*Thank-you for all the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much.

Tessa and Dave wasted no time getting on the road to head back to New York. The sooner they were out of West Newbury the better it would be for them and they could get their lives together started. "How did he take it?" asked Dave as he took Tessa's hand as he drove down the interstate.

"Not well. I'm pretty sure he's going to come after me for custody of Zachary. He was upset."

"Fuck him," said Dave. "He's not getting Zachary with Zola's craziness. He'll be lucky if he can keep the two youngest. I won't let him get Zachary."

"You won't have a say," said Tessa, "you're not his father. John is."

"But my name is on the birth certificate. I am his father."

"Whether your name is there or not John has DNA matching Zachary that can over power anything that birth certificate says. I know. I don't' want him to get Zachary either but he is his father."

"I know and it pisses me off everyday. I hate that fact."

"Me too," said Tessa. "I wish things were different. I wish John could be out of our lives forever but he never will be."

"I know and that sucks too," said Dave. "So are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay," said Tessa. "It's just been a crazy couple of days."

"I know. I just don't want it to get you so stressed out. You're dealing with a lot right now and I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I am,' she said. "You don't have to worry about me."

"Okay," said Dave. "So Scarlet and Zachary are you two ready to get back to New York?"

"Daddy," said Scarlet, "I was never ready to leave. I love New York. I can't wait to see my friends again."

"I am too," said Zachary. "I miss my old school. We are going back to our old school right?"

"As long as we can still enroll you," said Tessa.

"Does this mean you and Mommy are back together?" asked Scarlet.

"We're back together," said Dave with a smile as he looked over at Tessa. He couldn't have been happier that him and Tessa were finally getting back together. He could never understand why he let her get away but he was definitely happy that Tessa was coming back to him where she belonged. She was the love of his life and had never loved or could never love another woman the way he loved Tessa.

"Really, Mommy? You're not going to live with John again are you?"

"Never," said Tessa. "I am with your daddy again."

"Good," she said. "And what about your baby with John? What's going to happen to it?"

Tessa and Dave looked at each other. Dave gave Tessa a nod telling her that she should answer the question truthfully and not hide it from her any longer. Tessa fully agreed; Scarlet needed to know the truth. "Well, Scarlet," said Tessa, "about that baby I lost it."

"You lost it?" asked Scarlet. "How did you lose it?"

"When I fell down the stairs the baby didn't make it so I'm not having a baby anymore."

"So I'm not going to have a baby sister or brother," she said with tears in her eyes.

"No, I'm sorry," said Tessa.

"I really wanted to be a big sister," said Scarlet as she sniffled. "I really did."

"I know," said Tessa. "I'm sorry. Maybe your daddy and me will have a little baby someday."

"Is it my fault?" asked Scarlet as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"No," said Tessa, "It was not your fault. Everything that happened this week is NOT your fault so don't blame yourself."

"But I made Zola mad and that's why she hurt you," said Scarlet. She truly felt like it was her fault that Zola pushed Tessa down the stairs and now she felt like she was to blame for Tessa losing the baby.

"Zola has problems. You did nothing wrong," said Tessa.

"Mom's right," said Zachary. "Zola is crazy and she didn't hurt mom because of you. She hurt her because she is crazy."

"Okay," said Scarlet. "But do you two promise I will have a baby sister or brother some day?"

"We can't promise," said Dave, "but we'll work on it," he said with a smile as he looked at Tessa.

"Good," said Scarlet, "because I really want that baby sister or brother."

"I know you do," said Tessa with a smile as she looked back at Scarlet and then back at Dave. "Do you hear that?"

"I do," said Dave with a smile, "and I am in."

"I figured you would be. Whenever you're ready I am ready," said Tessa.

"Let's give that ankle some time to heal before we do anything like that."

"All right," she said with a smile. Normally she wouldn't be in a rush to try for another baby but time was not on her side. She was nearly 40 if she was going to have another baby she wanted to do it soon. It almost made her wish that she had started earlier with having babies instead of waiting till she was in her 30's. If she could go back and change some things she would have gotten with Dave sooner and started having kids in her mid 20's. She would have done it a lot differently. She wished she could do it all differently but she couldn't and all she could do was move on with her life and hope for the best. The one thing she was sure of was she was never going to leave Dave again.

As Tessa and Dave were on their way to their home John was still upset about everything that had happened. He called his mom over so that he could talk to her. Carol wasted no time to come over to her son's house. She walked into the house and called his name, "John, where are you?"

"The kitchen," he said as he sat at the table drinking a beer.

"What is going on?" she asked.

"She's gone," said John.

"What?"

"Tessa's gone. She took Zachary and Scarlet and she left. She's going back to New York."

"She left you for Dave again didn't she?" asked Carol.

"Yeah," he said taking a sip of his beer. "She left with Dave."

"That hussy. I knew this was going to happen. And you let her take Zachary?" asked Carol.

"No. I wasn't going to but he wanted to go with her."

"So you just let him leave with her. You know she can take him out of this state and never bring him back. She has that right and you can't do anything about it."

"She can't keep him from me forever. I am his father."

"You may be his father but you two have no custody agreement in place. Nothing can be done."

"And that's why I'm getting a lawyer and going for full custody of him. She is not getting way with this. She has taken everything away from me. She doesn't get to take my son away from me and Dave he has a rude awakening coming his way. He thinks he's going to get away with taking my fiance' he has another thing coming and she didn't even give me back my engagement ring."

"I hope you do get full custody of him and make her give the ring back. If she doesn't want to be with you she doesn't need the ring."

"I know," said John. "I'm planning everything out in my head. I will not lose the woman I love nor will I lose my son. I've been through too much to lose it all again."

"What makes you think you can get Tessa back and why would you want her back?"

"Because I love her and I know she will NEVER allow me full custody of Zachary unless she is in the house. I'll get her back and I'll use Zachary to do it."

"Do you really want Zachary or is it about getting Tessa back?"

"Getting Tessa back. It's like a packaged deal," he said before taking another drink of beer.

*A/N: So what did you think? Please review and thank-you for taking the time to read.