Chapter Eight:
Masked and Unmasked

"Dad! Quixotic is not a word!" Lexi protested.

"Sure it is. Look in the dictionary," Vaughn shot back with a grin.

Ana was sitting on the couch, watching Vaughn and Lexi who were seated on the floor at the coffee table, embroiled in a Scrabble match. Although she tried hard to fight it, the conversation she'd had with Misha the day before kept playing through her mind. It wasn't what Misha had told her about his sister that was troubling Ana, it was the fact that the conversation had brought all her insecurities to the surface.

As much as she was a part of the family, there was still that tiny part of her that felt like a black sheep. Sure, she and Sydney shared countless personality traits, mannerisms and there was no denying that they were mother and daughter in the appearence department. But Ana couldn't help thinking that Sydney, her biological mother, had not even given birth to her. And even though Ana knew that Sydney loved her as any mother would a daughter, she knew that the circumstances around her conception were probably some of the darkest points of Sydney's life.

She often wondered if their relationship would be any different if they hadn't have been separated for those first six years. If Ana had not been shipped from foster home to foster home would she have grown into a different person? Would have been a better person, or maybe the complete opposite?

"Ok, ok…" Lexi was muttering. "Q…q….what? Quixotic- extravagantly and romantically chivalrous…"

"That sounds like your dad, Lex." Sydney joked as she walked up behind the couch.

"Ew, gross," Lexi grimaced as she slammed the dictionary shut. "How does a person even know a word like that?"

"It's time that you accept that you father is a very intelligent man, Alexis," Vaughn said.

"Yeah right," Lexi snorted. "And don't call me Alexis. You make me feel as if I'm in trouble."

Sydney was laughing softly. "What do you say Ana? Should we join in- give them both a run for their money?"

"I don't think so," Ana replied as she rose form the couch. "I've got other…sorry, excuse me."

As she walked out, Sydney turned to Vaughn, he expression clearly asking 'What is up with her?' Vaughn just shrugged. He had absolutely no idea.

"Come on little sis," Billy taunted. "Give us your best shot. Show me what you're made of."

Lexi just grinned as she drove straight past him, executing a perfect lay up and of course, scoring. "Well big bro," she said, facing him. "What's the score now? I believe it's 5-2…but in who's favour, I wonder?"

"Rub it in all you like, Lex." Billy laughed. "Cause tomorrow you and I are going to the rink and I'll show you what its like to be beat."

"Who cares about the ice? I'm beating you on the boards and that is all that matters," Lexi shot back, her eyes twinkling. "Now, I scored, so it's my ball again."

She made her way to the top of the driveway as acar pulled to a stop out the front of the house.

"Hey Ana," Billy called out as she climbed out of the car. "You wanna play? I could use some back up."

Ana mumbled an incoherent reply as she walked up the front path and through the front door. Billy turned to Lexi, his brow creased.

She shrugged. "Don't ask me. She was acting weird last night as well…which, when you think about it, is completely normal, because somebody is always acting weird around this place."

"Hmm," Billy paused, but then his jaw dropped indignantly when Lexi put up an outside shot, swishing it straight through the net. "Hey, that doesn't count. I was distracted!"

"You wanna bet?" Lexi asked as she chased the ball. "I'd like you to use that excuse in a real game."

"Right then," Billy grinned. "No more fun and games, little sis. Show me what you've got."

Billy was walking through the house a little while later when he spotted Ana sitting in the living room, reading over something.

"Hey," he said quietly as he approached her. "What are you doing?"

Ana gestured to the photo albums on her lap. "I'm just looking at yours and Lexi's baby photos."

Billy grimaced. "Oh god. They are so embarrassing," he shuddered. "I just know that mum is going to put together one of those collages of the really humiliating ones for my 21st."

Ana tried to smile. Her 21st had had nothing of the sort.

"Hey, maybe I could hide them…destroy them even," Billy said with a cheeky grin. "Do you wanna help?"

Ana cocked her head. "That's not funny."

