** I own no rights to Baby Daddy **

Bens POV:

"Ben, for the last time there is no Riley and you."

"How can you say that to me?"

"Because I've been in love with her my entire life! And I think she loves me too."

"Well congratulations, I hope you're very happy together."

I pick up Emma and head to my room. I can't believe this is actually happening. He told me he didn't have feelings for her. Multiple times! I asked him. He lied to me. And Riley? Does she love him? Did she lie to me too? She told me she loved me. Not him. She told me to my face that she didn't have feelings for Danny. And now look at me. I look like the idiot.

"At least I have one girl that loves me. Right Emma? You'll always be daddy's best girl." I say while kissing her forehead and laying her down in her crib for the night.

As I step out of my room, I can see Danny sitting on the couch. So I avoid the living room and head down the hall to get into the kitchen that way. I could really use a beer right now.

As I open the fridge, I hear Danny get up off the couch.

"Ben, can we talk?"

"I have nothing to say to you Danny." I say as I climb out the window and onto the fire escape.

"Well to bad, you need to hear me out."

"Danny go back inside, go to your room, go over to Riley's, I don't care. But I don't want to look at you right now."

"You're acting like a child Ben. Just talk to me."

"What do you want me to say Danny?! That I'm heartbroken? That I'm humiliated? Cause I am. You and Riley have been lying to me for months. I look like the idiot here. Not you, me!"

"Ben I've been in love with her for years. You just started liking her when she got thin and good looking."

"Yes, high school Ben was an idiot I know. But high school Ben never deserved Riley. I've been working so hard this past year to be somebody that deserves her. I just never knew I had to be you."

"You don't think it was hard for me to see you with her Ben? To watch you make her smile when I wanted to be that person."

"You still don't get it Danny. Yes, I'm sure it hurt you to see her with me. But I didn't know you had feelings for her! You lied to me about it! And the worst part is. If you would've just said something in the beginning, when I was telling you about my feelings for Riley. I wouldn't have done that to you. I would've moved on when it was still possible to move on. But no! You wait until I am so completely head of heels in love with her. You wait until she's the only person I could imagine being with. You wait until she's the person I want to marry and spend the rest of my life, to tell me you're in love with her. And that you think she loves you too. So, no Danny you don't know what this feels like."

"Ben…"

"Once again, Ben loses everything to the great Danny Wheeler. Mom always made it known that she preferred you over me. Just like everyone else. I just thought I finally found someone to be in my corner for once. That I finally found the one. And now the girl of my dreams picks you too."

I head back from the fire escape before he can say anything else. I open to the fridge grabbing a beer and sit at the table. I open my beer throwing the cap across the room and closing my eyes hoping to relax.

"Ben."

If I ignore it, it'll go away right.

"Ben."

Just keeping on ignoring it.

"Ben, please."

I sigh putting my head down and drink on the table. I turn and meet the eyes that have been staring at me.

"What do you want Riley."

"Can we talk?" Her voice is shaky I can see the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. God, I hate to see her like this. But my heart hurts and I don't think it can handle her telling me that she loves Danny.

I shake my head and look away from her. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Ben, please."

"What is there to talk about Riley? And how long have you been here?"

"I've been here long enough; I could hear you and Danny talking out there. Ben, you still love me? You want to marry me?" She looks up quickly clearly trying to will herself into not crying

"That doesn't matter anymore. You have Danny now."

"But it does matter Ben. I don't want to get between you and Danny. And I don't want to lose you." Tears are now streaming down her face, and it takes everything in me not to go console her and wipe her tears.

"You two humiliated me. And you shattered my heart. But you didn't get between me and Danny. He did that himself when he lied to me. As for you and me? I don't know if I can be around you right now."

At this Riley lets a sob, and I can't take it anymore. I'm over to her in no time. I wrap my arms around her and try and comfort her the best I can.

I take her face in my hands wiping her tears away with my thumbs. "I love you, Riley. More than I ever thought I could love someone. I dreamed of the day I would make you my wife and that you, me, and Emma could become a real family. So please understand that I can't watch you love Danny right now. I need to be able to move on from you. And I can't do that with you in my life. You're not exactly easy to get over. Goodbye Riley." I pull her into me giving in and kissing her one last time.

I reluctantly pull away a head towards my room. As I get to the hallway, I hear the faint "Ben. I'm sorry"

I turn and lock eyes with her one last time, "me too." I open the door to my bedroom to find Emma asleep in her crib. I let out the tears I was holding back and make up my mind. I have to move out. I can't live with Danny right now. And I can't live across from Riley. I just can't, my heart can't take it.

Rileys POV

Last night was intense. I knew Ben loved me. But I didn't realize just how much. What was I thinking? Falling in love with two brothers? What's wrong with me? I don't want to get out of bed. I'm just going to stay in this bed for the rest of my life. I can't hurt anybody from here.

