A/N: This chapter and future ones will have veiled references to my prequel story, The Way They Used to Be. While you didn't have to read that story in order to follow the subsequent plot of this story, I just thought it was worth mentioning.

(See the first chapter for disclaimer, notes, spoilers, etc.)

Chapter 13: "Pandora"

I stop short and glance around the lobby. It's practically deserted, the delicate sound of the bar's piano dancing on the air. It's a welcome change from the whine of power tools. The ten days since the earthquake has seen Sunset Beach turned into a virtual construction zone. Every building in the town suffered some degree of damage, some faring better than others. My house isn't one of them. It's destroyed and deemed uninhabitable for the foreseeable future. By some miraculous turn of events, the hotel emerged unscathed and we've been living here since.

It doesn't escape my notice that this is the first time Olivia and I have slept under the same roof in months.

Despite that fact, I've barely seen her. My days are spent wading through the mess of the resort's construction site and reassuring our investors. When I've stopped by Caitlin's suite in the evenings, my arrival is somehow Olivia's cue to leave. Ten days ago, I spent time trying to avoid her. But that was before the earthquake. Now, I've barely spent ten minutes with her. Is this what shared custody is like? She gets our children and grandson in the day, while they're mine at night and the two of us shall infrequently meet?

I wander near the bar, the piano getting louder. With the melancholic notes of "Stardust" greeting me, I lean against the marble column and wait. With a measure of distaste, I realize this puts me in the same class as some mildly obsessed stalker, but what other choice do I have? Olivia's leaving tonight. Officially, she and I exchanged an uncomfortable goodbye earlier when I stopped by Caitlin's after work. She couldn't, or wouldn't, meet my eye. Instead, with a tight smile and a trace of her perfume to sustain me, I watched her hug our daughter.

They stood quietly for several long moments, Olivia's hand running over our daughter's golden hair. In my arms, Trey squirmed, like he knew what was unfolding before us. "Please stay," I heard Caitlin sigh as she pulled back, wiping the tears from her eyes.

And, in that moment, I saw Olivia falter. Her eyes wavered and she paled as she cupped our daughter's face with trembling hands. "Oh, Caity," she sighed, kissing her forehead. "You'll be so busy with Trey that you won't even notice I'm gone."

Caitlin looked up sharply, her eyes bright as she shook her head. "I will," she insisted. "Mom-"

"And, you and Sean are going to come see me in November, remember?" Of course, I thought. Olivia's birthday was a few days before Thanksgiving. I cupped my grandson's head as he nestled against me, listening as she continued, "I'll make sure Cole has the time off."

That at least coaxed a smile from Caitlin. She sighed and threw her arms back around Olivia. "I love you, Mom," she gasped.

I sigh deeply and look down at my watch. Whether intentional or not, Caitlin divulged her mother's travel plans to me. Olivia had one last meeting with Cole about radio station business and then Colin was picking her up. Naturally, they were on an overnight flight back to London together. I shouldn't be surprised, but a small part of me reluctantly identifies the sensation.

The lobby doors swing open and His Lordship strolls in, glancing around. No doubt looking for Olivia, I think to myself as our eyes meet. He pauses for a long moment, eyeing my warily before he slowly makes his way to me. With a sighing grimace, I force myself to cross the lobby. Not even an earthquake could stop my investigators from compiling the history of Colin Sutherland for me. As the distance between us decreases, I think about what I now know about him. He's ten years older than Olivia. He's got a successful career representing London's rich and famous in their divorces. He has a home off Chester Square and an ancestral estate outside of Lavenham in Suffolk. He's been a widower for the last seventeen years. He's had several relationships since his wife died, but he's never re-married. He's the father of three children and the grandfather of one.

And, maybe the most disappointing fact of all, no one has a bad word to say about him. As my daughter would say, he's not only good on paper, he is the proverbial gentleman.

If Olivia marries Colin, will that make her a baroness?

Annie's seemingly innocent question echoes in my mind as I meet his extended hand. "Good evening, Gregory." I only nod in reply. "Olivia should be down shortly," he continues a heartbeat later.

My eyes narrow, irritated, as I nod. "Yes, I know," I murmur, looking away. "I'm waiting for her."

"Yes," he says calmly. "I thought as much."

