New Beginnings Finale: Part 1

Hi everyone, this is part one of the finale. It starts of slowly with a lot of "i still love him" moments but please read on it gets better. I hope you all enjoy and please comment! lots of love always****

Tyler true to his word left the very next day; She found it hard to believe that things had gone from being so perfect to ending in ultimate ruins. The first week she spent moping around the apartment, the second week she ventured out to the studio and tried to bury herself in work. Except Tyler wasn't so easy to forget. This time things seemed to have a finality to them and the thought that she may never see him again left her shattered and dazed. Bess, her loyal assistant and friend for many years tended to keep out of her way. Alexis did her best to keep things going but it was an effort just to get out of bed in the morning.

On the third week Claudia came to visit her, and even she was affected by her cousin's depressed mood. They spent the entire weekend indoors and the following week, Claudia even helped out at the store. Alexis knew that she was being pathetic that this was not who she was but she couldn't help how she felt.

"That's it" Claudia huffed from where she sat on the couch, Alexis looked up from her laptop shocked at her cousin's outburst. "How long is this going to last?"
Alexis turned back to her laptop, she didn't want to talk about this right now, in fact she never wanted to talk about how she had ruined her relationship with Tyler especially not with Claudia.

"I've been here for little over a week now and this is all we've done"

"Fine" Alexis snapped, "You want to do something? Lets go out then" she really didn't want to discuss her love life with the ex-wife.

"No I don't want to go out, I want to talk about this" Claudia sat up straighter "I hate seeing you like this. Please tell me what happened between you and Tyler it's alright, Tyler and me we're over and I am at peace with that so you don't have to hold back on my account"

Alexis looked at her doubtfully but then sighed maybe if she told Claudia she could get it over and done with and not have to talk about it again. "Things just didn't work out in the end" she began slowly then she found herself really opening up; telling Claudia about how long it had taken Tyler to open up to her, how she had let her own insecurities get the better of her, and finally she told her about Sarah. She neglected to tell her the details of the last meeting she had with Tyler that still hurt too much. To know that he had loved her so much and that she had ruined everything.

"Sarah!" Claudia stood up and started ranting and raving in a fast flurry that Alexis couldn't make out. "That two timing, conniving little..." she trailed off and looked suddenly at Alexis "Alexis that woman has and never will never be friends with Tyler, he despises her and do you want to know why?" Alexis was dazed and a little confused but she nodded anyway intrigued and scared at the direction that this was going in "Sarah used to date Sebastian during his varsity days things seemed great the family was happy" she rolled her eyes "then Tyler came home from his internship abroad and to cut a long story short Sarah made a play at him and Sebastian walked in. Sebastian believed his brother of course but their relationship has always been strained since then and Tyler blames Sarah for it" she shrugged "they never told their parents of course and Sarah walks around as if nothing happened but she's always wanted Tyler" she grinned at Alexis "she must hate you, just when she had her goal in sight there you are another Lang intruding on her territory" she laughed then noticing Alexis's distraught expression she came to sit beside her on the couch.

"Oh honey don't you see what this means, it means that you and Tyler were tricked, played against one another you can still make things right"

Alexis shook her head "you don't understand, I agreed with her. I thought we were rushing. To tell you the truth I was so scared that things were moving too fast and that he would finally realize that he was trapped and would want out...I just wanted to prevent the inevitable"

"So let me get this straight the only reason you wanted a break was because you were afraid that he would eventually leave you not because you actually wanted a break from him"

"I wanted him to be sure, and I wanted to be sure of him, doesn't that constitute a good reason for a break?"

"But the only reason you began to think about a break was because of Sarah"

"Sebastian also mentioned that he was worried about how fast things were moving, Seb seemed to think that Tyler however much he cared for me was using me as a rebound"

"That's never been Tyler's way" Bianca argued "He can take care of himself he wouldn't have needed you to get back on his feet" she studied her hands "but he did need you Alexis."
Alexis closed her eyes the conversation had begun to upset her they were getting too close to the core of her heartache "You know everyone keeps saying how you deserve so much more but so does he. I think you made a mistake, I really do"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence"

Claudia laughed, "I never sugar coat anything you know that"

"Well it's too late now, he wants nothing to do with me. I'm self-destructive and I knew it would have tainted him as well. I think he realized as well that I would never really be able to commit to him. You know its funny because I always thought he was the problem. I would sit and think about how he wasn't ready to commit, how he was still wounded and yet I was the problem all along"

"It's okay, sweetheart it doesn't have to end this way" she hugged Alexis
"I can never face him again," she admitted,

"Suit yourself' she held up her hands in mock defeat "but do me favor ask Sebastian about Sarah sometime, he'll tell you exactly what type of person she is"

Sarah left the next day and Alexis promised that she would eventually travel down to the coast to visit her and see for herself the new life she had managed to build for herself. Alone again she soon slipped back into her routine of work and sleep, it was more work than sleep because when she slept she kept on replaying her final moments with Tyler. Work had never been better, word had spread since the wedding and her clientele had certainly increased which kept her very busy. She found that she slowly began to enjoy work again and looked forward to going into the studio.

Bianca visited her every week and she listened half heartedly as she recited the latest gossip of the upper crust. Things were also looking up in Bianca's life, especially her love life. She had been dating Link for a couple of months now and things were moving along nicely, they were even going out of town together. Bianca never mentioned Tyler, and Alexis was grateful for it. Evelyn and Daniel Maitland even visited her. Evelyn was a regular visitor at the store and when Sebastian came back from his honeymoon they all had dinner together every Friday.

