Part 20 - Chapter 1 - The Truth

Eileen sat behind the steering wheel, waiting for the light to turn green. She had just dropped her father off at his appointment and was using the extra time to take care of a few of her own errands, or so she hoped.

From the moment she had left the doctor's office, what she was doing didn't seem real and part of her couldn't believe she was actually going through with it.

At every intersection, with every block she drove, she questioned whether she should go on or turn back. When this light turned, just like all the others she continued on.

She still was uncertain, but she knew that she had ignored the truth for far too long. It was time to take action.

"Hello, Arthur. It's good to see you again." Dr. Pons welcomed Arthur into her office and invited him to take a seat. "How have you been?"

"Not very well. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here, would I?" Arthur asked.

Dr. Pons seemed to ignore her patient's grumpy response and continued on. "What's been happening lately? What's been causing your life to be not very good?"

"What hasn't been?" Arthur replied. "I lost my business partner suddenly and then found out he had been lying to me. Because of that I lost my business and my health and apparently I'm making my wife and daughter miserable to the point they sent me here to see you."

"That's certainly a lot of change happening in your life to adjust to. How have you been dealing with it? What have you been doing with the extra time now that you're not working?"

Arthur scoffed. "What can I do?"

"There are plenty of things . . ."

"Oh, don't tell me to take up a hobby or do some worthless thing to occupy myself as I'm waiting around to die. I don't want to be a useless old man that somebody else has to take care of. If you want to know what my problem is, that's it."

"Well, I don't agree with the idea of you being a useless old man. Especially since you and I are about the same age," she said with a crooked smile. "We all have different ideas of what is useful or worthwhile. Besides work, what other things have you done that made you feel useful or seemed worth spending your time on?"

Arthur hesitated. "Working is what I've always done. Building a company from the ground up takes a lot of time and dedication. I didn't have a lot of time to get involved with anything else."

"What if you had been able to build your company with extra time left over, how would you have spent your time? Was there ever a time when spending time on your work took away from other parts of your life or kept you from doing other things you wanted to do?"

"There were times," Arthur admitted. "I used to feel guilty about not spending as much time with my family as I could have, especially after Abigail passed away. I missed out on a lot of time with Eileen when she was growing up . . . I don't know that I would change anything if I could go back, but if I did have more time, I would have spent it with my family."

"The last time you were here, when you were wrestling with the decision to retire, you talked about spending more time with your family and traveling as things you were looking forward to. Now you have the opportunity, but you aren't enjoying it. What's changed?"

"Clifford-"

"Forget about everyone else for a moment. I want you to think about you. How is it that what you looked forward to before is a misery for you now? That isn't something anyone else can cause."

As Arthur thought over that statement, Dr. Pons glanced at the clock. "I want you to think about that for next time as well as this . . . in the past your job stood in the way of spending time with your family and traveling, now the only thing standing in the way is yourself. If you want things to change, it's up to you to choose the way you look at things. I hope we can chat again soon, Arthur."

Eileen pulled into the parking spot and shifted the car into park. She closed her eyes a moment and took a deep breath as she gathered her courage.

As she reached for the door handle, she suddenly ducked back. Was that Hector's car that just drove past? She paused a second, her heart pounding, until she saw the car turn the corner and drive on without slowing down. If it was him, he didn't seem to notice her and if he did, it was too late to turn back now.

Hesitantly, she got out of the car and walked around the front of the building to the front door.

Eileen walked timidly into the police station. The place was bustling with activity and the sound of voices and telephones ringing.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" an officer behind the desk called out.

For a moment Eileen looked startled. Once she realized the officer was speaking to her, she stepped forward and took a deep breath. "Yes, I have some information on the Clifford Stuart murder."

The officer suddenly looked very interested. "Please have a seat, Detective Varner will be right with you."

Part 20 - Chapter 2 - The Truth

Hector walked in through the front door of the office building and was surprised at what he saw. The interior had been changed dramatically from the abandoned warehouse it had once been. He knew the change could only mean that business was going well.

A receptionist greeted him at the door. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Hector Burgess. I'm here to speak with R.J. Majors."

"Is he expecting you?"

"No."

"Why don't you have a seat and I'll tell him that you're here."

A few minutes later R.J. appeared in the lobby. "Well, it is you. Why don't you come up to my office where we can speak in private."

