I turn in my script at the Pharmacy. When I return to the apartment, I complete my course work, so now I'm completely caught up to whatever Alex brings home for me today. I open the folder that I got from my doctor and start reading over the wealth of information about pregnancy, but a few sentences in and my eyes just can't stay open any longer.

I'm pregnant and I'm dreaming that I am having a little girl. I don't know how I know this- it's just one of those dream things, but I am happy. My hand is resting protectively on my swollen belly and I hear a child yelling, "Mommy!" excitedly. I turn to see a little boy with brown hair and hazel eyes running towards me. I smile and kneel to embrace him. He looks just like his father.

A warm voice says, "Hello beautiful." I look up, expecting to see Liam, but find I'm looking at Alex. He holds out his hand to help me to my feet. I'm standing there in front of him shyly smiling because he's gazing at me with a look I can't describe since I've never seen it's like before, but it makes me feel special, wanted... loved. He tucks a stray piece of my hair behind my ear. My eyes close and I could almost feel the warmth of his hand cupping my face. I rub my cheek against his palm and sigh in contentment.

Then I feel his lips graze mine. I part my lips and feel him smile against them as he deepens the kiss. My heart feels so light, like I don't have a care in the world. I'm loved and protected. His hand presses gently at the small of my back so I'm pulled even closer to him. All I know is I don't want this feeling to end.

I reach out with both hands and link them around his neck, drawing him closer to me. "Cat," he sighs, in a voice that is nearly a whisper.

"Cat."

The tug of reality trying to pull me back, but I do my best to hold on to the dream. I'm happy and content with life. I no longer feel scared because I am loved.

"Cat?" My eyes flutter open and there is Alex. He's kneeling on the floor next to me. When I look at him, I feel my face heat and I know I'm blushing. I glance away, not able to look him in the eye at the moment.

"That must have been one hell of dream you were having. You just didn't want to come back, did you?"

"It was just a dream," I say, trying to shrug it off because although it was a wonderful dream, it has no basis in reality.

"I have dinner ready."

I slide up on the sofa into a seated position from where I must have dozed off and try to stretch. "What time is it?"

"Nearly 5."

"I'm sorry. Our deal is that I make dinner and here I am sleeping on the job, day one."

He holds out his hand. I place my hand in his, and he helps me to my feet, just like in the dream. Forget the dream, Cat. You need to keep both feet planted firmly in reality. 

Alex is staring down at me and he reaches up and tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear like he has a few times before, only this time he does not know how that simple motion is killing me on the inside.

The back of his fingers brush against my jaw and he's smiling that brilliant smile at me.

"Truth is, you did make dinner. I just reheated what we left of the lasagna. I know I could have just reheated a piece for myself, but I thought you might like to join me."

"Thank you." I still can't bring myself to meet his eyes. His head tilts like he's contemplating something, and then he steps back. "Well, it's ready, so..." He makes a hand motion for me to take the lead and I walk ahead of him to the counter.

I take my seat and so does he. "How was your day?" I ask, enjoying the lasagna since everyone knows lasagna always tastes better the second day.

"Uneventful, really. I got up and some wonderful woman made me breakfast. I got to my class on time. Made it through another grueling day on campus. Looked forward all day to coming home to..." he looks at his plate and sighs, "this lasagna."

He takes a bite and makes one of those yummy noises. "It's even better than I remember it was last night."

"That's what she said," I joke, nonchalantly taking another forkful and placing it in my mouth to hide my smirk.

He coughs a little and looks over at me, shocked. "Was that ... a sexual innuendo, Ms. Fischer?"

My grin just grows wider, and I shrug. "I guess I should have said that's what he said."

He chuckles. "It works however you say it. Funny. So, how was YOUR day?" he asks, while taking another bite and moaning over how good it is.

My mind leaps to what Dr. Deveraux said about possibly not being pregnant. Do I say this? Do I wait and see? I still don't know how I feel about the situation. I decide to avoid the topic altogether.

"I got caught up on my schoolwork, so that's good, I guess. If I get whatever work, you brought me today done over the weekend, I'll be in good shape to return to school on Monday."

"That is good," he says, but I can tell by his expression he's waiting for more. I just don't want to talk about it, and thankfully Alex chooses not to pursue it.

My phone buzzes in my back pocket and I see a text from Liam. I frown and put my phone back in my pocket. He has no right texting me. I'll read it later. Then my phone buzzes again. I look and I see another text from him. Really?

"Who's that?" Alex asks.

"No one important," I inform him.

Then my phone rings. You gotta be kidding me?! I pull the phone out for the third time and see the picture of me kissing Liam's cheek. I really have to delete him as a contact or block his phone number.

