Hopes eyes widen in shock – "Pregnant?" she gasps as her hand automatically spreads over her belly.
Finn nods, "I've ordered an ultrasound for tomorrow. Given your condition I want to keep you here for at least another day, to monitor you. You've already fainted once, and you've obviously been under enormous stress the last few weeks, and from what I hear, there's more to come. Given that, I think it's best you stay here and try to rest while we monitor what's going on with you."
Hope turned to Liam as tears start to fall from her eyes, "I never meant to get pregnant Liam, but I can't help but think of this as a blessing."
Liam swung around to Finn, "Get out," he snapped.
Finn shrugged and left. Liam turned back to Hope shaking his head in disbelief.
"I need some time to come to terms with this Hope, after everything that's happened, I just can't . . . "
"Liam, were having a baby, no matter what happens in the next few days, nothing is going to change that. I know your shocked, so am I. I mean, I just thought I was feeling sick because of all the stress I've been under, but this is our child Liam, this is something you can't just sweep away!"
Liams eyes narrowed, "you mean like our marriage? The marriage you just threw away in your haste to get at Steffi's money."
"Liam, that's not how it is, and we'll need that money now, to fight for Beth, and to start anew with our family."
Liam looked at Hope with a mixture of contempt and horror. "Hope, I'm not coming back to you! I'll be a good father to our child, but nothing has changed between us, what you do with your life is up to you from now on. Beth can come in for a quick visit with you and then I'll be taking her home with me tonight, to Bills. I've already spoken with Child Protection and they've agreed to the arrangement, after that, we'll just take it one step at a time."
"No, Liam, please . . . "begged Hope, but it was to late, Liam had simply turned and walked out the door.
Meanwhile, the following morning at Marius's . . .
Cat was busy making some waffles for breakfast when her phone buzzed, she absently picked it up to see who it was – and froze. It was the laboratory she had sent her DNA test to, they were texting her the results, as she'd asked, she also knew these same results would be going directly to the police, who it seemed had already gotten their own samples, thanks to her father's contacts, as well as his money greasing the wheels of justice and moving everything along at a much faster pace than normal.
"Marius," she called out nervously.
Marius came down the stairs, still in his tracksuit pants and a loose t-shirt.
"You bellowed." He asked, yawning widely.
Cat stood looking at her phone, her eyes wide, "It's the lab," she said quietly, "the results have arrived."
Marius hurried down the rest of the stairs and went to stand beside his sister.
"And?"
She turned to look at him, unsure of herself, a desperate pleading look on her face. "I have you Cat. I'm here, whatever happens."
Cat nodded and opened the text. She gasped as her hand fluttered up to her throat, "She's, mine Marius! She really is mine, my own sweet Bella!"
She turned and threw herself into her brothers' arms, both crying and laughing, after a quick hug she disentangled herself and looked up.
"Now to call father and send the results to our lawyers. I just hope that Liam and Hope don't fight us, I want this to be as easy as possible for Bella. We can hire a child psychologist to help with her transition."
Marius smiled, "I'll ask Steffy if she knows anyone good, in the meantime, your breakfast is burning, and I need to have a shower and coffee before I do anything, so let's get started."
Cat grinned joyously. "Go, I'll take care of breakfast, father, and the lawyers while you laze about; and Marius . . . thank you, without you none of this would have ever happened."
Marius smiled at his radiantly happy sister. "Hopefully the worst of this is over now, and you can finally start living your life, with your daughter, as it was meant to be."
He turned and ran bounded back up the stairs as Cat went about dumping the now, burnt offerings in his kitchen.
The following "early" afternoon . . .
Hope is sitting on a bed awaiting the radiologist to commence her ultrasound, she ventures a pained smile as Liam enters, at least this his being here is something, just an hour ago she received the news of both Cats, and the Polices DNA results, they both prove Beth is not her daughter, and she's devastated. The one thing that has kept her going is the fact that she is pregnant, and no-one can keep this baby from her. She'd talked long into the night with her mother, and Brooke had also been there when the horrific results of the test were given to her. Even now, she stands beside her waiting with her, to see if Liam will show.
"Liam, I'm so glad you came, we were worried." Says Brooke as she moves aside so Liam can take a place beside Hope to see the screen with her.
Liam ignores her and simply stands beside Hope silently, just as the radiologist arrives, along with Finn. At Liams filthy look Finn says, "I'm simply here to observe, Hope is still a patient here, and if all goes well with the ultrasound I think she could go home today."
Brooke frowns, she doesn't like that Finn is here, upsetting what should be a bonding moment between Hope and Liam, she decides that maybe ignoring him is best.
