Chapter 44
What is he waiting for, why won't he answer her? Anna's waiting for him to say anything but he is just watching her. "Finn, I need to know what made you believe Peter had to be my son, why you felt that way."
"Why?"
"Finn, please just answer me."
"I told you I know I was wrong about that now. Isn't that something we can put behind us as well."
"No, you don't understand. This isn't like you cheating, this isn't about the fighting. I need to know when you started believing this. When you stopped believing it even."
Finn sat forwards, "Why is this so important?"
"Why are you being so difficult. I have my reasons for asking about this." Anna was starting to get annoyed.
"Then tell me what those reasons are," Finn insisted.
"No, I need you to tell me without knowing why I need to know. Once you have I can explain why I'm asking about this."
Finn thought about it for a moment, if he wants to have any chance with her why is he fighting her on this? Yeah, she says there's no chance for them but he isn't willing to accept that yet. He wants to hold on to hope even if he knows it might be pointless. "I think when I really let myself think about what it would take to get you back I realized that I was wrong to tell you Peter had to be your son."
"Do you still believe he is?"
Finn thought about the question, "No, I don't think I do actually," he admitted.
"Should I assume it was around the time you approached me at the Metro Court that you'd had this change of heart?"
"I guess it was. I had been thinking about wanting to get you back a lot the day before and when I saw you I knew I wanted to start talking to you again. That I had to try."
Anna thought about that, it had been Thursday when they first talked again. Had he seen Peter the day before that she wondered? "Had you always believed I had to be Peter's mother?"
"Well, you told me you were so why would I have doubted it?"
That was a valid point, "When I found out that I had some of Alex's memories did you ever wonder if I might be wrong about Peter? You went as far as to suggest that Robin wasn't mine did you ever think Peter might not be mine?"
Their waiter brought over their lunch so it gave Finn a moment to think about her question. She had told him about Peter and he accepted what she told him. He didn't really think he had put much thought into it, so when had it become something that he felt so strongly about. That it was the only truth she should believe because looking back on how he had been acting, that was exactly how he was behaving. "Anna, I know this isn't really what you want to hear but I feel like I believed you about Peter but I can't really say when or why I felt so sure of that."
"I need you to try Finn, please. Once I can explain this I'm sure you'll understand why this is so important."
Again Finn thought about it, "I guess it was around the time you started questioning what Alex had told you. When you started wondering if you could trust what Alex had told you about that mission. You wanted answers but I was glad that you at least didn't have to question the fact that you were Peter's mother," Finn admitted.
Anna took that in but hoped Finn didn't notice how much that shocked her and that she was now thinking hard about what he had just said. Had Peter been the one that had triggered the suggestion in the first place or had it been someone else? "Thank you, Finn." She leaned forward still not sure how to tell him this, "While Robert was away he found out that there is a very good chance that someone close to me may have had some form of mind control used on them. That some kind of suggestion was planted in someone's mind."
"Alright," Finn paused, is that why she's here? "Why do I get the feeling you think it was me?"
"That's because I think it was done to you, Finn," Anna told him.
Finn nodded slowly, "Right, and whoever this was wanted me to tell you Peter was your son, why?"
"I don't think I can tell you that yet, it's part of an ongoing investigation. What I can tell you is that someone used you as a way to influence me and what I might believe."
"So this must all be connected to why that memory was planted in the first place," Finn concluded.
Anna nodded, "You now accept that Peter isn't my son?"
"Yeah, that's pretty clear now," he admitted.
"That basically confirms my suspicions right there. Finn, last week you wouldn't have said that. Actually, you didn't say that."
Finn realized she was right, "Um, I think I'm gonna go. I, you gave me a lot to think about." Finn got up and left, Anna watched him walk away. She could tell he was having a hard time accepting what has been done to him.
...
When Anna got home she found Robert in the sitting room, she walked over and sat down beside him and sighed, "I am so glad you're here."
Robert put his arm around her and pulled her a little closer, "How did it go?"
Anna put her head against his shoulder, "Yeah, it was Finn. They made him believe that Peter had to be my son. They wanted someone close to me to back up what they had planted in my head."
"You're sure about that?"
I think I am, yeah. He doesn't know when it happened exactly but eventually, he told me that it was I think Wednesday that he realized he had been wrong about Peter having to be my son. That would work because he might have talked to Peter when he got back."
"That's true, he might have."
Anna looked up at Robert, he was just going to let her get it all out before giving his opinion. "He had a little harder time figuring out when he started to feel that way but figures it had to be around the time Alex told me about that one mission she knew meant nothing but was planted in my head."
"Interesting, do you know if he talked to Peter at any point around that time?" Robert asked.
Anna turned to face him, "Robert, I don't think it was Peter that triggered that suggestion. I think it was Alex."
