Family Dinner

Jade Lewallen stood nervously at the steps of the Bellaire Hotel. She really had no reason to be nervous. After all, she'd been up against scarier things before. Like the Van Buren situation, for example. Now, that was a tiring and convoluted problem if she ever saw one. Meeting with Sienna should be a piece of cake.

Feeling more confident, Jade squared her shoulders and forced one strappy sandaled foot to start walking. She jostled past some of the hotel's residents while walking up the stairs, and reached a perfectly manicured hand to grasp the gleaming handle.

Sienna wasn't even that intimidating, Jade thought, discreetly wiping the palms of her hands on the back of her velvet shorts. The only reason why Jade was even here was because she was interested in forming a mutual relationship. Sienna would provide her with some answers and Jade would help Sienna find the justice she needed, or whatever that bull was.

Jade marched right up to the receptionist, cutting right through the entire line of early vacationers. A few of them glared at her obvious impertinence; Jade sneered back, making sure to look each and every last one of them in the eye threateningly until they looked away in discomfort. "My name is Jade Lewallen, and I'm here to see a Sienna Robespierre."

"Ah, yes Ms. Lewallen," the receptionist returned pleasantly, no doubt knowing the necessary respect that came with being a Lewallen. "Ms. Robespierre is expecting you in Room 1628."

Jade nodded curtly, and strode away, her Coach bag swinging at ease by her side. She stepped into the elevator, in all its polished gold and mirrors, and checked her cell phone. Five minutes late. Not too late to be rude, and not too early for Sienna to know how Jade had tossed and turned the night before.

Jade sighed silently to herself, hearing it magnified in the empty space of the elevator. She'd meant to ask Arielle just how in the world she and Sienna had known each other—because there was no doubt that Sienna had already been acquainted with Arielle for quite some time—but, Jade had been too pissed at Arielle after what happened yesterday lunch in the hallways and had been giving Arielle the cold shoulder ever since.

She shifted nervously from one foot to the other. Jade knew she really had no right at all to be made at her sister. After all, Arielle hadn't been doing anything with Blake except talking. And laughing. And touching. But then again, Jade was the one who lost her mind in a five second span and decided to make out with Blake van Buren.

She passed the tip of her hand to her lips self-consciously, an immediate reaction. It was still hard to believe how low she'd sunk. He was a Van Buren, for goodness sake. Not to mention that she still had Duke.

Jade sighed again and passed a hand through her short hair. Lately, she hadn't been able to dedicate any time towards her boyfriend. Given the fact that she was this close to losing it these days, it'd been hard to have much of a rendezvous with anyone.

Maybe it was time to move on. Duke had so much fire in him when they'd first started dating. Now, he just took whatever Jade threw at him, and went along with it. It was almost as if he'd given up trying to even make an effort with her. Somewhere along the way, Duke had lost himself and had become a mere extension to Jade's self.

It made Jade question just exactly when she'd become this way. Somewhere along the way, something had changed. She desperately wanted to believe that there was a part of her that didn't kiss Blake van Buren just because she was scared that Arielle would one day wake up and find that she as no longer obligated to love Jade. That a part of her hadn't felt such a obsessive need to crush everyone that could be crushed and molded to her will.

But she was the way she was. And maybe that was why Jade was truly here. To find out from Sienna if at sometime, something had happened that made Jade damaged in a way.

The elevator doors slid open, and Jade stepped out, following the tiny brass plaque that pointed room 1628 down to the right. Jade followed the numbers, checking it carefully, before arriving at the last door. The suites.

It was only fitting, Jade thought, as she rapped the door expertly. Any less and it would've been disappointing for someone related to her.

Sienna opened the door, dressed in a toga dress, and glanced at Jade. "You came," she said smugly, gesturing for Jade to follow her inside. Jade examined it critically. It was a nice enough room, she supposed. Not too tastelessly showy, not too washed out. Clearly old money.

Turning back to her supposed aunt, Jade crisply smoothed the top of her hair over once, making sure it maintained the shape Jade had spent ten minutes using Fekkai spray to hold. "I came solely to get information," Jade rejoined, sitting down in the living room couch.

"Of course," Sienna inclined her head thoughtfully, moving into the kitchen and coming back with a cup of jasmine tea for the two of them. She frowned at a sudden thought, "Even though, as your aunt, we should be doing this the proper way of introducing ourselves, and not throwing ourselves straight into buisness. I don't know you half as well as I know Arielle."

