Chapter One

5 hours before …

Hope had tears running down her face as she hurried to her car. She knew better than to drive when she was this upset but she just wanted to get away from there – get away from Steffy and Liam who were betraying her yet again, get away from the prying eyes of all the gawkers at the club. The Forresters and Spencers were L.A. royalty. Everyone in that club knew who Liam was and who he was kissing on and it wasn't his wife to be.

She heard Liam calling her name and heard his pounding footfalls behind her as she wrenched her key into the door lock of her Lexus and turned it. She immediately hopped inside and felt around through eyes full of tears for the ignition. Sliding her keys into it, she revved the engine and backed up. She saw Liam approach her car and she quickly veered out of the parking lot. She didn't want to hear any more of his lies or his justifications for continuing to turn to Steffy every chance he got. He could go to hell. Straight to hell. She was done with him, even if it hurt so badly. This time she meant it.

Still tears were pouring down her face as she turned onto the street and started for the onramp to the Pacific Coast Highway. She was going to drive until she ran out of road or gasoline, whichever happened first. She just wanted away from all of this pain so badly.

She was so blinded by tears that it was nearly impossible to see the dark road in front of her. Even so she jammed on the accelerator and the car shot forward. She got a whole half mile before she lost control of the car and went flying off the road, hurtling right for a palm tree.

She tried to pound on the breaks but it was useless. She made impact and everything went black.

XoXoXo

Liam was kicking himself as he raced for his own car and wrenched the door open. He knew it was extremely dangerous for Hope to drive when she was that upset. And it was entirely his fault. If only he could somehow learn to stay away from Steffy…

But there she was now, sliding into the passenger seat beside him. "Steffy…" He started but shook his head. "Never mind. We have to find Hope."

Steffy looked pained by Liam's words but nodded. "She wasn't supposed to be there. It was your night out on the town. Why was she …" Her voice trailed off. "You're right - let's find her. We can hash this out later." Steffy sighed and picked up her cell phone. "I am going to try to call her."

Liam shook his head as he gunned the engine and floored it out of the parking lot. "No, don't. I have her GPS on my phone so we'll just find her that way. She's already upset enough. The last thing she needs –"

"Is to hear my voice," Steffy said. "Yeah you're right."

Liam tossed Steffy his cell phone and they went scouting for Hope. Soon her signal was picked up on the screen and Steffy looked at Liam. "She's headed down the PCH."

Liam pointed his car in the direction of the Pacific Coast Highway. "Keep your eyes peeled in case…" He couldn't say it but he had a bad feeling Hope was in trouble.

They made it nearly a mile down the road when Steffy was suddenly pounding on his arm. "Liam, isn't that Hope's car?" She said and pointed to a familiar sky blue Lexus fairly wrapped around a tree.

"Oh god…" Liam practically cried out as he maneuvered to the shoulder of the road. He left the car idling as he jumped out and screamed at Steffy to call an ambulance. Now.

XoXoXo

Liam ended up riding in the ambulance with Hope. She was unconscious and one of the paramedics was frantically working to rouse her. It wasn't working, Liam realized despondently as tears leaked down his face. He could taste the salty wetness on his lips as he gripped Hope's hand. "Hope, hey honey, wake up, okay? Wake up and yell at me. Hell, hit me. Just wake up."

She was completely unresponsive and his eyes moved to the bright red stains on her pink dress. She had lost a lot of blood. Even he could see that …

He looked desperately at the paramedic then. "She's going to be alright? I mean, she's going to survive this?"

The paramedic didn't answer. He just looked at Liam sympathetically.

XoXoXo

Steffy ended up driving Liam's car to Cedars Hospital. She didn't dare call anyone while she was driving, knowing with all that had happened tonight and even to her ex Marcus that that was dangerous territory. But as soon as she arrived in the parking lot, she parked the sports car in a corner space and plucked her phone from her clutch purse. She had the unenviable job of calling Brooke and her dad to tell them about Hope's accident. Steffy felt incredibly bad about her stepsister's accident though she thought Hope had been truly idiotic for driving when she was that upset.

Steffy took a deep breath and then dialed Brooke and her father's mansion. The phone rang three times before her father was answering in his familiar authoritative voice. "Ridge Forrester."

"Hey, Dad, it's me," Steffy said.

"Hey, Steffy, how are you?" Ridge sounded shocked that she had called him given the fact that they were always at odds over Hope. Now they would be even more so, she silently lamented.

"Dad this isn't a social call," Steffy said finding her voice. "Its … Something terrible has happened."

"What is it, sweetie?"

"Hope was in an accident tonight," Steffy said. "She's on her way to Cedars now. In an ambulance. Things don't look good. You need to get Brooke over there now."

"Ohmigod… How…"

"It doesn't matter right now, does it?" Steffy said in a voice that sounded high to her own ears. "The point is that Hope needs all of you right now, so much."

"Brooke's upstairs. I'll go tell her the news and then we'll be at the hospital. Is anyone with Hope now?"

Steffy sighed. "Yeah, Liam."

"Tell him to take care of her until we get there."

"I will. Bye, Dad."

XoXoXo

Brooke was frantic and near sobbing when she and Ridge descended upon the hospital. She immediately spotted Steffy resting her head on a tearful Liam's shoulder and she couldn't help but lash at them. "Dammit, my daughter is in the hospital. Do you two have to carry on like this?" She demanded of them.

Steffy stared at Brooke and Liam started to speak but Ridge was grasping Brooke's arm and pulling her aside. "Now is not the time. Let's just find out how we can help Hope."

They noticed a doctor approaching them, a woman with a shock of gray hair. "Hello. Are you Hope Logan's parents?"

Brooke nodded. "I'm her mother. This is her stepfather."

The doctor nodded. "My name is Dr. Stanley. I am overseeing Hope's case."

Brooke's eyes darted to Ridge's as if to say "Case? Or daughter is a case". But she turned back to the doctor. "Dr. Stanley, how is my daughter?"

"I won't lie to you. She's in very critical condition and has lost a lot of blood. You are aware that Hope has a very rare blood type…"

"Oh no. She needs a transfusion," Brooke said. It wasn't a question. "But I know we don't have the same blood type. I don't know what Deacon's is either..."

"Deacon is …"

"Hope's biological father," Ridge supplied tersely. "We have no idea where he is right now."

"Then we're absolutely screwed, aren't we?" Brooke cried.

"Let's not give up on Hope yet," Dr. Stanley said. "We can test your relatives…"

Ridge looked at Brooke. "What's Hope's blood type exactly?"

Brooke answered with what she knew and Ridge raised an eyebrow. "That's Thorne's blood type. I know because when he was hospitalized awhile back I couldn't donate to him…"

Brooke stared at Ridge. "Thorne has that blood type?" She said. And soon enough, a memory began to stir in her mind but she shook it off for the moment, nipping her lip before speaking. "Well let's call him and have him get down here. He is the only one who can help Hope now."

To be continued … Feedback please …