Washington Post

It had been six months since Brandon had called Kelly… six months since he had actually smiled… and six months since he had enjoyed life. He had been doing nothing but chasing a dream that was obviously never going to happen. The world was passing him by and all he could do was watch… He could see everything that could have been… he could reach out at almost touch it… he just couldn't seem to reach it!

He was sitting at his desk thinking about how many chances he had given John to keep him, but John just wasn't getting the message. Brandon had done everything that he was told hoping that something was going to change, but nothing ever did. He was still checking facts for other journalists… writing some short articles that would be thrown in when they needed something to fill the page… but nothing like what he had done at The Beat. It was then that he realized where he wanted to be for the rest of his life… he was going to call her… he was going to tell her everything. He just hoped that she still wanted him in her life…

Brandon was staring at the phone wondering if he should pick it up and call or if he should wait until he knew she was home. The last time they had spoken she had said that she and Donna were going to open up a store… he would call her there, but he never had been given that number. Finally, he decided that it was time to call, and as he picked up the phone he pulled out a box of unsharpened pencils… he dialed the number and grabbed the electric sharpener. He began to sharpen the pencils and as soon as someone answered he stopped with the pencil still sharpening.

"Ouch…" He said before anyone could say anything.

"Hello…?" Steve asked on the other end.

"Steve? Where's Kelly?" Brandon asked his friend.

"She took the… She went for a walk... she should be back later!" Steve almost blew it.

"Are you hiding something from me? Because if you are you know it won't work right? I'll figure it out sooner or later…" Brandon said trying to guilt Steve into telling him what was going on.

"No… I'm not trying to hide anything… Kelly just wanted to tell you something… and don't ask what it is because I don't know!" Steve was trying to get out of this little predicament, but wasn't having much luck.

"Wait… what's wrong with Kelly? Is she okay?" Brandon was seriously concerned.

"Nothing's wrong… per say…"

"Steve?" Brandon questioned.

"Okay… she's been kinda down lately… okay so she's been sulking around the house since you left… its getting worse though… I think she is a little overwhelmed by things lately… I know she misses you a lot… she talks about you all the time…." He left out that the reason she talks about him was because Caleb looks so much like him. "So how've you been?" Steve asked.

"Good… but I need to ask you something Steve."

"Ask away buddy!" Steve prompted.

"Is there still a place for me at The Beat?" Brandon asked almost pleadingly.

"There's always a place for you here… Why are you thinking of coming back?" Steve asked.

"I think its time for a change… my boss hasn't changed his ways so I'm going to change mine… I think its time I came home… I want to see my friends again… I want to work somewhere where the other workers appreciate me…. Is that wrong?" Brandon asked trying to get more out of him.

"No not at all… Kelly doesn't have anything to do with you wanting to come home, does she?" Steve asked.

"More than you know my friend… more than you know!" Brandon said staring at the picture he had of her sitting on his desk.

He could remember the exact day he took that picture… it was the day of College graduation… Kelly had just taken off her robe and put it in her closet. She was wearing a black sleeveless dress that fell just above her knees. Her hair was short and curled so that it fell just over the tip of her ears. He had snapped the picture just as she had turned around. She looked so surprised in the picture and that was what he loved about it… it was that way she always looked when she first saw him and he loved seeing that face everyday when he sat down at his desk. Of course she just about killed him when he took that picture.

"What does that mean?" Steve asked.

"I don't know what I was thinking when I left…"

"I'll make that easy for you… you weren't thinking… you guys just called off your wedding and you were upset… you needed to get away… I think you took it a little too far when you went to DC, but that's just my opinion."

"Thanks for being so honest… So when do you want me back boss?" Brandon asked feeling better that he was wanted somewhere.

"Write an article and we'll go from there…" Steve joked.

"Very funny so I'll see you at the end of the week?" Brandon asked but yet didn't.

Casa Walsh Kitchen

Just then Kelly walked through the front door with a stroller holding a sleeping Caleb and a bright blue eyed Crystal. Steve tried to motion that Brandon was on the other line but couldn't seem to get Kelly's attention she was too busy getting the stroller through the door without waking Caleb up. She had gone on the walk to get him to fall asleep and since she succeeded at that, she really didn't want to wake him up.

"Hey Steve can you help me?" Kelly asked not realizing who was on the other line.

"Sure… Brandon can I call you back later?" He said into the phone.

" Brandon's on the other line?" Kelly asked just as Crystal started crying. "Oh, sweetie it's okay…" Kelly said walking over to her.

" Brandon I gotta go…" Steve said getting ready to hang up.

"Steve I know that's not J.J. who is that?" Brandon asked trying to keep him on the line long enough to get an answer.

"Her name is Crystal… now I have to go… I'll talk to you later about The Beat." Steve said hanging up the phone.

"I can't believe you told him, Steve, I was going to tell him everything…" Kelly said sternly towards him as she lifted Crystal out of the stroller.

"Okay… for you information… I only told him her name… not that she was yours and defiantly not that she was his… Is it my fault that you didn't get what I was trying to tell you…"

"No… so what was the conversation about?" Kelly asked curious.

"He wants to come back to The Beat…" Was all Steve said!

"What did you tell him?" Kelly asked.

"I told him that there was always a place for him here… and if he really wanted to come back then he could… whenever!" Steve said picking up Caleb from the stroller.

"Did he say when he was coming back?" She asked as they carried the kids upstairs.

"He said the end of the week but I think he needs a few weeks to put in his notice… I'll stall as long as I can, but you need to tell him everything." Steve placed Caleb in his crib.

"I will…" Kelly said placing Crystal in her crib.

"I hope so… for their sake." Steve said walking out of the room.

Washington Post

Brandon was staring at the phone again… thinking about the baby he had heard on the other end of the phone. Her name was Crystal… but who was she… Kelly wasn't babysitting… she hadn't done that in forever. The harder Brandon thought the more he realized that Kelly was hiding something from him… something big! Brandon thought about the last time they were together… Kelly had mentioned that she loved the name Crystal… that baby was Kelly's! She's my daughter… Why didn't you tell me Kel? He thought as he smiled at the picture in front of him… there was nothing that was going to keep him from going home anymore.

"Walsh… what are you smiling about?" John asked popping his head in the office door.

"I have a daughter…" Brandon began.

"Congrats… just born today?" John asked.

"No… Kelly never told me about her… and I heard her crying over the phone… I just put it together…"

"Kelly was the one you almost married right?" John asked.

"Yeah… she was." He said. "Enough about the past what can I do for you?" Brandon asked still slightly smiling.

"Just need the political scandal article, Jerry said you had it…"

"Right here…" Brandon said handing him the folder and watched him leave.

Brandon wanted to head back to Beverly Hills right then and there… he wanted to see his daughter… and he wanted to see Kelly. He had already missed so much of their lives that he wasn't about to miss anymore. He had realized months ago that Kelly was the only woman he would ever love… he had tried to date other women after her but it never lasted more than a few weeks. He only had eyes for Kelly… she was his world and he wanted to tell her that… no matter what the cost was. He picked up the phone and called her line… he got the machine.

"You know what to do… leave it at the beep!" She sounded so happy on the machine.

"Hey Kel… it's me… I just wanted to tell you I love you… and I'm coming home soon… call me… I'll explain everything! I love you." He said and then hung up.