Pacing the length of the staff room of the bar she had worked in since arriving in Laguna, Sarah slowly dialled Brian's number, her heart racing and her palms sweaty. Moments before she had received a phone call off the doctor to tell her that the results had come back. She already knew what they'd say but she couldn't stop the nerves that wracked her entire body.

With no answer from Brian, she left a voice mail for him and hung up, placing her cell phone back in her purse before turning to head back up to the bar.

"What ya doing hiding down here?" she jumped as Seth appeared in the door way, stopping her from going anywhere.

"Oh, um I just came to take some Advil, I don't feel too good." she only half lied. Concern suddenly filled his face as he took a step forward.

"What's wrong? You do actually look a little flushed." he said raising his to gently brush her cheek. "Babe, you're burning up, and your heart is racing."

"I'm fine." she said with a faint smile.

"No you're not, you're gonna go home and rest." he replied insistently.

"But..."

"But nothing. I'm the boss and I say you're going home. I'll cover you, it'll be fun, it’s been a while since I actually worked behind the bar." he told her with a smile. "You go home and rest."

"With a weak smile Sarah agreed. It would actually give her the opportunity she needed to get the results with Brian without Seth knowing. She gathered her things and placed a soft kiss on Seth's lips as she passed him before leaving. No sooner had she got in her car and started the engine her phone buzzed in her purse. A message from Brian telling her that he'd be there for the results. She quickly gave him a simple reply before heading to the home she shared with Seth.

It felt like the slowest one and a half hours of Sarah's life as she nervously waited to go to the doctor. She knew that once Brian had the results in his hands that he would want to be in Jenni's life and that would mean that he would be in Laguna more often and Jenni would be talking about him. And that would mean that Seth would find out. In all honesty she didn't know why she didn't want to tell Seth about Brian turning up. They had spoken about Jenni's father and he knew that if he ever turned up that she would allow him to be in her life. He had been fine with it too, supportive. But for some reason she was apprehensive about telling him.

Noticing the time on the large clock that hung in the living room, she quietly gathered her things and made her way out to the car.

As she pulled into the parking lot of the doctor's office she spotted Brian's Escalade and parked next to it, noticing as Brian got out of it as she got out of her car.

"Hey," she greeted with a smile.

"Hey, where's Jenni?" he asked.

"She's at the child minders." she told him, noticing the look of disappointment on his face as he whispered "oh." They walked in silence into the doctors, sitting quietly next to each other, not knowing what to say to one and other as they waited to be called.

After an eternity of waiting the made their way through to the consult room, Sarah nervously nibbling at her short nails.

"Well?" Brian asked quietly.

"Well Mr Haner. The results have come back to prove that with ninety nine point nine seven percent accuracy that you are in fact Jenni's biological father."

Out of the corner of her eye Sarah saw a large smile crack onto Brian's lips. "Really?" he muttered.

The doctor nodded holding out the results "Yes really, here take a look yourself." Brian took the paper, his eyes scanning it, his smile widening.

"I guess this means we need to talk." Sarah said quietly. Brian turned to her and nodded.

"I really would like to be in my daughter's life."

"Okay." she replied simply before turning to the doctor. "Thanks."

"You're both welcome." he replied with a smile as the both got up.

"There's a little coffee house about a block away where we can talk." she said as they walked out to the parking lot.

"That would be good. I'll follow in my car." he replied.

They drove to the coffee house, sitting at a small table near the back with their drinks. "So I guess you want to see her and stuff now?" Sarah said, not knowing what else to say.

"Yeah. I want to be part of her life. I want to be her father, like I would have been from the start if you had let me." he replied.

"Brian, please, I know, but I was scared. I couldn't stay, I just couldn't." she replied.

"Sorry. I just... I want to be her dad, and I don't want to miss out on any more." he told her quietly.

"No, I'm sorry and we'll work something out so you can see her regularly." she replied. "I'll have to talk to her first though, explain who you are as best I can."

"That's fine, I understand, I'm willing to do everything on your terms." Brian told her smiling. He paused for a moment, unsure of whether to say what was in his mind to say.

"What?" she questioned noticing his hesitance.

"Was that your boyfriend I saw when I was at the house the other week?" he asked cautiously. Slowly Sarah nodded, "Yeah that's Seth, my um fiancé."

"Fiancé? So you've been with him a while then?"

"Jenni was about three months old when I started working at his bar. We started dating not long after." she explained. Brian nodded taking a deep breath.

"Does she call him daddy?" relief evident in his expression as Sarah shook her head.

"I won't let him. It's not his place."

"Tell me about her?" he questioned with a smile.

Sarah smiled in return, "Well, her full name is Jennifer Louise, she was born April fourteenth and she's stubborn."

Brian chuckled, "Just like her mother then."

"And her father." Sarah countered with a smile.

"True. Tell me more about her." he said.

Sarah spent the next hour talking to Brian about Jenni, telling him her likes and dislikes, and a few stories of little things she had done.

"Seth actually got a lot of stuff on tape. I know it's not the same but..." she trailed off seeing the pain flash over Brian's face.

"Why did you leave?" he asked quietly. Sarah sighed, knowing it was a question he was bound to ask sooner or later.

"I was scared Brian. I didn't know what to do. Things weren't exactly simple with us and I didn't know how you'd react. We were having such a good time together, if I had stuck around and kept Jenni things would have changed, stuff would have been complicated even more than they already were. I thought it was best for everyone if I just left." she explained.

"You know it almost killed me when I woke up that morning to find you gone without a goodbye, and when I found that test... I just didn't know what to think. I went to the bar to see if they knew where you'd gone, I went to your land lord for a forwarding address." he told her.

"How did you find me in the end?" Sarah ask, Brian lowering his gaze to his coffee mug.

"I hired someone. I had to. The thought that I had a child out there somewhere was eating away at me. I needed to know for sure."

Guilt washed over Sarah, her heart twinging at the saddened sincere look on Brian's face. "Brian, I'm sorry. I should have done things differently. But I thought this way was for the best." she told him quietly.

"I know, but it's done now, what matters is that I'm here now, I can start being a father to her." he replied with a warm smile. Sarah smiled back, realising that she had made a mistake leaving. "What does...Seth think of me turning up?" he asked watching as Sarah bowed her head, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"I haven't told him yet. I wanted to get the results done first. But he's known from the start that if her father turned up and wanted to be in her life that I wouldn't stop him." she explained.

"Oh okay. Good." Brian muttered. "I wouldn't want to cause any problems." his words only half true. Sarah smiled, glancing at her watch,

"Shit, I've got to get going, gotta pick the little squirt up. I'll be in touch though, soon, so that you can come visit her some time." she said standing from the table.

"Okay, thanks Sarah, this means the world to me." he replied.

She nodded in understanding, "I'll see you soon Bri." she said with a smile as she turned and left.

Notes

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