I know you've been waiting for this, so I'll be rambling at the bottom.

Liam knocked on his father's door twice by pure courtesy, but entered his office before Bill could even answer.

"Well, come on in." Bill said sarcastically after he realized it was Liam.

Liam smiled at his father's mocking comment. He put down the folder he had been holding on his father's deck and said, "Here's my review of the proposition for Spencer Publications' next number. I wrote a few notes in the margin and made a couple suggestions, but overall, I think we're good. The number should be ready by mid-next week." He explained.

"What about last month's sales?" Bill asked, barely looking away from his computer screen.

Liam tilted his head as he answered, "I am still working on that. Can it will wait till' tomorrow?" He asked, hopeful. "If not, I guess I can try to send it to you tonight?" He offered.

Finally, Bill turned his gaze away from his computer and towards Liam. "It can wait until tomorrow." He said.

Liam nodded.

"When are you leaving?" Bill inquired.

"Um, whenever Steffy gets here?" Liam glanced at his watch. "So probably in fifteen minutes or so…"

"She doesn't suspect anything, right?"

"I don't think so." Liam shook his head. "Personally, I don't think I've given anything away, so unless somebody else has, no, she doesn't."

Taylor, Thomas, and Liam were planning a surprise party for Steffy at the occasion of Liam and Steffy successfully going through the first trimester of their pregnancy. Taylor had come up with the idea a week before, and Liam had immediately agreed, thinking it would please Steffy.

He and Steffy had been talking about coming out with the news of them expecting a child. And now that they were past the first trimester, which was the most delicate part of a pregnancy, they had no reason to keep the good news to themselves anymore.

This party, or perhaps more accurately, this get-together, was the perfect occasion for them to tell Forrester Creations' staff before revealing the news to the whole world. A number of people were already aware anyway: Thomas, Taylor –who incidentally had told Eric –Brooke, Hope. And Steffy and Liam had been getting curious looks from some of the employers at Forrester Creations, causing them to think people were starting to suspect something.

"It shall be a surprise then?" Bill raised a questioning eyebrow at Liam.

"Uh-hum." Liam nodded. "I hope so… I also hope she doesn't kill me for not telling her." He added.

"Oouuh." Bill sang mockingly. "Let's hope. How are things going between you on a regular basis? How are you handling a Steffy raging with hormones?" He inquired with a sly grin.

"She's not that bad. She's really not." Liam shook his head. "She has a couple mood swings every once in a while, but nothing great. She's still Steffy." He shrugged. "You know? Fun, adventurous, childish, authoritative, stubborn, addicted to work…" Liam enumerated and scowled as he spoke the last adjective.

Bill smirked. "You seem a bit irritated about that last one." He noted.

Liam heaved a sigh. Steffy was intractable about that. She refused to stop working or even to diminish her hours. It was a source of constant worry for Liam. "I just wish she would take it easy." He finally responded.

"You know Steffy." Bill raised a knowing eyebrow at Liam. "She has to work. She wouldn't know what to do with herself if she was inactive."

"But she's pregnant! She has a responsibility towards our child. She needs to rest!" Liam opposed.

Bill stood up and walked around his desk to the front. "Liam, she is about four months pregnant. I think she can still take it. It's not like she's doing any heavy lifting." He tried to reason.

Liam rolled his eyes and looked away. She didn't have to do so much. Couldn't she just relax in her bed all day, watching television, and drinking hot cocoa? For most women, that would be the dream. Unfortunately for Liam, Steffy wasn't one of those women. No, Steffy was an adrenalin-woman, someone who lived her life to her fullest and refused to waste a second of her day –unless it was in his arm; in that case, it was no wasting. Then, Liam realized that was one of the reasons he loved her so much. But for the sake of the baby, he really would appreciate it if she cooled things down a little.

Liam sighed and reluctantly admitted, "Yeah, I guess."

Bill tried to conceal his amusement at his son's annoyed air. He thought it was sweet that Liam worried so much about Steffy, even though really the woman could take care of herself. It showed how much Liam cared about Steffy, and it was a good thing to witness. Besides, Bill knew what it was like to have a pregnant woman to tend to.

"She's going to have to go on maternity leave eventually." Bill appeased.

