Fenny had spent the last hour crying silently to herself, all of her anger and frustration and confusion flowing forth as tears. It was getting so hard to believe that she could ever hold on to happiness, and it was all her own damn fault. Paul was absolutely right. And what she and Brad needed to do was to talk through all of their problems. All of them, the sooner the better. But when he had tried to talk to her, she’d smacked him — and he had said he didn’t need her? What was that supposed to mean? All the more reason to talk to him, she thought, and dragged herself out of bed.

Brad was thinking himself in circles. He and Fenny had spent most of their time lately fighting, and he wasn’t entirely sure that the time they spent together was even worth all the anguish anymore. It had been so long since they’d spent a Sunday afternoon together on the couch reading the paper and talking, or doing anything else that even resembled a normal relationship. Granted, that was partly due to his spending so much time with Lilly. But if Fen wasn’t going to be able to deal with Lilly and accept her as a part of their life together, it simply wasn’t going to work, and if they were going to keep fighting over every stupid situation they got themselves into like they had been, it would be better for both of them to just let it go.

He never would have thought that he’d have to consider leaving the woman he had risked his life for in Australia, but somehow Fenny had changed. Or was it he that had changed? Either way, things were different, and he wasn’t sure he could ever change them back.

Gina and Paul lay in bed together, smiling at each other, him rubbing a hand over her hip, her tracing small circles on his hand. “Do you remember when we were first together?” Gina mused.

“You mean you blowing me away with your brutal honesty and your fantastic body?” Paul smiled.

“My favorite interview ever,” she grinned.

“Mine too. Probably the only one I ever properly enjoyed.”

“Glad to be of service.”

“I’ll bet you’re not that wonderful to everyone you interview, are you?”

“Only the attractive men I have a little of respect for.”

“So just me then,” Paul smiled.

“Just about.”

“That first date went a bit oddly didn’t it?”

“It was an omen of what was to come,” Gina laughed. “We did get a free cake out of it when the management thought it was our anniversary.”

“Remember the couple it had been arranged for, how they screamed?” Paul giggled.

“Yeah, but it was all right when they realized it was you they’d forfeited their dessert to.”

“Being me has its certain advantages,” Paul smirked.

“Namely having me,” Gina cooed and snuggled closer to him.

“Absolutely.”

“Was that the date you split your pants?”

“No, that was later, we were dancing, weren’t we?”

“Oh, that’s right, we were,” Gina laughed, “badly, if I recall. You’re such a showoff.”

Paul shrugged nonchalantly.

“Our first kiss, I bet you don’t remember that.”

“Was that…that time on the beach? Or was it a park?”

“It was a bar,” Gina scoffed. “You’d been doing shots of vodka. Just leaned right over and grabbed me. Nice long pash, I didn’t think it would ever end,” she smiled dreamily. “I didn’t want it to, even if you did taste of booze.”

“I don’t now,” he smiled.

“Even better,” she grinned and pulled him in for a kiss.

Brad glanced up as Fenny appeared in the hallway, dressed in her monkey pajamas and tugging at the ends of her sleeves with her fingers, looking more miserable than should have been allowed.

“I’m sorry,” she peeped. “Can we talk?”

Part of him wanted to scream, “Why the hell did you hit me when I brought that up earlier,” but part of him hated himself for putting her in the position where they’d have to resolve so many problems. “I think we’d better,” he replied.

She took a few hesitant steps towards the couch as he sat up. “Paul brought it to my attention that I’ve been acting infantile and—”

A furry head lifted itself and propped on the arm of the sofa to look at her and seemed to get excited at the prospect of a new friend.

“Why is there a collie on the couch?”

“Followed me home from the bar,” Brad shrugged.

“Brad,” Fenny protested, and the dog leapt up suddenly to put its front paws on Fenny’s chest. “For Christ’s sake,” she yelped as she stumbled backwards, tripped over the rug and landed with a thump on the floor, the dog in her lap gleefully licking her face. “Get off,” she grumbled, pushing the dog away and regaining her feet. “I so do not need this right now,” Fenny growled at Brad.

“I wasn’t going to leave a helpless puppy out in the rain to die,” Brad admonished as the dog eagerly circled Fenny, nudging her shin to be pet.

“Has she eaten Jag yet?” Fenny asked.

“Oh. I’d forgotten about him.”

