The following morning saw Marius knocking at the door to Steffi's office, she'd just got in an he needed to talk to her desperately. After discussing it with Cat last night they'd both determined that Steffy, and Forresters, needed to be aware of what was coming that day, so they could prepare for any fallout that may occur, especially as Liam Spencer was the father of her two children, and Hope Logan was suing both Steffy and the company.

Steffy smiled at him as he entered. "Sorry I didn't get back to you yesterday, but I thought you might want to visit with your family a bit longer, perhaps take the rest of the day off."

Marius shrugged, you're right in some respects, we did need to talk, and that's why I'm here, there's something you should be aware of, for both yourself and the company."

Steffy frowned, "please don't tell you've decided to leave us, Marius, we need you."

Marius shook his head, "nothing like that, this is about my sister, and Hope Logan."

Steffy looked at him, clearly puzzled.

"As you know, Hope thought her baby, Beth, had died during childbirth, she then went on to find out that Dr Buckingham had lied about the stillbirth, and had instead forged some papers and the sold the child to cover his gambling debts."

Steffy nodded, "I know this Marius, personally, trust me."

Marius hesitated for a moment, "but what you don't know is that two women gave birth there that night. One was Hope Logan, and the other was my sister, Caterina."

Steffi's eyes widened in surprise, she'd had no idea, but where was this headed, surely, he couldn't be suggesting – no, that was impossible.

"Cat finally broke down and told me what had happened eight months ago, mainly because she'd never really gotten over it, she still grieved. It was then I saw a picture of Hope, Liam, and Beth in a magazine, and along with it a little on their infamous story."

He frowned as he in thought as his mind seemed to go back to that day. "It was then I noticed the striking resemblance to Cat that Hopes child had, actually, she was the spitting image of her at that age, and I started to wonder. I showed Cat the picture and the story and we both decided that maybe, just maybe, this Dr Buckingham had stolen Cats child, but given our family background, had decided it was safer to pass the baby off as Hope Logans when the truth finally came out."

At Steffi's gasp and look of dawning horror he continued, "Cat had already taken a DNA sample, which should be back shortly, and will now go directly to the police and our lawyers, but added to that, our father sent someone to interview Buckingham in prison yesterday, they told him he'd better tell the truth now, before the DNA test came back – if he had been lying. He told them that he'd lied, that he'd told the authorities that Hope was the mother as it was safer for him and his own children, rather than telling them that he'd stolen the grandchild of Antonio Veron."

Steffy shook her head, "but they did a DNA test, they told me, when they snatched her from me, they told me they had proof she was Beth, and to make sure they then ran a DNA test and had it rushed through."

Marius' eyes widened, "oh, my god, Steffy, you were the adoptive mother that Buckingham sold the baby to?"

Steffy nodded as tears started to fall, "we had no idea, I mean I thought I'd met the mother, I had Carter, our attorney, check all of the papers to make sure everything was legal, they were so convincing! I loved her so much Marius, then they just took her from me, they said she was Beth, and that they had proof. They assured me they had, had a DNA test done!"

Marius looked at the devastated woman in front of him, he wanted to reach out to comfort her, but he wasn't sure it would be welcomed.

"I'm so sorry Steffy, I honestly had no idea about any of this."

Steffy shook her head in bewilderment, "we kept it out of the papers, Hope had what she wanted, so Liam made her promise that my name wouldn't be mentioned; to save me some pain!"

She snorted in anger, "but they lied to me, again!"

She looked up a Marius, "when will they be told about this?"

Marius shrugged, "Cats lawyer just rang, Detective Baker is on his way to see Hope Logan right now, they are taking a case manager from child services with them to take Beth in for another DNA test."

Steffy stood and grabbed her bag, "I'm going to see Liam, I want some answers, and that son of a bitch is going to give them to me."

Before Marius could say another word Steffy stormed from the office, opening her phone as she went.

Bill arrived home to find Liam sitting on the settee, seemingly ready to go to work, "You're up at last?"

Liam nodded, "sorry dad, but after last night I couldn't even move until after you'd left. I'm ready now though. I've already rang R.E.B. Designs and handed in my resignation, and I'm just getting ready to see a real estate agent about selling the house. I wanted to ask if it's alright to stay here with you for a while."

