Evangeline had spent more than her fair share of time in the courthouse. Even with all her experience, she still got butterflies in her stomach. She was constantly giving herself pep talks to make it through big cases, and for the most part she'd been widely successful. She expected for things to go exactly as she planned today. Somehow, that made her feel uneasy. There was always the fear of the unknown, but when things went too easily she had to double, triple, and quadruple check herself to make sure she'd made no errors. She'd even hired an attorney to represent her interests and alleviate some stress. That had been successful until today.

If she had to guess a cause, she would guess that it was because of John's choice of counsel. She knew Mr. Goldberg's reputation. He was fair and honest, but he was a cutthroat attorney, not unlike Evangeline. If John was going to go along with her agreement as she drafted it, he didn't have to shell out big bucks on Mr. Goldberg.

"Don't let Goldberg get you nervous," a middle-aged man spoke from beside Evangeline. "This is just arbitration, remember? We are being more than just reasonable. Even Mr. Goldberg is going to have a hard time finding something to complain about."

"I know. You're right." Evangeline smiled at her colleague. Clark, who everyone called superman, had tried to recruit Evangeline to his firm early on, but she maintained her independence. They were friendly, so he was more than willing to represent Evangeline when she'd asked. "Maybe I'm just having second thoughts."

"Then stop worrying and trust me." Clark checked his watch again. They were scheduled to start soon, and the arbitrator still hadn't shown up. "Look, you are giving the father of your child a very reasonable visitation schedule. He has a whole year to adjust and make time for that visitation. You are doing the right thing." Clark had been the one that convinced Evangeline to have the arrangement reviewed after a year. He pushed her, with facts and statistics, to hold John to exacting standards. He didn't know John at all. This was done to protect his reputation in a competitive field.

"Okay." Evangeline agreed because she didn't want to argue anymore. Layla's comments had given her lots to think about. Maybe she was being unfair to John. Maybe she was just trying to protect herself. Maybe there was a better way to handle this. In the end, Evangeline was left with more questions than answers. For now, she would proceed with the original proposed agreement. She couldn't predict the future and she wouldn't stress over that now.

In the midst of her worrying, Evangeline noticed John. He was seated while his lawyer was speaking to him. He looked sadder and more vulnerable than she'd ever seen him before. Even though she didn't want it to, her heart ached for him. She was ready to stop loving him, but her heart still wouldn't let go.

Evangeline's thoughts wandered and she thought of happier memories. It hadn't happened too terribly often, but, on a few occasions, John had showed up to surprise her at the courthouse. He'd come in sit in the gallery so that she would have a friendly face to stare at during tough cases, or he'd be there with a hug, a kiss, and words of encouragement after a night of worrying. He probably didn't realize how important those little things had been to her.

The arrival of the arbitrator brought Evangeline from her thoughts. Though unintentional, she'd been staring over at John. Her face was hot with blush when she realized he'd been staring at her too. She was met with slight disappointment when he looked away sadly instead of returning her nervous smile with one of his own.

The arbitrator entered the room first followed by John and his lawyer and Evangeline and hers. The room was a small conference room and a much less intimidating space than a normal courtroom. The table and chairs had already been set. Though this wasn't a formal hearing a court reporter was still there to record the minutes of their meeting.

The arbitrator was a retired judge that both John and Evangeline knew. He was almost eighty years old, but his mind was far younger than his body that had started to give out on him. His thick glasses and hearing aide were the physical limitations that caused him to finally retire.

"Good morning everyone. I'm Mark Hernandez. I think we all know each other here. I just want to say a few things before we get started. I'm sure we're all familiar with the arbitration process. This hearing is to set a visitation agreement in anticipation of the birth of the child of Miss Evangeline Williamson and declared father Mister John McBain. The terms agreed on will be legal and binding to all parties. Neither party will be allowed to modify the arrangement to his or her benefit except when it's in the best interest of the child. Those exceptions have been detailed in the proposed arrangement by Ms. Williamson and her attorney Clark Matthews. Mr. Goldberg, can you please confirm that you and your client have reviewed all pertinent documents?" The man looked down the bridge of his nose and over his glasses.

John looked to his attorney unsure if he was allowed to speak or not. His attorney patted his arm gently to reassure John. "We have, your honor."

"Very well. For clarity, we will go over the document in detail and any proposed changes will be made at the end." Judge Hernandez was nothing if not thorough. He was also getting paid by the hour, so he wasn't pressed for time.

