Stef

Today is the first day of couples therapy and I really don't want to do it, but I know we need to. Ever since our talk about Eric we have been better since this whole drama started but it's still awkward. I know that I should just forget about it but that day when I was in that plain field, I thought for sure she would shoot me. Hell she even admitted she was going to. I get why, I do. It's just hard to wrap my head around the fact that shooting me is ever 'in my best interest'.

"Earth to Stefanie" Lena said waving her hand in front of my face.
"Sorry, zoned out" I responded and she gave me her look.

"You alright?"

"Yeah… how do you think this guy is going to react to our screwed up life?" I asked laughing a bit and she smiled at me shaking my head.

"Honey we will get through it and he is supposed to deal with screwed up couples, that's his job" she said and I laughed.

An hour later we arrived at the therapist and finally got in.

"Hey i'm Chris Millar" he formally introducing himself.

"Stef Adams Foster" I said shaking his hand. "This is Lena Adams Foster"

"I don't mean to be rude but are you… the person everyones…" he trailed off and I sighed. I really wish that no one read the newspaper or followed the news.

"Yeah apparently i'm famous" she responded back bitterly. He probably shouldn't have asked that directly but he was going to figure out about it eventually either way.

I watched as he immediately starting judging both of us before catching himself and smiled.

"Alright follow me" he directed leading us back to his room. I'm not sure how this is going to go down.

"Ok so let's get to know each other a bit… How long have you guys been together?" He asked.

"12 years now… married 2 years ago" Lena answered before I did putting her hand on my leg.

"Well that's amazing I've been married for like a month and it's already trying" he joked and I laughed.

"Oh yeah it's always trying" I teased her and she playfully hit me. Which is the first time she's been brave enough to do that since the whole drama.

"Gee thanks" She said mock offended.

"Alright so it's no secret that there is a lot of controversy going around about you guys…" he started not sure how to say this.

"Yeah we are doing our best to not let it affect us…" I stated, Could this get any more awkward?

"Well that would affect any relationship… if you don't mind giving me a bit of a background on what happened because i'm sure that the newspaper didn't cover everything" he said awkwardly. I'm pretty sure he's personal convinced that Lena is guilty which is making everything awkward.

"Well I was attacked and since I couldn't remember anything of it and it was set up making Lena look bad…" I started and he nodded.

"So while this was happening what were you thinking?" He asked me first.

"Well I… I know Lena it didn't make sense that she would even be capable of that" I said honestly.

"So you didn't start to doubt her?" He asked giving me a look of disbelief.

"Well…"

"Tell the truth., it's ok" Lena said.

"Um a little bit… I was still unsure…." I trailed off not sure how to word this.

"And so in the second incident…?" He asked referring to when Lena had me at gunpoint.

"I was called and told if I didn't get to our house quickly that she would kill Stef… so naturally I got there quickly and she pulled me aside told me to keep Stef at gunpoint or she will shoot her… then telling me to shoot her anywhere or she will shoot and kill her…." Lena explained and I could tell she hated thing about it. Well at least that's good.
"So at that point in time it looked to you…" he started looking at me wanting me to finish the statement.

"Like she was gonna kill me" I responded bluntly and Lena winced.

"Well that's complicated… will definitely give even the best couples a run for their money… If you don't mind me saying even you guys stopped holding hands and practically turned your backs to each other" he pointed out and an awkward silence fell over us. What are we supposed to do in this moment.

"Now if I could guess you are a pretty strong couple that really seems to love each other but this is trying situation and therefore there is definitely a lack of trust and communication." He said and I nodded.. AS much as I would love to just forgive and forget, especially since Lena hasn't done anything wrong, but I can't not think about that day when i'm with her. I don't want this to ruin things between us but right now it's making it hard to move on.

"Alright… so this is a rough situation… so I think for this meeting I can talk to you each individually and then regroup and decide how we should move on" he declared and I know what's coming. He's also a mandatory reporter so he's required to ask me by myself what's going on with Lena and again if i'm being abused. I'm getting real sick of that question.

