A/N: The chapter isn't as long as the last one and I apologize for that. I'm sorry I let updating slide on this story. I felt like I had just completed one chapter and then I go to start another one and a month has passed since I last updated so I apologize this is getting out later than expected. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Four: Survive

Ryan watched his daughter's chest rise and fall. The first time that Ryan had laid eyes on Lux Cassidy was the day she was born. He had cried like a baby, and he knew that no matter what he was going to protect her with his life.

The last few weeks had been an emotional rollercoaster with him. The feeling that once the truth came out about Lux's parentage, he was no longer going to have a role in her life. He didn't want to be the step father. He wanted to be the father. He wants to be the one to teach her how to drive. He wants to be the one that pays for her college. He wants to be the one to walk her down the aisle when she gets married. He wanted all of that and slowly he was beginning to realize that it might not happen, all because he had met Cate Cassidy a few months too late.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Ryan looked at his wife.

"Just watching Lux sleep," Ryan whispers. "I used to do it all the time. I can't for the life of me wonder why I stopped. She looks so innocent when she's sleeping. Nothing in the world can hurt her."

Cate grabbed her husband's hand and lead him down the attic steps.

"Ryan, you have got to stop beating yourself up over this. You did what most guys never would have done. You stuck around and Lux wasn't even yours."

"That never mattered to me Cate. I liked you and Baze had already told you that he wanted nothing to do with you so I made up my mind. Lux was my child and I have lived up to that ever since. For god sakes our own family thinks Lux is mine."

"I never told anybody the truth either Ryan. Look, hopefully this whole thing with Baze will just go away and everything will be okay again."

Ryan shakes his head slowly.

"I don't think he will. And that is what scares me."

*Life is Beautiful*

"Alright Tom, what exactly are we dealing with here? My son screwed up, but we need your help."

Tom Slater looked down at the files on his desk. He had been Jack Bazile's attorney for awhile. He had known Nate since he was born and when Jack had told him about the situation his son was in he had been surprised, but he promised he would help.

Tom looks up at Nate and sighs.

"Right now, it's not so good. I did some digging and found some information."

"Well then tell me the information. I want to know."

"Nate, Cate Cassidy is married to Ryan Thomas and they had gotten married in high school."

Nate looks up at Tom in confusion.

"That's not possible."

"It is. I found their marriage certificate and this is where things get more difficult for you."

Nate nodded his head and Jack looked around the office. He had a feeling that this information wasn't going to be good.

"Ryan and Cate got married before Lux was born. Now in the eyes of the law, Ryan Thomas is Lux's father and he has rights for her, not you."

Nate shakes his head.

"That's just not possible. I had sex with Cate before this Ryan guy even showed up in town."

"I can't control that, Nate. Ryan is on Lux's birth certificate. The law sees Ryan as her father."

"But he's not!" Baze argues.

"What can we do?"

"As your lawyer, I will do everything I can to help you," Tom furrows his eyebrow. "You really need to think about this because there is a way to get custody of Lux."

Nate looks up in surprise.

"Who said anything about custody? I just want to get to know my daughter."

Jack turns to his son and scoffs.

"You need to get custody of your daughter. You need to make things right. You screwed up and this is how you are going to fix it."

Nate sighs and nods his head. His father had always been a bully, but he was smart, that was for sure.

"What's the plan?"

"You need a court-ordered paternity test. When the results come in we can leave it to the judge to decide what to do, but once the test proves that you are the father of Luz Cassidy then there shouldn't be any reason why I judge wouldn't grant you the right to see your daughter."

Nate places his hands on his knees.

"Do whatever it is that you have to do!"

*Life is Beautiful*

Lux came down her stairs and saw her mother and father talking quietly in the kitchen and it had stopped when she walked in.

"What's everyone talking about?" Lux asks with a yawn.

"It's not important," Cate says with a smile. "How'd you sleep?"

Lux shrugs her shoulders and takes a seat next to her father. Ryan rubs her back soothingly causing Lux to yawn again.

"Like usual."

"That's good," Ryan says with a smile. "So, do you have any plans today?"

Lux thinks about it for a minute, but then shakes her head.

"Not that I know of. Tash and Jones are busy doing something else with their families."

