Julian stood in the living room of the Crane mansion with a drink in hand, immersed in his thoughts, thinking back to what Alistair said earlier.

"They are nothing more than stains beneath my shoe. Kind of like your whore, Eve." a scowl was firmly planted on Julian's face as he chugged down his fifth glass of scotch today.

"So how's the ugly duckling these days?"

"Oh yes, Vincent was by far my greatest achievement. It was far too easy to turn that freak of nature into a killing machine." Julian slammed the glass down and quickly poured himself a sixth glass of the good stuff.

"How much longer do you think you can keep up the sober act with your lover? You must take her for a fool. You don't think she can't smell the alcohol? She may be a whore, and a drug addict, but she certainly isn't stupid." Julian chugged the scotch, glass after glass.

"I'm NOTHING like you!" Julian suddenly yelled as he slammed the glass to the floor where it shattered.

"DAMN you father, DAMN you Alistair! Damn you to hell! You ruined my life! You ruined ALL of our lives! Everything you touch you damn well destroy!"

"Oh, GOD! How could I have been so stupid, so very very stupid to ever listen to a word you said? To be your lackey for YEARS, so many years wasted because of you. Years with my children I'll NEVER get back!"

"Julian?" a familiar voice asked from the foyer. Turning around, Julian found Pilar standing there.

"Oh, Pilar. What brings you here? And... how much of that did you hear just now?"

"Well, I heard enough." She said as she entered the living room. "You don't have to be embarrassed you know, after everything that man did to me and my family, I sometimes feel like shouting to the heavens myself." She said as she took a seat on the sofa.

"Yes, and I helped him do most of it." Julian replied.

"Don't blame yourself, that was years ago. You've changed." Pilar said.

"Its just that... I was so consumed with gaining my father's approval, helping him maintain his reputation all those years, the reputation of Crane Industries, and somewhere along the line, I went too far. We both went too far, except I finally realized when enough was enough, father didn't." Julian explained as he took a seat next to Pilar.

"Father so had me wrapped around his finger that I lost myself, lost sight of who I really was."

"You're a good man Julian. Don't let your father poison that. Don't let him poison the man you are now." Pilar said as she grasped his hand.

"Yes, a good man who neglected his children every chance he got. Who was at his father's beckoning call 24/7, but not for his daughter's birthday and not for anyone that truly mattered."

"Julian, stop. Stop blaming yourself." Pilar said.

"Pilar, I'm sorry, truly sorry for everything my father or I ever did to your family, it haunts me every day." Julian looked directly at her, almost in tears.

"Its okay, its all in the past."

"Not for me, I relive it every night in my nightmares." Julian replied.

"Julian, please... Stop this. Your father is responsible for this, all of this. You were his pawn in a sick game, but you realized it before it was too late and you made an attempt to change for the better."

"You Julian, are a real man. More of a man than Alistair Crane will ever be, more of a man than he could ever possibly hope to be." The two moved closer, suddenly out of nowhere they're lips met in an embrace. Julian quickly pulled away.

"Pilar, I... I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that. Don't know what came over me."

"Julian... Its alright, really it is."

"No, no it isn't, nothing about this is alright!" Julian got up from the sofa and took off for the kitchen.

"Julian, wait!" Pilar yelled.

At Harmony Elementary, Kay was dropping off Maria.

"Bye sweetheart, have fun at school!" Kay told her daughter.

"I will."

"I love you!"

"Love you too." Maria said as she exited the vehicle.

"Kay... Oh Kay." she began to hear a familiar voice in her head. She went to open the pull down mirror in front of her to see Heidi's reflection.

"There you are, I was wondering when we'd get another chance to chat." Heidi replied.

"I don't have anything to say to you, I told you to get out of my head."

"Oh gladly, just as soon as you relinquish control of this body to me."

"That's not gonna happen." Kay replied.

"Never say never, dear. Never say never."

"Look, if you have a point to make, you might as well go ahead and make it, I don't plan on talking to you anymore after this." Kay said.

"How long do you think you can keep me confined to this twisted mind of yours?"

"Twisted? What is that supposed to mean?" Kay asked.

"Do you really have to ask? You still fantasize about killing your cousin late at night, among other things."

"Okay, this conversation is over." Kay went to close the mirror. "Besides, Charity is long gone, so I won't have to kill her." Kay was taken aback at that sudden dark thought about her cousin.

"Losing control of our thoughts, are we?" Heidi spoke again "You already can't control your magic, your mind will be the next thing to go, and when it does..."

"Just shut up, okay?! I have some last minute things to take care of for Halloween and I can't do that with you whispering in my ear all day!"

