Chapter 21:
"Liam! You don't understand." Hope pleaded with Liam.
"Understand what?! That you screwed my father! That your pregnant with my father's child! Then you and your mother were going to scheme to hide it from me and let me raise my father's child!" Liam fumed, "Please let me know if I'm understanding Hope."
"Liam this isn't Hope's fault." Brooke chimes in.
"Not her fault? I heard everything you two were talking about. It sure sounds to me like it was equally her and my father's fault!" Liam walks past them into the bedroom and starts to pack his things.
Brooke follows Liam into the bedroom with a stunned Hope following her, "Liam the only reason Hope went to Bill is because she found out you have a son with Ivy. So your not going to take any responsibility for your part in this?"
Liam stops packing and turns around even more furious then ever, "Your going to blame Hope sleeping with my father on the fact that I have a son with Ivy who was conceived when Ivy and I were together in a relationship?" Liam can't believe what he is hearing. It suddenly clicked with him how toxic this mother/daughter duo are, it's never Hope's fault. Brooke is always going to find a way for it to be someone else's fault. Well no more, there is no ties to him and Hope. He was going to make a clean break. Liam picks up his suitcase, "My lawyer will be in touch." Liam says looking Hope directly in her horrified eyes. He then walks out. Hope hits the floor crying.
Elsewhere at the cliff house, Quinn is there with Finn, Steffy, and Wyatt. They had gotten the call that they located her daughter, she was in LA. They all sit nervously waiting for her to arrive. They have discovered that her name is Whitney, she is a chef who just opened up a restaurant on the beach close by. Quinn paces back and forth.
"It'll be ok Quinn," Steffy assures her as she hands her a glass of wine.
"Thank you," Quinn says taking the glass, "What if she is mad at me?"
"Mom, she'll understand." Finn assures her, "Once you explain exactly what happened she'll understand."
There is a knock on the door, everyone jumps. Quinn lets out a long exhale and takes a sip of wine, she sets the glass down. Steffy goes to the door and opens it. Wyatt and Finn flank Quinn. Steffy opens the door and there is a beautiful young woman standing there. Her hair is as black as Quinn's but much longer, and her eyes are piecing blue and big. Quinn can instantly tell this is her daughter as tears begin to fill her eyes. Whitney walks in and looks at everyone, the moment she makes eye contact with her mother she instantly feels the connection. She approaches her mother and two brothers. When she gets to Quinn all she can do is cry and fall into her mother's arms. Finn and Wyatt join the group hug as Steffy looks on smiling.
After a while, everyone is sitting at the table. There is so much to catch up on. Whitney explains that the lieutenant told her everything and she does not hold anything against Quinn or her father. They all catch each other up on all their lives.
"I'm so happy that a good family adopted you and that you were loved." Quinn says taking her daughter's hand. "Both of you." She says looking at Finn, taking his hand as well.
"So Whitney," Steffy says, "Do you live close?"
"Um, well right now all my savings is in the restaurant, so I've been staying there in a cot in the back room."
"I'm just moving back to town too and haven't found a place yet."
"Well you both obviously have a place to stay," Wyatt says.
"Yeah," Finn agrees, "We both have plenty of room, plus we have a guest house."
Whitney smiles at the thought that she can finally sleep in a bed.
