As Adam opened the kitchen door, Laura rushed to comfort her son. Relieved to see him, she looked him over. She noticed a bruise starting on his cheek and she felt a knot on his head.

"Let me get you some ice," Laura said as she scrambled to get ice out of the freezer.

"Mom, I am okay. I don't need the ice," Adam assured her as he spotted a glimpse of his older brother. Jason was coming down the stairwell. He looked at Adam and then looked down at the floor. Jason was ashamed of what he did to Adam, but Adam thought that his brother still was angry with him. Adam walked past Jason and into the living room area and flopped down on his father's recliner. He just put his head in his hands, trying to think of a way to fix things.

Jason just did not know what to say as he watched his mother go to comfort Adam once again.

"Mom, she hates me. Alyssa hates me and I swear, I am innocent," Adam said, clearly upset.

"No, honey. I think she is just upset right now and she doesn't know what to think," Laura said, putting her arm around her son's shoulder. "She will come around. I think she just time."

"Why now! Why now when I need her the most! Christine is going to think she won now," Adam remarked. He felt so lonely. Lonely enough that he did not even consider Jason.

"You are the only one who determines that. I am sure that you are not going to let Christine take you down like this," Laura replied.

"You believe me?"

"Adam, things are just not right and when that baby is born, the truth will come out if not before then," Laura remarked, holding her son's chin so he could see the seriousness in her eyes. Adam was just relieved that his mother believed him. "We are going to take it on as a family."

Adam just let out a little laugh at that statement. "What family?"

Her youngest son's reaction did upset her, but she knew that it was time that the brothers cleared things up. She was about to say something to start the communication between her sons when Jason spoke up.

"Adam, I am behind you," Jason said softly. He was at a loss for words. What he did was really horrible and he did not know if Adam would forgive him.

Adam looked up and stared at Jason. His confused look said it all to Jason.

"Look, can we take a walk and talk about things?" Jason asked. It was always better to discuss things on the beach with Adam. It gave them privacy and the ocean atmosphere always seemed to calm Adam down.

At first, Adam just looked back down at the floor. He figured that Jason just wanted to go outside in case they got into a fight. Mrs. Kramer would not tolerate yelling in the house or extreme horseplay. The beach was the playground and the ring for the boys since they were little. Adam did not feel like fighting with his older brother, but he longed to spend time with him. His heart was empty and even if Jason were mad at him, at least they would be talking to each other. So Adam agreed. He got up to walk out to the front deck. In the corner of his eye, he saw his mother pat Jason on the shoulder and whisper something in his ear. Mother's Pep Talks!

When Adam reached the shoreline, he waited for Jason to say something first. But Jason just stared nervously out to sea. Jason felt like he had done the unthinkable, while Adam felt like he was getting ready to lose even more.

Finally, Adam could not stand the silence. "Jason, I want you to know that I am just as shocked as you are. But I am not the father of that baby. I never did anything with Christine," Adam said, looking at Jason.

"I know," Jason said weakly. He was having trouble controlling his emotions.

Adam was not expecting that answer. "What did you say?"

"I know Adam. Christine is up to her old tricks, and I fell for it. I just could not stand it anymore. I remember how she used to make us fight and she always came between us. Always," Jason said, digging a small hole in the sand with his toe. "I just lost it."

"I know," Adam replied softly. It was true. The only person to ever make the brothers turn against each other was Christine. "She always did play our buttons. Why do you think she is doing this?"

"I think she is doing two things. I have really sat and thought about this so. I think that she wants a family first of all."

"Family? She has a family."

"A step-brother and a step-father and they move around a lot."

"What is the second theory?"

"She wants you."

"Well, that was a brilliant deduction, Sherlock," Adam muttered.

"And you are taken."

"It is not like I am the only boy on earth."

"But she wants you, my dear brother."

"Why? Why me? Why not someone who does want her?"

"Because you liked her at one time first of all, Romeo,"Jason rubbed in. Adam seemed to cringe at that statement. "Plus you are kind of cute for a guy I guess."

Adam looked at his older brother with a funny look. "Did I just hear my BROTHER who is a GUY tell me that I was cute?

Jason had to chuckle. It did sound strange. "Look, I have heard the girls talk throughout school. They think you are cute and you just never paid any attention to them. Besides you look like mom and she is a pretty lady you know. It was always weird to hear girls come up to me and talk to me about how cute my little brother was and if I could help them get a date. But I figured that you would notice when you were ready. And that is when... never mind.

"Alyssa came along," Adam looked down again. He really was heartbroken over her, but he was not going to give up that easy.

Jason looked at his brother closely. It was obvious that Alyssa was on his mind. Adam really did love Alyssa. "Look, you can't let Christine win. She is trying to trap you."

"And everyone is going to expect me to be the perfect daddy and drop Alyssa and devote my life to her," Adam said, picking up a seashell and throwing it back into the ocean.