"I know. I just wish it was sooner rather than later." Liam said.

Bill looked at his son sympathetically, a hint of amusement in his smile.

"Incidentally, how is Katie?" Liam asked, diverting the topic of conversation from the woman who shared his life to the one who shared his father's life. "I haven't seen her in a while."

"She's fine. She's fine."

"Good."

"She spends a lot of time taking care of Will."

Liam frowned and gave his father a quizzical look. "Isn't that normal?"

Bill tilted his head to the side, pondering that. "If you want." He said, unconvinced.

"I'm not following…" Liam admitted, slightly shaking his head.

Bill put his hands in the pockets of his pants and sighed. "Let's just say I would appreciate it if she would devote a little less of her time to Will and give me her full attention for more than ten minutes."

Liam widened his eyes in bewilderment. "You are jealous of your own son?" He stated more than he asked, trying and failing to hide the laughter in his voice.

Bill narrowed his eyes and glared at Liam. "I am craving intimacy with my wife." He declared pointedly.

"Whoa! Okay. Alright." Liam held his hands up before him, a disgusted expression on his face. What a visual he just put in his mind. "I don't want to hear this. This is not a conversation we need to have."

"Hey, you ask, I answer." Bill retorted.

"I asked how Katie is, not how your sexual life is going!" Liam objected, his lips in a pout.

Bill's lips stretched into a tight-lipped mouth as he repressed a chuckle.

Liam shook his head, still trying to get the nasty thoughts out of his head. "Have you thought of maybe hiring a nanny?" He suggested, raising his eyebrows at Bill.

"Of course I have." Bill snapped. "Katie won't allow it. She doesn't see the point of having a nanny when she is a stay-at-home mom."

Liam frowned. "Well, the point is to have some time for yourselves."

"I am aware of that. Katie isn't."

Liam didn't know what to reply to that. His father and Katie had been through a lot the past few months. Liam thought all that pain was behind them and they would finally get to be happy with their new addition to the family, but apparently they still had a number of issues to work out.

Liam understood Katie's need to be there for Will at all times, especially given the form of baby blues she went through after her delivery, but the fact that she and his father drifted apart because of it worried him. Bill needed his wife's attention too. They had to find the right balance. For everyone's sake.

"Well, maybe hiring a nanny is a step too far right now. Maybe it's asking too much..." Liam reasoned, putting himself in Katie's shoes. "You could start off with a date. Steffy and I could babysit."

Bill's face took a thoughtful expression as he mulled over that suggestion. "Good idea!" He eventually said.

"I know!" Liam said, falsely proud.

Bill smiled. "That will give you some practice."

"I know. That's why I'm offering. Works for everyone." Liam stated.

Just then, Bill's office phone rang, so he went back to his desk to pick it up. "Yes?"

"Sir, Steffy Forrester is looking for your son." Bill's secretary voice resounded through the phone.

"Let her in." Bill said, looking at Liam, and hung up.

Fifteen seconds later, Steffy walked into Bill's office.

"Hey." She said with a large smile as she walked towards Liam. She wrapped her arms around Liam's neck and kissed him tenderly. She pulled back, and then leaned in to kiss him again.

Bill cleared his throat. Steffy broke the kiss and turned her face to Bill, finally taking notice of him. Embarrassed, she quickly released Liam.

"Hi…" She greeted Bill shyly.

"How is my daughter-in-law?" Bill asked.

She glanced at Liam before she answered Bill, "Not exactly your daughter in law."

"Please. The ceremony is just a formality. You're carrying my grandchild. You are my daughter-in-law." Bill affirmed.

She raised an eyebrow at him as her lips pulled into a smile. "Oh really? I don't remember you feeling that way about Amber." She remarked, amused.

Bill's face fell and Steffy felt Liam cringe beside her. Wow, Amber definitely wasn't popular around here.

"Do not mention that person in front of me again, Steffy." Bill chided.

"And please don't ever compare yourself to her again, in any kind of way." Liam said.

"Please." Bill added for emphasis.

Steffy laughed but contained her humor at the looks Bill and Liam shot her. "Okay!" She eventually said.

All jokes aside, Steffy appreciated Bill's affection and support greatly. "To answer your earlier question, I am very fine, thank you. So is your grandchild." Steffy told Bill.

