Julian dropped to his knees, the entire world spinning around him.

Had that really just happened?

Had he really taken on his father?

Had he really just stood up to the man who'd kept him under his thumb for all of these years—who'd prevented him from following his heart—from being his own person?

Around Julian, the room started to buzz; uniformed agents rushed in through the door.

Julian's head snapped up.

He had really done it. He had taken that bastard down.

For once in his life, he had been his own person and taken a stand for himself and the people he cared about.

Vaguely aware of Eve's arms slipping around him, Julian fixed his eyes on his father. To see him so weak, so powerless like this . . . his father was, indeed, just a man.

How had he missed that for all of these years? How had he let himself believe that he, himself, had no power?

That was not true. That had never been true.

That had never been true at all.


"Thank you for meeting up with us," Luis said to Mike and Dalla.

"It's our pleasure, Luis," Mike replied. "We're glad you want to know more about our mentoring program."

"How long have you been running it?" Sheridan asked.

"Ever since I graduated." Mike smiled at Dalla and squeezed her hand. "Don't get me wrong—I've been focusing on other things, too. But the youth center I went to when I was growing up just meant so much to me—I knew I had to give back."

"That's so wonderful, Mike," Sheridan said. "I'm sure everything you do means a lot to the kids."

"I hope so," Mike said. "But Dalla and I realized that we can't be everything to everyone all of the time, and that's why we started a mentoring program at the youth center we run. It gives the little kids someone to look up to—someone they can trust. And it also seems to build the older kids' confidence and their belief in themselves."

"How did you start up the program?" Sheridan asked. "Did you do any specific training with the older kids?"

"As a matter of fact, we did," Mike said. "Getting the older kids to buy into it turned out to be the key to the whole program."

"If we were to set up a similar program in our youth center," Sheridan said, "would you be willing to come talk to our kids?"

Mike laughed softly, his eyes falling to the floor. "I don't really love public speaking, but this is for a good cause—I'd be happy to, Sheridan."


Gwen dropped her purse on one of the Bennetts' end tables and threw her arms around Hank.

"Hey, hey . . ." Hank rubbed her back. "What happened? How did the interview go?"

Gwen buried her nose in the crook of his shoulder. "I'm pretty sure I bombed it, Hank."

"Why would you think that?" Hank leaned back and nudged up her chin. "How could they not be impressed with you, Gwen?"

"I got so tongue-tied, I barely knew what I was saying." Gwen flopped down onto the couch and buried her head in her hands. "I just got so nervous, Hank."

Hank sat down next to her and put one arm around her. "So, you got nervous? This was your first interview. That's only natural. Next time, you'll be calmer and more confident."

Gwen peeked up at him. "Do you really think there's going to be a next time?"

"Of course I do." Hank stood up. "In fact, I'm absolutely positive of it. This interview was just a warm-up—something to prep you to go out and get the job you really want."

Tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, Gwen smiled at him. "I love the way you think."

"Then I hope you'll like these." His eyes twinkling at hers, Hank grinned and dashed into the kitchen—returning with a bouquet of yellow roses. "I saw them on my way over here this morning. The florist told me that they promise new beginnings—I thought they would be perfect for you."

Her eyes watering as she took the flowers, Gwen smiled and kissed him. "How do you always know exactly what to say?"

"What can I say?" Hank shrugged his shoulders and winked at her. "It's part of the Bennett charm."

Gwen rolled her eyes and laughed softly.

Hank smiled and took her hands into his. "In all seriousness, I love you, Gwen."

A tear slipping down her cheek, Gwen threw her arms back around him. "Oh, Hank, I love you, too."


"You did it, Julian. You really did it." Eve rocked him against her chest.

"Yes, I did," Julian breathed. "It's about time I did. It's about time I stood up to him."

"Well, you couldn't have done a better job of it." Eve glanced over at the paramedics, who were loading Alistair onto a stretcher. "You saved us all, Julian."

"I did, didn't I?" Julian turned his head up to face hers. "I'm sorry it took me so long to do something like this, Eve."

Eve kissed his head and buried her nose in his hair. "The important thing is that you did it now."

"Yes, but I've got years—no, decades—to make up for," Julian said. "I won't let you down again. I won't stop until I find our son."

"Are you meaning to tell me that you never found him?" Katherine padded up next to Julian and Eve and sank down beside them.

"No, we didn't." Julian reached over and squeezed his mother's hand as they all watched the paramedics wheel Alistair out of the room. "In fact, Eve and I have been hoping you could help us with that."

"I can." Katherine looked at him. "But who told you that?"

"Brace yourself for this one, Mother," Julian said. "We heard it straight from Martin Fitzgerald."

"Martin's alive?" Katherine's hand flew to her heart.

"Indeed, he is," Julian answered. "Father kept him imprisoned for many years, but he escaped a few months ago. We found him in Mexico—he was searching for you."

"Oh, poor Martin and Pilar!" Katherine said. "His helping me must have torn apart their entire family."

Julian hung his head. "It did, and I'm ashamed to say I played a role in his disappearing in the first place."

"I'm sure Alistair gave you no choice." Katherine clasped her hands over Julian's.

"I could have refused him, Mother," Julian said. "I could have done so many things differently. Maybe then, I wouldn't have so many regrets. What I did to Martin, how I treated Eve when we were younger, the things I did to Sheridan . . ."

"The things you did to Sheridan?" Katherine's brow creased. "Surely, you watched out for her . . ."

"I wish I could say that I did." Julian wrung his hands. "But I'm ashamed to admit that I went along with many of Father's schemes."

Katherine clutched the necklace she was wearing and swallowed a lump in her throat. "Except the one in which he ordered you to kill her?"

Julian looked up. "No. I . . . I could never do that."

Katherine's voice filled with anguish. "Why on earth did Alistair want her dead in the first place?"

Julian ran one hand down his face and took a deep breath in. "Because Sheridan married a man intent on bringing down the house of Crane—Martin's son Luis."