"Sorry," I apologize to Alex while answering the phone. I get up from the stool and walk a little further away. There really isn't anywhere in the apartment that Alex wouldn't be able to hear me, but I think I should at least try to make my conversation as private as possible.

"I told you never to call me. Yes, I took what belongs to me, only me. I don't care, burn it! That's not my problem. That's not my problem either. You're a big boy, figure it out." I hang up the phone.

I take my seat next to Alex. I pierce my lasagna with my fork with a vengeance, thinking about what nerve Liam has in calling me.

"Everything okay?"

"Just peachy," I say sarcastically.

"Hey now. I'm the good guy, remember?"

I immediately relent. Alex is right, he doesn't need nor deserve my drama. "It's Liam. I guess he really didn't expect me to keep my word and permanently move out. Now he's worried he won't be able to make rent like this is somehow supposed to be my concern."

My phone keeps vibrating, and I feel my anger mounting. I take a few deep breaths and try to get back to enjoying my meal. However, the vibrating doesn't stop. I pull my phone out and see over ten text messages and now three voicemails. I know he won't quit until my voicemail box is full and I sigh.

"Cat, just... silence your phone," Alex offers.

Silence it? I want to throw it against a wall right now. This will not stop until I talk with him in person. It goes off again. "ARGH!" I holler and get up, storming over to the door. I pick up my coat and start putting it on.

"Where are you going?" Alex asks. His expression looks like he's begging me not to give him the answer I'm going to say.

"Liam's. He won't stop and I don't need this escalating and building momentum over the weekend until I end up with a nuclear threat to deal with on Monday morning. I'll just handle it now."

Alex stands up, walks over to me, and puts on his coat. "I'm coming with you."

"Oh no! No, you're not. I will handle this."

I see the look of determination on Alex's face, and I know I'm in for a fight. So, I decide to change tactics. 

"Alex? Please..." I say coming up to him. We are only inches apart and once again I see he's more than determined, he's angry. His chest is rising and falling with each breath like he's trying to rein it in, but it's a struggle.

I place a hand on his chest and I feel his heart beating wildly beneath my fingertips.

"Please, I have to do this... on my own."

"That's just it, Cat. You really don't. You don't owe this guy anything. He made his choice, let him live with it. Let him figure it out."

"I know him too well to expect him t drop this. It will only get worse if I don't go."

He covers my hand with his. "Then let's go."

Feeling his heartbeat, the warmth of his hand over mine, I feel myself wanting to give in, but I quickly pull my hand away. "You can't."

"Why not?"

"Why would you, Alex? I'm not your girlfriend. Hell, I'm barely your roommate. I have to do this on my own. You showing up will only make matters worse. This is my problem, not yours."

"You really expect me to go to work wondering all night what the hell is happening and if you're okay?" Alex is shaking his head like I'm asking too much of him.

"I promise to text you the moment I'm back."

He looks down at me, and the look is sad, or possibly even hurt.

"Fine." He grabs his bag and opens the door.

"Where are you going? You don't start work for another hour."

"I'm going in early. There's obviously no reason for me to stay here." He steps through the door and pauses for a moment.

He looks back at me over his shoulder. "Take good care of yourself, Cat. I'll see you in the a.m." He turns away and jogs down the steps that lead out to the front door.

I reach out, wanting to call him back, but don't. My hand drops to my side. No, it's better this way.

About 30 minutes later, I find myself outside of my old place. I already texted Liam to tell him I'm coming over. I'm about to knock on the door, but Liam opens it before I get the chance.

"It's about time!" he says, swinging open the door and storming away. He flops on the couch and I see on the coffee table remnants of a pizza and several empty bottles of beer. 

Great, he's been drinking. That explains a lot, but my task just became increasingly more difficult.

I shut the door and walk over to him. I take off my coat and place it over a chair and put my purse down. You can do this, Cat. You can figure this out. 

I begin by picking up the empty bottles and throwing them into the recycling. Then I come back for the one he has in his hand. I take it to his surprise and dump it down the sink. The smell of the beer makes my stomach queasy, so I quickly rinse it down the drain along with the bottle to get rid of the smell before adding the bottle to the others.

"Hey! I wasn't finished with that yet!"

"You are now. You want to talk? Well, here I am! Let's talk!" I say, still standing. I feel too nervous, too jittery to sit.

He runs his fingers through his hair and looks a little lost when he his eyes meet mine.

"How are you?"

My lips press together to stop myself from saying something really sarcastic. I settle for..."Obviously, I'm doing better than you. So, what's the problem?"

His look turns angry again. "What's my problem? YOU! You're my problem!"

"Not anymore, I'm not!" 

He stands up and marches over to where I'm standing, and I instinctively take a step back. He stops and a strange look comes across his face.