After a month she still thought of him, not as much but at odd times, when she was having her first cup of coffee in the morning or late at night when she finally closed her eyes on the world the last thought she would have was of him. She constantly stared aimlessly out of windows, or at things that no one else could see, she finally understood why he had done it. It had brought him some peace and she liked to imagine that wherever he was that he might be staring out of a window that somehow the act brought her closer to him. A month after that she packed away the photos, she stored them in a box and placed it at the back of her closet.

Life was back to normal, work was steady always progressing and taking her to new heights she had never imagined. Her store was even featured in a national magazine and it marked her move to the big time. She went out regularly as well, mostly with Sebastian and Maria or Bianca and Link, they were good company and they never made her feel like the third wheel.

As summer approached she ventured down to the coast and visited Claudia. Who true to her word had made a new life for herself, she had a job at a local newspaper covering the arts and leisure section and even had a steady boyfriend that she had been seeing for a couple of months. They all went out one night and Alexis watched as they affectionately argued over what wine they should drink and she found herself all of a sudden thinking of Tyler. It was a surprise because she hadn't thought of him in ages and it shocked her that he could suddenly sneak into her thoughts like that almost paralyzing her.

She returned home the following week, well rested with a natural tan to boot. An up and coming wedding had her busy again and she was excited about concentrating on the very detailed crystal gown that she had designed for the client. Yet again she found herself on her knees sewing in crystal after crystal. Her phone rang and she ignored it too busy to care about who was phoning.

A minute later the studio phone rang and Bess came in "there's call for you" she waited for Alexis's response, the phone continued to ring "Its from London Alexis" Alexis looked up stared and Bess and then at the ringing phone. She rose slowly and picked up the phone. Bess waited for her to put the receiver to her ear before she left. "Hello"

"Hello Alexis" the voice was his, just as she remembered it. "Alexis are you still there?" she cleared her head realizing that she had stopped breathing

"I'm still here" and then she was quiet again

"How are you?" his voice was strained

"Fine" she mumbled, silence.

"Good" he was quiet "I saw a review of your store, I wanted to congratulate you"

"Thank you"

"I'm glad things are working out for you Alexis" he sighed "I'm very glad" he added

"That means a lot" she said, her voice sounded rough like sandpaper. She looked up as she heard the knock on the door. Sebastian and Bianca stood holding cups of coffee. "Listen I have to go..." she trailed off and the tears started to fall "goodbye Tyler" she canceled the call and welcomed the fierce hug that Sebastian bestowed on her.

"What is it little one" Bianca stood beside them a worried look on her face "You can tell us, I'll make it better, I'll sort it out just tell me" He was desperate now
She slowly drew away from him "It was him, it was him on the phone" she sobbed

"Ah" Sebastian stepped away and ran a hand through his hair

"He wanted to congratulate me on my success, how would he even really know about that"

"Well..." Bianca interrupted

"I believe that would be my doing" Evelyn Maitland remarked as she came into the room
"Evelyn?" Alexis was in shock

"Yes well what can I say, I was tired of how miserable the two of you have been." She held up a hand in typical Tyler fashion "and don't try to tell me that you haven't been mopping around for months"

"Mother I thought I told you to wait outside" Sebastian snapped

"Sebastian grow up, you can't protect her anymore" Bianca retaliated. She turned to Alexis,

"He's asked about you Alexis, all the time in fact, and there's not one conversation that any of us have had with him where he hasn't asked after you. We lie of course but come on love, enough is enough he still loves you and you still love him"

Evelyn stepped further into the room "I went to see him last weekend remember? Alexis he's not my son anymore, he's so cold, so distant" she shivered "I can't bear it any longer I need you to go to him he will never come to you. He's too stubborn" she shot her son a look of irritation Sebastian grunted in response. "Please bring him home"

Alexis turned away lost in her own thoughts, go to him how could they ask this of her now when she had come so far. "And what makes you think things will be different this time round?"

"Because you're different" Sebastian finally spoke up and she turned to face him surprised
"You are different Alexis, they're right I have been protecting you mostly from yourself" she blushed embarrassed that they all knew her so well. "But he loves you more than ever, Evelyn's right he needs saving from himself he's on a path of self-destruction"

"He doesn't need me to get back on his feet," she said quoting Claudia

"Like we said he's not the same" Bianca repeated annoyance entering her voice "can we please skip all this self-realization chit chat and get you on that plane"

"Plane, what plane?"

"We took the liberty of booking you a flight, it cost us lots of money" Sebastian lied for effect "so you can't say no"

"But I can't, I don't have a bag"

"Done" Bess came in with an overnight bag, she grinned at Alexis

"No this is too fast," Alexis moaned

"If I ever hear you say those words again" Sebastian growled "so help me woman I'll take you over my knee and give the hiding you deserve"

She gasped, what was going on? How was she all of a sudden moving down the stairs while they all argued amongst themselves. They pushed her out onto the pavement. A car stood waiting, a driver holding open the passenger door expectantly

"Oh you'll need this" Evelyn thrust a set of keys in her hand "it's the key to his apartment, the office knows you're coming"

"Does he know?" she whispered, they all vigorously shook their heads

"Good luck sweetheart" Evelyn hugged and kissed her, they all followed suit and then she was being shoved into the car. "Take her straight to the airport and you don't come back until you're sure that she's on that flight" Evelyn instructed the driver who nodded obediently

"We love you" Sebastian shouted as the car began to move away from the curb "Go get your other half"