Chapter Seven

Alison slid the wet dishtowel along the surface of the table to remove the specks of food the last customer left behind. As she cleaned her blue eyes kept a watchful lookout toward the door of the Recovery Room and to the people she had sitting at the tables. She hadn't intended doing anything tonight other than think of a plan to expose Livvie, but when Mary had called asking for help Alison couldn't turn her down.

But all was not lost. The clientele was unexpectedly, and thankfully, slow this evening, which gave her time to consider her options. Sadly, there wasn't that many. There wasn't a way she could demand Livvie take a pregnancy test to prove that she was pregnant nor was it any easier proving that every syllable Livvie spoke was a lie. This was actually harder than she imagined it would be. Not that she had any reason to believe it was going to be easy, just not this hard.

The sound of the door opening had Alison looking toward it. Kevin Collins stood in the entryway and smiled at her. At least Livvie hadn't ruined her relationship with Kevin, but that was only a matter or time, right?

"Dr. Collins," Alison called out, "what can I do for you tonight?"

Kevin ambled in a bit further, a little bit hesitant. He and Alison had never sat down and discussed anything that happened during his disappearance or the events leading up to it. He had wanted to, but before he could he was blasted with the information that Livvie and Rafe were married. Kevin knew his daughter was an adult and she had to live her life her own way, but he also knew that his daughter was in deep this time. He didn't know what Livvie was up to with Rafe or the reasons behind her fashioning this story of her and Rafe being in love while he was Alison and she with Jack. None of it made sense, but Kevin was going to support her. Livvie needed to know that there was someone out there that loved her no matter what.

"Well, Alison," Kevin began as he came to stand before her. "I dropped in to speak with Victor, but seeing you here reminded me that we need to talk."

There was just something about the tone of his voice that had Alison shaking her head slightly. "If this is about Livvie and Rafe-"

"It's not," he interrupted in a rushed voice. "It's about Rebecca and the candle shop." When Kevin saw that he had Alison's complete attention, he continued on. "I wanted to apologize for my part in that whole disaster. I know I should have believed you when you said you did nothing to those candles."

Alison walked over to the counter and leaned of her arms against it as she regarded Kevin. "Your apology is accepted, Kevin. And I didn't do anything to those candles-"

"I believe you."

"But Livvie did." Alison saw the protective father look appearing in Kevin's eyes, which caused her to add, "Kevin, Livvie did a lot of things while you were gone. I'm sure Lucy told you and Livvie lied her way out of it."

Kevin swallowed down the angry father retort and opted for, "I know Livvie has been a little different lately-"

Alison's eyes widened as she nearly laughed. "A little? Kevin, how can you say that? I mean I know Livvie is your daughter, but you can't ignore all the lies she's been telling lately. She's wrecking lives, mine in particular."

A frown marred Kevin's brow as he listened to Alison. "I know this is about Rafe and I know I don't have the full story, but Alison you have to understand that I am going to support my daughter. If Rafe makes her happy, then I'm happy for her."

She didn't realize her head was shaking until after she snapped, "You know, Kevin, I think you coming to speak to me was a bad idea. And I know Livvie is your daughter and family always has an allegiance to one another, but Rafe was my family. I know I have Nana and I have my friends, but Rafe was apart of me -- he was the one person I could like count on no matter what. He made me feel whole, and he made me feel like if anything happened around us it would be okay just as long as we had each other."

Sympathy filled Kevin's eyes as he murmured, "I'm sorry."

Alison ignored his second apology and tried to sniff back the sudden tears forming her in eyes. "Your daughter stole my sense of family from me because she thought I killed you. Revenge for the death of her father -- who turned out to not be dead after all. Things only got worse when everyone believed me and no one believed her. So she took advantage of Rafe just so she could hurt me and she did."

Inhaling a calming breath, Alison silently regarded Kevin a moment so she could compose herself. When she thought she had control over herself again, Alison released her pent-up breath and murmured, "You maybe Livvie's father, which by extension has you protective of her, but make no mistake Kevin. I will fight to get Rafe back and expose Livvie for the liar she is. I'm sorry if that hurts you, but all if fair in love and war -- and this is war with Livvie."

Kevin was about to give his peace of mind of the subject when his cell phone began to ring. "Excuse me," he muttered and stepped a few feet away as he pulled out his phone. "Kevin Collins," he said as a way of greeting.

"Doc, it's Lucy," the voice on the opposite side of the line announced. "I need you to come to the Lighthouse right away."

That had his brow pulling together. "Has something happened?"

"No. Well, yes."

"Well, which is it?" He asked as his gaze slid towards Alison who was wiping down more tables.