"Speaking of which," Jade put her cup down on the table for a second. "how exactly do you know Arielle? I would've thought it was impossible, seeing as she's almost always with me."

Sienna shrugged. "She always comes to Manhattan every summer for three weeks. I don't know why you haven't noticed."

Jade picked up her cup again, eager to have something to do with her hands. Every summer for three weeks? Since when?

Then, it hit her. Of course. Arielle's annual summer camp for three weeks. Jade had never bothered to ask her much about it, wondering how anyone could stomach nature and the wilderness for more than an hour at a time. But then again, Arielle probably made up nature camp to keep Jade off her back.

Knowing this, Jade couldn't help but feel a little hurt. She felt as if another thread in their trust relationship had just been cut off. How could Arielle participate in something like this for the past six years and not bother telling Jade about it? "I can't believe she didn't invite me along," Jade gave an injured sniff, looking like an offended kitten.

Sienna gave Jade a long look. "Well, it was part of the agreement," she finally said, breaking the monotonous silence.

"What?" Jade nearly growled in frustration. Didn't Sienna know better than to tell her about all this jumbled nonsense that she had no recollection of whatsoever?

"Well, I'm not sure what the agreement was, just that Arielle—and only Arielle—could be granted a three weeks visit to New York every summer," Sienna paused for a second. "I don't know what else there was in that contract, but I'll bet that you're father has it with him."

Jade completely bypassed the last part, nearly bolting out of her seat in rage. "Why Arielle, and only Arielle? Am I not good enough for even my mother?" Jade demanded, looking like she was close to losing it, even though previously she'd shown no real desire to connect with her lost mother in any way.

"Well, think, Jade," Sienna demanded over Jade's indignant fury. "If your father was keeping something dark and secretive from you, would he bother sending you to the place where you'd be most likely to regain your memory?"

"Oh, please." Jade scoffed. "Are we back to this again? You keep telling me that my father's hiding something. So, tell me. What exactly is his big, dirty secret?"

There was a small silence as Sienna gathered her thoughts. Then, she nearly exploded. "That's just it. I know he has a motive, I just haven't figured it out yet," Sienna gripped at her own hair in frustration. "That's why I need your help."

Jade's eyes narrowed. "Then, you better start from the very beginning, and tell me everything you know."

She smiled sweetly, "You can even consider it your part of the exchange."

"But—" Sienna argued, before Jade cut her off with a swift look.

"It's that or nothing. Take it or leave it," Jade snapped impatiently. If they were going to be having this conversation, it would be on her terms and under her control.

Sienna wet her lips in an annoyed fashion. Having obviously decided that she needed Jade's help more than she cared to admit, a furrow appeared between her two eyebrows, as if she were contemplating where to start. "Your mother and I were the best of friends." Sienna said, having found a place to start the chronology. "She was four years older than me, but we always got along, ever since James got booted from the family."

"James?" Jade interrupted, feeling very annoyed. How was she supposed to keep up when Sienna introduced new people every other sentence?

"He was the oldest. My parents and him had a disagreement and he basically left us. But that's not important," Sienna waved a hand in the air, eager to get to the core parts.

"What's important was that your mother was the perfect child. Pretty, popular, smart enough, nice enough. And then your father came along," here, Sienna paused to give a deep scowl, as if the very thought repulsed her, "and he was the player. By the time he was graduated from high school, he'd just about made his way around to practically every available girl in the school."

Jade snorted uncharacteristically. That sounded just like her father. Apparently, old habits never truly die.

"Somehow, along the way, Astoria fancied herself to be in love with him. And he, bastard that he is, never did anything to persuade her otherwise. And in the end, do you know why he married her?" Sienna asked bitterly.

Jade had a feeling it certainly wasn't because he loved her, from the tone in Sienna's voice. "He wanted revenge?" Jade took a wild guess, pin-pointing it as accurately as she could to her own present life. Not that she would ever marry, say, Blake out of spite against the van Buren family or anything.

"No. He needed money for college and law school. Even he was smart enough to know that—scholarship student that he was—there was no way he could ever pay for Harvard. So he married Astoria. Blinded at that time, she was convinced that he loved her while he basically chipped away at our family fortune," Sienna's fist closed and clenched together, as if just retelling the story made her want to strangle the nearest object.

"Of course, I was the only one who saw him for who he really was. I warned Astoria, over and over, that there would be nothing for her but heartache. I was sure that once he graduated, got a job, and didn't need her anymore, he would divorce her."

