Author's Note: I changed my mind. There's one more scene, the one when Julian meets his grandson for the first time that deserves a write up.
Derek watched Sam Morgan walk away. He was a bit stunned that of all people, he wound up being a match for her son. The odds of him being 'the person' were staggering and while he was happy to help this family and this little boy, he had to be careful about keeping his involvement quiet.
Left alone with Alexis, Derek tried once again to figure out that feeling of familiarity he had when he was around her. If only he could figure out why he felt like he knew her.
"So, I get the feeling that you don't want us to make a fuss over you." Alexis commented. She was hesitant with Derek, realizing she's blasted him in her anger, only now to realize that he could save her grandson's life.
"Well, let's just say that you can thank me by keeping this low-key." Derek replied. He and Alexis had wandered over to a small alcove with a pillar in it near the nurse's station. Alexis leaned against the pillar while he listened to her talk about the ups and downs of trying to find a matching donor for her grandson and a laundry list of family members they'd gone through in desperation to try and find a match. When Alexis commented that the only relative not to be tested was Sam's father, Derek suddenly found himself very interested in what Alexis was saying.
"I'm telling you that Sam's father didn't get tested because I don't know who he is." Alexis admitted to Derek with a touch of shame. Talking about that one-night stand when she had been sixteen years old was a new and difficult thing for Alexis now that she remembered it.
"Sam is adopted?" Derek asked her. If only she could make that claim, Alexis thought to herself.
"No. I only knew Sam's father for one night." Alexis told Derek.
"Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry. You don't need to give me an explanation." Derek tried to give Alexis an out for the uncomfortable story she seemed to feel she needed to tell, but Alexis decided to forge ahead, consequences be damned.
"It's Okay. I didn't remember much about Sam's father until Danny got sick. Then I remembered that I met him in New Hampshire." Alexis continued on with her story with quiet sincerity.
"New Hampshire?" Derek asked her. His interest was most definitely peaked now. She felt familiar to him, and she met Sam's father in New Hampshire. He had gone to school in New Hampshire as a young man. Could he have seen Alexis back then? He decided to use his investigative reporting skills and do a little digging into Alexis's story without her knowing what she was giving away.
"Really? I don't know why, but I thought you were from New York." Derek subtly asked the question without actually asking it. Alexis could pick up on what he was doing at any time. After all, she was a skilled attorney. He was hoping the personal and emotional side of her would cloud those skills long enough for him to see where her story was going.
"No, I worked in New York for several years. I went to a boarding school in New Hampshire." She told Derek, completely unaware that he was digging for information.
"Which school was that?" he asked with great interest.
"Briarton-Griggs. It's an all girls' school." Alexis told him as Derek began to feel a bit of anxiety. Her story was starting to hit a little bit too close to the home of the secret he needed to make sure he kept.
"And then I remembered something else about him. I remembered his name. It wasn't a common name like Tom or Mike. It was more unique than that." Alexis continued on unaware of the turmoil in Derek.
"So, what was his name, since it wasn't Tom or Mike?" Derek asked Alexis.
"Julian." Alexis told him.
Derek struggled to keep from showing the shock and confusion he felt rising up inside of him.
"So…Sam's father's name is Julian? You're certain about that?" he asked Alexis.
"I'm positive…I remember the car. I remember the song that was playing, and I remember his friend knocked on the window and called him Julian." Alexis continued on with her story, unaware that Derek had suddenly become lost in his own memories.
Derek could hear that knocking on the car window in his ears. He could hear his friend Ricardo telling him that they were taking off and asking if he could hear what Ricardo was saying. The firm control that Derek always had on his mind slipped away as he was awash with memories.
JAJAJAJAJA
He, Nico, and Ricardo were out for a night on the two. School had become a burden he was beginning to find overwhelming. He had needed a break and having his two best friends visit from New York City had been just the pressure release he needed. The bar they had walked into in New Hampshire was not very crowded, but the quietness of it suited Julian's mood far better than a noisy nightclub would have.
He hadn't noticed her until he'd gone up to the bar to buy the second round of drinks. She was pretty, by herself, and had a bit of a deer-caught-in-headlights look to her. She was obviously a bit uncomfortable and even a little fearful. She looked far too young to be alone and drinking in a bar. His protective instincts rose up, even though he had no idea why. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about her appealed to his sense of honour.
A bit worried about what would happen to the young girl, Julian bought the drinks and returned to the table with only two drinks. He told Nico and Ricardo he'd be back and then wandered over to the bar to get his own drink, stopping next to the young girl. She looked up nervously and smiled shyly at him, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. He caught her gaze, and that's when time seemed to slow down.
He felt it. That sense of connection that he'd never felt with any other woman and that he knew right away was special. He broke their gazes by looking down at the bar. Her drink was nearly empty. He took advantage of that fact and introduced himself to her. He offered to buy her another drink. She took him up on that offer almost desperately. She was running from something, which was obvious from her body language and behaviour.
After a couple more drinks and some conversation, he was hooked. She had him captivated. Worried that the night would end sooner than he wanted, he invited Alexandra to take a walk outside with him. He hoped the cooler September air would sober both of them a bit. Draping his coat over her shoulders, he realized it was too cold for the outfit that Alexandra was wearing, and he invited her to sit in his car with him so that they could talk and keep warm.
The pull and effect that this young woman had on him was difficult to resist once they were alone. Unable to stop himself, he kissed her. Later, he would blame his lack of self-control on the beer he'd been drinking. Once he kissed her, however, he was past the point of no return.
He had been extremely annoyed at Ricardo for interrupting his time with Alexandra, when he'd been in the back seat of the car, basking in the afterglow of one of the most amazing experiences of his life. The rude yank back into reality had not been something he had enjoyed.
He'd never seen or heard from that young girl, Alexandra, again…
JAJAJAJAJA
Until now.
"Derek? You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." Alexis told him.
He remembered her. For the first time in his life Derek was at a complete loss for words.
He knew one thing for sure. More than anything else in his life, he wanted to tell Alexis he was Sam's father and claim his family. There was only one huge problem with that.
Under no circumstances could he tell anyone who he really was. Julian Jerome had to stay dead.
Caught in a trap he couldn't immediately find a way out of, Julian cursed the fates silently.
