I know it has been forever since I have updated this, but the problem has been writer's block and the fact that I wrote the final chapter before I finished, meaning I have had difficulty bridging the gap. So I have decided to make this the second last chapter, which I know will make it seem a little rushed, but I'm honestly stuck. At some point in the future I may rewrite it, but for now I apologise and pray that it doesn't suck too much

The next day was Saturday, so after waking up, Caitlin decided to lie in bed for a while. She could hear Brandon padding about the apartment, full of energy despite it being what Caitlin would have once described as "the middle of the night". As she thought about getting up to make him some breakfast she heard the television in the livingroom turn on.

"He'll be fine for another hour," she told herself, yawning hard and rolling over.

She pulled the duvet over herself, trying to push all thoughts of Jeff, Paul, Matt, Amy's love triangle and all other unpleasant parts of life out of her head. She wanted one morning without thinking about the problems in her life and the lives of those around her.

Her phone rang, pulling her thankfully away from her thoughts.

"Hello," she greeted.

"Did I wake you?" The familiar voice of Shane Helms brought a smile to her face.

"Nah, I was just lying in bed trying to avoid getting up," she admitted, causing him to laugh.

"Why doesn't that surprise me? Anyway, I'm in the big NYC this weekend and thought that if you weren't busy you might want to meet up."

"You know I would love that," she enthused, sitting upright and beaming at the thought. "And Brandon is missing you guys like crazy so he would be over the moon." She paused for a second. "But, you should probably know that Amy is staying with me. If that's going to be a problem, tell me now before we make plans."

"We-ll," Shane began and Caitlin knew this wasn't going to be a good sign. "I really don't think that I want to be around her right now. I mean, I'm one of Matt's best friends and although I love Amy, I think that for just now I need to show my support for Matt. So what do you suggest?"

"Remember where my favourite cafe is up in my old neighbourhood?" Shane responded that he did. "Well, me and Brandon will get you there at midday for some lunch."

They said their farewells and Caitlin hung up. She was relieved that Shane had phoned. After her bust up with Jeff, she wasn't sure who from Cameron was still talking to her and it was reassuring to know she hadn't completely lost all of her friends. Shane could have easily adopted the same attitude to her that he had to Amy, and she was grateful that he hadn't.

After washing and dressing, Caitlin wandered through to the livingroom, where Amy and Brandon were sitting together on the couch watching cartoons.

"This this a private party or can anyone join?" She laughed, sitting down next to her son.

"Morning mummy," Brandon beamed up at her, before returning his gaze to the television screen.

"Hi," Amy said over the top of the boy's head. "How are you doing today?"

Caitlin didn't know how to reply. She knew she had to tell Amy about Shane's phone call, but she didn't want to hurt the WWE diva by telling her that her former friend didn't want to see her.

"I'm okay, how about you?"

Amy ran a hand through her red hair and sighed. "Don't ask. I didn't get very much sleep last night. I know I messed up but it still hurts so bad."

"Well this isn't going to make it much better. Shane phoned me this morning and told me that he is in town and that he wants to see me and Brandon.

"But I told him that you were staying here, and well, he feels that because he is closer to Matt that maybe it wouldn't look so good that he is hanging out with you."

She saw a flicker of upset cross Amy's face, but almost as quickly as it formed it disappeared. Amy managed to smile at her friend and shrugged.

"His loss." She stood up and stretched. "I have things to do today anyway, so I'm going to go and jump in the shower."

After she left, Caitlin wrapped her arms around her son and held him in a tight bear hug.

"Brando," she whispered, using one of Jeff's favourite names for him. "We are going to see uncle Shane today, so go and get yourself ready."

The small boy let out a squeal of excitement and as soon as his mother let him down, ran straight to his room to get dressed.

Shane was already sitting at a table in the deli when Caitlin and Brandon walked in. The latter yanked his hand out of his mother's grip and speeded towards Shane, who opened his arms wide to catch him.

"Look at you," he remarked, scooping the small boy up into his arms. "You've gotten really big. Pretty soon I'm not going to be able to pick you up."

"Yeah you will, because you are the strongest person in the world." Brandon told him, making Shane and Caitlin laugh.

Holding Brandon in one hand, Shane wrapped his other arm around Caitlin, giving her a brief kiss on the cheek. "Hello you."

Caitlin smiled. "Hey back at you."

The three of them sat at the table, and a waitress appeared to take their order. After telling her what they wanted, Shane and Brandon began talking about living in New York.

"There's so much to do uncle Shane, it's not like Cameron at all." Brandon gave a long list of some of the many things that he had seen and done during his time in the city, with Shane playing the role of audience perfectly. Brandon's voice grew sad. "I just wish daddy was here to see it all with me."

"Well," Shane began, casting Caitlin, who had panicked, a reassuring glance. "I was speaking to your dad just before I came up here and he told me that I was to take special care of you because he is planning on seeing you soon."

