A/N: Thanks so much for reading/reviewing. I've written a few chapters ahead, so I'm hoping I can post again soon and start wrapping this story on up!

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You know what you've done."

"Um, I take it you received your letters in the mail?" Chris guessed.

"Yeah, you think?" Stephanie mocked, rolling her eyes huffily. With Penelope down for a nap, she found a few extra minutes to check the mailbox and was blown away by the contents. Not only was Chris asking that she appear at mediation regarding custody, but now he wanted her to bring Penelope in for a paternity test. The mediation was optional, but the DNA testing was a direct order, and Stephanie wasn't too keen on following anyone's demands, let alone a seedy lawyer she hadn't ever even heard of.

"I'm not trying to hurt you."

"Oh, yeah, you are. That's exactly what you want to do," she argued, plopping down on the couch and glaring at a piece of hair that insisted on falling into her eyes time after countless time. She blew it away and turned her attention back to the phone call at hand. "I kicked you out and you can't handle it, so now you need to get back at me. Oh, but according to you, I'm the only one who loves getting back at people, right?"

"First of all, you're misinterpreting my words about that and, secondly, I chose to leave your place. You didn't kick me out of anything," Chris corrected. Four days had passed since he left Stephanie's house, and receiving a frantic call from her that morning let him know Kevin had done his job well while Chris had been off securing a place to live. Stephanie had her written requests through the mail, and all he had to do was wait for the deal to conclude on his house before he'd be one step closer to shared custody of Penelope. "Besides, I'm really not trying to hurt you. I've actually gotten over my anger from the other day. You don't want to be together and that's cool, but I'm putting my little girl first. Just trying to make sure I get to see her, that's all."

"Yeah, because you never get to do that, do you?" Sarcasm hung rich and thick in her tone. "Except for the day after you left, when I said you could come over and see her. And the day after that. I was actually planning on calling you today, too, so you could spend time together again, but that offer's about to be long gone."

"Exactly my point," Chris responded.

"What point?" she shot back.

"You want everything on your terms. I appreciate that you let me come over and see my girl the past couple days, but you want to control all of this. I can only come and see her during the days and times you say are okay, and on top of that, I can't even take her out for a car ride or anything. My own daughter! I'm an adult, I'm her dad, and if I want to take her out somewhere, it shouldn't have to go through you. So to answer you from before, that's why I'm doing this. Any more questions?"

"You're an instigating ass," Stephanie grumbled.

"That wasn't a question."

"You know she's your daughter," she continued, ignoring his poor attempt at humor. "The nerve of you, asking for a DNA test after we already hashed out the paternity thing. I led you astray at first, but I admitted I was wrong and that she was yours all along. What do you have to prove by requesting that now?"

"That wasn't me. All I asked for was custody, but my lawyer said paternity has to be established even if I signed the birth certificate, which I did. Had we been married when you got pregnant with Penelope, I would have been the assumed father, but since we were only dating back then, the courts need to see concrete proof that she's mine before I can pursue anything, so, yeah, that wasn't me asking for the test. I know she's mine."

"Good. You should," Stephanie remarked.

"But even if I wasn't sure, you'd have no business coming down hard on me for that, since you're the one who tried to convince me she wasn't mine in the first place. If I had any doubts, it would only be because you planted them there in the first place. That's your fault."

"Anyways, this whole thing is ridiculous. I hope you know that."

"No, I don't think it's ridiculous that I want to be able to have Penelope over at my house sometimes. If you truly wanted what was best for her, you would want me to be able to have her on my own. I'm a good dad, and there's no denying that," Chris defended. "If anything, you should be calling me up, asking me if I want to come take her off your hands for a while. You're not hurting me, in the end, when you force us apart, because I know I'll fight for custody. You're really only hurting Penelope, because she's the one missing out on precious time that we could be spending together."

"I'm not going to mediation, for the record. You should be focusing on getting yourself together before you even think about asking for days with Penelope. Get your priorities straight, Chris."

"Actually, I'm closing on a house in Fairfield County as we speak. I fucking hate Connecticut, but this is where Penelope lives, so I moved here for her, because I love her that damn much. I've actually already got myself together, in case you haven't noticed, so if you decide not to do the mediation, I'll be left with no choice but to see you in court. I find it silly that you would want to put our destinies in the hands of the courts when you have a perfect opportunity to work with me for what we both want. Just remember that once we go to court, we can't ever rewind. Whatever they decide will be set in stone, and it'll no longer be your choice."

