Ugh, baaaaad title. Baaaaad title. I look at the title of this part and cringe. Sooooo clichéd and sappy. But it fits and I couldn't think of another one. So it stays. But still. . .*Cringes*

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Dixie and her family entered their Florida beach house later that night. Serge, not saying a word, went into the study. He went right for the alcohol decanters and poured a generous helping of scotch into a glass.

Dixie looked at his back and sighed. She mentally built up her courage then followed after him.

Tamara watched them go, a frown on her face. Suddenly her chin began to quiver and she turned and dashed up the stairs as she burst into tears.

Davy looked after her in worry and confusion. He knew something was wrong but didn't understand what it was.

"Tam!" he called as he hurried after her.

Dixie entered the study, watching as Serge downed his glass of scotch and poured himself another. She closed the door and leaned back against it, looking at him with a frown.

"We need to talk." she stated.

"Not now." Serge sighed, his back still turned to her. He finished his drink and poured another.

"Yes, now." Dixie replied as she stepped away from the door and came to stand behind him, "It's passed time we talked."

"What do you want?" Serge muttered, finally turning to face her. He regarded her evenly.

Dixie threw her hands up in frustration, "I want to know what happened to us. We used to be happy. We were happy, right? So what happened?'

Serge started to laugh coldly at her, "So what? You're laying all the blame on me?"

Dixie sighed, aggravated, "No, I'm not laying all the blame on you. It's not about blame."

She looked down at the ground, admitting, "I had a role in this, too."

She turned back to him and expressed sadly, "I haven't been happy for a long time. And I know you haven't, either."

Serge finished his drink and roughly set the glass onto the wooden surface of his desk.

"So what do you want?" he demanded coldly, "Do you want a divorce? Do you want to break up this family?'

Dixie shook her head, "Why do you have to go to such extremes? I never mentioned the word divorce."

"But you thought it, right?" Serge accused.

Dixie once again cast her eyes to the ground .She didn't have to say it, but it was clear that she had contemplated such a thing.

"Maybe we just need some time apart." she replied at last, "To figure things out. To see what we want to do."

Serge looked away and shook his head, laughing grimly, "Fine. Great."

And he pushed passed her, storming up the stairs to his bedroom to pack his things.

Dixie closed her eyes briefly, trying to find the strength she needed to do this. She knew that ultimately it was for the best but that didn't stop the hurt she felt. Or the sense of failure.

When she opened her eyes they landed on two pictures sitting on the desk. One was of her and Serge. They were sitting on a sandy beach, a gorgeous sunset behind them. They had their arms around each other and were smiling happily at the camera.

The other was a family photo, taken at Christmas. There was Serge, Tamara, Davy and herself. All four were sitting around the lavish Christmas tree, opening presents. They were laughing and smiling, all so filled with joy.

What happened to us? she silently asked herself.

She sighed and began to make her way up the stairs.

Serge came out of his room, suitcase in hand, when Tamara and Davy stepped out of their rooms. They looked at their father in fear.

"Daddy, what's going on?" Tamara demanded.

"Your mother is throwing me out of the house." Serge muttered angrily.

Tamara gasped and Davy leaned back against the wall. Tears sprung to his eyes as he looked up at his father in disbelief.

"Serge!" Dixie couldn't believe he had just lied to their children.

She turned to the kids and tried to reassure them, "That's not what's going on."

"Oh really?" Tamara snapped, her own eyes filling with tears, "Then how come Daddy's got a suitcase in his hand? Huh? Answer me that one, Mother!"

Davy began to cry at that moment. Without a word he turned and ran back into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

"I'm going with you, Daddy." Tamara told him and started to go back into her bedroom to pack.

"Princess, no." Serge quickly spoke up, "You need to stay here for right now. Just until I get settled. Then I'll send for you."

"The hell you will." Dixie erupted. She would be damned if she'd let him take her daughter.

Tamara spun around to glare at Dixie, "This is all your fault! You did this! And I will go live with my father if I want to. You can't stop me!"

She stormed back into her bedroom and slammed her door closed, as well.

Dixie looked at Serge in anger and astonishment. Of all the thoughtless, insensitive, downright cruel ways to tell their children what was happening. She still couldn't believe he had done that.

"You shouldn't have done that." she told him angrily, "Not that way."

Serge scoffed, "What, and make things easier on you?"

"I wanted us to sit down as a family and talk about what was happening." Dixie snapped, "Not this!"

"This is all your fault." Serge ground out, "You wanted this, and by damned you're going to get it."

Dixie blinked and took an involuntary step backwards, "What do you mean by that?"

Serge refused to answer her. He grabbed his bag and stormed passed her, down the stairs and outside to where his car was waiting.

Dixie watched after him for a few seconds before everything began to hit her all at once. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she slid down the wall to the floor. Burying her head in her hands she began to cry.

Serge wrenched open the door and threw his bag into the backseat. He slid behind the wheel and started the vehicle, tearing out of the driveway with a squeal of tires.

As he drove he punched in a number on his cell phone.

After a few moments a female voice answered, "This is Madison."

"Hey, baby." he greeted her warmly, "I just left Dixie. Think I can stay at your place for a few days?"

He had to yank the phone away from his ear to avoid Madison's high pitched squeals of joy.

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Some time later Dixie lifted her head. She leaned back against the wall and looked up at the ceiling, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Anger began to well up inside her. But it wasn't anger towards Serge. No, she was angry at herself.