Bill nodded, "you can come back to work too, with a few provisions this time."

At Liams narrowed gaze Bill simply shrugged, "you'll be on a contract this time Liam, and if you throw a tantrum like last time and just walk out, I promise you, I won't hesitate to sue you."

At Liams opened mouth look he added, "just as I would any employee who broke their contact with me.

Liam nodded, "fair enough I suppose, considering I've been such an idiot."

Bill raised his eyebrows in surprise at the confession. "Now that we have that settled, why did Steffy call me and tell me to get my arse back home, and why did I get the impression she was angry?"

Liam looked at his father in utter confusion until a voice sounded from the door.

"Because I am angry." SAID Steffy in a deadly voice as she stormed into the room. She walked up to Liam and slapped him as hard as she could.

The sound echoed around the room as she yelled, "HOW COULD YOU! YOU TOLD ME SHE WAS HOPES! YOU JUST TOOK MY CHILD AND ASSURED ME HOPE WAS HER MOTHER! THAT IT WAS ALREADY PROVEN! THEN YOU TOLD ME YOU'D HAD A DNA TEST DONE WHICH PROVED IT CONCLUSIVELY! YOU LYING SON OF A BITCH!" Then she slapped him again whilst Bill and Liam stood in shock.

Bill grabbed her before she could attack Liam again. "Steffy, what's this about, what are you talking about?"

Steffy glared at Liam as Bill held her, "why don't you ask your son," she snarled more quietly. "Tell me Liam, was it all just a ploy to get Hope the child she wanted? When you found out, did you just tell yourself that Hope deserved Phoebe more than me?"

Liam blinked several times as he slowly came out of his shock, "Steffy, I have no idea what you're talking about? What do you mean I lied about Beth, I've never lied to you, I swear to God, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Steffy stared at him trying to discern whether or not he was lying, she gave a short bitter laugh as she shrugged away from Bills hold. "Oh my god, you poor deluded fool, you're just like me, like all of us, sucked in by the Logans and their lies and manipulations."

"Steffy, what's this about?" asked Bill.

Steffy shook her head, "you better sit down, because trust me, this is going to be a shock." She looked at Liam, an almost pitying look on her face, the she told them everything Marius had just told her.

As Steffy finished what she had been told Liam started to shake his head, "but the DNA test, it said Beth was ours."

"And who did the DNA test?" asked Bill discerningly.

Liam looked at his father, "Brooke took it in, she didn't want Hope or I to be away from Beth, she said we needed to bond, so she volunteered to take the samples in."

A look of horror, quickly followed by rage came over his face. "All this time she knew, she knew Hope and I weren't Beths real parents. Did Hope know? Did Brooke tell Hope Beth wasn't hers and she just didn't care?"

He stood up abruptly, "I have to go see them, I have to find out what the hell they've done, and why."

Steffy turned, "you're not the only one,"

Bill grabbed Steffy again to hold her back as Liam grabbed his keys and rushed out the door.

"Let me go Bill, I'm going to kill those two bitches for what they've done." Snapped Steffy as she tried to wrench her arm away.

"And that's precisely why you can't go anywhere at the moment." He said still holding her.

Steffy frowned as he gave her a concerned look, "Steffy, Liam needs to be the one to sort this out, just give him some time. If you go over there while your so worked up you might do something unfortunate, and don't forget, Hope still has her court case against you, you don't want anything adding to that drama. If you don't care about yourself, then think about the company."

Steffy stopped struggling against his hold and stared at him for a long moment as she thought through what he'd just said.

She sighed and relaxed, "you're right, I'll have my own revenge on Hope in time, now is Liams time to get some answers."

She smiled maliciously, "there is one good thing to come out of all of this."

At Bills enquiring look she said, "Hope is about to experience the same pain I went through when I lost Phoebe to her clutches. And it couldn't have happened to a more deserving person!"

She went to walk away as Bill asked, "you're sure you're alright? You're not going to go around there? Promise me Steffy, I don't want to see you risk everything you've worked so hard for, not because of Hope and Brooke Logan."

Steffy smiled that same malicious smile as she had before, "oh no, you were right about that Bill, and thank you for stopping me and calming me down until I could see some sense. This is all Liams fight now, he chose this for himself long ago."

