Okay, to say that I'm blown away by the response to this story would be an understatement. Thank you for all the alerts and follows. I appreciate them more than you can ever know...Just know that this is AU so everyone is acting out of character...

The morning before their first scheduled playdate came way too early for Kate's liking. She woke three hours before her normal time and she knew that it was a case of nerves. She found herself sitting on the outdoor patio drinking coffee and thinking about her relationship with Rick. It had been a wonderful time in her life. She had loved Rick so much. She just wasn't sure about his feelings for her. Sure, he'd told her that he loved her, but she had always felt like he was holding something back.

She felt that he had been keeping something from her during their time together. So, when she broke it off, it was with a heavy heart. She also carried a huge secret. One that, at the time seemed small, but now it had the potential to change everything. What would he do when he found out? Would he ever be able to forgive her for the choices that she had made back then? Or would he hate her forever? He knew that she wouldn't, couldn't forgive her. The choices that she had made back then were unforgivable. How many times had she picked up the phone and tried to call him. To let him know about her darkest secret and her biggest regret? She had never been able to make that very important phone call.

If she was honest with herself, she would have to admit that she had been afraid. Afraid that he wouldn't have believed her. Would have called her all kinds of names and then hung up the phone. Leaving her even more heartbroken than before. She hadn't set out to hurt him. Although she knew that he wouldn't believe her. So many years had passed. And with each passing day, the secret she carried threatened to come out into the open. Kate knew that the second he saw Noah he would know. Hell, her own mother didn't believe her story of who Noah's father was. Because while Samantha looked just like her, Noah was the spitting image of his father. A father who had never known that he existed. Kate wasn't sure what she had been thinking. Secrets like this always had a way of coming out into the open. She knew that then and she knew now that it was on the verge of being revealed.

She sighed and carried her now empty coffee cup back into the kitchen and rinsed it out. She sighed and closed her eyes. She'd made some terrible choices in the past, but she'd tried to make amends for them. She walked over to the fireplace and took a picture from the mantle and looked at her son. He looked so much like his father. He even had the same smile. God. How had she made such a mess out of everything. Her children meant everything to her and she didn't know what she would do if he threatened to take him away from her. She knew that she wouldn't survive.

She wondered again for the millionth time if she should call her mom and ask her to watch Noah. Maybe it would be better. But better for who? Her? Noah? Noah's father? Kate sighed and ran her hand through her hair. She placed the picture back on the mantle and walked into the living room to grab her phone. She thumbed through the contacts and pulled up Rick's number. Before she could second guess herself, she hit the send button. She needed to talk to him before their scheduled playdate and she didn't want Samantha, Noah or Alexis around when they had this conversation.

Rick picked up the phone on the third ring. It was obvious that she had woken him, "H-hello?"

Kate smiled at the mental image she got in her mind. She'd always loved seeing him wake in the early morning hours. She knew she had lost herself in her thoughts when she heard him say, "Kate? Are you there or are you butt dialing me?"

Kate laughed softly despite her bad mood that morning. She sighed and told him, "We need to meet Rick."

Rick noticed the serious tone of her voice and said, "Where?"

"Do you remember the playground?"

Rick smiled, "The swings?"

"Yeah. Can you meet me this afternoon? At one?"

"Sure. Is everything okay Kate?"

Kate sighed heavily and whispered, "No, but..."

"But what?"

Kate shook her head, "Just meet me at the swings Rick."

Kate hung up the phone before Rick could respond and called another number. She told the unseen person, "Are you busy?" After waiting a beat, she continued, "I need to bring Samantha and Noah over. Is it okay? Don't ask. I really can't explain it right now mom. Can I bring them by?"

"Of course sweetheart. Are you going to tell me what's going on or do I have to guess?"

Kate shook her head, "I can't mom. There's something I have to do."

"Is everything okay Katie?"

"No and I don't think it will ever be again mom."

"What's going on Katie? You sound sad."

