Billie looked up at the doctor, who took such good care of Isabelle. This was Calista? As in the love of Quentin's life, Calista?

"I'm doing well, and you?" Dr. Calista Gabris asked.

"Never better," Quentin said.

Billie looked from one to the other and felt like the odd woman out. "Umm... is she good to go now?" Billie asked.

Calista shook her head like she had to clear her thoughts. "Umm... yes. I just have to issue the paperwork about her care once they release her. The nurses will bring it to you and then you can go. Should I call you about her follow-up appointment?"

"Oh no, Isabelle is my goddaughter. Her parents will make a follow-up visit."

"Oh... so she, not yours," Calista said, looking past Billie to Quentin. "You two aren't...? I thought perhaps you and... well, never mind what I thought," she rambled on. Looking back to Billie, she said, "I will make sure they follow up with Isabelle's parents. Did you give them the number?"

"Yes, at admissions."

"Good. Perfect. Then I guess everything is settled now. I'll let them know Isabelle is back and ready to go home," Calista informed them and turned to leave.

"Calista? Can I have a moment?" Quentin asked, and Billie's heart plummeted into the pit of her stomach.

"Certainly," Calista told him, "follow me."

"I'll be right back," he told Billie, giving her a kiss on the cheek as he passed by both her and Isabelle. He caught up to Calista who was waiting for him just outside the doorway. She started walking again the moment he was at her side.

"Calista, I'm sorry I know I said I would never show my face here again."

"This wing is named after you Quentin; not like I can seriously keep you away."

Quentin rolled his eyes at the reminder that they had insisted on naming the wing after him when he donated the money to have the hospital wing renovated. It seemed the least he could do, knowing that Calista would be working there after they were married.

"I wasn't expecting to spring myself on you in this way... I just wanted to say..."

"I'm married," Calista interrupted.

Quentin stopped walking stunned. He blinked a few times and tried to shake off the feeling of being doused with cold water. "Married? No, I'm not married."

"No, I meant. I'm married," she said showing him her ring. "To a brain surgeon. We met here at the hospital."

"I see. Congratulations. I hope to be married soon myself," he felt compelled to say although not sure why, exactly. 

"To Ms. Dupree?"

Quentin nodded.

"I hope it works out for you Quentin."

"Calista, I need you to know..."

"I know, Quentin."

"You do?"

"It took me some time to calm down and realize that you weren't part of your father's plan. I think what made it sink in was your continued support of your foundation for SCID. I know you started it because of me but you didn't end it because of me, and it got me wondering."

"You never said..."

"What was I going to say? I was an idiot to let my anger blind me to the truth?"

"It wasn't exactly your fault. The evidence, though staged, was pretty damning."

"Still if I truly loved you like I thought I had, I should have heard you out, tried a little harder to look at things objectively. I was so quick to judge and I realized that was because I was afraid. I wasn't ready for the commitment and I didn't know how to say it. Your father unintentionally gave me the perfect out."

Quentin immediately thought of his last conversation with his father about Calista. "So, you never loved me?" Quentin said, not know why it hurt but it did.

"I did, at that moment. In a way I still do, but I was no more meant for you than you were for me. I realized that when I met my husband. There was none of the fear and all of the excitement of knowing I found the person I was meant to be with for the rest of my life. I'm sorry I let you take the blame  all these years."

Quentin nodded. He understood it. He didn't blame her. Perhaps he had done the same. He could have pursued her but he didn't. The reason being she wasn't interested so why bother, but perhaps in truth he too knew they weren't meant to be. He didn't feel anywhere near the love for her that he felt for Billie. Billie? 

"I really should get back to..."

"Yes, of course. It really was good to see you again, Quentin. I hope you find the happiness you deserve."

"Thank you."

Calista gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked away. He turned to see, Billie with Isabelle looking at him from outside their room. He didn't know why but he couldn't shake the feeling that he somehow was in trouble again.