"Riley. Get up!"

I flip over onto my stomach shoving my face into the pillow and hiding under the covers. "No Danny. I'm staying right here in this spot."

"But it's an emergency!"

"Unless somebody is actively dying it's not an emergency."

"Bens gone. He left a note. He took his stuff and left in the middle of the night."

"WHAT?!"

"Bens gone. He left- "

"I heard you the first time Danny! I just- why did- where- what?"

I run over to Danny's apartment. I need to see if there are any signs of where he would go. He needs to come back. He can't just up and leave. We need him here.

"He didn't leave any signs of where he went Riley. Here's the note he left."

He handed me the note Ben left in the middle of the night. I sat on the couch to read it fearing that I would find out what I feared. I was the reason he left. The note read:

Hey guys. As you could probably see I packed up Emma and myself last night. I had to leave. I want to be the supportive brother and friend that Danny and Riley deserve. However, I can't move on from Riley myself if I am around her all the time. I need time to heal my heart. I don't know how long I'll be gone and if I will ever come back.

Tucker, find a new roommate. One that doesn't get you into trouble all the time and one that will be a friend that actually deserves you. You're the best friend a guy could ask for and I'm sorry that I took you for granted for so long.

Mom, thank you for being the best grandma to Emma. I know she's going to miss you. You helped me out so much since she's been born, and I don't think I could ever thank you enough. Just know I'm sorry I wasn't a better son.

Danny, thank you for being my brother. I'm sorry for the way things have to be. If you need to find a new partner for the bar, then I understand. The bar is under your total control and ownership now. Take care of it. Bar on B has been my home away from home for years. Thank you for believing in me and letting me discover that I can be an adult. I can run a bar. I can do something that will make Emma proud of me.

Riley, leaving you behind is probably the hardest thing I will ever have to do. But all I want, scratch that, all I NEED is for you to be happy. So if Danny is what makes you happy, than be with him. I love you with all my heart Riley. And it is gonna suck. But if moving on and letting you go is what you want me to do. Then I'm gonna do it. I love you Riley. I want to be your friend, and I want you in my life. But I can't do that until my heart knows you aren't in love with me anymore. I'm sorry I have to leave. But it's something that I HAVE to do.

Love, Ben

PS: Emma and I love you all. But please don't look for me. Don't call me. I won't answer. I'll call you when I am ready.

"Wow." I didn't realize I was crying until I tried to talk. Taking a few deep breathes to get myself together. "He's really gone."

"Yea."

"And it's all my fault."

"Hey, hey. It's not your fault. You can't help who you fall in love with. Maybe if I didn't just shout it at him last night things would be different."

"I just had to fall in love with brothers. I have to go; I need fresh air." I tell Danny as I walk out of the apartment. I think a walk will help clear my mind.

2 weeks later

"Danny! Just the guy I was looking for. You hear from Ben yet?"

"No, not yet. I don't think we will for a while."

"Okay… Hey can we talk?"

"Sure, what about?"

"Well, about us?"

"Us us? Or just us?"

"Us us Danny. I think we should give it a shot. See if we are meant to be. At the very least we owe it to Ben to try. It is why he left."

"I've waited my whole to hear you tell me that Riley. Let's try it. Let's see if we can work."

I put my hands around his neck and pull him down for the long-awaited kiss. This is the brother I want. This is the man I love. So why is Ben the one that's on my mind.

6 months later

"Danny, we need to talk." I yell as I walked into Danny and Tuckers apartment.

"Hey babe. What's up?"

"You know you're my best friend, right? And that you always will be?"

"You're breaking up with me, aren't you?" He sighed and looked down at his hands.

I sit on the couch and motion for him to come over and sit next to me.

"Danny, look me in the eyes and tell me now that we gave a relationship a shot that you are actually in love with me."

He looks me in the eyes and opens his mouth to say something. But no words come out.

"Exactly Danny. We confused our feelings of friendship with something more. But we're not in love."

Tears start to form in my eyes as he grabs my hands.

"Riley. You'll always be my best friend. And I will always love you. But I spent the last 20 years thinking that I was in love with you. And I'm sorry that I was wrong. But that also means I know you better than anybody else. You're still in love with Ben."

I sigh and look down. Feeling my tears now stream down my face freely. "And I ruined that Danny. He's gone. And I don't know where he is. I haven't heard from him in 6 months. I was stupid and I let the best thing that ever happened to me walk away."

"I think I can help you with that."

"What do you mean?" I say as I snap my head up to look at him.

"Ben kind of called me a couple months ago."