"Both really. Something has happened, but nothing you should worry about. Rafe wants to be hypnotized to see if he can recall some of his past memories."

Kevin nodded his head, even though Lucy couldn't see him doing it. "Well, if this is what he wants to do, I will be right there." They said their good-byes and Kevin shut the phone off and replaced it inside of his pants pocket.

"Look, Alison," Kevin began as he walked back over to her, "I don't want to make it seem like I'm putting my head into the sand and am ignoring all that is going on, because I know this whole situation isn't what it seems. But with that said Livvie is my daughter and she needs someone in her corner -- she needs her father. I want to see her happy."

She had had her back to Kevin as he spoke, but when he finished Alison slowly turned around to face him. "Don't think I don't understand, Kevin, because I do. I'm just not sympathetic to Livvie's plight. It's not like someone else placed her in this precarious situation where no one believes her. The fact is no one believes her because she has done nothing but lie to Rafe and everyone else since the whole candle thing began. I know you want Livvie to be happy, but when Rafe remembers everything, she'll be the unhappiest woman in the world."

Without another word, Kevin bid Alison goodnight with the tilt of his head and he was off to the Lighthouse. Alison watched him go and shook her head. Livvie didn't deserve to have Kevin as a father. The man would be beside her through thick and thin and she only used him and played on his sympathy for missing out on a huge portion of her life. What Alison wouldn't give to have at least one caring parent on her side.

The door the Recovery Room opened and Jack walked in. His eyes were alight with happiness as was the smile gracing his lips. "Alison, you won't believe the news I have!"

"Livvie's been discovered as the lying witch she is?"

Jack slid up to the counter and sat down upon the stool as he watched Alison move to the opposite side of bar. "Close. I think we're going to be nailing Livvie in no time."

Alison absently wiped the countertop as she listened to Jack. "Why would you say that?"

"I talked to Lucy today. She has a private investigator tailing Livvie."

Her eyes widened. "For how long?"

"Not sure. But the guy was definitely tailing Livvie today. Lucy thinks that Livvie will go to a sperm donor to get knocked up instead of some random guy. And if she did-"

"There will be pictures…" Alison whispered out.

Jack held up a finger and said, "Right. Proof that Livvie is indeed a liar. This should prove to Rafe and anyone else that she's not really pregnant. Maybe then Rafe will get a clue and leave Livvie."

"Jack!" Alison squealed and reached across the counter and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

As he untangled himself, he chuckled out, "Don't thank me, thank Lucy. She's the one that did the hiring."

"I will," she beamed excitedly. "As soon as my shift is over, I will head over to the Collins' and thank Lucy in person."

"Why wait?" Jack asked as he stood from his seat. "I'll finish the rest of your shift for you and you can go see Lucy now."

"Oh, Jack, you mean it?"

He nodded his head. "Sure, what are best friends for?"

Alison rushed around the counter, while untying her apron and then threw her arms around Jack. "You are the best friend ever. I owe you big time, Jack." When she finished hugging him, Alison fled the Recovery Room as quickly as she could to head on over to the Lighthouse.

Meanwhile

Elsewhere…

Ed clapped his hands together once before he began to rub them together. "Oh, this is perfect. Just perfect. Alison will arrive just in time to watch Rafe be hypnotized, Livvie will be there to learn that Lucy has had her followed, and I have not lifted a finger to make any of this happen."

James sneered at his counterpart and glared at the screen. "It's not over yet, Edward. Rafe must first regain his memories of being an angel and his connection to Alison. Just because the good doctor Collins is on the scene now, doesn't mean your son will recall a single memory."

"Faith," Ed announced on a sigh. "It is what you and your following lack. It was has gotten most humans and higher beings through whatever troubles they were swimming in."

That had James looking towards Ed. "I guess your son had a deficiency in this quality you so proudly boast about. If your son had faith he would have never traded his soul to me just to be with his sweet Alison again."

"You play on a man or woman's weakness, James. You exploit their very desire and then you use it against them to get what you want."

James tipped his head to the side. "Why, Edward, isn't that what your faith does? Someone believes so strongly in something that they put their trust into a simple word, hoping that this thing will give them what they want. I simply make good on the wants and needs of men, women, children, and yes, even angels. What you goody-goodys peddle is the very essence of what I do. You spout off the belief that if you lead a good life than God will reward you with ever lasting life in the clouds. I, however, grant you what you, when you want it and the only price I ask for is the reward of your soul."

Ed frowned at James as he snapped, "Don't compare your ministry of evil to that of God's. They are nothing alike."

His chuckle filled the void between them. "They are very much alike, it's how you put the spin on the rules and regulations that make them different."

~*~

To be continued…