It was a bright California morning when Kirsten opened her eyes and climbed out of bed. Her body ached slightly from the violent sickness that she had suffered from the night before last. She knew that Seth and Sandy had decided to switch off staying with Ryan to allow her to sleep and recover from the poisoning. Now as she got showered and dressed for the day, she could see the wisdom of their actions. Despite being in her first trimester, Kirsten felt more rested and settled than she had the rest of the pregnancy.
Entering the kitchen, Kirsten was surprised to see Julie looking much like she had after Marissa first died. The woman's hair was limp and hanging in her face. She was dressed in sweats and hovered absently over a cup of coffee.
"Julie?" Kirsten asked hesitantly. "Are you ok?"
Julie sniffled and shook her head. "Far from it." She whispered brokenly.
"What happened?" Kirsten asked, placing her hand on her friend's arm.
"Frank left last night." Julie declared softly.
"What? Why?" Kirsten asked, hiding her relief. She knew that her best friend was in love with the man, but she didn't want him anywhere near her son.
"I'm pregnant." Julie whispered.
"What?" Kirsten was shocked.
"I told him last night before we went to bed." Julie told her. "He threw up, and then he packed his things and told me that he couldn't trust himself around our child."
"Why would he say that? I would think that he'd be thrilled since he's been working so hard to reunite with Ryan." Kirsten wondered out loud.
Julie took a deep breath. "He said that he grabbed Ryan yesterday when Sandy was sick. Frank said he didn't know what would have happened if Gordon hadn't walked in on them. He was so angry at the time. Then he told me good-bye and walked out the door."
"Oh Julie, I'm so sorry." Kirsten exclaimed, hugging the redhead to her while internally fuming about Frank coming near Ryan.
"Me too. I really thought that he had changed. I'm sorry that I brought Ryan's abuser into this house." Julie apologized. "I really thought that he would be different. Ryan's such a great guy, and I thought that his father would be similar."
"Oh Julie, Ryan is a great kid despite his background, not because of it." Kirsten explained. "Seth believes that Ryan was mistakenly born into the Atwood family because he really is nothing like the rest of them."
Julie chuckled and wiped at her eyes. "He's probably right." Taking a deep breath, Julie pushed her hair away from her face and winced at the messiness of it. "I need a shower."
"Go get cleaned up while I check on Ryan. Then you and I will slip out for some breakfast. You need to get out of here for a few minutes, even if it's to get bagels." Kirsten instructed, turning Julie towards the stairs.
"Thanks KiKi." Julie gave the blonde a hug and made her way to her room.
Kirsten sighed and ran a hand through her hair before squaring her shoulders and heading towards her new son's room. Seth was asleep in the chair next to Ryan's bed when Kirsten opened the door. Ryan glanced up at her with an amused smile.
"How long have you been awake?" Kirsten whispered, crossing to the bed and kissing Ryan's forehead.
"Not long. You look like you feel better." Ryan replied.
"So do you. How are you feeling?" Kirsten demanded as she smoothed back his hair.
"Much better. I could sit myself up without a lot of pain." Ryan bragged with a grin.
"No! Kill the ninjas!" Seth exclaimed before toppling out of the chair.
Kirsten and Ryan both chuckled at the teen's antics. Seth looked around blearily from the floor.
"What's going on?" He asked in confusion.
"Don't worry Seth, there aren't any ninjas here." Ryan grinned.
Seth blushed. "Very funny. Laugh at my anxiety why don't you?" He groused.
"I often do." Ryan admitted teasingly.
Seth pushed himself up until he was standing. "I don't have to take this. I'm going to get some coffee." He announced before leaving the room in a dramatic huff.
Kirsten shook her head and turned her attention back to her blond son. She sat next to him on the bed and took his hand in her own.
"I just heard something that I hope is wrong, but I know that it happened. I want to hear your side of the story." Kirsten began.
Ryan looked at her strangely. "What are you talking about?"
"Julie just told me that Frank left last night. He was upset because he had grabbed you yesterday while Sandy was out of the room. Will you tell me what happened?"
Ryan sighed and threw his head back on the pillow behind him. "Sandy was out of the room. Frank came in with a bottle of water and said that Sandy sent him in here with it. I told him that he was lying. Frank got mad and threw the bottle at me. It hit me in the head. Then Frank wanted to check what he had done, but I scooted away from him, so he grabbed my arm. That's when Bullit came into the room and then we were busy getting you guys to the hospital."
Ryan paused and squeezed her hand gently. "I'm glad that you're ok." He said in a shy tone.