Cate smiles and her family and let's Ryan continue his conversation with their daughter.

"Paige is in town and she wanted to get together for lunch if you're interested."

Lux lights up and she is instantly out of her seat, presumably to change. Ryan smiles and turns to Cate.

"I take that as a yes."

"I would assume so. I didn't know that Paige was going to be in town."

"I called her last night. She's my sister and she's the one I could talk to about anything. I think I'm going to tell her what's going on."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Would she tell your parents?"

Ryan shakes his head.

"No, I don't think so."

Cate taps her fingers on the table top. She had been thinking since this whole Baze business and she had been toying with the idea of actually being truthful to her daughter. Either way she figured she was going to be screwed because Lux was so headstrong about everything.

"Ryan, do you think we should tell Lux the truth at some point? Wouldn't it be better coming from us than anything else?"

Ryan shakes his head.

"No, I don't want that. I don't want to screw up Lux's whole life. She just needs to know that her father is always going to be there for her and that he isn't some deadbeat that takes off. I'm her father and we're not telling her anything."

Ryan storms out of the kitchen and enters his bedroom. He lies down on his bed and closes his eyes. He really hated Nathaniel Bazile.

*Life is Beautiful*

"There is my favorite niece in the world!" Paige exclaimed as she jumped out of her seat at the local outdoor café.

Lux grins and runs into Paige's arms. Paige grins and wraps her arms around her niece.

"I missed you kid."

"I missed you too, Aunt Paige."

Ryan and Care unlocked their hands and took a seat.

"How has everything been going? How's Jones?"

Lux blushes and shakes her head. Paige took every chance she could at embarrassing Lux.

"Things are fine and Jones and I are good. How are things with you?"

Paige fixes her ponytail and shrugs her shoulders.

"I've mostly been traveling. I enjoy it, but I figured I'd check in on my family."

Lux grins and stands up from the table.

"That's cool. I'm just going to head to the bathroom real quick," Lux announces.

"Me too," Cate states figuring this was going to be the best time for Paige and Ryan to talk.

Cate and Lux head inside to the bathroom. Paige turns to her brother and lifts an eyebrow.

"What's up? I get this cryptic phone call from you and you sounded hurt Ryan. What's going on? Are you and Cate getting a divorce?"

Ryan shakes his head.

"No, it's nothing like that. A guy from high school is trying to ruin my life," Ryan says simply.

"How could he be ruining your life?"

"Cate's been seeing him at Lux's school and he's been calling and it's just been really hard to deal with."

"That's stockerish. Ryan, just tell the guy to stay away from your family. You have to protect your daughter. What the hell does he want anyway?"

"His daughter," Ryan says sadly. "He wants his daughter."

Paige looks at Ryan in concern. Her brother had always told her everything, but something tells her by the way that Ryan was looking that he hasn't told her everything. Ryan looks around and sighs.

"Lux is his daughter."

Paige's eyes widen in shock.

"No, Lux is your daughter."

"In my mind and in my heart she is, but nothing ties us together biologically."

"But she's my niece," Paige whispers.

Ryan nods his head.

"She is. I'm her father and I don't care what that ass thinks. Paige, I need you not to tell anybody. Mom and dad don't know. Cate's family doesn't know and Lux doesn't know."

"Ryan," Paige whispers sadly.

"I know," Ryan whispers back. "I know."

*Life is Beautiful*

"Why do you two look so sad?" Lux questions as she approaches the table.

"Do we?" Paige asks Ryan, cheering up instantly. "I don't think we do. What about you Ryan?"

Ryan shakes his head adamantly.

"Nope, I'm not sad. I'm happy that I can just sit here with my family and enjoy lunch."

Lux sits down in hr chair and raises an eyebrow at her father. He had been acting really weird lately, but she couldn't figure out why.

"Okay then, what's everybody having because I have no clue?"

Everyone looked into their menus and silently decided on what to eat. Paige looks up from her menu to glance at Lux and Ryan. She couldn't believe it. There was no way that Lux wasn't like Ryan. She didn't want to believe it, but all it took was one look into her brother's eyes to know that everything he had said had been the truth. She just hoped that this family could survive this.