I'm back.. Really sorry of the wait.. Had a writer's block and then with college, I keep forgetting things. About to finish my exams on 6th.. You'll get more frequent updates. Now, go on, read.. :)

As soon as he got the number, he called Her.

"Hello" her voice came from the other end.

There was no reply. She spoke again.

"Hello. Who's there?" she said.

"Becks" he blurted out.

"Javi" Kate whispered.

"Why Kate?" he asked sternly.

"Because I was scared" she answered.

"Who is not scared, Kate? Hell, even I'm scared at times, doesn't mean you push everyone away and run as far as possible" he said angrily.

"I'm sorry. I really am" she pleaded.

"Rick said you are married" Javi said.

"Yes. But it's not what it looks like. It's way more complicated than ever" she sighed.

"Isn't it always?" he spoke harshly.

"I know you all hate me. And I deserve it" she said emotionally.

"I can never hate you, Becks. I'm angry at you. You were the only constant person who I could call as family before Kevin, Lanie and Rick came into my life. You disappeared. Just like that. No contact. Nothing. How do you think I felt? Rick broke down, Lanie cried for hours, Kevin was pissed and hell, even Gates was sad, like actually sad. I stayed strong in front of them, Kate. But you know me, I cry silently. Didn't let them know what I was feeling. But it made me weak. I had to go to therapy to get myself in control" he said in a breath.

Kate was shocked. She never knew that her leaving would cause so much pain to Javi. She knew she was like a sister to him. But had no idea how much she meant to him. She was pulled out of her thoughts by Javi's voice

"Hello? You there?" he asked.

"I..I'm so sorry Javi. I hurt you" she sobbed.

"Kate, please don't cry. You know, I can't see you cry" he pleaded to her.

"I've hurt you for last 10 years. How can I be such a selfish person?" she told sobbing and cut the call.

"Kate" he yelled but the line was cut.

He dialed another number.

"Yo, man. Need a favor" he said.

"Sure bro. Wassup?" came the voice from other side.

"I'll give you a number. Trace it and give me the exact location in 5 minutes. It's an emergency" he said.

"Text me the number, I'll do it now" was the reply.

"Thanks man" Javi said and cut the call.

In a second, he texted the number to him.

Within 5 minutes he got Kate's address. He jumped into his car and drove it to her place.

In the other side of the town Martha and Alexis were meeting in Remy's.

"Hello kiddo" Martha called out.

"Hey Grams" Lex said.

"How are holding up Lex?" she asked.

"Honestly I don't know what I'm feeling Grams" she replied.

"That's normal given the circumstance" Martha sighed. She hated seeing her son and granddaughter in this condition.

"I just don't understand. Why not tell us before? Why now? Why when everything was getting a little better" Alexis asked confused at this whole situation.

"It's always been faith's play in both of their lives. You and I can't decide on it" Martha replied.

"Grams, I'm scared of what's going to happen next" she said worriedly.

"I know sweetie. I am too. I'm scared where Richard's going to break again" she told.

"Jo has been asking me who Kate is Grams. I've just told her she's Dad's old friend" Alexis said looking out of the window.

"That poor child. How can she even begin to understand what this is?" Martha replied heavily.

"She's so protective of Dad, Grams. She has yelled and thrown a fit at Paula a lot of times because she was arguing with him. She's like his protector. After whatever happened, she was the one who brought him back. I'm scared what happens when she realizes it's because of Kate, Dad is or was like this?" Alexis said in worried tone.

"I know, Lexi. But what can we do? Richard needs her as much as she needs him" Martha replied.

"Do you have her number?" Alexis asked without looking at her Grams.

"Yes. Are you sure you want to talk to her? Take a more time and wrap your mind around this" Martha said patting her hand.

"How much ever time I take, the truth will always be the truth, Grams. I need to see her." Alexis looked up with tears threating her eyes.

"Oh, sweetie" Martha said getting up and pulling her granddaughter into a hug.

Javi reached Kate's place in 20 minutes. He drove like a mad man. He needed to see her. He knocked the door and it felt like ages for him until the door was open.

"Can I help you" a kid asked. This must be Kate's son he thought.

"Hi.. Is Kate here?" Javi replied.

"Yes, come on in" said Rob from the couch in hall.

"Alex, go call your Mom" he said.

Alex ran into his mother's room to call her.

"Hi.. I'm Robert. And you are?" he asked as Javi sat next to him on the couch.

"I'm Javier. An old friend of Kate's" he replied.

"Ah. This where she got Alex's middle name from. Nice to put a face to the name" Rob said smilingly.

Javi was shocked to hear this.

"Rob, who is it?" Kate called out walking out of the room.

She was beyond shocked to see Javi here. He had changed. He looked closed off. And she knew this was her fault. This all had happened to them, after she left.

"Javi, what are you doing here?" she asked him hesitantly walking into the hall.

"I needed to talk to you" he said. She looked like she had been crying a long time. She had lost a little weight. They stared at each other lost in their own thoughts when Alex called his Mom.

"You guys talk, I'll see Alex" he tells Kate.

"Rob, will you take him out?" she asked him. All she got was a nod in answer.

Javi and Kate sat in silence till Rob and Alex left.

Kate was the one to break the silence

"I'm so so sorry, Javi" she said. Unknowingly a tear slide down her cheeks.

"I don't understand, Kate. Why? Why did you leave? What are you here now? I don't get it. I just don't" he said getting up from the couch.

"I had to, Javi. I was broken and I would have broken Rick too, if I had stayed" she replied.

"Is he any less broken right now?" he asked as walked towards the wall and leaning against it.

She wanted to tell him about everything. Everything, that's been in her heart for 10 years, every hurt that she caused them, she felt it too.

"What I am about to say will probably will make you hate me" she whispered.

"Try me. Because I have tried in every possible way to hate you. But I am here today, aren't I?" he replied.

"Alex is Rick's son" she said in such a low voice that it was almost inaudible.

Javi was beyond shocked. He felt like an arrow pierced him, that too directly to his heart. He lost the ability to think and speak.

"Javi, please say something" she begged.

"I don't know what to say, Kate. How could you do this to him?" he said a little a louder and frustrated. He always thought Kate was running from something, but Alex being Rick's son was not something she should have hid from everyone, especially Rick. Is this why he wanted to meet her? He let out a sigh.

"I just wanted him to be happy. I was broken and I knew I would have broken him too. I know, this is not a valid reason but it's what I felt at that point of time." She said as tears were streaming down her face.

"Is he any less broken?" he asked sarcastically.

"Javi, I know you are angry with me but I did what I felt was right" she tried to explain.

"I'm tired of hearing that, Kate. Everything is not about you. Just because you left everyone's life turned upside down. Ryan almost got shot on duty once, because he was thinking about how to find you. This is just one such instance, Kate. I'm not saying this to make you feel guilty. But just understand, everyone life gets affected with a single decision you took in past or you take in future. I have always told you Rick doesn't just love you, you are his everything. After you left everything changed. He became quite, he doesn't make jokes like before. All I'm asking you is to think before you take a decision, Kate. We love you, but we do need you to love us back" he said as a tear rolled down his cheeks.

Please do review.. It does help me write fast. Next chapter Alexis and Kate's reunion.. Let me know if you have any ideas..

Love,

Varsha..