"Ya, Lex," his voice was weary, "I've got to tell her. WE'VE got to tell THEM." He opened the car door, and got out. Alexa sat in the car for another second before getting out and joining Nick at the door. He opened it slowly, and stepped inside, "Kathy?" Alexa followed him inside as he called again, "Kath? I'm home."

Footsteps down the hall, "Ssh, Nick. I just put Tigger down." She made no motion to touch him, and stopped a few feet away. "Hello, Alexa." Kathy's eyes flickered quickly over Alexa, back to Nick. "Why didn't you come home last night? I was worried." She looked back toward Alexa, "Thanks for making sure he got home alright."

Alexa shrugged, not knowing exactly what to say. She knew once Kathy heard what they had to say, she'd want to take back her thanks. She heard Nick clear his throat and take a deep breath. "Kathy? Can we all sit down in the living room, please?" Kathy glanced at Alexa who was examining the tile on the floor.

"I guess... Nick, what's this all about?" Kathy walked ahead of Nick and Alexa and settled on the couch with a small smile, looking from Nick to Alexa.

"Kath, I didn't come home last night because I was drunk."

"I figured that when you called me. You didn't even know where you were." Kathy smiled at Alexa. "It's been a long time since he's had a lot of alcohol, probably not since our wedding, right Nick? Where did you find him?" Alexa made a queer noise in her throat and stared at the floor again.

"Kathy, this is the hardest thing I will ever have to say to you." Kathy sat up straighter.

"What's wrong Nick?"

"Kathy, I...Kathy..." Nick brushed his hands through his hair impatiently, willing the words to come out.

"What is it, Nick?" He took another deep breath and began spilling it out.

"I called Alexa last night. She's having trouble with AJ and I've been feeling guilty about Tigger getting hurt. I just wanted to talk. Hear a different voice. We had dinner and then went to a bar. We both got stinking drunk. I could barely walk after. Alexa took me back to her hotel room, that's where I called you from." Nick hung his head and continued. "I never meant for anything to happen." Kathy stared at Alexa.

"What are you..hotel room? What happened?" She asked, tersely.

Nick shook his head. "I slept with Alexa last night. We woke up this morning and...."

Kathy stood up straight, hands on her hips. "You what?"

"It was an accident, Kathy. I didn't know what I was doing. I thought it was you this morning, that's how out of it I was. We were both so pissed, we don't even remember doing it." Kathy spun around to face Alexa.

"How dare you come into my house after what you've done?"

Alexa forced herself to look at Kathy. She didn't want to see the hurt in the other woman's eyes, not when she knew that she'd caused it. Especially when she didn't have an excuse. "I ... " she foundered, having no idea what she could say. She hadn't expected Kathy to attack her quite so quickly, but she couldn't really blame her. "We didn't mean for anything to happen." It sounded like a weak excuse, even to her own ears. She looked at Nick, but she got no support from the eyes that stared sightless at a wall near Kathy. "I needed to talk to someone, and Nick called me. It wasn't planned. I never wanted Nick, not like that. I don't even know what happened. Or how." She swallowed at the lump in her throat, and felt the tears well in her eyes under the cold stare of the other woman.

"You don't know how it happened? You were drunk too?"

"I told you Kathy..." Nick said in a small, sad voice. "We were both pissed to the gills."

"I don't care how drunk you were!" Kathy shrilled, not caring about Tigger sleeping now. "You had to have known what you were doing. How could you not?" She smacked her open palm against Nick's shoulder, hard. He just rocked back from the force of it and remained quiet. "And you!" She glared at Alexa again. "You of all people...!"

Alexa felt the tears start down her cheeks, and she looked at the floor again. She couldn't believe this was happening. That this had happened. How could it possibly get any better. "Of all people? Am I supposed to be perfect?" She didn't know where the words were coming from, but she wasn't going to stand there and get blamed for the whole situation. "This wasn't all my fault. Neither of us should have let it happen. And we both regret that we did. But obviously there are reasons why we let it happen." Her voice, and her courage faltered at the last word, and she wiped the back of her hand across her eyes. "I don't blame you for hating me, I would hate me too. But remember there's a reason why this happened." Alexa raised her eyes to meet Kathy's.

"Are you trying to say this is my fault? Are you saying Nick and I are having problems? I think you're the one with the problem, you and your boyfriend who can't keep his dick in his pants!" Alexa gasped.

"Kathy." Nick stood up and reached for his wife. "It's nobody's fault. We both did it, we both are to blame."

Kathy pushed his arm away in a rage. "Don't touch me!" Nick stumbled backward and Alexa instinctively reached out to steady him. Kathy looked up at the same moment. "Get your hands off my husband!" she snarled.

