CHAPTER 123

Later that day in Chicago…

(CHRISTIAN)

We are all sitting together in the Finding Family offices. We had arranged to meet here and I had arrived first and organised a private room so that Gideon could process all this unbelievable development with Caroline. I am absolutely astounded by this turn of events so I cannot begin to fathom how Gideon is taking it. I had been so sure that Gideon had nothing to do with this boy.

I was still reeling from Gideon's disclosure when Ana had come running in to me telling me we had to go to New York, and we had to go right now. I had told her that I knew and that we were going but Gideon had asked us to meet him in Chicago. We had arrived and made our way straight here. Taylor is organising a hotel for us and then we will see what happens. Caroline flew out with us and I filled her in on the basics as I had understood them from what Gideon had told me and I also told her how he really wasn't dealing with this whole situation well at all. I know that probably could be construed as a betrayal of his trust but in this instance, I believe I was doing the right thing.

I know from what Gideon has said he has spoken privately to Miranda. He had chosen to do so when they first arrived, which was shortly after we did and from what he has said, she has told him the reasons behind his son seeking out his birth family but as yet he hasn't revealed those reasons. From what I can gather is the plan is for him to have his therapy session while Miranda contacts his son and reveals Gideon's identity and then hopefully facilitates a meeting at some point either today or tomorrow.

I look at Gideon and he really does look like shit, almost like he has had the stuffing kicked out of him. However, thankfully he has opened up and spilt everything since we have been here. Caroline is working hard to help him come to terms with this life changing news. He had adamantly told us he wanted us all here with him as he talked it all through with Caroline. We had offered to give him the room so he could talk in private, but he said he wanted to be surrounded by his family something which had touched me greatly.

I listen in to what Caroline is now saying.

"So, you didn't believe that Arash had done anything wrong, but you still asked him?" she says.

Eva holds up her hand, "That's my fault, I encouraged him to do it. We both said we didn't believe he would but I could see Gideon was still struggling with it and it wouldn't let him go and I knew that the only way he would be able to move on from it would be to ask Arash outright… so I encouraged him to do so. It worked as it gave him the confirmation he needed".

Caroline nods, "What was his reaction?" she asks Gideon.

He sighs and rubs his eyes, "He was understandably angry, insulted and very hurt. I felt bad, but I had to ask him… I had to know, I mean there is a boy's life in question and at that point I needed to know who else could possibly be in the frame as his biological father, now though it is irelevent as he is mine".

"So, you could say you were doing it to establish the facts?" Caroline offers.

Gideon shrugs, "I guess… although I did ask Eva if Arash had ever come on to her so there was an element of jealousy involved in it I think, only in so far as if he'd done it once he could do it again. I wasn't particularly bothered about if he had slept with Corrine as I have no feelings for her whatsoever only in relation to that he could be in the frame to be the boy's father… but I wouldn't have reacted well if he'd attempted to seduce Eva".

"So, they were your main considerations when you asked him?" Caroline asks and Gideon nods.

"And, that was all that was bothering you about that disclosure?" She pushes.

Gideon nods again, "I wasn't altogether happy about the fact that Giroux was saying that while Corrine was with me she was seeing and sleeping with other men, but I also realise now that he probably only disclosed that and made those accusations to divert attention from him, as he had been sleeping with another man's girlfriend, so I now believe he was trying to make Corrine look like a slut who spread it about as if that would somewhat excuse his actions".

"Do you believe she slept with a number of other men?" Caroline asks.

Gideon lets out a long breath, "I choose to believe it was only Giroux. Many of the males in our circle of friends flirted with her – Arash included, and she welcomed the attention. But with the benefit of hindsight there was always something… more, something deeper when Giroux flirted with her but I was too naïve at that point to realise she wasn't monogamous. I think that is why it didn't surprise me when she eventually left the country with him and married him. When she broke off our engagement and told me she was seeing someone else and told me who it was, I was relieved and grabbed it with both hands as she'd given me an escape but who it was didn't surprise me and so I let her go willingly with my best wishes".

"You say you have no feelings towards Corrine… but you must feel something towards her now since these revelations?" Caroline asks.

I watch Gideon stiffen once more, "Disgust, anger… not betrayal though, as I say I had always suspected something was going on between her and Giroux and he confirmed it. I'm incredibly angry that she felt the need to play these games, why couldn't she just be honest with me? I know I didn't behave well towards her. I had agreed to marry her but then realised it was the biggest mistake and I could see no way of letting her down without hurting her and I didn't want to do that so I took the cowards way out and just avoided her" he says.

