Disclaimer: The lyrics in this fic belong to Hoobastank. It's called the Reason. The Yankee's belong to Mr. Steinbrenner. And the salsa and macaroni and cheese bit belongs to Ms. Wendelin Van Draanen, who writes the fantastic Sammy Keyes books.

Rafferty Donovan sat in the dim, crowded bar. She couldn't believe that she let her friends talk her into coming here. Rafferty thought that she would never have set foot in a karaoke bar before, but here she was, sipping on a Guinness, watching her two best friends make fools of themselves singing "Milkshake". She had to admit though that it was quite amusing. After all, with the events that had happened this past week, she needed amusement. The memory of that Wednesday came back, and tears welled in her eyes. She quickly blinked them back. Haven't you cried enough! She scolded herself.

"Hey Raff, how's it hanging?" Eliza Jeffries asked plopping down in the booth beside her. The other chair to her left was soon occupied by Alyson Harper. These were her two best friends that had been making fools of themselves.

"That was. great." Rafferty lied, forcing herself to smile.

"No it didn't, it sucked." Alyson spoke taking a sip from her Corona.

"Why don't you try it next?" Eliza said rather excitedly. Rafferty raised an eyebrow. Eliza was drunk. She hardly ever gets drunk.

"Maybe we should go home." Rafferty suggested. "I'll drive."

"Aw come on Raff, where is your sense of fun?" Alyson chirped while Eliza hiccupped. They were both drunk.

"Ok, what the hell is going on with you two? You never EVER get drunk!"

"Well, we decided last night that we would get drunk for you so you don't do something drastic. You know. after what happened." That was Eliza and Alyson's foolish plan? They weren't dumb, so what were they thinking!

"I think that we should go. now." Rafferty repeated.

"No!" Both exclaimed. Rafferty's eyebrow rose again.

"What are you two not telling me?"

"Nothing, we thought that maybe we should just talk more in depth about what happened on Wednesday, and maybe it will make you feel better."

Tears sprang forth again. Rafferty didn't want to talk about it, but she knew she was going to have to say something sooner or later.

"Alright. But no more drinks for you, just water. Deal?" They nodded and switched to the two seats across from her.

"Shoot!" Alyson hiccupped.

"As you know, it was Ronan's."

"That man is sooo fine!" Eliza interrupted. After spotting the glares that were coming her way she said, "Sorry, please continue."
"Thank you, as I was saying it was Ronan's birthday."

Two days earlier.

"Donovan! You've got a new case!" Rafferty looked up from the paper work she was filling out on her desk to spy a fellow detective Carl Roget holding out a thick manila folder to her.

"Thanks." She said taking the folder and plopping it on her desk.

"You going to go over it tonight?" He asked. Rafferty looked back up.

"I don't know if I'll get a chance. It's Ronan's birthday."

Carl nodded. "That's right I forgot. Mr. Second Basemen for the Yankee's. How did you end up with that guy anyway?"

Rafferty sighed. "We went to high school together. We started going out my junior year, and we've been going out ever since."

"How can you stay with someone that long?" Rafferty rolled her eyes. This guy was starting to get on her nerves.

"Look Carl, I thought I already told you a million times that we just love each other a lot to stay together. Unlike you who stays with a girl for what. ten minutes. Just long enough to get the goods."

Carl put his hands up in mock surrender. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. That is some pretty harsh accusations." Rafferty stood getting papers in order.
"Yeah well it's true." Picking up the folder she turned to Carl, muttered a good bye, and was soon out the door.

The sun was setting outside. From what she could see of the sky, it was bursting with pinks, blues and purples. She quickly made her way over to her old beat up Honda Civic. Dropping the papers and folder in the passenger seat, she pulled her keys out, and revved up the engine, peeling out of the parking lot.

She had planned a perfect evening for Ronan and her. They would go out to dinner, maybe take a stroll through central park, and then return to his place where Rafferty would then 'give him her flower' so to speak. She had been debating about this for months in advance and thought that she would repay him for the years of happiness that he has given her.

Glancing at the radio, she saw that she was an hour earlier then expected. So, she decided to go home, take a shower, get dressed, and maybe let him have her before dinner, and then maybe after.

