Hi, my lovelies! Thank you very much for your continuous support, for telling me to go on with Written in the stars. It means so much...; you can't even imagine, so big thank you.

Hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you enjoyed the previous ones.

The bright light of the day shining through his bedroom's window was what woke Liam up. He buried his face in the crook of his elbow to hide from the rays of the sun growling in contestation, not ready to get up just yet.

He stretched his arm out to the side hoping to find Steffy's bare back but all he felt was a void space and the warm sheet. Liam opened one eye at the feeling: no Sleeping Beauty. He got on his elbow and raised his head to take a look around the room: still no sign of Steffy.

Okay, now he was awake.

She couldn't by any chance have left and went to Forrester Creations, right? She wasn't that imprudent. After all, we were only talking about a woman who lived at a hundred mile, was all about enjoying life experiences and rode motorcycles! In a word, there was no reason to be worried.

Liam sat up. He scrubbed his eyes and got up to look for Steffy into the bathroom. He stopped at the door. He didn't hear the water running; no light could be seen by looking down the door: guess she wasn't there. He opened the door just to make sure. She wasn't there indeed.

Maybe the kitchen, he thought to himself.

Steffy was in the kitchen drinking a cup of tea and eating a chocolate cookie dough. She loved chocolate; seemed like her baby did too as she was enjoying much more than usual.

She was so completely and utterly happy –well, almost: the only dark cloud in her very rosy sky was her health, and more importantly, the baby's condition. Steffy hoped Bridget would call her soon to keep her posted about that so her mind would be a bit at peace.

Liam's reaction to the news had been so… Wow!

She was at loss of words.

She was really content that Liam was happy to become a dad and felt good about all this. She was really worried about how he would take it… That was problem in less…

She heaved a sigh. God was she happy! She had no idea what she had done to deserve all this but she was infinitely thankful to the Lord.

Steffy heard footsteps behind so she turned to them.

"Morning." She greeted Liam with the sweetest smile.

A smile started to blossom on Liam's face as well as he saw how radiant Steffy looked. But that was before he noticed the mug the raven-haired woman was holding and frowned at the sight. He strode towards her and pulled it out of her hands causing her to knit her brows before throwing its content in the sink.

"Liam!" she exclaimed. "What the hell! What are you doing?!" she asked him, confused.

"What are you doing?" he asked her back. "You're pregnant!"

"That was tea!" Steffy yelled. "And for your information, I am allowed two cups of coffee a day!" she said and moved past him jostling him on the shoulder on her way.

"Steffy!" he called out for her turning around.

She heaved a sigh but still turned to him.

"I'm sorry." Liam apologized. "I couldn't have guessed." He said shrugging.

"Never mind." She said and went to the fridge. She grabbed the handle but didn't open the refrigerator. Instead, she turned back to Liam. "Do you really think I'm that irresponsible?" she inquired, not really mad anymore but kind of disappointed.

Liam tilted his head to the side. He immediately felt bad about himself. The last thing he wanted was for her to think that or to feel mistrusted. He knew she would be a great mother… she already was.

As cliché as it sounded, it really wasn't her, it was him: he just didn't want something to happen to Steffy or the baby. And now that he thought about it, he wondered if her visit to the hospital the day before wasn't in one way or another linked to the baby's health, but it probably wasn't the opportune to ask her about it. Anyway, if something wasn't right with the baby, she would surely let him know.

"No." Liam answered her. "No, of course of not." He assured her approaching Steffy. "It's just… I'm…" he tried to explain himself stumbling. "This is so new for me." He eventually got out.

"Same here, Liam."

"I know, I know and I am sorry." He moved even closer to her until he was right next to her standing in front of the fridge. "I trust you, totally, a hundred percent." He assured her. "I promise."

Steffy nodded; she gave him a small but genuine smile.

She eventually opened the fridge and Liam slid his tongue inside, startling her. "Are you crazy?" she asked forcing volume into her voice.

"Settle the peace with a kiss?" Liam asked making his eyebrows rise and fall.

She raised her own eyebrows in surprise as if asking him if he was serious. She burst out laughing. "You're crazy!" she asserted in a certain tone but brought her face closer to Liam's to kiss him all the same.

Their lips separated and Steffy smiled shrugging lightly before they met again. His lips caught her white teeth instead of her lips as she was smiling into the kiss. Liam cupped her face and she surrounded the nape of his neck with her only available arm.

