Thank you for all your kind reviews, they make me happy. =D
Amethyst Beloved: You know what, that doesn't sound like such a bad idea. I'll try to cameo Dillon and Georgie somehow [I was watching last week's episodes of GH on SoapNet and they are a great couple!!! =D], possibly as visiting the Q's, maybe... I'll figure out where I can put them, but they'll appear somewhere in this story, I promise. =D
And to answer some other reviewer's [I don't remember who, sorry =(] comment... just because Stefan flung himself off a cliff, doesn't mean he's quite dead, you know... *cue mysterious music* This is a soap opera-based fic, after all. *evil grin*
Okay, I'm done talking now.
Disclaimer: You know they're not mine, deal with it!!! [Okay I'm done venting now =D]
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Golden Child
Chapter Three
It's interesting what happens to you after you realize the world you've come to know is a lie, just a reality pulled over your head to make you think a certain way. Once you come out of that false reality, your mindset changes, the way you think changes, and... well, just about everything changes.
It wasn't so hard calling Skye by her name anymore. It is a beautiful name, so that just made it easier. She still considered me her primary mother figure, but somehow I was becoming more and more detached from her. My father–well, my... stepfather? My adoptive father? Anyway, when I approached Ned with the truth, he didn't take it the way I thought he would. It was surprising.
"Dad?" I knocked softly on the door to his study. "Dad, can I come in?" I peeked my head in the door and found the only father I had known. He looked up from his work–he's always been an intense workaholic–and smiled. "Of course, sweetie."
I pushed the door open more to let my whole body through and then closed it behind me. "How's it going, Kristina?"
I sighed. "There's something I need to ask you. Or tell you. Or both."
He chuckled. "Okay, what is it?"
I hesitated for a second, then started to speak. "I don't know where to start... there's so much to ask you. Like, did you ever notice that you and I don't look a thing alike, or that Sk–Mom and I don't, either? Or the fact that I disappeared last night and didn't tell you where I went? Or that I know that Skye–" at this, he gave me a look, but I continued anyway, "isn't my mother?"
At this, he looked a little startled. "How did you know that? And where did you go last night?"
"I went to Alexis–she came here yesterday, not to see me, but for something else, and I just so happened to be there and she hugged me and was like, 'you're all grown up' or something like that, and then I was like, 'well who are you,' and then she started screaming for Skye, and then they had a shouting match and somehow I picked up on the fact that Alexis is my mother. My biological mother anyway.
"So, I went to Nikolas to try and find out more about Alexis and then it ended up that she was there at Wyndemere, so I went to see her, and she told me what happened."
"How much did she tell you?" he asked, a note of alarm evident in his voice.
"She told me everything. She went as far as telling me who my biological father is, and that's when I fled."
Dad nodded. "So you know. Who else knows?"
"Well, I told Skye, and apparently you know as well, and of course Alexis knows, but I'm not sure about anyone else."
He sighed heavily and put his head in one of his hands. "I knew this day would come, Kristina," he said to me, truthfully. "I knew that one day you would find that you are not the person you have grown up to be. I kept telling myself that I'd have to be prepared when it happened... but I didn't think it would happen so soon."
I nodded, very surprised. He didn't seem to be shocked at all about anything. "So... what happens now?" I wondered aloud, breaking the silence.
"Do... do you still want to stay here?" Dad–Ned–asked hesitantly.
Exhaling, I replied, "Part of me does–you're the only family that I've ever known. But at the same time, I know that I'm not really one of you, and so I'd feel like I was imposing. It doesn't matter–isn't it up to Great-grandfather to decide?"
"Unfortunately, yes. However, do you want him to know?"
I sighed. "I don't know. I really don't. Can I just... you know, I need some air. I'm going to go for a walk. Is that okay?"
Ned nodded, kissing my forehead. "That's perfectly fine. Just remember that both your mother–well, Skye, and I, we love you and will always love you as if you were our own, okay?"
"I know, Dad," I whispered, fighting the emotion that was coming to me again.
So I went out. I went to the park–it was always a neutral place, and it always made me feel better. I wandered, taking in the warmth of early June, admiring the beautiful flowers, when I literally bumped into someone.
"Hey, watch where you're going," an irritable voice greeted me.