“Yeah, not surprising,” Fenny grumbled, and Brad glared at her as he scratched Mochrie’s ears. “I’m sorry,” Fenny sighed. “Can we start over?”

Brad guided the dog to the kitchen floor where he told her to sit and stay, which she did, quickly falling asleep on the tiles. He sat next to Fenny on the couch. “Let’s talk,” he said.

“Do you remember when I proposed?” Paul breathed.

“Which time?” she chuckled.

“The first three times don’t count, I was shit faced.”

“Four,” Gina corrected.

“Four?”

“You called me from your hotel in New York, told me you were lonely, said I should meet you in Vegas and we’d get married by Elvis.”

“I said that?” he gasped.

“Oh yeah,” she giggled. “I do remember the time for real. You were sober, surprisingly enough. I came home from work, you had my apartment covered in roses, you were sitting there on the floor, dressed, if I recall, in your pinstripe suit with the red lining.”

“I knew there was no way you’d say no to that suit.”

“You know me so well,” Gina laughed. “You could have talked me into eating a golf cart that night. Not that I needed any convincing to agree to marry you. Best decision I ever made.”

“I hold that the best decision you ever made was not signing those divorce papers,” Paul announced, and kissed her neck. “You had more faith in us than I did.”

“I wouldn’t say it was faith,” Gina mused, “more blind stubbornness, unwillingness to let go.”

“Either way,” Paul shrugged. “It worked out for the best, whatever your motivation.”

“I think there’s fate involved,” Gina breathed, and he turned to look at her. “I mean, why was I of all people sent to interview you? Why didn’t I sign the papers? Why did you meet Fen in the gallery, especially if you didn’t want to get into her jeans?”

“You think we’re meant to be together?” Paul asked.

“I don’t see why not,” she smiled. “Fen says we’re perfect for each other.”

“She obviously has her intelligent moments,” Paul laughed.

“Few and far between, but worth waiting for.”

“Maybe fate has something to do with it,” he shrugged. “Or maybe we’re just the only people who can put up with us and we know it.”

“That could be it,” she laughed.

“I think it’s time we talked things through,” Fenny said. “Everything.”

“I agree,” Brad nodded.

“What shall we discuss first?” Fenny asked.

“Well, chronologically, Greg was first.”

“Right,” she nodded. “That one time you didn’t know about, you were still waffling between me and Ritza, I was hurt and confused and Greg was blitzed. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done it. But it was so long ago, Brad.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” he asked.

“Because it was when Gina caught us afterwards that she told me you were engaged to Ritza. I figured we were through.” Fenny took a deep breath. “I know that you have good reason not to trust me, especially not with Greg, but I honestly thought we’d worked through that.”

“We did, you’re right.” Brad nodded. “I just, I guess I was upset everyone seemed to know but me. Especially Paul.”

“That was a case of me blurting out the wrong thing. We were discussing Gina’s occasional desires to kill me, and I brought it up when I shouldn’t have, and Paul was oddly amused by it all.”

“And there’s nothing going on between you and Paul?” Brad asked cautiously.

“Of course not,” Fenny assured him. “We’re friends, that’s where it stops. I’m not sure what made me do what I did when I was drunk, except for the fact that alcohol and I do not get along. I bet you did some asinine things the first time you got drunk,” Fenny said. “Hell, you’ve done some stupid things recently when drunk. I seem to remember tennis shoes in the dishwasher one morning…”

Brad couldn’t help but smile and shrugged innocently. “Good point. So there’s no feelings for him that you’re hiding?”

“No,” she said firmly.

“You two just seem so close, it wouldn’t surprise me,” he mused.

“He’s not my type,” Fenny smirked. “Too short and scrawny. Although the velvet tux was nice.” Brad raised his eyebrows at her. “Nothing wrong with noting a sexy outfit,” she declared, giving him a sideways glance. “Better than copulating on appliances.”

“Right,” Brad sighed and rubbed a hand over his forehead. “She was telling me about her dreams, I can’t explain why she’s having them, neither can she. We started flirting, I was teasing her because of the dreams, you know, just like I’m sure Paul would tease you.”

“He’s been teasing me for coming on to him while I was drunk,” Fenny added.

“See,” Brad said, “totally harmless. We might have gone overboard for a minute or two, I mentioned doing it on the washing machine, she said she’d give it a try, and we left it at that. Nothing came of it. I only brought it up like I did because I was pissed about Greg, I wanted to get you riled up. I hate myself for doing it just to hurt you.”

