I'm back! Hope you enjoy this one.

•••

"Mama," Somebody said, voice loud enough for me to hear, but not loud enough to drag me out of my sleepy state. I felt a small hand grasp my shoulder to shake me. "Mama, your phone–"

"Shh," Another voice said from behind me. Whoever was behind me shifted, "What's up little man?"

"Mama's phone was ringing," Leo whispered and I could just imagine his wide eyes and serious expression. To him, phone calls were of utmost importance and you couldn't miss them.

Isaac shifted again, and the pressure lifted itself from around my waist and legs. The couch dipped from behind me, and I felt his body brush over mine before his feet hit the ground. He pulled the blanket up to my shoulders and I flipped myself over so that I was sleeping on my side, my face pressed into the couch's back.

"Come on," Isaac said in a hushed tone. "Amber is tired so we have to be very quiet."

I drifted back into unconsciousness again, not giving my ringing phone a second thought. I was both mentally exhausted and drained. I just needed a break from everything, even if it was for the next hour or two.

•••

A small figure crawled itself onto my body. I knew by the Johnson & Johnson cologne that it was Leo. I continued to pretend to be asleep as he settled himself on my hip, his legs on either side of my body. He then gripped my shoulder with both of his hands and wildly shook me.

"Mama! Wake up!" He yelled, leaning down so his mouth was next to my ear. Sure, my eardrums threatened to burst at his loud voice, but I continued to pretend I was sleeping. My son released a frustrated huff before he climbed off my body and sat in the space between me and the back of the couch. I felt both of his feet on the small of my back before he attempted to push me off the couch.

I snapped an eye open and glanced at him. He seemed to be using up all his energy on pushing me off– his eyes were narrowed in concentration and his jaw was clenched. I suddenly turned, making him whip his head to look at my face. At the sight of my open eyes, he grinned and launched himself onto me. A surprised 'oof' escaped my lips, but I still welcomed him, my arms wrapped tightly around him as I peppered kisses across his adorable face.

He squirmed in my arms, giggling as he tried to get out of the grip I had on him. I stopped and stared into his grey eyes, the ones he inherited from his sorry-excuse for a father, and felt tears threaten to fall at the thought that Adam could win the case. Leo deserved better than a liar for a dad.

"Zachy is making breakfast!" Leo exclaimed. He jumped off my body and took my hand in his, tugging it to get me off the couch. "Come on."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and let my son drag me into the kitchen as he told me all about how Isaac took him on his morning run. When we entered the kitchen, I was hit with the scent of omelets and grilled sausages. Isaac was picking up the meat with a pair of tongs, placing them on a plate before turning around to put it on the table.

He didn't seem surprised to see me given he probably heard our footsteps, but that didn't stop him from greeting me with, "There's my favorite sleepyhead."

I rolled my eyes and let my lips tug up into a small smile. I took a seat on the table and rubbed the goo, a result of the tears I'd cried last night, out of my eyes. Leo took a seat on the elevated chair I got him and continued blabbing on about how Isaac carried him on his back halfway through the run.

"How'd you figure out the new code?" I asked, standing up to get the plates and cutlery.

He folded the omelet onto itself and smirked, "It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the new code would be Leo's birthday if the old one was your dad's."

I rolled my eyes and glanced at him. He was pouring whisked eggs into the pan, sprinkling veggies into it while it sizzled. He was dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a shirt, "Are you wearing my clothes?"

He paused and gave me an incredulous look, "These are clothes you stole from me."

I placed the plates on the table, giving Leo his green, plastic one, "If it's in my closet, it's mine."

"Not this again," He groaned, shimmying a spatula under the egg to flip it. "Just shut up and sit down. Leo's omelet is ready." He said, pointing at the omelet that was smaller in size to the one next to it, which looked like it was loaded with vegetables.

I didn't bother getting up to get them since the omelet he was making seemed to be ready. Instead, I placed two sausages onto each plate and waited for Isaac to finish making the delicious-smelling breakfast. After a few minutes, he turned off the stove and brought the platter of eggs to the table.