After two hours of reading, exposition, and clarification, they made it through the entirety of the proposed custody arrangement. John felt like the outsider knowing that everyone else present had routinely sat through meetings like this. John was mentally exhausted and wanted a short break. They still hadn't covered his lawyer's proposed changes, and at this point John wondered if it was even worth it. The first time he'd gone over this arrangement with his lawyer, he stated that he didn't have any complaints. His lawyer was the one who told him, on principal, he couldn't simply agree to her terms with no counter. In the end, they agreed on some things that John wanted, and his attorney thought were realistically achievable.

Evangeline was not emotionally strained, but she was starting to reach her physical limit. She was in desperate need of a bathroom break and maybe a snack. Having a baby resting on her bladder had been the only real annoyance that had experienced during her pregnancy. Her strict diet of no junk food had been self-imposed so she wouldn't allow herself to be annoyed by that.

"Okay, that's a good stopping place for a moment. Let's take a fifteen-minute recess and then we'll wrap things up." The former judge was still great at reading people and he could tell that everyone would benefit from a few minutes away. Just before everyone stood to leave, the door swung open.

"I have something to say about all of this." Natalie burst in suddenly. She didn't know exactly what was going on, but she'd overheard part of a conversation between Layla and Michael. She gathered that Evangeline was going to keep John from his child. She took it upon herself to stick up for him to hopefully get back in his good graces. He still wasn't talking to her, but this would surely get the ball rolling.

Where John looked concerned, Evangeline looked annoyed. Evangeline couldn't fathom why he'd again bring Natalie into their personal business.

"John is," Natalie started excitedly but was quickly cutoff.

"Out now!" Judge Hernandez slammed his fist down on the table. "This is a private proceeding!" Judge Hernandez was well acquainted with the Buchanan family, so he already knew who Natalie was.

"No, this is wrong. You can't take John's kid from him. Evangeline, what the hell is wrong with you?" Natalie pointed an accusatory finger in Evangeline's direction. She stared angrily in her direction. She really didn't care about Evangeline's child, but she loved John. She had to stick up for him and his interest.

Evangeline let out an audible sigh. If John was going to tell her about the hearing, he could have at least given her all the facts. She hated that even this was becoming a circus.

"Young lady, I can guarantee that whatever you are trying to accomplish here will not be achieved." The judge gave no thought to her outburst. Had this been his courtroom, he would have held her in contempt.

The silence of the room and the disgusted stares were enough to drive Natalie away. She wasn't really there to help. She was only there to be seen. That mission had been accomplished despite the judge's declaration. "I was just trying to help my friend." She gave John one final pleading look before she rushed off.

Afterward, all parties excused themselves without further comment. Evangeline rushed off to a bathroom, so her attorney stayed behind. From a distance he watched John's interaction with his attorney.

"If you'll excuse me." John made to leave, but his attorney was pulling at the sleeve of his coat.

"You're not going after her." Mr. Goldberg looked him in the eyes when John looked back at him. John's face flashed with anger for a moment. "That is a bad move." He tilted his head slightly to let John know that Evangeline's lawyer was watching them. "We're not done here."

John felt like he needed to go after her. He wanted to know why she knew to show up today. "I'll be back in ten minutes."

"If you leave, I leave, and I won't come back." Mr. Goldberg set his briefcase down on the floor beside him. "This isn't a game. We don't have time for this. Right now, she's a distraction. If you can tell me right now how going after her helps your cause, I'm all for it. Otherwise, catch up with her later."

John lamented for a moment. He pulled his arm out of Mr. Goldberg's embrace and sat down on a nearby bench. He didn't have a good reason to go after her. It was instinct that was compelling him now. He looked over and saw Evangeline's lawyer smirking and something told him he'd already made a big mistake.

When the meeting was back in session, the attorneys took turns presenting their proposed concessions and things had gone very well. John had gotten all of his requests and Evangeline had gotten hers as well. The arbitrator was ready to end the session when Evangeline's lawyer interjected.

"Your honor, in light of some recent developments, I would like to submit a final addendum to our proposed arrangement." Clark was taking a risk as he hadn't discussed his proposal with Evangeline. He'd seen John's reaction to Natalie and decided to do his client a favor. He knew it was necessary, but Evangeline was far to polite to ask. He would make sure that Evangeline got her money's worth out of him.

"Clark?" Evangeline looked over at him inquisitively. She searched all the faces at the table to see if anyone else had a clue.

"We're requesting that Natalie Buchanan Vega have no contact with the child. This includes supervised interactions. Mr. McBain is free to carry on a relationship if he so desires, but the child should not be subjected to a potentially harmful situation." Clark looked over at Evangeline and winked.

"Your honor," Evangeline and Mr. Goldberg spoke at the same time. Evangeline paused to hear Mr. Goldberg's objection. "This is ridiculous."

"Her outburst and interruption were ridiculous."

"That was against my client's wishes."