R.J. led Hector through the office and up to the second floor. He deliberately walked slowly through the office, making sure Hector had a chance to see for himself just how well the production was running. He held open the door to his private office and let Hector inside before closing the door behind the both of them.

"So, Hector, what brings you here?" R.J. asked, leisurely taking a seat behind his desk, clearly confident that he had the upper hand in the situation, whatever it might be.

"I was wondering if your offer was still good."

"Are you thinking about joining R.J. and Associates?"

"Possibly. Do you have a position for me?"

"Well, we're always looking for good employees, but you have to understand that the situation has changed since I made you the initial offer."

Hector eyed R.J. critically, "How so?"

"I've already hired a staff and found a very qualified business partner. Therefore, I'm not in the position to offer you the same job as before. However, we could use another Junior Executive."

"But that's below the position I already have at Townsend."

R.J. shrugged. "That's the only opening I have at the moment . . . Are things not going well at Townsend? I heard about the restructuring."

"Then you understand why I'm here. It's obvious I'm not getting anywhere with that company. I think it's in my best interest to see if I can do better somewhere else."

"There is something I can offer you. It's an unofficial position that I'm offering just to you. How would you like to be a mole?"

"What's in it for me?"

"If we can outcompete Townsend we might be able to expand enough that I can justify taking on another partner."

"There are too many 'if's in that sentence, R.J." Hector said skeptically.

"That's how it is. I can't guarantee the way things are going to work out, but I can promise that, if you help me, your contribution won't be forgotten or overlooked as it has been by Townsend."

Hector fidgeted with his hands as he considered his options. It was clear that he wasn't getting anywhere at the Townsend Corporation and he wasn't going to as long as Andrew and Lawrence were in charge. They were both suspicious of him already and if he made one wrong step Lawrence would tell the truth and he would lose everything.

"I can't do it, R.J."

R.J. looked at Hector skeptically. He knew Hector well enough to know that he wasn't objecting for moral reasons or for loyalty to the company. Otherwise, why would he be coming to him for a job? There had to be something else going on. He leaned forward at his desk and studied Hector closely. "Why not?"

"It's not the type of job I'm looking for. Thanks anyway," he said, standing to leave.

They shook hands before R.J. walked Hector to the office door.

As R.J. lingered in the doorway, watching him leave, he wondered what was really going on with Hector and the Townsend Corporation.

Eileen followed the officer into a smaller room. As she took a seat, he closed the door behind them, blocking out all of the noise from the station, leaving them in a startlingly quiet room.

"Ok, Ms. -"

"Townsend," Eileen answered automatically before she realized giving her name might not be a good idea.

"Ms. Townsend. What do you know about the murder of Clifford Stuart."

"I know who killed him . . .it." She took a deep breath. "It was Hector Burgess. He worked with Mr. Stuart and my father."

"Then you're Arthur Townsend's daughter?" he asked dryly as he scribbled in his notepad.

"Yes. I'm Eileen."

"And what makes you suspect Mr. Burgess?"

"He told me that he did it."

"He told you?" the officer asked skeptically.

"Well, I asked him about it . . . I remembered he told me he had been to see Clifford on the day he died, but my friend Lucy, Clifford's daughter, said no one had been to see her father that day. And I found out that afterwards Hector had gone back to the hospital to talk to the nurse who had been on duty when Clifford died."

Detective Varner wrote down all of the information she gave him, but he seemed completely disinterested in what she had to say. "Is there anything else?"

Eileen hesitated. She was afraid he didn't believe her. The only other thing she could tell him was the psychic connection she and Cassandra had made between Hector and the murder, but she was sure that would only convince him not to take her seriously. "No, that's it," she said quietly.

"I thank you for taking the time to come down here, Ms. Townsend. This is a very big case and we value any information we receive."

Detective Varner started to usher Eileen out of the office, but she refused to go.

"Don't you understand what I'm trying to tell you?" she insisted. "Hector Burgess killed Clifford Stuart, that's not just a piece of information."

Detective Varner sighed. "I understand . . . I can't talk about the specifics of the case, but we are working on it and we're getting very close to making an arrest. We're professionals. You have to trust us to do our job."

