Belle stood in Jade's kitchen a diaper bag over one shoulder, Olivia balanced on her hip and Seth standing next to her.

"If she doesn't take a nap at three she gets really crabby. Oh, and Seth has to go to bed at eight," Belle said.

"Belle, take a breath. I know how to put a kid to bed." Jade said with a laugh.

Jade leaned over to life Olivia from Belle's arms and then take the diaper bag, Belle giving her a pained expression.

"Am I doing the right thing?" Belle asked.

"Don't do this to yourself," Jade begged.

"I just...I don't know, I don't know if I should do this."

"I think you owe it to yourself, these kids and Alex to go to this dinner. Lay it all on the table, be upfront, be honest and settle everything for good on your terms, not his fathers."

Belle gave a quick nod, leaning down to kiss the top of Seth's head. She stood and smoothed the non-existent wrinkles in her black dress. She had selected a long sleeve black dress that ended around her knee, it wasn't tight but it clung nicely to her curves.

She had her hair pulled back into a low bun, but a few strands fell loosely around her face.

"You look beautiful," Jade said gently.

"Thank you."

"Now go, we'll be here when you get back."

"I won't be late," Belle promised.

She left the kids with Jade, certain they would be fine. They loved Jade and she was good with children and drove to the address Alex had given her. She climbed from the car at the small restaurant and walked inside to see him waiting at the table. He stood as she approached and she offered him a timid smile, she was suddenly nervous.

"Hi." She said.

"Hello, you look absolutely gorgeous."

"Thank you."

He pulled out her chair for her and she sat down, glancing around the restaurant. The other people didn't even seem to notice the couple and she found that odd after the way their relationship had started.

"Nobody is looking, I know it's....hard to believe but, they aren't. We're just a normal couple to them." He said gently.

She gave a small nod and turned her attention to the expensive menu, she briefly wondered why he would pick such a fancy dinner for their first time in public together.

"I'm glad you agreed to come here with me, I wasn't sure you would." He offered.

"Yeah, to be honest, neither was I."

They stared at the menus in silence until a waitress came for their drink order.

"Can I interest you two in our house wine?" She asked.

"Uh, no. None for me." Alex said awkwardly.

"None for me either," Belle said quickly.

The waitress rolled her eyes and walked away and Alex sighed, glancing again around the fancy restaurant.

"Hey, do you want to get out of here?" He asked.

"Absolutely." She said quickly.

They stood together and walked out of the restaurant, they reached her car first and he stopped.

"Can I take you somewhere?" He asked softly.

She debated saying no, wasn't sure being alone with him was a smart choice.

"Well, I guess we do still need to talk."

"Come on," He motioned to his car and she followed.

She wasn't afraid of Alex, she never had been. He had never been cruel or mean to her, never hit her or yelled at her. At the same time, she was nervous about being alone with him, without the kids or anyone else around.

She climbed in his car and he drove out of the city, far away from everyone. With anyone else, this would be alarming but with Alex, it was the opposite. She let her head lay against the window and watched the city grow smaller and listened to the world around them fall silent. When he reached the mountains she was completely relaxed and neither of them had spoken a word, something about being so far away from the bustling, noisy, city made life seem so much better.

He pulled up next to a large lake and even in the setting sunlight she could see a long dock leading to the water, a small cabin sat nestled back against the tree line.

He got out and Belle followed him, he walked onto the large porch that took up the entire front of the cabin.

"I bought this place when I first got out, I just needed somewhere I could go that my Dad couldn't find me," He admitted.

"It's beautiful here," She agreed.

He unlocked and opened the door motioning her inside, she stepped into the large living room and he turned on the light.

The inside was spacious and warm, a large fireplace and wood floors, wood walls, and wooden ceilings, the furniture were rustic and comfortable looking.

"I don't have much for food but I can probably make something."

"I'm actually not that hungry," she said.

"I'll just light a fire then," He hurried to the fireplace that was big enough he could have climbed inside and lit a fire.

Belle looked around some more, he clearly had been here a few times. There were small personal touches everywhere, pictures of him and Maggie and Ethan, pictures of the kids, rugs and blankets and other small touches.

She walked further into the cabin, taking a seat on the couch nearest the fireplace.

Once there was a fire roaring to life he took up a seat next to her on the sofa, both of them staring at the fire and neither speaking.

Belle fidgeted a million thoughts raced through her head all at once, her mind replaying the past ten years with Alex in jail, the year leading up to his prison sentence, the time they spent together.

Laughing in the library when he bandaged her knee, the day he threatened another teacher who harassed her, the school dance where he finally told her he had feelings for her, the day they spent at his beach house together, her father hitting her, Alex coming to stop him, her fathers funeral, Alex going to jail.

Suddenly everything came back to her, the pain of her father's words and fists, the fear of being caught with Alex, watching the man she loved go to prison, it was all ther boiling in the back of her mind, choking in the back of her throat and tears started to blur her vision.

She must have started shaking because Alex reached out, gently but firmly placing his hand over both of hers, stilling the tremors that she couldn't stop.

Her eyes met his and through her tears, she could see him offering her a small crooked smile.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." He said gently.

"You? hurt me? Alex...how can you even stand to be in the same room with me? I ruined your life." She cried.

"No, Belle. You didn't you were what saved me."

She choked back a sob and he reached out to wipe away one of her tears.

"I love you, I still love you," He admitted.

She leaned forward first and kissed him, her lips meeting his and he hesitated a minute before he kissed her back.

His hand cupping the side of her face, holding her in place as he gently but passionately claimed her mouth with his again and again.

She could taste the salt of her tears and the cinnamon of his gum and it was like it's own drug, it's own high, it's own addiction.

She moved first, sliding closer on the couch her hands going to his jacket, undoing the buttons and shoving it off his broad shoulders, he was more buff now than he was when she knew him as a teenager.

He didn't try and stop her as she pulled his tie loose and tossed it aside her fingers going to the buttons on his shirt and undoing them one by one, growing slightly more hurried with each button that popped free.

"Belle," He pushed her away slightly.

"What?"

"This, this isn't why I brought you here. I didn't expect..."

"I know, I know. I don't care." She said shaking her head.

He let go and she was kissing him again, this time his own hands wander to the zipper at the back of her dress sliding it off her shoulders.

He turned to lay her down on the couch behind him as he pulled his shirt out of his pants and tossed it aside, coming down on top of her he kissed her again, sliding her dress off her legs and dropping it somewhere else.

Her hands dropped to his belt and he let her pull it free while pushing her lacy black panties down her legs.

"I have a condom in my wallet," He said quickly.

"No," She shook her head.

"Belle..." He pulled away hovering above her.

"I'm clean, there hasn't been anyone but you." She said her hand stroking his cheek as she looked in his eyes.

"But...Landon..."

"No, there's been nobody but you." She promised.

He leaned down kissing her again, her hands going to his pants, the zipper, and button. He pulled away one more time.

"Are you on anything?" He asked gently.

"No, I...I can't get pregnant, I promise. It doesn't matter." She said.

He wanted to ask how she was sure, wanted to tell her how sorry he was she couldn't have a child of her own but instead, he leaned down and sealed his lips over hers again.

They could talk, later.