"Nonetheless, it was done for his benefit. I consider Ms. Vega to be unstable and her instability could pose a risk to the child. She is no stranger to breaking the law. Ms. Williamson has exonerated her of charges, but the implications are still there. Let's not forget how Ms. Vega was reported to have baited a serial killer." Clark had come prepared even though Evangeline had left out some of the juicier details of the case.

"Fine." John didn't want to go back and forth about this.

"If I may," Mr. Goldberg stood and quickly pulled John away from prying ears. "Don't do this."

"This isn't about her and I don't want to make it about her either." John might have been at odds with Natalie, but he didn't exactly want to hear her name dragged through the mud. Nothing Clark said was untrue, but it was still hard to hear.

"This isn't a precedent you want to set. Trust me. You agreeing to this can only hurt you in the future. If you want to be with Ms. Vega in the future, this will be used as evidence of her potential instability. Simply being involved with her could negatively impact your ability to see your child down the line." Mr. Goldberg didn't care for Natalie one way or the other, but he was John's attorney. He couldn't in good conscious allow John to agree to this.

"I gotta take that risk right now." John was looking past Mr. Goldberg. He saw the anger and surprise on Evangeline's face. This proposal hadn't been her idea. Only problem was that she didn't object either.

Mr. Goldberg look at him nervously. John was not thinking clearly, and Mr. Matthews was taking advantage of that. If Evangeline was going to let her lawyer play dirty, Mr. Goldberg would also play dirty for John. They both returned to their seats and he returned Mr. Matthew's triumphant smile with a sly one of his own.

"We are willing to accept that condition as long as our own is met." Mr. Goldberg looked to the arbitrator to continue. "We ask that during the parties' six week leave from work that they live together to give Mr. McBain full access to his child and an even 50/50 visitation schedule." Now it was John's turn to be surprised. Evangeline wasn't going to go for this, and neither was her lawyer. The last thing she wanted was to play house with him, and at this point John wasn't sure he could handle it either.

"Very funny, now what do you really want?" Mr. Clark had actually laughed out loud. He looked over at Evangeline and knew her answer without asking.

"I'm serious. I'm not talking about any kind of reconciliation. Both parties can agree on a neutral location, say The Palace, to reside. Then each parent and their families will have equal access to the child. While Ms. Williamson's arrangement is fair, it is naturally biased. The child is to live with her, and her family will have unlimited access to the child. This is unfair to the child's father, Mr. McBain and his family who have just as much right to the child as Ms. Williamson." Mr. Goldberg was content that he'd wiped that smug look off Mr. Matthew's face.

"I have an extra room," Evangeline offered. "John, Mr. McBain, can reside there for the six weeks after the child's birth. His family can visit freely. After the six weeks, Mr. McBain moves out and we follow the proposed order." Evangeline didn't like where Mr. Goldberg was going. She couldn't guess what his true objective was, so she stopped before the negotiations were out of her control. Luckily, she had the mother in law suite that Layla wouldn't be using. John and his family could come and go, and she would only have the expected minimal interaction with him.

"Then we've got a deal." Mr. Goldberg turned to John and patted him roughly on the shoulder. He hadn't intended the result, but it got John more than what he was planning.

"Hey sis, how'd it go?" Layla smiled brightly at Evangeline as she walked into the den. Evangeline had given her a key in anticipation of her moving in. Layla had used that opportunity to keep tabs on her sister.

"Please don't ask." Evangeline could feel her head starting to pound. She wanted wine or a hamburger. Both things were off the menu at the moment. "Is that soup still in the fridge?"

"Yes, it is. I'll go warm it up for you." Layla was up and walking out the door before Evangeline had even settled in.

Evangeline took those few moments to gather herself. She yelled at Clark when all was said and done. It was his mention of Natalie that had gotten her in this situation. She made a mental note to call and apologize him. He was trying to help her, and, in the end, Evangeline had the final word. If she wanted, she could have put a stop to it.

"Here you go." Layla set the bowl down directly on the table since there were no coasters. She waited to see if Evangeline would object. Evangeline's silence clued her in more on her mood. "Oh gosh, I almost forgot to tell you. Natalie was creeping around the diner. She overheard me and John's brother, Michael, talking. She is a total stalker."

"Figures. That explains it." Evangeline picked up the bowl and enjoyed the warmth on her hands. "She came bursting in to tell me I shouldn't be keeping John's baby from him."

"That's my bad. I was cluing Michael in after he said John told him you were going to keep the baby from him. Natalie only heard the beginning part of the conversation before I sent her on her way. I'm totally sorry. I should have set her straight." Layla noticed the sad look in her sister's eyes. She hadn't been in a physical fight since she was a little girl but would make an exception to put Natalie in her place.