"What?! Danny! How can you keep that from me? You knew how much I missed him? And how it hurt that he wouldn't answer my calls." I yell getting angry.

"He made me promise him not to tell you. He's not over you and still says it hurts too much to talk to you. He really only talks to me when it's updates on Emma. He said just because he can't see me doesn't mean that Emma has to lose me too."

"So how can you help me Danny?"

"He's been in Philly. He was able to get bar tending position in an upscale bar."

"He's only one train ride away?"

"Yes. He works at a bar named Stratus. Go get your man and bring my brother and niece home."

I quickly throw my arms around him. "Thank you Danny! For everything. Being the best friend and girl could asked for and for being so understanding."

Bens POV

Its been 6 months since I left New York. And God do I miss it. I miss Tucker and the trouble we would get into. I miss mom and her clear favoritism towards Danny. But she was still a good mom to me and an even better grandma to Emma. I even miss Danny and his insane way of being able to eat every crumb of food in the house. Including Emma's baby food.

But most of all. I miss Riley. I miss the way her smile would brighten up any day. They way it sounded like a melody when she said my name. The way she loved Emma almost as much as I do. I miss just being able to talk to her for hours on end.

Getting over her has been harder than I thought it would be. I know now more then ever that I made the right choice. I would of never of been able to watch her and Danny be a couple. It's painful enough being away from her. My heart couldn't bare it if I had to watch her be in love with my brother.

As I turn to take care of a costumer, I see the short blonde hair that I love so much. But when I look toward the door she's nowhere to be found.

"Get it together Ben, she's in New York. She loves Danny. She's not coming for you. She doesn't even know where you are." I say quietly to myself.

"See that's where you're wrong Wheeler."

I turn around so fast I drop to beer bottle I was holding. "Riley, what are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"Danny- "

"I'm gonna kill him. He wasn't supposed to tell you where I was. He promised!" I sighed. "Riley, I'm not ready to see you yet. It still hurts."

"If you would just let me explain." She has tears brimming in her eyes. I had to look away before I pulled her into my arms to comfort her. Its not my place anymore. However, she always was my weakness and always will be.

"Fine. Let me go tell them I'm going on break. I'll be right back." I walk away to talk to my boss. I can't believe I'm doing this again. How many times am I going to let her break my heart. I'll hear out and then I'm done. I can't be her friend again. Not anytime soon at least.

As I walk back to Riley, I can feel my pulse get faster, my hands start shaking, and I feel sick to my stomach. Walking away from her was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I don't know if I can bear it again.

"Ben – "

"Riley – "

"Sorry, you go"

I look down at my hands as I ask her "What are you doing here Riley."

"I made a mistake Ben. Danny isn't the one for me. We were always meant to be best friends. Nothing more. I know that he knows that."

I open to my mouth to talk when she cuts me off.

"I'm not done. After you left, I told Danny that we needed to try because it was what you wanted. Not because it was what him or I wanted. Because I felt that we owed it to you to try. That you left for some reason. And I tried to make it work the last couple of months Ben. I did. But dammit. I couldn't get you out of my head. Any time he kissed me I thought about you. Every kiss, every touch, every breath. It was always you. You were the one on my mind. It's you I'm in love with. Not Danny."

"Wow. Riley."

"And it's to late isn't it. You moved on. You don't want me anymore. I get it. I waited too long, I – "

I pull her in by her hips and lean it to cut her off with a kiss. God I missed these lips.

"You didn't wait too long; I didn't move on. Couldn't move on actually. And I will always want you Riley Perrin."

"Please always remember, you are not second best to Danny. You'll always be the guy of my dreams Ben. Ever since we were kids. I'm sorry I got confused along the way. I love you Ben Wheeler."

"I love you too Riley Perrin." I plant a small kiss on her lips.

"Come home Ben. We all miss you. Tucker never rented out your room in hopes you would come home. And we all miss Emma like crazy. We all miss you like crazy."

"I'm coming home but, on one condition."

"What's that?" She asked me looking confused.

"You're all mine. Forever. I can't take losing you again."

She pulls me for long kiss filled with all the emotions were feeling. "I'm all yours Ben. Forever."

AN: Thank you for reading this. This is just an alternate ending that I would have loved to see. I didn't mind Danny and Riley, but I really preferred her with Ben. And as the younger child that lost everything to the older sibling, I felt for him. Not once did somebody put Ben first. Everybody always picked Danny over Ben and I felt bad that even the girl he fell in love with did the same.

And everybody always feels bad for Danny that he had to watch his brother be in a relationship with Riley. But Ben didn't know. Danny had every opportunity to tell Ben about his feelings for Riley before they started their relationship and before Ben fell in love with her, but he didn't. He doesn't get to be mad about it. Danny knows that Ben is in love with Riley when he goes after her.