A/N: Not sure if the disclaimer is necessary. If you don't know which characters I don't own, please slap yourself repeatedly. Xx Ella

P.S. I'd like to specially thank all of my reviewers for leaving amazing comments. Thank you to wintertwist87, SinisterShadows, Arinna Black, not-so-average-07, TragicCure, Leave your hat on, Kermitfries, SleepWalks, Neith4Weiss, Hayley Jean, lovelylinds, Kris Death, casadora22, LacedWithLove, Obsessedfan13, Bookworm 305, QuietOne364, ILuvOdie, Ravvy B, babyicequeen666, blackwolfgirl87, .X.x, dramaqueen612, K., Reidsgirl18, tradingforeverx, Supernatural GilmoreGirls, Mico-chan, Serena2012, WritingxIsxMyxLife, boogabooga13, blondieluver612, and Miay255!

Chapter 16

A week later…

Tyler left me. That bastard left me, the baby, and the kids. I should have known this was coming. I did give birth to another Garwin after all. He said it wasn't right, he said he couldn't make me love him. The words hurt when he said them, but soon after he walked out, I had realized that he was right. I guess I'm just shocked. Not angry. As much as I tried to, I never loved Tyler. Not the way I loved Reid. Reid was, and still is for that matter, the most amazing man I had and will ever know.

I started crying again.

The doctor's say its Postpartum Depression. But it's really just a shattered heart. I deserved this after all. It was my choice, albeit an intoxicated one, that led me down this past. And there's no turning back now.

"Momma, what's wrong?" Ava came strutting into my bedroom, her baby doll Leah dragging behind her.

"Nothing sweetie" I lied. "Momma's just sick." I pushed the covers back and sat up in bed. "Come here." I pulled Ava up and tucked her in next to me.

Ava surprised me by turning over and kissing me on my cheek. "I love you Momma." She closed her eyes and stuck her thumb in her mouth.

"I love you too baby." I answered. If only she had known the real reason why her parents were divorcing… if only she could comprehend what I had done… she wouldn't be saying that right now.

I don't know how anyone could love a person like me.

xx

He could barely sleep anymore. He had another son. Normally, he had about nine months to prepare in advance, but this was still shocking. His heart still belonged to Eliza. He would always love her. But how could he forgive her? How could he trust her again?

"What's wrong, guapo(beautiful/handsome)?" Gaby stirred in the bed next to him.

"Nothing, go back to sleep." He got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. He locked the door before Gaby could come in after him. He didn't love Gaby. She was just there for him. A friend with benefits. She was supposed to take his mind off Eliza. But she only made him think of Eliza even more. They had a life together. Children together. They had dreams together. Was he really going to give up that easily?

He reached for the medicine cabinet and pulled out the bottle of Advil, popping two pills into his mouth. He took a drink of water and sat down on the floor of the bathroom, waiting for his headache to pass.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" He pushed a strand of her red hair and placed is behind her ear. He looked deep into her emerald eyes, searching for any answer that may be hidden there.

"Reid," she adjusted the strap on her purse, "I've waited my entire life for this moment. Do you really think I'm going to back out now?" She smiled up and him and then turned to the Elvis Impersonator standing before them.

"Do you have your rings?" Fake- Elvis spoke in a fake-Elvis accent.

"Ah, yes we do sir." Eliza mocked him and Reid's eyes lit up. There was no one, on this planet or another, that could make him as happy as he was right now. They were soul mates. Lovers. Best friends. They were meant to be together forever.

For better or for worse…

"Reid baby, are you okay?" Gaby's Spanish accent came out full force, knocking Reid out of his reverie.

"I'm fine." He answered, slightly annoyed. "Eliza would never pester me like this". He thought for a moment. "No, she definitely would but it was never annoying." He thought to himself.

Thoughts of high school invaded his memory. Bordy, Justine, and Matt all came back to him vividly. Eliza had spent her senior year fighting for him. She risked her admission into Brown University by getting suspended, for fighting with Justine. Even then, she had Reid's best interest at heart. She was publicly humiliated by his then-girlfriend in front of the entire school when that story she had written was posted for everyone to see, yet she still never gave up.

Reid ran a hand through his slightly damp hair. Was he really just going to sit back and pretend that everything was okay? Was he really going to continue on with his life without her by his side? Yes, she cheated. Yes, she left him for his best friend. But he wasn't a Saint either. He knew he had contributed to Eliza's adultery in one way or another. But he still loved her. He'd always love her.

It was about time he, Reid Garwin, fought for her.

xx

"Mr. Garwin, what you doing here?" Miriam's Russian accent was thick, even in her English.

"I came to see the kids." He said, pushing past the nanny/housekeeper and the front door. "Where is everyone?"

Miriam walked past him and resumed dusting the coffee table sitting in the middle of the room. "They went to Eliza's mother's home. In Massachusetts." She lifted up a vase of flowers and dusted the table underneath it, before placing it back down.

"How long ago did they leave?" He reached into his pockets and retrieved his iPhone. He pushed on the internet button and soon came across the JFK airport website.

"They left this morning." She replied as she walked past him and into the kitchen.

"Thanks Miriam." He said, turning around and shutting the front door behind him. He had a plane to catch.

xx

"I knew something was up when you came home with the kids for your father's funeral." My mother was rocking Alex back and forth in her arms. "I had no idea you were having an affair!" She quietly scolded.

"Mom, don't you think I feel guilty enough as it is." I threw my hands up in the air as if I was proving my point. "I cheated on the only man I've ever loved with his best friend, screwed his best friend over in the process, not to mention I just gave birth a few weeks ago, I still have stitches down there and I haven't slept for more than four hours in the past three days."

"You have four kids now, you're never going to sleep for more than four hours in three days. Get used to it." She chided.

I watched as she smiled down at Alex. The little boy in her arms was probably the only thing I've done right in the past year or so. He's so pure and untainted by my actions. I silently prayed that all my children would stay that way for the rest of their lives.

"Go get some sleep." My mother finally spoke to me again. "I've got it under control."

A sigh of relief came out of my mouth. "Thank you Mom, you have no idea what this means to me." I stood up and made my way to my old bedroom. I switched into an old t-shirt that used to belong to my dad and crashed on the bed. For some reason, as I laid in my old bed and closed my eyes, I felt at peace with myself. That old saying came back to me too. "Everything happens for a reason."

xx

I'm not sure what time it was when I woke up, but the sun was still out. I stretched and yawned; sleep had never felt so good. I threw on my mother's bath robe and wrapped it tightly around me. My breasts were swollen; I'm sure Alex was hungry right about now.

I walked out into the living room but no one was there. No mom. No kids. Was I dreaming? "Hello?" I called out, but no one answered.

"Hey."

I jumped.

The voice came from the kitchen. I instinctively grabbed the closest thing next to me for protection. It was a lamp. I unplugged it and held it above my head. Whoever was here had kidnapped my mother and children, and was probably out to kill me!

"Eliza, you there?"

My eyes grew wide. He knows my name.

"Eliza, I know this may seem weird, but I've missed you."

My heart nearly stopped. He's been watching me too?

I jumped when the man in the kitchen stepped out into the living room.

"Reid?" I dropped the lamp in surprise.

"Hey." He said again.