I apologize for the wait and also any errors. I'm exhausted and in a rush to go to class right now and if I don't post now it'll be a few days. It's kind of short so forgive me. The next one is going to blow ALL of you away. This chapter is only to give you an idea of where this hot mess of a story is headed. Thanks for the reviews and PM's. Love ya' guys!

cHaPtEr 25

One more Puzzle Piece

She shifted in her seat hoping to find a comfortable spot but she knew the shit was useless. Fuck being pregnant again. Then again who was she kidding. She loved her baby. Probably would love the next one just as much seeing as how she was sure she and Lucas would have another untimely accident…correction. Babies weren't accidents or even mistakes to her. They were second chances.

She straightened in her seat thinking now why the hell was she thinking babies with Lucas was a good idea. Sure this one was well on its way but judging by how he acted both before and right after she came back that asshole was not getting anywhere near her with that very possibly now diseased dick. Fuck him, fuck Rachel and fuck everyone else that ever went against her. She needed to shake off this pregnancy glow shit and start putting the fear of god in motherfuckers. That's what she needed to focus on.

She glance over at Karen who seemed to be driving with a purpose. She had just woken up and looked around to still see the scenery of the road flying by. She had hoped Karen wouldn't betray her and it seems her faith was placed in the right person for once.

"Hey Kar?" Brooke asked sitting up better and rubbing her belly. She really needed to piss.

"What is it sweetie?" Karen asked back still with her mind solely on driving. Brooke admired her. This woman had been through the shit probably more times than her and here she was still seeming like the well-adjusted parent, woman and fast forming friend that Brooke needed.

"I think we need to stop for a second. I need to-"

"HEY YOU TWO BITCHES UP THERE I NEED TO TAKE A PISS!"

Both brunettes rolled their eyes so sick of the redhead passenger. She had been annoying as hell and even Karen had stopped not even an hour ago and started to get out with her gun fully intending on pistol whipping the shit out of the loud redhead till she was out.

"There's a stop up ahead" Karen answered and flipped the blinker to get over to the right lane.

"DID YOU TWO FUCKING HEAR ME UP THERE!"

"I swear next time we have to kidnap someone they better damn well be drugged. I'm this close to murder" Karen growled out and Brooke couldn't help but laugh. It was nice to know that becoming a mother hadn't made Karen soft. She could see the inner bad bitch shining out from underneath the polished exterior. It was nice look into the future.

"Don't worry, once we get to Vegas we're handing her off to Whitey."

They took the off ramp and parked at the somewhat empty truck stop/weigh station. It looked deserted but it didn't stop either woman from scanning the lot and surrounding building…or stop them from cocking a gun to have ready. Brooke let out another giggle when she heard them do it at the same time. Apparently great minds thought alike.

"I'll stay with her, you go and then I'll take her. Don't want her getting any ideas."

"Whatever you say mama Karen." Brooke said getting out of the door and heading to the building. Out the corner of her eye she saw the hand coming and felt it as it clamped down on her mouth. She was being grabbed and she knew she needed to do something. Her arms were pinned to her side so she went for the hand covering her mouth. Her teeth were about to sink in when she heard Lucas' voice to her left.

"Put her the fuck down" he growled and the hand slacked. The baby apparently had awoken with the failed snatch and grab and was now kicking up a storm. The arm across her chest loosened as well and she elbowed the son of a bitch hard. Whoever was behind her must have been pissed because he gave her a hard shove and she almost hit the ground face first if her hands hadn't come out in front of her.

The guns went off over her head and she got low to the ground and curled into the fetal position to protect her baby. Seconds later she heard swearing and a gun slide across the concrete. A spilt second after that she was spun around and being hauled up against a hard chest and she was engulfed in the smell of her husband cologne and his strong hold.

"You okay-did he hurt you-is the baby okay?" he asked in quick fire.

"I'm fine" and she froze as her eyes drifted from the ocean blue eyes to the figure struggling on the ground like a little bitch.

"Chris Fucking Keller" she growled as she made a step in his direction but was snatched back to her husband side.

"Let me handle him baby." He said but sounded like a question as he waited for her to agree.

She nodded and her hands went to her baby again that was doing what felt like fucking back flips in her belly.

Lucas bent down and spat on the whining figure on the ground. "Get up you piece of shit. I'm not asking again." He stood straight as he gave Chris a moment to stand.

Chris held his leg as he staggered. The blood oozing from his leg was already making him dizzy.

"I'm only asking this once and if you don't tell me what I want to know I'm shooting you in the fucking head and leaving you here."

