Hey!! Sorry it's been a while since I've updated, I was on vacation. But I'm back now…enjoy and PLEASE review!!

David Hastings

David paced back and forth. He was in the hallway outside of the room where Sam and Grace were. He hadn't slept in hours but he continued to push on. He didn't know what he was still doing there. He knew what Sam and Grace were talking about. He didn't need to be there, it might be hours before the door opened. But something was keeping him there. He decided to take a short leave of his post at the door and get some coffee. The caffeine was the only thing keeping him awake. As he walked towards the coffee machine he ran into his son, John, "Hey, dad."

"Hey! How are you doing, John?"

"I'm alright. Tired, but I'm going to stay awake. Have you seen Sam or mom yet?"

"No," David winced at the word mom. If only John knew the truth. Grace wasn't his mother; she was in no way related to him. Would John hate him forever if he knew the truth? Was it worth the risk? His thoughts were flying, he had so many questions. They made his head hurt as tiredness crept through his body. He took another sip of his coffee demanding his body to keep going…just a few more hours at least. He sat in silence with his son for a while. His eyes started to droop and he nodded off into a half-sleep. Soon David began to slip into a dream.

He saw himself in a Sam's living room. John was there. It was just the two of them. John was talking about his wonderful parents, as usual. David sat there and listened and all of a sudden he just couldn't take it anymore. He had to tell John the truth, the lies were killing him. He spilled everything, not even hesitating to let John make a comment. He watched as John's smile faded, his life crashing down around him. Everything he believed was gone in a matter of seconds, his perfect life taken away by his own father. When David finally finished, leaving nothing out, he met John's eyes. He saw right through to his heart, his broken, bleeding heart. John stared back into his father's eyes, not blinking, an expression of hate on his face. His breathing was all that he could hear. Grace wasn't his mother? David pretended she was all along? And just so that he could help Ivy to destroy Grace's marriage?

"This can't be true," John finally broke the silence, "Dad, tell me it's not true."

"I'm sorry, John, but it is. I just couldn't take lying to you anymore. That was the hardest part, I hated it."

"So after a couple of years of lying to me it got hard to do? If you were a real father it would have been impossible from the start. If you really loved me you would never have told one lie. But look at all of the ones you have told me. I hate you…I hate you…"

David jumped awake from his nightmare. He looked over and saw John eyeing him.

"Are you alright, Dad?"

"Yeah, just a bad dream is all," he replied.

"About what?"

"I don't want to talk about it, please, John. I don't want to remember it. Actually, I think I might go back to Sam and Grace. I'll see you around, ok?"

"Alright Dad. Tell mom I love her."

"Right," David said looking down to the floor. He looked back up at John and smiled at him. How could he keep doing this?

David started back to the door where he would continue to keep his guard. He was about halfway there when he heard someone from behind him. He knew the voice and wanted to keep going but it wouldn't stop calling him.

"David…David, stop walking, I'm trying to talk to you."

"What do you want Ivy?" he asked turning toward her.

"I want an update. What is going on with Sam and Grace? What are they talking about?"

"You know what they're talking about. You know exactly what's going on. And I have no update to give, I don't know anymore than you do."

"You mean you haven't talked to them. You haven't been in there with them, with your wife? It's your rightful place as Grace's husband."

"God, Ivy, shut up. No, I haven't been in there with them, and I refuse to go in, because it's not my rightful place and you know it. I can't stand what I'm doing to these innocent people. And I'm not just talking about Sam and Grace. John, Kay, Jessica, and Charity are all involved."

"They are not being affected in a bad way. You've given John a mother. Something he's always wanted but never had. He's probably never been so happy. And yes, it was rough for the three girls at first, but at least now they've wised up about Grace. And besides, they have all learned very quickly that they can turn to me for anything they need. They still have a mother figure in their lives; it doesn't have to be Grace."

"John, maybe is happy, but the three girls aren't. Sure they still have a woman to go to for advice but they all stood by and watched as their family fell apart. They are not happy. And don't even get me started on how miserable Sam and Grace are…"

"Do not, for a second put Sam under the negatively affected category. He is happier than ever. He has me, and he knows I would never leave him for another man…"

"No you already did that, didn't you."

Before either one knew what was happening, Ivy reached out and slapped David across the face. She pulled her hand back and looked down at her feet. "I admit, I did make that mistake, but only because of my father. I would never leave him again, ever."

"No, Ivy, it looks like he will be the one leaving this time."

"What do you mean? Do you know something I don't? What's going on?"

"What I mean, Ivy, is that I won't allow this to go on any longer. I'm going to end this here and now. I won't lie for you or hurt them anymore."

"You do, and I will ruin your life," Ivy snapped back.

"You already have. My mind is made up; I'm telling them the truth."