He caught up to them. "All set to go home."

Isabelle nodded. He picked her up, but Billie held her arms out for her.

"I need to pick up my car first. Do you mind driving? I'd like to stay in the back with Isabelle," Billie asked handing him her keys. In exchange, Quentin handed the little girl over to her.

"Sure, I'll call..."

"It's already done." A driver was waiting for them the moment they stepped out of the hospital doors.

When they got back to the stables, Billie buckled Isabelle up in the car seat and held her hand the entire ride home.

Quentin would steal glances at them from the review mirror. His heart felt troubled. It was hard not to see the signs that there was a storm brewing on the horizon, but the why still escaped him. Billie was pulling away again.

He heard her humming some sweet song to the little girl and Quentin watched as Isabelle drifted off to sleep, using Billie's arm as a pillow to rest upon.

They reached Carlos' house and the parents came running to the car. Billie gently unbuckled the car seat, by the time Carlos opened the door.

"She's exhausted," Billie told him, "And the medicine they gave her for the pain will make her drowsy too."

Carlos didn't say anything he just reached in and took his daughter. He carried her protectively into the house.

"How did this happen?" Elena demanded to know as Billie exited the car.

"It's all my fault, Elena. I'm so sorry," Billie said throwing herself at the mercy of the court. "I never thought..."

Elena stared a moment unmoved by Billie's plea. "We trusted you."

"Had I known? If I even thought..."

"I know you did not cause this to happen Billie, but I think it's best Isabelle doesn't travel with you and Quentin if you're out together. Those people who keep plastering your picture everywhere... Isabelle got hurt because..." Elena's voice broke and she couldn't finish her sentence.

"I understand," Billie was heartbroken. Quentin wished there was a way to fix this for her.

"Will you let us know how she's doing when she goes for her follow-up?" Quentin asked.

Elena glared at him, but nodded, yes. Billie handed her the paperwork from the hospital. "All the information about her care is in the packet. They've been informed to call you about the next visit."

'Thank you," Elena said taking it from her. "I should go in and check on my baby."

"Of course," Billie said, and Elena walked away and into the house.

Billie got back into the car on the passenger side. Quentin let out a long slow sigh. It was going to be a long drive back to their apartment.

They drove back in total silence. Quentin thought it unfair that her friends seem to blame Billie and him for the cause of this accident. Accidents could happen to anyone, at any time. Didn't the waiver he signed pretty much say that? How were they to account for someone getting on the property to snap their picture?

Once they were back at the apartment, Quentin wasn't sure how to break the ice, or how to get Billie to talk to him about her feelings. He started with the obvious.

"It's not your fault," he began.

"I know," she told him, "it's yours."

"Mine?!" Quentin couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Well to be fair, I guess it is both of ours. This only happened because I agreed to that stupid deal. I should have been brave enough to stand up to my father. I shouldn't have cared about what others thought of me. Why did I give in? I could have found another way."

"How could you have known that something like this would happen? You couldn't prepare for it."

"That's just it. If I wasn't with you. There would be no need to prepare. I've gone riding with Isabelle multiple times. She was always safe; never did I worry that she'd come to harm. Now I don't know what is going on in Carlos' or Elena's minds. What if they think I'm no good for Isabelle? Elena already said..."

"They would never keep that little girl from you," Quentin reassured her.

"How do you know?!" Billie exclaimed.

"They'd be crazy to..."

"They would be protecting their daughter. From me! From us! They can no longer trust she won't come to harm in my care. I've been watching that little girl since she was a baby. I don't want to lose her."

Billie broke down crying and Quentin gathered her up in his arms. "I'm sorry, Billie. I'm sorry that this happened, but I can't be sorry about us. You take a risk every time you put that child in the car seat and drive off with her. There are nearly 200,000 car accidents a year in New York City. When you asked me to get on that horse, they made me sign a waiver saying how dangerous it was, and I'm sure you signed one for Isabelle too."