He placed each person's omelet onto their respective plates before instantly digging into his food. I cut up Leo's omelet for him so he could easily eat it and sighed before taking a bite of mine. The thoughts of the lawsuit would not stop whirling around my brain. All I could think about was Leo finding out that Adam was his father; what kind of danger Adam could put Leo in; the chances of me losing the case to him.

I lifted the fork up to my lips before pausing. My eyes widened in alarm– I'd completely forgotten about work.

"Fuck," I muttered, abruptly standing up from the table before running out of the kitchen in search of my phone. I've never been this late to work, and I sure as hell have never taken a day off. I had to sort through the details for the next issue–

"Amber, calm the fuck down," Isaac placed two hands on either one of my shoulders to stop me from making a mess in the living room. Where the fuck was my phone? "What's wrong? What do you need?"

I ran a hand through my hair, "I need my phone. I have to call Emile so she could reschedule all my meetings until I can get there–"

"Uh-uh," Isaac shook his head, interrupting me. "If you think I'm going to let you go to work when you had a literal breakdown last night, you've got another thing coming." I tried to push his hands off my shoulders, but if anything, his grip tightened, "You need a day off. Plus, you have a more important meeting to attend today, anyways."

I stilled as I tried to remember whatever I was forgetting. When I couldn't come up with anything, I glanced up at Isaac to find him already staring down at me, "The only meetings I have today are work-related."

His lips flattened into a thin line and his grip on me loosened, "Your lawyer called this morning. He said that he scheduled a video meeting with that son of a bitch's attorney to discuss the matter further. Apparently, Adam won't be on the call, but Dante would like you to be present so you'd have a general idea of how the lawsuit is going to proceed."

This soon? I only got the letter the other day.

I let my head fall onto his chest as my mind continued to whirl with thoughts. Isaac rubbed my back in assurance, "It'll be fine, my love. You're not going to see him and according to Dante, it's going to be a relatively fast meeting."

I swallowed thickly, "Why's he doing this, Zac?" I mumbled, my voice cracking. "Was the robbery not enough for him?"

He placed his chin atop my head like he did last night, "He's just being overconfident, Amber. He thinks that getting off on good behaviour, on top of having a reduced sentence, excuses what he did to you. He's just being cocky."

"What if he wins?" I whisper, voicing out my thoughts.

"Your father hired nothing but the best. That means that Dante must be a very good fucking lawyer. He'll find a way to make sure the fuckwit doesn't get to see Leo, let alone get custody." He said, his voice confident and certain. I wondered how he managed to maintain a positive outlook at a time like this. With the way Leo and Isaac behaved around each other, you'd think they were father and son– and they practically were.

"Now, come on," He said, placing a tender kiss on the top of my head. "I didn't bust my ass this morning for you to ignore the breakfast I made you."

I breathed out a heavy breath of air and stepped away from him. He threw his arm around my shoulder and led me into the kitchen, where Leo was waiting for us, "What would I do without you, Zachy?"

"You'd be a hot mess, my love," He quipped, seating me on my chair before sitting on his.

He wasn't wrong, but he wasn't right either.

I was Amber Amity, I reminded myself, I owned this shit, even when I was on the verge of tears.

•••

The meeting Dante had scheduled was at midday. Given the time difference between all three of us, that was the best time they could've agreed on. It also gave me two hours to get ready for the meeting. If Adam's attorney were to see me for the first time, I'd make sure I radiated fucking confidence and nothing less.

I didn't want to seem intimidated by the whole ordeal.

Confidence, confidence, confidence.

Despite the fact that they'd only see the top-half of my body, I made sure I was dressed like I would going to work. A v-neck blouse, a pair of white pants and heels. I'd even styled my hair into a sleek ponytail and put on some jewelry all while Isaac kept Leo occupied by teaching him how to properly build a Lego set by following the instructions.

Once I was happy with the way my outfit looked, I knocked on Leo's bedroom door before opening it. On the carpet sat a small three-year old with two pieces in his hand and a tall, built, man who was leaning over what seemed to be the beginnings of a rocket. Both boys glanced at me when I entered the room.