Kirsten smiled and looked lovingly at her son. "The baby and I are both fine. Don't think that I'm not aware of your change of subject." She chuckled at her son's blush.
"Mom, I'm fine. Bullit stopped anything from happening." Ryan urged.
Kirsten sighed. "Thank goodness for Gordon. Anyway, Frank left last night. Julie's very upset about it, but I can't say that I am. I was always afraid that he would lose his temper and hurt you. Now you can heal in peace."
"Heal in peace? Do you realize where we are?" Ryan joked.
Kirsten laughed. "Very funny. Actually, Julie and I are going on a bagel run as soon as she's ready."
"Great." Ryan said. He looked up when the door opened and Taylor came into the room.
"Good morning!" She exclaimed as she flounced down on Ryan's bed and kissed him chastely.
Kirsten smiled and stood up. She kissed Ryan's forehead and squeezed his hand one more time. "I'll be back soon."
"Be careful." Ryan cautioned. "I love you."
Kirsten smiled happily. "I love you too." She replied, overjoyed that this was the first time Ryan had said those words without being prompted.
Taylor watched the blonde walk out of the room. She turned her attention back to her boyfriend. "How are you feeling?" She asked.
"Better." Ryan informed her. "It's nice to move without feeling like I'm being stabbed." He confessed.
Taylor winced. "I'm sure you're happy about that."
"How are you feeling?" Ryan asked, taking her hand.
"I'm still a little tired, but I don't feel sick anymore. I can't believe that some waiter would put eye drops in our food. Frank was lucky that he didn't get the pasta." Taylor scowled.
"Yeah, lucky." Ryan muttered. "I'm glad you don't feel sick." He told her gently.
Taylor smiled and then looked down. "I didn't get a chance to apologize for hurting you the other day. I didn't realize you were in pain. I thought you were just getting into what we were doing."
"It's not your fault. I wasn't exactly fighting you off." Ryan smiled. He reached out and caressed her face. "I wouldn't fight you off today either. I hope you don't plan to keep your distance."
Taylor grinned and leaned forward to kiss him softly. She felt her body shudder as his warm lips caressed hers before pressing more firmly into her own. She opened her mouth and welcomed his tongue to explore her depths. Goosebumps rose to attention as she reached up and tangled her fingers in his hair. She felt his arm come around her and pull her farther into his side as he changed the angle of his head and deepened the kiss once again.
Taylor was losing herself in the sensations that his hands and lips were creating when she heard a loud gasp. Ryan and Taylor jumped apart to see Kaitlin standing in the doorway. She erased the embarrassed look off her face like it never existed and raised an eyebrow.
"Apparently someone is feeling better." Kaitlin smirked.
"Did you need something?" Taylor asked impatiently.
"I was just checking up on big bro here. He's obviously feeling better." Kaitlin joked as she walked farther into the room and took the chair next to the bed.
Ryan rolled his eyes. "Yeah Kaitlin. I'm not in as much pain as I was before."
Kaitlin smiled genuinely at his comment. "Good. I was worried about you."
Ryan reached out and squeezed her hand. "Thanks, but I'm really ok."
Kaitlin nodded. "I know that now, but it scared me that I could lose you too." She whispered.
"Come here." Ryan murmured as he pulled the younger girl into his arms and held her for a minute.
"I like having you for a big brother." Kaitlin confessed.
Ryan smiled. "I like having you for a little sister."
Taylor sat watching as Ryan reassured Kaitlin. Once again someone was interrupting her alone time with Ryan. This was getting old. She really needed to think about how to get him away from everyone somehow.
"Peanut! Where are you Squirt?" A booming voice demanded from the direction of the front door.
Kaitlin grinned widely before calling out to the voice.
"Well BANG! There you are! Are you done feeling puny?" Bullit asked as he gathered the excited teen into his arms.
Kaitlin stepped back after the hug and nodded. "Yeah, a hundred percent better."
"Good to hear. You had me worried, not to mention blondie over there." Gordon exclaimed, tilting his head towards Ryan. "Kid dragged himself out of bed and sat in those hard chairs for hours to make sure you were all ok."
Kaitlin smiled fondly at Ryan. "Yeah, he's a good brother."
Bullit's eyes widened with surprise. "Brother? Son, just how many people are you related to?"
Kaitlin giggled. "He's not really my brother. Mom and Frank weren't getting along very well and I told Ryan that I was going to miss not having him as a big brother. Ryan promised to be my big brother no matter what happened between Frank and Mom."
Gordon smiled fondly at the young man in the bed. "The more I hear about you the more I like you kid."
Ryan glanced away shyly under the praise.