“We sound like a bad paperback romance novel,” Fenny mused, “flirting with each other’s friend’s spouses.”

“That or a good episode of Springer,” Brad laughed.

“Speaking of which,” Fenny said tiredly, “we’ve still got the big issue to discuss.”

“Lilly,” Brad mumbled, and they took matching deep breaths as the light feeling of knowing everything else had been misunderstanding was replaced with the feeling of dread of having to sort through this rather permanent crisis. “All I can think of to say is that I’m sorry. I’m sorry I messed up and got Ella pregnant, I’m sorry I hid Lilly from you for as long as I did, and I’m sorry that you’re not comfortable with her.”

“Look, Brad,” Fenny began, scooting closer to him and taking his hands in hers. “I know that you love your little girl, which is wonderful. It’s selfish and immature the way I’ve dealt with Lilly. I wanted you all to myself, I didn’t want to share you and your love and your attention, but I understand now that there’s another person in your life who’s more important than I am, and I’m coming to terms with that. It was a shock at first, finding out you had a baby out there, and I reacted poorly. But the last thing I want to do is lose you just because you’re a wonderful father to a beautiful child.” She smiled at him. “I’m trying Brad, really I am.”

“That’s all I can ask for,” Brad breathed. “It was stupid of me to think you’d love Lilly so suddenly. People keep telling me to give you time.”

“That’s what it’s going to take,” Fenny nodded, and there was a long silence.

“Does this mean everything’s worked out and we can go back to being happy?” Brad asked.

“God I hope so,” Fenny breathed. “I love you.”

Brad looked into her eyes. “I love you too,” he said, the pressure in his chest and the warmth her smile gave him assuring him it was true.

“Did you mean it when you said you didn’t need me?” Fenny asked softly as she looked over at the dog that was sniffing around the table, Jaguar watching from one of the chairs.

“Of course I didn’t,” Brad said, “when’s the last time either of us said anything we meant in the heat of an argument?”

“Good point. I didn’t mean to hit you.” She leaned into Brad, her hand resting on his bare chest, fingertips trailing over the letters of her name. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too,” Brad said and kissed the side of her head. “Can we stop fighting now?”

“I hope so. Oh, wait, what about the dog?”

“Its name is Mochrie,” Brad announced.

“What?” Fenny demanded, incredulous.

“You had to have seen it when I brought it home…”

“I’d pay to see Colin’s reaction when you tell him you named a dog after him.”

“And what would Col say if you threw his namesake out into the cold dark night?” Brad pouted.

Fenny took a breath. “I’m not saying we should throw it out. I’m saying it looks healthy and clean and well trained, it probably already has a home.”

Brad nodded. “You’re probably right, I’ll call the newspapers in the morning, put an ad in. Can we keep little Mochrie till we find its owners?”

“Until she invites herself to sleep on me or wets the carpet or eats the cat. You’ll have to walk her.”

“Deal,” Brad smiled. “Can we go to bed now?”

“I think so,” she grinned, gave him a quick kiss, and led him by the hand to the bedroom.

“Remember the first time we made love?” Gina asked, stroking Paul’s cheek.

“Of course. Room 203 of the Adelaide Hilton,” he grinned. “The floor. I believe we reenacted it when you were kidnapped.”

“Not on the floor, no. But god, do you remember how rampant we were? Couldn’t even make it to the bed. We were trembling so bad we could barely get our clothes off…”

“But once we got them off, they stayed off for quite some time,” Paul announced, eyebrow raised.

“And then we had to sit through Sunday lunch with my parents,” Gina giggled.

“Yeah, trying to be interesting and polite, when all you want to do is root like rabbits,” Paul mused.

“And we did,” Gina cooed.

“All weekend,” Paul breathed and slid on top of Gina, gently kissing her neck.

She burst into giggles. “I can’t have sex with you.”

“Why, I don’t have the rash anymore,” Paul mused.

Gina laughed. “No, I can’t stop thinking about you as Ozzy Osbourne now.”

Paul giggled and then went into a British accent. “Sharon, let’s shag like crazy. Oh no, I just remembered I used all my viagra, when I got stressed out trying to put on my fucking shoes…Sharon!”

The image was too much and Gina completely lost it, her laughing caught on and soon Paul had given up and was laughing just as hard.