"What if she had been honest with you? What if she'd told you about the baby? Would you have married her?" Caroline asks.

We all watch as Gideon glances at Eva and reaches for her hand, and he pulls her towards him almost as if he is afraid of what her reaction will be to his answer and then he slowly nods. "Yes, I would've" he says.

Eva whispers in his ear and I think I hear her telling him its ok.

"I will also like to add that would have been the worst decision though and I probably would've ended up screwing up an innocent child's life as a result of it as I had never spent the entire night with Corrine… In fact, I'd never spent an entire night with anyone at that point in my life… Never! My nightmares were a huge problem back then and I was a complete mess, so I shouldn't really be complaining that she never told me. As with hindsight she definitely made the right call by not telling me about the baby, as I wouldn't have been a good father and I definitely wouldn't have been a good husband".

"Why?" Caroline asks.

Gideon shrugs again, "As awful and heartless as it sounds, I didn't love Corrine enough to marry her. I liked spending time with her and I held a degree of affection towards her, but my feelings towards her were certainly not deep and meaningful enough for marriage. The way I feel about Eva it's like night and day to how I felt for Corrine and makes me realise that I had very little true feelings for her at all," he pauses and gives Eva a scorching look as he says that and Eva gives him a squeeze.

"So, why did you agree to marry her?" Caroline asks.

Gideon looks at her and shakes his head, "I don't know… it is what is expected isn't it? You meet a girl you settle down… You also have to remember I had very limited social skills. I essentially raised myself, my mother didn't want me she had comprehensively moved on with Chris and I was set aside as a reminder of her old life. I was cared for in the material sense but I had no emotional guidance throughout my life from my mother. I was immature and thought saying yes was the right thing to do, until I said it and realised what a monumental mistake I'd made".

"What about your son? Do you want to be a father now?" Caroline asks.

Gideon hesitates as he thinks about that, "I'm not sure… I don't want to intrude… I don't know what to do or how to approach this as I am still essentially a stranger to him. I don't want to overwhelm him. I have decided to be completely honest with him about everything and lay it all out for him. Hopefully he will understand, and realise that I was ignorant of his existence and that once he knows everything we can have some sort of relationship, but I'm not going to make any demands as I have no right to. I just hope that he can forgive me for not playing any part in his life and understand it was through ignorance not selfishness".

"Gideon, he has nothing to forgive you for, you have done nothing wrong" I say, unable to remain silent at that remark.

"What sort of relationship do you see yourself having with him?" Caroline asks.

Gideon shrugs, "Friend… mentor… something along those lines. There is the possibility that once he realises who his father is greed will take over and he will want to pursue a relationship with the goal of seeking financial reward" he says bitterly.

"And if that happens?" Caroline asks.

Gideon shrugs, "I don't know what I will do" he says. It is clear he is torn about this. He is understandably wary and knows he is in a no-win situation because of who he is and what he has built.

"You say you plan to be completely honest with him, will you tell him about your past… the abuse, as that – namely the nightmares you suffered as a result seems to be a main factor for the deterioration and collapse of the relationship with Corrine?" Caroline asks and I wait wondering if he is planning on being that open and forthcoming to someone who is essentially a stranger, not to mention the fact also a child.

He nods, "I am, I have already gone public with it when I did that interview so there is no point in hiding it. By the time I meet him he may be fully aware of it, as I'm certain that as soon as Miranda reveals my identity to him, the first thing he will do is Google me, and my entire life will be right there in full glorious technicolour" he says somewhat bitterly.

"How does that make you feel?" Caroline asks as she continues to make notes.

Gideon shrugs, "It was my own doing, I chose to make that time of my life public so I cannot complain if someone researches me and discovers it. I have now accepted that whole time of my life wasn't my fault so I refuse to be ashamed of it".

"Are you aware of the reasons why he has come forward seeking his birth family?" Caroline asks and I lean forward as I am interested to find out the reasons why all this has happened.