"Don't apologize," Evangeline spoke in between bites. Today she'd regained her appetite. "She would have showed up whether you had told her the truth or not. She's just looking to get John's attention."

"Why do I feel like there's more to it than that?" Layla sat down beside Evangeline and kicked her feet up onto the table. Evangeline shook her head and she put them down on the floor. "What aren't you telling me?"

Evangeline blew out a breath and set her bowl down. She could try to hide it, but Layla would find out soon enough. Evangeline was tired of keeping secrets, so she wouldn't treat this as one. "Well, my lawyers saw that John was ready to bolt after her. He put a clause in the custody arrangement that Natalie is to have no contact with the baby."

"Good! I don't know why you weren't asking for that in the first place," Confused by the look on her sister's face, Layla pressed for more details, "but you don't feel that way. Why?"

"Because now it's a challenge. Natalie is going to be Natalie. She'll pout and get angry. She will do whatever is necessary to get John's attention." Evangeline leaned back against the sofa and hugged a throw pillow. "She's going to make John choose."

Layla thought for a moment before she spoke again. "You're scared that John's going to make the wrong choice."

"Yes," Evangeline didn't wipe away her tears. "If protecting Natalie becomes his priority again, what choice do I have? I won't let John push our child aside when he's too busy dealing with someone else's problems."

"Vange, you are making this harder than it needs to be. You need to talk to John. Why can't you just tell him what you want, what you need from him." The irony wasn't lost on Layla. She'd spent plenty of time defending and excusing Antonio's actions when he abandoned Jamie to save Jessica. Antonio had been counseled by friends and family and he still chose to leave. She had to ask why she was looking past Antonio's mistakes when she wouldn't look past John's.

Evangeline only cried harder. She'd given him several chances to prioritize her and their relationship, and John still chose to chase after Natalie. She knew it was insanity to try the same thing over and over and expect a different result. For better or worse, John would have to make a choice on his own.

John arrived home after his long day. Things turned out better than he could have hoped for. Now he was left to face the consequences of what happened when he'd lost control of his emotions. Willingly, he'd agreed to more therapy. More than anything, John wanted to call Dr. Crosby back and tell him to forget about the whole thing. These past few days had been an exception to the norm, and John made a bad decision based on emotion. He imagined that Dr. Crosby wouldn't let him off easy. John knew he'd have to speak to Dr. Crosby sooner than later. He'd done the minimum that Bo had asked for and he wouldn't volunteer for more.

Before John had gotten comfortable, there was a knock on the door. He wasn't in the mood for company. His visitor was persistent and forced him to answer the door. John was surprised to see Michael's face when he swung open his door. He noted the bruising and swelling on Michael's face and felt bad about it. He nodded once to invite Michael in and then walked away from the door.

"Hey bro," Michael watched John as he retrieved two beers from his mini fridge. He took the one John held out to him. He sat down with John on his small orange sofa, neither one of them saying a word. They sat in uncomfortable silence for probably ten minutes. They were more alike than either would ever admit. Apologies were needed from both brothers, but neither wanted to be the first one to speak.

"I was wrong about Evangeline. Sorry about your face," John spoke first. He wasn't ready to do it, but he should have been thanking Michael. When John was too busy worrying about everyone else, Michael was there for Evangeline. He had been the one keeping her safe.

"Natalie overhead me talking to Evangeline's sister. I wanted to call to give you a heads up, but I got distracted when I got paged back to the ER. I figured she would show up and screw things up." Michael set his empty bottle down on the table.

"She showed up and pissed off Evangeline's lawyer. We agreed that Natalie wouldn't be allowed near the baby." John's jaw was clenched as he spoke. He didn't like being told what to do especially about his personal life.

Michael's eyes grew wide with surprise. "You going to be okay with that?" Michael was concerned that John would still fall victim to one of Natalie's schemes. She didn't need to see the baby. She just needed to keep John away from the baby. She'd probably do everything in her power to chase Evangeline out of Llanview.

"In exchange for that, I'll be living with Evangeline for the first six weeks after the baby comes home." John carefully chose not to answer Michael's question. "She's got an extra room in her new place."

"Nice."

"Yeah, my lawyer wouldn't let me agree to all of her terms without submitting some of my own. If we can't agree on a first name, I get to pick the middle name. Last name will be McBain and not any complicated double last name. I get to be in the delivery room." John was an excited kind of nervous about getting to see his child whenever he wanted for the first six weeks. He chose to focus on the positive and ignore everything else.

"John, I'm really glad. I mean, I know stuff's been unfair, but maybe it's going to be okay." Michael patted him on the back roughly.

"You were right about Evangeline. Despite everything, she's pretty much all class."