She tilted her head to the side, her breath coming out in an amused huff, "I guess the old sayings true, hey."

At Bills questioning look she smiled.

"You reap what you sow!"

Meanwhile at Brookes . . .

Hope is sitting in the lounge playing with Kelly when there is a knock at the door. She half expects it to be Liam, wanting to talk after her demands of yesterday, even though the annulment and settlement papers have already been filed. She quickly tells Beth to go to her room and start unpacking her dolls for a moment while she see's who is at the door. Beth runs up the stairs, happy to be getting her favourite dolls out of the box they are in.

She frowns in surprise as she opens the door to Detective Baker and another man and woman. "Detective Baker? What can I do for you?" She asks in surprise.

"May we speak Mrs Spencer?" he says seriously.

"Of course, please come in," says a seriously puzzled Hope.

The three people walk into the room just as Brooke enters, "Detective Baker? What brings you here? Is everything alright? There hasn't been an accident has there? She asks in concern.

Baker shakes his head, "nothing like that Mrs Forrester, but there has been a very concerning development in the case of your granddaughter Beth Spencer."

Brooke and Hope both stare at the Detective with blank faces, unsure of what could possibly be going on, Hope thinking that perhaps Buckingham may have died in prison.

"You'd better brace yourselves for what I'm about to tell you."

As both women looked at each other Baker said bluntly, "it seems Dr Buckingham may have been lying when he said that Steffy Forresters adopted child was yours, you see there was another girl at the clinic that night, and she gave birth to a baby girl too, and Buckingham is now saying that the child was really hers! She has also given us a full statement as to what occurred that evening, and is insisting on DNA tests to be run immediately."

Hope shook her head. "No, that's not possible, Beth is mine, anyone can see that, besides, we had a DNA test done that proved it."

She turned to Brooke who was looking aghast. "Mum, tell him, you took everything into the lab and made sure it was done yourself, just so Steffy could put her mind to rest. Tell him!"

Baker turned to Brooke a watchful look on his face, "Miss Forrester? Is that the truth, did you have a DNA test done on Beth Spencer?"

Brooke looked at Hope beseechingly as a single tear slid down her face, "Hope, honey, I was going to I swear, but I had to go into work and I got a little distracted, and I figured everyone could tell that the baby was your Beth, the bond you two shared was so beautiful, so unbreakable, and you needed her so much! I didn't think I needed to, so when Liam and Ridge asked, I just told them I'd had it done. But she is yours, she must be!"

"No, NO, NO!" Screamed Hope, as she became progressively more hysterical.

"She's, my daughter! She's, my baby!"

"I'm afraid she'll have to be taken to the Hospital for a DNA test, right now to confirm that Mrs Spencer," said the Detective as he looked at Hope with pity.

"Please Detective, can't this wait? Can't you see my daughter is distraught? She needs some time to come to terms with this." cried Brooke.

"I'm afraid not," said the Detective impassively. He pointed to the two people with him. "I've brought along two representatives from child protection services, just so you know she's be well taken care of and that everything is above board. You're welcome to come along if you wish. We'd like this over with as soon as possible, and if they rush through the test, we may have answers with-in one to two days."

"NO!" Screamed Hope again, you're not taking my daughter anywhere! I won't allow it! Do you hear me? She's mine! Mine!

She wobbled a bit at her last exclamation before grasping her head, seeming to stumble a little.

"Hope? Are you alright?" asked Brooke in concern, just before Hope fell to the floor in a dead faint.

The Detective opened his phone immediately and called an ambulance, as Brooke ran to her daughter.

"Do you see what you've done?" she cried.

"I haven't done a thing Mrs Forrester, but it seems you might have, and child stealing is a serious offence, we'll just have to see what happens with these tests. Now please, will you go and get the child and I'll take care of your daughter until the ambulance arrives."

Brooke stared at the Detective in horror, what was he saying? Surely, he didn't mean that she could be charged? Her thoughts immediately turned to Ridge, would he even let her explain what happened? It was an innocent mistake, but on top of their last argument, this was a disaster.

She wiped her eyes as she hurried from room to get Beth, as she reached the stairs, she heard an ambulance approaching.

Why was this happening?

When would this nightmare end?