"Most of our life is a series of images. They pass us by like towns on the highway. But sometimes a moment stuns us as it happens. And we know that this instant is more than a fleeting image. We know that this moment, every part of it, will live on forever.'" - Lucas Scott One Tree Hill

Song : The other - Lauv 

***

The next day after returning from taking a bath at home and checking on their daughter, Hera walks into the room to the sight of Lexis smiling at a nurse helping him button his shirt.

He whispers something that causes the nurse to giggle and nod. 

Hera's eyes widen as she frowns eyes shooting daggers.

Glaring at both parties, she asks,

"Alexander your hand isn't broken, is it?" 

Lexis raises his eyes and glances at her raising an eyebrow, eyes filled with mirth.

"I don't know... is it?" He asks looking down at the nurse who had her head bent down a smile hidden beneath her eyes.

Hera's eyes contract wanting to slap the mirth form his face.

"I can assure you it will if you don't take two steps back," Hera says to which the nurse raises her head and glances at Hera.

"I was just helping with his buttons," She explains.

"I can see that, I can also see that you're done," Hera says a fake smile on her lips.

 Lexis chuckles.

"The jealous Miss has arrived, thank you," He whispers to the nurse winking.

He glances at Hera and quickly raises his hands taking two steps back.

The nurse smiles picking her stuff to leave, she places her hand behind her back giving Lexis a hidden thumbs up to which he grins.

Smiling at Hera who gives her a pointed cold look, she steps out.

"Hera Reynolds are you jealous?" Lexis asks when they're alone as he seats against the side of the bed.

"Jealous?" She says as she suddenly realizes the game he's playing.

"Why don't I call her back and go for my dinner appointment with E?" She asks smiling to which Lexis immediately frowns.

She chuckles.

"Careful Alexander, I know how to play too," She says to which he chuckles seating against the bed.

"Do you now?" He says voice filled with laughter as she walks over lightly tilting her head as if saying "try me".

"Who's going to help with my button now?" He says to which she rolls her eyes.

"You have hands, make use of it," She says dropping her bag beside the bed.

"Now where's the fun in that?" He asks leaning forward, he grabs her hand in his and pulls her between his legs.

Her eyes widen.

"Alexander!" She squeals trying to get away but he wraps his arm around her waist tightly.

"I love when you call me by my full name," He says staring into her eyes.

"Alexander," He says placing his fingers on her forehead running it down to her cheek, he places her hair behind her ears. Fingers faltering on her skin.

Hera feels her heartbeat increase as she draws in her lips with her teeth.

His eyes trail down from her eyes to her lips noticing the bite, he breaks into a grin.

"How many now?" He asks raising an eyebrow.

"How many?" She asks raises her head, half distracted.

"Kisses do you owe me. Remember? For every lip bite..."He says voice hoarse as he further leans in, his lips skimming over the tip of hers causing Hera to inhale sharply.

"You owe me a kiss," Lexis says lower as his breath fans her lips due to the closeness.

A tingle runs down Hera spine as she feels a fire burning in her. She balls her hands into fists.

The minty scent of his cold breath abasing her lips sends a tingle down her spine as her fingers double towards her palm in a fist.

Staring at his eyes which seemed to be deeply enthralled by her lips, she realizes her lips were still being held by her teeth. She quickly lets go causing the spell in his eyes to break as he sniggers.

"You do realize that letting it go doesn't cancel out the fact that you owe me one too many kisses right?" He asks to which Hera doesn't reply.

He leans back a little, raising his finger, he traces her lower lip causing Hera's lips to tremble as her legs go weak.

Thoughts were haphazardly flowing through her mind, thoughts she could neither remember nor make sense of as her heart beats erratically.

He leans in and lightly nibbles her lip causing Hera to moan as she leans in to him.

He grins.

"Too bad I don't kiss married women," He says pulling back as he releases her.

"Alexander Black!" Hera calls out suddenly slapped back to her senses by his words.

"Dang lady were you that thirsty for my kiss?" He says opening the bedding and attempting to get into the bed, beneath the covers.

"I swear I'll kill you," Hera says eyes widening.

"Sick Hera, I'm sick!" Lexis screams leaning back in playful horror.

"Yes and now you're dead," Hera says walking forward reaching for his neck with both hands as a doctor comes in and shrieks,

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

                                                                          ***

One week later, at E's home in California. After the maid aids Alexandria take a bath and dress up, E tells her he'll read a bedtime story to her which causes her to be overjoyed jumping into bed with glee. He gets into bed with her the story book in hand.

"What are we weading today?" She asks snuggling up to him.

"The velveteen rabbit,"

"Oooo wabbit, I love wabbits! Mummy always weads Shakespeare," She says to which he smiles opening the book.