I looked up and found familiar, beautiful, but cold eyes penetrating into me. "I'm sorry, Loren. I was daydreaming again. I always do that."
"Yeah, well... I find that daydreaming does no one any good–I live in the here and now." He shot me a smirk. "So what brings you out here?"
"Clearing my head, but I doubt you care. What about you? Why do you have such an attitude?"
Loren's eyes obtained the steely look I had seen in them last night. "You're trying to butt into my business."
"Excuse me? You're the one who asked me first. And if I was trying to butt into your business, I would have pried last night into exactly what you were doing on Spoon Island."
His eyes flashed, as I knew mine were, but he didn't say anything except "Fine," and brushed past me to keep walking. I called, "Yeah, nice seeing you too!" after him, and sat down huffily on a bench. Boys are stupid.
Fortunately, I was able to calm down rather quickly, and as I sat, trying to control my anger, I gazed around and saw Bella, Hope and her little sister, Justine, lazily walking around the park. Well–Justine was walking, rather scampering, and Hope and Bella were obviously a bit irritated that they had to be carting her around.
"Hey, Bella!" I called, and the three of them turned to look at me. I smiled and waved and they smiled back, Justine running over to meet me while Bella and Hope followed at a more dignified pace. "Hey, Kristina," Bella greeted me. "You know Justine and Hope, right?"
I nodded. "Hey, Hope. Hi, Justine," I said to the little girl, who smiled shyly and said "Hi" softly in return. I grinned. Little kids are awesome.
"So what are you up to, Kristina?" Bella asked.
"Oh... just clearing my head," I answered nonchalantly–I didn't want to drop a bombshell on her right now. "A lot of stuff has happened in the past few days. You know how it is with my family–constant drama." I rolled my eyes, and Bella and Hope laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. So... you want to hang with us right now? We're just walking around, letting Justine out for some air–she gets really restless when she's inside, and we kind of have to be inside for a long time."
I nodded knowingly. Bella got quite sensitive to the fact that her father was a mob boss and that she had to be constantly guarded–even now, I was sure there was a bodyguard somewhere hidden in the bushes. But she knew that I didn't care–I understood. A lot of people at our schools, if they knew about that, would tease her about it–that's how snobby they were over there–so she kept it on the DL. Anyway, I got up and joined their lazy walking, glad to have a bit of distraction. And it was nice not to have my great-uncle Alan, or my great-grandfather, or my uncle A.J. nagging me about hanging with "those kinds of people." That really irritated me. But now, I thought with satisfaction, I don't have to listen to a thing that they say anymore–not like I really did anyway.
"Kristina?" Hope asked. "Did you hear me?"
"What? Oh, sorry Hope... I was just drifting away."
Hope laughed. "Typical Kristina. Anyway, I was just asking if you wanted to come with Bella, Justine and me to lunch–we're meeting my parents and my aunt and uncle there. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you came with us."
"Are–are you sure?" I asked uncertainly. Not only did I want to impose, but eating with them meant that I'd have to face Sonny Corinthos. Kristina, you're going to have to face him sometime or other. Might as well face up to it. Besides, it's not like you're going to have to tell him right away that you're his daughter. Mentally, I resolved to be strong and go through it.
"Yeah, it's just fine," Hope reassured me. "Don't worry about it."
I swallowed involuntarily and said, "Okay. Let me–let me just let Sky–I mean, my mom know, okay?"
"Okay." Hope turned to keep an eye on Justine, who was running all over the park. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed home.
"Hello?"
"Skye? It's me. I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to lunch with a few of my friends, okay?"
"Which ones?"
"Bellatrix and Hope."
"Oh. Oh. Kristina, are you sure?"
"Yes, Mom." The words came out before I could catch myself–out of pure habit. "Don't worry, I won't do anything stupid."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Mo–yes. I'll be fine. And I won't let anything out, okay?"
"Okay, Kristina... just be careful, please."
"I will. Talk to you later."
"Bye. And... thanks for letting me know."
"Of course, Skye. Bye now." I hung up the phone and walked around to find Bella and Hope, probably chasing after Justine. When I found them, I announced, "Okay, I'm ready. Let's go." I was ready to face who I was, even though I wasn't quite prepared for the consequences.
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