"Ryan's the best." Kaitlin gushed, enjoying the embarrassment that she was causing him. Ryan glanced back up with a glare. Oops, she was caught. Kaitlin shrugged her lack of concern and grinned happily.
Chuckling at the young peoples' antics, Gordon shook his head. He took notice of the other young woman sitting on Ryan's bed. "How are you Taylor? All recovered from that dang pasta?"
Taylor fought not to wrinkle her nose at the blatant disregard for proper grammar and nodded. "Yes, I'm just fine now, thank you."
"Good to hear. I hate nothing more than a beautiful woman who is miserable." Bullit declared. He turned his attention back to Kaitlin. "Well Peanut, where's your mother? I promised her I would be by today with the name of that polecat that prepared your dinner."
"She and Kirsten went for bagels." Ryan informed them before Kaitlin could answer. "They should be back soon." He didn't say anything about Frank leaving. He didn't feel that it was his place.
"Well good. Maybe she'll even let me kidnap you for another round of ping pong." Gordon replied.
"Maybe you should try spending some time getting to know Frank, Kaitlin. He is going to be your father." Taylor pointed out.
Ryan grabbed Taylor's hand. "Taylor, that's between Kaitlin and Frank."
"Ryan, I'm just trying to look out for her." Taylor explained.
"Taylor let it go." Ryan stated with finality.
Taylor glared at her boyfriend and jerked her hand away. "Well I can tell when I'm not wanted." She declared before marching out the door.
Ryan sighed and ran a hand over his face.
"I'm sorry Ryan." Kaitlin said softly.
"It's not your fault. Taylor just doesn't know when to quit sometimes – or ever." He muttered.
"Who put the burr under her saddle about Frank? She's like the man's personal cheerleader." Gordon boomed.
"She has daddy issues." Kaitlin informed him. "She's projecting."
"Darlin' most of us have daddy issues. She's just plumb crazy." Bullit replied wryly.
"It's not her fault. She's just trying to help." Ryan defended.
Gordon raised his eyebrows. "Denial ain't just a river in Egypt." He declared. "You watch yourself with her."
Ryan nodded. "I love her, but I'm not letting her tell me how to live."
"Good man." Bullit exclaimed.
"What's going on?" Julie asked as she and Kirsten came to stand in the doorway on their way to the kitchen. The redhead was feeling much better after her outing with her best friend.
"Bullit came by to check on us and give you the name of the guy who made the pasta. Then he was planning to get his ass handed to him in ping pong." Kaitlin exclaimed.
"Kaitlin don't say 'ass'," Ryan, Kirsten and Julie all declared.
Gordon's eyes shot open and his laughter resounded through the house. "Did you all practice that?"
Kaitlin rolled her eyes. "I swear sometimes I think they do." She grumbled.
Gordon chuckled and then took a good look at Julie. Despite her careful makeup application that morning, he could tell that she was exhausted and upset. "Julie, can I talk to you for a minute – privately?"
Julie nodded and handed the bag of bagels she was holding to Kirsten before following the man into the study and shutting the door.
Gordon didn't waste any time. "Ok, what's going on?"
Julie's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"
"Julie you look like something my mama would have shot as vermin. What's got you so upset?"
No sooner had Gordon finished speaking that Julie burst into tears. Alarmed, Bullit pulled out a handkerchief and wrapped his arms around the sobbing woman.
"I don't know what I'm going to do!" Julie wailed into the billionaire's chest. "Frank left last night after I told him I was pregnant! He said that he wasn't worthy of being my child's father!"
Gordon swore under his breath at the other man and held Julie even tighter. Then an idea came into his head. It was a wonderful idea as far as he was concerned.
"Marry me." He whispered.
Julie pulled back. "What?"
"Let me take care of you and the baby and Peanut. Let me give you a family." Gordon urged.
"But Gordon, this baby isn't yours." Julie argued.
"It will be if I adopt it. Let me be a father again to your baby. I'll love this munchkin like it was my own. I promise you that Julie. How could I not? This is your baby." Bullit promised tenderly.
Julie sighed. "Kirsten is the only one besides Frank that knows I'm already pregnant." She informed him.
"Then we won't tell anyone for a little while and then we'll announce after we've been together for a month and tell everyone we're getting married then." Gordon planned quickly.
Julie chewed her bottom lip as she mused over the idea. She looked up into those eyes that looked down at her so lovingly. Despite the fact that she wasn't in love with him, Julie was very fond of Gordon and had no doubts that he loved her in return. Unlike with Frank, there was no fear of him losing control and becoming violent.