"Testy, aren't we?"

"Goodbye, Heidi." Kay said as she shut the mirror and folded it back in place.

At Harmony International Airport

Jessica and Charity were finishing up lunch at the cafeteria, 3-year old Samuel began to stir in his stroller.

"Oh, look who's awake." Charity said.

"Oh, good morning sleepy head!" Jessica said with a smile as she lifted Samuel out of his stroller.

"Did you have a good nap?" Jessica asked.

"He doesn't like to talk much, does he?" Charity asked.

"No, he does not." Samuel went to grab a stray piece of bread.

"Oh no, honey. We don't eat off the table." Jessica pulled it out of his hand, Samuel looked up at his mother and gave a pouty face.

"Oh do you want something to eat too?" Jessica asked her son, he nodded.

"What do you want?"

"Chi... Chicken!" he said.

"Oh, he said something!" Charity said with a smile.

"Yeah, that's the first word he's said all day." Jessica replied.

"Okay honey, I'll go order some chicken tenders for you, and you can stay here and keep your cousin Charity company." She said as she put Samuel back in his stroller.

"Oh, what dipping sauce do you want?" she asked.

"Honey." Samuel replied.

"Okay, honey mustard it is." She said. Meanwhile, a nearby Angelica having just disembarked from her flight, caught a glimpse of her granddaughter. Feeling the presence of someone looking at her Charity looked up, but no one was there. Angelica had hidden herself behind a support beam.

"They must not see me, at least not yet anyway. I so wish it didn't have to be this way. But I have to stay hidden until the time is right." Angelica thought to herself, she obviously had something to hide.

Elsewhere, in a subterranean tunnel. Boxes were stacked on top of each other, the boxes housed a large supply of food, enough for at least several months, if not longer. Spike sat on top of one of these boxes eating a sandwich.

"So uh, where are we anyway Vincent? What is this place?" Spike asked, his mouth full of food.

"A tunnel grandfather used a couple of times, used it to smuggle goods into the country on behalf of the Bertollis, you know how those Italian boys love those Cuban cigars."

"Hmm, I wouldn't have taken Alistair as the type to be involved in something so mundane as smuggling. I always figured he'd be a 'conquer the world' type guy."

"What can I say? My grandfather is a man of many talents, and soon he'll be a dead man of many talents."

"Say, what are you doing back there anyway?" Spike asked as he walked over to where Vincent was. Vincent was rummaging through several wires.

"Just a few more adjustments, and we should have it."

"Have what? What are you doing with those wires, kid?" Spike asked. Just then, one of the monitors turned on.

"Hey now, where did those come from? I didn't notice any monitors when I came in!"

"If you'd stop running your trap and look, you'd know exactly what I'm doing." Vincent replied sarcastically.

"Oh hey, the Knicks game is on!" Spike said excitedly.

"Must have gotten a crossed wire, I'll fix it." the monitor went from the game to the Harmony Police Department.

"Hey, I was watching that!" Spike complained. "Thanks a lot, kid!"

"Look, would you rather watch a stupid baseball game, or plot your revenge on the citizens of Harmony?"

"Well, can't we do both?" Spike asked.

"Rule number one of all psychopaths, we don't watch sports, we keep our eye on the prize."

"I don't know, I don't really consider myself a 'psychopath' per say." Spike replied.

"Well, Spike..." Vincent patted him on the back "You're gonna learn, and you're gonna learn from the best."

"And... That's you, right?" Spike asked.

"Well, I don't like to brag or anything, but yeah." Vincent said.

"Just let me finish hooking up the rest of these wires..." Vincent said as he went back to work, he plugged in another wire, the second monitor hummed to life and began to pick up something.

"Oh, hey! Something's coming in!" Spike said. The static cleared up to show Charity holding Samuel.

"Hey, hey! That's my son!" Just then Jessica walked into view.

"And there's that bitch Jessica!"

"Hmm, you have major issues with your ex, I can tell." Vincent said as he walked up to Spike.

"What the hell is this anyway?" Spike asked.

"Oh, this? Nothing much, just grandfather's old monitoring system he used to spy on the fine people of Harmony."

"Wow. I've gotta admit this is quite the set up, but how did you get it?"

"Julian had the mansion gone over with a fine tooth comb and removed every trace of grandfather from the place, including this. He hid it down here to ensure it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands." Vincent explained.

"Hmm, well its definitely fallen into the wrong hands now, ours!" Spike replied.

"Hey, uh... How many hidden cameras does the old man have anyway?" Spike asked.

"I want to say three-hundred... Maybe four-hundred?" Vincent replied.

