When Belle woke up she could hear Alex talking in a soft voice from the dining room, her head was still pounding but she felt slightly better.

She sat up pushing the thin blanket from her shoulders and standing, she walked into the dining room to see Alex seated at the table, Seth across from him and Olivia in a high chair to his left.

Alex saw her first as he was sliding a piece of pizza onto Seth's plate.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" He asked.

"Aunt Belle!" Seth hopped from his chair rushing forward to throw his arms around her legs.

"Hey munchkin," She smiled ruffling his hair.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked, gazing up at her.

"Yes, I'm feeling better."

"Good, I don't like you being upset...it scares me," He admitted in a small voice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

She placed a hand on his soft cheek, trying to reassure him. She felt guilty, she was supposed to be caring for him, she should be doing better.

"Seth, come to eat little man," Alex called.

Seth let go of her to scurry back to the table and pick up the giant piece of pizza. Belle followed him collapsing into the other empty seat as Alex pushed a plate towards her with a piece of pizza on it.

"Thank you," She managed.

"You're welcome."

"Uncle Alex let me call and order all by myself," Seth said happily.

"That's great," Belle said forcing a smile.

Alex glanced at Seth but kept his attention off of Belle, she was grateful for that. If Maggie was still alive Belle could get over him being out because she wouldn't have a need to see him.

Instead, Belle had inherited two direct links to the one man she never wanted to see again, the one man she didn't think she would see again.

They were eating in silence, Belle trying to ignore Alex and Alex going out of his way to try and be friendly.

"Can Uncle Alex spend the night?" Seth asked.

"Oh um," Belle glanced at Alex.

"I can't little man, I don't think your aunt wants company."

"Why? Uncle Landon stays over." Seth pointed out.

Belle winced when she felt Alex's eyes dart towards her taking her in before he finally forced himself to look away.

"That's different, sweetie," Belle said.

She wanted to point out that Landon slept on the couch but she forced herself not too. It was none of his business if Landon stayed over, or where he slept.

"I'll come by again, I promise," Alex said to the boy after a long pause.

That seemed to pacify Seth because he turned his attention to mutilating his pizza and away from Alex and Belle.

Belle didn't finish her pizza and she noticed neither did Alex, both of them choosing instead to sit in an awkward silence speaking only when Seth did.

After dinner, Alex offered to tuck Seth into bed and Belle allowed him, grateful for a break from both of them. She heard him talking to the small boy upstairs as they moved from the bathroom to his bedroom.

Olivia sat in her play swing cooing happily and playing with a pretend set of plastic keys.

Belle was in the kitchen doing the dishes when Alex joined her, she tried to ignore him but even after all these years his presence unnerved her and set her on edge.

"He's asleep," He said gently.

"That's good."

"They're great kids, Maggie did a fantastic job with them."

"She was a terrific mother," Belle said.

"Do you want to talk about what happened today?" He offered.

"This isn't like before Alex, you're not my teacher anymore and you don't have to worry about me." She said bitterly.

"I know but I care about you, we were close once."

"Well, that was a long time ago," She said.

"When did the panic attack start?" He asked, leaning against the counter directly to her right.

"The day you went to prison if you must know." She said slamming a plastic cup roughly into soapy water.

"Belle, I never meant to hurt you."

"No you didn't mean to but you did. Do you have any idea how badly I missed you? How much I needed you? I wrote to you and you never even so much as replied."

"I couldn't," He said softly.

"You made me so many promises and then...you didn't keep any."

She moved to brush past him, with every intention of leaving him alone. He reached out catching her upper arm in a tight grip.

"I made sure you were taken care of, tell me the money I left for you wasn't enough, tell me you didn't get everything you ever wanted because of me." He demanded.

"I didn't want your stupid money! I wanted you!"

He let go of her arm as if he had been burnt but she didn't move, she stayed there in front of him with tears choking her throat. All the things she wanted to say to him for so long nearly strangling her.

"I wanted you," She said again, softer.

He looked at her taking her in from her toes to her face and for one second she thought that he was going to kiss her. Then he swallowed and spoke.

"Well, you're doing okay for yourself. A good job and fiance."

"Yeah, I am. Landon is a good man."

"That's good, you deserve one man who won't let you down."

She shook her head, could he really be so stupid that he didn't realize how she felt about him? how she still felt about him even if she didn't want to.

"I think you should leave," she said.

He stared at her for a long minute then gave a slow nod of agreement, pushing away from the counter he brushed by her and went out the back door. She waited until she was sure he was gone before moving to lock it for the night.

She knew he had done everything in his power to keep her safe and protected ten years ago but what he didn't realize was how badly she needed him. How different things could have been, how she waited for any sign that he loved her and how abandoned she felt. One letter would have made the difference between her waiting for him and moving on with Landon, one letter that Alex never bothered to write.