"Now now Ally," John tried to comfort his friend. "It's just a coincidence."

"Okay, John, you're telling me that being covered in whipped cream, sex cream if I may say, with his ex wife, of ALL people, is a coincidence? Very funny!" Ally growled back.

John wished he knew how to comfort his friend, but he didn't. All he could do was, well, nothing. Whenever Ally set her mind to something, it never changed. "Well, are you gonna talk to him?" he offered.

"I already did, John."

"Well how did it go?" John asked, curious.

" I broke up with him," Ally simply said.

John's jaw dropped. "You wha- Ally, why?"

"Because it's all inevitable. I wanted to save some dignity," Ally sighed.

"Well," John tried to continue, still in shock. As much as Ally loved Larry, it seemed so hard to believe that she could have actually broken up with him. "Are you gonna talk to him again about it? Maybe you made a mistake and didn't hear him out. He can't leave you if you already left him," John suggested, semi-desperate. He'd seen Ally the happiest with Larry Paul. Even the late Billy Thomas never made Ally smile the way Larry did, and if you only KNEW the type of relationship Ally and Billy had had.

"John, it's over, I've excepted it. Can you just let me mope? I need to mope," Ally sighed and buried her head in her arms on top of her knees. She remembered the telephone conversation…

"Larry, I just can't believe it. I can't," Ally said disappointed.

"What don't you believe Ally?" Larry prodded.

"You cancelled lunch with me to be whip creamed by your ex, that's what!' Ally yelled at him. "I can't believe I was such a fool!" Ally scolded herself out loud.

"Ally, it was nothing. It was kind of an old inside joke between the two of us," Larry stopped, regretting what he said.

"An inside joke huh? Getting familiar yet again? Just my luck, you know what Larry?" Ally paused, Larry sighed.

"What Ally?"

"You and me, this, it isn't working anymore. It's over Larry, I'm sorry, but it has to be," Ally continued stuttering all of it out, but finally saying it. She said goodbye; she couldn't believe it. She actually had the strength to say goodbye to the love of her life. What WAS she thinking?

"WHAT???" Larry yelped. "It can't be OVER! I don't want this over, I love you sooo much Ally; please don't end this.

Ally took a deep breath. "I'm sorry Larry, goodbye," Ally hung up the phone.

Larry dropped the phone, heartbroken, and started crying.

"What happened Larry?" Coretta asked Larry in anticipation as she dried his wet head.

Larry looked straight ahead, his eyes till full of tears, "She broke up with me."

"Well did you explain yourself?"

"She wouldn't really listen to me."

"Well what do you expect Larry? You cancelled lunch with her to have ice cream with your ex wife…and whipped cream?? WHAT is THAT about??" Coretta quizzed.

Larry sighed. "Listen, it's over, I don't know what to do, but it's over. I just have to accept it and move on," he spoke slow gradually fading out.

"Now listen to me Larry, you love her. Don't give up on this woman, who IS the love of your life. You need to talk and discuss things.

"Face it Coretta, I'm a failure! I've never been able to make a relationship work," he started shouting.

"You came back to her Larry, how is that failure? I don't know of ANY man who would go back to an old girlfriend when he can get some and be with his kid at the same time, honestly Larry! You're too damn hard on yourself. Now go to her and tell her you love her! Tell her you want to do this for the rest of your life. Even if she refuses you, you have nothing to lose now, right?" Coretta looked at him hoping she had sunk in something into his thickheaded skull.

Larry stared at the wall blankly, looking for a solution that, wasn't there.

"Ally honey, you have to talk to him," Renee pleaded. "You have to give him a chance to explain himself."

"What is there to explain, Renee? His EX-WIFE was putting whipped cream ALL OVER his face. What the hell is that about?" Ally snapped back.

"EXACTLY Ally, ask him!" Renee pleaded.

Ally scoffed, "What is there to say? He was covered in whipped cream, that his gorgeous ex-wife had put all over him," Ally rambled. "End of story."

Renee stared at Ally in sadness as she started to stare into space with the same tears in her eyes that hadn't left all afternoon.

Ally walked off the elevator into her office building and noticed everyone staring at her.

Elaine spoke up. "Is it over? Are you all right? I'm SO sorry Ally!"

Ling growled at Elaine and stared at Ally. "So are you like gonna be all droopy all the time now that your perfect little neurotic world has fallen apart," Ling paused, "AGAIN???"

Ally stormed away before Nelle could put her two cents in.

