Chapter Four

"Lesley!" he sat there in shock

"Wyatt! It's been a long time," she said coldly.

"What do you want?" he seethed bitterly.

"Is that any way to greet me?"

"Look, just tell me why you're here, and quit all this bullshit."

"I have some news."

"And?"

"I wanted you to hear it from me before anyone else told you."

"Gee, I feel so privileged. Now, why don't you just tell me so I can get back to what I was doing?"

"As you can see, I'm going to be a mother."

Wyatt looked down at her bulging stomach, shocked that he hadn't noticed. He was trying to keep his cool, trying to remain distant. The truth was she looked amazing, and he couldn't help but still be affected by her. "Congratulations. Do you know who the father is?" Wyatt drawled sarcastically.

"Now, that was not very nice. I know I deserved it, but I have changed."

"I've heard that before."

"This time it's true. Ever since we broke up, there's only been one man in my life."

"Yeah, and who is this lucky guy?" he asked, still keeping with the sarcastic tone that worked so well with her.

"It's Tyler, Wyatt."

"Tyler?"

"I'm sorry. I know this must hurt you. I thought you knew. I love him, Wyatt. More than I ever thought I was capable of. I'm not the same person I was. Knowing Tyler has changed me."

"You love him? Do you even know what love is?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't love you like that, Wyatt. But you have to admit we had problems. You were never around. You couldn't confide in me. There were times I thought of you as a stranger. I still love you, Wyatt, just not in the way you would want."

"And have you been faithful?"

"Yes. Ever since we broke up, it's been Tyler and no one else. He started working in his fathers business. We bought a house, moved in together; and now we want to start a family. Wyatt, back then it was me that flirted with him. I was the one that tempted him. You've spent all this time angry, and you have every right to be. But I just wanted you to know how much guilt he feels. When we broke up, he lost something too. You stopped talking to him, and Jared won't even return his phone calls. I didn't want it to happen, Wyatt, but we fell in love."

"I'm sorry I couldn't give you that. I wanted to. I really did," Wyatt said, his voice laced with emotion breaking away from the sarcastic tone he had become accustomed to.

"I know," she said, letting a tear roll down her check. "But Wy, there's something you have to know. I've never told Tyler this, but I can't hide it from him any longer. You have a right to know."

"A right to know what?"

"She might be yours," she thought in her head … Wyatt heard what she said in her head but decided to wait until she got the guts to tell him.

Lesley looked out the window down at Tyler talking to Leanne and a small child, Wyatt came over to the window and looked down at Leanne.

Tyler picked up the young child.

"How old is she?" Leanne asked.

"She's almost 3. Aren't you?" he said, tickling her tummy while she roared with laughter.

"Aww, how cute. What's your name, little angel?" Leanne asked, taking her hand.

The girl attempted to say her name. "Alyssa." Tyler helped her pronounce it.

"What a beautiful name."

"Can you say ''thank you?''" Tyler asked the pint-sized little girl.

"Thank you," Alyssa answered.

"That was her mother then that needed to talk to Wyatt?"

"Yes, it was," Tyler said quietly.

"Mama," the tot chanted. "Mama, mama."

"She'll be back in a minute," he soothed. "Would you mind watching her for a minute, while I get some juice from the car?"

"Not a problem."

Tyler walked out the door and grabbed the baby bag while Leanne played with Alyssa on the ground. Tyler handed her a juice box and then resumed talking to Leanne.

"So, I see your wife is pregnant. Do you know what you're having?"

Tyler's face got a little red. "She's not my wife," he said, a bit flustered. "But we're having a boy."

"You must be so happy."

"I am." He beamed. Both Tyler and Leanne crouched down so they were at Alyssa's level.

Not a minute later, Alyssa took off running around P3.

Wyatt stared down at the cute little girl, who could just as easily been his little girl not sure of what to say or what to do.

He followed Lesley down to Leanne and Tyler

"Wyatt...I……" Tyler attempted to apologize

"You had no right bringing him here." He walked back up into his office ignoring him Lesley followed shutting the door behind them.

"Wyatt, I didn't mean for this to happen. I went about this the wrong way. I just didn't know how to tell you without him finding out. I couldn't get a babysitter, and Tyler wanted to come."