Eileen walked out of the station feeling defeated. She had wrestled with her conscience about turning Hector in and when she finally convinced herself to take action, her story wasn't believed. If the police didn't believe her, what could she do, except go on ignoring the truth? As she started up her car, she looked at the clock. It was time to pick up her father.

Part 20 - Chapter 3 - The Truth

Cassandra walked slowly up to the house, her mind somewhere else, as it had been all day. She nearly ran into Blaine on the front walk, who was on his way out.

"Hey, Cassie. How's it going? Busy day at the diner?" he asked, noticing how worn out she looked.

"Not bad," she replied, trying to sound cheerful. "What are you up to?"

"I just stopped by to change. I'm on my way to meet Reese right now."

"Oh . . . have you had any luck looking up the Hudsons?"

"Yes actually, I found an address and it's local. Reese and I are going to check it out this evening."

"Great," she replied dully.

"You still don't believe the records, do you?"

"No . . . I'm not sure."

"When I was looking up the Hudsons I looked for Lydia Flemming too. I didn't find an address for anyone with that name," he replied with a shrug. "I don't know if the information I have will get us anywhere, but right now it's the only lead we have and for Reese's sake I hope it's right."

"I guess I do too. It's not like I don't want her to find her parents, whoever they are . . ."

"I know."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Blaine hesitated. "I don't think that's such a good idea. I mean, this is Reese's thing and I don't think she really likes having other people involved. Even letting me in on it is a big deal for her. I feel kind of bad that I mentioned anything about it."

"Oh, I see," Cassandra said quietly.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I've got to go, but I'll see you later tonight, ok?"

"Yeah. See ya." She could tell that he was sincere, but that didn't make her feel any better about the way things were turning out.

Lucy walked into the house, set her shopping bags down on the floor, and collapsed on the sofa. She had spent most of the day in town running errands. It was the strangest thing, everywhere she went she had this feeling that she was being watched. She was starting to feel like she was losing her mind.

As she leaned back and closed her eyes, she suddenly realized how empty the house seemed. The grandfather clock on the wall next to her ticked loudly, it was the only sound in the house.

Not wanting to be alone, Lucy hurried up the stairs to the nursery.

She nearly ran into the nanny at the top of the stairs.

"Hello, Mrs. Sexton. I thought I heard someone downstairs. Are you finished with your errands already?"

"Yes, I just got home," Lucy said. Seeing someone else in the house had put her more at ease. "I thought I'd come up and check on the baby."

"Oh, good. I just got him to sleep, so you might not want to wake him."

"I'll just look in," Lucy promised.

Lucy went into the nursery and found Stuart sleeping soundly in his crib. She leaned down to tuck him in before quietly going out of the room.

"Mrs. Sexton," the nanny said quietly. "I was wondering if you needed me to work this evening. Earlier this week you said you might be attending a function tonight."

"Oh, right, the play," Lucy said. She had completely forgotten about it, but now that she was facing an evening at home alone, it sounded like a good idea. "Do you mind staying tonight?"

"I'd love to. Stuart is such a good baby and I could use the extra hours."

"Great, thank you," Lucy said. She went downstairs to call Chloe and see if she wanted to go too.

Part 20 - Chapter 4 - The Truth

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?" Serena asked Cassandra as they sat together at the dinner table. "You should have gone with him."

"I couldn't do that, Mother," Cassie said with a sigh. "It's none of my business."

Serena shrugged. "It's your choice."

"What I don't understand is, why wasn't the right name in the file? Is there any chance you could have been wrong?" Cassie asked.

"I was not wrong about this. You know that, Cassandra."

"I thought I did," she said doubtfully. "I just don't understand it."

"Don't worry yourself about that. Reese's parentage is not what you should be concerned about," Serena said. She looked up as she heard the front door open.

"Hi, is anybody home?" Zara called out as she walked into the house. She found Cassandra and Serena eating dinner in the dining room. "Oh, hey, there you are. Are you ready to go?"

"Where are you going?" Serena asked.

"To see Vanessa's play. Cassie and I had plans," she glanced over at her sister, who had obviously forgotten. "Do you want to come with us, Mom?"

"Thank you, but no," Serena said, rising to clear the table. "I'd rather stay in."

Cassie glanced from Zara to Serena and then shook her head. "I think I'm going to stay home too. I'm not really in the mood to go out."

"Is everything alright?" she asked, studying her sister critically. It wasn't like Cassie to turn down an invitation to go out, unless something was really bothering her.