Rafferty soon pulled up in front of her apartment. She parked grabbed the papers, and made a dash for the door, whipping out her key on the way there. She took a quick shower, dressed in a sexy black dress, put her hair up, brushed a little make up on, and then was soon on her way to Ronan's penthouse suite.

She nodded towards the door hop, who politely tipped his hat and muttered, "Miss Donovan." Once in the elevator she could feel butterflies in her stomach. She took deep breathes to calm herself. When the elevator reached the top floor, she still hadn't calmed. In fact it got worse.

Knocking on his door, she waited a moment. When no one came she knocked again. With no success there, she reached for the doorknob. Luckily, it was unlocked. The moment she entered the apartment and closed the door behind her she knew that something was wrong.

Rafferty made her way over to Ronan's bedroom, and she saw that the door was cracked. She opened it more and the sight that greeted her almost made her scream in rage, and cry out in anguish. There was Ronan half naked (with his shirt off) underneath some blonde bimbo. Soon, Rafferty came to realize that the blonde bimbo had been and still was her worst enemy from high school. Hailey Carter.

"Bastard!" Rafferty spat opening the door all the way. Ronan pulled Hailey off and when he saw it was Rafferty, his face turned into that of concern and guilt.

"Raff, babe, this isn't what it looks like Hailey accosted me."

"Sure!" Rafferty interrupted him. "Sure she just jumped your bones on the way back from practice. The sad part is that you let her do that to you, because you know you wanted it. Well, Ronan I would just like to say that I am through with you. Don't try to call me or come near me ever again." She turned to leave and then thought of something else.

"Happy Birthday by the way. I just thought that you should know that if you had held your hormones back a little longer, you would have gotten some from me. That was my present to you." She then paused again collecting herself.

"Good bye Ronan." She then turned but Hailey shouted something after her.

"You look really nice, Rafferty," Rafferty turned around and stuck her hand in the door giving her the finger. She got out of the apartment as fast as she could.

Once in the elevator, she finally broke down. She slid down the side of the elevator. She was still crying when it reached the ground floor, and she cried all the way home.

The Present

Rafferty was dissolved in tears once her tale was finished. All of her friends were speechless.

"Hailey?" Eliza was astonished.

"I thought that she was some stripper out in California!" Alyson exclaimed.

"I can't believe that bitch." Eliza began again. "You know I knew that she would do one last thing to you before she left you alone. I didn't know that she would do something that extreme though."

Rafferty sniffled and pulled a tissue from her purse. It had seemed that her friends had sobered up a lot, so she approached the subject of leaving again.

"Are you guys ok to drive home?" She stood and her two friends jumped up.

"No!" They both shouted. Rafferty raised an eyebrow again.

"What is wrong with you two?" She exclaimed.

"Uh, err." Alyson began but she was cut off by a familiar voice coming from the stage.

"I would like to dedicate this song to a girl that I ruined a perfect relationship with my stupidity. I just want her to know that I love her very much and I would have never done anything to hurt her because seeing her hurt breaks my heart. And my heart breaks every night when I think about her. My heart breaks a lot because I think about her every waking minute. I even dream about her. Anyway, here is that song."

It was Ronan! Rafferty couldn't believe it. Fresh tears streamed down her face at his little speech, and she sat down to see what song he was going to sing, the minute the first note played she cried some more.

I'm not a perfect person, there's many things I wish I didn't do but I continue learning; I never meant to do those things to you and so I have to say before I go, that I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me, to change who I used to be A reason to start over new, and the reason is you.

I'm sorry that I hurt you; it's something I must live with every day And all the pain I put you through, I wish that I could take it all away and be the one who catches all your tears, that's why I need you to hear

I've found a reason for me, to change who I used to be A reason to start over new, and the reason is you.

And the reason is you And the reason is you And the reason is you

I'm not a perfect person; I never meant to do those things to you And so I have to say before I go, that I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me, to change who I used to be A reason to start over new, and the reason is you. I've found a reason to show a side of me you didn't know A reason for all that I do and the reason is you.

Throughout the whole song Ronan had been looking at her with his intense gaze. Those eyes! Those sky blue glittery eyes! He was wearing her favorite outfit of his: a black wife beater tank and his red baggy shorts along with his basketball shoes. He wore his Yankee hat backwards over his dark brown hair; Lord he looked gorgeous.

