Disclaimer: I don't own anyone, other than Brielle.
Rated: M
Warning(s): Slash, Het, Stripping, Exotic Dancing, Mpreg, Non-Con, Child Abuse, etc.

A few hours later, Adam stood outside of the hospital room where his baby was recuperating. The doctor had told him that she was awake and he could head in to see her whenever he liked, but for now, he was content to stand outside and stare. Randy, who had not left his side for the entire ordeal, clutched his hand and squeezed it as he stared into the tiny window as well. It was time for the moment of truth. It was time to see how much damage Chris had caused.

Carefully, Randy led him into the room and over to the bed. After he all but forced the blond into one of the many chairs beside the bed, he assured him that he would be just outside if Adam needed him. Adam stared at him for a moment, before he nodded weakly. He knew that he needed to do this on his own. Brielle had never seen Randy and after all of the new faces she had seen in such a short amount of time, he could overwhelm and scare her.

Slowly, Adam reached forward and took Brielle's hand. "Brielle? Brielle, sweetheart, it's Mommy. Can you let Mommy know that you're awake?" Tenderly, he stroked the back of her tiny hand. "Brielle? Brie-Brie?"

Brielle's sweet eyes fluttered and Adam flinched when he saw the pain that swirled within them. "Mommy?" She muttered that one word so weakly, it shattered Adam's heart.

Tears trickled down his cheeks and he nodded hurriedly, blond hair bouncing on his shoulders. "Yeah, baby. It's me. It's Mommy." He leaned forward, brushing the soft hair away from her face.

"Where's Daddy?" The honest confusion in her voice made his hand freeze mid-swipe. It trembled and fell to the pillow beside her head. His hazel eyes shone in disbelief.

Before, Brielle had never much cared for the existence of her father. Adam could have told her that she had been hatched and she would have accepted it as the truth, because Adam was all that she had ever known. Adam was safe. Now, it was like a cold slap across the face to hear her ask for him as if he had been there from the start. And it was only then that he noticed the dark purpling bruise on her ivory cheek.

Frantic now, he forced her head to the side so that he could look at it more clearly. "Did he do this to you?"

"What?" Brielle could sense his fear and had started to become afraid as well.

"This!" He waved at her swollen, purple cheek. "Did that bastard hit you?"

"No! Daddy would never hurt me! Daddy loves me more than Mommy does!" Brielle screamed, before she drew the covers tight around her and turned away from Adam. "I want my Daddy."

Adam's eyes widened. The vice that held his heart twisted and clenched. How could this be happening? "Baby, no. No, sweetheart, no. I didn't mean to yell. I'm sorry. Just please, baby girl. I love you so much."

"No you don't!" Brielle screamed.

Adam took a moment to calm himself. It wouldn't do to make himself into even more of a villain in her eyes. Her words wounded him in a way that he couldn't explain. She was his baby. The first (and only) child that he expected to have. How could she think that he didn't love her? After all that he had done for her, after all that he had sacrificed for her, it killed him to think that Chris would throw in such a low-blow. But then, what more could he expect?

Adam closed his eyes and carefully removed the stuffed teddy bear that he had brought from the hospital. It was almost identical to the one that she had now, but this was the one she had left behind in the states. "What is that?"

Adam smiled ruefully. "It's the reason I came, baby girl. You see, I've been looking all over for you so that I could bring you home and we could be happy… and I held on to this bear to remember how happy we were."

"Is that Mr. Fluffykins?" Brielle asked skeptically. Adam's smiled widened a little. At least she remembered the name of the bear. That was a decent start.

"The one and only." He answered. "And Mr. Fluffykins has missed you terribly. And I know for a fact that you need him more than I do." Without meaning to, he let a tear fall as he tucked the bear under her arm.

Brielle bit down on the inside of her mouth. "Where did they take Daddy?"

Adam sniffled, realizing with a heavy heart that not even her favorite bear could fix this. "I don't know, baby."

Brielle lifted her arm and threw the teddy bear down onto the floor. It bounced with a horrific clack and rolled under the bed. "I'm tired. I want to sleep now."

"Okay, sweetie." He leaned over to kiss her cheek, hoping she would allow him that much. But she rolled over onto her stomach and hid her face from view. "I love you, baby." There was no answer.

Adam, heartbroken, had to leave before matters became too out of hand. The tears came down in rivers now and he could not stop them, no matter how hard he tried. His daughter thought he was a monster. After all that that bastard had done to her, Adam was the monster. As soon as the door closed behind him, he threw himself into Randy's arms and sobbed. Why had life dealt him such a shitty hand?

Randy comforted him as best he could, but there was little that could be done to console the brokenhearted man. Randy understood what it meant to be in his situation, but he had never been on the receiving end of such a brutal letdown from a child. His current state of disbelief and anguish was understandable. And if all he could do was stand there and hold him as he cried, then that was what he would do. When it came to Adam, he would do anything.