A/N Per usual I don't own the characters here and part of the dialogue is from the actual show I just added thoughts and gave reason to their body language. Huge thanks to everyone that reads and reviews and those who just read and read lol. Appreciate it. This one is for DatNookieThang for always being awesome! This chapter takes place in 1.10 as well at Lucious' mansion.

Cookie looked through the papers as they sat on the dining room table. Numbers, excel spreadsheets, contracts, and money it was all too damn much for her to process. The IPO had already confused Cookie from the get go even when Andre broke it down into simpler terms for her to understand. All she needed to make sure of was that she was getting her cut and no one would be able to take it from her.

"Congratulations Ms. Cookie Lyon, you are now the head of A&R for Empire Records."

Cookie looked down at him skeptical as he perched himself on the end of the table.

"Whatchu talking about Lucious?" Lips pursed.

He laughed. "That's what you wanted? Positions open."

Cookie smirked and glared at him before walking away. "Whatever Cookie wants, Cookie gets." He added with smirk of his own.

She turned to face him. "I want you to be a better father. I want you to think about what our sons need and stop being so self-serving all the time. And I want to produce your tribute concert, but under my own banner," she continued to pace the floor licking her lips in anticipation "Cookie Lyon presents." She smiled.

"The Lucious Lyon Sound." Lucious smiled back and got off the table taking steps towards Cookie. For every step he took, Cookie would take one backwards. Putting some distance in between them. "Cookie and Lucious Lyon, together … again."

Cookie scrunched her face up. "What are you talking about?"

Just as Lucious was about to explain Jamal's interrupted. "Hey dad can I talk to you?"

Lucious looked at Jamal and then back towards an unsure Cookie, smirking.

"Hold that thought you gonna love where this is going."

Lucious walked away as Cookie thought to herself.

What does he want?

It had been no secret the man was trying to win himself back into Cookies good graces and she must admit she would have willingly let him, except one small thing. Well, big thing and his name was Malcolm Devaux. She started the game and she only had herself to blame. She didn't expect him to flirt back, after all she was really only doing it to get a rise out of Lucious. But now, her and Malcolm crossed the line way too many times to comeback from it. She'd be a fool to deny the fact that his feelings weren't one-sided just like hers hadn't been. She genuinely liked him and it scared the shit out of her.

Lucious Lyon was her first and only, even when she left prison Lucious was still the only man she'd ever been with. So that afternoon in her office when Malcolm's fingers took her to a euphoric bliss she'd never experienced before, hell yeah she was afraid. She was quickly able to conceal her nervousness with the tossing of her panties right after, but that was more for her own comforts sake. Walking around with wet panties wasn't exactly an ideal situation for her.

Now, Cookie was single and she could do whatever the fuck she wanted, only thing is aside from Empire and her kids she didn't know what that was. She never got to go out for drinks and pick up guys at bars, she never had those first date jitters, she never got picked up to go to dinner and a movie, and she damn sure never got fingerfucked in an office.

Malcolm was slowly but surely helping to bring out a side of her she didn't even know existed and that's why she liked him. He was showing her life without being Lucious Lyons wife and that's what scared her. She'd been so long Mrs. Lyon she wasn't sure she neither could nor was ready to let go.

Well I can at least try.

She looked around to see if anyone was watching and pulled out her phone, opening up her recent calls list she tapped his name.

Malcolm Devaux.

She waited as the phone rang twice before the voice on the other end answered.

"Como estas Seniorita?" His voiced boomed on the other end.

Cookies breath hitched. This nigga knew Spanish too? Good God.

She smirked through the phone. "Heeeey. I need to report a code violation." She quickly glanced at the entryway to make sure she was alone.

"If you're talking about the violation that's taking place in the dining room of the Lyon's residence I'm on that ma'am." Damn he was smooth. She could almost hear his smirk through the phone. Wait, how did he know exactly where she was? A huge grin formed on her face thinking about the possibilities.

"You got a camera on me? Where is it?" Cookie's heels tapped on the ground while she searched for the hiding spot before deciding on the large picture that adorned the dining room wall. "Ah it's looking out from that picture isn't it?"

Without thinking, Cookie pulled out one of the chairs, carefully climbing on it to perch herself up on the table in front of the painting. "I'm gonna give you a reason to arrest me for indecent exposure." She kept one foot in the chair as she moved to spread her legs wide open to give him a peek.

She heard Malcolm laugh. "I'm tracking you with your phones GPS, there is no camera."

Embarrassed, Cookie hopped of the table instantly wiping down the area where she just sat erasing any marks she may have put on the marbled table. Down but never defeated she smirked, biting her bottom lip, "Well that's too bad cuz I'm not wearing any panties." Again.

"I still wanna handcuff you." Malcolm replied huskily.

There it was again. This is what she was scared of. Cookie talked a mean game, she knew how to play hard to get. She knew how to say the right things to keep someone interested; she knew she was a good fuck, for Lucious. Malcolm was a whole different ball game. How many women had he been with before Cookie? What if they were better than her? How big was his dick? What if she couldn't take it? Did he like oral sex? What if her head game was awful? Obviously he was into this handcuffing shit that Cookie and Lucious didn't dare to try once in their own marriage. What would fucking Malcolm Devaux be like?