"Good Lord, Kathy, would you rather he smashed his head on a wall?" Alexa watched to make sure Nick was steady for a second before continuing. "I wasn't blaming you, or insinuating anything about your relationship. But I also don't need you telling me what's wrong with my life, when I'm WELL aware of what an asshole I've been with for the last two years. Why the hell do you think I was depressed enough to get drunk with Nick in the first place?" Again Alexa wiped at the tears in her eyes, and turned as if to leave before facing Kathy again. "I'm sorry this had to happen, Kathy. I considered you a friend, and would never have intentionally done anything to hurt you, or Nick. But it's done, and there's nothing I can do to change that now." Lord knew she'd been praying for something that could change it since she and Nick had realized what had happened.

"A friend?" Kathy asked coldly, staring at Alexa with icy eyes. "A friend would never do what you've done to me." She stood up and advanced on Alexa.

Nick listened for the sound of her footsteps and wandered in that direction. "And a husband should never do what I've done to you. But I did, and I am sorry. I love you Kathy. I would never have done anything like that, ever, if I had been sober." He felt for her hand and she pushed him away again, less roughly this time. "I made Alexa come here. We both made a mistake, both of us are responsible and I thought it would be best if you knew, instead of me lying to you about it. I don't want to lie to you. I'm going with Alexa to tell AJ too."

"The hell you are! You aren't going anywhere with her."

"I made a promise." Nick said, solemnly. "I'm going with her."

Kathy glared at Alexa, who was still drying her eyes. "I want you out of my house and I never want to see you again. Understand?"

Alexa nodded, "Perfectly," There was nothing else left to say anyway. Any friendship they'd had was clearly over. Why had she agreed with Nick when he'd said they had to tell Kathy. And AJ... She took a breath and turned toward Nick, knowing Kathy was staring her down the whole time. "Don't worry about AJ, Nick. I'll deal with it. Somehow." She watched him start to shake his head no, then stop, and nod glumly, as if he realized he had better worry about himself first.

"Sorry, Lex."

She stopped at the door when she heard the words, but didn't turn around, "I'm sorry too, Nick." She walked out the door, and to her car, trying not to think about how she had to go through this once more. She caught sight of the Backstreet Boys keychain she carried as joke, and a sob left her, her head falling against the steering wheel. "Oh God, what have I done?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nick lay in bed the next morning wondering what to say to his wife. Kathy hadn�t spoken to him since Alexa had left in tears last night. After Kathy had thrown her out of the house. She awoke before him and went into the bathroom without a word. They usually gave each other a kiss or at least a cuddle before beginning their morning rituals. She slammed the door open and went to leave the bedroom. "Kathy?"

"What is it Nick?" Her voice was cold, emotionless.

"I love you." Nick said meekly.

"You have funny ways of showing it." Her voice sneered at him.

"I told you I�m sorry. Please try to understand."

"Tell me what there is to understand about you fucking our doctor? Seems pretty clear to me." Kathy reached for the door again.

"I never meant for it to happen." He pleaded with her, not really expecting her to believe him.

"Nick, it happened. You hurt me. I could maybe understand some cheap groupie bimbo on tour, but Alexa? Our doctor? Our friend?"

"I want to make things right Kathy. I love you."

Kathy leaned in the doorway, putting a hand to her head. She was so tired. "Nick, I�m going to be totally honest with you. If it wasn�t for Tig, I�d be gone right now." Nick�s mouth dropped open in shock. "The sight of you right now almost makes me sick." she said bluntly. The silence stretched across the room for what seemed like ages. "Anything else? I need to get Tig out of bed."

"Do you want me to sleep in the spare room?" Nick mumbled. "So you don�t have to be with me any more than necessary?"

"No." Nick looked up smiling, a glimmer of hope in his heart. "Tig needs everything to be normal. We will not fight around him. As far as he is concerned, everything is the same as it was before." Nick heard the door click softly shut as Kathy left the room.

"What can I do to make you forgive me Kathy? I love you so much." Nick laid back down and cried. "I love you." He was interrupted by Tigger springing onto the bed and landing on his chest.

"Morning Daddy! Good morning!"

Nick sat up and attempted to rub his eyes. "Hey Tigger, how come you�re so bouncy this morning?" He moved his arms until he could touch his son, pulling him into his lap.