"Do I look okay?" I asked, smoothing down my pants as my eyes flickered between the two of them.

Two pairs of eyes ran over my figure.

"You do realize that you could've just worn underwear and they wouldn't know, right?" Isaac asked, still analyzing my outfit while Leo wordlessly went back to his toy.

I blinked, "Why do I even bother?" I muttered turning around to leave the room. I shut the door behind me and released a shaky breath when my phone buzzed in my pocket.

I scoffed; nothing about this was stress-free. If anything, I have never felt more stressed in my life. The only good thing that came out of this meeting was that I wouldn't have to face him again. I did the breathing exercises my therapist taught me so I could calm down as I made my way to my bedroom. I took a seat in front of my desk and turned on my laptop.

I felt my heart rate increase when the time blinked on the corner of the screen. The bedroom door opened as I typed in my password and I glanced in its direction to find Isaac watching me. I opened the app we'd be using. I leaned back onto my seat and waited for the time to hit twelve.

I reached a hand up to smooth down my hair, "You look beautiful, Amber," Isaac voiced out.

I patted down any stray baby hairs, "Thanks," I replied, smiling at him. The smile faltered at the sight of the time– eleven-fifty-eight. "I'm fucking terrified."

"It's normal to feel that way," He said, shutting the door as he walked in. He took a seat on the floor right next to the leg of my desk since I didn't have a second chair. He pulled his knees up and rested his arms on them, "I'll be here, though. You're not alone."

"Thank you," I whispered, glancing down at him.

"Anytime, my love," He replied, winking. "Now, how about you enter the meeting? This might be the first time you aren't late to anything."

"Fuck off," I said under my breath but put in the passcode Dante sent me anyways. The app sent me to a waiting room and I released a shaky breath at the thought that this was actually happening. Isaac placed a reassuring hand on my knee as a loading screen popped up. I sat up straight and raised my chin– confidence, confidence, confidence.

The screen blinked before a moving image of two men dressed in suits appeared. One was the African-American that was helping me through everything, and the other was an Arab-looking man representing the liar.

"Welcome, Amber," Dante's voice sounded. "This is Omar Moore, he's representing the plaintiff, Adam Hindley."

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Amity," The man said, nodding. "Thank you for attending the meeting."

I reached a hand down to grasp Isaac's, "It's nice to meet you, too," I lied. Nothing about this was nice– this was the guy who'd help Adam with the custody battle.

"I'd like to start this meeting by laying down the facts," Moore said, looking directly into the camera. "Mr. Hindley believes that Leo Amity, Ms. Amity's son, is his biological son, too. Could you confirm whether or not he is, Ms Amity? This will hopefully save us the trouble of getting a paternity test."

I glanced at Dante, waiting for him to tell me if I should confirm it or not. He gave me a nod, signaling me to tell the truth.

"Yes," I breathed out, my grip on Isaac's hand tightening. "Leo is Adam's biological son."

He nodded and wrote something down on the notepad he had open in front of him.

"While we're here 'laying down the facts', I'd like to ask how the plaintiff has come to hear of Leo Amity," Dante stated, voice dripping with professionalism and confidence.

"A video of Ms. Amity went viral in which she was saying 'hello' to a fan. At the start of the video, an up close image of Leo Amity could be seen. In addition, many paparazzi pictures of her and Leo taken have surfaced the internet and are on the cover of many magazines." He informed us. My breath hitched at the memory– Isaac, Leo and I were at a restaurant and the man had come up to me so I could record a video for his sister. He must've accidentally recorded Leo when he handed me the phone.

"Thank you," Dante said, also writing something down.

Moore waited for him to finish writing before saying, "Despite the fact that the summons states that my client demands shared custody of the child, we're willing to settle for an eighty-twenty custody, in which my client has twenty-percent of the custody over Leo Amity."

Dante glanced at me for confirmation. I slightly shook my head and he nodded in understanding, "Ms. Amity is not willing to grant Mr. Hindley custody of her child."