"How is that any different from the stupid mediation?"

"It's not stupid, for one. And it's different because I'm willing to work with you. I want us to have a fair schedule with Penelope, where we both get equal time. Like I said, I'm trying to work with you, but you're only working against me. It's silly."

"Fine, then take me to court and I guarantee you'll lose."

Chris's end of the line clouded in silence, and Stephanie was almost proud she had stuck it to him enough that he had finally shut his mouth. He hadn't wanted to be a real boyfriend, but now all the sudden, he wanted to slide a cape around his neck and play the superhero to a family he'd already failed. Just the thought was enough to grit her teeth, but Chris's voice jerked her from her reverie. Chillingly quiet, he spoke. "Wow. You still don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?" Stephanie replied.

"You've learned nothing from this situation. Absolutely nothing," Chris repeated, driving his point home. "Look, I'm hanging up. I can't deal with this anymore. For once, try to stop thinking about yourself and actually do what's right for Penelope. I'm done talking. Bye."

A lakeside home with three stories wasn't a bad deal. Especially not when the flashy features were factored in: nine bedrooms, five bathrooms, indoor hot tub, outdoor hot tub and swimming pool, a deck, and a dock that made Chris want to go out and purchase a speedboat right away. Three weeks had shot right by him since he last spoke to Stephanie. Oddly enough, when he had signed the dotted line and finalized his house deal, she was the first person he thought to call and celebrate with, but he forced the feeling down.

It was still new to him, remembering that he and Stephanie just weren't that way anymore. It made him sad, because he missed her, but knowing he was one step closer to Penelope cushioned his fall from grace. Right away, his mind filled with ideas for her nursery, but he would need help, preferably from a female, since they were more gifted in planning children's bedrooms. Linda was first up on his list, mostly since she was one of the few women he maintained a friendly relationship with.

Linda had been working as the go-between for Chris and Stephanie, often calling Chris to visit with Penelope at her place. He figured Stephanie had put her mother up to it, since she was never around when he showed up, and Linda had made absolutely no mention of her. While he appreciated the effort, Stephanie still held tight to the reins, apparently ordering Linda not to let Chris leave the house with Penelope. He noticed only because he had tried to take Penelope out on his own, but the flash of panic in Linda's eyes told him she'd been trained not to allow such a thing.

Not wanting to cause an issue, he relented, because the middle was a hard place to be stuck and Linda deserved better. He had made up an excuse on the fly about not wanting to take Penelope out into the cold after all, so as not to get her sick, and Linda's posture had eased right away, a smile gracing her face as she relaxed. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. Stephanie had at least cooperated enough with the orders of Chris's lawyer to bring Penelope for DNA testing, where her cheek had been swabbed. The results had come in and surprised absolutely no one: Penelope was indeed Chris's biological child.

As threatened, however, Stephanie hadn't shown for mediation, and Kevin had advised Chris to push forward with court proceedings. With his next lawyer's meeting scheduled on Thursday of that week, Chris made good use of his Tuesday morning. Penelope was over at Linda's and Chris had been invited over to see her, so he made a plan to speak to Linda, hoping he could get through to her in all the ways he couldn't seem to get through to Stephanie. He drove up and buzzed himself into the gate, hopping out of his car after parking and jogging up to the door.

Chris stamped out his feet and rubbed his hands together, blowing hot air into them, after ringing the doorbell. He was let in by the housekeeper and found Linda on a sofa in the den, dressed down in a solid blue blouse and jeans. She smiled when she noticed him, balancing Penelope on her lap. "Hi there. Look who's come to see you, Penelope. It's Daddy!"

"Hi, baby," Chris cooed at his daughter. He had shed himself of his coat and hooked it onto the rack just inside the front door, but he still had a sweater beneath, and he pulled it over his head and tossed it onto the arm of the couch. He poked Penelope's stomach with his index finger, rejoicing when she reached out for him. Chris lifted her from Linda's lap and covered her precious face in kisses, pulling her tight to his chest. "I missed you, little bugger. What has Daddy's girl been doing all this time? Huh?" He grinned and kissed her cheek, turning to Linda. "Has she been okay?"

"Oh, she's delightful," Linda shared, clasping her hands in her lap. "She hardly cries and she's so easy to play with. She's a darling little gem, and we love her dearly in this house. She even got to spend time with Gramps this morning."