/

When Hope woke up that morning, she quickly became aware that she wasn't in her bed or even home. She took a look around the room she was in and it all came rushing back to her mind: Liam, his call, their 'breakup', and Oliver… She was at Oliver's… She had gone to find solace in her first love who was now her best friend –and probably even her only friend –and like he always was, he had been there for her.

Still lying down, she gave a look at the other side of the bed and realized the bed was made there.

A knock at the door caused her to look in the opposite direction.

"Hey." Oliver greeted her, a tray in his hand.

"Hey." She said back.

"Sleep well?" he asked her approaching her.

He put down the tray on his nightstand.

She sat up and he sat down near the edge of the bed, at the level of her feet.

"Very well, yes. Thank you." She responded her head and gaze lowered, sheepish. "Where did you sleep?" she asked him.

"On the couch." He answered simply.

"Oh my goodness…" Hope's voice sank to a whisper as she covered her face in her hands in embarrassment. Way to go, Hope! The blonde thought to herself. "I kicked you out of your bed?!" she asked Oliver disbelievingly looking at him through the opening of her fingers on her face.

He nodded, amusement at her acute uncomfortableness all over his face.

"Oh my goodness…" she repeated letting her hands fall off her face. "I am so sorry, Oliver." She apologized.

Oliver laughed. "It's okay." He told her but that didn't loosen Hope up. "It's okay!" He assured her more seriously. "Never mind, it's fine."

"No, Oliver, it is not." She countered and began to massage the nape of her neck. "Why didn't you come sleep inside your bed?!" she inquired.

"Because you were asleep and I didn't want to wake you! I thought you needed your rest." He justified.

"That doesn't answer my question." Hope said pointedly, tilting her head.

He stared at her expression a moment and then rolled his eyes.

He heaved a sigh and looked back at Hope. "I didn't want to appear… ungentlemanly." He admitted.

The blonde widened her eyes. "You? Ungentlemanly?" she asked as if it was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard, as if the association of the two words just made no sense. She chuckled and shook her head. "Never." She assured him smiling.

He smiled back at her. It was really great to be there together; well, not together but, at least he was at her side. He just wished it didn't have to be this way, under these very unwelcome circumstances; he wished Hope didn't have to be devastated over Liam to spend time together –as she always seemed to be, be it said.

"Do you feel better?" Oliver inquired.

Hope nodded. "I do. In large part, thanks to you. Th…"

"No. No, no." he cut her off. "None of that. Just be satisfied with being okay and we'll be even, alright?" he told her.

Hope merely stared at him, her mouth half open, her eyes widened a little, for quite a moment. You are one special guy, Oliver Jones. She inwardly said to herself. It was a shame she let that slip away from her mind.

She snapped her mouth shut and nodded an honest smile on her face.

Oliver let himself get sank in the gorgeous blonde's blue eyes a small moment before he snapped out of it. "There. Eat something." He said pointing at the tray on the nightstand.

She turned and noticed what was in the tray: a cup of coffee, pancakes with maple syrup, and a glass full of what seemed to be orange juice.

"Aw… you even got me breakfast!" she said in a moved tone. Wasn't he perfect?

She mechanically moved her buttock off the bed and leant forward and kissed him. The next second, the blonde was back on her spot, her hands over her mouth, and the realization of what she had just done obvious in her expression.

She dropped her hands to her chest. "Oliver, I am so…"

"It's okay. It's okay." He cut her off.

"I apologize."

"It's nothing, alright? Everything's fine." Oliver reassured and stood up. "I'm going to let you eat in peace, and then you can take a shower… or not, as you please… Um, I'll be downstairs." He told her. "Don't take too long, it's almost nine."

"Okay." She said and he strode out the room.

"Oliver." She called out. He reappeared at his bedroom's door-step. "Thank you." She acknowledged.

His lips pulled into a smile. "Don't mention it." Then, he disappeared again.

Hope turned her head to the opposite direction.

Oh my goodness

/

Back at Liam and Steffy's beach place, the couple was sensually interacting on the kitchen's counter. Liam was running his right hand up Steffy's left inner thigh while caressing her hip with his left hand. The only thing the raven-haired woman had on was his light-blue shirt and Liam seemed to be well aware of that.

What was supposed to be a quick peck had turned into a full make-out session and as much as Steffy would have loved to go ahead with this, she didn't have time for it.

She broke away and leant backwards. "Liam." She called. The latter headed for her neck and hummed.

