Can't Deny the Heart

Summary: Alternate version to the original story. Takes place morning after Kayla nurses Steve after Victor's goons beat him up.

Rating: PG-13

Beta by: Slynn6776

Notes: This is an alternate version. Its one of my favorite things to do, to create a "what if" story. This version is changing history of Steve and Kayla. I do this with full respect to the canon but I had this plot bunny in my head for some time and I had to see how it would play.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of this stuff. But man, if I did...

Steve never felt so depressed in his life. He stood in front of his locker at the freight company, his supposed "job" and was emptying it out. Not that he had much there. A couple of extra t-shirts and some hygiene products. He wondered if he would have time to run into the bathrooms and pick up some extra rolls of toilet paper for home.

Steve had come straight there from the emergency center, Kayla's words still echoing in his head. It was hard enough to know she was angry at him, but hearing what she said to him bothered him more than he thought it should. It really was none of her business the way he ran his life. Who cared if she hated him? Who cared if she thought he was just some hired street thug? He lived his life not caring what others thought of him; whatever a self-righteous nurse thought of him on the river front was of no concern.

"What are you doing? Why aren't you at work?"

Steve turned to the origin of the voice. There stood Bo, looking angry. Steve wondered how his former best friend could be in charge of this "company" yet have no idea who was working when and what position. "I think you should call up, Daddy, Beauregard," Steve said, "it seems you didn't know when he hired me to be your foreman and now he didn't let you know I no longer work here."

Bo snorted, "Fired you, did he?"

Steve slammed the door at that. Glaring at the younger man, he said, "Hardly. I quit."

Bo's shock was evident, "Quit? Why would you quit?"

Steve wanted to come back with his usual smart alack retort. Briefly, Kayla's words came to his mind, and he decided to just be truthful, "Because, Bo, I don't want to work for that man. I am getting out of his schemes. If you had any brains, you would too."

Bo became annoyed, "Oh, don't you even try to lecture me.."

"Lecture?" Steve asked incredulously. "What are you doing here, man? You have a beautiful wife who is pregnant with your baby..."

"You know about that?" Bo asked getting angry.

"Yea, I know, and don't worry, I won't tell anyone. But it's just stupid. If I had a wife like Hope who goes out of her way to do what he does for you..." he trailed off. Bo was an idiot. He just started to walk away.

"Steve, you know nothing about what I'm doing. It's none of your business..." Bo said.

"No, it's not. Is it?" Steve said, "But Hope and the Brady's are your business and what you're doing here with Victor is hurting them. Putting Victor first over them is just so...even with his money. I know to expect this behavior from you but they..."

The last sentence was the last straw, Bo threw Steve up against the lockers, getting in his face. He started to say something but realized it was pointless. When he stepped away from Steve, he noticed a weird look on his face. It disappeared quickly though as Steve reached down to pick up the items he dropped.

"I have to go now," Steve said weirdly. He left so quickly Bo wondered what had happened.

Getting outside, Steve looked walked around to the side in the nearby ally. Putting down his items, he pulled out the one thing that wasn't his. A tape recorder. When Bo threw him against the wall, Steve's hands had gone into a defensive position and Steve felt it there in Bo's jacket pocket. Thinking fast, he quickly picked it. At the time, he wasn't sure what it was but something inside him told him to do it.

Not being one to wait for anything, Steve rewound it some and then pushed play. Instantly he heard voices. One was notably Victor's but the others weren't. They were talking about a shipment arriving which needed special attention. Victor was negotiating how his men would unload the cargo at a "special time" but needed to be assured he was going to be remembered for this favor.

Steve didn't have time to listen to anymore when he felt a hand on his back yank him around. There stood Bo looking red. "Give me that!" he said and grabbed the tape recorder out of Steve's hand.

Watching Bo check it out to make sure the tape was still in it, Steve was beginning to view Bo very different than he had a few minutes before.

"Bo, what have you got yourself into?"

"It's none of your business," he spat back.

A small smile formed on Steve's lips as everything started sinking in. "Are you really trying to take down Victor all by yourself? Oh, Bo, that's just so...stupid."

Bo shushed Steve then attempted to throw him against the wall again, but Steve had enough of letting Junior push him around. Side stepping Bo, Steve reversed the situation and now held Bo's back to the wall.

"Let me go!" Bo ordered.

"I don't work for you anymore, so no. Not until you tell me what the hell you are doing!" Steve said.

Bo pushed Steve off him. What was he to do now? Steve knowing could jeopardize this whole thing. Looking down he groaned when he saw Steve had the tape recorder back. How the hell does he do that?

Steve laughed at Bo's frustration and said, "Better tell me what you are doing. I'm not going away quietly if you don't."

Knowing he had no choice, Bo began to tell him.