"I'm glad to hear that." Bill smiled.

"How are Katie and Will?" She asked.

"They're fine." Bill answered briefly. "Will doesn't lack his mother's attention." He commented thoughtfully.

Steffy frowned and turned her head to Liam, a quizzical expression on her face. "Okay…" She said, not really understanding what Bill was referring to but feeling that he was referring to something.

"Apparently, Katie isn't giving my Dad enough attention." Liam whispered to Steffy as an explanation.

"Oh..." Steffy nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry." She said to Bill. "Have you tried talking to her about it?" She inquired.

"No, I am tired of talking." Bill responded pointedly.

"Okay." Steffy said simply, deciding it was in her best interest not to push the conversation.

"I offered for us to babysit Will sometime." Liam informed her.

"Good idea." Steffy smiled. "We need practice."

"Uh-huh. That's what I thought." Liam nodded.

"Thank you to both of you." Bill acknowledged. "The hard part will be to pull Katie apart from Will."

"I'm sure you'll find a way." Liam said, grabbing Steffy's hand and pulling her towards the door. "Okay, we're leaving. See you tomorrow."

"Good evening." Steffy said as they disappeared through the door.

"You too!" Bill shouted to them after the door shut.

/

Liam parked in the first lot of Forrester Creations' parking. He got out of the car and strode to Steffy's side to open her door. He held his hand out to her.

Smiling up at him, Steffy put her hand in his and got out of the car. "What a gentleman!" She exclaimed.

"With you? Always." Liam leaned towards her and pressed a sweet kiss on her cheek.

Steffy blushed and giggled.

Liam looked at Steffy sideways and a small smile tugged at his lips as he watched the genuinely happy expression on her face. "I love it when you laugh." He gently told her.

Steffy glanced at Liam, her cheeks turning crimson. She didn't receive compliments from Liam very often and it was always pleasant when she did. Like all women, she thought, she liked to feel appreciated, especially by the man she loved. It was normal.

Liam grinned at her sheepish air. It wasn't an easy task to embarrass Steffy Forrester.

He looked at her sideways, "Have I told you recently how beautiful you are?"

Steffy turned her head to Liam, her eyebrows knit together in a quizzical look. What was up with him? Was he purposely trying to embarrass her?

She arched an eyebrow, considering his question. After a moment, she answered, "Not really. Not in the last forty-eight hours."

Liam stopped in his steps, and so did Steffy a short second later. He reached out for her hip and pulled her to him.

Steffy rested her hand on Liam chest to maintain her balance, caught off guard by his embrace. She looked up at him and her breath caught in her throat at his fiery gaze. His eyes were intense, contemplating her face. "You… are – gorgeous." He told her, staring into her deep blue eyes, and then leaned in to close the gap between their lips.

Steffy melted into his arms and held on to his neck, stroking the hair that rested at his nape, as they pursued the kiss. They pulled away and rested their foreheads against one another, recovering their breath. Steffy tenderly ran her hands up and down Liam's forearms.

"I love you." She whispered, her eyes closed.

She felt Liam smile before he said, "I love you too."

After a moment, Liam tugged at Steffy's hand, leading them forward.

"I still don't understand what we're doing here." Steffy complained as they got into the elevator.

"Thomas said he wanted to talk to you." Liam simply responded.

"Yeah, but I was with him two hours ago. Couldn't he say what he had to then?"

Liam shrugged. "He must have forgotten."

"Well, couldn't he say it over the phone or just wait until tomorrow?" Steffy insisted.

Liam opened his mouth to say something, but the elevator rang at that moment. He turned to look at Steffy, a complacent smile on his face, and said, "You're about to find out."

Steffy frowned and arched an eyebrow at him with an intrigued air.

"What?" He asked, noticing her look.

"Nothing." She answered as she stepped out of the elevator.

"Hey, Steffy. Liam." Pam nodded at them as she saw them approach.

"Hey, Pam." Steffy greeted back. "Have you seen Thomas?" She asked.

"Yes, he is in Eric's office." Pam answered.

"Alone?"

"Yes."

Steffy smiled at her appreciatively and walked to Eric's office with Liam following her.

