A/N: Apparently Jolie (coughs) makes it easier for me to rip perfectly good couples apart. LMAO! This is totally late-but here's your Birthday present Melody. Hope you like it. Viva la Jolie! LOL! Everyone please enjoy-cause if you don't I'll be heart broken. hehehe. Until next time-ya'll are the best-PCGirl.

She walked into the Recovery Room and heads turned to see her walking towards the bar in that dark red dress—something she normally wouldn't have dared to wear, but she'd made the decision that she wasn't going to be the meek Livvie anymore, and this was just the dress to prove that to everyone.

"Jack," she said to his back as he turned and bobbled the glass he'd been holding, catching it before it crashed to the floor.

"Liv-vie," he said, his voice catching in his throat at the sight of her. "What are you dressed up for?"

"I was thinking of finding a nice tall, dark, and handsome man to sweep me off my feet," she said sarcastically—and watched his eyes turn dark.

Jack looked around and could easily count a half dozen men that were undressing her with their eyes, grabbed her wrist tightly and pulled her into that back, "Is this your way of telling me you've been cheating on me?"

"Ugh, you idiot," she said as she slapped him upside the head. "I'm not cheating on you—I haven't cheated on you in months, and yet every time I think of dressing up or acting friendly to another man I've got my indiscretion thrown back into my face.

"And that's why I came here tonight—to hopefully get you to see that I've been faithful, but I can't take it anymore. Tell me you can forgive me or it's over tonight, Jack."

"You bought a bike?" she said, repeating the words as if to comprehend it better.

"Yeah—this guy came in and was willing to make an amazing trade for mine. It was a steal—and I looked over the bike before I went along with it. It's in perfect condition—you want to go for a ride, Spunky?" he asked as he stood up, walking around the back of the couch to get his jacket.

"No," she said softly as she walked the other way around the couch and sat down, putting her head down and rubbing her temples, trying to ease off the headache that was beginning to form.

"Hey—what's wrong?" asked Jamal as he quickly came back to the couch and sat down next to her.

"It's—it's nothing," she said, shaking her head.

"Something's wrong. I know I should have talked to you about the bike first—is that it?"

"No—that's not it at all. I—I was just thinking—," she paused her thought as she looked over at Jamal, pushing her bangs out of her face before she continued to speak, not knowing where the question was coming from as she spoke it, "Do you think we will be together forever?"

"Oh wow—that's a tough decision, Livvie."

"I'm serious, Jack," she pouted for a moment and then regained her confidence. "You keep telling me you want us to work—that we're supposed to be with each other, but you can't say those three words.

"I won't be the one that clings to your heels while crying and begging. I've done enough crying in this relationship—it stops tonight. So what is your answer?"

"Livvie—I—can't?"

"You can't what?" she yelled, becoming more angered by the second.

"I can't say I forgive you—it takes time—and it doesn't help to see you eating lunch and laughing with some random stranger."

"Ugh—his name is Caleb and I'm not even that interested in him."

"So you're interested in him?"

"Don't put words in my mouth Jack when you can't even form a sentence tonight that doesn't involve me cheating on your poor pitiful heart," she spoke, her words laced with anger. She gave Jack one more glance before turning and walking back out into the bar and back into the chilly December night.

"What—what type of question is that?" he asked, his voice getting slightly louder than he'd expected.

"I'm—I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from."

"Are you having second thoughts about us, Alison?"

"I—I remember days when I couldn't wait to come home and be in your arms—in our home. It just seems lately—other things in our lives are coming between us. We aren't the same couple—the same people—as we were when we first met. We've grown—," she stopped before she finished her sentence.

"What? Apart? Was this the plan all along? Come in here and call it quits—give up on making us work again?"

"You can't make something work that's broken, Jamal. We've been naïve about this relationship since Valerie came back to town—we're broken, and it's never going to be the same. So stop lying to yourself—to each other—we're through, Jamal," she said, biting her lip as the tears began to spill down her face.

"Fine. I get the idea," he said coldly as he stood up, grabbed his jacket and walked out the door.

Alison just sat there, her head down in her lap and sniffled—trying to stop the crying. When she heard the bike start up and ran to the door and threw it open to the chilly air, "Jamal! Jamal stop!" she yelled, but he was gone and her words were only heard by her.

Livvie's confidence was all but gone when she got to his door—what was she thinking? Was she trying to prove Jack right? No—she was here because she'd been drawn here—to him for days now, and she wasn't going to let this opportunity go by as she knocked on the door.

Caleb heard the strong knock and couldn't help but wonder what was going on. As he opened the door he stood there, and couldn't come up with anything to say, just pulled her into a deep kiss and into his apartment.

She'd been walking for an hour—the fallen tears now cold and frozen on her face. What had she done? She'd went home to talk to Jamal—to tell him that she wanted it to work, and now—now she felt alone once again in the world.

She paused on the bridge in the park and looked up to the sky. Lucy always said you could find truth in the heavens—she had nothing right now so she figured it wouldn't hurt for her to try, "Please tell me I did the right thing tonight. That it will all work out in the end."

"Alison," called a voice from the side—she jumped at hearing it—it was late, who could be out at this hour?

Rafe had seen her walking through the park a few minutes ago—worried as to why she'd be out by herself he stayed behind until he was sure he wouldn't frighten her too much. As he walked into her sight he could tell she'd been crying. "Hey—is everything ok?" he asked as he came forward.

"No," she said, feebly as she fell into his arms and he couldn't do anything but hold her tightly as she started to cry again.