"Ok." She said softly.
Gordon's eyes lit up with joy. "Really? You'll marry me and make me a daddy again?"
"Yes, I'll marry you." Julie repeated with a smile.
Gordon whooped and swung Julie around in his arms.
"Gordon! Gordon stop I'm getting dizzy!" Julie laughed.
The father-to-be stopped immediately and lowered Julie back down to the floor as if she were a delicate porcelain doll. "Are you ok? Do you need anything?"
Julie chuckled at his anxiousness. "I'm fine Gordon. I'm just not up for spinning right now."
Gordon's grin returned and he pulled her into another hug. "I'm going to make you the happiest woman in the world Julie. You'll see."
"I have the utmost faith in you Gordon." Julie smiled sweetly. Even though she was in love with Frank, she was going to do her best to make Gordon happy – and who knew, maybe she could fall in love with the brash Texan.
"Do you know how far along you are?" Gordon asked.
"I'm right at four weeks." Julie answered.
"Then if we wait three weeks before we announce our engagement, we can tell everyone about the pregnancy a week later." Gordon figured.
"That sounds fine." Julie agreed.
"I know that you're not in love with me Julie, but I promise you will never regret marrying me." Gordon promised sincerely.
"I know." Julie replied. "Just because I'm not in love with you now doesn't mean I don't care about you, Gordon, and it certainly doesn't mean that I won't fall in love with you."
"Then we'll be just fine." Gordon declared.
Taylor sat out next to the pool and brooded. She couldn't believe that Ryan corrected her in front of Bullit and Kaitlin like that. Didn't he know that couples should always present a united front? Taylor had studied the Cohen's very carefully and she knew that Sandy and Kirsten were always in agreement in front of others.
Summer came out of the house dressed in a bikini and carrying a towel in one hand and a glass of lemonade in the other. She smiled when she saw her friend already lounging in the sun.
"Hey! Out getting some sun?" Summer asked as she tossed her towel down beside the chair and set the glass of lemonade on the table beside her. She leaned back on the chaise lounge and squirmed until she was perfectly comfortable. Closing her eyes behind her sunglasses, Summer sighed in pleasure.
"Ryan just really made me angry a minute ago." Taylor complained.
Summer glanced over at the other girl. "What did he do?"
"He told me to stay out of Kaitlin and Frank's business right in front of Bullit and Kaitlin." Taylor grumbled.
Summer turned her head back to face forward. "What made him think that you were in their business?" She asked calmly.
Taylor turned her head to look at her friend. "Kaitlin and Bullit were talking about going out together to play table tennis and I said that Kaitlin needed to think about spending some time with Frank since he was going to be her father now. Then Ryan just jumped down my throat about that being between Kaitlin and Frank. He told me I should back off right in front of the Bullit. I was so humiliated!"
Summer sighed. "Taylor, why would you even care if Kaitlin was getting to know Frank?"
"I just want her to have a good relationship with her father." Taylor defended herself.
"But Frank isn't her father, Taylor. At the most he would be her step-father. And I would be worried about her spending any time with him. Kaitlin is safe with Bullit, and Bullit really cares about her." Summer disagreed.
Taylor huffed. "Why is everyone so against Frank?"
Summer turned her head to Taylor and lowered her sunglasses. She glared at her friend. "Taylor you were valedictorian at one of the top private schools in the country. Please tell me that you're smart in more than just books. You can't honestly think that just because Frank claims that he's a nice guy now that you just believe it without question! He came to town and lied about dying! He's willing to do anything to get what he wants. How is that different from the man who robbed a convenience store years ago to get what he wanted? I thought you said you loved Ryan."
"Of course I love Ryan!" Taylor protested.
"Then you should be the most suspicious of us all! You should have been keeping Frank as far away from Ryan as you could. Instead of protecting the man you claim to love, you're pushing him towards a man that he is honestly afraid of. I saw Ryan face down a guy with a gun once. He was calm as could be while everyone else was freaking out, but he's scared of Frank. Use that brain you've got and figure it out!" Summer exclaimed in frustration. "Protect your man Taylor! Who's more important to you – Frank or Ryan?"
"I just don't want Ryan to regret not getting to know his father." Taylor whispered brokenly.
Summer reached over and took Taylor's hand. "He does know his father. Sandy Cohen is the best dad in the world. He loves Ryan and Ryan loves him. Ryan isn't missing out on having a father, Taylor. Ryan loves you very much. Don't ruin that because of your issues with your own father."
Taylor swallowed back a sob. She had a lot to think about, and she needed to talk to Frank.
TBC...