"Look, would you just tell me what this is all about and who that little girl was?"

"She's my daughter, and she's the reason I'm here."

"What do you mean?" he acted this part he was just waiting for her to say.

"I mean she may be yours, Wyatt."

"What? And you're just now telling me?" Wyatt questioned, a mix of anger, confusion and something indescribable painting his voice.

"It was too hard before."

"And what, now it's easy?"

"No, but I'm pregnant again; and before Tyler and I can move on, I need to close this chapter in my life. I need to know for sure."

"What does Tyler think?"

"He doesn't know anything about it. He's always thought he was the father. I told him we stopped sleeping together months before him and I ever hooked up."

"So you lied to him?"

"I had to. He loves her so much."

"What about me? I could have loved her too. God, do you even know what you've done, keeping me away from my own child? I didn't even know she existed until now," Wyatt seethed, crossing the room, going back and forth in rapid succession.

"I know, Wyatt. And if she turns out to be your daughter, I will spend the rest of my life ashamed of what I've done. But if she's not, I know I made the right decision. We're a family, Wyatt. I don't want to take that away from Tyler...or Alyssa, unless I have to, unless I have no other choice."

"Alyssa? Is that her name?"

Lesley nodded.

"She's beautiful," he whispered, halting. A familiar moisture came to his eyes while he stood there trying to come to terms with everything that had just been laid on him. "Look, I need to know now if I'm her father, so what do we need to do?" Wyatt asked, meeting Lesley's eyes.

"There'll be a paternity test. They take a cheek swab. It's painless."

"And they do the same to her?"

"Yes."

"I want to do it as soon as possible. I need to know."

"I understand."

"Lesley, why couldn't it have been us? Wasn't I good enough for you?" Wyatt asked quietly, almost to himself.

"We just weren't right for each other. You thought you loved me. You tried so hard to, but I'm not really sure you ever really did. We're so different, Wyatt. We just couldn't relate. You needed more than I could give you, and I needed you to be around all the time. I needed to feel loved, and I wanted to love you,"

"I guess I always knew..." he trailed off.

"I'm sorry, Wyatt," Lesley said,

"Alyssa," he whispered, rolling the name around in his head. He could have a young daughter, and her name was Alyssa. The resemblance was there. She had the same blonde hair, the same blue eyes. But then again, Tyler was fair as a child, and his eyes were just as blue. Wyatt seemed to be struggling more with it as he stood there.

"Would you like to spend some time with her? I know we don't know if she's yours yet, but would you like to get to know her a little bit?" Lesley asked, still concerned about Wyatt, despite her actions and the callous attitude she had when they were together.

"I'd like that a lot." He smiled, wiping the tears that had escaped his eyes.

"Tyler and I are going out for dinner tomorrow night. I could let you watch her for a few hours if you'd like. Do you still live at the same apartment?"

"Yeah, I do. Is that a problem?"

"It's just that I don't want Tyler to know that you're the one watching her. I don't want him to know anything about this entire paternity thing, unless..."

"Unless I am her father?"

"Yes. Do you have anyone that would be willing to let you use their place? What about Wesley?"

"No, I really don't want to bother him. I want this to stay between us. Wesley hates you enough. I wouldn't want to give him more reasons to despise Tyler or you."

"Is there anyone else?"

Wyatt peered out of his office window. Through it, he could see Leanne holding the baby in her arms. It looked so natural. Almost like his future. "Yeah, there's someone else."

"Who?"

"Leanne."

"Who's that?"

"The girl at the Bar. She's my Girlfriend."

"She'd be willing to let you spend some time with Alyssa at her place?"

"I think so."

"So you two are involved?" Lesley pried, wanting to find the woman who was able to tame Wyatt Black.

"It's complicated," he sighed. Lesley had trampled in, once again destroying the life he had built for himself. She had no right to know who Leanne was or what she meant to him.

"I'll bring her by around six, six-thirty. Just have Leanne answer the door, so Tyler won't see you."

"Will he allow a stranger to look after her though?"

"She seems to be good with kids. He's out there with her now. I'm sure it will be okay."

"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me," he said softly, bending down to give her a hug.