Kate sighed and closed her eyes and then told her mom, "I can't explain it mom. I owe someone else an explanation first. You remember what you said about Noah's dad?"

"Yeah. What does that have to do with anything?"

Kate simply told her mom, "You were right. It wasn't Tom. It couldn't have been."

"What? You were only seeing him.."

"No I wasn't mom. I only told you that because you liked him. There was someone else. Someone that I never told you about. What Tom and I had was on again off again. Mostly off again. We never even slept together."

"Then how is he Noah's father?"

Kate sighed, "He isn't..."

"What did you do Katie?"

That was a good question. She had hurt someone that didn't deserve it. For no other reason than she was stupid and selfish and now it was coming back to haunt her. All of her sins were going to be laid out in the open and she was going to end up hurting someone who didn't deserve it. She finally whispered, "I lied about Noah's dad. About everything. There was someone else and Tom and I broke it off because I was pregnant with another mans baby."

"Oh Katie...Does this other man know?"

Kate sighed, "No..."

"And you waited all this time to tell him. Why?"

That was the thousand dollar question. Why had she waited all this time to tell him about their baby? She finally told her mom, "I didn't want him accusing me of only being after his money..."

"God Katie...Who is this man?"

Kate shook her head and whispered, "I can't tell you mom. I need to find a way to fix this."

Kate heard her mother sigh and then Johanna said, "You might not be able to fix this sweetheart. You kept your son from him for almost four years. That's a lifetime and..."

"I know mom...I have to try though..."

"Bring them over. I want you to tell me everything when you're done with whatever mission you're on. I love you."

Kate felt her heart break a little at her mom's voice and whispered, "I love you to mom. I'm sorry."

"I'm not the one that you need to say that to Katie. You need to tell him and hope that it might be enough. Which I don't think it will be. What you've done Katie..."

Kate sighed. She didn't need a lecture from her mother about what she'd done. She knew that she had been so unfair to her son and to the man that was his father. She had no good reason for doing it either. She was just selfish. To be plain and simple. And she knew that Rick probably would never forgive her for keeping his son from him for the last three plus years. She just had to tell him and hope that he could find it in his heart to accept her baby boy as his son. She knew that he would never love her again and she could accept that, but she needed to let him know about their son. Because there was no doubt in her mind that once he saw his son in the park the following day he would know. The bright blue eyes would give it away and Kate didn't want to confront him in front of Samantha or Noah.

So, after she dropped them off at Johanna's house that afternoon, she hurried to the park and sat on the swings where they would often meet. She sat on the swings and closed her eyes. Replaying nearly every conversation that they'd had there together. This was where they admitted their love for one another. This was where they talked about everything and nothing. This was where they had ended everything. So, it seemed fitting that this would be the place where Kate would tell Rick about the son that he had never known about.

Kate watched as he walked over to her and sat down beside her. He smiled at her and asked, "What did you need to talk to me about Kate?"

Kate sighed and closed her eyes. Then she reached into her purse and took out a picture of her little boy. Noah looked nothing like her and everything like his father. She took a deep breath and handed the picture to Rick. Then she whispered softly, "I want you to meet your son..."

Rick was speechless and could only look at her in disbelief and shock. He said nothing, but looked down at the picture and he knew it was true. He looked at her and whispered, "He's not mine. He can't be mine. I..."

Rick refused to believe that the sandy haired boy in the picture was his. Even though his eyes were exactly like his own. Exactly like his daughters. He only looked at Kate and shook his head, "No..."

Kate nodded and whispered, "I'm sorry Rick..."

Rick could only stare at her in confusion and disbelief. Unwilling to admit that this miniature version of himself existed. He simply stared into space and said nothing for the longest time. Unable to give a voice to the overwhelming emotions inside of him. So, he stayed quiet and refused to say a word to her. He was so upset that he didn't dare utter a single word. Because whatever he wanted to say would end up possibly destroying everything and everyone forever...

I know this chapter and the next will be heavy on the angst, but the following chapters will feature more of Alexis and Sam...