Viktor sat back in his chair looking at the latest report from the team of private investigators he'd hired. He looked at the picture of the age progression they's done of Tatianna, he knew it didn't do her justice. She was a beautiful child and young women, he could only imagine what she looked like now. He never believed she died in that fake car accident sixteen years ago for many reasons.
She was an expert swimmer, she would have gotten out of the convertible and swam to safety, and she would never have drank and drove. He had also trained her well, she knew how to fake a death. He knew she was out there somewhere, he just had to find her. Fifteenth years ago, when she would have been seventeen the FBI, kicked in his door and arrested him on RICO charges. His lawyer got him off, he was sure she had given them the evidence, for her continued freedom and safety.
"The jet is ready, Sir." Luka said.
"Are you and Lucian ready to go to Toronto?"
"Yes, Sir. Do you think it's really her?"
"I hope so. It's time we bring her home, to the family."
He got up leaving his study, picking up the thick file folder he had on Tatianna. He hoped that this lead panned out, it was the most promising, he was headed to check out three women in the Toronto area" Dr. Kendall Turner, Ashley Smith, and Ellen Jones. Hoping one of them was Tatianna Grace, he called for his son Viktor to join him on the trip.
XXX
She looked at Spike trying to figure out the best way to answer his question. She didn't want to outright lie to him, but she didn't feel that she knew him well enough to tell him the truth.
"I helped her with a case several years ago, when I was young. She checks on me from time to time." A half truth is better then a lie she decided.
"Why are you worried?"
"I'm not, why would you think I am?"
"Because you asked her do you know who or where?"
She had to think and think fast. "She was asking if I could help another agent with a case." She had lied, but that one was hopefully the only one she had to tell. She prayed he wouldn't push her on anymore details, she didn't want to lie to him. She liked him and didn't want to lie to him at all, but she felt she had to about this part of her life.
He grabbed her hand, smiling at her. "Let's go eat." She let out the breathe she'd been holding, she could relax and enjoy the afternoon with him. He pulled her towards his truck, opening the door for her, she slid into the passenger's seat. She watched him walk across the front of the truck, he flashed her one of his brilliant smiles.
He climbed into the driver's side of the truck. "Where to?"
"Surprise me!"
He drove away from her house into traffic, she sat back in her seat waiting to see where they ended up for lunch. He took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips and kissing it, she smiled at him. He didn't stop at any restaurants, but continued across town to another residential neighborhood. He stopped in front of a house, he turned to her and smiled.
"Where are we?"
"My house, I live her with my mom and dad."
"You are full of surprises." She felt panic start to rise up from the pit of her stomach. He was bringing her home? To meet his parents? Holy crapballs!
"I thought we could have lunch, with my parents."
Show no fear, do not freak out! "Sounds good!" She smiled at him, pulling from her skills of the past, to not show her real emotion. While she was panicking on the inside, she was calm and cool on the outside.
He got out of the truck, running to her side to help her out, she looked at him. "Some warning, might have been nice. I look like a bum!"
He stopped her from taking another step, pulling her into his arms. "You look amazing!" He kissed her.
Taking her hand, he led her into his boyhood home, she was slightly nervous to be meeting his parents. As far as she knew, they were just casually dating, meeting the parents was a serious dating thing. Maybe she was wrong, she had gone on a hand full of dates in the past five years. They walked into the house, he called out for his mother.
They walked into the kitchen. "Ma, this is my girlfriend..Kendall Turner. Kendall this is my Ma Rosa." She filed away the fact that he had introduced her as his girlfriend, that was news to her. She didn't think she minded being introduced that way.
"Nice to meet you Mrs. Scarlatti."
"Call me Rosa."
Rosa pulled her into her embrace giving her a hug, Kendall was taken aback for a second, but wrapped her arms around her hugging her back. Spike's father came into the kitchen, he eyed Kendall.
"Pa, this is Kendall Turner, my girlfriend. Kendall, my Pa, Dominic."
"Nice to meet you Mr. Scarlatti."
"Please call me Dominic." He shook her hand, looking her up and down.
She helped Rosa finish lunch, they sat down to eat she thought it was going to be awkward and uncomfortable. The Scarlattis made her feel welcome in their home, Spike's arm was around her shoulders at the table. Rosa packed left overs for them to take home, she said they were both too skinny. They got into his truck to drive back to Kendall's house.
He pulled over into a park, he sat there for a few minutes before turning to her looking at her. "About how I introduced you to my parents..."