"I have to go to work." She informed him in an obvious tone.

"Do you?" he asked not stopping his ministrations for all that. "I thought Bridget asked you to rest." He asserted in a false questioning way and held her head leaving a trail of hot kisses down her throat sending shivers through her.

"Ohhh… and this is what you qualify as rest?" Steffy inquired.

He kissed her cheek then her lips. "Well, I am the one doing all the kissing." He responded.

Steffy huffed. "Ok. Well, you're the one who's going to have to stop then." She told him.

"Do you really want me to?" Liam asked and kissed her before she could answer him. He kissed her so hard she thought she was going to collapse onto the counter. She held on to the nape of his neck with one hand and to the edge of the counter with the other for balance.

He started unbuttoning her shirt. Once the two first buttons were undone, he broke away and his lips went to assault her chest.

She hummed, her lips pressed together. She was sooo lying!

"Now, you're gonna have to give me a real answer, Steffy." He took one of her hard swollen nipple inside his mouth and began to suck on it; he nipped at its rose tip eliciting a throaty moan from Steffy.

"I have so much work, Liam." She told him fighting with herself not to give in to the onslaught of sensations and let him have his way with her right there right now.

"That work waited till this morning, right?" he asked bringing his lips up her face.

"Yes." She managed to answer.

"Then it can wait two more hours." Liam asserted and laid wet open mouth kiss along her jawline.

His lips went down her neck to her left shoulder. He sucked on her collarbone, Steffy's most sensitive spot as he knew all too well, and she cried out and let her upper body fall to the counter. "Oh Lord!"

Just then, she knew he had won the argument.

/

Steffy would have been tempted to say that she was way behind work but that would have been far from the reality: she had two enormous piles of documents on her desk waiting for her to take care of it. She had been at the office for only a couple of hours and her brain already felt like exploding out of her head! She would never see the end of it.

She took yet another file out of the piles with the intention of working on it when God heard her inside pleas and sent someone to knock at her door.

"Yes?" she said a bit too enthusiastic.

Her mother entered her office. She stood up to greet her; they walked towards each other. "Hey mom!" she hugged her.

"Hey sweetheart!" the older woman pulled back. "How are you?" she asked.

"I'm fine." Steffy answered meaning it for the first time in… quite a long time.

"I actually believe you." Taylor said taking another good look at her daughter. "You look good." She noticed and received a content smile from her daughter. "How is that?" she inquired, curiosity and suspicion laced in her voice.

Steffy shrugged casually. "It's a beautiful, sunny day. Why wouldn't I be okay?" she asked back innocently.

"It was a beautiful and sunny day Saturday, Steffy." She pointed out. "And Sunday, and yesterday. Speaking of which, I came here looking for you yesterday." Taylor informed. "You were nowhere to be found." She raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, um…" Steffy frowned lightly unsure of what to say: she already had Liam all over her back; she didn't need her mom too. Besides, the latter would certainly be pissed if she told her she had been at the hospital and hadn't called. "I wasn't feeling well." She justified. It was the truth after all.

"To the point of turning your phone off?" Taylor was surprised, dubious. That wasn't much Steffy's style indeed; she was more of a workaholic. It was already difficult to get her to put her phone on silent mode during vacation.

Steffy sighed and turned around.

"Steffy?" Taylor called warily.

The raven haired woman turned back to her woman. "I felt a pain in my stomach." She ended up confessing. "AND my phone was only turned off for a couple hours!" She pointed out without leaving Taylor the time to think. She felt like she had to.

"You felt a pain in your stomach?!" Taylor panicked.

'And there it goes' Steffy thought.

"Why didn't you call me?!" Taylor inquired.

"And what would you have done, mom?" she asked crossing her arms below her chest. "From the other end of the town?" she reminded pointedly, just like that.

"Please tell me you at least went to the hospital."

"Of course I did." She responded, forgetting to mention that Katie almost had to force her. She would have to thank her thinking about it.

"And you're okay?" Taylor made sure.

"Yes, mother, I AM okay." She asserted. "Didn't you say a minute ago that I looked great?" she reminded with a smile that was a little too much, in an attempt to lighten the mood.

But instead of laughing or chuckling like her daughter expected her to, Taylor tilted her head and narrowed her eyes in a lightly displeased way; the beginning of a smile could be spotted on the corner of her mouth though. "I did."

"Hey! Guess who I met at the hospital!" Steffy said joyfully trying more or less subtly to change the topic of discussion.