"I'm sorry," Lesley told him, as her eyes misted with tears. "I never meant to hurt you like this." Then she walked out of the room, leaving Wyatt to stand there, a million thoughts swirling in his head.

Moments later, Leanne knocked on his open door and then walked in. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he told her quietly.

"So that was Lesley?"

"Yes, it was."

"So...what did she want?"

"I don't even know where to start." Wyatt let out a long breath, running his fingers through his hair.

"How about from the beginning?"

"It's just I'm still in shock. I thought she was out of my life for good, and then she comes here and springs this on me."

"Springs what? She doesn't want you back, does she?" Leanne asked, growing anxious. She could see the tears in his eyes and knew whatever Lesley had told him, it had been big news.

"No, nothing like that. She told me that I may be Alyssa's father," he croaked, turning his back on Leanne. There it was, the truth. It sounded so weird coming from him. In the span of half an hour, his whole life had changed. He could be the father to a beautiful little girl. It would change everything in his life.

Leanne stood there in shock. She could barely breathe. Now that she thought about it the child was fair-headed compared to her parents. It could be Wyatt's child, but what would that mean for her? Would Wyatt and Lesley get back together and leave Leanne out in the cold? She couldn't imagine what Wyatt's thoughts were. She knew he had to be confused and shocked. Leanne walked closer to him, lightly pressing her hand on his back. "You never knew……I mean you didn't know she was pregnant?"

"After that day, I didn't want to see her or Tyler again. Leanne, if I had known, I would have been there. You have to believe me," he said, turning to face her. "I never would have abandoned my own child," Wyatt confessed, his voice breaking.

"I know," Leanne soothed, taking him in her arms. "It's not your fault. You didn't know."

"I should have known, Leanne. I should have been there."

"You couldn't have known. Stop blaming yourself. Where do you go from here?"

"I need to see her. I want to know her. I want to be there for her. Leanne, I need your help."

"Sure. Whatever you need me to do, I'll be there."

"She's lying to him? He think he is her dad"

"She doesn't want him to know. I just want to see my child, and if this is the way she wants it, I have to go along with it."

"You can bring her to my place. You're not alone, Wyatt. I'm here for you and Alyssa, if you'll let me."

"I...Thank you. You're amazing." Wyatt stroked her cheek gently, looking straight into her eyes.

Leanne lifted her hands to his face and thumbed away his falling tears. Wyatt Kissed her he picks up his phone "Ok Lesley… so he doesn't mind because she Wesley's sister ok so you know where to go…ok see you in an hour."

"lets get to your place Lesley is coming you told him your Wesley's Sister he asked confused,"

"Yeah that's cos I am,"

"You never told me that,"

"You never asked," She orbs them to her place

"Where is everyone?"

"Well, Kay is almost always at L J's and well Lucy has practically moved out with Chris so I am here all alone."

"Aww, you poor baby," he pulls her close and kisses her "I love you,"

"I love you too,"

The door bell goes Leanne goes and opens it while Wyatt hides.

Leanne opened the door to Lesley, Tyler and baby Alyssa. "Hi, Leanne," Lesley said.

"We really appreciate you doing this for us. It's not often that we get time alone together, and with the new baby coming, we just wanted to have a night to ourselves," Tyler told Leanne, smiling the whole time.

"There are clean diapers and clothes in her bag. I put some baby food and bath toys in there too. She'll probably fall asleep before we come to pick her up. She'll be okay on your bed or the couch as long as you put pillows around her," Lesley told Leanne as she mentally checked things off in her head.

"Anything else?" Leanne asked, laughing.

"Have fun. Oh, and here is a number where we can be reached. If you're unsure about anything, give us a call," Tyler told her, handing over Alyssa to her finally.

"Hi, Alyssa," Leanne cooed. "Bye. Have a good time," she told them Alyssa was waving at Tyler and Lesley.

Leanne closed the door and called to Wyatt, "They're gone."

Wyatt came out of the bedroom, slowly, apprehensively. Leanne was too busy taking off Alyssa's jacket and hat to notice the expression on Wyatt's face. "I just can't believe it," he whispered, joining them on the couch.

"Here. Do you want to hold her?"