"Like that! What the hell is that, Cat?! What the hell happened to us? You're now scared of me? It's me," he says, touching his chest with his fingertips, "Liam. Your Liam."

"You haven't been MY Liam for some time now, and I don't think for one second you asked me to come here because you're ready to accept the fact that I'm having your baby."

His hands cover his ears like he doesn't even want to hear me say it, and he practically growls at me. "Why do you have to make everything so difficult?!"

I sigh. "I don't mean to, but you had to know once you thought it may hold some truth that I would NEVER give up this baby. Anyone who knows me for like a half second would know that would be my choice," I say, using William's words from the other night.

"We can't do this, Cat. We're not ready!"

"How do you know? We've never been in this situation before. I'm willing to try but you? You hand me a prepaid card for an abortion, without even a conversation. Really?! And you wonder why I question everything and take a step back from you. It's because I swear I don't know you anymore."

"I'm not ready to be a father, Cat. My life hasn't even started yet. I can't quit on myself now. I'm so close. So close to realizing my dream and you're asking me to throw it all away!"

"No. I'm not! Look, this might be a moot point. I don't even know if I'm really pregnant, but..."

"What do you mean, you don't know if you're pregnant? You said... I saw the test..."

"I've been to the doctor. He said that there are many things that could give me a positive reading when in fact the pregnancy is not viable or could already be over. He won't know until he gets the results of the blood test."

"When will you know that?"

"In about 2 days."

"Cat," my name comes out like a rush of air from his lips. He pulls me into his embrace and he kisses me, my face, my neck, it's just an onslaught of kisses. "Do you know what this can mean? Come back to me, Cat. I'm a mess without you. I don't know how to be without you."

I know this is only coming from his desperate hope that I'm really not pregnant, and truthfully I have felt the same myself. What would I do if I found out I wasn't really pregnant? Would I go back to Liam? Would we just pick up where we left off? Obviously, Liam thought so.

He pushes my hair away from my face and kisses my lips. His lips on mine are so familiar. My body immediately responds to him because it's all I've ever known. Cat and Liam. Liam and Cat. We've been together since I was sixteen and I'll be twenty-one soon. That's a long time to turn my back on.

I sigh, and he takes the advantage it gives him and deepens the kiss. I thought the smell of beer was bad, but the taste of it from his kiss immediately forces me to push him away and make a mad dash for the bathroom.

It happens so quickly and violently that I just barely make it in time. It takes a minute or two for my stomach to settle. As I clean myself up, I look at my face and it's rippled with the red streaks of broken blood vessels from the strain of vomiting all around my eyes. 

Great, just great. Needing the support I lean my hands on the sink. I feel so shaky. I turn my head away from the mirror, unable to look at myself. 

There's a knock on the door. "Cat? What the hell was..."

I open the door and he sees my face. "Shit! What caused that?"

"The strain, I guess."

"No, I mean, we're kissing one moment and the next you're running to vomit. What caused that? Are you sick?"

"Food aversions," I tell him. I had read about it in the folder before I drifted off to sleep.

"What?" Liam looks totally confused. I push past him and sit down on the couch.

"Food aversions - it's when a certain smell or taste of food makes you feel sick. I've had it happen before but never this bad."

"But you didn't eat anything?" He joins me on the couch. 

"The beer," I say, sliding a little further away from him as I feel my stomach lurch from the smell of it on his breath. "Can you do me a huge favor and go brush your teeth?"

"What? Oh, yeah." He gets up and disappears into the bathroom. I grab my purse and decide to put an end to at least one problem. I'm hoping it will be enough.

He comes back and joins me on the couch once more. "Damn, Cat. Your face..." He reaches out and touches my cheek. "I can't believe..."

I hold out a check. "What's this?" he asks, taking it from me.

"Three months of rent. That should cover you long enough for you to find someone else to move in or find a new place to move into." I stand up and grab my coat.

"Cat, I don't want your money. I want you back."

I put my coat on, and my hand is resting a moment on the doorknob. "Well, that's the funny thing about life, Liam. Eventually, we gotta grow up and realize we don't always get what we want." I open the door, but he reaches over me and shuts it with one hand and turns me around with the other.

"But we can, Cat. If your doctor says you aren't pregnant, we can go back to the way things were. You and me, the way things are meant to be."

I look up at him. "And if he tells me I am pregnant?" I ask, though I'm pretty sure I know his answer.

He actually doesn't answer. He just looks away. I press my tongue against the roof of my mouth to stop the sting of the tears I feel rising to the surface. I shake my head, push his hand away from the door, and open it.

"Goodbye, Liam."

He doesn't say a word as I shut the door behind me, and I seriously hope I never have to go through another situation like that again.