"You wouldn't dare. You know who my father is! He'd have you in the ground by noon tomorrow."

Brooke stepped up beside her husband and Chris in the other leg and he went down. Lucas looked over to her in shock and she shrugged and smiled.

"FUCK!" Chris yelled from the ground and rolled a little as he tried to crawl away. Lucas stepped closer and put his foot down on the newly shot leg and ground down a little.

"Who sent you?"

"Doesn't fucking matter! She's dead the second she crosses the city limits in Vegas. That price on her head-"

"Is null and void you fucking dumb ass. I checked. I have a feeling papa Davis took it back the second he knew she was pregnant. So my next question is what the FUCK were you planning to do with my wife?"

"Rachel said if I came along I could have her. She needed Brooke out of the way and I needed to have her in my debt. If Brooke didn't go willingly I was to make her. The deal was I get Brooke and Rachel got the baby."

Chris' eyes shifted to the brunette and he saw the look of horror.

"I wasn't going to let her hurt you. I was going to keep you out of the way til you delivered and then let Rachel have what she wanted and then you and me were going to go back to Vegas and take it all. Brooke I swear I was never going to hurt you!"

"But you were going to let the fucking psycho take my kid!" Brooke yelled clenching the gun tight and trying her best to ignore her instincts to march back to the car and put one dead center of the red heads face. Diplomacy be fucking damned. But first…"

"Chris I never liked you and I can try and give you the benefit of the doubt and figure you probably didn't want to hurt me because you needed me for the takeover you and your father want on Vegas but did you honestly think Rachel would leave you alive if she thought you were going to take all of it from her? No Chris, once she got us together she was more than likely going to kill you and keep me till the baby was born and then kill me. Rachel doesn't give a shit about anyone but her son and apparently she's fixated on my baby." Brooke's eyes shifted to Lucas for a second and then her jaw clenched.

"Baby…Brooke what's wrong?" Lucas asked as he noticed her whole body language shift,

"The only thing that makes sense in all of this is that she'd off him, take my baby, off me and return to Vegas and have both you and my father by the balls by ransoming my kid for hers. She'd know Richard would want the heir. She'd know you would want to protect your kid. That bitch would know your father would want him too.

"She'd sell to the highest bidder" Lucas finished her thought feeling sick to his stomach. This woman he had fucked and had close to him for months would do it. He knew it. She'd have no problems killing Brooke and then using their son as a pawn in her quest to get her hands on the money she thinks belongs to Angel and then she'd more than likely never give the baby back once she had gotten what she wanted.

"What?" Keller sputtered on the ground.

"She used you Keller. She was going to double cross you. Don't take it personal. It's what she does." Brooke said as she spun around and headed for the car.

"Brooke !"

Meanwhile in the car, Karen listed as the woman in the back kicked at the trunk door repeatedly. The car rocked back and forth and Karen had had enough. She shoved her door open and stormed to the back and flung the door open and was caught by surprise when the redhead's hands shoved her back and she caught a right across the face.

Karen went down and when she regained her senses the redhead was standing over her with her gun.

"Well granny looks like the tables have turned. I'm gonna shoot you and wait for that fat ass to come back and then she and I are going to leave."

"You're not taking her anywhere!" Karen hissed.

The gun came down across Karen's cheek and she didn't even flinch. Dan had done much worse to her.

"Shut the fuck up. That grandkid of yours is my ticket to end game. I'm going to get my son back, and the money that's due to him and then…" Rachel squatted to get right in Karen's face, "and then I'm going to take both of those kids and disappear. And you know something, there's nothing you or your son can do about it."

Rachel's smile grew as Karen's frown deepened. Karen saw the young brunette storming her way back with the gun held in front. There was no way Rachel saw it coming. The gun went off and Rachel went down. Karen kicked the gun away and slowly stood as her son came into view. He was charging towards them and his eyes were filled with worry. His arms went around her like a vice grip.

"I'm okay my boy. I'm okay" she squeezed him back and then let go as they both heard the sounds of flesh hitting flesh behind him.

Brooke had straddled the bleeding woman and was going at her with her fists. Rachel couldn't do a damn thing. Her face was cut up and bleeding but Brooke kept going.

Left, right, left, right… it went on and on till they heard her let out a sob.

Lucas went over and picked her up from her perch on top of Rachel and pulled her away till she was in his arms and shoved against the car.

