Eric belongs to Disney/Saban. I am using him without permission, however I have not and don't expect to make money from this.
Gaby and all other characters that appear in the story are mine.

Rated PG-13 : Harsh language; strong sexual content; mature concepts.

Reviews are appreciated, please take a moment to leave one.

A/N: This story and 'Unreal Life' take place at the same time, and I am posting them at the same time. They are separate but related stories, and can be read together or separately.

Last chapter. I have a lot of thanks: Cecilia for excellent beta reading; Jenny for beta'ing, answering questions, and keeping me from saying anything stupid about my Asian characters; as always everyone who read and especially everyone who reviewed, it means a tremendous amount to me.

Eric will now rejoin 'Unreal Life', currently in progress.

Connections


Epilogue

This time Sam Chong answered the door himself. They locked eyes through the screen door. Chong's face tensed, he nodded quickly, turned, and said, "I have to take care of something," to an unseen someone.

Then they were back in the same square of trees and grass, surrounded by small apartment buildings, sitting on the same bench. Eric watched the older man, feeling that subtle sense of recognition again, this time knowing it wasn't his imagination. Chong clenched his hands together and stared down at them silently.

"I want the truth this time. I know my mother didn't sleep with any of those businessmen, or with Russell Lee. I know she came back to your restaurant that night. You were seen getting into your car with her. What happened?"

An expression of pain ran over Chong's face. He didn't look up. "Do I have to spell it out?" he asked. "What do you think happened?"

"I want to hear it from you."

He glanced up quickly and then back down. "All right. You want the truth…"

He was closing up. Getting the lights turned out, taking a last look around the dining room. Then she came in, pushing through the door, looking around, stopping when she saw him.

"Where's Eddie and Cath?" she said, her voice complaining.

"Your friends left half an hour ago. I'm closing up."

She didn't take the hint, only smiled and took a few steps closer. She smiled again, lips red in the dim light, eyes bright. "Can you give me a lift?" she asked.

"I… why don't you call your parents?"

"They'll get mad, if they have to come get me." She pouted, moving closer still. "You don't want that to happen, do you?"

"Well…"

"You know, I always liked older men." She was so close, her breasts brushing against him. He took a step back. She chuckled softly, eyes gleaming.

"You want that ride or not?" he asked, mostly to distract her. And himself.

"Sure." She followed him, standing too close as he finished up, watching, a soft little half-smile on her lips. He was annoyed, but... she was so pretty, and the way she looked at him sideways, excitement and promise in her eyes...

Then they were outside, in the parking lot, getting into his car. He glanced at her as he closed his door. She was laughing at him softly. He put the key in the ignition, was about to turn it, but she was sliding closer, touching his shoulder, pressing against him.

"Stop that," he said, not sounding convincing even to himself. And she ignored his words, her hand circling over his chest, her lips brushing his neck, her breath warm on his face. He didn't respond, but he didn't push her away, either. And her hands moved on, skillfully, until he turned to face her…

"It was just once. After, I asked if she was using anything. She just laughed and said not to worry about it."

"After is a little late to ask, isn't it?"

"I don't know what was wrong with me. I just didn't think."

"Not with your brain, anyway." Eric's voice was bitter.

"When she got pregnant, I convinced myself it wasn't me. Even after you were born, and everyone knew your father had to be Asian. I told myself it wasn't me. That it could have been a lot of guys." He raised a tortured face. "I had a wife and a baby. It would have ruined everything. I convinced myself I had nothing to do with it. With you. Even when your mother abandoned you, I told myself it was none of my business."

"None of your business? How could you not take responsibility?" Eric felt his fists clench. He had tried to avoid getting angry, but it came anyway.

But Chong only slumped, defeated. "I'm sorry. I know it was wrong. I just wouldn't let myself believe it."

"But you believe it now, don't you?"

Chong sighed. He reached into his pocket and took out a wallet. Opening it, he pulled out a photograph and handed it over. Eric stared at it, that strange sense of recognition returning to him. The face in the picture looked pure Asian, but the eyes, the nose, the shape of the cheekbones... there was a definite resemblance to himself, unmistakable.

"My son," Chong said.

"So when I came here yesterday, you knew. And you lied to me."

"I still didn't want to face it... Yes, I lied. Why dig up the past, after thirty years?" He looked Eric directly in the face for the first time. "What are you going to do now?"

"Nothing. All I ever wanted was to know the truth." He hesitated. Now that the confrontation was over, the initial anger he had felt was fading. He wasn't sure what was taking its place. Curiosity, mostly. "I guess I should be angry. I have a right to be. But I just want to talk to you."

"Talk? That's all?"

"Yeah, that's all. Maybe it's hard for you to understand, but I just want to know something about you. Know where I came from. What my other half is."

"I guess I can understand that." Chong looked at him again, his eyes haunted. "I'm probably not the kind of guy you were hoping for as a father."