Once Lena left, I know she knows what's going on too. She's been asked herself many times if she's abused me (and since i'm a cop she had it a little rougher than if I wasn't because it was personal to the cops interrogating her.)

"I'm not being abused" I proclaimed before he even asked.

"Wow I haven't even asked you yet" he said and I bit my lip.

"I've been asked a lot recently." I explained and he nodded.

"I bet… I know this sounds pointless but can you tell me what happened now that she is out of the room." He said and I know he's just doing his job but this is annoying.

"She was framed, Candice tried to kill me" I stated and he nodded.

"I understand that this a difficult thing to come back from but you don't seem to trust her at all. You seem like your guard is up" he said and I shrugged.

"It's just rough right now"

"What's scaring you?" He asked and I sighed.
"OK truth is I was in an abusive relationship when I was younger" I confessed and he nodded.

"Well that changes the ball game a bit doesn't it" he stated with a look of 'damn you guys have it rough.

"Yeah I guess it does."
"Have you talked to Lena about that relationship?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yeah recently actually"

"Recently so before this drama you didn't talk about it?" He asked.

"I told her it happened but we didn't talk about it that much… better in the past, I guess" I admitted knowing it's not good to not talk about it but hey it's easier that way.

"Why is it better in the past?" He asked and I shrugged.

"Didn't want to talk about it… you know like awkward middle school years or a haircut you rocked in the eighties" I said and he laughed.

"So you're ashamed of it?"
"I don't want to be that person… the one that everyone pities. I don't want to think about what happened."
"So burying it is better?" He asked.

"I don't know… kinda… it worked for a while" I stated and he shook his head.

"Ok well psychologically speaking the answer is no… if i'm gonna guess and tell me if i'm wrong, it made you paranoid and lead to you not trusting your wife and that's a very important part of any relationship" he predicted unfortunately kind of correctly.

"Well granted being held at gun shot didn't help" I stated and he nodded.
"Understandable… but we are gonna work on that… oh and communication. So I'm gonna give you guess some things to do to work on that trust and actually talking to each other" he explained. Great that should be fun.

Lena

I slammed the laptop shut wanting to scream and my dad gave me a confused look and sat next to me.

"Want to talk about it…" he asked carefully. He lives with my mom he's used to proceeding with caution when she's mad and when I am.

"I'm bankrupt" I blurted out and he looked at me shocked.

"What? How could you be bankrupt?" He asked.

"Well while framing me she though huh might as well drain her bank account" I yelled. I don't have a job, probably won't be able to get one, me and Stef's marriage is hanging on by a thread and now i'm bankrupt. We aren't going to be able to afford anything.

"The police should get that money back for you, I mean she was arrested. She's at least getting charged with identity theft they should be able to track that money down and get it back to you" he argued.

"I know I will report it but until then I don't have money… or a job… we can't afford things" I said and he sighed.

"How much do you need?" He asked and I know he means let me know and I'll write you a check.

"No dad, I'm not borrowing money" I said and he shook his head.

"No your not don't worry about paying me back" he explained.

"I'm not taking your money… I will figure it out."

"Yes you are… your identity was stolen Lena. If me or your mom's identity was stolen and we lost a lot of money you and Stef would help us out. It's called being a family" he stated simply and I sighed.

"Thank you, I will pay you back"

"No you're not i'm not taking money from you… well at least until we are too old to take care of ourselves then we'll drain ya" he joked and I laughed.

"Thank you…"

"So you don't have your job anymore?" He asked.

"No and I really don't know who will hire me…" I said. Being arrested is going to be taken off my record but people everywhere heard off this case. I mean hell even our therapist was judging me today and before we even told the story. If my therapist was judging me, someone who is paid to not judge people, how will a future employer judge me?

"It will work out in the end" he said.

"How?" I asked and he sighed shrugging.

"I don't know you never made me explain that far when you were a kid" he said and I rolled my eyes.

"Gee thanks good pep talk dad" I really hope he is right somehow.

Let me know what you think. One or two more chapters.