It was late and Ally was trying to do her paperwork while visions of her and Larry danced in her head. She remembered walking into his office, Tracy's office, and Larry handing her her thick file. She turned around and glanced outside at the bright lights and the starry sky. She remembered all the pleasant walks down the street with him walking home at night, and when they had bumped into each other on their way to see one another. He had said it was a good sign if a couple can meet halfway and she asked him if they were a good couple. She smiled through her tears. She thought they were the couple that would make it through everything. Larry had said they had potential, Ally truly believed. She thought that they would be the ones to show everyone that true love does last and you CAN find your soul mate.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, spinning Ally out of her daydreaming. It was Larry. His eyes were blotchy and red and he leaned against the doorframe, "Can we talk?" he asked meekly.

Ally looked at him and then at her desk and sat down, "Talk," she simply replied continuing to stare at her desk.

Larry took a deep breath and tried to clear his throat, which was all choked up as it had been since after he stopped talking to Coretta about everything. Coretta had been supportive, but in a way more towards him and Ally staying together. Her reasoning, you love each other, why should this be a big deal?

Ally looked at him as he was fidgeting with his tie and coat. He looks so cute when he's nervous, she thought. Stop it! She scolded herself. His cuteness has nothing to do with the present situation. She continued thinking, God why did this have to happen to me? Why did I have to find the perfect guy only for him to be taken away from me only as fast as I found him? She let out a cry and Larry looked up.

"Why are we over?" he finally asked searching for any remains of love Ally might still have for him deep in her eyes.

"Because-," Ally stopped. "I don't think I can trust you. You kissed Jamie; you broke lunch with me to have ice cream with your ex-wife who was putting whipped cream all over your face. What am I supposed to think?" she finished.

"Well," he began, "we were talking about you."

"Oh great, looking for advice on how to leave someone? Trust me, you got that nailed!" Ally let out.

"Now why are you taking everything the wrong way?" Larry started yelling. "You never listen to a word I say, it's like no matter what I say you're not gonna believe me because you're so stuck in your own little world!" he was taking short breaths by then, trying to get it all in before Ally interrupted him like she usually did.

" Oh, oh, I'm stuck in my own little world am I? Well that world USED to include you, but I guess that just doesn't cut it anymore does it?" Ally started crying. "You've been weird ever since my birthday. You missed all of it, and then last night at dinner, God, I can't even begin to explain how STRANGE you acted. Today you cancelled lunch with me, and then I found you having ice cream, which is a thing of OURS might I add, with your ex-wife!!! I just can't figure you out Larry Paul! Did you ever REALLY love me? Why'd you come back? You had it all in Detroit, a son who loves you, another woman who loves you, why me? And since you came back, why don't you have the decency to make it easier on me? You can be a great great guy, but instead, you're just pulling further and further away." Ally was almost hyperventilating by the time she finished.

Larry was stunned; he didn't know what to think. He was going to propose to Ally last night, but the stupid waiter screwed up the order. He gave the dish with the ring in it to someone else. Larry believed in omens, and that was an omen if he ever saw one. He thought carefully before he proceeded. "Ally, I am sorry about today. I have been very scared about us lately and I had to talk to someone about it," he stopped.

"You could have talked to me," she said softly. "I would have listened."

"Yes, but I couldn't. It's something I wanted to figure out on my own."

"Figure what out Larry?" Larry was speaking in puzzles to her.

"Well last night, I had planned to propose to you, Ally." Ally gasped. "Please, let me finish." Larry paused as he watched a half-smile come to Ally's face, her eyes still shielded by tears. "The waiter screwed up the order and I was disappointed, so if I was looking at you funny, you now know why," another pause. Ally was about to say something but he put a finger to her lips signaling he wasn't done. "Now, I feel like I don't know what I was thinking. I feel like I am the biggest failure in the world. I failed as a husband; I failed as a father. The biggest lie would be to say that I would never fail again," he sighed and looked at the ground long and hard.

"Larry," Ally finally started expecting him to interrupt her or stop her. When he didn't, she kept going. "You're a puzzle that, it seems, is unsolvable. I really wish that I could figure you out, but I can't and I don't think that's ever gonna happen. Do you want another example of my neurotic behavior? Since my birthday, I've been walking around going 'he's going to leave me' and all this while, you were planning on proposing to me," Ally looked at the nervous and shaky Larry still staring at the floor, his entire body trembling. "What do you want from me? You once told me," she said thoughtfully, "that you weren't afraid of this and that I shouldn't be either. Well if you ask me, you're more afraid right now than I was then," she looked upon him adoringly.

Larry slowly raised his head, took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, which were all wet. "I feel like I could never be all the man that you need."

"Larry, you are all the man I've ever needed, and THEN some!" Ally exclaimed.

"Listen I have to go," he started shaking even worse, and headed straight out the door.

"Larry! Stop!" Ally exclaimed.