Brooke saw red. She couldn't think straight. She knew if Lucas let her go she would kill Rachel. Fucking Rachel Gatina. The woman she had once thought of as a friend. The woman who knew how she had suffered at the hands of her father. The woman who she shared the pain of losing a child. The same woman who had betrayed her over and over. That same woman was going to take her baby away. Her precious baby.

FUCK THAT.

Brooke shoved Lucas out of the way and sprang on Rachel again. She pulled hair, spat, punched and kicked as hard as she could as she was pulled away again.

In her wake Brooke could make out it was Karen this time that was pulling her away and Lucas show was picking Rachel up from the ground. She hadn't heard a word exchanged by mother and son about what to do. Lucas dropped Rachel back into the back of the SUV and then snatched a staggering Chris by the neck and hissed whatever threat he would in the man's ear and shoved him into the back row of the SUV and knocked him over the head. Chris slumped and was tied up to the seat and left there as Karen tried to get Brooke's attention.

The whole time her eyes had been on the back. Waiting for Rachel to pop put again. She wanted that piece of shit dead.

"Brooke honey snap out of it" she heard Karen yell as a cold soft hand made contact with her cheek.

"Ma!" Lucas yelled as he made his way towards them. Brooke started towards the passenger seat again but stopped when Lucas' hand gripped her elbow.

"You're with me Pretty Girl."

She snatched from his grip and looked at Karen.

"It's okay sweetie. I can handle those two if they wake up."

"But-" Brooke tried to reason but Karen finished.

"I need to make sure that crazy bitch is nowhere near my grandson. Can you give me that? Ride with Lucas. The two of you need to talk."

Brooke observed the look on Karen's face and shifted her eyes to Lucas. He looked in pain. Her eyebrow scrunched up as she tried to make sense of his expression when she noticed the blood spot on his shoulder.

"HE SHOT YOU!" Brooke roared as she started towards the side door where Chris was and she was about to wrench it open when Lucas slammed it back shut.

"I'm fine but we need to move baby."

Baby. She wanted to get a grip on the emotions rushing through her at the moment. She hated her husband's fucking guts and at the same time she was afraid to loose him. She had lost so much. No fucking more.

She walked to the only other car in the parking lot and got in without another word.

Lucas looked to his mother as she started up the SUV. Lucas made it to his Mustang and slid in. The second he shut the door she heard the whimpers from the woman right beside him.

"I'm okay Pretty Girl. I've had wors-"

"She was going to take my baby Lucas." Brooke whispered. "She was going to take Tyler from me…again."

Lucas frowned concerned all this drama was bad for the baby. His arm reached over the console and with a little hesitance her rested his and on her belly. Instantly he felt his son moving.

"He okay?"

"He's fine…. I'm not. Lucas I can't take this shit anymore. I'm exhausted." She reclined back in her seat and shut her eyes. Her hand went over his over their son. "I need peace Lucas…I need to make sure none of them can hurt Angel or this baby."

"I promise. You all are safe. Angel is being moved to where we're going. You'll have him in your arms real soon baby."

"Lucas… We're not okay. We have so much shit going on and I don't know if I can let you back in. I fucking hate being this vulnerable but I can't do this shit anymore. I need this shit to be over with and when it is….I think you and I should"

"Don't you fucking say it! I know okay. I know we have a lot of shit to work out and once all this is over with, you and me are going to hash out all this other shit. We're going to be a family Brooke. You, me, this baby and Angel. I don't give a shit what I have to do. I'm not letting you go this time. You run and I will fucking hunt you down and drag you back to me. You understand me?"

"Her eyes glassed over with tears. It wasn't an I love you. They didn't do that shit. What he did do was claim her. She wasn't going anywhere even if she could at the moment. He wasn't letting go. She could see the seriousness in his eyes. They told her he did love her. They told her he needed her. They told her that he'd move fucking heaven and earth to keep her.

She believed him.

The sun had risen and set with no word from Rachel. Richard was starting to worry. He knew his baby girl was resourceful but he hadn't figured she could do shit if she was pregnant. He figured she wouldn't want to injure the baby. Then again could he trust Rachel not to?

He knew what that scheming bitch wanted. She was money and power hungry. He stood from his chair at his desk and turned to the floor to ceiling windows in his office and looked over the strip. How had he gotten so off track. His standing was shaky at bets with the worst of the families. The moment Whitey opened his mouth about him being behind the hit most of his allies had jumped ship. He was beginning to think he needed to leave town. Start someplace new. He just needed to get the accounts out of his father in laws lawyer and then he could hightail it out of Vegas and never look back. He wasn't about to let Scott have it all though. Oh no. That son of a bitch would have to rebuild it all. Dan Scott could have Vegas, or at least whatever was left of it when Richard was done.

