A/N: Another long chapter! YAY! I just had to after you guys gave me such awesome reviews!


Sophia was enraged, to say the least. Cato had just told her what Richard had said to him and she had lost it. She flung her arms into the air in anger. "Zat imbécile! Zat-"

Cato jumped up from the chair and clamped a hand over his mother's mouth. "Mom! Stella or Clove might hear." He said. Just then the aforementioned women walked in. Clove crossed her arms over her chest. "Stella and Clove have already heard."

Stella sat down in a chair and looked up at the mother and son. "You should have told me." She said to Cato.

Cato glared at his mother for not keeping her voice down and sat down next to Stella. "It doesn't matter. My father is always like that. He doesn't like anyone."

Stella looked away. "From what you told me, he liked Gazelle."

Cato winced. "Yeah, he did." He answered softly.

Stella's eyes widened when she realized what she had just said and she turned back to hug Cato. Cato pulled her close and Sophia let out a small sigh of happiness. And then she pulled out her cell phone and dialled a number. Cato and Stella looked up at her and she winked at them before smiling sweetly and putting the phone on speaker. "Bonjour my love." She began and Cato grinned as he realized she had called his father. He mouthed "Use English" to Sophia and she nodded.

Richard let out a sigh and answered. "Hello, Sophia. Might I ask why you decided to disturb me at such an hour?"

Sophia made an innocent face. "Well, my love, I waz juzt mizzing you."

Richard paused before saying, "You've decided to come home?"

"Non non! I will come back after a year." His wife answered.

There was another pause and then, "A year?"

"Why, of courze. I 'ave to be 'ere when my pet- grandchild iz born." Her voice changed and she glared into the phone. "In all of ze yearz I 'ave been married to you, I do not zink you 'ave said such a hideouz thing before." She growled. Richard caught on easily. His voice was stern as well. "He slept with a girl and got her pregnant without even telling me!"

Sophia was shouting now too. "You alwayz told him to get a fille!"

"So?! He could have at least tried to get a 'fille' who was proper. God knows how many men that girl had been with." Richard yelled. Stella paled instantly and Cato gritted his teeth. Clove pushed up her sleeves in anger.

Sophia's mouth dropped open in shock. "WHAT?! 'Ow dare you?! You do not know Stella! You alwayz liked zat myxine and when she left mon fils wiz a son, you did not care! But I care! I care about my son and Stella and Zack and zis new baby and I will not 'ave you taking away everyzing zat is preciouz to 'im juzt becauze you zink zat Stella iz not proper! 'E will 'ave zis baby and a dozen more and you will stay away from 'im and Stella and zeire babiez. And. From. Moi." She took a deep breath. "Az soon az I put zis phone down, I will call my lawyerz. I am done wiz zis nonzenze and I will not tolerate you anymore if you will not accept my son for his choicez. "

Richard didn't say anything for a while and Sophia was about to turn off the phone when he finally said something. "We've been married for 24 years. You're just going to throw that all away for a girl you hardly know and a child that will be born out of wedlock?"

Sophia's eyes turned soft and she smiled sadly. "My son waz born out of wedlock too." She said. "And I threw everyzing away for 'im." She turned off the phone and stared at it for a while before snapping it in two and throwing it against the wall. She was crying now and held her face in her hands. Cato walked to her and wrapped his arms around her but she just gently pushed him away. "Not now, Cheri. Pleaze."

Cato looked defeated as he said, "You never told me I was born out of wedlock."

Sophia shook her head slightly. "It waz never zomezing to boazt about."

Cato nodded before turning on his heel and walking out of the room. Clove looked at Sophia once before running after him. Stella watched as the elder woman sobbed into her hands and tried to compose herself. She stood up and placed a hand gently on Sophia's shoulder. Sophia looked up and when she realized it was Stella, she pulled her into her arms. "I am zo zorry for hiz behavior." She sniffed. "He wazn't alwayz like zis. Zis hateful."

