Stress could not describe his state of mind when he entered the house. An intense session at the studio coupled with the declining state of his relationship with Miriam did not have Kevin in the best humor when he finally reached his home, his relief from the constant stress he was under. And then he took one look around.

It was as if a hurricane had suddenly blown up, along with a couple of nuclear warheads, right in his living room. It was a giant mess, and Kevin was rendered utterly speechless. He had the sinking feeling that his home had been broken into and ransacked, but then he heard the psychotic ramblings of his insane house guest and realized that she was throwing a temper tantrum.

"Try anything I'll blow you out of the water! What the hell does she think she is? I know, it should be 'who' but she is so below that standard. She threatened me! Why the hell does everyone see her as a perfect saint? She's got him so wrapped around her finger, it's sick!" her voice echoed down the hall.

As he marched slowly up the stairs, allowing time for him to check his temper, the floorboard creaked. An explosion of barking, all wrapped up in black puppy fur was lunging for his face, and the dog was too quick for Kevin to react. He nearly fell backwards as the dog greeted him enthusiastically.

"Hi Sienna," he wryly, patting the dog with a restraint which he found, under the circumstances, admirable. He gently pushed the dog away, and stormed into the guestroom where he had set Brianna up in.

"Brie, what the hell is going on?" Kevin demanded as soon as he saw her.

"I'm bitching about the…the thing that is currently sleeping with my best friend!" she snapped.

"I mean with my living room. What the hell happened down there?" he practically yelled.

"Oh, that. Well, your cat practically clawed Sienna's eyes out, so naturally she had to defend herself…and her way of defending herself is to chase her all over the house. Sienna is in love with your cat, she thinks it's the coolest thing. Your cat, however, is an anti-social, exclusionist head-case," she rattled out.

"And what is your problem with Laurel?" he asked.

"She threatened me! She accused me of flying down here to break up her relationship! As if I'd fly all the way here for something I could do over the phone! She has no right to accuse me of that!" Brianna defended herself, as she continued to pace around the room.

"Isn't that why you came down here so quickly?" Kevin asked, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"WHAT?" Brianna hollered.

"Why else would you hop on a plane the day after he tells you he's proposed? You panicked."

"That's not it. Why would I panic?"

"Because some girl was about to get what you've always wanted," Kevin said. Brianna stared at him for a second and then collapsed into laughter.

"I don't want Nick. I've been honest about that since the day I met him," she gasped.

"Then why are you here?" he asked.

"Why are you here? Why aren't you out with this mysterious girlfriend that I've heard so much about from everyone. Everyone except you," she reversed the situation, feeling that he, of all people she knew, was one of the very few people she could not lie to.

"This isn't about me," he said, suddenly angry. She had hit a nerve.

"Maybe it should be. You obviously have some issues here, Kevin. Let's talk about you for a minute. Why hasn't she called you? Why isn't she spending time with you, while you guys are off indefinitely?" she questioned relentlessly.

"Because she doesn't want to," he exploded, and then stormed out. As she watched him leave, Brianna winced, realizing that she had gone too far.

* * * *

How dare she? How dare she?!? What gave her the right, when she was a guest in his home, to judge his relationship? After all he had done for her in the past day and a half, chauffeuring her around, rescuing her from sleeping in a demolished house. How dare she?

Kevin was really angry. All the stress and fatigue he had been feeling all day seemed to just have been rolled all into one ball of fury, which Brianna had successfully ignited with her callous remarks. Pacing around his living like a madman, he swiped at fallen papers and overturned chairs that were the result of having her…her animal in his home. Behind the floor to ceiling bay window, rain pounded down outside, accompanied with spectacular flashed of lightning and enormous cracks of thunder that echoed his mood.

It was late. He'd been pacing and storming around for hours. He just could not settle down. Whether or not he liked to admit it, her words had struck a nerve, because he knew they were founded. His relationship with Miriam was on it's last leg, and he knew it. She did not want to see him, claiming that it only hurt more to say goodbye when she left. He understood the pain she felt when she had to leave, he felt it as well, but he always thought the joy they had when they were together was worth it. She did not agree.

Every phone call ended with a fight. Every phone call began with a demand to know why he had not called sooner. It had now become a chore to call her, a burden he must bare, in the name of what she claimed to be love.

He didn't love her. Kevin knew this, but always thought that, given time and opportunity, it could grow into love. But now, the pleasant warmth of excitement he used to feel whenever he heard her voice had turned into a knot of stress in his stomach. It was time he ended things…

The tentative creak of footsteps on the stairs interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see Brianna creeping towards him. She was looking around nervously, and froze when she saw him.

"Kevin! I didn't know you were still awake," she said quietly, jumping slightly when thunder echoed in the distance.

"Why are you up? Storm wake you?" he asked.

"Sort of," she answered, her eyes flashing in the dim lights. And it suddenly dawned on him why she was awake, when he saw the fear in her eyes.

"You are afraid of thunderstorms, aren't you?" he asked, with a little smile on his face.

"Me? Of course not," she cried. Ten seconds later a great crack of thunder boomed, rattling the windows slightly, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Laughing, Kevin fell into the sofa behind him.

"Come here, scaredy cat!" he laughed, holding out his arm in invitation. She took one look at the flash of lightning that lit up the sky, and dashed towards him, throwing her arms around his chest, clutching to him with a death grip.

"Not mad at me anymore?" she asked hopefully.

"Still mad, don't even start with that. I'm a sucker for a damsel in distress, as you should well know," he chuckled.

"You know, I don't love Nick the way everyone thinks I do," she confided as if it were some great secret.

"And how is that?"

"Ever since Dawson's Creek, every one seems to think that I've had some burning, secret desire for Nick. That's just not true. I love him, but the thought of dating him makes me want to vomit. He's a brother, nothing more," she whispered.

"Then why are you so upset with Laurel?" Kevin asked gently.

"Because, whether I want him or not, Nick is mine! He's always said that I was 'the only woman' in his life and I have been for so long. I haven't had to share my best friend with the one woman who makes him feel complete, that is his entire world. If it ever came down to it, Nick would choose her over me, I know it, and that scares me. I don't want to play second fiddle to anyone, even though I don't want him myself. It's so selfish!" she sighed.

"And not to mention if she doesn't like you. Then what?" Kevin asked.

"Exactly. Do you see my dilemma?"

"Yeah, I guess you have a point. I think you are worrying over nothing. You aren't planning to do anything, are you?" Kevin asked, suspiciously.

"Not anymore. I've realized the problem is all in my head. And he's so happy, I couldn't do it. I'm just here to prove my worth. I can tell, despite his disgustingly cheerful outlook, he is worried about that transplant, so I want to be here for him during that. He'll need me," she answered honestly.

"You enjoy that, don't you? Being needed?"

"Yes," she whispered. Another flash of lightning accented her answered, and she whimpered softly. Laughing quietly at her child-like fear, Kevin put his arm over her shoulder and tried to comfort her.

"It'll pass soon, no worries Brie." She wasn't sure if he was talking about the storm or not.