Larry didn't stop, he kept going, his tears blinded him as he pressed the elevator button repeatedly. Ally ran and grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around. Larry struggled momentarily but stopped soon after.

"Now you listen to me Larry Paul! You listen to me right now and hear everything I have to say!!!" Ally stopped trying to catch her breath. Larry had run fast and she didn't want him to leave her. "I love you, did you hear that?? I LOVE YOU!!! You truly are the best thing in my life and to attempt to live without you, again, would be stupid. Everyone makes mistakes, nobody's perfect. Your wife left you. Jamie got pregnant, it made things more complicated, I'm guessing cause it wasn't TRUE love. WE have TRUE love baby. You and I, we're meant to be. Forever and a day, I promise you that. Now whether or not we're together, we'll never find another person who fills that void. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Larry gazed at Ally. She's soooo beautiful, he thought. Half of his brain told him she was the only thing he wanted and not to be a fool and give her up. The other part of his brain told him, yeah, sure she's the best thing that happened to him, but how could he be with her for his own selfish reasons. He didn't know what to do.

Ally took his hand and held it with both of hers. "Larry, please don't go away. I need you so bad; you have no idea. I've been miserable without you baby. Please come home."

Larry withdrew his hand as the elevator door opened. He went in and pressed the bottom floor button. Ally looked at him in despair as the doors closed. She fell to her knees and broke down.

Ally opened the door to her apartment, hoping to find Larry there. Instead, she found only Renee.

"Ally, honey, are you okay?" She asked when she saw her face all red and puffy.

"I think it's completely over," Ally was able to sniffle out.

"What makes you say that?" Renee asked sympathetically.

Ally proceeded to tell her the whole story while stopping periodically to sob. Renee was holding her trying to comfort her while Ally spilled her guts.

"He's gonna leave me, it's over, I've lost him forever," she broke down again.

"How do you know that honey?"

"He leaves notes, Renee. Mine is coming, I feel it." Ally said in dismay.

All Renee could do was look at her best friend and pray for her.

Larry stared at the ceiling as he was lying on the couch in his office. He was missing the warm side of Ally in their bed at their apartment. A million and one things were running through his head. Above all, why he had run away from her. She was giving herself to you completely and utterly, why did you leave her you fool! The other side of his head told him that he did the right thing. Don't drag her down with your sorry self, that's all you need is access baggage. Wait a minute, he thought. Why am I calling Ally "access baggage?" An ex-girlfriend related to a son that you have, THAT'S "access baggage!" he scolded himself.

Coretta walked in, "I'm going home, okay?" she looked at him. "Are you gonna be all right Larry?" she asked sympathetically after a moment.

He looked up, "Yeah, I'll be fine, I think I'm gonna stay here tonight and think things through. It seems logical, I have to figure out what I'm going to do, so go home, I'll be all right." He looked back up at the ceiling.

"Are you absolutely sure you don't need someone to talk to?" she prodded.

"Look where 'talking to someone' got me," he retorted back, a little more harsh than he meant to be. "I'm sorry Coretta," he immediately replied as he got up from lying down and sat straight up looking at her. "I just need to be alone, I'm not myself right now, okay?"

Coretta was glaring and then her gaze softened. "Okay, well, take care of yourself, and remember," she paused. "Love IS all there is." And with that, she left.

Larry started a little bit of reminiscing himself. He was remembering how he had kissed Jamie and him and Ally were talking, okay arguing, about it. She had said "love isn't always enough" after he told her that he loved her and never loved anyone like he did her. And he had replied, "Yes it is, you go long enough without it and you realize it's everything."

"Wait a minute!" he exclaimed out loud, to no one. He bolted up, grabbed his coat, and ran out of the office.

The next morning, as Ally made her way into the office, Elaine stopped her.

"Larry stopped by."

"What?" Ally said, shocked and somewhat excited. "Well, well, wha, what did he say?" she stuttered.

Elaine paused, and then pushed forward. "He left a note on your desk when he found out that you weren't here, and said he had to be somewhere," she finished sadly.

Ally's jaw dropped and she froze. I knew it! I knew it!!! She screamed at herself. A note, the bastard! The goddamn bastard!!!

"Ally, are you okay?" Elaine interrupted.

Ally snapped out of it and made her way to her office without a look back at Elaine who looked sincerely worried about something other than her selfish self for once in her life.

Ally stared at the envelope sitting neatly in front of her on her desk. It had her name written on it neatly in Larry's familiar handwriting. A single tear rolled down her cheek. You did everything you could, you begged, you pleaded. There's nothing else you could have done. It was Larry's turn to grow up and she realized it.

There was a knock on the door; it was John.

"Ally, can I come in?" there was worry in his voice.

"She muttered yeah and the door slowly opened.