"I was wondering about that..."
"I know we've only been on a few dates, but it's been enough for me to know..."
"Know what?"
"That I don't want to see anyone else but you. I'm hoping you feel the same way...if not..."
She leaned over kissing him, cutting off his words, the reasonable part of her brain told her that it was a mistake to get involved, especially if she might have to pack up and run. The irrational side, the lonely side, that needed to be loved, that needed some companionship screamed at her to take whatever time she had with him, and appreciate it, she might not have to run. That maybe it was nothing, that whomever had checked into her past, it was nothing.
She pulled away, looking at him smiling. "I don't want to see anyone else but you."
He caressed her face kissing her. "Really?"
"Why do you sound so surprised?"
"I just didn't think I had a chance with someone like you."
She looked at him long and hard. "Michelangelo Scarlatti, you are sexy, smart, sweet, and caring. Any women would be crazy not to jump at the chance to be with you."
He kissed her again. "You're not so bad yourself Kendall! How is it you're still single?"
"I've never met anyone I wanted to take the time for."
XXX
Ed looked at what little information he had on Kendall Corina Turner, he frowned. He pushed the file across to Greg, he opened it and started reading it, he looked up at his friend.
"It's like she just appeared at the age of sixteen."
"That's when she showed up in Toronto. I tried to trace her school records back to Texas, there's nothing."
"I don't like this Eddie!"
"What is she hiding? I don't like the fact she and Spike are involved."
"Should we show Spike what we have?"
"No, I think he'd end up resenting us. I think we need to talk to Kendall, get an explanation."
"We need to get to her when Spike isn't around."
"I agree."
XXX
The Stivos Jet landed at a private airstrip in Toronto, arrangements had been made to take them to the house they had rented on the outskirts of Toronto.
"Papa, what are we doing in Canada?" Sixteen year old Nikolas asked.
"We've come to find your sister, and bring her home."
"Tatianna, is here?"
"I believe so, son."
Nikolas was excited he'd only seen pictures and heard stories of his big sister Tatianna. They had all feared her dead for the first five years of his life, then some evidence showed up that she was alive.
"When will we find her papa?"
"I'm hoping tomorrow Nikolas. Now, go unpack."
Viktor had a good feeling about this trip, he was going to start with the Dr. Kendall Turner, first. Tatianna was a highly intelligent young women, he would bet his life's fortune she'd became a doctor. He'd find out tomorrow, he'd send Nikolas into the ER, needing to see a doctor, Lucian would dress in a disguise si he could positively identify her. He was just a few short hours of having his Tatianna home with him.
XXX
She had another twenty-four hours in the ER, and it was a full moon, pretty much meant craziness was about to hit. She walked into her room for the next twenty-four hours and stashed her bag, she walked out finding the off going doctor and got report. It was the calm before the storm, she sat down with a cup of coffee at the nurses station.
She glanced up to see Ed and Greg walking into the ER, she started to panic just a little bit, thinking something happened to Spike. She stood up, walking up to them.
"Ed, Greg, everything okay?"
"We need to talk to you in private.?"
This isn't good, she took them into a exam room. "What's going on?" They placed the file in front of her, she opened it, seeing it was about her she closed it, and glared at them. "You're the ones, that looked into my past?"
"So, you know someone did?" Ed asked glaring back at her.
She was good and pissed, their nosiness may have endangered her life. "We we're concerned about some things. Why is there nothing about you until you're sixteen?" Gregg asked.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Answer our questions!" Ed demanded.
"I don't have to answer anything!" She started to walk out.
Greg put his hand on her arm. "We know there's an explanation, so just tell us." He said softly.
"I see, we're playing good cop, bad cop! Good to know, who is playing what role. Unless you're placing me under arrest, I'm not telling you anything!"
"We don't want to have to tell Spike!" Ed called out.
She turned around and cut him a cold gaze. "You want to know! Look up the name Tatianna Grace Martian and get back to me."
"Who's Tatianna Grace Martian, Kendall?"
"It was me sixteen years ago, when I faked my own death to get away from my step-father Viktor Stivos. That's when Kendall Corina Turner was born. Now that you know, thank you! Bravo job, stand up job SRU! Congrats, you just may have gotten me killed."
She stormed out of the exam room leaving both men staring after her. Her world was coming tumbling down around her fast a furious, she didn't realize how fast it would crumble until later in the afternoon.