"I don't know." Taylor said oblivious. "Who?"

"Bridget!" Steffy exclaimed.

"Don't you think that our previous conversation is over but… you did?" she asked.

"Yes!" Steffy responded. "She works at LA's General Hospital again, she's the one who…"

/

In his office, Liam was going through the modifications on Spencer Publications' website on his computer with the most blissful smile on his face, but his mind was clearly elsewhere. Wonder with whom?

He looked so happy that one would have been torn between being moved by the sight and slapping him across the face.

He looked away from the screen and towards the door when he heard it open.

"Hey Dad!" he greeted forgetting to wipe that silly smile that he had been boring off his face.

"You show up at the office at twelve now." Bill noted. "It's getting better and better." He commented sardonically finishing with an ironic smile.

"Yeah, um… sorry." Liam apologized and mentally thought of something to say to justify his 'lateness', something that didn't involve mentioning Steffy's name. "I had a… I had an intense night." He settled for that and returned his attention to SP's website. He had had an intense night indeed.

"Okay…" Bill accepted not sure what that meant but certain there was something behind that answer. He studied Liam's face more intently. "What's that silly smile for?" he inquired, suspicious.

"What smile?" Liam asked looking back at his father.

"That smile!" Bill repeated frowning lightly and gesturing at Liam's face. "Wait..." He said raising a hand before him. He knit his brows as his face took a serious and thoughtful expression. Oh the old man was so putting two and two together!

He looked back at his son, a particular emotion in the eye. "Please, tell me you didn't spend the night with Hope." His tone was nearly begging.

And that was all it took to rid Liam of his blissful smile…

The latter heaved a sigh. "No, far from it." He answered.

"Steffy then?" Bill asked. He was trying not to get his hopes up but a smile was already perceptible in his voice.

Liam nodded.

"Woo!" Bill let out a scream of victory causing Liam to widen his eyes. He looked like he had gotten to sleep with Steffy.

Liam knew his father was most likely Steffy's biggest fan but still… couldn't he show a minimum of reserve?

"This is wonderful!"

"Clearly you feel that way." Liam commented.

"Don't you?" Bill asked him.

"Yes." He answered with a monosyllable.

"Then why you aren't happier?" his father reproached him. "You seemed perfectly happened when I passed this door." He noticed pointing to his son's office's door. "What happened?" he inquired.

"YOU happened, father!" Liam responded getting up from his armchair and going round his desk. "You reminded me that I broke a girl's heart yesterday." he said, morose, clearly feeling bad about the fact.

He was happy with the way things were with Steffy. As a matter of fact, he hadn't been this happy in quite some time. And he was thrilled to be on his way to building a family.

However, he couldn't feel help but feel bad about Hope, to feel guilty because of what he had done to her… They had been through so much; she had been put through so much! Too many people interfered in their lives and relationship, too many obstacles were laid in their way, everybody made it impossible… Yet, they fought. They fought but they didn't make it through. It was all for nothing.

He wished he hadn't done this to her. He wished there had been another way.

But he had come to a point in his life where he truly felt like Steffy was the one he had to be with. It was as simple as that.

"That's heart-rending." His old man's voice brought him back to the present moment. Liam looked at his father who obviously didn't give a damn about Hope's current pain if the irony and lack of sympathy in his voice were any indication. "But you would have broken a heart either way, Liam, you know that." He pursued approaching him. He put both his hands on Liam's shoulders. "Trust me, son, you broke the right woman's heart." He said completely and obliviously tactless.

Liam huffed at his father's indiscretions. "Wow… Was that supposed to be comforting?"

"Look, it's hard for to me to sympathize with Hope." Bill said. "You know my opinion of the girl." He reminded pointedly.

"Yes, I do." The younger man agreed returning to his armchair and collapsing on it seeming mentally weary. "You make it painfully obvious." He added.

"You're not already regretting your decision, are you?" Bill made sure.

Liam looked up at his dad then down at his desk. "No, of course not." He responded after a short while. "I just wish I didn't have to do this to Hope." He said regretful.

"You can't have it all."

"I am aware." He replied with a pensive look.

"What made up your mind?" the older man inquired tilting his head to the side at the same time genuinely curious and wanting to focus on more positive thoughts.