Wyatt nodded, outstretching his arms while Leanne placed the small girl within his grasp. Safely in his arms, he held her close, smiling down. He studied her features. Her hair was a fine blonde with spiral curls, and her eyes were bluer than even his own, her nose, a small button perfectly centered. She was gorgeous. "Hi," he whispered, so much in awe with the tiny girl he could barely find his voice.

Leanne could see the tears forming in his eyes, and she tried hard to control her own emotions. She watched Wyatt so gentle and kind, gently cooing. she saw the lighthearted, kind man that everyone knew had been buried. He was beginning to emerge, come out of his shell of hate. Leanne watched Alyssa giggle against Wyatt, looking at their similar features. For the first time, she saw Wyatt forget about being tough, forget about his image, and just be himself.

Wyatt held her in the air as she laughed. Every little laugh he received brought him closer to her. By the second, he could feel himself already falling in love with this little girl and want to do everything to protect her and be a father. Leanne watched his eyes, knowing how much it would devastate him if the child was not his. "She's amazing," Wyatt told Leanne after he had put her down on the floor to play. He took Leanne's hand in his and lightly kissed her palm. "Thank you."

"I didn't do anything,"

"You're here. That's all that counts."

Throughout the evening, Wyatt played with Alyssa while Leanne either watched or played along. She was trying to give them enough time to get to know one another. The smile on Wyatt's face continued to grow the more time he spent with her. "She's really smart, isn't she?" Wyatt asked, looking at Leanne.

"Very," Leanne told him. "I think we better put her in the bath tub. She's a mess." Leanne laughed, watching as Wyatt let her smear chocolate down his shirt.

"Good idea!" He laughed with her, picking up Alyssa and moving her to the bathroom, not caring how much chocolate he got on him. "Leanne, could you help me?" he said, coming out of the bathroom, holding Alyssa in one arm and a bunch of bath toys in the other. "I mean, I've never done this before, and I'm not sure what to do." Wyatt's face flushed pink.

"Of course," she laughed. "Run the bath water, and we'll be in, in a minute." Leanne took Alyssa to her room and undressed her. She wrapped a towel around the baby and brought her into the bathroom.

Wyatt was up to his elbows in suds when he looked up, smiling at Leanne sheepishly. "I think I put in too many bubbles," he laughed.

"Oh, don't worry. She'll love it."

Wyatt threw some of the bath toys into the tub, splashing himself with the water, much to Leanne and Alyssa's delight. "Wyatt's silly, isn't he?" Leanne asked the little girl as she put her into the bathtub, holding onto her back.

Alyssa immediately began to splash her hands down into the warm water, wetting herself, Leanne and Wyatt.

"Who's the silly one now?" Wyatt laughed, lightly brushing the bubbles from Alyssa's face.

After Alyssa finished her bath, effectively soaking all three of them, Wyatt dressed the little girl while Leanne changed her own clothes in her room. Wyatt handed Alyssa off to Leanne so he could take off his shirt. "I guess you don't have a spare pair of clothes lying around, do you?"

"Yeah check Lucy's room Chris might have left something."

"Ok I'll throw my shirt in the dryer."

Leanne smiles "ok they will be here soon,"

"Bye, Bye Alyssa,"

"Bye," Wyatt goes and hides

Tyler and Lesley come in "how was she?"

"She was great I bathed her and we played,"

"Thank you so much Leanne, will you talk to my brother and Wyatt for me I really wish they would forgive me I never meant to hurt them."

"I'll see what I can do but my brother is a stubborn ass,"

"Yes he is, anyway thanks again."

"Your welcome, bye,"

"Bye," they both say and Alyssa waves Leanne waves smiling and she closes the door.

Wyatt came out to her "I better get going?"

"When do you take the test?"

"Tomorrow, then the results five days later,"

"Ok," They kiss and he orbs to his own flat

Leanne lies on her bed scared of what the outcome might mean… Wyatt couldn't stop thinking about how this would affect him and Leanne? He decided that whatever the outcome he wanted to be with Leanne for the rest of his life.

I'm going to be mean again hehehe …. I know the suspense must be killing you … sorry their wasn't more of Chris or Lucy; or Kay and L J but there will be in the coming chapters. ... stay tuned for the next chapter of the Halliwell Brothers