Back in New Rawley

"CHARLIE!!" Monica Pratt stood inside of the gas station, bellowing at the top of her lungs. She was just about to start walking through the house when Charlie walked in from the backroom wiping his greasy hands on an old rag.

"Monica, what a ... pleasure to see you again."

"Cut the bullshit Charlie. What the hell is going on with Jacqueline? I told you to keep an eye on her. One simple thing. After everything I've done for you I would've thought you could manage that."

Finn's Car

Finn swerved the car onto the shoulder, stopping much too quickly. "Say that again..."

Kate rung her hands together, she hadn't ever meant it to get to this. If she had've trusted her instincts in the first place Finn would've known years ago.

"I was pregnant with your baby Michael. I'm so sorry..." The look that Michael gave her brought tears streaming down her face. She would never have believed that she would cause so much hurt, such a strong feeling of betrayal in him.

"You're sorry? That's all you have to say? Explain Kate. Fast."

Kate took a deep breath and started explaining, hoping at the end of it all Finn would somehow understand.

At the cabin

Jake and Hamilton walked outside and sat down by the lake.

"What are you going to say baby?" Hamilton held tightly onto her hand hoping that somehow it'd make everything ok.

"I don't really know Ham, I think I'll just tell the truth for once. But I don't want to think about that just now. Mom'll be here soon enough. About what we were talking about earlier..."

Hamilton sighed. Jake'd been so worried about him earlier when she'd told him that she suspected his mother of having an affair. Hamilton feared that she wouldn't understand his view on it.
"Mom and Finn were dating in college I think.. Neither of them has ever told me as much, but from the way they talk about when they were at Yale and everything I kinda figured it out myself." Jake snuggled into his side, amazed at how calm and together he seemed about everything.

"For some reason I think they broke up and mom married dad who was a friend of grampa's. Dad's always been pure Rawley. I don't think anyone has ever been good enough for him. Not me, and definitely not mom. He won't even call her Kate. He thinks it isn't sophisticated enough so he calls her Caitlin. How stupid is that?"

Jake held tighter. She knew that Hamilton always felt like an inconvenience to his dad.

"I think Finn and mom got back together a couple years ago. Finn got transferred here against his wish. Dad actually brought him back here as a substitute teacher after the English professor died. Finn was the only teacher available in the area or something. Finn did so well with the students that even though dad had never liked him all through school and everything he didn't have much choice but to keep him on. The school board wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Finn tried to turn the position down but mom talked him out of it. Dad asked her to."

"So your dad knew they'd been together in college and used that relationship between Kate and Finn to make Finn stay?"

"Yeah pretty much"
Jake liked the dean less and less as the conversation went on.

"So I think after a while of avoiding it they ended up getting together. Mom got happier all of a sudden, and sadder too. I knew she felt guilty for cheating on dad, but I think she felt bad about me too. She always thought that I had this perfect picture of how our family was. I just wanted her to be happy... I made friends with Finn to make her feel better, but it wasn't that hard. Finn taught me how to row and gave me some help with homework before I started at Rawley..."

"How did you find all this stuff out Ham?"

Hamilton smirked over at Jake.

"My bedroom is right next to dad's study. They have their discussions in there coz they think that the room is soundproof." Jake smirked back at him.

"So you didn't mind that your mom was having an affair with Finn?"

"Nah, Finn made her happy, and Dad never treated either of us as anything but an inconvenience. Plus she was in love with him."

Finn's car

"I was so in love with you when we were at college Michael. I thought we could take on the world and win, that nothing would matter as long as we were together and we loved each other. I used to worry that all the girls would try to steal you away, but I think they all knew it would've been pointless. You were so smitten with me, it still makes me blush just remembering how you used to look at me."

"I loved you more than anything in the world Kate. I thought we were perfect for each other."

Kate smiled sadly. "We were Michael. But I was young and impressionable. When I unexpectedly got pregnant in my final year of Yale I was happy. I thought that you and I could move in together, get married, have a real family. But somehow my dad found out. He ordered me to have an abortion, saying that he wouldn't let me ruin my life by having a child out of wedlock, especially..." Kate stopped, not wanting to repeat her father's hurtful words.

"Especially not to a penniless no good townie. Yeah, I remember quite well what your father thought of me."

"I'm sorry Finn." He shook his head, encouraging her to continue.
"So Dad gave his orders and..."
"You did what he wanted as you always had right? God Kate..."

"No Michael. I didn't."
"What?"
"I didn't have an abortion Michael."

"Then what...."

"I told my father that there was no way I would kill a baby made out of love and happiness. He threatened to disown me... and I told him he could shove his money."

Finn smirked. "Bet he didn't like that too much huh"

Kate smiled for the first time in weeks.

"Nah, said I'd been hanging around townie's for too long. But then things got worse. Dad had connections all over the place, and he threatened to do the one thing he knew I couldn't stand by and watch happen. He threatened to cancel your scholarship. He said he'd make it so that you wouldn't be able to get into another university and I believed him. So, knowing that I wouldn't have an abortion he did something just as bad. He made a deal with Steven that if he married me in "my condition" he'd make sure that when Steven was finished his studies and everything he'd be placed in the Rawley throne. They bartered me. Steven got the job of his dreams and dad got rid of his 'damaged' daughter."

"Bastards! So Steven knew all along that you were pregnant..."

"Yeah he knew, and he took it out on me and Hamilton all the time. Especially when he discovered that he couldn't have children himself."

"So Hamilton is..."

"Yeah Michael... He's your son."