Mr. Moore seemed as if he was expecting this, "Understood," He stated, writing something down onto the notepad. "It seems as though this will have to be settled in the presence of a judge."

My grip on Isaac's hand tightened and I quickly glanced at him to find him staring up at me, eyes soft with concern.

"If I'm being honest, my client and I expected this response. We've got a court date for the end of the next week," He said staring into the camera with a serious expression. "I will email you two the information."

"We'll be seeing you then," Dante said with a curt nod.

"Thank you for your time and honesty, Ms. Amity," Mr. Moore said, glancing at my picture on the screen. "This concludes the meeting for today. Expect an email by the end of the day."

"Thanks," I replied meekly, not knowing what the fuck I was thanking him for.

"Good-bye, Mr. Woods, Ms. Amity." And just like that, he clicked off the meeting, going back to whatever he had to do. I sat there, shell-shocked; a court date? We had to settle this in front of a judge?

Why did Adam think he had the right to do this after everything he's done to me?

"Amber," Dante snapped me out of my thoughts. I glanced at the screen to find him staring at me softly. "I'll try my best to make sure he doesn't win. I've already started gathering evidence."

I swallowed thickly, "So what now?"

"Mr. Moore never said that you should bring Leo with you, we've got evidence of that. Is there anybody you could leave Leo with while we settle everything?" He asked, fingers lanced together as they rested on his desk.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and blinked the tears away, "I guess I could go back home and ask Dylan and Rose if they could take care of him for a bit."

Dante's lips tugged up into a smile, "That's perfect. It also gives us a chance to meet up to discuss the matter further."

Isaac tugged on my hand and I glanced at him. He tilted his head towards the laptop before pointing at himself. I averted my gaze back to the screen, "Can I bring a friend with me? I don't think I'd be able to go through this by myself."

Dante nodded in understanding, "Yes, you can. Mr. Moore never said you couldn't– we still have to wait for the email he'll send later today." He said, writing something down. "How soon do you think you can get here?"

My grip on Isaac's hand loosened, "I can check for flights for tomorrow." I offered.

"Great," He exclaimed with a nod. "Please send me the flight details once you get them."

"Yeah, sure," I whispered. "Thank you, Dante."

"Anytime, Amber." He said, and with that, he left the call. I stared at my screen, the familiar feeling of hopelessness bubbling up within me. This was real– I couldn't do anything about this. It was all up to the evidence Dante and Omar would gather and the judge's decision. I couldn't do anything now but travel to meet with Dante.

My shoulders fell as I leaned back into the chair. I didn't like this– why was he doing this? Did he want to take everything away from me? A sob escaped my lips as an image of the man holding a gun up to my head flashed in my brain. I'd almost died twice–

"Hey, hey," Isaac cooed, scrambling onto his feet before pulling me up from my seat. He cupped my chin and forced me to look up at him. "Leo's going to be safe– he'll be with Dylan. Dante sounds confident in what he's doing. This will hopefully blow over soon."

Your organs shut down, Bee. You almost died– another sob echoed around my bedroom. I hated crying, fuck I hated crying, but how could I not? Adam robbed me and got me pregnant– both incidents almost got me killed. Would he stop torturing me when I was actually dead?

Isaac's thumbs brushed the tears away from my cheeks, "Amber, I'll be with you every step of the way, okay? Dylan's probably going to come too when you tell him about what's happened. You're not going to face the fucker alone."

All I could think about, though, was about what would happen to Leo if Adam got custody.

•••

After Isaac managed to calm me down, he dragged me into Leo's room and sat me down on the floor. He said that building the Lego set would take my mind off things for a bit, and if I'm being honest, it did. Isaac would read out the instructions and show them to us, I'd gather the pieces and Leo would put them together with Zac's help. An hour later, the elaborate rocket was built and my son went crazy over it.

Isaac then offered to take us out to lunch and I agreed. I dressed Leo while Isaac raided my closet for a pair of jeans of his I probably had. After everybody was dressed we climbed into his car and set off for whatever restaurant he had in mind. Twenty-five minutes later, though, we were still in his car and in an unfamiliar street.