She nestles against him. Once he's sure she's comfortable, he starts.

"There was once a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning he was really splendid. He was fat and bunchy, as a rabbit should be; his coat was spotted brown and white, he had real thread whiskers, and his ears werelined with pink sateen...

He keeps reading the next few chapters as she listens attentively,

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room."Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-outhandle?" 

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just toplay with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit."

Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

He keeps reading the Skin horse's explanation on what being real was;

"I suppose you are real?" said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had notsaid it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive. 

But the Skin Horse only smiled."The Boy's Uncle made me Real," he said. "That was a great many years  ago; but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."The Rabbit sighed. He thought it would be a long time before this magic called Real happened to him. He longed to become Real, to know what it felt like."

"Does he become weal?" Alexandria asks.

"He does," E says smiling and goes on reading,

"Spring came, and they had long days in the garden, for wherever the Boy went the Rabbit went too. He had rides in the wheelbarrow, and picnicson the grass, and lovely fairy huts built for him under the raspberry canes behind the flower border. And once, when the Boy was called away suddenly to go out to tea, the Rabbit was left out on the lawn until long after dusk, and Nana had to come and look for him with the candle because the Boy couldn't go to sleep unless he was there. He was wet through with the dew and quite earthy from diving into the burrows the Boy had made for him in the flower bed, and Nana grumbled as she rubbed him off with a corner of her apron. 

"You must have your old Bunny!" she said. "Fancy all that fuss for atoy!" 

The Boy sat up in bed and stretched out his hands."Give me my Bunny!" he said. "You mustn't say that. He isn't a toy. He'sREAL!" 

When the little Rabbit heard that he was happy, for he knew that whatt he Skin Horse had said was true at last.

Alexandria giggles in glee.

"Though the rabbit believed he was at least real to the boy, he wasn't real to everyone else and got told by everyone that he was not real," E continues.

Alexandria frowns.

"He doesn't smell right!" the strange rabbit exclaimed. "He isn't a rabbit at all! He isn'treal!" 

Alexandria places her hands over her mouth as tears well up in her eyes.

"I am Real!" said the little Rabbit. "I am Real! The Boy said so!" And he nearly began to cry.

"Now one day, the boy comes down with a fever. The doctor then orders for the boy to go to the seaside while his room is disinfected with all his books and toys brunt including the velveteen rabbit,"

"Oh my goodness!" Alexandria exclaims.

"That's not fair," She says pouting.

 E keeps reading, "Fortunately, the velveteen rabbit is not burned but bundled into a sack and left out in the garden overnight,"

"Will he escape? But if he escapes what of the boy? He'll be alone," Alexandria says and scratches her head.

"But if he stays he'll get burned," She says slapping the blanket in frustration.

E lightly pats her arms.

"The toy rabbit cries," He continues.

"A real tear drops onto the ground, and a marvelous flower appears. A fairy steps out of the flower and comforts the velveteen rabbit, introducing herself as the Nursery Magic Fairy. She says that, because he is old and shabby and Real to the boy, she will take him away with her and turn him into Real rabbit to everyone. 

"The fairy then takes the rabbit to the forest, where she meets the other rabbits and gives the velveteen rabbit a kiss. The velveteen rabbit changes into a real rabbit and joins the other rabbits in the forest. "

"Yay wabbit!" Alexandria exclaims joyfully.

Autumn passed and Winter, and in the Spring, when the days grew warm and sunny, the Boy went out to play in the wood behind the house. And while he was playing, two rabbits crept out from the bracken and peeped at him. One of them was brown all over, but the other had strange markings under his fur, as though long ago he had been spotted, and thespots still showed through. 

And about his little soft nose and his roundblack eyes there was something familiar, so that the Boy thought tohimself:"Why, he looks just like my old Bunny that was lost when I had scarletfever!" 

"He wemembered the wabbit!" Alexandria gleefully exclaims.

E nods.

But he never knew that it really was his own Bunny, come back to lookat the child who had first helped him to be Real.

"That's sad," She says pouting.

"I wish he knew it was his wabbit,"

"He may not have known it was his rabbit but what mattered is his rabbit still lived in his heart and he in the rabbits heart," E says closing the book.

"Little demon," E calls out to which Alexandria frowns.

He smiles.

"Little angel,"

"No matter where I go or what happens in the future, you will always be in my heart and I will always be watching over you,"

"Like the wabbit?"

"Like the rabbit,"

"Pwomise?"

"Promise," He says stroking her hair.

"I may not be your real dad, but in my heart you're my real daughter because I love you,"

She stays silent for a few seconds before finally calling out with a low voice,

"E," 

"Hmm?" He answers bending towards her.

She places her hands beside his ears and whispers.