Billie had but she hadn't thought much of it then. Knowing the girl would be in her care and she wouldn't let anything happen to her.

"If you hadn't grabbed my reins, Billie. It could have been me and Isabelle in the hospital today. You saved me," he told her, as he held on tight.

"But I didn't save her."

"It wasn't your job, today. She had a handler. The horse got away."

"Only because you and I were together and I didn't take her there alone. Only because he was spooked by your horse because of a photographer in the brush."

"Who was arrested by the way," Quentin told him.

"He was?" Billie looked up at him.

"Yes, he's not allowed on the premises, it's trespassing. He should have never been there. You had every reason to think, we would all be safe. Someone broke the rules, Billie. It's like you going to a convivence store to buy something to drink and being held responsible for the place getting robbed just because you were there."

"But he was only there because we were there together. I should have thought that through. I should have made certain Isabelle wouldn't be in danger."

"Damn it, Billie! You can't take responsibility for every else's actions. That man broke the law. He had no right to be there, whether it was us or the Queen of England hoofing it through that trail. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Billie backed away from him. "Yes, but it still doesn't change the fact that I'm being punished, for loving you. I can't lose her Quentin. I can't."

Quentin felt the bile of panic burn the back of his throat. "Are you saying you don't want us to be together anymore?"

"I don't know what I'm saying," Billie said, and her confusion was written clearly across her face.

Quentin took her hand and led her over to the sofa. "Then let's not make any rash decisions, okay? Let's give this some time. Call Carlos, talk to him. He's your best friend. He'll give it to you straight."

Billie slowly nodded.

"You and me?"

"That's just it," Billie said to him, "I can no more stand the thought of losing you than I can her. I don't know how I'd survive it. I love you."

Quentin felt the sting of tears burn his eyes. "Damn, you have the worst timing in the world, you know that?"

Billie let out a strangled laugh. "I know. I suck at relationships. The only one I was ever certain of was my mother and she's gone. I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You just told me you love me. Please don't ever be sorry about that," Quentin said pulling her towards him and she collapsed into her arms, exhausted by her emotional outburst.

Quentin stroked her hair and held her close. "Billie? Do you trust me?"

There was a long pause. "Yes."

Quentin was thrilled she said yes but wondered why the long pause.

"That didn't sound very convincing."

Billie pulled away to look Quentin in the eye. "I'll admit, I have issues. I wasn't really sure where all this was going but it's impossible not to see the good man that you are, but I know I have no claim on you. You've kept your part of our deal. I feel certain about my father not losing his company but I'm still uncertain about where we stand in all of this."

"I love you. You said you love me. What more is there to understand?"

"Love doesn't always mean forever," Billie informed him.

"It does in my book," Quentin told her.

"Really? You loved Calista. Is that forever?"

"Calista?"

"You have a chance to be with her again. I'd seen how she looked at you. She still cares about you," Billie told him.

"Billie, she's married," Quentin informed her.

"What?"

"To a brain surgeon in the same hospital."

"But you went to talk to her. Why would you..."

"Because I promised her, I would never show my face in that hospital again. I needed her to know it wasn't intentional."

"Oh," came Billie's soft whisper.

Quentin realized what his talking to Calista must have looked like to Billie. He shook his head at his own foolishness. His hand reached out and he caressed her cheek. "The love I thought I had for Calista, is nothing compared to how I feel about you. You're the only woman for me."

Billie pulled him back into a hug and snuggled in causing him to chuckle. 

"We'll sort this all out together, okay?" he said while stroking her hair again and felt her cheek nuzzle in agreement against his chest.

Quentin tilted her chin up to look at him. "Say it again, Billie. I need you to say it again."

Billie's gaze locked with his. "I love you, Quentin Harrison. With all of my heart."

Quentin captured those words as his lips descended upon hers. Never in his life had he felt this sure about anything. He loved her and won't anything tear them apart.