"I -- I don't know what I was hoping for. There were worse possibilities."

Eric's father smiled, a small, almost hopeful smile. "You want to know about me? My background?"

Eric nodded, returning that tentative smile. "Yeah."

"Well -- I'm divorced. Two kids, neither of them married. You saw my daughter, Jenny. Your sister. My son is younger, he just got out of graduate school. I don't have any brothers or sisters. My parents are both gone now. Let's see -- I was born in mainland China. Came here as a baby. I'm a mix myself, my father was Cantonese, my mother was Japanese…"


"All mixed up." Gaby grinned.

"Huh?"

"That's what they call it. You told me your mother was half English and half Spanish, and now you know what your father's side is. You're a little of this, a little of that, mixed together. All mixed up."

He snorted. "How appropriate."

"I think so too."

They were walking slowly along the beach again, the sun low over the waters in the west. A brisk breeze blew Gaby's hair into her face. Clouds lined the sky, promising a beautiful sunset but threatening a storm.

"He asked me about myself, too. Wanted to know if I'm happy."

"Interesting question. What did you say?"

"That I don't know. I'm... content, I guess."

"Not a bad thing to be." She smiled and went on. "So, now you know. How do you feel about it?"

Eric shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Glad I know for sure." He smiled. "Walter Lee said the truth can be hard to bear. But knowing is better than wondering for the rest of my life. Sam Chong may not be the ideal guy I would have picked for a father, but things could have been a lot worse."

"Yeah, they could have. But I guess you would have preferred someone like Russell Lee."

"Well, yeah. If it had been him, he would have taken me when Mom left."

Her face was solemn, staring down at the sand, as he glanced at her. "You would have had a very different life, if it had been him. You'd be a different person."

"I guess so."

She took his arm, pressing it tight against her body. "Maybe it's selfish, but I'm glad you're the way you are. What did you think of Chong? Sam? Your father. Whatever."

"I just told you."

"I mean -- once he told you the truth, and you talked for a while, did you like him? Do you want to see him again?"

"I'm not sure. I guess he was okay. Not a really nice guy. But then, neither am I."

"I don't know about that. And at least he admitted it in the end. He was willing to talk to you. Sounds like he wanted to -- to make up for everything. Make friends."

"I think he was just relieved I didn't want anything from him."

She chuckled softly. "What about your brother and sister?"

"I said I wouldn't tell them. He doesn't want them to know their old man screwed around."

"Hmm. Considering he's divorced, I suspect they already know. Your mother probably wasn't the only one."

"Maybe." They continued for a few more steps in silence. "Strange to think I have a brother and sister. From nothing to a whole family, in three days." He felt her hand loosen on his arm, saw her frown before she turned her face away, and realized what he had said. "I didn't mean that you're nothing…" he started.

"Oh, I know." She stopped, pulling him to a halt, facing her. "You already had a family. You never seemed to really believe that."

"You mean Wes and Alan. And Jen, now, I guess. But I'll never really be a part of that family."

"Pretty close. And you've got me. I know I'm not much, but…"

A quick glance showed her laughing at him in the evening light. "Not much… But you'll do in a pinch…" He reached for her.

She skipped backwards, giggling as he advanced, then ran away from him towards the motel. He caught her in a few strides, stepping into her path and grabbing her up, stopping her laughter with a kiss that quickly became demanding, his tongue exploring her mouth as she melted into his embrace.

When the kiss ended he pressed his cheek against hers, raising a hand to smooth her hair back. "Gaby…" he murmured in her ear. "You've been so much help with this…"

"How?" She moved her head back to look at his face.

"By listening. Understanding. Putting up with my moods. I really…"

He hesitated, unsure of what he was trying to say. And then the moment was lost, as his cell phone rang. With a sigh, he let her go and pulled it out of his jacket pocket. He answered, and listened, feeling his happy mood fade as the voice on the other end spoke. Gaby was watching his face in concern when he hung up.

"What happened?"

"I have to go back. Wes and Jen have disappeared."

"Oh. Oh, my God. It must be Norman."

"Yeah." He paused. "I want you to check out tomorrow morning. Use my car, head to another town. Keep moving, don't stay in the same place more than a couple of nights. I'd like you to go tonight, but it's late. And if Norman's busy with Wes and Jen, you should be safe for a while."

"Eric, I want to go home. With you."

"No." He smiled and lightly touched her face. "For my sake, and Wes and Jen's, as well as yours. I can't fight if I'm worried about you."

Her face fell. "All right. Are you going right away?"

"As soon as I get you back to the room."

"Okay." She started towards the motel again.

"Wait." When she turned to him, Eric raised his hands to her face, and kissed her very gently, just one last moment in the soft light, the clouds arching over them, her hair tickling as the breeze carried it across his face, the smell of the ocean, the sound of waves breaking on the beach. Then he took her hand as they started to walk.


* End *