I'm about to turn back to him when the light above the elevator illuminates. A moment later, the doors open and Olivia steps off, talking with Cole. They're deep in conversation as they walk across the polished marble floor, followed by a porter pushing a luggage cart. The breath catches in my throat when she glances up and freezes as our eyes meet.

"Olivia, what should I do about Tim Kelly?"

I frown and look up at Cole. "Push him off the pier and hope he doesn't know how to swim, perhaps?" I murmur, my suggestion bouncing off the walls of the elevator. My son-in-law looks over in surprise, an odd expression on his face. "Surely, Caitlin told you he isn't one of my favorite employees."

He nods. "She mentioned there's been bad blood between you and him since the early 80's."

Bad blood. That didn't even cover half of what that horrible man put me through when I was pregnant with Sean. I'm still not sorry that Gregory broke his nose. With a sigh, I ask, "What does he want now?"

"Well, he was hoping to meet with you before you went back to London, but since that didn't happen-"

"Thank God."

He grins briefly and continues, "I had my secretary put him on my calendar for tomorrow. I spoke to Ken and it turns out that Tim's contract is up for renewal at the end of the year."

The elevator doors swing open and we walk out, the heels of my sandals clicking on the marble floor. "Make sure you have Ken sit in on the meeting. And then, remind Mr. Kelly, from me, that he needs us more than we need him."

As the porter walks ahead of us, I look up, expecting to see Colin. What I see instead floors me. I stop walking, Cole's words falling to the wayside as I see Gregory and Colin standing side-by-side. My stomach flips and, for a moment, I wonder if this is a nightmare. Gregory, Cole, Colin...I'm surrounded by them. Vaguely, the wistful strains of "Stardust" waltz through me and I close my eyes, surrendering to the harmony. It's a nightmare. The three of them. A nightmare come to life.

"Olivia?" I hear Cole ask, his hand touching my elbow. I inhale sharply and open my eyes, my hand clenching around the handle of my leather purse. I see and feel three pairs of eyes on me. A bloody nightmare. "Yes?" I sigh, turning to Cole. Our eyes meet and I part my lips, but suddenly find myself unable to continue speaking. Cole smiles, like he understands, as his hand falls away. He leans in, hugging me tentatively as he whispers in my ear, "Take care of yourself, Olivia."

"Yes," I murmur as he steps away, glancing at Gregory and Colin before he disappears back into the elevator. Leaving me alone. With them. I turn to face them, a blizzard of emotions consuming me. My past and my present, maybe even my future, collides in their mere presence before me.

Colin sends me a slight smile before he turns to the porter, who asks about the car. As a shuddering breath rises in my throat, I turn to Gregory. His jaw is clenched tight as he turns away from Colin and I'm surprised to see the way his eyes soften. Slowly, he walks over to me and I look down, terrified. The black marble floor is buffed and I'm startled to see my hazy reflection in it. A moment later, Gregory's joins me and I watch them in silence, aware of his quiet presence before me. The tinkling notes of the piano goes on, embracing us as I hear him inhale.

"Olivia-"

Her head comes up sharply, her eyes bright. "Did I ever tell you about this song?"

My face falls, confused. What is she talking about? I watch her closely as Colin's distracted by the porter and the luggage. Her eyes linger on me and I wonder what she sees. The healing cut on my forehead? The exhaustion burned into my face? The inevitability of all of this?

"He's putting your luggage in the car," I hear Colin say, but I don't turn to him. I watch though as Olivia does, her face pale. She swallows hard, her hand nervously brushing her hair behind her ear. A moment later she nods, her voice soft as she says, "I'll be there in a moment."

I feel Colin's eyes on me briefly before he responds, "I'll wait for you in the car."

And then we're alone.

She turns back to me, watching quietly. "The song?" I ask curiously. She will forever be the one mystery I'm not able to completely solve. And yet, wasn't that always the attraction to her? Olivia was a whirling force of nature when I met her, someone who lit up my dark life. She was passionate and I had never wanted anyone more.

Her eyes melt and she shakes her head, whispering, "Never mind."

I could never contain her, not really. An awkward silence becomes us and I listen to the wavering notes of the piano for a moment. "I wanted to tell you that Caitlin and Sean have been officially cleared by the doctor. They're fine," I say, meeting her eyes. Surprise wrinkles across her face but she tries valiantly to cover it with a nod. "Cole too," I add, almost as an afterthought.

