New York, 2169

"Sir, your grandmother's executor has arrived and is waiting for you in the Library."

"Thank you, Marcus. I'll be there in a minute." Steven got up from behind his grandfather's desk. He wasn't sure why he'd chosen to sit there, maybe because he'd never done so while the man was alive. His grandfather had died only a year ago, and now his grandmother was gone too. Although his grandfather's passing had affected him, he couldn't say the same about his grandmother. That should have bothered him, but it didn't. He'd given up long ago trying to make a connection with her. She just wasn't that type of person. Now he was truly alone. He had no other family to speak of. He was thirty-five years old and he'd never gotten married or had any children. How could he, he was married to the Alliance. He was a Major now. He'd risen through the ranks faster than anyone ever had. And he had plans on rising higher still. Not much room for family in his life. He didn't regret the choices he'd made, still…he had to admit, now that there was no one else he could call family, he did feel the loneliness of it. But thirty-five was still young, and he could still do something about that. Later. He walked out of the room and headed to the library.

"Who the hell is Alexandra Shepard?" Steven was confused. His grandmother had left half of her fortune to a complete stranger.

"I'm not sure, but your grandmother added her to the will sixteen years ago. The money is to go into a trust, which will be released to her on her eighteenth birthday."

"Her eighteenth birthday? How old is this person?"

"It says here she was born April 11th, 2153. So she'll be sixteen next month."

Steven was stumped. Why would his grandmother add a baby to her will? "Do you think she could be my grandfather's child? Could he have had an affair?" He didn't even consider the possibility of it being his grandmother's, he knew she had decided shortly after his mother had been born that she would never give birth again, and had taken measures to ensure it. He really couldn't picture his grandfather having an affair, but he wouldn't have blamed the man if he did. That would mean he had an aunt. A younger aunt, but still. Family.

"It's a possibility, I guess. But then, I'd imagine your grandfather would have added her to his will."

"Maybe he didn't know? Whatever the reason, I want to meet her."

"Sir, I assure you, the will is iron clad. You cannot change it."

"What? I don't care about the will, she can have it all for all I care. I just want to meet her. She's family." (I'm not alone.)

"Alright, let me see what information I have about her." The executor looked through the files from his grandmother's estate. "Ah, here it is. Her name is Alexandra Shepard. She lives in New York City. Born April 11, 2153 to Elizabeth Shepard and, well there's no name listed under the father. You might be right about your grandfather, sir."

"What's her address?"

Steven stood outside the door of an apartment in one of the dingiest buildings he'd ever seen. Which made sense, because he was currently in one of the oldest slums in the city. But he'd checked the address three times already, and he was at the right place. He couldn't believe this is where that poor girl lived. Why had his grandmother allowed it, if she was going to leave her so much money, why hadn't she provided for her while she was alive? First thing he would do is get her the hell out of this shit hole. He knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Some woman yelled from the other side of the door. "If you're selling, I ain't buying. And if you're buying, I ain't carrying, come back later."

(Charming.) "Ma'am, I'm here to neither buy or sell anything. I'm looking for Elizabeth Shepard and her daughter, Alexandra Shepard."

"Who's asking?"

"My name is Steven Hackett. I…" He stopped talking as the door was suddenly swung open. In front of him was a thin woman. She looked about ten years older than him. She seemed nervous and jumpy, her eyes darting around him as if expecting someone to jump out form the shadows. Her hair was long but thinning. Her face was covered in sores, and Steven worried she might have some sort of illness. Hopefully not a contagious one.

"What did you say?"

"I, ah, I said my name is Steven Hackett, ma'am. I'm looking for the Shepard family. Do they live here?"

"Oh my god, it's actually you! After all this time, why are you here? What do you want?"

"Excuse me? I don't understand, do we know each other? Did my grandfather mention me?"

"Your grandfather? I never met him. Did meet your grandmother though. Evil bitch kicked me out of her house, wouldn't even see Lex after she was born. And she wouldn't tell me how to get in touch with you."

"Me? Why would she? Look, my grandmother was not an easy woman to get along with, but even I understand why she wouldn't want to meet her husband's love child." He couldn't believe he had just said that. Looking at this woman in front of him, he couldn't imagine his grandfather going anywhere near her.

"Her husband's what? What the fuck are you talking about Steven? Lex is your kid!"

"Mine? I don't…I don't understand. I don't even know you." He looked at her again, more closely now than he had when she first opened the door. It had been years since he'd been in New York. In fact, it had been sixteen years since he'd been back in the city for more than a day. But he'd never seen this woman before, he was sure he'd remember if he'd gone out with a woman like her. Hell sixteen years ago he'd been a kid, just eighteen years old. He'd been with a lot of women then, but if he recalled correctly the only woman he'd been with during the time that the child would have been conceived was…Lizzy. "Your name is Elizabeth?"

"Yeah. Are you really going to pretend you don't remember me?" She moved closer to him, grabbing his shirt. "How about a reminder?"

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her hands away from him, as he fought the sick feeling when her smell reached his nose. He was pretty sure she hadn't bathed in days. Maybe longer. How could this be the same woman? It couldn't. He held on to her wrists and looked into her eyes. Green eyes. "Lizzy?"

"The one and only, Romeo."

Steven was going to be sick. Lizzy had never been beautiful but this thing in front of him barely resembled her. How had this happened? And, gods, he'd gotten her pregnant? This woman had raised a child? His child? "Lizzy, what happened to you?"

"What happened to me? You got me knocked up and left! I never heard from you again."

"I had no idea."

"Right. And I'm supposed to believe that, rich boy? I went to your grandparent's house. I told that bitch that I was going to have your baby and she threw me out! She wouldn't even let me know how to get in contact with you!"

"Lizzy, I didn't know. I had no idea. I just found out today, when they read the will. Trust me, if I would have known…I…" He didn't know what to say, because he didn't know what he would have done. He didn't care about her then, and he certainly hadn't wanted a family or a child. Would he have chosen to abandon her, like his grandmother had?

"Will?" Lizzy's demeanor changed then. The anger disappeared from her face and was replaced with what he assumed she meant as a sweet smile. It was hard to tell with all the missing teeth.

"Yes, my grandmother left a trust for your…our daughter. That's how I found out. Well that's how I found out she existed, I had no idea she was mine."

"How much?"

"What?"

"How much did she leave her?" Lizzy had a hungry look in her eyes, and Steven felt another wave of repulsion hit him. This time at the thought of a child being raised by the woman in front of him.

"It's a sizable amount, in a trust, so she can't touch it until she's 18."

He saw her smile fade, then quickly return. "But, you're here now. And you know, and you have to do your part! I've been taking care of her by myself for sixteen years, you owe me!"

"I'll make up for the time you've had to struggle on your own, Lizzy. But I want to see her. Is she here?"

Lizzy looked nervous again, and pulled the door in closer so that most of the apartment was blocked from his view. "Uh, no, she's not here right now. She's at school."

"Okay, then tonight. I want to see her, tonight."

"No. Not tonight, tomorrow. You can see her tomorrow."

"Why can't I see her tonight, Lizzy? What are you hiding?" A feeling of dread was coming over him. He was getting worried for this child, his child.

"Because I have to talk to her first. This isn't going to be easy for her, you know. Having her father show up out of the blue. She's just a kid."

Steven suddenly felt guilty. "Of course, you're right, I'm sorry. Tomorrow then. I'll be here at eight, how's that?"

"No, not here, I'll send you an address." She pushed him away from the door and slammed it shut. He was left staring at it. What the hell have I gotten myself into?