Stella nodded and rubbed Sophia's back soothingly. "People change." She said in a soft voice.

Sophia sniffed again. "But not like zis. Richard waz never like zis."

Stella silently listened to Sophia as she told her everything. She told her about meeting Richard when she was young and wild and crazy. And how she had fallen in love with him even though he was an American and she was a French woman whose parents had high standards. Even though Richard was a wealthy business person, they didn't accept him. They told her to stay away from him but she was too in love with the man who had shown her a different world. A world where she was wanted and loved and not where she was taught only to be a proper woman with no feelings about anything. She told her parents about her child and she was cut off of her heritage. She lost everything except for her child... and her lover. Richard took her back with him. To America. To a new place where she took time to settle. Sophia told Stella about raising Cato, her sweet little boy. She told her about suffering three miscarriages before she finally realized that she was meant to have only one child. And that one child had been just perfect for her.

"And 'e would alwayz be perfect for me." Sophia finished. "Juzt like 'iz father waz."

Sophia continued holding on to Stella as she wiped her tears. "You remind moi of myzelf." She said. "But ze men we both choze are very different."

Stella kissed Sophia's right cheek and then her left one. "Why doesn't Cato know about him being born out of wedlock?" She asked.

"Ze topic never came up." Sophia answered. "And I did not know 'ow to tell 'im."

Stella nodded. "I think you should tell him anyway."

"Oui, I muzt." Sophia replied and patted Stella's head in gratitude. The woman walked out of the room, leaving Stella alone with her thoughts. After a while Clove walked in. She shrugged at Stella. "They're talking."

Stella sat down on a chair. "That's great."

Clove plopped down next to her. "Cato looked awful. I thought he was going to start bawling too. I had to shake him a few times to make him stop."

Stella blinked twice in surprise. "You shook him? Clove, maybe I should go after Cato next time."

Clove grinned. "Sure, and I will take care of ze French fillet."

"I think it's fille. Not fillet." Stella corrected.

Clove rolled her eyes. "Oui, oui." She muttered.


Stella pushed open the door to the bedroom and walked in, trying to keep her footsteps as silent as she could. She let out a small sigh when she saw that Cato's back was to her side of the bed and he was asleep. Stella crept into bed and was just about to pull the blanket over Cato when he turned around and engulfed her in a warm hug. Stella's eyes widened but she didn't dare turn on the table lamp and instead wrapped her arms around Cato's waist as best as she could. He was shaking slightly and Stella rubbed his back gently. "We'll be okay." Stella whispered. "I promise."


Clove had stayed over the night, insisting that her presence would be needed in the morning. However when breakfast was served, Cato was back to normal. Even Sophia was a bit surprised.

"Stop looking at me like that." Cato said for the fifth time. Stella was feeding Zack oatmeal and Sophia and Clove were gazing at Cato as if he had just dropped down from the sky.

Clove felt Cato's forehead. "You sure you're alright?" She asked for the fifth time as well.

Cato groaned. "I'm perfectly fine!"

Clove and Sophia exchanged a confused look and then turned to Stella. Clove leaned forward. "Okay Ell, fess up. What did you do?"

Stella shrugged. "Nothing." She answered simply.

Sophia and Clove looked back at Cato and then at Stella and then at each other. Finally Clove shrugged too. "Whatever." She said and took a bite out of a pear. "At least he isn't destroying everything in his path."

Cato gave her an annoyed look. "Shut up Clover. When have I ever destroyed everything in my path?"

Clove's eyes widened. "Have we forgotten so soon what happened yesterday? If it weren't for Stella, you would've probably run me over too."

Cato whacked her on the back of her head. "Bitch." He muttered.

"Asshole." Clove shot back.

Cato rolled his eyes. "I'm going to be late." He said and stood up.

Clove snickered. "You always do that whenever I diss you."