"No, David, please," Ivy begged, "you can't, look at how far we've come. I have Sam and you have Grace. Please don't please. I can't lose him again, David. I just can't. I'll die if I do. Don't do this to me."

"If you honestly think that I'm about to have any sympathy for you, than you are an even bigger idiot than I first made you out to be."

"David," Ivy pleaded grabbing his hands, "don't do this. Think about it. John will hate you, Grace will hate you, everyone that you love will hate you."

"Yes, that's true. But you know what, Ivy, I deserve it. I deserve their entire wrath, as do you. And trust me, Ivy, you'll get it."

"David…"

"Stop it," he yelled pulling his hands from hers. "I'm going to tell them, there's nothing you can say. They deserve to know the truth. I am going to find John, Kay, Jessica, and Charity. You can choose whether or not you want to be there. But as soon as I find them, and it won't take me long, I am going in there and I am ending this." He turned around and walked away from Ivy, his last meeting with her. He walked back to where he had left John and found him still there. Jessica and Charity had also joined him.

"Does anyone know where Kay is?" he asked.

"She went to get some coffee," Charity answered, "she's coming right back."

"Ok, well when she gets back, I need all of you to come with me."

They looked at him wondering what he was talking about but their thoughts were interrupted by Kay's appearance.

"Ok, you're all here now. I need you to all come with me."

"What for?" asked Jessica in a snobby tone. She still hated David for coming between her parents.

"Jessica, put your personal feelings about me aside for just two minutes, and please come with me."

They all exchanged glances wondering what was going on. John was first one to get up, and they soon all followed, too curious to be left behind. David led them right to the room where Sam and Grace were. He knocked on the door. It took a little while, but the door soon opened and Sam was on the other side. He took one look at David and began to close the door again, but David was too quick and held the door open.

"Look, I know you hate me, and I know you don't want to see me right now, or ever for that matter, but please, just give me five minutes, there is something I need to talk about with you and Grace."

Sam almost began to shut the door again but this time he noticed his daughters and niece behind David, and decided to let them in. "So what is it you needed to talk to us about, David? Make it quick," Sam said wanting David to leave.

"Alright, I'll just come out with it. I must tell you the truth. I have been deceiving you all for quite sometime now, and for that I am sorry. Grace, I'm not your husband. I never was. The first time I saw you was when I came to Harmony a couple of years ago. You aren't John's mother; Sam is your legal husband, and your husband in the eyes of the church."

"What?" Sam yelled lunging at David, but John intercepted him.

"Wait, Sam, hold on," John said barely able to hold Sam back. Sam backed away and allowed John to talk, although never taking his eyes off of David. "Dad, that's not true. I know it can't be true. I know what you're trying to do, and you're so kind for it. But don't do this for mom's sake. Don't lie just to try to give her some peace of mind. I know you feel bad for everything that has happened, but don't put all of the blame on yourself. I know it's not true."

"It is true," David replied looking into his son's eyes.

"Why?" Grace's voice spoke up. David looked over to her for the first time since he had entered the room. She noticed that her cheeks were stained from tears, and new ones were forming in her eyes.

"I did it because I was blackmailed into doing it. I'm so, so sorry."

"Who blackmailed you?" Sam asked, wanting to find out who was to blame for coming between him and Grace.

"It was Ivy. Ivy knows things about me, I don't even know how. Things that could ruin my career, my life, my son even. Those things aren't important now. That is something that I will have to deal with later. What matters now is that all of you know the truth. Grace, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. As I got to know you, I really did come to care about you. That is why I had to do this. I'm sorry to all of you. I can't ask for forgiveness, I don't deserve it. I just wanted to finally do the right thing, what I should have done from the beginning."

"Ivy…" Grace whispered. "That bitch! I always knew she was after you, Sam," she screamed, tears pouring down her cheeks. "I hate her, I hate her."

"Grace," Sam said rushing to her side.

"Sam, go away, go away," she yelled turning away from him.

"Grace?"

"All you could ever do was blame David, everything was his fault. Never once did you allow anyone to think evil of Ivy. She destroyed us, she destroyed our family."

"Grace, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. We were both deceived."

Grace calmed herself before speaking again. "I know, Sam, I'm sorry. What we need to do now is stick together so she can't come between us anymore."

Sam hugged Grace kissing her on the cheek.

"I told you," Kay chimed in from the corner. "I told all of you, and none of you believed me. How many times did I tell you the same thing David just told you and all of you hated me for even suggesting it."

"Kay, please," Jessica said with watery eyes, "shut up, just shut up. For once, don't make everything about you. Oh, God, Mom, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I said I hated you, and I don't, I don't."

"Jessica, it's alright, I understand," she paused staring off into space. "I'm sorry, everyone, but can you all just please leave," Grace pleaded, "I just want a little bit of time alone."