"Yeah. Everything's fine."

"Then come with me," Zara insisted. "I don't want to go all by myself." She quickly glanced into the kitchen where their mother was washing up. "Besides I think getting out of the house for awhile will do you some good."

"This is the address," Blaine said as he parked in the driveway of a small single story house. "Are you sure you want me to go in with you? I understand if you want to do this on your own."

"No," Reese said, turning towards Blaine, her eyes wide with panic. "I do want you to be there with me. I don't think I could do this on my own... Actually, I'm not sure I can do this at all."

"Of course you can. I know you can."

She smiled weakly, appreciative of his support. Her smile quickly faded as she looked up at the house. "I don't know what I'm going to say."

"The words will come to you . . . and even if they don't, I'm here for you."

"I know. I wouldn't be here now if you hadn't been."

They sat in the car for another moment, in silence, as Reese tried to gather up her courage and collect her thoughts.

"You know, you don't have to do this if you're not ready. If meeting face to face is too much, you could call or send a letter first."

Reese shook her head. "No. We're finally here, I can't get this close and not go in. This is what I've always wanted, to meet my parents face to face. I just can't believe it's finally happening."

Reese took a deep breath, before unbuckling her seat belt and opening the car door.

As they walked up to the house, the front door opened and a dark skinned, blonde woman stepped outside to greet them. "Hello."

"Hi," Blaine replied. When Reese didn't speak up right away he continued, "We're looking for someone named Hudson, either Elyse or Philip."

"I'm Elyse Hudson. Philip is my husband. What can I help you with?"

Blaine and Reese glanced at each other, confused. The woman in front of them didn't resemble Reese at all.

"You're Elyse Hudson?" Reese asked.

"Yes," Elyse said. She looked at Reese more closely and let out a gasp. "Oh! Please come in."

Part 20 - Chapter 5 - The Truth

As she stood on the stage taking a final bow, Vanessa scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face. She spotted a few people she knew in the audience, including her step-daughters, but there was no sign of the people she was looking for.

She was disappointed that Amanda and her parents hadn't had a change of heart, but she wasn't surprised. She thought, at her age, she had learned to take disappointments well, but part of her still felt like a little girl standing on that stage.

She forced herself to smile, still acting even though the play was over, as she retreated back to her dressing room.

As he made the rounds, checking on the refreshments and welcoming the audience members into the dining room as they left the theater, Justin spotted Lucy across the room chatting with a group of her friends. For an instant she looked up, made eye contact with him, and smiled. He waited, expecting her to come over and say hello, but instead, as the group's conversation ended, she turned to her friend Chloe and they walked outside together without acknowledging him.

He let out the breath he'd been holding unconsciously and turned away, feeling like a complete fool. Being around her always left him feeling that way. He tried to shake the feeling off and returned to his duties.

After changing out of her costume, Vanessa went into the lobby to join the lingering crowd outside of the theatre.

"You were wonderful," Zara congratulated her.

"Thanks, hun. I'm glad you both could make it. Are you going to stay for refreshments?"

"I don't think so," Cassie replied, already edging towards the door.

"I think we're going to go out to one of the clubs instead," Zara replied. Cassie turned to her with surprise. "Do you want to come with us?"

"Oh no, you kids go ahead. I think I'm going to stay here for awhile. Have fun."

"Have a seat," Elyse said nervously as she backed into the room, nearly bumping into the furniture as she moved. She glanced at Reese several times, but never held eye contact for long. "I can I, um, get you something to drink? Coffee?"

Blaine exchanged a look with Reese and then answered for both of them. "No, thank you."

Elyse was hoping for the distraction, a moment in the kitchen to collect her thoughts, but since they declined the offer, she sat down in one of the living room chairs while Blaine and Reese took the sofa.

"Mrs. Hudson, you're probably wondering who we are and why we're here," Reese said quickly. "My name is Reese Burroughs and - and I was left in an orphanage when I was an infant . . ."

"Yes, I know," Elyse said quietly.

"You do?" Reese asked eagerly as she sat up straighter in her seat.

"Yes, I recognized you outside . . . You look so much like your father."

"Do I?" She laughed nervously. "Well, I guess I would."