"Oh, Vince was around?" Chris asked.

"Only for a few minutes before he had to rush out the door, but I was glad they got to bond."

"Yeah, that's cool." Chris took a seat and used his toes to kick off each of his shoes, bringing his feet up onto the couch and curling up with Penelope. Linda started to rise and leave them alone, as she always did during these little meetings, but Chris's voice brought her to a halt. "If you don't mind, can I have you stick around for a little while, Linda? I thought we could talk."

"Sure, we can," she agreed, but her words were thick with uncertainty, like she wasn't sure what was coming for her. She settled back against her pillow and shifted her body to face Chris. "Is everything okay?"

Chris kissed Penelope's forehead and shook his own head. "I wish I could say it was, but...no, it's not."

"What can I do to help?" she questioned. Her forehead dissolved into wrinkles as she displayed a concerned frown. "I want to make seeing Penelope easier for you in any way I can."

"Well, that's the thing. Has Steph told you what's happening at all?"

"Uh...I don't think so," Linda shook her head, placing her hand on her chest.

"I didn't mean for that to come off as a trick question, because it's not, but Steph's not really being reasonable about letting me take Penelope out on my own. I'm getting the feeling she told you she doesn't want me leaving this house with Penelope during our meet-ups, right?"

"She may have mentioned something to me about that," she responded, not ready to fully commit. She was Stephanie's mother and wanted to protect her, which Chris found reasonable enough, in her particular situation. He couldn't honestly say he blamed her, but progress wouldn't be made unless everyone involved was willing to open up and be honest. "I'm not too sure what her expectations are for this."

"I'll tell you what it is from my point of view, then," Chris responded, running his fingers through his hair. Penelope babbled softly in his left ear, and he used his palm to pat her back lightly. "I went to a lawyer because Steph wouldn't let me take Penelope out by myself. She's let me do it before in the past, but depending on whatever mood she happens to be in, she changes her mind about it. As of right now, she won't allow me to parent Penelope alone, so I went to a lawyer and got some advice."

"She hadn't mentioned this."

"I'm not surprised. She thinks if she ignores problems, they'll just go away. I mean, I'm not trying to badmouth her, because you know as well as anyone how much I care about Steph, but she's not really being reasonable right now."

"You know, I think she's just hurt by you," Linda excused. "When you two broke up, she took it very hard. She was over here almost every single night, just wanting me and Vince to keep her company. She could hardly function without you at first, but then she learned how to, and I think at this point, a big part of her is scared to let you back in, because she's afraid she'll just lose you and have to be hurt all over again."

"I know I was wrong and I was one of the crappiest boyfriends around toward the end of our relationship. I'll regret that for the rest of my life, because I owed her so much more than that. The way I acted had nothing to do with her. My behavior is all on me, but I always loved her. I never, ever stopped, no matter how long we were apart," Chris admitted. His eyes grew misty and he stared behind Linda's head at the wall, losing himself in a past that still ate away at him like a puddle of acid. "The thing is, Penelope has nothing to do with my past mistakes and when Steph keeps me from taking her out to cool places, she's cheating Penelope out of the relationship she deserves to have with me. She has to learn to keep the bad feelings about me and her completely separate from our parenting of Penelope. They're two different things."

"I'm with you on that, and I'm the first to tell her that sort of thing."

"I'm sure you are," Chris nodded. "I wanted to work with her and avoid court, so my lawyer wrote up two letters. The first one ordered Steph to bring Penelope to a nearby lab for DNA testing, because the courts need proof of paternity before they can process any requests for custody. Since Steph and I aren't married, I had to prove to them I was the father, so she brought Pen-Pen in to get her cheek swabbed, and the results came back that she's mine, of course. No big surprise."

"Of course not. She's the spitting image of you."

"Exactly," he said, quickly thinking better of that statement. "We also know Steph's character, and of all things I worried about with her, I knew I never had to worry about whether or not she was faithful to me. Steph's a good girl, and there was no doubt in my mind Penelope was mine. She may have put a lot of doubt in my mind when I first found out she was pregnant, but I think deep down, I always saw the truth for what it was."

"She feels horrible about that, just so you know," Linda explained. "I can't tell you how many times she's said to me that she wishes she would have included you in the pregnancy instead of lying about there being another father."