"Yes," she replies quietly. "That's wonderful news."

My right hand tingles and I wonder if the day will ever come when I'll stop feeling her cheek against it. The way her head felt as she leaned against it, our grandson giggling in her lap. The way emptiness filled me when she moved away.

"Gregory, why are you here?"

He looks up slowly, his face ashen. I've only seen Gregory speechless a handful of times, but his eyes now carry the same bewildered look as they did each of the four times I told him I was pregnant. Four pregnancies, yet only two children. Does he lie awake at night like I do, wondering about those two lost babies? What they would have looked like? What their laugh would have sounded like? How they would have enriched our lives?

"I'm not sure," he admits and I'm surprised by his honesty. "Maybe I'm here to say goodbye?"

We did that already. Painfully and quietly in a hotel suite with our daughter and grandson looking on. "You're going to wish me well?" I ask incredulously. He looks up quickly before he shrugs. Still, he says nothing and I take a tentative step closer to him. "Gregory?"

His eyes bore into mine, silently pleading as he softly says, "Don't go."

I hear the way the breath catches in my throat and I know that he hears it too. He steps closer, reaching for me but his hand stops just before he touches my arm. It hovers next to me, crackling waves radiating from his palm. "I-I'm going back to London," I whisper, my voice cracking.

My heart seizes in my chest as he continues, "Don't do this to the children."

"I have a life there," I whisper, stumbling over my words.

His fingers brush against my bare arm and I can't help the shock that goes through me. "You have a life here," he says quietly. "Your family is here."

Slowly, my fingertips dance down her arm before I cup her elbow. She inhales sharply, jutting her chin as her eyes look away, even as I step closer. My hand continues to fall, eventually finding the balled fist her left hand has become. The diamond ring is cool to my touch as I gently cup her hand. "Our children need you," I whisper.

I need you.

Her eyes close slowly, her chest rising as she gasps. I frown, feeling the way she trembles and a lead weight settles in my soul. Her lips disappear into a thin line as her face crumbles and a moment later, she opens her eyes. Tears glitter against her blue irises, catching on her eyelashes. "Have you ever thought about what I need?" she asks, her question rising to a sob.

I watch, helpless, as a lone tear rolls down her face. Her leather bag falls to the floor with a resounding smack as she reaches up with her now free hand to brush the tear away. A moment later, her trembling hand covers her mouth as she stifles a cry, lowering her face. "Olivia-"

"The only thing I needed was for you to stop hating me," she gasps. "For you to stop blaming me for our son dying. For you to look at me and say, 'I know you would never hurt our child'." Her hand leaves mine as she covers her mouth with both of hers. She looks back at me with wide eyes, horrified.

And, I looked down. Ashamed.

There's no way for me to take back any of the terror and heartache I threw at her. Mom tried to kill herself twice and it's because of you, Dad. You're to blame. Sean was right. They were all right. I forced her to suicide twice because I wouldn't give her the one thing she needed to survive: my forgiveness. Over the last year, I broke her. First, by forcing her into my plan to take Caitlin's baby and then by turning my back on her after our son died.

Maybe I've been slowly breaking her over the course of our marriage. And, like Pandora, there's no way for me to re-close the box of evil and horror I unleashed on my wife.

There's no way for Olivia to heal if she stays.

There's no way for her to heal from me.

Gregory doesn't say anything. He just watches me, his expression grave. Slowly, he nods, as if he's been reasoning with himself and has come to some conclusion he's satisfied with. That was always his way. He always had to logically reason his way out of everything. He could never just feel it. "What I said-" he begins.

I tremble, wiping my eyes as I shake my head. All of his angry words and accusations come back to me, as if I was hearing them for the first time. My stomach lurches and suddenly, I feel sick. "I can't look at you without remembering all of the awful things you said to me after we lost the baby. How could you have said those things to me?" I murmur. My voice sounds as I broken as I feel. "To me of all people?" But, he only looks away, swallowing hard. "I carried your four children in me. You...you broke my heart."

It's been breaking for years, Colin. Though it may now have finally broke for good.

We ruined each other. I broke Gregory's heart many times over the years, just as he's broken mine. When Gregory turns back to me, he says nothing and I see the glisten of tears in his eyes.