Brandon's eyes grew wide and he bounced up and down in his seat. "Really? Did he promise?"

Shane nodded. "And he told me to tell you that him and all the animals are missing you like crazy and he gave me some pictures to give to you."

He handed Brandon an envelope of photos and let him inspect them as he turned his attention to Caitlin.

"So kid, what's going on?"

"I don't know what to tell you. I'm dating Paul, trying to see if there is still something there and whether I want to give it a proper shot. Amy is staying with me for the time being and Brandon is enrolled in daycare."

"Come on Caitlin, I know you, you don't run unless you are scared."

Her mind briefly floated back to the day she had left her family home, sick of the abuse and petrified not only of what would happen to her next, but what her reaction would be. Her fear had created a violence in her that she didn't like, almost the same as an animal backed into a corner by a predator. She knew that she couldn't go through with it, so she had chosen to run.

"I wasn't given much choice, I was told to leave."

"You know Jeff, he loves you and Brandon. And he was there when Paul left you pregnant and alone last time and he doesn't want to see that happen again. He was bluffing and you shocked him when you didn't back down."

A flame of anger flickered in Caitlin's stomach. "I am a person, Shane. He could have quite easily discussed it with me instead of making me homeless. But he chooses to make me choose between him and a possible chance to be happy and that's not fair."

As she said the words she grew tired. She had been justifying herself ever since she left Cameron and she was getting sick of having to tell everyone that she wasn't the bad guy. This was almost the exact same conversation that she had with Amy when she first visited the apartment. All she wanted to do was be happy with her son and people around her were trying to tell her how best to do it.

"He wanted me to tell you that he loves you," Shane interrupted her thoughts. "And that if you change your mind there will always be a place for you with him."

She had had enough of the whole situation. Desperately trying to maintain a calm, light tone she said, "Brandon, how would you like to have a special day with uncle Shane? The two of you can have a boys day and do lots of fun things while mummy does some work."

"Really?" His eyes lit up. "That would be cool."

Knowing what she was up to, Shane whispered, "Caitlin, don't do this."

Ignoring him, she kissed the top of Brandon's head and stood up. "Enjoy your day."

As she walked back to the apartment she called Paul and asked him to meet her there. After he had stormed out the other day, she had barely heard from him and was desperate to be around him. She thought about how strange it was that Paul had gone from being the man she hated most in her life to the one she needed most.

Paul arrived about half an hour after Caitlin got home. Amy had headed out for the day, leaving the place completely empty.

"Hey," Paul smiled as she answered the door. Without a word, Caitlin grabbed the front of his shirt, simultaneously pulling him down into a kiss and into the apartment.

Paul, although initially shocked by the forward move, soon regained his senses and wrapped his huge arms around the brunette, leaving no gaps between their bodies. He only pulled back when Caitlin began undoing the buttons of his shirt.

"What are you doing?" He asked gently, looking deep into her eyes as though trying to probe into her soul.

"I'm undressing you," she responded and undid another button.

"I thought we weren't going to do this for a while?"

Caitlin raised her eyebrow. "There's been a change of plans."

She kissed him fiercely and as their lips met, she quickly pulled her top up, breaking the kiss only to pull it over her head and drop it on the floor, revealing her red and black bra.

This seemed to signal Paul into action. In an instant he had his shirt and shoes off and was dragging her into the bedroom, desperate to get her into the bed and relive some of his greatest memories of making love to Caitlin.

As they made love, roughly at first and then more loving and gentle, Caitlin felt a peace and a belonging that she hadn't felt for a very long time. Lying in Paul's strong, protective arms, Caitlin looked up at him and smiled.

"I missed you."

"Me too," he told her. "I'm just glad I have you back."

After lying together for a while, Caitlin realised that Brandon and Shane, or Amy, could be home soon and that having them walk into her in bed with Paul wouldn't be such a good idea.

As they dressed, Paul gave her a quick look and began to talk.

"Listen," he began. "Why don't you get Amy to babysit tonight and you can come over to my hotel room? We can have a meal in, relax and have a night where we can just be alone, the two of us."

Caitlin bit her lip, unsure about leaving her son with the emotionally fragile Amy. "I don't know, Paul."

He took her hands in his. "Please Caity. We need to be together, just us, to get on with our relationship."

She smiled and nodded, before continuing to put on her shirt. A night off from being mum was probably all she really needed.

As she entered the hotel later that evening, her heart quickened in pace. She was so happy, it finally seemed as though her life was complete, with her son, a guy who was crazy about her and friends who cared. For the first time in a long time, she began to imagine a life without Jeff.

She paused only slightly when she reached Paul's door, to adjust her dress and check her hair in a nearby mirror.

This is perfect, she thought smiling brightly. Things are finally going right.

Paul had told her that his door would be unlocked and she silently hoped that he would leave it open on the off-chance that she was early, which looking at her watch she realised that she was.

Opening the door, she realised that the night would not be going as she expected.