Liam looked at Bill, and then looked away recalling the decisive events of the day before:

When Katie called and told him that she was at the hospital with Steffy, Liam's heart leapt into his mouth. He stopped breathing for an instant as images of their life together literally flashed before his eyes. He remembered their first dance together at the Tiki bar back at the time when she seduced him and was determined to have him, their first kiss at the beach when he was engaged to Hope, their real first kiss after he proposed to her, the first time they made love to each other that very same night, and obviously their unexpected and completely unforgettable wedding on the top of the mountain in Aspen. He only recovered his breath when his stepmother reassured him by telling him it was nothing serious and she was actually running some tests. He had never been so scared in his entire existence.

It was in those long seconds of panic that he came to the realization that he needed Stephanie Forrester Junior in his life for she was all that simply essential to his happiness.

"That's weird, Katie didn't tell me anything." Bill spoke after his son explained everything to him.

"Well, you have a few issues of your own." He rightfully pointed out. He didn't need to say more. Steffy's health condition really should be the least of his father and Katie's worries. "And since it was nothing serious, I assume she didn't want to alarm you." He said shrugging.

Bill let out a hum. "Probably." He settled. "Anyway, I am thrilled for you and Steffy." He declared. "Being a dad is going to change your life." He articulated and didn't realize the weigh that carried his words until they were out.

"Whoa, what?" Liam inquired, his brows furrowed, rebounding on what his father had just confessed.

'Oh I am such a dead man.' Bill thought to himself picturing a certain raven-haired woman in her wrath. "Huh?" he decided to play dumb. It might work, who knows?

"What did you just say?"

The older man shook his head questioningly without uttering a word.

"You know about Steffy being pregnant?" Liam questioned half-angry and half-confused.

"Do you?" Bill asked, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes going round. Now, he was confused.

"Yes!" Liam answered pointedly. "How do you?!"

/

"I am so happy for you, sweetheart." Taylor confided to her daughter.

"Thank you, mom."

"Both of you." Taylor added and Steffy smiled softly. "You kids are taking one giant step in your life together; you're building a family…" she sighed. "I really couldn't be happier for you."

"Thank you, mom." Steffy acknowledged again.

She was so content to have her mom's blessing and support and… unconditional love. It helped her; really, it was soothing. She knew her mother had her best interest and her happiness at heart and was the one person who would always defend her no matter what.

"I am so happy." She confessed to her. "I feel…" she paused looking for the exact word, the adjective which would convey her state of mind and heart. "…complete." She completed shaking her head, a ridiculously happy smile on her face. "…whole, you know? And that is all thanks to Liam! I am so happy, mom, you cannot even imagine." She assured.

"Oh I think I have an idea." Taylor countered. Indeed, her blissful expression was making it pretty obvious how happy Steffy was.

"Don't make fun of me." Steffy defended.

"I am not making fun of you." Taylor assured amused. She effectively seemed like she was mocking her. "I'm just happy for you." She said again, her expression suddenly turning moved. "Oh come on in my arms." She asked and Steffy complied moved as well.

They released each other and Taylor cupped her daughter's face. "I am so proud of you." She declared. "Your grandmother would be too." She assured her.

Steffy tilted her head to the side feeling tears welling up in her eyes. It always deeply moved her when her grandmother was mentioned. There were no words to even begin to say how much Steffy missed her.

She took her mother back in her arms and hugged her tight. "Thank you, mom."

Taylor pulled away and caressed Steffy's right cheekbone. "I should reach Liam." She suddenly said removing her hand from Steffy's face as the thought came to her mind.

The latter creased her brow lightly in incomprehension. "Uh, why?" she inquired.

"Well, to congratulate him." Her mother answered as if it was obvious why.

Steffy raised her brows. "Uh…" she started frowning.

"I will pass by Spencer Publications." The older woman decided.

"Can't you just call him?" Steffy suggested. "Or even text him?"

"No!" Taylor exclaimed. "You don't congratulate a soon-to-be dad over the phone!"

"A what?" Hope asked in a tiny voice as she entered the office and shut the door behind her.

Taylor turned around; Steffy sighed softly as she briefly closed her eyes. 'Wonderful!' This is just what she needed.

Hope advanced further into the office. "Is this true?" she inquired.

The raven haired woman didn't respond, nor did her mother: this was Steffy's call, not hers.

"Steffy?" Hope insisted and Steffy swallowed. "Are you pregnant?"

She finally steadied her gaze on the blonde. "I am." She answered.

Yet another cliffhanger. Sorry. lol.

Please bear with me.

Reviews appreciated.

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