The Radiologist introduces herself as Anne and begins the exam. Finn notes the slowly changing attitude of both the morose and upset Hope, and the equally angry Liam when they begin to see pictures of the baby put onto the screen.
"Would you like to know the sex?" asks the radiologist as she's busy taking measurements.
Hope looks at Liam, a question in her eyes. "Yes," he nods with a softening of his eyes.
"Well, you're having a beautiful, healthy girl, she's growing well and her measurements are good."
As Hope and Liam gasped in delight she turned and looked at Finn, "everything looks fine here Doctor Finnigan, the patient is presenting with a perfectly normal, healthy, pregnancy."
Finn nodded and took out a chart, "Oh, just for the records, how far along would you say Miss Logan is?" he asks.
The radiologist checked her figures as a smiling Hope and Liam watch her.
"I'd say, given these measurements, she's just over three months, by around a week I'd say."
Hope gasped in shock as Liams smile slid off his face, both turned from the picture on the screen to look at Finn in dawning horror.
"Thank you, Anne, I guess I better have a talk to my patient now," said Finn with a beaming smile, the radiologist smiled back and left the room to go to her next patient.
"No, this can't be happening," muttered Brooke under her breath as she looked from one to the other.
Hope was speechless. How could this happen? Things like this didn't happen to her! Not her! She looked from a smiling Finn, to an outraged Liam, noting the contrast in both men's demeanour at the news.
"Look, I know none of us were expecting these results, but when I found out that Hope was pregnant, and that Liam and you had just taken DNA tests for the police, I decided to add one more test to the list. As the hospital were rushing the tests through anyway, I simply asked them to add another DNA test for me as a favour, just in case. I'm still waiting on the results, but it should be any minute now, given that the other tests came through an hour ago." Said Finn as he looks from Hope to Brooke.
"You planned this, didn't you, what the hell is wrong with you?" shouted Liam in anger, just as Finns phone rang.
Finn glanced at it, "It's the lab," he said as he answered.
Everyone in the room was silent, staring at him, waiting. They watched as he nodded, then smiled as he thanked them for the rush job, and promising them a favour in return.
As he turned towards Hope his bottom lip began to quiver, and tears filled his eyes. "It's official, she's mine Hope, the lab just confirmed it, we're going to have a baby. A beautiful baby girl."
He then turned to Liam, a malicious glint in his eyes as he said.
"I know this must come as a shock to you, but as a father yourself I'm sure you'll understand. I'll now be a part of yours and Hopes life, just like you were part of mine and Steffi's. I'll be visiting you the same way, to see my child, as all those times you were in my home with Steffy . . . to see Kelly." He added after a short pause.
"I'm always going to be there for my daughter Liam, trust me, I have no intention of not knowing my child."
Liam gave a bitter, hate filled laugh, "I don't care what you do Finnigan, haven't you heard? Hope and I aren't together anymore, in fact, the annulment Hope had me sign has probably already gone through. If anything, the news that this baby is yours just made my life a hell of a lot easier!" he snarled, before storming out the door.
"Oh god," cried Hope as she watched Liam go. "Mum, please."
"I'm here honey," she glared at Finn, "please, Finn, just go, can't you see my daughter needs some time to come to terms with all of this, and your being here isn't helping, we'll talk later."
Finn frowned in annoyance, he was definitely thrilled at the thought of finally being a father, and he could even hear his mother in the back of his head laughing in delight, but the news that Hope and Liam weren't together anymore had put a stop to his plans to torment the man with the fact that he was the father of Hopes baby -if it had turned out he was – even the mere fact that Hope had, had to get a paternity test was gold for him, but now, now he had to decide on how he was meant to carry forward in the future.
He took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright Brooke, I'll go for now but," he looked at Hope and picked up her hand. "I will be seeing you later Hope, we've got a lot to talk about, the baby being just one of those things."
After he left Hope turned to her mother and began to sob uncontrollably.
"I've lost Beth forever, and now Liam has just left me. What am I going to do mum" What the hell am I going to do? It hurts so much!"
Brooke held her daughter tightly as she whispered, "You take one day at a time honey. First, we get you home and we get you healthy. Second, we see if we can raise the money to hire lawyers to keep Beth, I will be helping you as much as I can, trust me. Third you'll see if Liam will forgive you and perhaps, he might even talk to Bill about Beths legal fees. And fourth, you continue on and sue Steffy, as soon as you have her money or shares you'll be the one being able to dictate what you want!"
As Hope turned her head up to her mother Brooke smiled and wiped her cheeks with her thumb as in a vicious undertone she added.
"Trust me honey, soon it's going to be you that's calling the shots, and every single person that ever wronged you is going to be sorry – very sorry indeed!