AN: Moving the subplots along a bit. You're going to start seeing nore of the cast turning up. We aren't far from meeting Marissa and Alex and Olivia will factor into things as well.

Nine months is a long time and Little Man's mere existence is going to cause so much drama.


Chapter 16

"I don't know. Is it really a good idea to poke the preverbal bear?" Tad wondered looking across the table at Jack.

Breakfast at Krystal's took on a whole new meaning when your friend was asking you to use your private investigator skills to ruin someone's life.

"I have to do something," Jack replied through a frustrated sigh.

"If the transfer worked and you're certain she's pregnant, it's to late to stop this," Tad reminded him. "From what I've heard Erica knows what she's doing and chose to do it anyway."

Jack shook his head. "She's to lost in her grief to think clearly. If she had really stopped to think about this, she'd realize it's crazy. I have to find a way to snap her out of it, at least in a sense of getting her away from David."

Tad raised a curious eyebrow at him. What was it that he really wanted? "Getting David out of the picture doesn't change the fact that he's still the father."

"No, but if he's in jail maybe I can get through to Erica, get his rights terminated."

"And then you'll raise the baby with her? I thought you said you couldn't be a part of this with her because the child is Hayward's."

David didn't deserve a child and he sure as hell didn't deserve one with Erica, but trying to take away one that he knew was his, wasn't going to end well.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Lily and Reggie have your name, despite their biological fathers. You love Bianca like she's yours. What draws the line with Erica's current pregnancy?"

Jack narrowed his eyes at Tad and folded his arms across his chest. "I thought you were on my side?"

"Always," Tad replied quickly, "But you need to ask yourself if you really want to raise David's child or do you just not want David raising his child."

"I don't want Erica raising Hayward's child. Seeing as she's left herself no choice, I want to protect her. Keep her from having to fight with him over their child for the next eighteen years."

"If anyone can handle David, it's Erica." He wasn't certain of a lot of things but he had heard and witnessed instances of Erica being able to get through to David when no one else could.

"That's what Anna believed and look how that turned out. And Dixie. He just runs over any woman who tries to get close to him."

"Anna was Chief of Police she never stood a chance at having a life with David. That's like fire trying to mate with water. And Dixie, God love her, she realized far to late who David really is. Erica is different, though. She knows who he is. She has always known. And she still chose to transfer that embryo."

"She's in a vulnerable position and she's made a decision that she will come to regret. I'm just trying to anticipate how best to help her."

"I know you love her and I know you want to protect by digging up dirt on David, but I don't think it's a good idea. And I certainly don't think Erica would thank you for it."

"Not at first, no. But she would come around. She'd have too. Tad she cannot spend the next eighteen years fighting David for her child. The guy is always up to something. Find out what."

Tad sighed and picked at his breakfast. "Let me talk to Erica first. Let me see where her head is at. What she's thinking about Hayward and sharing a kid with him."

He hated David and normally he would happily take up the opportunity to destroy the guy. This wasn't normal, however. This was Erica's life as well. As loyal as he was to Jack, she'd been his friend for years. Destroying her life and the life of the child she seemed to truly want, didn't tick the same boxes. It would if it was just David.

But damning Erica to eighteen years of fighting with David didn't seem right either.

TBC