Elizabeth's heart stopped and her face paled when she heard those words. Had her ears deceived her? She stumbled a little as she grasped for a nearby chair, waving her hand to fan herself. Her breathing had become rapid and she patted at her chest. "You're... having... a baby?" she faltered. Helplessness overwhelmed her as she saw all the hopes and plans she had for her daughter come tumbling down. She sat down in the chair and dabbed at her now perspiring brow.

The inner struggle never showed on her aging features, but her mind couldn't be tamed, the battle that waged between the extreme joy she felt for her daughter's news and the disappointment of her own ideals being crushed. "Oh Michaela!" was all she could manage to say.

David stood to the side of the couple, mouth agape. His eyes settled on the now apparent bump at Michaela's midsection. She was pregnant? How could this be? He was supposed to be the father of her children. At least that was what he had begun to hope; his dreams of having the perfect life, the perfect wife and family, now tainted with this fact. His eyes steeled as he watched her and the man beside her, holding one another, and he realised that his task of securing Michaela would now be even more difficult. But he wouldn't give in, he needed that money and would enjoy any of the perks that came along with it, and he would stop at nothing to get it. He would have the life he planned.

He forced a smile to his lips and congratulated them but made a hasty exit to the front yard to wait for Elizabeth. The still stunned Elizabeth had begun to regain her senses and as always decorum managed to win out.

She looked up at the pair. "Michaela how could you? This is scandalous, you aren't even married. Do you realise how this will affect our family name? We will be ruined." She paused and braced herself for her next statement, knowing in her heart this wouldn't be well received, yet she saw no other proper alternative. "You must marry David at once," she ordered, the fire returning to her frail body.

"What?" Sully growled in disbelief, his eyes wide, and his temper beginning to rise. Michaela turned and placed a calming hand on his chest, and asked with her eyes to be alone with her mother. He hesitantly acknowledged, bending down to place a kiss on her cheek and rub her shoulder. "I'll just be over here," he said quietly, trying to quell the anger caused by Elizabeth's words.

As Michaela watched Sully leave, her heart ached for him. She saw the pain in his eyes at her mother's statement and knew that there was only one way to convince Elizabeth that Sully was the one she loved and that David was not the man he claimed to be. Her eyes connected with her mother's as all of her emotions bubbled to the surface.

"Mother - once and for all, I will not marry David!"

"You will. Or you will ruin us all."

"And the fact that I'm engaged to Sully?"

"Michaela, very few people know you're with him, he will never... fit into our lifestyle. David can give you a better life than you could ever dream of."

Instantly Michaela felt weary, she couldn't seem to make her mother understand, but she had heard enough and so continued on.

"Mother, David cheated on me! He used me for months; he was seeing several other women while he was supposedly in love with me. Now please tell me why I would ever want to go back to that?" she blurted out.

Elizabeth looked directly at Michaela, searching her face. She didn't want to believe it, could this be? She could only manage a shake of her head - no.

"Yes," Michaela said to confirm. In a softer voice she continued, "It's true. I never told you before... I didn't want anyone to know. I was so ashamed and embarrassed. I think now I've finally forgiven David but I'll never forget what he did, or how it made me feel. And I won't ever be made a fool of like that again."

Elizabeth stood from her chair and tentatively approached her now very tearful daughter, and clasped her shaky hands over Michaela's. "I didn't know. I ... I thought...I'm so sorry. I would never have... if I'd known." She exhaled and shook her head closing her eyes tightly; her conscience scolding her appalling behaviour. All of this time, all of the things she had said and done, she had acted so foolishly. A fleeting thought entered her mind of her so called triumph in David and Michaela's separation. This revelation was beyond shocking. And she could only imagine the scandal if anyone had known...

Elizabeth leaned in to comfort her daughter and the pair awkwardly embraced. She very rarely showed affection like this for any of her children, in her family it just wasn't done, but she felt such a remorse for her actions, and she couldn't deny what she saw in Michaela's eyes. What she sought most...the love of a mother. She could see that now. All those years of nagging and grating, all it ever did was create an unfillable gap between the two of them. Michaela held her mother against her, savouring the connection they had at this moment. Tears threatened to escape as a sense of relief washed over her.

