A/N: And another one. Still working on this. It's my biggest story yet, and I keep thinking of things to write about. Again, I changed some things in the last chapter, and I'm still wanting to go back and do some editing. But thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy!

"You'll have to visit, momma," she said as she stood at the kitchen sink. "There's plenty of space here for you."

"Well, I'll see what your brother thinks, and if I can take some of my PTO," the older woman told her. "Because that would be lovely, baby."

"Do you need more money? I told you before that if it wasn't enough – "

"Oh, goodness no, Karen, we still have more than half of what you sent before. I'll let you know I need anything else."

Karen smiled at her mother's words. It had worried her that her mother would hold out on the truth, but she should have known better. Her mother never lied to her, even when times were tough. She had hoped to allow both her mother and her stepfather to take a few weeks vacation from their jobs by sending them a good portion of the money she had made with Michael on the jewelry store. It was more than she needed, and once she paid off the small amount of what was left on the house in Sandy Shores, she didn't hesitate to wire the rest to them.

"So, tell me, what do you and Trevor do for fun out there?" her mother asked.

She heard a utensil clang on something on her mother's side. "Believe it or not, we relax here at home. Either that or go to the beach. I think I'd prefer to stay home most days."

"You never were one for being out. I never had to worry about that with you."

"I was a boring child, wasn't I, momma?"

"Not at all, baby. You were a smart kid, and you're still bright and beautiful now. That's why I'm glad from what you tell me of Trevor, that he treats you right. I can't wait to meet him."

The two talked until she heard the telltale sign of the Bodhi trundling up the driveway. Trevor stepped through the front door, making sure he made enough noise to announce his presence. Slowly walking into the kitchen, he saw Karen at the stove, stirring something in a tall pot as she was saying good night to her mom. She barely acknowledged him as he continued to saunter into the space.

"Where's your friend?" Trevor asked, almost at an unease over the quietness in the house now that she was off the phone. "I thought he'd be right underneath you."

She looked over at him and scoffed. "He's not a child, Trevor. I gave him the room upstairs towards the back. He's been up there ever since."

"Did you... " Trevor started, knowing how much Karen wasn't going to like his question. But he just had to know. "Show him anything personal?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, Karen."

Trevor's low voice set her on edge. She didn't even care that his hand was reaching over to grab her hip.

"You can't possibly be serious. In fact, I know you're not serious, because you wouldn't even let me answer that question if you actually thought anything was going on," she replied, the look in his eyes giving her the answer she didn't need from him. "Trevor, I never had a sexual relationship with Packie. You can't keep thinking that I've slept with everyone that I know."

"Well, I know you haven't," he defended.

"That's right, because I slept with you when I didn't really know you. So I also sleep with people I don't know," she teased with a smile.

"That's not funny, Karen. If this guy touches you, he's going back to Liberty City in a box."

"He's valuable, Trevor. Trust me, Packie is tough. I would trust him with my life."

"I don't trust him."

"I do," she simply said, turning her attention back to cooking.

Trevor felt like he was losing her, but he knew it was all him. He knew he was overreacting, but he couldn't stop himself from disliking someone else being closer to her. And the fact that Packie knew Karen for much longer bothered him as well. He knew things about Karen that Trevor hadn't yet learned. Saw things from her, and talked to her about things that Trevor hadn't been a part of.

"Do you want to eat dinner with me?"

"Isn't your best friend going to join you?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "He's not attached to me, Trevor. You don't have to eat with me if you don't want to."

"I do," he said quickly.

"You keep up this fucking attitude, and you're going to find yourself in a spare bedroom."

Trevor believed her. As much as he wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her over the threat, she was being honest with him. She didn't tolerate a lot of his bullshit, and it made him think about how he was sometimes. Placing a hand on her back, he placed a kiss on the side of her face.

"I'm sorry, Kitten," he apologized. "I don't mind him being here. It's just hard to realize that some other guy knows you better than I do."

"When you get to know him, you'll know me better. He loves telling all the stories."

Trevor sat down at the kitchen table, watching her movements. "You guys really got into some shit, huh?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "The only thing he does that I don't is drugs. I've had one or two crazy drinking nights with him, though."

He held in the jealousy he felt tingling in the back of his head. He didn't want to ruin this moment. This moment of his woman placing a plate of good food in front of him. Putting hers next to his, and sitting down to eat with him. He knew that later on, he would get her in bed with him, where he could cherish and worship her. He wanted to dive into her, not going to hesitate for a second biting into the flesh of her thigh. The same bare thighs he saw peeking out from underneath the night shirt she wore.