"Grace, you don't have to deal with this alone," Sam said. "I love you; I want to be here to go through this with you."

"Sam, if you want to help me, then please, please, go give Ivy hell for me."

Sam gave her a small smile and left in search of Ivy. Charity and Jessica also started towards the door, and were soon followed by Kay. Grace was left with David and John. John was standing by the window gazing out at the sky. His world had fallen apart in five seconds. He was afraid to turn around and see Grace and David there. Seeing them there might just make it all true and he was still convinced that it wasn't.

"John," David began, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I never wanted to do this to you. But I had to do it for Grace's sake. And Grace, I'm so sorry. I've cost you so much time with Sam. I should never have let Ivy get the better of me."

"David," Grace said wiping away her tears, "don't beat yourself up over this. I've known Ivy for quite sometime now, and I understand what you went through. I don't hate you for this. I'm not saying that I admire you for telling the truth, you never should have started, but I am grateful that you realized it was the right thing to do."

"I'm so sorry again Grace."

"John, even though I'm not your mother, I still care about you. You are the innocent one in all of this. You don't deserve this, and I'm sorry that you have to go through it."

John turned away from the window and faced her. "I really believed you were my mom. Not just because I've wanted one for so long, but also because you are just everything I pictured my mom to be like. Even though you aren't my biological mom, I will still love you like one. You're the closest I've ever come to one."

"John, you saying that makes me so happy. I will still love you like a son."

John crossed over and hugged Grace, and then he and David left the room, leaving Grace to herself. Once they were in the hallway, John began to question his dad.

"So what does Ivy know, Dad? What is she holding over you that could destroy your life, as well as mine? If we're having a truth-telling night, then please, don't stop there. What other secrets do you have?"

"John, you've just had a bad shock. We don't need to do this now…"

"No, Dad, please, enlighten me. I need to know. If this could change my life in some way, I need to know."

"John, please sit down." John eyed his father suspiciously but did as David asked him to. "Now John, what I am about to tell you, I apologize in advance for it. It will be shocking but just hear everything before interrupting. When I was your age, I had a friend named Amy. She and I were very close. We were never romantically involved, but best friends. I also had a brother named Joe. Then, one day, Amy went missing. We were convinced that she had been kidnapped; there was no way that she would have run away, she was just a great person. So anyway, months passed, and I became very depressed over all of it. After a while my brother started acting weird. He would go off everyday with some excuse and this one time I went to the place he said he would be, and he wasn't there. So one day, I followed my brother when he went off, and this time he went into the woods. After a long walk we came to this shed in the middle of the woods, a place no one ever goes. He went inside and I just looked through the window. That's where I saw her: Amy. He had kidnapped her. She was lying down, tied to the bed, and there was a baby over in the corner. It couldn't have been more than a week old. What I didn't see while I was looking at the baby was Joe pulling a gun from his pocket and aiming it at Amy. When I finally saw what he was doing it was too late. He shot her, and killed her instantaneously. He dropped the gun, and I ran inside. I was just so caught up in the moment, I wasn't thinking. I grabbed the gun before Joe even realized who it was. I pointed it at him and starting asking him how he could do it, why he would do it. He broke down and told me the whole story. Months earlier, before her disappearance, he had raped her. She was scared to tell anyone, he threatened her not to. She ended up pregnant and told Joe before anyone else. Well, of course, he freaked out, and he kidnapped her. He kept her in that shed for nine months, and when the baby came, he actually delivered it. He had been studying giving birth for nine months. The baby came, and then so that Amy couldn't talk, he killed her. So when he was done, I, caught up in my anger, shot him. I killed him, my own brother. As soon as it happened, I realized what I had done. I decided to run away. I buried the two bodies, and I took the baby. It was how Amy could live on. I ran away, and I never looked back. I left the continent; Australia is where all of this happened. My dad was already dead, and when my mom found out that both of her sons had gone missing, she died soon as well. The bodies to this day have never been found. All three of us have been assumed dead. I've changed my name, my appearance, covered all of my tracks, and I still haven't been found. That is, until Ivy. I don't know how she found out any of this."

John looked at David in horror. "And that baby…that baby is…me?"

"Yes, John, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"So you're not even my real dad?"

"No, I'm really you're uncle."

"I'm sorry; I just need to let this all sink in. I need to be alone."

John walked off. David decided it was best to let him go, and stayed where he was. It killed him to tell John the truth when it was so horrible. How had Ivy found out? How could she have known? It didn't matter now; all that mattered now was that she did know. Now, when his life could be ruined, was a time he could use all the friends he had. But now he was alone. He was losing Grace. John and his relationship would never be the same. He had no one. He didn't follow through with his end of the bargain and now Ivy was in a position to destroy him. All he could do was wait for her to do it.