From the other room, Sully's protective nature overtook him and he ceased his endless pacing to check on Michaela. He looked around the corner catching a glimpse of the two. A soft smile appeared on his lips as he watched a lone tear fall down Michaela's face. He quickly retreated back to where he had come from, giving them the privacy they needed. He sent up a quick prayer hoping this would be the start of a friendship that Michaela had always wished she would have with her mother. In the very least, it was a step forward for them both.

As they parted Elizabeth stepped back. She placed both of her hands at the back of her neck and removed a locket. She held it out to Michaela, who tentatively took it in hand. She eyed the beautiful trinket as it lay glistening in her palm.

Elizabeth spoke first. "It was my grandmothers... I want you to have it, treasure it as I have and one day pass it on to your... daughter?" she said as she gazed at the swell of Michaela's stomach. Michaela swallowed hard, "I couldn't".

"Yes you can. This is a long overdue gesture between a mother and her daughter." Elizabeth steadied herself as she hoped for a positive response to her next statement. "Perhaps it will signify a new beginning for us both?" They quickly hugged again and Elizabeth turned to leave.

"Thankyou... for everything," Michaela whispered.

"Of course. I would dearly like to stay, but if you don't mind, there is something I must take care of first. It is rather... urgent."

Michaela nodded and smiled as Elizabeth walked out the door to a waiting David. Elizabeth knew she would have to come clean with Michaela about what she had done, but right now she had the chance to make it right. And she wasn't going to let it go a moment longer.

"Sully?" Michaela called.

He stepped into the kitchen with two bags of breakfast-to-go from Grace's in hand, with all the commotion, he had forgotten about them until now. "Everything ok?" he asked pulling her gently into him.

"Unbelievably good," she replied as she snuggled into his chest. She could hear his steady heartbeat and it settled even further. But her stomach growled at the smell of the food and they both laughed. Her appetite certainly had increased over the past few months. Michaela pulled the food from the bags to lay them out on the counter. Sully grabbed her from behind, placing his hands on her belly, and rubbing lazy circles over it.

"How's our baby doin' today?" he asked nuzzling her ear.

"Hungry," she grinned as she placed her hands over his.

"Good, that means he's growing nice and strong."

"He?"

"Or she," he quickly added cheekily.

"Hmmm."

"So it all went well with your mother? Didn't hear too much yellin'. Thought for sure with two Quinn women in the same room there'd at least be some fireworks," he said playfully.

"Actually I'm as surprised as you, but it was so good. We've never connected like that before. I 'm so pleased at how it all went. I mean, I know we have so much more to say to each other but it really was amazing."

"Michaela, that's great. I know how much you want to have a good relationship with her. So I was thinkin', since you two are getting on so good, what do ya say we have her over for a meal?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea".

.........................................................................................

David stormed out of Elizabeth's hotel room. He could hardly see for the rage that was overflowing inside of him. After the news of the baby, Elizabeth had joined him outside the house but had remained silent until they had returned to the hotel. She had enlisted the presence of an attorney when she informed him that the contract they had signed was now void due to a clause Elizabeth had included, that at anytime if she chose to, could cancel the entire contract, providing Michaela hadn't yet moved back to Boston. And this was indeed the case.

David's ceaseless questions as to why she had made this decision was answered by Elizabeth who angrily told him that Michaela had revealed the truth about his infidelity.

"I'm not about to put my daughter through that again!" she spat. "As far as I am concerned David, you are an appalling human being. If you ever try to interfere with any of my family members again, I will bring the full force of my connections down on you and make sure you never work in high society again!"

David's demeanour showed no remorse and he hadn't even tried to justify it. There was nothing he could do about the money now. It was gone, and forever would be. But he wasn't going to let an old biddy like Elizabeth Quinn threaten him, or make him look a fool. That's something she would come to regret; of that he was certain. Now that there was no point in trying to win Michaela over, it was an opportune time to formulate his revenge. He laughed inwardly; let's see how the formidable Elizabeth Quinn survives without the luxuries of modern life; without any essentials of life at all.