So yeah...I was in a writing mood. I'm getting ready to go to work but I thought I'd get this posted before I leave. Read, Enjoy, & Review!

Chapter 22...

Saturday…

Brianna opened the door to the penthouse, dropping her gym bag and leaning against the wall. She was dead tired but she knew she wasn't getting sleep anytime soon. She'd barely gotten any since she got home Wednesday night. She got home around 1 in the morning and had to be up at 5 to be at the studio by 6 to work with her contestants. The results shows for So You Think You Can Dance were taped on Wednesdays. That same night, the dancers picked their dances for the next week. Then, Thursday morning they started rehearsing. That week, Brianna had three couples routines to do and a group routine for the next weeks' results show. Starting Thursday, Brianna worked with Rob and her couples from 6 to noon, and then she worked on the group routine with all 10 dancers until 2, then Brianna left and Rob stayed with them for another hour. Normally Bri would be there every minute that they were there to make sure they knew they were getting her full attention but, quite frankly, she had more important places to be. She spent the rest of her days spending as much time as she could with Maya before she left on Monday.

"Brianna!"

She smiled when she heard Maya racing down the stairs. She felt her yearning for sleep slip away when she saw her.

"You're back!" Maya ran toward her.

"Hey kiddo!" Bri picked her up. "What have you been doing all day?"

"I was watching movies with Aunt Gia but then she got on the phone with her new boyfriend."

"Oh really?" Brianna smirked as she carried her into the living room.

Gia put her hand over the phone, "He is not my boyfriend."

"We know," Brianna insisted.

Then, when Gia turned back around Brianna mouthed to Mia 'Yes he is.'

Maya nodded in agreement.

It seemed like Gia talked to Brian for at least a half hour every day. Brianna was just happy she liked someone and didn't have her head buried in a book 24 hours a day. Gia's education was important but it was important for her to have a little fun too. Bri mussed Gia's hair a little, dodging a slap on the hand from her sister before turning and moving toward the kitchen. Once there, she sat Maya on a barstool and walked over to the refrigerator for a bottle of water.

"What are we gonna do today?" Maya asked.

"That's a good question," Brianna took a sip of her water. "I am in the mood for some cookies, or maybe a cake…or maybe both. What do you think?"

"Both!" Maya smiled excitedly.

"You wanna help me make them?"

Maya nodded.

"Well good because I don't know what I'd do without the best assistant baker in the whole world," Brianna smiled. "I'm gonna go change and then we'll get started, okay?"

Maya nodded, "I'll get the aprons."

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Raquel was on her way out to her rental car when she heard her phone ringing in her purse. She was late for lunch with Randy and Andrew and if she knew Randy, it was him calling. Randy was late for almost everything too but he got incredibly irritated when anyone kept him waiting. Sometimes Raquel wondered why they were friends.

She opened the phone without looking at it, "I'm on my way Randy. Traffic is a bitch. I've been stuck in the same spot for like 15 minutes."

"Well I don't know who Randy is but something tells me you're lying."

Raquel stopped when she heard the female voice. She hadn't heard it in a while but she knew exactly who she was talking to.

"Sabrina Reid," she sighed. "Hopped off the surgeon's table long enough to call, how sweet."

"Yeah well, I can afford to make my surgeon wait," Sabrina laughed. "I paid for his new Mercedes."

Raquel rolled her eyes, getting into her car, "What can I do for you Sabrina?"

"I heard from a friend of a friend that you're in New York and didn't call me," Sabrina said. "My feelings were hurt."

"Could anybody tell after all the botox?" Raquel smirked.

"Only the ones who really know me," Sabrina answered.

"I was going to call you tomorrow," Raquel explained. "I figured we'd do lunch."

"Sounds great," Sabrina said. "I'm going to get my hair done tomorrow, you should come with, I'm sure my stylist can touch up your roots."

"Well if he can do yours he can work miracles," Raquel smiled.

"It's so good talking to you again," Sabrina said. "I've gotta go, my boyfriend is waiting for me. What hotel are you staying at? I'll come get you in the morning."

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Paula walked into John's apartment, dropping her bags on the floor. John followed behind her, closing the door and taking off his hat, tossing it aside.

"Honey, you should pick that up," Paula said.

"If I wanted it somewhere else, I would've put it somewhere else," John sighed, running a hand over his hair. He walked over to the couch, plopping down and turning the TV on.

Paula crossed her arms, frustrated. He had been cranky with her for days. He hadn't even spoken to her on the flight from New York to LA the night before. The whole time he was either sleeping or reading some stupid football magazine.

"What is your problem?" she walked into the living room.

"What?" he looked over his shoulder at her.

"You have been pissy for days now," she said. "You were on the phone with your brothers the whole time we were shopping."