She opened the door.

"Surprise!" A small crowd shouted, startling Steffy. She gasped and brought a hand over her open mouth.

"Oh my God." She breathed. She took a look around the room: there was her mother, her brother, Bill, Eric, Rick… and Bill?!

"Congratulations on making it past your third month of pregnancy!" Thomas said.

Steffy blinked. "Thanks." She said in a small voice.

Taylor walked towards the couple and embraced her daughter. "Congratulations, baby." She said before turning her gaze to Liam. "Congratulations, Liam." She hugged him too.

"Thank you, Taylor." Liam said.

"Mom, this was not necessary." Steffy said to Taylor. She knew her mother's intentions were good, but Steffy didn't like being the center of attention, whatever the matter, and Taylor knew that.

"We wanted to." Taylor replied.

"Maybe but" Steffy started to protest but Taylor cut her off.

"Steffy, you had a rough start with your pregnancy." Taylor brought her hands up to her daughter's shoulders. "And you have made it past the first trimester. You're almost half-way. In just a few months, you will be a mother…" She trailed off.

Steffy felt her mother's voice soften and emotion creep in. She could tell she was getting emotional. Steffy felt her own annoyance dissipate. How could she be upset at Taylor when she was just trying to please her? Besides, the get-together was in Liam's honor too. And she didn't want to deprive him of that.

Steffy pulled Taylor into a tight hug, acknowledging what she had done for her in her own way and letting her know all was good.

Taylor pulled back and took a tentative look at Steffy. "You're not mad?"

Steffy shook her head briefly. "No, I'm not."

"Your mom is right, Steffy." Eric said, putting one hand on Taylor's shoulder and the other on Steffy's.

Neither of them had even heard him come closer.

Eric focused his eyes on Steffy and went ahead, "The first trimester is a crucial period of a pregnancy, and you've made it past it. There is reason for celebration. You should enjoy your pregnancy. All of it. It will go by faster than you think." He assured her.

Steffy smiled sweetly at Eric and nodded at his words. She really appreciated his concern. She appreciated all their concern. She wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you." She said softly. "Thank you for everything." She tilted her head so it rested on Eric's shoulder.

Wrapped up in Eric's embrace like that, Steffy couldn't help but miss the warmth of her father. She wished he were here at that moment. She wanted to relish in the joy of her pregnancy with him too. Sure, they talked over the phone and chatted via Skype often, but it wasn't quite the same. He wasn't physically there. And she felt the distance between them painfully expand and tear her heart every time they talked.

She missed him so much.

Eric's voice pulled Steffy out of her thoughts. "You're welcome." He said as he kissed her temple and released her.

"As you can see, there aren't a whole lot of people here. Just the few of us who know about your pregnancy." Eric said.

Steffy briefly turned her attention towards Liam and then back at Eric. "Well, we'll be talking to the press soon. Since almost everyone is here, perhaps we could summon the staff and let them all know?" She smiled.

"Yeah, sure, if you want to." Liam agreed.

Eric nodded. "I can do that right now." He said as he walked towards his desk.

/

Liam leaned in close to Steffy's ear and spoke quietly so only she could hear, "You knew, didn't you?"

"Of course I did." Steffy huffed.

"How?" he inquired.

She gave him a meaningful look. "Come on. We established a long time ago that you can't get anything by me." She said in a teasing voice.

Liam laughed and then nodded. That was correct.

"That will eventually become a problem." Liam mused.

Steffy turned to look at him, silently asking him what he meant by that.

"You and I… unable to keep anything from each other." He explained.

She arched a brow at him. "Who said I can't keep anything from you?" She playfully asked.

"You can't." Liam affirmed, narrowing his eyes.

"You think?" She challenged.

Liam chuckled.

"Did you, um…" Steffy's voice turned serious all of a sudden, almost apprehensive. "Did you really want to do this?" She asked Liam. "Or did you just get on board with it?"

Liam cocked his head to the side, thinking his words through. "I mean it wasn't my idea… And I wasn't particularly excited about it. And I know you hate being on the spotlight, so I was reluctant at first." He admitted.

"My mom made you change your mind?" She asked.