"Damn. All those channels and I bet there's still nothing on!" Spike said.

Back on the monitor, Jessica was feeding little Samuel his chicken tenders.

"Oh come on Vincent, don't make me watch this! I mean, just look at my son, just look at him! I was right, Jessica has ruined him!" Vincent didn't say a word, merely threw the remote where it hit Spike in the head.

"Hey, watch it will ya?! That hurt!" he grumbled.

"Hey, you want to watch something else that bad? So watch something else!" Vincent said as he continued to rummage through the wires.

"Hmph, alright then. Spoiled brat." Spike said the last part under his breath.

"What did you call me?!"

"Oh, nothing." he said. "Nothing at all." he said softly through gritted teeth.

Finally, the remaining four monitors hummed to life. Spike was enraptured in a football game. Vincent promptly swiped the remote from him.

"Hey, the Titans were just about to score!"

"Tell it to someone who cares, there's only one show I'm interested in, the Alistair Crane Show." All six monitors showed Alistair in his limo, on the phone with Viki still asleep in his lap.

"There's the old bastard!" Spike said "But who's that girl with him?"

"I don't believe it... Its Viki!" Vincent said, surprised.

"Who?" Spike asked.

"Viki Chatsworth, we teamed up to kill everyone at the church back in the day."

"Oh yeah, I heard about that." Spike replied.

"Don't know why she'd be associating with my grandfather, of all people."

"Why is that so surprising?"

"She's the one who shot grandfather and nearly killed him."

"Wait, I thought Julian shot him?"

"Man, you are majorly out of the loop. No, Julian didn't shoot him. Viki did!"

"Okay then, no need to get so testy!"

"Hmm, what could grandfather possibly want with an 18-year old mental case like her?"

"You're one to talk, aren't you one?" Spike said.

"Oh, she makes me look like I'm running in slow motion. Murdered her own parents, you know."

"Really? Why?" Spike asked.

"Don't know. For fun, maybe?" Vincent replied.

"Regardless, I will kill grandfather and take his company, by any means necessary. No matter what or who I have to go through. And if that includes Viki, so be it. I may have liked her for the short time we worked together, but that won't be enough to save her, especially if she's allied with grandfather."

"Looks like I've found another victim to torture besides Kay Bennett." he smirked as he zoomed in and freeze framed on Viki.

Breathe in, breathe out

You keep me alive

You are my passion for life.

"Julian, wait!" Pilar yelled as she ran after Julian, he was pacing back and forth in the kitchen.

"Julian... What, what has gotten into you? I mean you kiss me, and then freak out and run off!"

"I'm sorry Pilar, it should have never happened."

"Julian, you don't have to apologize. Its obvious you're in pain."

"But Pilar, I'm a married man! I shouldn't even be glancing at another woman, much less kissing her!"

"Oh, I don't know, I rather liked it." Pilar giggled like a school girl.

"You what?!"

"Calm down, will you? I'm kidding! That kiss was perfectly innocent."

"That's surprising, coming from you." Julian replied.

"You need to lighten up a bit Julian, you're so tense."

"Yes, tell me about it. Father tends to put everyone on edge, especially me."

"Hey now... You're shaking." Pilar said as she put a hand on his shoulder. "You really are tense."

"Oh, really? You noticed did you?" Julian replied sarcastically.

"Hey, what's going on with you anyway? I've never seen you like this."

"Pilar, you've never known me well enough to begin with, how can you possibly be sure of that? Or the possibility that perhaps I've always been this way?"

"I don't believe that. Look at you, Julian. You're a wreck." Pilar replied.

"Yes, well... I've been a wreck for quite some time." Julian said as he took a seat on a stool.

"Have you told Eve about this?" Pilar asked.

"No, I have not. She has enough on her plate between her job at the hospital, not to mention the fact that Whitney refuses to talk to her..."

"What?" Pilar asked.

"Oh, you didn't know?" Julian asked as he turned around to face her. "They haven't spoken to each other in months. Whitney won't even accept her phone calls."

"Why?"

"I don't know, Eve refuses to talk about it and I didn't want to pry."

"She tries to pretend everything is perfectly fine, but I can tell this is eating her up inside."

"She's a strong woman, you're lucky to have her." Pilar said as she put her hand on Julian's shoulder.

"Whitney, that poor girl. Raising two kids on her own who'll never know they're father. All because of him. It should have been him lying in a pool of his own blood, not Chad. He may not have been my son, but I loved him like he was my own. Son, brother, it makes no difference. He didn't deserve that. But father certainly did."

"You really loved him, didn't you?"