When did I lose my faith?

Certainly, I never had any until I met Olivia. But, she made me a man of faith. I believed in her, in the life she gave me, in the family she gave me. When did that faith die?

Maybe it never even existed. Perhaps the faith I saw in myself was a mere reflection of her. "Maybe it's for the best this way," I hear her sigh sadly. "We bring out the worst in each other."

I nod, listening to her. She entrusted her heart to me and I destroyed it. I bring out the worst in her. I don't think my worst was ever truly hidden. Kept at bay, perhaps, but never truly gone. It was always there, lurking just beneath the surface.

"But, maybe..." she continues, looking at me somewhat hopefully, "maybe we can finally be at peace...if I go?"

Once opened, Pandora's box could never again be closed.

"For the children's sake," I finally force myself to say.

His voice is tight, as if he forcing himself to speak to me. I wilt, feeling a light go out in me even as I nod. "For our grandson too."

Isn't that the way it is supposed to be? The old sacrificing for the young? I've never truly felt my age until this moment and, as I look back at Gregory, I see he's wearing it. Life has beaten us down and we've been mere playthings for the bored and cruel fates.

A pained silence hangs between us and I look down, unable to take the sad expression on his face. As I do, I catch sight of my engagement ring. They say a circle is unending. Lasting for infinity. But, like hearts and marriages, it too can break. Before the earthquake, he asked me about it. Why I still wore it. Can I explain it? Will he even understand?

With a sigh, I begin, "About the ring-"

I can't.

Not now. Not as I let her slip away.

I hold up my hand, disgusted to see that it's visibly trembling. I bury it deep in my pocket and interrupt, "It doesn't matter." But, it does. It matters very much. That ring was a promise to her of the life we would have, of the family we would create, of the love we would share.

Her face falls and she bites the corner of her lip. She nods blandly and asks quietly, "Would you like it back?"

She was the first person who ever delighted me. Who else but her could wear that ring and all that it stood for? I can't take it back, not without her. Without her, it's just a diamond. Worthless.

I shake my head and something deep within me aches as I sigh, "Keep it."

It's suddenly hard to breathe.

My throat tightens and I gasp, struggling to get oxygen into my starving lungs. His shoulders fall, like I've broken him. And, haven't I? Aren't we both broken? As the curtain gently falls on our story, our tragedy, I feel the broken halves of my heart shatter. There's nothing left in me. Nothing.

I gasp, struggling to keep my sob at bay. "I should go," I sigh, tight bands wrapping around my chest, strangling me. He nods, clearing his throat as he looks down.

I've never been able to stop myself. Mummy always said self-control was something I frequently lacked. Gently, I reach out, my hand brushing against his. Slowly, he looks up at me with full eyes and I force myself to speak. "Goodbye, Gregory."

Her hand slips into mine and my fingers tighten around hers. She looks back at me, her chin trembling. What did Barbara say to me once? That Olivia tried so hard to be brave that she often overlooked her own strength? She blinks and continues, very carefully, "Thank you for pulling me into the doorway." As I stand, riveted to her, she steps closer and continues, her voice heavy, "You could have just taken Trey...and you didn't."

I listen as a sob rises in her throat and she nods, a strained smile on her face. "You saved me," I hear her whisper. Her hand trembles against mine as she looks back at me, her eyes shining. Wasn't that my self-inflicted reproach when I was sitting next to her hospital bed in Naples? Cole saved her her in Sunset Beach. Some Italian saved her on the cruise. But, not me. Never me...until now. Though now, it feels like a hollow victory.

Our hands are still entwined and I know that these last few seconds are all I have left. Her eyes are wide as she watches me, the tip of her nose stained red with anguish. Gently, I squeeze her hand, a piece of me dying as I say softly, "Goodbye, Liv."

She nods, pulling back her trembling hand. All I can do is watch as she picks up her leather handbag and loops it from her forearm. With another whisper of "Goodbye", she passes me and I turn, watching her go. A moment later, she steps through the lobby doors and disappears into the balmy sunset.

"May I?"

My head snaps up, turning to the voice. Colin sits next to me in the back of the Town Car and I blink, confused. He holds out his handkerchief and I slowly reach for it, staring down at it for a long moment. Did I ask for it? Why do I need it?

