"You can't take her!" Neisha shouted forcefully with Lachlan standing a couple of steps in front of her and Sidney holding tightly around her waist. "She's not going with you!"

"Who's that?" Jasper threw the car into park and jerked his seatbelt when it moved too slow for his liking. "What the hell is going on?"

"It's Irvine." Tulip groaned out holding her side as she tried to undo her seatbelt but twisting her body wasn't something she wanted to do. Her ribs rebuked the movement and so did the skin that had sutures running through it. She didn't listen to its complaints though. She had to get out of the car because of the fear and anxiety that birthed inside her the day the nurse took a newborn Sidney out of the delivery room and visited her again.

"My crutches." She grunted out as released the seatbelt and let it zip back in place. "I need..my crutches."

Jasper stopped halfway out of the car. "Let me handle this. I don't need you popping a stitch."

"I—" She started but he didn't wait for her to finish her statement nor did he close the door behind him.

His sight was trained on the man standing by a luxury car with a driver that craned his neck toward the closed window trying to hear all the drama unfolding but did not want to be involved. Neisha stopped shouting at Irvine and he turned around to find out why. Irvine's eyes went to Jasper then to Tulip in the car, he narrowed them on her and then refocused on the man who was a couple of inches taller than him. His entitlement didn't falter though. He just tightened his grip on the suitcase and tipped his chin up in a 'who's this mother fucka' type of demeanor.

Tulip fumed at the sight of Irvine's arrogance and the notion that he believed since he knew Sidney when Amelia had her that she belonged with him. She reached at her crutches, ignoring and gritting her teeth through the pain. She didn't care if she popped a stitch she had to put him in his place and tell him where to go and exactly how to get there.

Sidney pounced on Jasper and glued herself to his side as soon as she lifted her head from Neisha's waist.

"I don't want to go, Fasa," Sidney whined and begged once in Jasper's embrace. "Don't make me go. I want to stay. Je veux rester ici."

"Vous serez." Jasper insisted, picking Sidney up and she immediately latched her arms and legs around him koala bear style. He stroked her back trying to ease her sobbing then turned his attention back to the angry man. "I don't know who you are or who you think you are but you're not taking my...our daughter."

"Oh!" Irvine's face lit up with sarcasm while the corners of his mouth sneered with disgust. "The absentee father has demands and claims without paperwork and the authority of law."

"Do you think any court or judge will believe that this scene that you're causing is beneficial for her growth?" Jasper held Sidney a little tighter trying to stop her little body from the shiver and quell his need to throttle the man. "No. I don't care what paperwork you have. You're on my property and I want you to leave before I make you leave."

Irvine chuckled, "If I leave it'll be to get the sheriff and I don't think that would be good for her either or you."

"Are you threatening me?" Jasper took an instinctual step forward with anger storming his features.

"I'm just telling you all the facts." He scowled at Jasper and then lowered his sight to Sidney. "I'm only trying to give you the best, Sid."

"Don't call me that!" Sidney seethed in the crook of Jasper's neck. "You're not my mommy. You're not my mommy." She hugged Jasper's neck tighter. "I want my mommy. This wouldn't be happening if she was her. Rien de cela."

"You called me," Irvine whispered toward the child then looked back up to the man she was attached to. "She called me. In the middle of the night crying because her guardian got into a wreck and wasn't coming back so I'm here to correct ill decisions."

"You arrogant, smug, selfish bastard." Tulip used the remainder of her energy to shout the words at Irvine's back. She gripped onto the solo crutch, the only one she could muster enough strength to reach as she stood in front of Jasper's car.

Everyone's eyes were on her and silence hovered over their heads. Jasper moved towards Tulip but it was Neisha that made it to her side first giving her the help she needed to stay upright.

"She called you because she was upset and scared." Tulip hurled her words at Irvine laced with all the frustration and venom she felt for the man since first meeting him. "She needed you to be there for her. Care for her. Put her wants and needs first. Look at her. Look!" She gritted through the pain as she pointed to Sidney's tearful face. "Does she look like someone that feels safe, loved, and nurtured by this display that you are putting on?"