"Huh"

"Do you know how much these photographs mean? How much they represent? And you just cast them off as tools of humiliation and talk about destroying them."

"Whoa," Billy held up his hands in mock defence. "It was just a joke."

"Yeah, well you shouldn't joke about that sort of stuff." Ana snapped as she slammed the album shut.

"What is going on with you?" Billy asked.

"Nothing."

"Yeah right. You are acting all weird and freaky."

"That would be right- Ana being the weird and freaky one. That's what you all think, isn't it?"

Billy's eyes widened. "Ana, I have no idea what you—"

"You know what?" Ana stood up abruptly. "I don't want to hear this."

Billy watched, dumfounded, as she strode out of the living room. A few seconds later he heard the front door slam, and then open again. He tensed, expecting Ana to stat venting her rage again, but instead it was Vaughn.

"Billy, do you know what's up with Ana?" he asked, stepping into the living room.

"Yeah," Billy sighed. "She's insane, that's what's up with her."

"Excuse me?"

"She's going mad, dad. I tell you." Billy paused. "Or maybe she has already gone."

"What happened?"

"If I knew, I would tell you."

"You weren't giving her a hard time about Misha, were you?" Vaughn asked.

"No! Give me a little credit." Billy said. "She was looking at photos and then she just snapped."

Vaughn brought a hand up, rubbing the nape of his neck. "I don't need this," he muttered as he walked off.

'And who does?' Billy thought.

Ana was fuming- not about Billy, but about the fact that she had stormed out of the house without her runners. Walking wasn't going to be enough to clear her mind- she needed to run.

She was actually feeling a little sheepish about the way she had reacted towards Billy. He had no idea what was going on in her mind.

'Still,' she thought, 'he needs to appreciate what he has.'

After walking aimlessly for about an hour, Ana was starting to think that she should probably head back home. Stopping, she looked at her surroundings, established where she was and began to walk in the direction of home.

Ahead of her, Ana saw somebody approaching. By the time she realised who it was, it was too late to turn around.

"Hey Ana."

"Hey Adrian." She turned her attention to the collie that was on the leash Adrian was holding. "Heya," she said, scratching the dog behind the ears."

"Ana, meet Cha-Chi."

Ana looked at him. "Cha-Chi?"

"Yeah," Adrian shrugged. "My mum was a Happy Days fan." He paused, taking in Ana's amused expression. "I know, I know, it's a stupid name for a dog."

"No." Ana said and for the first time, gave him a genuine smile. "It's just that, if you ever came to my place, you would find two great big Labradors named Richie and The Fonz."

Adrian let out a short laugh. "Are you serious?"

Ana nodded. "Though, the names are a result of my brother's warped sense of humour, not an appreciation for the show."

"Oh right," Adrian smiled as his mobile phone started to ring. "Excuse me," he said, pulling it out of his pocket and putting it to his ear. "Hello…oh hey…I'm good…good…yes, definitely…tonight…ok, then I'll see you there." After hanging up, he looked at Ana. "Hey, I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"Hey, that's ok." Ana said. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah," Adrian nodded. "I guess you will."

"Did you speak to him?" Elena asked.

Freya nodded. "It looks as if things are finally starting to move forward."

Elena smiled. "Good."

"I'm meeting with him tonight, to get a full update."

"Be careful," Elena said. "And send him my love."

"I will," Freya replied. "I'd better go. We're meeting soon."

Freya waited in the shadows, glancing at her watch every minute or so. It had been the longest that she'd ever been separated from her son and she was desperate to see him. To see if he was ok, to see if he had changed…and, of course, to find out exactly how the plan was moving along.

She stepped forward when she saw him approaching. Her face broke into a smile as she took in his handsome features, right down to the blue eyes that reminded her of his father. With his looks and his brilliant mind, her son was going places. He was meant for big things and she would do all she could to help him achieve them.

"Hey mum," his face broke into a big grin.

"Well, don't just stand there," Freya replied as she opened her arms. "Come here and give your mother a hug, Misha."