Come on, Dixie, she chastised herself, Pull yourself together. You need to stay strong for the kids.

She wiped her eyes again and rose to her feet. She walked over to Tamara's door first and knocked.

"Go away!" Tamara's heated voice answered.

She ran her hand over the cool surface of the door and sighed sadly. The truth was she didn't know how to reach Tamara. Not right now while the girl was so filled with rage.

She turned her attention to Davy's closed door. She leaned against it, calling out gently, "Can I come in? Please?"

There was a short pause and Dixie feared that he would keep her shut out, as well. But soon she heard the sound of his door unlocking followed by a mutter, "Come in."

Dixie opened the door and stepped into the doorway. Her heart ached as she took in the sight of her son, sitting on the floor beside his bed. He still had tear tracks on his face from crying.

Dixie exhaled and walked over to him. She took a seat beside him on the floor and started to place her arm around him when Davy angrily pulled away from her.

"Don't." he snapped.

Dixie dropped her hands into her lap and looked out over his cluttered bedroom.

"I'm sorry things happened the way they did." she told him quietly, "I never wanted it to be this way."

"Why did it?" Davy wanted to know.

"Your dad and I have been unhappy for a while now." Dixie replied honestly, "And we thought it would be best if we spent some time apart."

Davy looked up at her and questioned almost timidly, "Did Tamara and I make you unhappy?"

Dixie's heart squeezed painfully in her chest. She was devastated by the question.

"No." she told him quickly, vehemently, "You and Tamara are the two best things that ever happened to your dad and me. You could never make us unhappy Never."

"Are you going to get a divorce?" Davy asked.

Dixie bit her lip, unsure of how to answer that. They might not be getting a divorce right that moment but that didn't mean that it wasn't an option for sometime down the line. The truth was, she didn't know what the future held.

"We are not getting a divorce right now." she told him at last, thinking that that was the safest answer she could give.

"Mike's dad moved out the house," Davy replied with a frown, "And the next thing Mike knew, his parents were getting a divorce."

Dixie hedged, trying to pick her words carefully, "Sometimes that does happen. But for right now, your dad is just going to be living apart from us. Just for a little while. And maybe we'll work through our issues and he'll come back.

"And there's also a chance he might not." she replied gently as she reached out and wrapped her arms around him, "But you need to know that none of this is your fault. And that we love you very much."

She felt a hint of relief as his arms went around her to return the embrace. She planted a kiss on the top of his head, closing her eyes briefly. When she opened them again and pulled back she noticed Tamara standing in the doorway.

Dixie began to frown as she took in the girl's infuriated expression. She had never seen her daughter so angry before. She was worried that she might not be able to reach her in her current state.

She held up her hand, a peace offering as it were. But Tamara simply looked at her hand with narrowed eyes, the teenager refusing to move.

"You forgot to tell him why this is happening." Tamara replied spitefully.

She turned her attention on her bother and smiled coldly, "Mom sent Daddy packing because she's having an affair with your big hero Sting."

Dixie was aghast. Davy's eyes widened in disbelief, taken aback by her accusation.

"Tamara, that is not true!" Dixie rose to her feet and crossed over to her daughter, demanding, "Why would you say such a thing?"

"Because it is true!" Tamara screamed, "Bobby Roode said-"

"Tamara, you can't believe anything Bobby Roode says." Dixie tried to get her to see reason, "He's a liar. There is nothing going on between me and Sting. Sting is just my friend. And he has nothing to do with what's going on between me and your father."

Dixie tried to reach out to her daughter but Tamara pulled away and laughed coldly, "Sue he doesn't. He's been trying to weasel his way into our family for a long time now.

"Trying to get in good with Davy," she continued on with a sneer, "Kissing up to me. Everything something happens there he is. Mr. Bischoff and Mr. Hogan take over your company and there's Sting. Bobby Roode attacks you and there's Sting. He's always there!"

"That's because he's a good friend." Dixie tried to explain, "And he cares about the company."

"No!" Tamara yelled, "This is all his fault! He's the cause of all of this! God, I am so sick of always seeing him! I wish he would just go away!"

"Tamara, please-" Dixie again reached for her daughter but Tamara pulled away and dashed back into her bedroom. A few seconds later they could hear the sound of her door slamming shut.

Dixie sighed, looking up at the ceiling. She didn't know what to do.

"Is what Tamara said true?" Davy asked from his spot on the floor.

Dixie turned around to find him looking up at her with a hurt expression. She shook her head and took a seat down beside him.

"No." she said with conviction, "I hope you know that."

Davy leaned back against the bed, thoughtful. He finally turned to her and nodded, "Sting didn't cause Mr. Bischoff and Mr. Hogan to steal your company. He got it back for you. And he didn't make Bobby Roode attack you. Bobby Roode is just an asshole."

"David Michael Salinas!" Dixie gasped in surprised.

Davy gave her a look and shrugged, "What? Mr. Anderson says it all the time."

"Yeah, well you're not Mr. Anderson." Dixie sighed.

Davy crossed his arms and muttered, "Jeez, sorry, okay?"

There was a short pause before he added, "But he is."

Dixie gave him a look but let it drop. She simply wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in close for a hug. Relief welled up inside her as she realized he was actually letting her hold him.

After a few moments Davy looked up at her and replied softly, "I'm sorry Dad left."

Dixie felt the tears begin to return and she replied, her voice watery, "I'm sorry he left, too."

"So what's going to happen now?" Davy asked, a little lost.

Dixie found she could only look at him, at a loss of what to say.