Gideon nods, "I am, Miranda informed me that Jared's adoptive parents were killed recently in an accident and it has focussed Jared's thoughts on to where he came from originally now that he has been orphaned. It appears he knows a bit of his origins but has a lot of questions. He was put into the care of his uncle – his adoptive father's brother, upon his parent's death and by all accounts he mentioned a desire to seek out his birth family to his uncle who then set the ball rolling. Reading between the lines though from what Miranda told me, it appears that taking care of an orphaned teenage boy is not a responsibility his uncle really wants and so he is looking to offload the boy on to someone. I won't allow that to happen, I won't allow someone to have their entire life and all their sense of security ripped away from them" he says and I see his hands fisting as he says this, so I know he is probably thinking about his own childhood when his father died, albeit in different circumstances.

"So, it doesn't appear that there is any financial motivation behind his actions" Caroline states.

Gideon shakes his head, "No, Jared doesn't appear to have any agenda other than seek out his birth family which considering what he has been through recently is totally understandable. But from what Miranda has said, I'm not so sure about the uncle. He apparently knew of Corrine and the fact she'd previously had a relationship with me, and he had made certain remarks to Miranda regarding the fact I was linked to Corrine in the past. He was unaware of the fact Miranda and I are old friends when he made these comments but Miranda has now revealed to me that his comments were the catalyst for her to reach out to me in the first place. She had taken over the case as soon as the investigator who had originally taken the case had made the link with Miranda and Corrine and taken it to her. She contacted the uncle to introduce herself and it was at that point he made the comments which raised the red flags for her. She obviously didn't tell me all that before, as it was inappropriate for her to do so but she has done now that the link has been confirmed when she gave me all the details about Jared".

"Well, I suggest we play it by ear, if the uncle starts making demands we shut it down immediately" I say with a swipe of my hand.

Gideon nods, "I agree, that was my initial reaction, but we have to take into consideration that this is Jared's uncle, so we will have to tread carefully. I don't want to do anything that alienates my son before I even start".

"I think the best thing would be for you to meet Jared alone, just you and him. Or maybe with just Caroline for support for both of you. But certainly, no outside interference from people with possible agendas. If the uncle comes with him, we can talk to him while you talk with Jared and if necessary, make the situation clear to him… should he start making any demands" Eva says with an evil grin.

Ana is nodding adamantly at that and I meet Gideon's gaze and give him a knowing look. He gives me a weak but genuine smile which fills me with confidence that he knows we've got his back on this.

Before anyone can say anything else, there is a knock at the door.

"Come in" Gideon calls.

Miranda appears and smiles at us all before closing the door behind her.

"Hi, just to let you know, Jared and his uncle have now arrived. Jared is eager to meet with you today and I've made him aware of who is here and he has asked to meet with you alone Gideon".

Gideon nods, "We were just discussing that very fact and decided it would be a good idea for me to meet Jared alone if he was willing, although I am happy for him to have a chaperone if he wants one".

Miranda nods, she hesitates a moment before continuing, "He seems quite adamant to see you alone but, the uncle doesn't seem to be on board with that decision though. He is being very… controlling. He is demanding to accompany Jared in, but Jared wants to meet with you alone, he is as we speak trying to bully Jared into letting him accompany him into the initial meeting".

I immediately stand up, "Gideon wants to meet with Jared alone, Jared wants to meet Gideon alone so I suggest we go out there and we bring his uncle up to speed with the program, and make it clear this is not about him".

I see Gideon grin at me and we both notice that Eva is already making her way out. We all quickly follow, leaving Gideon alone in the room. I hang back a moment and press my hand on his shoulder, "You'll be fine" I say, "Just be honest with him" I add.

We walk out the room and as we reach the room where Jared and his uncle are everyone gasps at the sight of the boy. "He looks very like Corrine" Eva whispers, "But look at those blue eyes" she adds.

We all fix bright smiles to our faces as we approach the boy and his uncle who is now arguing with a member of Finding Family staff. He stops abruptly as we approach on mass and as he recognises me his eyes widen in surprise.

I ignore the uncle completely and fix my attention to Jared, "Hello Jared, I'm Christian – I'm Gideon's brother-in-law. You want to meet Gideon alone, is that correct?" I say kindly and the boy nods nervously.

"That is absolutely fine and completely your prerogative, this must be completely overwhelming for you so just let me introduce everyone and explain why we are all here, is that ok?" I ask.