"They're my brothers Paula," John said. "I hadn't talked to them in a while."

"So you had to talk to them when you were out with me?" she asked.

"I hate shopping," John said. "Be glad I even came with you."

"You might as well have just stayed home!" she yelled.

John stood up, "You don't mean that Paula..If I hadn't gone, who would've paid for all your shit?"

Paula couldn't believe the way he was talking to her. She was about to tell him she didn't appreciate it when he rolled his eyes, walking away from her. He picked up the hat he'd tossed on the floor and put it back on, "I'll see you later."

"Where are you going?" she asked.

He didn't bother to answer her question. He simply pushed her shopping bags out of his way and walked out the door.

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Nick walked into the apartment and immediately heard the sound of giggling coming from the kitchen. He went upstairs and locked his gun away. He'd already changed his clothes at the station. He was tired and lately his nerves were pretty shot so the sound of the laughter was grating at him. He walked down the stairs, seeing Brianna, Gia, and Maya in the kitchen, all of them in pink aprons. They were covered in flower, sugar and frosting in a few different colors. They were currently covering a three layer cake in pink frosting on the center island. Behind them on the marble counters, there were a few baking sheets full of colorfully decorated cookies. There was also a pan of brownies. Brianna was standing, Gia was sitting on a stool and Maya was sitting on the island.

He cleared his throat and they all looked toward him.

"Hey Nick," Gia waved her spatula.

"Maya, get down from there," Nick said, his tone firm.

"But Brianna said-"

"I said get down," he said.

Brianna and Maya both looked surprised by him. Gia helped Maya off of the island, gently setting her down on her feet.

Brianna began to look tense, "Gia, why don't you take Maya upstairs?"

"Come on kid," Gia took the young girl's hand. "Let's go wash up."

Maya looked tentative but she followed Gia out of the room.

Once they could hear two sets of feet going up the stairs, Brianna shook her head, "What is going on here?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I'm talking about you acting like nothing I say matters anymore," she said, trying not to raise her voice. "The past few weeks it seems like you get off on contradicting everything I tell Maya. If I say she can do something, you tell her she cant. If I tell her I'll take her somewhere, you say it's not okay..What the hell is with you?"

"Watch how you talk to me," Nick pointed.

"No you watch how you talk to me," she pointed back at him. "You have said yourself that Maya has never been as happy as she's been since we started seeing each other. You wanted me to adopt her once we get married and now what? Now I have no say even though I'm the one who takes care of her."

"I take care of my daughter!" Nick yelled.

"Who takes her to the doctor? Who gets her up and dressed and makes sure she takes her medicine in the morning? Who takes her to school and helps her with her reading?" she asked angrily. "I'll give you a hint Nick..it's not you."

Nick glared at her. She made him so angry he wanted to throw something.

"Maya understands that I have to work," he glared.

"What about when you're not working?" she asked. "Sure you spend a little time with her but I am the one who devotes myself to her and she's not even my daughter!"

"You're right, she's not your daughter!" he yelled.

"No she's not," Brianna agreed. "But I love her like she is..And I take care of her."

Tears sprang to her eyes and her voice grew shaky, "I just don't understand why you're acting like this all of a sudden. Like nothing I do matters just because I'm not the one who gave birth to her. I used to think you gave a damn about what I do around here but now I'm not so sure."

Nick didn't speak. There was a time when the sight of her crying rocked him to the core but he didn't feel it the way he used to. He still loved her, he still wanted to marry her but he never used to get this angry with her. And if he ever did, he at least used to feel bad for it.

"Say something!" she pleaded with him. "At least tell me why you're acting this way. What is it that you're punishing me for?"

"For what I think you're gonna do," Nick answered angrily.

She stared at him, confused, "What?"

"You tell me you love me," Nick said. "You keep reminding me that we're engaged and we're gonna be together but it seems like John has seen you more than I have. Seems to me like he means more to you than I do."

She shook her head, running her hands through her hair and clenching them there, her eyes squeezed shut. Tears escaped from under her lids.

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Brianna tried to take a deep breath but she was shaking like a leaf. Nick was never going to let this go, he was never going to stop bringing John up. She was sick of this same stupid fight.

"What do you want me to do Nick?" she let go of her hair, looking at him. "What is it gonna take? What do I have to do to get you to stop being so damn paranoid?"

"You wanna know what I want?" he asked. "It's actually about me for once?"

Her jaw clenched. She had a thousand responses to that and each and every one of them was harsh and insulting. But she held them back. She was trying to stop the fight, not start another one.

"You can start planning our wedding," Nick said. "Show me that you actually plan to be with me and not him."

Brianna could tell she had probably just gone pale, "You want me to what?"

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