"Hey, we all make mistakes. Who am I to judge?" Chris asked, shrugging his shoulders. "I've done things I'm not proud of either, but I always did the best I could at the time with whatever skills I had. I really do care about her."

"I know you do. You always have."

"Yeah, so, anyways, we got the DNA results and that's all well and good. My lawyer wrote up a second letter asking Steph to meet me at mediation so we could agree on a set amount of days per year that I could have Penelope, but she decided it was a good idea not to show up. I don't really understand her reasoning, but that's the choice she made and she's still not letting me take Penelope out on my own, so I have no choice but to take her to court. I don't want to hurt her, but she's forcing my hand right now."

Linda's eyes widened and she gulped slowly, like she couldn't believe her ears. Stephanie really hadn't told her anything about the situation after all. They had always been close, and Chris never would have imagined Stephanie would leave Linda in the dark like that, but, then again, he also hadn't foreseen Stephanie working against him in spending time with his own daughter. Maybe he hadn't ever really known her at all. "I can't believe she wouldn't show up. I...um, are you absolutely sure she got the letter?"

"She got them both."

"Did you double check with her? Maybe she got the one for the DNA testing, but not the one about mediation," Linda surmised. "Or maybe she glossed over the one for mediation without realizing what it was actually for. I know Stephanie, and I can't imagine she would ever just not show up for something that important. She cares too much about Penelope to ignore that."

"Oh, she loves Penelope to death and there's no denying that, but I don't think she always does what's right for her. Her judgment is clouded because of how angry she still is with me. I know she got the letter, though, because she called me up all pissed off, asking me why I was requesting the mediation. She basically challenged me to take her to court and said I would lose anyway."

"I'm sure you misunderstood her," Linda said, clearing her throat as she shook her head left to right. "Stephanie wouldn't say something like that. She was probably just upset and worded her thoughts the wrong way, but she wouldn't want a custody battle on her hands. She knows that's not best for Penelope."

"I know it may seem like I'm making it worse than it is, but that's what she said," Chris cemented. He rubbed Penelope's back, enjoying the warmth of her skin as her left cheek pressed into his own. He smiled when she began playing with random locks of his hair, near the nape of his neck. "She told me to go ahead and take her to court because I wasn't going to win, almost verbatim."

"Well, that's not what she meant," she shot back.

Chris opened his mouth to protest, then met Linda's flashing eyes and settled for a nod, backing down. It wasn't that he doubted his memory, but he genuinely liked Linda. She was a nice lady whose company was easy to enjoy, and he could understand why she would feel defensive over her daughter, just as Chris would always feel over Penelope, no matter what she did. He decided to give it a rest since his destiny lay in his own hands. Kevin would schedule a court-ordered mediation, and Stephanie would have no choice but to work with him. If she didn't, a judge would see them, but Chris prayed they would never get that far.

He wanted to enjoy his daughter in her primitive years, when everything was still fresh and new. He didn't want those years marred by the stresses of constant court appearances, and especially when it could all be easily avoided. Silence swallowed them whole, a deep line appearing in the center of Linda's forehead as she stared off into space, thinking hard about something. Chris's phone went off in his pocket, and he politely excused himself from the room, bouncing Penelope against his chest with his dominant arm while he answered his call with the other.

"Hello?"

"Chris?"

"Yeah?" he said. Chris had answered the call blindly, not recognizing the number but thinking it might have something to do with his lawyer or court. The voice on the opposite end of the line was sultry and sweet, and although he couldn't place the caller, there was a vague familiarity to them.

"It's me."

"Uh...Steph?" No, it didn't sound like her, but he couldn't think of another woman who would respond to him with a simple 'it's me'. Surely, that sort of identification was reserved only for the mother of his child.

"Nope! Guess again," Mystery Woman piped up, in a tone so cheerily light, he couldn't help but play along, though he was all out of guesses.

Chuckling, Chris replied, "I honestly have no clue. Do I even know you, or are you some chick Rich put up to this?"

"No, you definitely know me. I'm a little hurt you don't recognize my voice," she said, and somehow, Chris could tell she was pouting as she spoke the words. "We always had such a good time together, Chris. Allow me to refresh your memory: blond hair, blue eyes, a little black bikini on the beach in Cabo."

"Oh shit!" Chris gasped, eyes practically bugging right out of his head. "Jessica?"

"Ding ding ding!" she sang. "We have a winner."