He was a sore loser at best. Victoria had told him many a times as they lay on their bed in the early mornings playing blackjack. It had been right after Tyler was born. Their son had been a little colicky and Victoria had been through the ringer giving birth so Richard stayed up and took care of the both of them.

Richard had had it all. He had a beautiful son, Sexy as hell wife and he was gearing up to take over from her father. Life was perfect then.

Flashback

"God you are a horrible loser…Rich…baby I promise to let you win next time" she said smiling as he pouted and shuffled the cards again. She had beaten him five times in a row.

"Whatever Vic." He rolled his eyes and started the deal over as the baby monitor sounded off. Their boy had a set of lungs.

"I'll get him baby, you keep dealing, and stop cheating" he smiled as he left the room. All the while laughing as she threatened to knee cap him if he ever accused her of such a thing again.

He swung the corner to the nursery and entered walking to his son's crib. Tyler had been born one handsome boy. Richard had been proud. He was a perfect mix of he and his wife. The boy quieted down immediately. Richard rocked his son back to sleep knowing the noise from outside had probably awoken him.

They had been building addition to the house across the way and apparently they didn't give a shit how early they started.

Richard pressed his lips to his son's forehead and spoke softly. "It's okay son. I've got you. You be a good boy and go back to sleep and I promise I'll be in here first thing when you wake up with a bottle. Sound good?"

"You bribing my son Rich?"

He spun to see his wife in the doorway with a smile as big as the sun. His heart shuddered as he took her in. She had the most gorgeous brown eyes he'd ever seen. He'd been blessed that she loved him back, flaws and all. She forgave all his sins and loved him enough to give him a son and he would never be able to be the man she deserved but he knew from that moment on he needed to try.

"Just having a little chat with the boy. He seems to be more sensible than the both of us."

She crossed the room and ran her hand down her baby's back as he lay on his fathers chest.

"How's that?"

"He knows when he's got a good thing. He knows when he need to cause a ruckus and when to quiet down. We apparently don't have that common sense."

"Richard-"

"Look I know I fucked up but you have to understand that-"

"That my husband will have his mistresses and do whatever he feels with no regards to me or his son? Yeah Richard I understand that perfectly."

He let out a loud huff as she spun to leave the room. His words stopped her head in her tracks.

"I love ya' Vic…I know I don't deserve ya' but I love ya' more than my own life. I… I need to know…can you ever forgive me…love me again?"

She stood in that door way and for a second he thought she was going to end all of it right then but instead she looked over her shoulder and gave him a smile. His smile. The one she only gave him. And then she was gone.

He knew he was shit. He had a woman on the side he sort of cared about but he knew he loved Victoria. He loved her something fierce. He knew he was probably obsessed but he also knew he'd never let her go. He needed her not for the connections from her father but he NEEDED her. He needed to breathe so he knew he needed to figure his shit out. He couldn't lose Victoria. He'd die without her.

End Flashback

Richards shook his head of the memory. He and his late wife had been though all kinds of shit to be together. He had always known it would be the two of them the moment he laid eyes on her in her father's casino. He knew without a shadow of a doubt then that she'd be his forever. Only he hadn't counted on having competition. Sure she was a beautiful girl but he had foolishly thought he was the only one to make it into her heart.

He'd never forgive her for laying with one of his enemies. He'd never forgive her for leaving him that night and he'd never forgive himself for- No. It was all her fault. They were husband and wife. Sure he hadn't been faithful but neither had she. Brooke was proof of that. Looking at the woman his daughter had become and seeing his dead wife in her smile and hearing her in his daughters laugh, he knew he'd hate Victoria for the rest of his life. He could have forgiven her infidelity like she had forgiven his. He could have even withstood Brooke. Maybe even love her but the moment Victoria had shown up at his office and asked for a divorce he knew he'd never forgive her.

She was never supposed to fall in love. She wasn't supposed to choose another man over him. Ultimately...he choice to leave their marriage killed her and he wasn't sorry. She Broke her own vows to love him forever, no matter what. All that other prattle about being faithful and shit could be overlooked. But leaving...he was never going to let her leave. She die first and he had made sure of that.

So who is Brooke's real daddy? Trust me it only gets better from here folks. Buckle up, if you thougt this last part was a shock then wait for the next one. We get a double dose of sides and it's going to be extra long. Nathan and Tyler are coming up!