Irvine didn't bat an eye towards Sidney; he kept his gaze glued on Tulip. "She's a child she doesn't know what's best for you and you can't take care of her in your condition." He gestured towards her. "You can barely stand on your own."

"It takes a village." Neisha hissed at him and then refuted her friend's attempt to stand on her own.

Tulip groaned and grunted as she took ginger steps towards Irvine and shook her head at Jasper when he tried to help her.  She needed to do this part on her own. Tears filled her eyes from the pain she had to endure to claim the space in front of Irvine but that pain wasn't as gnawing and vicious as the pain that habited her the day she gave birth to Sidney.

"Stop using her." She seethed at Irvine. "Stop using her. She's not your bandaid or a coping mechanism. She can't absolve your grief and regret. Stop using her!"

Irvine glared at her with hostility for what felt like a minute but was just a couple of seconds. His shoulders slumped as his eyes filled with mist then he dropped his head. "I need her!" His shoulders shook then he crumpled to the ground. "She's all I have left of Amelia. She's all I have left."

Tulip wanted to kick the man further into despair, he deserved it but Sidney was watching her with tearful eyes.

She swallowed her fury and said. "You have a choice here. You can rip her from her Fasa's arms and take her with you but she'll despise and hate you for the rest of her life or you can leave her, heal yourself, and once I deem you are stable enough I'll allow you to see her if she wants to; which one will it be."

His eyebrows furrowed as he glanced up at Tulip and his mouth twisted as he peered over at Sidney. His chest shook from a fresh round of tears as if he was finally seeing the destruction he reaped for the first time.

"I...I'm sorry." He whispered to Sidney. "I'm so...so sorry." His voice broke on the last word.

"Get in your car," Jasper spoke up assertively. "And go. Now."

Irvine released Sidney's suitcase with a shaking hand then scurried to his car and slammed the door behind him. The driver professionally maneuvered the sedan around Jasper's car and out of the long driveway.

Tulip, however, wasn't interested in the exit of the man. She sought out Sidney's eyes. Fear was still lingering in the child's features.

"It's okay, baby girl." Tulip softly urged as she made small steps towards her. Jasper closed all the distance between them and let Sidney down as she insisted. "It's okay."

Sidney attached herself around Tulip and rested her head against her stomach. "I want to stay with you. Don't leave me."

"Never." Tulip breathed faintly through the pain. She stroked the little girl's shoulder with her free hand and then lifted her chin to see her fully. She wiped the tears that slid down her baby's face. "I'll walk through fire and slay dragons to be with you, Sidney King. You're my baby. I love you...with everything in me. I'll always fight for you."

Sidney placed her head back against her. "I love you, too." She hugged her tighter. "I love you...Me—" She stopped and looked up at her tearfully. "Is it okay if...if I have two mommies?"

A fresh round of warm tears rolled down Tulip's cheeks. "Yes, baby girl."

"Then....can I call you mommy, too."

"Yes." Tulip shook her head abruptly, her pain taking a backseat.

"Good, 'cause I..." She buried her head back against Tulip. "I love you like I love my mommy."

Tulip tried to pull Sidney into her arms. She wanted to hold her baby and kiss her tears away but she couldn't. Her body was fighting against her so Jasper stepped in and lifted Sidney for her and placed the child in her arms then he moved to the back of her letting Tulip lean against him and stabilizing her body using his strength to remain upright.

Tulip whispered loving words into Sidney's ear between kisses as Jasper's hands rested on her waist and she relied on him fully. She hugged her baby tightly as a tearful smile etched on her face. Yes, she was in physical pain but her soul was finally happy and her heart was finally singing hymns of jubilee. She had the two biggest portions of her heart back in one place.

The lemony bitterness of life couldn't override the sweetness of joy she was feeling right now. Her lemon cake was baked to perfection; she had her baby girl and the love of her life. What more could she ask for?

The answer to that question came swiftly. Vicodin. She could ask for Vicodin, which she was going to demand just after another minute of hugging.

Only the epilogue left?

What do you think is in store for Tulip, Sidney, and Jasper?

What do you think will happen to Irvine?

What do you think is in store for Neisha and her relationship with Lachlan? I think she deserves her book, what about you?

Also, I couldn't narrow down a song for this chapter so if anyone has any suggestions feel free to suggest.