"Shhh...Don't tell mummy but I love you too so you're weal, you're my daddy too," She says to which tears well up in his eyes and fall down his cheeks in response to her acknowledging him as her dad for the first and last time.

                                                                 ****

The next day is Lexis' last day in the hospital.  The doctors had given the go ahead to have him discharged and Hera was by his side to help with the check out.

E brings Alexandria over and asks to have a moment with Hera. After getting Maeve's word on her ability to finalize everything like she'd been doing for years, Hera leaves with E.

They leave the clinic taking a walk outside where he finds a bench and seats down. Hera seats down next to him.

After a few minutes of silence, He hands her an envelope.

"What's this?" Hera says taking it.

"A gift," E says to which Hera scrunches her face as she moves to open it.

"A gift? For what?" She says opening the envelope and taking out the contents, her eyes widening at the contents.

"The divorce has been finalized?" Hera asks in shock.

E nods.

"So fast? How? Did you go to Nigeria without my knowing?" Hera asks.

"I made some calls and paid a little more than I'd have payed if I went about it the normal way but I figured you needed the freedom fast,"

"E I was never imprisoned. Marrying you..."

"Was something I'll be eternally grateful to you for," E says interrupting her.

"Not just because of how it helped with my becoming patriarch but because you gave me a chance to be in Shakespeare's life. She might have never called me dad but in my heart, she'll always be my little girl, my first daughter," E says to which Hera's eyes well up with tears.

"Thank you for trusting me with your daughters life, her future and also yours. Thanks for opening up to me and letting me be your friend. For stopping me from doing something to Lexis that I would have regretted in my bid for revenge for what he did to Susan. For trusting me even after knowing how I felt about him and believing in my words when I said I wouldn't hurt him or you,"

"Hera you are an amazing mother. You were given a heavy burden and blow by life but you stood above all that and for your daughter fought back. For your daughter you married me, a man you don't and can never love. That shows the depth of your love for her, I don't want you to ever doubt or question that again. Not everyone in your shoes would have been able to survive but you did and that shows your strength,"

"You're strong Hera, stronger than you can ever imagine even without Lexis having been there. No matter what happens in future, to Lexis to me, I know you'll be okay. And that's why I have decided to leave,"

"Leave?"Hera asks looking confused.

"Where to?"

"Well first I'm going on vacation with my family, then I'll be headed to the Netherlands to finalize things with Pa before returning to Washington but that Hera is no longer or rather should no longer be your concern. Your only concern men wise should be Lexis,"

"E..."

He places his hand over hers.

"He might have made mistakes in the past but he's a good man now, I can see it,"

"You'll be back right?" Hera says voice hopeful while laced with fear and worry.

E stays quiet smiling sadly.

"E you're scaring me. You're not leaving forever are you?" She asks.

"You've found the one you've been looking for for five years. It's time I leave,"

"E..."Hera starts.

"Don't worry, if you ever need me, I'll be on the next flight back to your side,"

Hera stays quiet saddened by his words not wanting him to leave but knowing she could never give him what he'd want if he stays.

"Why don't you seem happy? Aren't you happy to be free to marry him?" E asks looking at her.

"No...I mean yes I mean no I don't want you to..."

E laughs patting her hands.

"It's okay, I'm just teasing you," He says to which Hera relaxes smiling.

"Thank you," She says to which he shakes his head.

"No, thank you Hera Reynolds," He says.

Hera looks at him with a confused look.

"For what? I didn't do anything, you on the other hand did so much for me,"

"No Hera, you came into my life, that is and was everything,"

"E..."Hera says as the tears in her eyes fall.

"Also," He says wiping the tear rolling down her cheek.

"Thank you for being concerned that I'm leaving rather than being gladdened by the divorce being finalized," He says and sighs.

"You'll be okay Hera Reynolds,but if you ever need me, I'll be on the next flight back to your side," He says to which she smiles through tears.

He wipes them away staring into her eyes.

"When shakes wants to talk to me, if you can, let her. She's a child who shouldn't be forced to accept an impromptu separation,"

She nods.

"Thank you," He says smiling sadly. As he wipes her tears.

"It's the last time. The last time I'll wipe your tears. Don't cry anymore Hera, be happy you owe it to yourself," He says getting up.

"Are you leaving now? Is this goodbye?"

"It is," He says and glances up at the hospital building.

"I should leave now, goodbye Hera Reynolds," He says ruffling her hair. He then turns around and walks away as she watches him walk away. Out of her life by his own will reminding her of how he waltzed his way in and now out.

"Ethan Reynolds Vanderbilt!" Hera screams.

He stops and glances back at her.

"I love you!"

"I love you too Hera Reynolds," He says smiling sadly as tears fall down his cheek, he quickly turns around and with his back to her, waves goodbye and walks away. 

***

As a friend guys, as a FRIEND lol