** DISCLAIMER I do not own any character appearing on "General Hospital".

*words* = thoughts "words" = talking/speaking ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CHAPTER 9: Zander Tells Emily All

"Yes Zander?", said a very puzzled Emily.

"The conversation wasn't just with my dad.", revealed Zander.

"Who else did you talk to?", asked Emily.

"You remember how I said that I bumped into that doctor in the hall a few hours ago?"

"Yes."

"Well that doctor's name is Beth Smith, she was my best friend growing up."

"Smith? But that's your last name too."

"I changed it after I ran away, my last name is actually Lewis. I ran away not only because I thought I killed my brother Pete, but I also thought that I got his girlfriend (my best friend) Beth pregnant."

Emily gasped and drew her hand to her mouth. "Zander, did you get her pregnant? Why, how?", asked Emily in disbelief.

"Pete wanted to get her into bed at the prom. She wanted to wait until they have been seeing each other for a year. Beth and I had been friends, ever since I can remember, but that night she came to my house upset, I had decided not to go to the prom, and my parents were away for the weekend. She had gone through it part way with Pete, but when she came to me we let our hormones run wild. She thought that the baby was Pete's, because half way through when they were doing it she ran out.", explained Zander as he pulled out the picture from his jeans pocket and handed it to Emily, "That there is my daughter, Erin Janet Smith-Lewis. I still can't believe that I have been a father for seven years and didn't know about it."

Emily held the picture of Erin in her hands, she looked at Zander and then stared blankly at the picture, wondering what other things she thought she had known about her husband were untrue.

"I had loved Beth ever since I could remember, she thought she loved Pete, maybe because he was "Mr. All-Star Hockey Player" and girls from back home love hockey players. That's something else that I have lied to you about Emily where I am from. I am not from Florida like I had told you when we first met. I am from Canada, but when I ran away Florida was the furthest place I could think of. I ran away not only because I thought I had accidentally killed my brother, but because I somehow knew Beth was carrying my child. And I just found out from my father today that it was my mother's dying wish that I would come back and meet my daughter. Emily, I found out that my mother died of Breast Cancer. Who knows what would have happened if I had stayed."

Emily looked up from the photo, her eyes filled with tears, all she could do was look at Zander.

"Emily I know you are upset. I know I should have told you everything by now, but I didn't know everything. I didn't know I had a daughter and I didn't know that my mother died from Breast Cancer. Emily I have decided that I am going to visit my daughter tomorrow and then the next day I will take you home from the hospital. Emily tell me what I can do to make you trust me again."

"Leave Zander." said Emily with tears falling down her face. "I don't……. I don't want to hear anymore of this. When I married you I thought that maybe, just maybe you wouldn't have these big secrets that would come out one day. I guess I was wrong. Zander just leave me alone and come back when I'm ready to be discharged."

"Emily, just be thankful that I told you about this.", said Zander as he closed the door and let Emily ponder this situation in peace.