"Where are we going?" I asked glancing at Isaac who seemed to know exactly where he was.

"The team's training facility," He replied, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. "I need to talk to coach about not attending training today or the next week."

"Oh," I whispered, slumping against the passenger's seat. "How much longer until we get there?"

He smirked and shot me look out of the corner of his eye, "You're very impatient, my love." He commented, and I hit his upper arm with the back of my hand in response. "If you must know, it's right there."

He pointed to what looked like a smaller version of a football stadium. Despite the fact that I knew of Aren and Nelson, I've never accompanied Isaac to his football training. He just usually took Leo while I worked at the office. I've met his coach, though, since I made sure to attend all his matches. Isaac got me seats reserved for family members, which also gave me the ability to meet the team after games.

The coach was a big fan of Leo– apparently he'd been promoted to his 'junior assistant'.

Five minutes later, Isaac was parked underground in a spot reserved for him. He stepped out of his car and I followed, opening the door for Leo, who silently asked me to pick him up by outstretching his hands. I complied as Isaac led us to an elevator. He draped his arm over my shoulder when the doors opened, leading us through a hallway that was lined with glass windows. I could see some of the members of his team training in the gym and some of their eyes followed after Isaac and me as we walked through the building.

He opened a door and gently pushed me through. The room had an open skylight, that allowed the sun to shine down on the grass field. I recognized the two familiar players running drills with who I assumed was Isaac's substitute. The coach was watching them with a hawk's eyes. As soon as he caught sight of him, the coach's eyes narrowed into thin slits as he blowed the whistle.

"I'm about to die," Isaac muttered, wiping his hands on the side of his jeans that he stole from me.

"Jacobs!" He shouted, his voice echoing around the empty field. "Viens-là donc je peux hurler dessus." [Come here so I can yell at you.]

"D'accord, coach!" He returned almost automatically, raising his voice before glancing at me. "Just give me a second, yeah?" [Yes, coach!]

I glanced at the coach, who seemed as if he was about to blow any second now. His face was slowly turning red, a stark contrast against his very pale skin. Aren and Nelson were staring at him with a smirk on their faces.

"Take your time," I assured him, adjusting my grip on Leo. "Don't die."

He grinned, "I'll try not to." With that, he squeezed me in a side hug before running towards the coach, who instantly started yelling at him as he pulled him to the side.

I stood awkwardly at the sidelines and glanced at Nelson and Aren, who were talking to each other, the substitute walked away to drink some water. Leo started squirming in my arms, a sign he wanted me to put him down. I did as he asked and he instantly bolted towards Aren, who when he caught a flash of blue running towards him, prepared to catch him. Aren tossed Leo up in the air as soon as he caught him, making the latter giggle while my heart dropped.

Nick almost dropped Céline that one time.

Nelson ushered me over, a bright orange captain's band strapped over his right bicep. I smiled and hurried towards them, watching anxiously as Aren tossed Leo up in the air. Walking on the grass in heels was a new experience for me, but I safely made it to Nelson, who gave me a quick hug once I neared him. Aren passed Leo to Nelson, who started swinging him, before giving me a hug.

"Hey, guys," I smiled.

"On se demendait pourquoi Isaac n'est pas venu," Aren said, quickly glancing at Isaac, who was now talking to his coach. [We were wondering why Isaac didn't come.]

"Maintenant, on comprend pourquoi," Nelson continued, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as he perched Leo on his hip. [Now, we know the reason why.]

"Êtes-vous ensemble enfin?" Aren asked, making me choke on the air around us. I slapped my chest, trying to stop my coughing fit while the two men just stared at me expectantly. [Are you guys finally together?]

"Everything okay over there?" Isaac called. I glanced at him to find him shooting me a concerned look. I gave him a thumbs up. He hesitated, eyes flickering between the four of us before turning back to his coach, who didn't seem as red as he had been. I turned to face the two men, my eyes wide with bemusement. They stood there, shit-eating grins on their face as they awaited my response.