"I happy Daddy! I love you!" Andrew leaned over and planted a sloppy kiss on Nick�s cheek. "You no happy too?" Andrew touched Nick�s damp face, looking at his red eyes in curiosity. "You cry Daddy?" He moved his chubby fingers over Nick�s cheeks, trying to wipe away the tears. "Why you cry Daddy? Me no like cry." Nick nodded his head at his son�s solemn pronouncement. Andrew had always hated crying, he and Kathy could think of no reason why it bothered him so much.

"I know honey, I�ll stop." Andrew stood on Nick�s thighs and brushed his hair out of his eyes, then gently bent his head to kiss his father�s eyelids.

"I kiss tears all gone." Nick struggled to hold his emotions in check. He hugged Andrew close to him.

"I love you Tigger. No matter what happens, I love you."

Kathy stopped short outside the door. The sight of Nick and Andrew huddled together on the bed brought her to tears. "He�s been so wonderful, a great father, a great husband, our lives have been perfect." Kathy told herself. "What did I do wrong, why did he have to go to Alexa?" She rubbed her eyes furiously. "Alexa of all people!" She was turning to leave when Andrew spotted her. He pounced off the bed and grabbed her hand.

"Come snuggle!" He pulled her towards the bed. "Me and Daddy snugglin�, you come too!" Kathy protested and tried to prise Andrew�s hand off of hers.

"Tig, I have to get your breakfast." she said lamely. There was no hurry for breakfast and Andrew knew it.

"Come snuggle!" he hollered at her.

"Andrew don�t yell at your mother." Nick admonished.

"I wanna snuggle!" Andrew stuck out his lip and pouted. Kathy reluctantly sat down beside Nick and pulled Andrew down inbetween them. He smiled happily and lay contented between the two of them, blissfully unaware of their unhappiness. "Kiss me." Andrew demanded. Kathy and Nick placed kisses on each of his cheeks as requested. "Daddy, kiss Moma. She cry too!" Nick leaned towards Kathy and she pulled back a little, before noticing Andrew studying her closely. She sighed and gently placed her lips against Nick�s. Andrew burst out laughing.

"What�s so funny little man?"

"Moma kiss you! You supposed to kiss Moma" Nick hugged Andrew tenderly, and then felt for Kathy�s hand, drawing in a small breath when she tried to slide it away from his grasp.

"I�ll kiss Moma anytime she�ll let me." he said quietly. "Anytime at all."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alexa heard the knock on the hotel room door, but she ignored it, not wanting to see anyone. She'd dragged herself through work yesterday, but had taken today off, knowing she wasn't really giving her patients the attention they deserved. Taylor was concerned and had lectured her about self-pity, but she didn't know the whole story, and Alexa had no intention of telling her. She'd either get sympathy or a lecture, or both, and she couldn't deal with that right now. She had enough of both of those on her own.

She heard another knock, and dragged herself off the bed. She felt awful, and was sure she looked even worse. She hadn't slept, or eaten and her conscience was killing her. She knew Kathy hated her, and she'd lost a good friend, not to mention a fiancee when he found out. She was a mess. She opened the door a bit and was pushed backwards as it swung the rest of the way open. "Alexa, baby. Thank God you're okay." She didn't react to the hug that AJ surrounded her with. "I've been looking all over for you."

"How did you find me?" Her voice was monotonous as she tried to keep her emotions hidden. After what else had happened, it was hard not to forget that she'd walked out on him for another reason. She needed someone, or something to make her feel better.

AJ seemed surprised by her question. "I asked Taylor. She finally told me you were here. I feel so bad, 'Lexa. I'm so sorry, for everything. Please come home." Alexa sat down on the bed, her head in her hands. She was trying her best to avoid his eyes, afraid he'd be able to see everything that had happened in hers. How could she be mad at him when she'd done practically the same thing? With one of his best friends. She raised her head realizing he was kneeling in front of her, and he took her hands in his. "I swear it won't happen again."

It was on the tip of her tongue to say he'd promised that before, but she didn't say it. How could she? His thumb ran over the top of her empty ring finger. "Where's your ring?" His voice was rough, but the question was sad, not accusing.

"It's ... " Alexa's eyes frantically scanned the room. She remembered it falling off of her finger, but she hadn't been able to find it, and the room had been cleaned since then. Well cleaned. She prayed silently while her eyes scanned the room. Please let it be here somewhere. Her eye suddenly caught a sparkle from the ashtray on the table. "It's over here. I just ...I dropped it and..."

"It doesn't matter. As long as it's back where it belongs." AJ had retrieved it and he slid it back on her finger. "We gonna go home now, baby?" Alexa nodded hesitantly. She knew she'd promised Nick that they'd tell everybody involved what had happened, but she couldn't do it. Not now. It was just something that would have to stay her secret for a while longer.