But being in love with a married man didn't help matters it only complicated the situation. She had fallen hard for Alex Ryan and was devastated when he had taken off one evening without a word. When he returned 3 days later he was engaged to Fiona Webb. Stevie and Alex's relationship hadn't been the same since.

Before he'd left they'd been best mates, and they still were to some degree, but with Fiona taking up most of his time didn't make it easy for them to spend much time together – which was probably just as well. Stevie had only realised she was in love with him the morning he'd taken off. She'd been having constant dreams about him and instead of talking to him about it, she had freaked out and headed in the opposite direction whenever he came near her.

She'd talked to Tess about it, and finally decided that having it out with him was the way to go. He would never laugh at her, whatever happened. But it had been too late. He'd taken off before she had the chance to tell him and he'd come back engaged. Now he was married.

She just couldn't stand looking at him when they were alone. Weird things happened. The chemistry was strong and despite what she told herself, the love between them was powerful. Once it started, she couldn't always stop it. Fiona had stopped it last time.

Without asking any more questions, Alex reached out his hand and forced her chin up, she was now looking him in the face. Her body began to shake uncontrollably. It was happening again. He was going to kiss her, and unless someone interrupted them it WAS going to happen, and she wasn't going to stop it. Alex brought both his hands to her face and glided both his thumbs under her eyes wiping the tears that were now falling down her face.

She wanted this too. She wanted him more than she ever had before, now, this moment. She sighed and hesitantly brought her right hand to his face, tracing the bottom of his chin with her thumb. The two of them finally giving into each other, their mouths met and their lips parted. Passion took over. Stevie's left hand went around his neck and the other resting comfortably on his upper chest. His hands ran down the side of her and stopped at her hips. Stevie's mouth opened and closed over the entire length of his mouth, his tongue zigzagged through her lips and connected with her own.

Both out of breath, they pulled away. Then the sobs began. Stevie could no longer hold back her emotions, and Alex didn't hesitate to bring her into his strong embrace and hold her.

She didn't pull away from him instead she lay her head on his chest and cried a river of tears. For all that she had once had and all of what she was about to lose, her hopes, her dreams, even her moment's of regret. She cried for it all in the arms of the man who had long ago taken her heart.

This was the moment that would keep her going when she was sitting alone in her cold dark cell. The kiss that meant more to her than Alex would ever know. Alex's wife didn't matter now and Stevie's thoughts on being the "other woman" didn't matter. Because for a brief moment she could be who she was without holding anything back. In that single moment she had unleased her heart and allowed it to explore what it had so long desired, just for a moment she felt what it was like to give her heart to Alex Ryan. There was no doubt in her mind that he had felt everything she did – he had given her his heart too.

It was almost a goodbye for her. He had given her the only gift he could – himself if only for a moment – and that had been enough for now. She had made a choice to give into her feelings, a choice that she would never regret. It would be what kept her surviving when she saw no other way out. His smile, the touch of his hand, and the power of what one of his kisses could do. But that was as far as it could go, because of time she was forced to say her last goodbye to him.

She knew that life wouldn't be easy without him, and she wasn't going to pretend otherwise, but she also knew she had to let him go. Their lives would be miles apart, she would be locked away in a world that didn't interact with his and he would be free. He had a chance to be happy with Fiona, and she wanted him to take it, to have the family he had always wanted. While she was in jail she could offer him nothing. He deserved happiness and she would not take that from him. It was her final gift to him for all that he'd given her, setting him free was all she had to give back. But no matter how far they were apart or how long the road was that they travelled, her heart would always belong to him.

"Alex," she was looking up at him with complete devotion and respect. "I don't want you at the trial."

"What? Why?" he looked shattered at her request.

"Please," she begged. "It will be too hard… for both of us. I need you to stay here where I can find you. You need to trust me on this, it's better this way." It was killing her to say it.

"No…" he shook his head refusing to listen. Stevie wiped the tears from her face. "I know you don't really want that. I want to be there with you. Don't push me away. I want to help you," he was begging her.

She had thought about this long and hard and knew her decision was the right one. She wanted to give him a future, one that he would easily give up for her, if she asked him to. She couldn't let him do that, because regret and resentment would soon follow.

"I think you should go back to Fiona now!" she stated firmly. She was struggling to hold back the urge to hug him. She was running out of time. She still wanted to see Rose before the trial, and the more time she spent debating this with Alex the less time she had for her daughter.

Alex scoffed. "You just kissed me. What the hell are you doing to me Stevie? Do you want me to lose my mind? I'm going crazy here. I won't let you push me away… I can't let you go."

Stevie shrugged as if it didn't matter. Protecting him was top priority. He would be hurt for a while, but it wasn't anything he couldn't get over and when he did he'd start a new life with Fiona – this time without Stevie's presence. He had to, because she was about to be sentenced to a lifetime behind bars.

"Don't make me hurt you," she pleaded. "Just let me go and be happy… for me. Don't do this Alex, don't make me do it," she stepped back.

"You are hurting me Stevie, by pushing me out of your life. I want to help you," he told her honestly. She didn't reply she wasn't going to change her mind about this. She loved him enough to set him free, to make him happy when she couldn't be there.

"You will be helping me," she promised.

Alex took a step forward and grabbed hold of Stevie's shoulders. "At least let me tell you how much I-"

She cut him off before he could finish. She couldn't handle whatever it was he was going to say, not minutes before she were to leave him, it wouldn't be fair to either of them. "Alex don't! I'm going to jail. I'll be sitting in a cell for the next 15 years. Do you think the guards are going to give me Friday night privileges so you and I can go see a movie? Reality check Alex, I'm not going to be free to do what I want. I'm going to have to ask to take a piss." Did he understand what was going to happen to her, or was he living in denial?

He titled his head to the side. "I know how jail works."

"Then don't waste your time on me." She pulled away from him and climbed back into her Ute, but Alex was quick to pull her out before she could close the door. He didn't argue with her, he just drew her into his arms and held her. When she looked up at him again, she could see that he was crying. She had only ever seen him cry after Claire died – the great love of his life.

Stevie knew that she had his heart then, but she was determined to give it back. She reached her hands around his neck and brought him down for one last kiss.

It was magical.

"Goodbye Alex," she whispered. She touched his chin with her finger and then climbed into the Ute and shut the door. He didn't try and stop her this time. She drove away and looked back at him in the rear-view mirror. He looked as shattered as she felt.

10 miles up the road she stopped the Ute. She was crying too much to see the road she had to pull herself together before she caused a car accident. And she didn't want to be a mess when she arrived at Michelle's. She didn't want Rose to think she wasn't cable of looking after herself. She had to be brave, even if it was only for her family.

She took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes, she forced herself to stop crying and then she pulled the car back onto the road and headed towards the City to say her last goodbye, setting aside all her thoughts on Alex.

It was Rose's turn.