Jason nodded. That was true. In a small town like Emerald Beach, people will expect for Adam to step up to the plate. "I know that isn't fair, but it is the way it goes. Girls run around and they are considered sluts while boys are called studs. A double standard. Well, men have a double standard. If a girl is pregnant and you are accused of being the father, then you are automatically the father."

"But I am not the father. I am being trapped. She knows it too," Adam said, almost flopping down on the beach in disgust.

"Then we need to find the father, the real father."

"Jason, I don't think she is going to confess that and I certainly was not there to know who the guy was?"

Jason smirked at his brother's comment. "We will just have to find out and retrace Christine's steps."

Adam's eyes lit up. "And I just know how to do that!"

Jason sensed what Adam's idea was and started to shake his head. "No Adam, you are staying as far away as possible!"

"But it is the only way. She will open up to me like a book. As far as I am concerned, it is payback and the baby deserves to know the truth. That he is not a Kramer. I do feel sorry for the baby."

Jason sighed at the thought of his brother's idea, but he knew that it was probably the only way to get to the bottom of things. "What about Alyssa?"

"You can talk to her."

"ME! Why me!'

"Because, she will listen to you. I want her to know what we are doing because it is not going to look good," Adam said, looking up at his older brother. Jason nodded in agreement reluctantly. "Plus you can tell her that big brother will be watching."

"You better believe that! I am not letting you go anywhere alone with that she-devil."

Both brothers laughed at that.

"Do you think that I have a chance to get Alyssa back?"

At one time, Jason did not like Alyssa. He was very mad at her because he blamed her for Adam's accident. However, Alyssa won him over. "Adam, if she doesn't, then she is the one who will truly miss out." But Adam did not seem to gain any comfort from that statement. "I do think that she really loves you so that is a plus." Adam smiled slightly.

"You are the lucky one. You are the smart and nice looking one," Adam said out of the blue. The statement shocked Jason. It was true that people often called Jason the brains and Adam the cute one. But he had never thought of himself as being nice looking.

"Speaking of a BROTHER calling his BROTHER nice looking?"

"I mean it Jason. I have heard some things too, but the girls keep it under wraps since you are a committed man." Jason smiled at Adam's comment, but still had a hard time believing it. "If I have a son or daughter, I hope that they take some traits from you, including those traits." Jason blushed, but did not want to think about being an uncle at eighteen.

At that, Jason sat down beside Adam. He had to get something off of his chest.

"Adam, I do owe you an apology. I should have never touched you, especially since I could have really hurt you. I also let Christine separate us and I should have trusted you completely," Jason said looking Adam straight in the eyes. "I am sorry."

"I admit, it looks bad. You just got mad and I have done some stupid things to you when I was mad at you. We are cool. But I have to tell you; you can really use your muscles. Are you sure you don't want to play football?" Adam said with a grin. He knew that his brother was truly sorry. Jason would never intentionally hurt him. But he didn't want things to get too mushy.

Jason laughed and put his hand on Adam's shoulders. "Many years of practice. But I think that I will stick to baseball. You know, that is probably why we make such a good team when it comes to defending ourselves."

"Why?"

"We each had a lot of practice against the best," Jason chuckled; remembering all of the fights the brothers had over the years.

"That sure is true, but no matter what, you was always my big brother no matter how mad I got at you," Adam replied.

Jason smiled at the memories. Adam was the best thing that his parents ever did for him and he never wanted to lose that bond. "You are okay? I mean, Mom said you had a knot on your head. You are not hiding something are you?"

"No, I am sore, but I am fine," Adam said as Jason let out a sigh of relief. "And if I feel a seizure or anything coming on, you will be the first to know. So it looks like I had better get the ball rolling."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Our case. I better get things rolling by calling my new 'girlfriend'."

"I still don't like it, but we have no choice."

"Just imagine being in my shoes, I am the one who has to claim her and stuff," Adam said as he made a face.

"Well, it is not like it will be the first time you 'loved' her," Jason fired back, teasing his brother about his earlier years in romance.

"Jason, I never loved her. I was stupid," Adam said in a matter of fact tone. "You have a job to do too."

"What?"

"You have to practice being the non-supportive uncle and tell mom of our plan," Adam said as both brothers got up off of the sand.

"Why do I have to tell Mom?"

"Because you are the oldest!" Adam answered. He could tell that Jason was thrilled with the idea.

"Yeah, yeah. But seriously, I do want you to know something," Jason said, making Adam face him. "No matter how mad I may get at you, you will always be my little brother"

Adam smiled and gave his brother a slight hug. "I know."

At that, the brothers began their mission. A mission that would put them up against their own worst enemy and would test their brotherly ties. In the past, Christine always won. But this time, the brothers were older, wiser and more grateful for the gift that their parents gave them. A gift that would last a lifetime.