Elyse shook her head in disbelief, the shock of Reese's sudden appearance just beginning to sink in. "I can't believe it. I thought about you often and wondered how you were doing . . . I always wondered if we would meet someday. I just never expected you to show up on my front door out of the blue. How did you find me?"

"I'm sorry I didn't call first, but I have been searching for my past for so long with no leads at all. Finally when we looked at the records at the orphanage and found my parents' names and looked up the address, I just couldn't wait."

"The orphanage records . . ." Elyse said slowly, as her mind went back to the past. "They listed my name and my husband's as your parents?"

"Yes . . ." Reese replied, suddenly doubtful. "Aren't you my parents?"

"Oh, dear . . . you don't know the whole story, do you? You think I'm your mother?"

"Well, yes."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not who you're looking for."

Part 20 - Chapter 6 - The Truth

Vanessa walked through the lobby, trying to keep a happy face as she mingled with the cast and audience members. Everyone was supportive, offering congratulations and praise for her work, but she still couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling of disappointment that her parents and her sister didn't support her.

She was headed for the bar to order a drink, when Lawrence and Eileen approached.

"Lawrence. Hello," Vanessa greeted him warmly. "I thought I saw you in the audience during the curtain call. How did you like the show?"

"I enjoyed it. I was just coming over to congratulate you. You were very good."

"Thank you. I'm glad you came." She looked at Eileen and smiled. "Hi, I'm Vanessa."

"Eileen," she replied. She knew Vanessa looked familiar on stage, but only now could she place where she'd seen her before. At the hotel restaurant, she had seen Vanessa and Lawrence having dinner together while she was on a date with someone else. "How do you and Lawrence know each other?"

"I was married to Lawrence's uncle," Vanessa replied, giving the short version of the story. "Would either of you like a drink? I was just about to order something for myself."

"Yes, thank you," Eileen asked.

"I'll be back in second."

As he saw Vanessa walk away, Justin took the opportunity to approach Lawrence. "Excuse me. I hope I'm not interrupting. I'm not sure if you remember me. I'm Justin Jordan."

"Of course, you're Audrey's brother," Lawrence answered. Not noticing Eileen's look of alarm he asked. "How are you? Have you heard from Audrey since she left?"

"No, I haven't . . . I'd like to apologize to you on her behalf. I know she thought highly of you and was sorry she had to leave so suddenly. I don't think she knew herself that she was leaving until a few hours before. I hope there are no hard feelings."

"No, not at all . . ." Lawrence's voice trailed off as he watched Eileen slip away from the group and walk quickly out of the room. When he called out her name she didn't look up or stop.

"Excuse me," Lawrence said to Justin and followed after Eileen.

"Where are they off to?" Vanessa asked as she walked towards Justin. "I just ordered drinks."

"I don't know."

Vanessa looked at the empty doorway and then turned back to Justin. She smiled warmly. "I don't think we've met. I'm Vanessa Summers."

Reese looked at Elyse, confused. "If you aren't my mother, then why do the orphanage records say you are?"

Elyse sighed. Retelling this story was something she had hoped she would never have to do again. "I told them to put our names down as your parents instead of your biological parents when I took you to the orphanage. We decided it was the best way to protect you."

"Protect me from what?" Reese asked. When Elyse seemed to hesitate, Reese pressed her to answer. "Please, I need to know the whole story. I've been searching my entire life for my past and so far you have been the only one who has been able to tell me anything. Who were my parents? Did you know them? Why did they give me up? I need to know."

Elyse closed her eyes for a moment as she collected her thoughts. "I want to help you, but what happened back then isn't easy for me to talk about and I don't think it will be easy for you to hear. What happened was awful and. . . are you really sure you want to know?"

"Yes, I do," Reese insisted. "Whatever it is, I can take it. I need to know."

"Fine." Elyse sighed and began the story. "Your mother's name was Lydia-"

"Lydia Flemming?" Blaine interrupted. He exchanged a look with Reese who looked too shocked to speak.

"Well, yes," Elyse answered, a bit taken aback herself. "How did you know?"

Blaine shrugged. "We must have come across the name when we were looking at records. I'm sorry, go on."

"Well, um, Lydia and I were best friends. We met when my husband, Philip, and I moved into our first house together and she lived with her family next door. Even though she was a few years younger than me, we became friends right away. She was so bright, funny, and spunky. She practically lived at our house, especially after things got uncomfortable for her at home. But we enjoyed having her over."