He nodded. "She pointed out to me, like she did with you, that the first trimester is an important stage and that we should celebrate passing it."

Steffy smiled and shook her head. Taylor was so persuasive. Steffy wondered inwardly if that was why Taylor became a psychiatrist or if being a psychiatrist made her this way. She figured it was a little bit of both. Her persuasive skills had probably been strengthened by the exertion of her profession.

"So I said yes, praying that you wouldn't kill me." Liam added, and Steffy laughed.

"Come on, who would I lay my head on if I killed you?" She teased nicely.

Liam's mouth dropped open in astonishment. "Oh really, huh? So what I'm just a pillow to you?" he asked and playfully tickled her side.

"Uh-huh." She said, laughing, trying to squirm out of Liam's grip.

"You say the sweetest things to me, Steffy Forrester." Liam said sarcastically.

She burst out laughing and leaned in to nuzzle her nose against his in an eskimo kiss.

Steffy pulled back and looked at Liam seriously. "Do you want to seize this occasion to tell them about the other news?" She asked him.

He raised an eyebrow and returned the question to her. "Do you?"

"I…"

Thomas' arrival interrupted what Steffy was about to say. "What are you two whispering about?" Thomas inquired.

"Nothing." Liam and Steffy answered at once.

Thomas narrowed his eyes at them. "Yeah, right." He said sardonically.

/

Further to the announcement, people walked up to Liam and Steffy, turn by turn, to congratulate them. After an hour, practically the whole staff present had had a minute with the couple. Her coworkers' sincere congratulations and kind words were heart-warming to Steffy. She was not expecting the support.

Knowing how appreciated Hope was by everyone in Forrester Creations, Steffy had convinced herself that the news of her pregnancy wouldn't be well-received and would make people dislike her and talk ill of her. For once, she was happy to be wrong.

Steffy was talking to Madison when the door opened and Hope and Oliver came into sight. She didn't even try to conceal her disappointment.

"Honey!" Brooke exclaimed in surprise, rushing towards her daughter and crushing her into her arms. "You're back!"

"Yes, I'm back, but mom, you're crushing me." Hope said in a stifled voice.

"Sorry." Brooke apologized, releasing her. She tucked a strand of hair behind Hope's ear. "I missed you."

Hope smiled at her mother. "I missed you too, Mom."

Brooke glanced at Oliver, just then noticing his presence. "Hi, Oliver."

"Hi, Brooke." He greeted back.

"You kids finally decided to come back?" Brooke asked them.

Hope shrugged. "Oh, we wouldn't have minded staying a couple more days, but we figured you would start needing us here." She said.

Brooke laughed. "Well, you did stay a week more than what was originally planned."

"I know. I needed the rest." Hope explained.

Brooke leaned in and replied, "Well, I'm glad you took the time."

Hope smiled and then took a look around. "What is going on here? Why is everyone here?" She asked the thing she had been wondering about since the moment she set foot into Eric's office. "When we came in, it was so quiet we thought everyone had called off!"

"Uh, yeah. Steffy's uh…" Brooke trailed off, glancing behind her. She wasn't sure how to say this to daughter without causing her any more pain. "Steffy and Liam just announced their pregnancy. Officially."

Hope appeared to be speechless and stunned at the news but managed a nod.

"They will be telling the press soon, so I suppose they thought they should tell everyone here first." Brooke explained.

"Oh..." Hope finally said, recovering the use of her voice. "That makes sense."

"Are you okay?" Brooke asked her, concern etched on her face.

"Yeah." Hope answered, getting out of her thoughts. "Yeah, I'm just…" She shook her head. "…jetlagged. I'm a little tired."

"Well, you should go home, get some rest." Brooke was quick to encourage her.

"I'll take you home." Oliver said.

Hope turned her body around to give him a small smile. "Thanks. I'm just going to say a few words to Liam and Steffy and then we can go."

"Honey, are you sure…?" Brooke was cut off by Hope.

"Mom, I'll be fine." She said in a pointed voice, making it clear there was no argument to have about this. She turned to address Oliver. "I'll be right back, okay? Have a drink or something."

Oliver nodded and smiled at her as she walked away.

/

"Hey." Hope said timidly, interrupting the conversation between Liam, Thomas, and Steffy.