"Yes. If only Viki had been a better shot, she would have shot father right through the heart like he deserved, instead of missing by mere inches. Another sick person, a lost soul who needed help that father exploited for his own gain. First he did it to his own grandchildren, and then to others."

"It sounds as if you actually feel... Sorry for this girl."

"In some ways, I do." Julian replied.

"Even though she killed your son?" she asked.

"She was just another victim in father's three-dimensional chess game. Like I was, like Vincent was, like Fox was, like you were." They're eyes met.

"Julian, tell me something..."

"Yes?"

"Do... Do you ever think about Ivy? And what might have been if you two had stayed together?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. I've just been thinking lately."

"Thinking about what?"

"About Martin, and the fact I've been alone for longer than I can remember."

"I can understand that."

"Why? You have Eve to lean on, but me? I don't have anyone to lean on."

"There are certain... Things I can't talk to her about, that I can't talk to anyone about."

"Why?"

"Oh, I don't want to project my problems onto you Pilar, you already have enough to deal with with everything that's happened to you and your family lately."

"Have you forgotten? Its your family too, my son is married to your daughter, remember?"

"Oh, Fancy. It seems as though we haven't had a chance to talk since the miscarriage. Chalk that up to another tragedy caused by father and his over-inflated ego, and his hatred for Luis."

"Let's not talk about your father anymore, alright? Its obvious its agitating you."

"I can handle it."

"Julian, it sounds like you've taken on the weight of the world on your shoulders, and no one should have to do that. I don't think you can handle it on your own, at least not all alone."

"How can you possibly know what I think or feel, Pilar? You were my maid for years, but I hardly ever said two words to you in that time. It was only recently, when my father ramped up his war with your family that we really began to interact with each other."

"I know you were a good father, and I know how much you loved your children, even if you didn't show it that often."

"Good father, me? Surely you jest."

"You are. I saw what Fox's death did to you and Ivy. The way you comforted her. The way you comforted each other. You still love her, don't you?" she asked.

"Truth be told, a part of me will always love Ivy. Lord knows she deserved better than a scoundrel like me."

"Don't say that, you're not a scoundrel, Julian."

"Perhaps not now, but I certainly used to be. I cheated on her, Pilar. Multiple times, and I felt nothing for it. Not guilt, remorse, nothing. Seems father taught me well."

"When did it all go wrong for you two?" Pilar asked.

"Honestly Pilar, I don't know where we went wrong. I'd like to think the beginning of the end for our marriage was 18-years ago, though we had problems long before that."

"Why, what happened 18-years ago?" Julian fell silent. After a moment, he turned on the stool to face her.

"We lost a child. A girl." he said solemnly.

"I didn't know, all these years and you never said anything, never mentioned it."

"Nobody does, except for myself, Ivy and of course father."

"After what happened with Vincent, that must have been particularly painful for you." she said.

"Oh, it was. I couldn't believe it. It was history repeating itself. And after what happened with Vincent, I did what you would have expected, I shut Ivy out and threw myself into work. And then came the revelation a few years later that Ethan wasn't my son. But by then it was too late, our marriage had long been over my then."

"Ivy, you should have seen her, Pilar. She was so distraught. After our daughter was stillborn, she swore to me that she heard a baby crying. But there wasn't a baby crying, it was her grief talking. It broke my heart, to see her like that, despite our marriage troubles."

"I'm sorry, Julian."

"Don't be, tragedy always seems to follow anyone with the last name Crane. And no matter how hard we try, we can never seem to avoid it, or outrun it for that matter. Sooner or later, fate, destiny or whatever you call it, whatever you believe in, will catch up to you."

Back at Spike and Vincent's bunker hideout.

"Alistair and Viki, working together... But why? To what end?" Vincent pondered out loud as he and Spike continued to watch the footage from the hidden camera in Alistair's limo.

"After the way you described her, the prospect of her working with the old man is kind of creepy."

"Hmm, I think we need to get a little more context here. I'll turn on the audio." Vincent said as he approached the monitors in order to adjust them, Spike taking a seat on the sofa positioned in front of the system.

"Hey, you got any snacks, maybe some popcorn?" Spike asked.

"Didn't you just eat?" Vincent asked as he fiddled with the monitors.

"Hey, they've been feeding me nothing but green eggs and ham for the past seven months, among other things. You'd be hungry too."

"You have no idea the type of slop they fed us. I'm a human being, not an animal. I have needs! Night after night, I'd lay awake just dreaming of a beautiful steak dinner with all the fixings. Creamy mashed potatoes, buttery corn on the cob, cornbread like mama used to make." Spike complained.

"You get that from a postcard?" Vincent asked sarcastically.