Cato pushed Clove's chair and grinned as she fell on the floor. He grabbed his laptop bag and ruffled Zack's hair before kissing the top of his head. Zack gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Cato kissed both of Sophia's cheeks and then bent down to kiss Stella. "See you later, chipmunk." He said and winked before walking out.

Clove gazed at Stella suspiciously. "What did he mean by that?"

Stella smiled. "Lunch date." She answered. "At 12:30."

Clove's mouth dropped open. "What about me?! I wanna have a lunch date too!"

Stella picked Zack up and proceeded to wipe his face. "You can come too if you'd like."

Sophia gave Clove a death glare. "No, chéri, Clove and moi will stay 'ome."

Stella laughed as Clove huffed and muttered something like, "Stuck at home... fish fillet... wanna lunch date."

"Zack will keep you company." Stella suggested as she finished cleaning the infant. "Wouldn't Zack like that?" She kissed Zack's nose.

Clove grinned. "Oh yes, me and Zackie can go on a lunch date!"

Sophia shook her head. "Non, you will stay 'ome. My petit-enfant can not go out in zuch weather."

Clove banged her head against the table. "I swear the world is against me." She mumbled.


In the end, Clove accompanied Stella to the lunch date. Clove had called Thresh and asked him if she could visit during his lunch hour and he had agreed. Stella had picked up a bouquet of white roses from the florist even though Clove had told her that flowers were what guys gave to girls, not the other way around. The man at the lobby was the same from before and he glared at Clove. "Not you again." He grumbled.

"Is that any way to greet someone? I'm going to file a complaint against you." Clove retorted.

Matthew waved his hand. "Sure, sure, go ahead. You nearly got me fired last time, why don't you get me completely fired this time?"

Clove grabbed his tie and pulled it until his face was only a mere inch away from hers. "You can count on it, bastard." She growled.

Stella removed Matthew's tie from Clove's hand before he died of suffocation and smiled at the bewildered man before pushing Clove towards the elevator. They arrived at the 13th floor and walked towards the Vice CEO's office. Clove pushed open the door and grinned when she saw Cato. "Yo! I made it!" She exclaimed and began sliding across the polished floors. Cato's eyes widened and he gave Stella a questioning look. "Where did she come from?" He asked.

"Sophia decided she wanted some bonding time with Zack so Clove called Thresh and he told her it was fine if she came too." Stella explained and handed Cato the flowers. "I thought those would look nice on the side table."

Cato nodded and placed the flowers in a vase on his table before grabbing Clove's arm. "Alright, out you go." He said and pulled her towards the door. Clove stopped when the door opened. Stella instantly recognized the tall figure as Gazelle. Clove turned red when she saw her and Cato's face went blank like before.

Gazelle raised an eyebrow when she saw Stella. "Stella, right?" She asked.

Stella nodded slowly as Clove stepped between Cato and Gazelle as if shielding him from her piercing green eyes even though she only reached his shoulders. "What are you doing here, Gazelle?"

"I work here, Clove." Gazelle answered haughtily.

"You don't work inside Cato's office." Clove growled.

"Yes, well, I can't help it if Mr. Richard wants me to come here more often than I'd like." Gazelle looped a few strands of raven black hair around her finger and turned to Cato. "I need the files I gave you yesterday. Turns out they're the ones Mr. Richard needs as well."

"I'll give them to him later." Cato answered. "You can leave now."

Gazelle wandered over to the sofa and sat down. "I don't know, I quite like it here."

Clove was about to say something when Cato shot a quick, "Fine." And wrapped an arm around Stella before leading her out the door. Clove followed behind, her face redder than before. "What the hell Cato?! You're just going to let her do that?!"

"I don't want to waste time arguing with her. She wouldn't have changed her mind anyway." Cato replied. "You know how she is."

Clove nodded. "Yeah, I do."


A/N: I hate Gazelle too ;)

In the next chapter, you'll be meeting someone! Someone related to Stella...