She must have really trusted Packie. She didn't think twice at touching him. Trevor knew how funny she was about touching people. And she hardly liked people touching her. That's what he had to remember. She allowed him to touch her. She allowed him to hold every part of her that he wanted to. She never shied away from his hands on her. She welcomed it. He wanted to keep it that way. He wanted to stay between her legs, so he had to keep it that way.

"""""

Karen sat up on the couch, placing Trevor's hand in hers. He swallowed the mouthful of beer before setting the glass bottle down on the coffee table in front of them.

"When did we initially say that we loved each other?" she asked him, sitting on her knees beside him.

Trevor adjusted himself, sinking into a pillow as he looked at her. "What do you mean? Actually say it? Or know when we did?"

"Actually say it," she clarified, lifting a hand to run her fingers over the small bird tattoo behind his ear.

"I hate to admit this, Kitten, but it was when we were fucking," he told her, seeing her brows knit together. "In the shower."

"What's bad about that?" she asked, her other hand reaching around to the other side of his neck.

"Saying something like that shouldn't be said in a situation where emotions are blurred, especially the first time." He watched as her eyes drifted down. "I don't ever want you to misconstrue my saying it as me just wanting to get my dick wet. I mean it when I say it to you. What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she told him in a quiet voice. "Keep talking."

Trevor didn't say anything as her lips latched onto the area close to his Adam's apple, and he could feel her begin to roam down to the CUT HERE tattoo lining the bottom of his neck.

"If you wanted to try again for a baby, that's all you had to say, Kitten," he said as he closed his eyes and indulged in the moment of her nipping at his flesh. His hands ran over her legs, purposefully rubbing over her smooth skin. "At least you know now that our kids will be made out of love. Because I do love you."

"I know," she said, her fingers undoing the buttons at the top of his polo shirt. Her lips found more of his chest as she told him, "I think you'd make a good dad, Trevor."

He stilled her hands, making her look up at him. She took in how relaxed his features were in the moment. She saw the momentary peace wash over him.

"You really mean that?" he asked her, placing a kiss on her fingertips as he held her.

"Of course I do," she replied, leaning into him, her nose touching his skin. "Or I could just be trying to baby trap you."

Trevor had Karen on her back, pressed down into the sofa before she could catch herself. With her hair fanned out, the smell of her perfume, and the fact that her hands ran down his chest, he realized she was indeed his love. His woman. It's almost as if he knew for sure that she was always the one. Their paths just needed that chance to cross, and now that they had, soon, she would be more.

"I'm gonna need one of these... baby traps... once a year," he said, his lips grazing over hers. "We got a lot of trap making to make up for."

Karen smiled, letting out a genuine laugh as she felt his hands grip her legs.

"A baby a year, Trevor? Do you know how crazy that would be?"

"Not as crazy as not filling up this nice, big house we got."

"Yeah, a six bedroom house wasn't a bad idea."

Slightly pulling away from her, he looked at her, concern crashing down on him. "Do you want a bigger house? Start looking. I'll get it for you."

"No, no," she said, grasping around his face with her hands. "No, dear, this is perfect. Besides, I don't care if it was a two bedroom in Liberty City, as long as I'm with you."

The shrill ringtone of one of their cellphones blasted through the space. Letting out a groan, Trevor resumed his seat on the couch, picking up the lit up device.

"Who the fuck is this?" Karen heard Trevor say after answering his phone.

"The guy keeping you out of the gas chamber. Townley's on his way," the voice replied through the speakerphone. "We need to talk face to face."

"Haines?" Karen mouthed when Trevor looked her way.

"Warehouse off Dutch London in Banning," he continued.

"Oh, we can do more than talk, my friend," Trevor said then hung up. He patted Karen's leg. "Let's go, my dear. Let's see what our FIB friends want this time."

During the moderate ride there, she text Franklin, letting him know where the location would be.

Aight, I'll see you there, came his text. Just as she sat her phone down in her bag, the car came to a slow stop behind the warehouse.

"There's Mikey," she said, looking around. As Trevor walked around their car to open her door, she saw Franklin's white Buffalo roll up to a stop next to her.

"What's going on here?" he asked, shutting his own car door.

"No idea. Haines called Trev while we were watching our show," she told Franklin, then she heard Trevor groan.

"Ah, you gotta quit that shit, man," he said to Michael, and she saw the older man flick a cigarette from his fingertips.