Realization then dawned on Rafferty. She turned to her two friends who were positively beaming.

"You two! You planned this?" She asked, exasperated.

"Well, it was his idea, and we decided to help out. You remember what I said earlier, he is so damn hot. Plus, we wanted to see you guys back together because you made such a cute couple." Eliza blurted out.

Applause had broken out in the bar when Ronan had finished his song. He was one of the few people in there that was a half way decent singer. Also, he was the Yankee's second basemen.

Ronan hopped off the stage and walked toward her. She gulped. Was she ready for this?

"Hey." He said when he came to a halt in front of her. Smooth she thought sarcastically. Alyson and Eliza grinned backing away. She gave them both a glare, saying with her eyes that she would deal with them later.

"May I sit?" He asked. He was ever the gentlemen, this one.

"Sure." She answered.

He pulled the chair out across from her, and sat. They sat there for a few moments, just staring at the other. God she had missed him.

"Nice song."

"Thanks."

Another silence.

"Ok, first I guess I should say I'm sorry." Ronan began. "But then I realize that I'm sure you won't accept my apology. Not after what happened. But we do need to talk, and you have to at least listen to my side and not just judge by what you saw."

Rafferty steeled herself. Should she listen? Should she risk going through another heart break. She couldn't tell herself that she didn't miss him, because, Lord knows, she missed him every moment she was away from him. She missed every bit of him, down to his habit of eating salsa with his macaroni and cheese.

"You may proceed." She said some what coldly and robotically.

He was some what shocked by her tone but ignored it none the less.

"Well, I was on the way home from practice. I said my 'hello' to the door hop, and he said something about a young lady waiting for me in my apartment. I was ecstatic because I thought it was you."

"Why were you ecstatic because you thought it was me?" Rafferty interrupted.

"Well, every time I see or hear you, or even the slightest chance that I might see or hear you, I feel ecstatic. You are my life, my love. Not to sound too cliché there. Anyway, so I rushed up to my apartment, opened the door, and there was Hailey. I was shocked. I mean I hadn't seen Hailey since high school nine years ago. The thought 'What the hell is she doing here?' crossed my mind. She said she came to wish me a happy birthday. God Rafferty, you couldn't believe how much of a 'ho she looked."

"Oh I bet I could. I saw her outfit remember!"

He paused a moment looking down at the table, ashamed.

"Sorry, you can continue." He looked up and continued his story.

"Well, I told her that I was expecting you any time, and that if you saw her you would beat the shit out of her for coming around me. Of course, her being a blonde, she didn't pay heed. So, she grabbed me, threw me into my room with strength I didn't know that she could possess, and she took off my shirt. I kept trying to pull her off but she wouldn't get off me."

He paused again, hesitating at what he was going to say next.

"I'm going to be honest with you Rafferty, because I know that you like honest people. During the moment when she ripped my shirt off I felt that I wanted her. But then I realized that it wasn't her that I want. It's you and only you. forever even."

Rafferty was shocked, angry, and a little proud that he had told her the truth.

"So, Raff, babe. Can you forgive me?"

Rafferty had already come to her decision somewhere around him rushing up to his apartment, but she felt she needed for him to experience some suspense and indeed, he looked to be on the edge of his seat.

She grinned widely. "Of course I can forgive you! You know I like giving second chances!"

He had her in his arms, and his lips crushed up against hers in the blink of an eye. Some distant cheering could be heard, but Rafferty didn't care anymore. She had her life, her love back with her and nothing else mattered. God, she missed his great kisses.

When they finally broke apart, they were both out of breath. Ronan leaned his forehead against hers.

"God, I love you so much Rafferty. I don't know how I could have been so stupid."

"Shhh." She uttered some what huskily. "That doesn't matter anymore. We're together again and that's all that matters to me."

There was more silence, where he placed a chaste kiss on her lips. She suddenly smiled.

"What?" He asked chuckling.
"I just remembered that I have yet to give you your birthday present." She said, some what innocently.

He looked in her eyes, and he was lost.

"How soon can we get out of here?"

"We can go right now."

"What about Alyson and Eliza?"

"They're sober enough. Plus, they'll understand that we have some. catching up to do." She smiled. He grabbed her purse and whisked her out to his black GT Mustang, with her giggling all the way; giddy that she was back with the man she loved.