"Ça va dans la tête?" I questioned incredulously. "Pas du tout– pourquoi serions-nous?" [Are you guys okay in the head? Of course not– why would we be?]

Like it was rehearsed, Nelson and Aren threw their heads back and groaned. Leo looked at them with worry, not understanding what was happening, while I stood confused.

"Vous êtes vraiment dense," Aren muttered, rubbing his forehead with his thumb and middle finger before dragging his hand down his face. [You guys are really dense.]

I blinked, "Vous avez besoin d'aide sérieuse. On est pas comme ça– qui a mis cette idée dans vos têtes?" I poked both their heads with my index finger. [You guys need serious help. We're not like that– who even put this idea in your heads?]

"Ça alors," Nelson dragged out placing Leo on the grass. I watched as my son bolted towards Isaac. "C'est peut-être parce que vous agissez comme un couple marié." [Gee, maybe it's because you guys act like a married couple.]

The coach's eyes softened at the sight of Leo, who tugged on Isaac's shirt. The latter picked him up and said something to him before going back to continue his talk with the coach.

"Voyez?" Aren sounded, throwing to arms up into the air before they flapped back down and met his sides with a resounding 'slap'. "Elle n'arrête pas de le fixer." [See, she won't stop staring at him.]

I slapped him upside the head which made him release a whine as he rubbed the back of his head, stepping away from me. Nelson snickered at the action, but once I shot him a pointed look, he clamped his mouth shut and raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Ne pensez pas que nous n'avons pas vu le magazine," Aren continued, wiggling his eyebrows again. Did the slap not teach him anything? "Étoile, eh?" [Don't think we didn't see the magazine. Étoile, huh?]

I made a move to hit him again and he jumped away from me, shielding his head as he cowered, "Désolé, désolé! S'il vous plaît, pas encore." Aren begged, eyes fixed on the ground beneath him. [Sorry, sorry! Please, not again.]

"Wow," Isaac commented from behind me, making me jolt with surprise. "Was my brother not enough? Now you had to go ahead and scar Ren?"

"Elle est si effrayante," I heard Aren mumble to Nelson. I shot him a look through my narrowed eyes, and he immediately jumped behind Nelson for cover. "Désolé!" [She's so scary. I'm sorry!]

"Why do you have instill fear in everyone's hearts?" He clicked his tongue while shaking his head, feigning disappointment.

"Shut up," I clipped watching as Leo followed the coach around the field as the former rearranged the cones into whatever pattern he wanted. "What did the coach say?"

"He understands why I'm going so I'm free to leave. I have to stay back today, though, and I'm going to have to make up for it by doing more intensive training," He replied, throwing an arm around my shoulder like he always did.

Nelson raised his eyebrows at the action and I secretly flipped him off. Isaac and I were lifelong friends that lost contact for a bit. We didn't harbor any feelings for each other. Sure, maybe we behaved like a married couple, but that was how it's always been. I was 'his love' and he was an idiot– throw in my child that we both basically take care of and of course we'd act like one.

"Où allez-vous?" Aren asked, slowly coming out of his hiding spot behind Nelson. "A honeymoon?" He whispered under his breath. I, of course, heard him, but made no move to hit him. Instead, I glared at him and he instantly went back to cowering behind his caption. [Where are you going?]

"J'ai quelque chose à gérer," I said, my tone uncharacteristically defeated. I glanced at Leo again to find him sitting next to coach on the bench, listening to him mutter on about something written in the folder he was holding. [I have something to deal with.]

I averted my gaze back to Nelson, who's eyebrows were puckered into a worried frown. His eyes flickered between me and Leo, and he seemed as though he understood what was happening. Nelson was a usually quiet guy who sat back and observed. He was quick on his feet and was able to identify, understand and solve a problem rapidly. That's why he was the captain of his football team.

"Quoi que ce soit, on est là pour toi," He replied, his eyes gleaming with sincerity. [Well, whatever it is, we're here for you.]

•••

– 24/07/20

Well my fucking flight to uni got cancelled. (For the 2nd time)

Maybe this is a sign from the universe.