"Uncomfortable? How?" Reese asked.

Elyse paused, wondering if she had said too much. "Lydia . . . was a very beautiful girl and some of her brother's friends who spent a lot of time at their house were starting to take notice of her and she wasn't comfortable with that . . . it turned out rightly so . . ."

"How? What happened?" Reese asked with an increasing sense of dread.

"One night, we all went to the carnival except for Lydia, who wasn't feeling well . . . and one of her brother's friends . . . We thought it was odd that he was missing, but didn't think much of it at the time. He was something of a loner. Anyway, we found out later that while we were out, he went back to the house knowing Lydia would be alone and . . . forced himself on her."

Elyse cast a quick glance at Reese. Seeing the look of horror on the younger woman's face, she quickly looked away and continued with her story. "She didn't tell anyone what happened, including me, but I knew something had happened. After that, she practically moved in with me and Philip. She was terrified to be alone."

"A few months later, the whole story came out. It had to, she was pregnant and couldn't hide it.

"When her parents confronted her, she told them the whole story, but they didn't believe her. When he, her attacker, denied the story and told her parents that they had planned to meet that night and that he intended to marry Lydia, her parents took his side. They insisted that they do the 'right thing' and get married.

"Lydia was determined to get out of it. She didn't want to marry a man she despised or carry his child and said she'd rather die than be tied to him in any way. Everyone accused her of being over dramatic, but I knew better. Philip and I were determined to help her get out of this mess.

"Her family and her husband-to-be watched her like a hawk and didn't give her a chance to . . . to do anything. She was forced to marry him and did everything she could to keep herself together, hoping to get away . . ."

Elyse trailed off, momentarily overcome by the past. She shook her head and tried to focus. "I was there when you were born. As soon as you came into the world, Lydia had me take you to the orphanage before her husband could see you. When he asked about the baby, she said that you died. I didn't think he would come looking for you, but I didn't give them Lydia's name at the orphanage, just in case."

"Then what happened?" Reese asked weakly. She was almost afraid to ask. "Was she able to leave him? Is she still alive?"

"No," Elyse said grimly.

"What - what about . . . my father is he still alive?"

"As far as I know. He's spending what's left of his life in prison. Though I think he deserves much worse."

"They gave him a life sentence for rape?" Reese asked.

"No, for murder . . ." Elyse replied. She hesitated to tell the rest of the story, but she knew there was no stopping now. "When Lydia told him that you died, he blamed her. He thought she was deliberately responsible for losing their baby and he took out his rage on her." Elyse paused a moment trying to compose herself.

Blaine leaned close to Reese and held her hand. "Are you alright?"

Reese nodded, barely feeling his touch as she stared forward blankly.

"I'm sorry," Elyse continued. "I wish I had a better story to tell you about your past, but, sadly, that's what happened. I used to torture myself wondering if there was more that I could have done, but I couldn't have changed anything. I still think about her all the time and I've wondered about you . . . I'm glad we finally met and I can see for myself that you're well. I'm glad you escaped at least."

"Reese has done very well for herself. She's a lawyer," Blaine offered. After a moment of awkward silence, he turned to Reese and suggested, "We should go. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Hudson."

"Before you go, I have something for you," Elyse said as Blaine and Reese walked towards the door. She went into the other room for a moment and returned with a small picture frame. "It's a picture of your mother. I think you should have it."

Reese only glanced at the photo as she reluctantly accepted the gift from Elyse. "Thank you," she whispered and let Blaine lead her out to the car.

Part 20 - Chapter 7 - The Truth

"Eileen?" Lawrence called out as he joined her on the patio. "Why did you walk out? Is something wrong?" Even before their conversation with Justin, she had been unusually quiet that evening.

Eileen sighed. "Yes, a lot of things are wrong."

Lawrence looked confused. He thought everything had been going well. "Like what?"

Eileen hesitated. She didn't particularly want to talk about it, but Lawrence was waiting for an answer. She decided it was probably better to find out now how things were.

"You didn't tell me you stopped seeing Audrey because she suddenly left town."

"I didn't think it mattered."

"Well, it does . . . What if she hadn't left, would you still be with her?"

"I don't know." As Lawrence shrugged, Eileen looked away. "I can't answer that."

