The phone rang and she picked it up. She took the name of the caller and asked for the reason he was calling. When he gave it, she let her eyes travel down the hall. She put the man on hold and buzzed into the co-manager's office. He took forever to respond, but when he did, he quickly left his office. It took him five seconds to enter her office, and when he saw her working he cleared his throat.

Her eyes remained on her work and she asked "What?"�

He took a deep breath and said "We've got a problem."

She looked up at him and asked "What?"

Her gaze became too intense and he mumbled "We found Hallie's father."

The room became deadly quiet and when he looked at her, he found her face watching him with disbelief. When it finally hit her, she quickly left her desk and then her office. She made her way out of the building without losing control and when she reached her car, she hopped in. She drove to the apartment and found Daniels pulling in with Hallie in the front seat. She climbed out of her car and when Hallie saw her, she smiled and ran over to her.

The girl was instantly in her arms and she held her as the information processed. When she looked up, she saw Daniels watching her with some concern and she stood up. She took Hallie into the apartment and made her a snack. As the child watched TV, she started making dinner and Daniels laid a hand on her shoulder. She jerked her shoulder away from him and let her gaze settle on the food she was preparing.

"What's wrong?"

Her eyes slowly drifted out of focus and she said "We found her father."

His breath drew sharply in and he asked "You've got to be kidding? That man doesn't deserve the chance to see her, let alone claim that she is his little girl."

She sighed and said "He won't need to fight us. Travis is already placing the call to meet with him."

Daniels growled and asked "Can he do this? Hallie belongs to you!"

Her eyes checked the living room and she said "Yes he can. He is her biological father, so only court can rule against him."

He chuckled and said "That shouldn't be a problem."

She shook her head and said "Travis did a background check and the guy is a top-class lawyer."

He groaned and asked "Isn't there some way you can keep her?"

Her eyes met his and she said, "No."

The phone rang and when she answered it, he checked on Hallie to find her fully into her show. He heard her hang up and looked back into the kitchen. She took a deep breath and placed the phone on the charger while she searched for some kind of control. He walked into the kitchen and watched her take deep breaths as she cooked. When the door opened, he looked into the living room and saw Kari enter.

She raised an eyebrow when she saw him and he shrugged before he looked back into the kitchen. The room was empty and he found her setting the table with a place for him. He walked over to her and took the dishes from her to give her a chance to gain some control. When she mumbled thanks, he watched her walk down the hall and enter her room. He looked back at Kari and she helped him set the table.

When the table was set, he pulled Kari into the kitchen and sai, "It's about Hallie."

Her eyebrows became a frown and she asked "They found one of her parents?"

He nodded and said "Unfortunately."

She sighed and said "This can't be happening."

They exchanged looks and she asked "Can't they fight it?"

Daniels shook his head and said, "Been told the guy's a fine lawyer and therefore they can't do anything about it. Her boss is setting a meeting now."

She sighed and asked "How is she handling it?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and said "I haven't seen her break yet."

Kari moaned and asked "Why now? Why does that bastard have to show when the two are perfectly happy?"

"Because that bastard has a right to claim his flesh and blood."

They looked to the door and saw Kat leaning against it with some newfound control. Kari sighed and laid a hand on her shoulder, but the woman simply rolled it off. She walked into the living room and picked up the plate on the coffee table.

Hallie looked up at her and asked "Mommy? Are you okay?"

She knelt in front of her and said "I'm okay. Let's go eat dinner."

The little one nodded and said "Good cause I'm starving."

A small smile lifted the corners of her mouth and she led the girl over to the table. When Hallie was sitting at the table, Daniels sat on her left with Kari sitting on her right. They filled their plates without a word and dinner was eaten in utter silence. After dinner had passed and the dishes were put away, Kat sat tucking Hallie into bed for the night. She brushed some loose hair from the little angel's face and kissed her forehead gently.

Hallie yawned and asked "What are we doing tomorrow, Mommy?"

She smiled and asked "What should we do?"

The little one shrugged and said "Anything that doesn't involve being sitting in front of the TV. It's the weekend, so let's go do something in town."

She smiled and said "Let me sleep on it. There's something we have to do first thing in the morning, and then we will see."

Hallie smiled and said "Night Mom."

She sat watching the little one fall asleep and then she turned the light off and left the room. When she closed the door, she turned around and found the two watching her. Her nerves were on edge to where she couldn't say another word and she walked into the living room. She grabbed her jacket and slipped it on as she walked to the door. Daniels snatched her arm and she stopped to look at him. Concern was written all over his and Kari's faces, but it only added to the killing pain within her and she left.

PGS