"No, I didn't get that from a postcard kid. My mother really did fix us kids all that!"

"Oh you have siblings? That's a scary thought."

"Well, not that its any of your business... but I have three, two brothers and a sister."

"If they're anything like you... Oh, your poor mother."

"Hey don't talk about Berta that way!"

"Berta?" Vincent asked as he looked at Spike.

"Well yeah, that was my mother's name!"

"Berta... Herbert, not very original when it comes to the name department."

"Hey, Herbert happens to be a name passed down from Lester to Lester, a proud name of Germanic origin!"

"Is that so? Look that up on wikipedia, did you?" Vincent asked.

"Hey, do you got that thing fixed or not? All this time we been talking, I don't even think you're doing anything! I think you're just stalling!"

"Shh!" Vincent suddenly said as he got the audio turned on, he made his way to the sofa and took a seat next to Spike.

"So, do you have any popcorn or not?" Spike asked.

"Spike, just shut up and watch the movie. You can get popcorn later!"

"Oh, fine!"

"Um, Mr. Crane? I think we might have a little problem." Dr. Picard, the director of the Reilly Institute said to Alistair over the phone.

"Oh, you have a little problem do you? Well, I've got news for you doctor, I've got BIG problems! So your 'little problem' whatever it is, is the least of my worries! I just had that freak of a grandson threaten me, and trust me when I say, he's going to pay for it."

"Oh yes, Mr. Crane, I'm well aware of that. That grandson of yours better watch his step and mind his P's and Q's."

"Enough kissing up, doctor. Spit it out already, what's your 'little problem' as it were?"

"Well, you see. It seems that chief Bennett showed up here at the Institute."

"Well you didn't say anything did you? You know what will happen to you if you doublecross me. It could prove to be very dangerous for your loved ones. Especially that beautiful wife and that equally beautiful daughter of yours. Would be a real shame if they were to be in an 'accident' of sorts."

"Of course not Mr. Crane! I wouldn't do that!"

"For your sake, as well as for the sake of your family, I hope so. Now what did Sam Bennett want at your fine establishment?"

"Well see, he didn't actually come in. It looked as if he got called away at the last minute."

"Good. No doubt because of that recent jailbreak at the sanitarium. Bennett is in for quite a treat there, after he sees the way my grandson carved up those guards. The look of horror on his face, oh it'll be wonderful! Too bad I won't be able to see it."

"But chief Bennett will return eventually, what should I do in the meantime, Mr. Crane?"

"Well, this does buy us some time. Now listen and listen good doctor, here's what I want you to do. First, burn every paper, every shred of documentation that my granddaughter was getting treatment from your institute, I want it to be as though she were never there, do we have an understanding?"

"We do Mr. Crane."

"Secondly, you get out of there and lay low for awhile."

"But what do I tell my staff?" he asked.

"I don't know, tell them you're taking a leave of absence, tell them you need some R&R, a family emergency came up, your dog died, I don't care. Use your imagination, just get out of there. Its imperative that Victoria's true parentage remain a secret until a time and place of my choosing, do you understand?"

"I understand, Mr. Crane."

"By the way, how long does this little drug you gave me to control her little mood swings last for?"

"Fifteen to sixteen hours I'd say."

"And the syringe loaded with a tranquilizer? How long does it last?"

"You... you didn't give it too her already did you?"

"And what if I did?"

"Oh dear, oh my. I was afraid of this."

"Afraid of what?" Alistair asked.

"I've given that particular substance to Viki once before, and let's just say mixed with the rest of her medication, she did not react well at all."

"Oh now you tell me. Then WHY did you give it to me then?!" Alistair yelled.

"You needed to wait at least five hours from her last dosage before giving her that! I can't guarantee what type of mood she'll be in when she wakes up! She could very well fly into a psychotic rage! You're going to kill that poor girl!"

"You seem to be forgetting who it is you're talking to, doctor. Never tell a Crane what to do, especially me."

"Mr. Crane, we all due respect... The safety and welfare of my patients is my prime concern! and Viki is my patient."

"Was your patient. I don't pay you to be concerned with anyone's welfare, I pay you to work for me. I don't care about any of those other side-show freaks you treat there. Now do as I say, burn those papers and get the hell out of dodge, now!" he said the last part angrily through gritted teeth as he hung up the phone.

"I gotta admit, that right there, was quite a twist." Spike said, having finally gotten some popcorn.

"Well, well, well... How about that? Viki Chatsworth, or should I say 'Viki Crane' is my half-sister. Hmm, things just got a whole lot more interesting." Vincent said with a smirk.

End of Chapter 13