"Yeah, I know."

"I take speed mostly, and look at me, boom, best shape of my life."

"What the fuck?" Franklin said as they approached where Michael stood near the stairway in front of the metal door. Karen looped her arm around Trevor's and stood next to him.

"And I could still take you, sugartits," Trevor egged on.

"That's because you're fucking deranged," Michael deadpanned. "Not because you're in good shape." He continued to smoke his cigarette, looking over at Franklin. "How you doing, kid?"

"Hey," Trevor said, pointing his free hand at Michael. "Why don't you stick to doing fucking crunches and feeling bad about yourself, alright, pork chop?"

"Trevor!" Karen said, looking up at him and pulling on his arm.

"Hey, fuck you," Michael bit out.

"You know," Trevor said, wrapping an arm around Karen. "I'm beginning to think that's exactly what you want to do. I hate to inform you of this, Mikey, but Karen has that spot in my life already."

"Yeah," Michael said as he started to ascend up the stairs. "And we should all be praying for her well-being."

"We not any more sane than she is for real, dog," Franklin added.

Before any of them could go any further, the heavy metal door creaked open. Haines stepped out, keeping the toe of his boot just barely inside.

"Hey, what's this family reunion for?" he immediately asked. "I like fatherly daughter and son things as much as anyone else, but this requires just the two of you."

Karen saw him blatantly wave his hand towards Michael and Trevor.

"You called me while I was relaxing at home with my woman," Trevor told him. "Where she is, I am."

"And where she is," Haines started, the irritation in his voice setting in strong. "Is going to get the wrong fucking eyes on us."

She noticed Trevor look down to her as she forcefully pulled herself away to step up to Haines. She didn't have to say anything as Haines looked directly into her eyes.

"That's right," he told her, his voice dropping. "We all unofficially know who you are, and having you involved in this is a mess I don't want to clean up."

"I'm already involved," she informed him.

Haines was quiet a moment, then gathered himself. "Yeah, no kidding. You should think about putting your talents elsewhere other than this crew of misfits."

"Hey!" Michael damn near shouted, going up one step. "We're here because you called us here."

Haines quickly looked at Michael, not phased in the slightest by his outburst, then looked back to Karen. "Good to know you have a few more father figures," he spat out, delighting in the moment when she stepped up even closer to him.

"My father is dead."

"Wrath might be your deadly sin," Haines said to her. "And it looks good on you."

"What the fuck did you say?" Trevor intervened, wrapping an arm around Karen to pull her down behind him. "Huh? You want me to solve all your issues by putting a bullet through your fucking head right now?"

"Hey, Trevor, calm down," Michael said.

Franklin grabbed Karen's arm, pulling her away from the scuffle.

"Let's go, K, I think they got it."

"Wait, Kitten," Trevor called out as he walked backwards down the steps to where she stood with Franklin, not letting his eyes off Haines.

"Ignore him, Trev," she said, smoothing her hand over his chest. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"He couldn't hurt me even if I let him," Trevor told her, leaning in for a kiss. "I'll be home after we're done here. I'm sure whatever legit business we handle here won't take long."

Haines scoffed at the words, looking around as the group separated. "Finally, gentlemen."

Karen followed Franklin to his car after grabbing her bag from the front seat of the Bodhi, not removing her eyes from the area until the door closed after Trevor.

"The fuck is his problem?" she asked, digging for her phone in her bag. "I'll see if Packie wants to go out with us."

"Man, Kar," Franklin breathed out, shifting his vehicle into drive. "You ain't tell me that your dad was that serious. The FIB still keeping tabs on him after his death like this?"

"I didn't know. Frankie, dad's bust was in the mid-nineties. We were kids when it happened."

"That's the thing, though," Franklin said, listening to her quickly tap out a text message. "Your dad's bust was so fucking huge that it made news over here, too. We typically didn't hear about any of that mafia stuff. There's too much gang banging busting going on out here to pay attention to anything else."

"Packie said to head around and pick him up. Frankie, I don't know what to think. This Haines guy knows exactly who I am? Knowing who Tommy Vercetti is, is one thing. But knowing the trickle down family members is another. Something isn't right about Haines at all."

"You mean other than being a corrupt federal fucking employee that's basically blackmailing us to help them further their corruption?"

"Since you put it like that," she said, glancing at her phone as it rang. "Yeah, Packie? It's me and Frankie. We're going out to eat. Yeah, we'll be there in a bit."

"Man, this shit is only going to get more fucked up."