Steffy turned around to look at Hope.

"Hey." Liam and Steffy said back, although with two very different tone of voices.

"Hello there!" Thomas greeted her with a smile. "You're back!"

"I am!" Hope replied with a similar smile on her face.

"How was France?" Thomas asked.

Her beam widened. "Great. As always." Hope responded.

"Is that why you stayed for so long?" Steffy asked. "We were expecting your return days ago." She pointed out.

Hope frowned and arched a quizzical at Steffy. "Did you miss me?" She asked sarcastically.

Steffy huffed and looked away from it. "Oh no, far from it." She answered in all honesty.

Hope smirked. "I needed some time away." She eventually said, locking eyes with Liam for the first time since she came to them.

She quickly diverted her gaze from him, but not for long as Liam commented, "Obviously, it was good for you. You look great."

Hope looked at Liam again. "Thank you. So do you." She appreciated. "All of you." She added. "You seem to be doing great." Hope turned her eyes towards Steffy and spoke specifically to her, "You're glowing, Steffy."

Steffy's eyes widened. "Uh, thanks." She said, bemused; although it sounded more like a question than a statement. She wondered if she had heard that correctly.

"My mom just told me this get together in your honor." Hope said.

"Yeah, we've told everyone. We'll be holding a press conference soon too." Steffy announced.

Hope nodded. "Well, I guess I just wanted to congratulate you." She paused before she elaborated. "I was one of the first to learn about the pregnancy, but I don't think I ever congratulated you." She dared a look at Liam. "Either of you."

"We can't blame you for that." Liam said.

"Yeah, you were otherwise occupied throwing accusations." Steffy commented pointedly.

"Stef…" Thomas started.

"No, she's right." Hope admitted before turning to address Steffy." You're right. In fact, I was hoping I could talk to you, Steffy. Alone." She gave Liam and Thomas a look.

The men took the hint. "Ok." Thomas said.

"Uh, ladies… try to remain civil?" Liam asked them half-jokingly. The truth was he didn't think they were above engaging in a fight.

"Of course." Steffy rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to beat her ass. I'm pregnant!"

Liam looked at Steffy with horror and Thomas gave her a look, trying to dissimulate his amusement.

Steffy turned to Hope to find the blonde frowning at her as well.

"Oh my god, I'm kid –I'm kidding!" Steffy exclaimed." Lighten up!"

Liam gave Steffy a look full of disapproval. "Yeah, yeah. I have my eyes on you two." He said, pointing to his eyes and then at both of them.

Steffy smiled at Liam, and then followed Hope to one corner of Eric's office.

"I'm listening." Steffy said to Hope once they got away from the men.

Hope heaved a sigh. "Look, this is not easy to say, but… I owe you an apology." She said bluntly, without beating about the bush.

Steffy's jaw nearly dropped and her eyes widened. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "What?"

"When I found out about your pregnancy, I –I immediately thought you planned everything. I thought you tricked Liam. I thought this was another one of your manipulations, and I just… I didn't even take a moment to consider what this meant for you, if you wanted this, if you felt ready." Hope paused. "I immediately assumed the worst, and I shouldn't have. I am sorry." She apologized.

Steffy listened to Hope intently wondering inwardly if this was some kind of joke. Brooke had already made her mea culpa to her earlier in the day, and now Hope was presenting her apologies too? It had to be a joke, right?

But as she listened to Hope and as the latter elaborated her apology, Steffy realized that she was being genuine. Quite honestly, it felt good to hear those words.

"Well, given my records, I guess your reaction was understandable." Steffy admitted. "But I'm not that person anymore, Hope. I haven't been in a while. And I think it sucks that you don't see it."

Hope looked away, unconsciously licking her lower lip and ran a hand through her blonde hair. She looked back at Steffy. "I'm starting to see it."

/

Hope and Rick stared at each other in an awkward silence. After a minute, Hope decided to put an end to the silence and spoke, "You said you wanted to talk to me."

"Right, um... How was your trip to France?" Rick hesitantly asked, not quite his usual confident self.

"Good." Hope answered, taciturn.

Rick nodded. "That's good. I had a few echoes of the presentation. I heard it went pretty well." He said.