"So what if she came back?"

"Nothing . . .Eileen, I only started seeing her after you and Hector got engaged. I liked Audrey and maybe we would still be together if she'd never left, but I'm not sorry she did go because I would rather be with you. It was always you I was interested in."

"I'm glad, because you're my first choice too. I never would have said yes to Hector's proposal if I . . ."

"If what? That's twice now you've started to say something about the engagement and stopped short. What is it?"

"I was going to say I never would have gotten engaged to Hector if I thought you were available," Eileen answered.

"Why wouldn't I have been available?"

"I don't know. I was mixed up . . . it's stupid now."

Lawrence was curious, but he didn't press for details. "And so is thinking there could be anyone else. Is that what's been bothering you tonight?"

"No," Eileen admitted. "I went to the police station today and told them about Hector."

"And?"

"I don't think they believed me. They didn't even want to listen to what I was saying."

"But you told them what you know."

"Yes. I told them everything I told you and they didn't seem to care. I don't know what to do."

"Are you sure, you're ok? Do you want to talk about it?" Blaine asked as he drove Reese home.

She stared out the window and didn't answer.

Once he realized she was crying, he pulled into a parking lot and stopped the car. "Reese," he said, gently, reaching over to put his arm around her.

"Take me home, Blaine. I just want to go home . . . I want to be alone."

"Is there something else you wanted to do tonight?" Zara asked, noticing that Cassie was checking her watch. It had been clear all evening that she wasn't enjoying herself.

"No, I was just hoping to be home when Blaine got back tonight."

"Uh . . . you do realize he has a girlfriend, right?" When Cassie looked away, Zara refused to let her shrug off the question. "What is with you, Cass? You haven't been acting like yourself lately. I've never seen you get so worked up over some guy."

"He's not just some guy . . .he's the guy. I think he's the one for me, my soul mate."

Zara scoffed, "There's no such thing as soul mates. It's a nice idea, but what are the odds of finding the one person who is meant for you? If you can find someone that you're mutually attracted to and can get along with . . . and is available to be with you, that's lucky enough."

"Maybe, but the first time when I saw him, when he came to the house looking for Dad, I knew then that he was the guy for me. And how else would I have known to find him locked up at the bar if we didn't have some kind of connection?"

"I don't know, Cassie. How do you know anything like that? You've always had a gift. Just because this particular premonition involved him, doesn't mean you have to be together."

"I just know, ok? . . . Can we go home now?"

Blaine walked Reese to her door. "You know, it's going to be alright."

Reese looked away, unsure. "How could they have been so awful? That story was horrible, Blaine. That's my past. That's where I came from."

"It is terrible, but it's not your fault. None of us can help where we came from. It has nothing to do with you."

"But I always thought that finding my past and knowing who my parents were would tell me something about myself and who I am. I've always felt so lost not knowing where I came from. I thought if I found out everything, I would finally know who I was too. But that story, those people... that can't be who I am."

"It isn't. Reese, listen to me. You're a wonderful person. You're smart, you're sweet, you're accomplished and you did all of that on your own. You aren't anyone or anything other than yourself. None of that other stuff matters. It doesn't change who you are. You're you."

Reese hugged Blaine close, grateful for his support. She pulled back for a moment, looked him in the eyes and then kissed him.

"Would you stay?" she asked.

"Of course, as long as you want."

"I think you should stay the night," she said, looking away shyly for a moment before meeting his eyes again. "And I think you should stay here every night."

"You want me to move in with you?"

Reese nodded. "I should have offered before when you were looking for a place to stay, but I was too afraid to . . . I'm just so used to being on my own."

"Are you really sure you want me to move in?" Blaine asked. "When I told you about needing a place to live I wasn't asking anything of you, I just wanted to let you in on what was going on with my life . . ."

"I want you here," she said, hugging him again. "I really do."

Cassandra walked into the house, after being dropped off by her sister. As she headed towards the stairs she was suddenly overcome by a sickly queasy feeling and had to sit down on the sofa until it passed.

Still shaking, she rushed into the kitchen and opened the drawer where she had stored the love potion Serena had prepared. It was still there, still untouched. All of her doubts about using it were gone now and instead she felt an intense feeling of desperation.

Her hand hovering over the bottle, she jumped when she heard her mother's soft voice in the doorway. "You're too late."