"You really mean that, don't you? That I deserve to be happy?" Eve's heart swelled with hope.
"Of course I do, Eve." Julian slid one finger down her cheek. "You're one of the most remarkable people I've ever met."
Eve blushed and averted her eyes to the floor.
"No, Eve—I mean it." Julian lifted her chin. "The way you were just there for my sister, despite the memories it must have dredged up—not many people could do that, never mind would volunteer to do it of their own free will."
"I just wanted to be there for Sheridan." Eve's eyes searched his. "She didn't deserve to lose her child."
"Neither did you, Eve. Neither did I for that matter." Julian locked his eyes on hers. "But the way you've transformed your pain into the will to help other people—it's really quite admirable."
Eve shivered and smiled; a tear sprang to her eye.
"What is it, Eve?" Julian asked.
Eve wiped a tear away. "When you present your argument like that," she said, her smile inching up her cheeks, "I almost can believe it."
"We heard it was okay to come in here." Martin poked his head into Sheridan's cubicle.
"It's more than okay," Luis smiled. "We just got to see our first picture of our baby girl."
"You're having a girl?" Gwen's face lit up as she and Hank followed Martin into the room.
Sheridan smiled softly and caressed her abdomen. "According to Luis, we are."
"You look like you're doubting him, Sheridan." Hank grinned and scratched his head. "That may be a dangerous bet to make—you know Luis's gut feelings are usually right."
"I'm just hoping that we're giving Martin a grandson," Sheridan said, tucking herself under Luis's arm.
Luis nudged her nose. "I think Papa will be happy either way."
"You're right about that, son," Martin smiled. "I'm just thrilled that I'm going to be home to meet my first grandchild."
"So am I, Papa." Luis looked up at Martin, his eyes glistening. "Part of me still can't believe that this is all happening—that you're really here with us."
Gwen seated herself next to Sheridan and squeezed her best friend's hand. "Is it really true that you tried to take Sheridan down here to Puerto Arena all those years ago?" she asked Martin. "Did that really happen?"
"It did," Martin said, turning his attention to Gwen. "I was going to bring Sheridan here."
Sheridan's eyes snapped to Martin. "Why?" she asked, sitting up straight. "I mean, please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't even remember meeting you, Martin."
"You hadn't. You didn't." Martin rested his hands on his knees and pressed the tips of his fingers together. "The reason I was going to bring you here was because I promised your mother I would."
"My mother?" Sheridan gasped. "What does she have to do with this?"
"Your mother had asked me to get you away from your father," Martin said. "To get you out of that house. She was afraid of what he'd do to you if she were no longer around."
Tears sprang to Sheridan's eyes. "She asked you to rescue me?"
"Yes," Martin smiled softly. "You were her little girl. More than anything else in the world, she wanted to protect you."
Sheridan began to tremble.
Luis tightened his grip around her and pulled her in closer to him. "I knew your mother loved you," he whispered in her ear. "She loved you with all of her heart."
Sheridan's voice filled with tears. "I love her so much, Luis."
Martin's eyes connected with Luis's. "Son, I want you to know that I did everything I possibly could to get Sheridan out of that house."
Luis swallowed a lump in his throat. "I know you did, Papa."
"I only wish I had succeeded," Martin sighed, folding his fingers together in front of his face. "The night I tried to whisk Sheridan out of the mansion, Alistair caught me at the bottom of the stairs."
"That's why he forced you out of Harmony," Sheridan breathed, sitting up in Luis's arms.
"In part," Martin admitted. "It's a little more complicated than that."
"Tell us, Papa." Luis sat up straight. "Tell us everything you know. Maybe we can finally put Alistair behind bars."
"That's the dream, isn't it?" Julian poked his head into Sheridan's cubicle. "I hate to interrupt, but Eve and I just heard from our pilot, and the Crane jet is ready for us."
Julian turned to Martin. "I know you have quite a story to tell, but it probably would be better if you waited until we're safely up in the air. According to the last update I got from the local authorities, my father is still not accounted for."
Luis curled his fingers around Sheridan's waist as they followed Julian and Eve up the stairs onto the Crane jet. "Once we get back to Harmony, I'm going to look into setting up some extra protection for everyone to make sure we're all safe."
Julian turned his head back. "If only it were that simple, Luis. My father has spies everywhere."
"I'm aware of that, Julian." Luis tightened his hold around Sheridan. "But there's got to be something we can do."
"From your lips to God's ears," Eve sighed.
Hank sniffed the air as he boarded the jet behind Martin and Gwen. "Hey, does anyone else smell that? Isn't that a cigar?"
Luis's heart dropped to his stomach.
"Not so fast," Alistair sneered, stepping out in front of them. "Did you really think I was going to let you all escape that easily—that I would let you get back to your lives?"