He nods again and I see him relax slightly as a sense of relief washes over him that someone is listening to what he wants. "Ok then" I continue, "This is Eva and she is married to Gideon" I begin as I gesture towards Eva who gives Jared a friendly smile and little wave, "This is my wife Ana and she is Eva's sister, and this is Caroline and she is a professional therapist who helps Gideon and myself and we thought it would be a good idea for her to be here today in case you wanted to talk to a professional about what is obviously a life changing event for you". I watch Jared closely as his eyes widen and there is a brief reaction when I introduce Caroline. It is something I can only pinpoint as hope, but I put that to one side as I complete the introductions. "As I say I am Christian, and the reason I am here is because I was adopted when I was a child and quite recently I found my birth family… so I have a rough idea of how you are feeling at this moment, and how monumental this is for you and so as well as helping support my brother-in-law, I'm also just here to offer you any support I can because this is huge for you especially at the moment when you are also grieving the loss of your parents".

Jared nods and smiles gratefully, "Thank you, that is very kind of you" he says. He takes a shot look at his uncle, and takes a step away from him. "I don't want to cause any trouble for anyone" he adds nervously.

"Nobody is thinking that Jared" Eva says immediately, "Everyone has the right to know where they come from and you have arrived at that moment right now".

"This is all nauseatingly fabulous, but let's not forget the reasons why Jared was adopted in the first place, and the fact the obscenely rich bastard in that room is involved" Philip says sarcastically.

Jared's eyes widen and he glances at us, with what can only be described as complete fear. I see Eva working herself up to rip the uncle a new one and the only reason she hasn't done so already is because Jared is still here so I smile reassuringly at Jared and make the decision to get him away, so he doesn't have to witness Eva letting rip which everyone can see she is in danger of doing very soon.

"Gideon is waiting to talk to you in that room, let me take you through" I say as I look up and glare at his uncle.

As we walk away, Jared looks up at me, "I'm sorry about my uncle… he's just pissed that I'm his problem now" he says sadly.

I stiffen at that, "Jared, your parents died that was not your fault, and while I am certain your uncle is grieving it is unfair of him to behave with negativity towards you. While I don't know what you have been told about the circumstances surrounding your adoption, but I assure you Gideon will explain everything to you. You should also know he is absolutely terrified, as he doesn't know how you feel about him or if you hold a degree of resentment towards him".

Jared shakes his head, "No, I just… my mom and dad died and I felt alone… I always knew I was adopted and when mom and dad died it got me thinking about where I came from. I admit, I didn't want to go and live with Uncle Phil, he doesn't like me – he never has and the feeling is mutual, but I'm not expecting Gideon to take me in or anything like that. I don't want to invade someone else's family and I don't want to cause trouble nor do I want Uncle Phil to try and do something… because I'm fairly sure he will".

It is clear this poor boy is in turmoil, so I try and reassure him, "We won't let your uncle cause trouble, and let me assure you that Gideon is a good man and he doesn't believe you have any ulterior motives for this. We will all support you and remember Caroline is here for you to talk to should you want to".

We stop outside the closed door, "Gideon is just in there, take your time and ask your questions and I assure you Gideon will answer them".

"Thank you, sir" Jared says politely.

I smile kindly at him, "Call me Christian" I say.

Jared nods and then takes a deep breath before opening the door.

As the door shuts, I return to the other room and walk in on Eva viciously berating the uncle. I smile as I take her in, Gideon always says she reminds him of a tigress protecting her cubs when she is in full on protective mode. She attacks and doesn't care who she mauls. She is right in his face and poking her finger in his chest. He looks stunned at the ferocity of her verbal attack, but from what I have heard from him and from what Jared has said he is getting exactly what he deserves.

I step up to Eva's side, "Jared has told me some interesting things about you" I say and I see the anger and fear appear in the uncle's eyes and he stiffens considerably, his hands balling into fists.

I lean closer to him, "Let me just make one thing very clear, you are not in a position to ruin this for that boy. He has the right to meet his biological father and he has the right to do so alone without the interference of a man who doesn't even want the responsibility of parenthood to a grieving teenage boy. Also, let me make it very clear that if you are considering to try and benefit in some way from the link between Jared and Gideon you are sorely mistaken and any poor decision making on your part to try and capitalise on their relationship will result in me destroying you, are we clear?"

The uncle surprisingly seems to relax somewhat at my words and he nods his head, but doesn't say a word, which makes me wonder what else he is hiding and what else he was expecting me to say that I knew about him.