"What?"
"K, hear me out. Alex did not want it coming out that Peter is her son. What if when she figured out she was going to prison she triggered that suggestion so she had a little extra security to ensure that?"
"OK, that might be what happened. So when did they plant the suggestion?"
"I don't know, I haven't figured that out but if Peter is the one that did it I don't know that Alex even had to be around when it happened."
"That is true."
Anna sighed, "Maybe I should stop thinking about this for now."
"This is a lot to think about." Robert paused, there was one thing he needed to know. "Anna, I want to know how you feel about this. Does knowing Finn was manipulated change anything?"
Anna took his hand, "Did Finn thinking Peter was my son make him sleep with Alexis? Did it make him say Robin isn't our daughter?" She reached up and touched Robert's cheek, "Did it make me think about you? Did it make me think about that kiss or about wanting you to kiss me again?"
"I'm going with no."
Anna grinned, "No, him believing Peter was my son didn't have anything to do with that. It caused us to fight that was it. Maybe if you hadn't been around I would have listened to him and accept that Peter had to be my son, that was probably what their plan was anyway." Robert touched her cheek as well. "I was starting to see that my feelings for you couldn't be denied. You were there for me as my friend but you also made sure I knew you wanted another chance. Maybe it would have taken longer for us to get here if it wasn't for mine and Finn's fighting but I think we both know this was always going to happen."
"Well, I always hoped we would," Robert admitted as he tucked some hair behind her ear. "I couldn't stop thinking about you after I kissed you." Anna leaned forward and kissed him tenderly. "Oh Anna, I love you."
"I love you too, I love you so much." They hugged, holding each other tight, secure in their love for each other.
...
Finn was still trying to accept what Anna had told him. If she was right someone had used mind control on him. The thought that someone had that kind of power over him felt like such an invasion, such a violation. Anna hadn't told him who had done this to him but it clearly had something to do with her if the planted suggestion was apparently about Peter. He had walked out on lunch with Anna because he had no idea how to process what she was telling him. When Anna had agreed to meet him, Finn thought it was actually a good thing, that she might want to give them another chance. Anna is still saying that isn't going to happen and maybe that doesn't matter right now. Maybe he should just give her a little more time. Why was he even thinking about that, what he was really struggling with was the idea that because of his relationship with Anna someone had used him, someone had manipulated him to be their pawn. Sitting outside of Kelly's was not how he thought he was going to spend the afternoon but at the moment it was all he wanted to do. No one here was bothering him so he could think. Unfortunately, that also meant he had started coming up with a lot of different possibilities about how and when this happened.
He had just decided to leave when Alexis came walking over. "Hello, Finn."
"Oh, hello Alexis." He looked around, "You don't have your friend with you today."
"Do you mean Jax?"
"Yeah, that's the one." He looked down then back at Alexis, "It seems like every time I've seen you this week he's been with you."
"Jax and I are old friends, he's thinking about moving back here and he's helping his daughter deal with a very emotional time for her. So yes we are spending time together when he isn't dealing with any of that. We joke around and he likes teasing me." Finn just nodded but didn't say anything. "You look like you have a lot on your mind."
"Yeah," he started to turn then looked back at Alexis. "Do you have a few minutes?"
"Sure, what's going on?" Alexis asked.
"How are you? How is everything with Kristina?"
Alexis thought it was odd that he was asking about her and not talking about whatever was clearly bothering him. "Kristina is good, she's at home now. She's away from the cult and I think she's on the path to putting that all behind her."
"Good, that's good."
Alexis could tell he wanted to tell her what he was thinking about but couldn't seem to find the way to start. "Finn, do you want to sit or maybe we could go somewhere else?" she suggested.
Finn continued to fidget, "What would you say if I told you I just found out that someone had mind control used on them?"
"Mind control, to go along with the memory mapping, that seems rather excessive."
He gave her a little fake laugh, "It wasn't Anna or any of the other twins. Anna told me earlier that she believes it was done to me."
"What? Why would she think that?"
"Honestly I didn't stick around to hear the entire explanation, though I'm sure I would have only gotten the condensed civilian version. For some reason, the WSB believes someone close to Anna had some kind of suggestion planted in their mind and it was somehow connected to Peter I think."
"You aren't serious," Alexis said in shock. "I don't understand."
"I don't either. Anna asked me questions, I think so she could figure out when it might have happened." Finn started to fidget again. "I don't know what I think. I don't even know if I believe her."
"This has to be a lot to try to deal with. Why don't you and I go inside get a coffee? You need time, then maybe you should try talking to Anna again," Alexis suggested.
Finn nodded then they turned and walked into Kelly's. She was right, he needs more time before he can start to understand any of this.