All these questions and no damn answers. All she knew was how to play the game so she did just that.

"Oh. Talk dirty to me daddy."

Daddy? I called him daddy?

Before she could think of something clever to say, she heard footsteps and saw Lucious rounded the corner.

"Baby guess who decided out of nowhere we wanted to be a daddy-" she held a finger up to quiet him and she lied.

"Uh, Carol, girl you know I told you, you gotta have that oil bubbling hot when you put your chicken in. Yeah so call me later. Let me know how it works out. Allright. Bye." She hung up the phone while Lucious eyed her and she turned to face him.

"He's doing the right thing Lucious. You need to support him."

"I have been but you know that Lola belongs here. And I recall you wanting to raise a little girl."

"What are you s-"

Just then she heard footsteps behind her and they turned to face Camilia and Hakeem.

Fucking fantastic.

I'm the father. I put the baby in her. It was me.

Out of all the fucked up things Lucious Lyon has done this tops the cake. He'd sent Camilla away (though that she was grateful for), wouldn't go to see Dre, cheated on Anika (she had some fault in that too), left Cookie alone in prison, and now this. He forced his then 18 year old son to marry a woman that Lucious would eventually sleep with and impregnate and try to pass the little girl off as Jamal's? She knew she should have gotten that damn paternity test herself, but Lucious had advised her not too. Now I know why. He had another fucking child, a daughter at that. The one thing Cookie never got the chance to have. It was silly to be mad about it, she knew that, but still it hurt to know that the one things Cookie hoped for was given to Lucious and someone else. That's what this talk was about, he want her to raise Lola with him. He wanted Cookie to raise his bastard child all the while thinking it was her granddaughter. You sick bastard.

Now Cookie had a gun to her head. Her thoughts ran rapid as she thought she reached the end of her life. The cold metal pressed against her temple served the same purpose that cold water on the face does. It woke her the fuck up. She looked around at all the faces in the room. Rhonda hiding in the corner of the room behind a chair, Oliva in the center of the room trying to unsuccessfully calm Reg down, Hakeem throwing all sorts of jewels in front of them man, Jamal on the verge of tears begging him to spare her life, and Lucious spilling all of his sins out in hopes they will be good enough to be forgiven.

The grip on her neck was tighter as Lucious tried to come closer, he pleaded with Reg to let her go and Reg contemplated it removing the gun and pointing it at Lucious.

Do it, she thought over and over again. Kill him, please.

He changed his mind pressing the gun to her head again; Cookie closed her eyes and prayed that God could perform some sort of miracle.

Bang.

Cookie instinctively ducked down as soon as she heard the gunshots, like she was taught. Her eyes closed she felt a pair of hands grab her into a bear hug and hold her close swinging her out of the way.

When she opened her eyes she was staring into a pair of hazel eyes, they were soft and sincere, but all Cookie saw was rage.

"Are you okay? I thought I was going to lose you." Lucious whispered.

Cookie glanced over and saw Malcolm tending to Reg before looking Lucious up and down with a glare.

"I wish he woulda shot you." She spat.

"Come on. I got you." Malcolm instantly grabbed Cookies waist and led her away from Lucious. He didn't even look back to see the look of confusion cross the older man's face. "Let's get some air. I got you."

Once they reached the porch Cookie started pacing in circles feeling sick, it didn't take long for her to throw up whatever was in her stomach. She was having a panic attack. Malcolm knew the best thing to do was give her space his younger brother had them all the time, if they feel to crowded it made it worse. Once her breathing evened out, she moved her hair out of her face and turned to look at him. She was beautiful. Even with tears staining her cheeks, her hair a mess, and mascara running down her face he was captivated.

Slowly he made his way to her.

"Are you okay?"

She just nodded.

"I wanna go home." She choked out.

"Jennings I'm gonna stay here talk to the cops and meds. I need you to take Ms. Lyon home."

"You got it."

Malcolm looked back at Cookie and grabbed her hands in his. "Go with Jennings. Change your clothes get into the bed." Cookie nodded again before speaking in a low whisper.

"I don't. I don't want to be alone tonight."

It was brief but he saw the look of desperation in her eyes. He nodded in an unspoken agreement and he handed her off to Jennings, who had his own curious expression on his face. Malcolm walked back inside to meet with the officers and write his statement under Lucious' curious gaze. After filling out the necessary paperwork Malcolm was about to head for the door when Lucious stopped him.

"Hey man I just wanna say thank you for everything you did tonight."

"No problem sir. It's my job."

"I know. I just really appreciate it. I don't know if I could live with myself if something happened to her."

Malcolm nodded, mostly because he felt for the man, but also because slowly he would have felt the same way. He'd only known Cookie for two months and he was already falling for her.

He must have said nothing for a long time because Lucious was looking at him slightly suspicious, Malcolm cleared his throat.

"Well she's safe, she should be fine sir. I'm just glad everyone is okay, have a good rest of the evening. All of you." Malcolm addressed the rest of the Lyon clan before heading out the door, fishing out his cell phone to text Cookie.

On my way.