at my phone and got your text that you were at Joes but by the time I turned around you were gone. I ran outside and through the parking lot but your car was gone. I went home and your weren't there. I kept calling and calling you but you never answered. Annie I was terrified that something had happened to you. I finally called Teddy because I was panicking that you weren't answering. I love you. You're the only person I want. I couldn't breathe when you didn't come home. The thought that this might be over destroys me. I want to fight for you, I want to make this work. I love you. Annie Altman your the only person I love."

Annie had tears running down her cheeks, "I want to make us work. I didn't sleep last night thinking that we were done. I don't know what I would do without you but I'm scared to fight. Fighting never ends well for me. It leads to me needing x rays at a minimum."

"This won't be easy but I want to work this out with you," Josh said, "and no x rays will be involved. I promise. Annie when you're worried you have to talk to me. You can't run to Teddy every time."

"I don't know what else to do," Annie said, "she's the one person I know always listens to me. I felt bad for her last night. Allison cried 2 or 3 times, I showed up as they were going to bed and I had a nightmare."

"Why did you have a nightmare," Josh asked, "those only happen after you talk to the McKellars."

"Because I thought I lost you," Annie said, "I can't lose anyone else. I'm scared."

"What are you scared of," Josh asked.

"Losing you and being alone," Annie admitted.

"You're not going to lose me," Josh said, "I'm not giving up on us. I waited so long for you that I'm not giving up now."

"You're not," Annie asked, "I thought last night that you were done with me. It looked like you were done with me."

Josh took her hands again, this time Annie let him, "never. Annie you are the one I want to be with. Please let's work this out. I want you to trust me again."

"I want to trust you," Annie said, "but i'm scared something will happen and I'll be alone. You'll choose some one like Jenna or Cassidy or that girl last night over me."

"Never," Josh said.

"It's going to take me awhile to forget about that," Annie admitted, "it was hard to see."

"I know," Josh said, "it was one of the worst nights of my life. Her assaulting me then you not coming home."

"How do we move forward," Annie asked, covering her face with her hand.

"You need to look at me," Josh said.

"Then what," Annie asked.

"We talk," Josh said, "we figure out where to go from here. You and I."

"I can do that," Annie said, "what do you want to talk about?"

"You go first I can see your brain working from here," Josh said.

"I want to trust you. I love you so much that not knowing what would happen and if I could even talk to you it felt like my heart would stop beating," Annie admitted.

"You have to talk to me Annie," Josh said, "you need to come to me when something's bothering you. You hold things in and then you wait and tell Teddy everything. I'm supposed to be the person you come to."

"I want to but I don't want to bug you," Annie said.

"You don't have to do it alone," Josh said, "you need to communicate with me Annie. I'm not Jessica, nothing you say will make me stop loving you."

"Can I ask you something," Annie asked.

"Anything," Josh said.

"Did you find that girl attractive," Annie asked, "she looked like everything I'm not."

"She was fake," Josh said, "you're real. Annie you just have to look at me and I want you. You are gorgeous. You are the most beautiful woman on the planet."

"Stop it," Annie said, "this isn't time to flirt."

"I'm not," Josh said, "I'm telling you the truth."

"Why do you think that will make all of this better," Annie asked.

"Because i have to believe it will," Josh said, "I have to believe in us."

"We have a bit of work to do," Annie said.

"We do," Josh agreed.

"What if we each picked one of those little things to work on," Annie suggested.

"We can do that," Josh said, "I need you to talk to me and come to me when you can't turn your brain off. Come to me and talk to me. You don't need to go to Teddy everytime."

"I'll try. I need you to spend more down time with me at home," Annie said, "doing the little day to day things. Cook with me, more time home together."

"I can do that. I thought you liked your space," Josh said.

"Sometimes," Annie admitted, "but I need that time with you. Together doing the little things. Curled up and watching a movie, cooking, going for walks with me. We never go for a walk or a run anymore."

"We're walking now," Josh said.

"I miss our walks with a cup of coffee and we could talk about anything," Annie said.

"I do too," Josh agreed, "we don't work until 7pm tomorrow do you want to go for one tomorrow? Go home now, spend some time together and relax."

"Is Duncan home," Annie asked.

"He's with his girlfriend," Josh said.

"Good," Annie said, "we need to remind him about looking for a place. He said a couple months it's been a year."

"Do you want me to," Josh asked.

"Yep," Annie said, "or we could involve the landlord."

"Don't get your mama to kick him out," Josh said.

"I should probably tell her to call off uncle Owen," Annie said.

"Why don't you call her on your way home," Josh said, "is it still my home?"

"It is," Annie said, "but we have to make sure we spend time together. Just us."

"We will Annie," Josh said, "when we're awake."

"Awake would be good," Annie said.

Josh smiled, "we can do that. Maybe we need to schedule dates so we have time together."

"Actual dates," Annie asked.

"Actual dates," Josh said, "when was the last time we did that?"

"Your birthday," Annie said.

"That was a good one," Josh said, "how are you so good at stuff like that?"

"I pay attention," Annie said.

"Let's go home," Josh said, "you have to be freezing. Go home we can watch a movie and you can cuddle Milo. He missed you, that cat only likes you."

"I'll meet you at home," Annie said.

Josh pulled Annie into a hug and she looked up at him. Josh gave her a gentle kiss.

"I love you," Annie said.

"I love you more," Josh smiled, "I'm sorry about last night. Can you forgive me?"

"I can," Annie said.

They walked to their cars and Annie quickly called Teddy.

"I sweetheart, that was a long talk are you okay," Teddy asked.

"We are," Annie said, "last night was a misunderstanding. I reacted before I thought again."

"What happened," Teddy asked.

"That sub I attacked him," Annie said, "he was so upset and so devastated that I believe him."

"Meghan texted me," Teddy said, "there's been gossip about it all day today. Webber wants to talk to josh about what happened."

"Is he in trouble," Annie asked.

"They want to know what his version of events is," Teddy said, "Cassidy, Jeremy and Julia were working today and refusing to teach that girl apparently."

"So I'm the topic of gossip again," Annie asked.

"I'm afraid so," Teddy said, "but I think people are worried about you. They like you."

"I have a lot of missed calls from my friends," Annie said.

"Will you call them," Teddy asked.

"I'll text," Annie said, "Josh and I are going to head home, order take out and spend the night at home together."

"You and Josh worked it out," Teddy asked.

"We talked about a lot today," Annie said, "we have a few things to work on."

"All relationships have things to work on," Teddy said.

"I need to confide in him more," Annie said, "let him in when I'm upset. Trust him and not run to you as much."

Teddy asked," what is he going to do?"

"More quality time with me," Annie said, "just the two of us."

"We've learned that you need that this year," Teddy said.

"That's when I feel safe and connected," Annie admitted.

"But you know that," Teddy said, "you can tell me and tell Josh."

"I wish I would have been able to tell Leslie or Dan that a few years ago," Annie said, "but they haven't replied to an email since we got the bridesmaids dresses.

"They haven't," Teddy asked, "that was at least six months ago."

"I know," Annie said, "I still email every other week."

"Once a month sweetheart," Teddy suggested, "send a short 3 or 4 sentence I'm alive and happy email."

"I can do that," Annie said, "but I should drive home. I want to grab a bottle of wine for tonight."

"I'm glad things worked out," Teddy said, "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

They hung up their phones and Annie drove home.

I've loved the suggestions for things that could happen in the story please keep them coming.