I raise my other hand, feeling my wet cheek. I turn to the window and see that we've left Sunset Beach behind. In fact, we're nearly at the airfield. We've been driving for some time. Vaguely, I remember him helping me into the car as I took sanctuary in the darkened backseat. After I left the hotel. After I left Gregory. He's let me be all this time, Nanny's British gentleman not wanting to impose on my grief and tears. "Thank you," I murmur, wiping my eyes.

He clears his throat, watching me carefully. He's just like Gregory. They're both perfect lawyers who wouldn't want to say the wrong thing. "I'm fine," I say softly, sparing him the burden of asking. He looks as if he's doubtful, so I insist, "Really."

"Was he unkind?" he asks quietly a moment later.

My hands fall to my lap, gazing blankly at the back of the chauffeur's head. Gregory's full eyes are ingrained in my memory. I still feel his hand against my own. The way Liv sounded on his lips, like the prayer of a dying man. Gently, I shake my head. "No," I say, the word swollen in my throat. "He-"

I turn back to the window, unable to continue speaking. But there was nothing to see, only the sight of my tears reflected in the glass.

He wasn't unkind.

He wasn't.

"There you are!"

Annie's voice echoes across the suite as I walk into it. Blankly, I look over, seeing her perched on the sofa, surrounded by magazines. Several scotches at the bar fortified me for the short elevator ride up to my hotel room.

More alcohol would be needed to forget the way Olivia's shattered voice declared that I broke her heart.

"Did you come from Caitlin's room?" Annie asks as I shrug out of my sports coat and drop it lazily over the arm chair. Through the haze of alcohol, I can hear the tone in her voice suggest that she knew I was not visiting my daughter. I walk past her to the bar, reaching for an empty glass and several miniature bottles of scotch. "Well?" she asks, the pitch of her voice rising as I drop an ice cube into the glass.

The amber alcohol bubbles in, cracking the ice. "Gregory!" she snaps behind me as I raise the glass to my lips. Slowly, I turn to her, watching her over the crystal rim. "I know Olivia left tonight."

A warm ember burns low in my stomach as the scotch makes it way through my body. "And?"

"I'm glad she's gone," she snaps, pushing her magazines aside and freeing up the cushion next to her. An invitation, perhaps? I ignore the silent offer and wander through the sitting room, standing in front of the balcony doors. The sunset has given way to a dark blue sky on the other side of the glass door and I gaze out at the horizon. Of course Annie was glad she was gone. She's never liked her.

I frown, taking another deep sip of scotch. By now, Olivia was on a jet flying away from California. Away from me. Home to London. With His Lordship. My hand tightens around the glass, my knuckles white as Annie begins, "You know, this earthquake has really made me rethink a lot of things." I say nothing and several heartbeats go by before she says, "Life is so fleeting. You never know when it will be taken away. I want to have it all before I die."

"Oh?" I reply into the glass, the rich scent greeting me.

"Yes. Gregory, I've given this a lot of thought these last few days and..." I close my eyes, letting the alcohol fog my mind as she says, "I want a child. Your child."

How could you have said those things to me? To me of all people. I carried your four children in me.

I open my heavy eyes and turn slowly. Annie's sitting up, watching me eagerly. "A baby," she clarifies as I look back at her. The only thing I can think of is that I need more scotch. "Well?"

"What makes you think I want another child?" I mutter as I walk past her and open a new bottle.

"It's what married people want! They want a child!"

"I don't," I say simply, dropping an ice cube into my glass.

"Any more children?" she shrieks. "Or just children with me?"

I turn slowly, eyeing her carefully. "Do you really want me to answer that?"

Her face falls and she crosses her arms angrily over her chest as she stalks over to me. "Yes, I really want an answer! Because you wanted Olivia's baby and I-"

A dam snaps in me and my free hand flies out, locking around Annie's arm. As my fingers sink into her flesh, I lean in slowly, our eyes locked. Her eyes widen to saucers as she tries to pull her arm away. "Don't you ever," I say slowly, my voice low, "speak about that baby or..." Suddenly, my voice falls away as my throat tightens. Olivia was gone. For good this time.

"Olivia," Annie finishes sullenly, ripping her arm back. She shoots a glare in my direction before she stalks past me into the bedroom, the door slamming shut behind her.

Leaving me alone.