"Elaine informed me of what happened and said I should probably come talk to you ASAP," John looked at Ally's white face. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Yeah, well I'm sure everyone knows what happened," she looked up at him. "He left me John, for good. He's gone, forever. I tried, I begged, I pleaded, I tried to get him to stay and he left me, without another word, just bolted out, gone," she was mumbling and then she broke down. Her whole body was trembling and convulsing and John rushed over to hold her while she cried her eyes out.

He looked at the note on her desk, "Aren't you gonna read it Ally?"

"Wh, why? Wha, what, what's the point?" she stammered after she looked up and took a couple deep breaths. "I know what it says. Goodbye, I'm never coming back. Have a nice life, see you, see you," Ally started crying again. "See you never," she fell to the floor.

John picked up the envelope and his curiosity enveloped him. He opened it and slowly read what Larry had written.

Ally,

I am sorry I ran out last night. There's something I need to talk to you about. Can you meet me in my office as soon as you get this? I'll be waiting. Please, please come.

Larry

John put it down, befuddled. It wasn't what Ally had thought and it DEFINITELY wasn't what John had expected. "Ally," he said softly.

She still had her head buried in her hands on the floor.

"Ally, honey, I think you should," he stopped. All she would do was argue. He tapped her shoulder and she brought her head up. He handed her the letter and looked at her in the sense that said DON'T argue.

She took the letter reluctantly, sniffled a little and proceeded to read it. She put the letter down and stared at John. "Do you think maybe he's grown up to where he can say goodbye in person?"

John was shocked. It was not the reaction he expected. Ally, like a zombie, got up and walked out the door. John stared back at her. Oh my God, he thought. That Larry, he better not break her heart anymore than he's already done, or, so help me God, his thoughts trailed off.

Larry paced in his office, worried. Would she come? he thought, scared. I wonder what the note thing made her think. Maybe it scared her, oh no, I've made the wrong choice on that! No, he tried to convince himself. She'll read it; she'll come. Don't worry…

Ally walked like a ghost lost among the living as she made her way into Larry's office. She knocked on the door, which opened almost immediately. Larry stared at her. She snapped out of her daze. She could tell he hadn't slept all night; his eyes were bloodshot and slightly closed.

"Thank you for coming," he started.

"I'm here, do it, get it done and over with. I have a life to live, as much as I don't want to," Ally blurted out.

"What do you mean Ally?" Larry asked, confused.

"You left a note Larry, you're getting mature enough to break up with me in person, it's fine. Just do it, I'll be all right," Ally continued to run on.

"Ally," Larry paused as he stared at her. She's the most beautiful thing in the world, he thought. Why did I ever wanna get rid of her? "That wasn't my intention, will you please listen to me?" he continued.

Ally stared at him in amazement. She expected a quick, I'm sorry, but it's over speech and then she'd be on her way out of his office for the last time down the crowded lonely streets of Boston. This was the FURTHEST thing from her mind.

"Okay, last night, you scared me. At first, I thought that I was the only one willing to make this work. When you told me that you would sacrifice yourself eternally to make us work, I went into shock. I thought, why would I waste your time and worry about hurting you when it could be prevented. Not seeing you anymore seemed like the easiest solution," he took a breath. "However, thinking alone in this office last night, I came to the conclusion that no matter what happens, I know I love you, and I know that you love me. I realized that I had to grow up and what better person to grow up with than you. I wanna grow old with you Ally. I wanna die in your arms sleeping soundly. I want to have children with you, I wanna live with you till death do us part," he stopped searching her eyes which were glistening once again with tears, only her face was kind.

"Larry, I wanna be with you forever too-," she started but he cut her off.

"Ally, my sweet Ally," he put his hand on her face as tears starting pouring out of her eyes. His eyes glistened and he reached into his pocket and took out a black velvet box. "I can't promise that we're always going to get along everything's going to be good 100% of the time, but I CAN promise that I will love you for the rest of my life and yours, and," he opened the box and took her hand. "Ally McBeal, will you marry me? Will you help me grow up and will you grow old with me?" he looked at her pleadingly, praying he hadn't blown it the night before.

Ally took her other hand and touched his face tenderly. She leaned into him and whispered, "I'm yours forever Mr. Larry."

Larry got up and wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I love you SO much Ally, I really do, please forgive me!"

Ally pulled away from him and hushed him. "I love you too Larry. I always have and I always will," she paused and looked at him funny. "Just one thing though," she continued.

"What? Anything!" Larry exclaimed.

"No more ice cream with Helena," she kind of chuckled.

"Guaranteed baby!" he laughed and grabbed her again.

He was never going to let her go again. Ever.

Feedback very much welcomed!!!