"Uh-huh, it did. It went fairly well." Hope confirmed. "I think they like the new models."

"And they love YOU." Rick added.

Hope tilted her head to the side, moving it back and forth, not really agreeing or disagreeing.

"I'm proud of you." Rick earnestly told Hope.

She inhaled a sharp intake of breath, and released it. "Thank you."

He smiled warmly at her, and on their own volition, Hope's lips almost immediately pulled into a small smile in response.

"I assume you enjoyed yourself." Rick started. "…since you decided to extend your stay for so long.

"Yes, it did." Hope nodded. "I had fun. I needed this time to… take some pressure off and relax."

"I'm glad France could do that for you." Rick smiled.

Hope's stay in France was great. Thanks to Oliver, she had been able to push her troubles at the very back of her mind and just enjoy the paradise that France was. She had loved all the activities they had done and all the places they had been to, and Oliver's presence by her side, living those moments with her, had somehow made them better. She had gotten some well-deserved rest and fun.

But she wasn't about to be super enthusiastic and share all that with Rick when they weren't even on speaking terms when she left.

"Look, sis, I, I'm sorry." Rick said. "I made a decision that… I thought was best in the moment, and I was a wrong. It wasn't my place, and Caroline has made me realize that. I didn't think that being without Liam would… kill you inside the way it did." He made his mea culpa.

Hope winced at Rick's last words. She didn't appreciate being reminded of how weak she was without Liam, of her dependency towards him. She was well aware that she was nothing other than her shadow self when they were apart. But that was all in the past.

Hope wasn't that girl anymore, and she never wanted to be again. She was done letting her life revolve around a man, whoever that man may be.

"I'm really sorry." Rick reiterated.

Hope ran a hand through her hair, messing it up a little, as she took in Rick's apology. She eventually looked at her big brother straight in the eyes and saw the regret lying there. It tugged at her heart.

She couldn't be angry with him indefinitely. Yes, he had lied to her, but the horrible truth was that she chose to believe him. She chose to take his words against Liam's, and she couldn't put that one on Rick. Her lack of trust in Liam was Liam's fault only. He had played with her heart one too many times.

Hope reached out and took her brother's hand in hers. "I know." She looked up at him. "I forgive you."

"Really?!" Rick frowned, not expecting that answer.

Hope chuckled and removed her hand, crossing her arms. "Look, you made a mistake. A terrible one." She emphasized. "You had no right to intervene in my life the way you did or deceive me into breaking things up with Liam." She said, and Rick listened to her intently. "But the fact is you realized your mistake and you came out with the truth, knowing there would be consequences. A little late, definitely. But you did. And I can tell you're truly sorry, so…I guess I can't stay mad at you forever." She shrugged.

A small smile crept onto Rick's face as he felt the wind turn in his favor again.

"But don't you EVER pull something like that on me again." Hope warned him.

He nodded.

"I mean it, Rick. Ever." She repeated.

"I won't. I promise." Rick vowed, and it was Hope's turn to nod.

Rick wanted to spend the evening catching up with Hope. He had missed her while she was away, and before that actually, but she had already forgiven him today, and he didn't want to push his luck. He hesitated a little but ended up asking, "Will you let me take you to dinner tonight?"

Hope tilted her head to one side and then the other, dancing on her feet, pretending to ponder his offer. "Uh, I don't know." She teased and peeked at her brother, gauging his reaction.

She couldn't retain her laugh when his face fell.

Rick glared at her.

"I can't tonight. I'm really tired. But we can have breakfast tomorrow." She said.

Rick nodded. "Sounds great."

With that, Hope rose on her toes and hugged her brother. Rick closed his eyes as he tightened his grip on her. He had his sister back… He would never disappoint her again.

Thank you guys so much for the love and support.

Thank you for reading, following, putting the story into your favorites, and taking the time to review!

Welcome to my new readers and I hope you enjoy your stay.

AND OMG Jacqueline Maccines Wood is back! How AWESOME is that?! Has anyone been watching? Don't hesitate to fangirl with me.

RHatch89: Thank you. She just might.

bbgold: Yeah, it's a process. Thanks!

Kelly: I just adore you. Thank you so much for your kind words and reviewing every chapter. It means a lot.