"Yet, they didn't," Jade pointed out, trying to salvage what little remained of Mark's reputation. Strangely enough, she wasn't as angry this time around, hearing Sienna basically pouring out words of blasphemy at every turn.

"Oh, I'm sure he was going to. And then, they found out she was pregnant. And that got him into a tight, little fix. How would it look for his newly budding reputation if he chose to desert his wife while she was pregnant with his daughters?"

"So, he stayed with her. But I always had the feeling that he was looking for a way out of his sham of a marriage. He obviously didn't love her, and she could only be in the way to his success, after he got what he needed."

"Yeah, but I can't see how this fits in. I've been frustrated before, and I've learned how to get over it," Jade scoffed, slapping her hand in the air.

"Oh, believe me, it can fester itself for a long time. And by the time you and Arielle were ten, I think he'd had enough." Sienna stood up now, pacing the room. "I mean, don't you think it's suspicious?"

Jade shook her head furiously, so that it all looked like a blur. "I know what you're trying to imply. You think that my father killed Astoria. Well, no one's that psycho. My father may not be the cuddliest person in the world, but he would never do something like that. What's more to say, he's a lawyer. He would know about the consequences of murder more than anyone else."

"Not if he didn't think he'd get caught," Sienna interjected, looking satisfied, like she'd just provided some crucial viewpoint. "I mean, one day he loses control and decides to do something about it. And clearly, if the two of you got into a hit-and-run car accident, it couldn't be traced back to him. And then, you wake up instead of dying, and he probably panics for five seconds before he realizes that you lost your memory. So, he sells the house, and keeps your new life devoid of anything that could trigger your memory, not even allowing you to see your grandparents. Put that all together, and I would say we had a pretty solid case."

"Aren't you missing something?" Jade sneered at the nervously pacing Sienna. "You have absolutely no concrete proof that my father is guilty. A lot of it is just speculation on your part."

Before Sienna could argue the point, Jade sliced the air with her index finger, indicating that she wasn't finished yet. "Let me tell you what I think happened. It's much more plausible. I think that maybe she—or we—just got into a car accident by some random douche bag, who ran off so he or she wouldn't have to go to jail. And then, because I was filled with trauma and emotion, my father tried to protect me from having to go through that car crash experience, and told people not to trigger my memory. Then, maybe because I look like my mom so much, he can't bear to look at me, because their marriage wasn't a sham and he really did love her." Jade paused to let her words sink in. "I think that's much more likely, than that cock-and-bull story you cooked up to lie to me."

Sienna folded her arms, staring at Jade crossly. Jade knew that Sienna was pissed that she had no concrete proof. She sneered on the inside. Sienna was going to really have to pull something magically out of thin air if she wanted Jade's help.

"How do you explain the fact that nobody ever went to court to be tried for the accident?" Sienna loomed in front of Jade, staring her down with those perturbing blue eyes. "If someone I loved got hit by some random driver, I'd want justice. Maybe some people can let it go, but knowing the son of a bitch lawyer your father is, I doubt he'd just let something like this go. And do you know what's even more weird? He managed to get my parents—my Astoria-loving, worshipping parents—to keep all of this silent. And then, a month after this blows over, he immediately disappears and moves away into a new neighborhood. Now, tell me. How do you explain that?" Sienna's voice was quiet with malice and hatred. It was obvious that she was so far gone that there was nothing that could convince her otherwise.

Jade looked away from Sienna's demanding eyes, finding that they told no lies. And no matter how much she didn't want to believe it, there was some ring of truth in what Sienna had said. Too many things added up it would be stupid of Jade not to see it. And Jade Lewallen was not stupid.

She breathed a deep sigh of regret. Well, at least she'd tried so hard to defend and trust her father. But when it came time for judgment day, she would not be the one to hide his sins anymore. By now, it was obvious to her that he was hiding something. And, she was going to use every bit of her cunning to get it out of him.

Her father had decided to play her as a fool and she was going to make sure that this was one of the biggest mistakes that he ever made.

"So, what do you need from me?" Jade stood up, slowly leveling herself to Sienna's level. The two of them were about the same height, and Jade took in Sienna's hard expression. The pain and need for vengeance etched in her face said it all.

"I need you to recover those memories," Sienna's hand grasped Jade in her moment of intense need to express herself. Jade almost recoiled. Even if this was her long lost aunt, it was the first time they'd had skin to skin contact, and she wasn't ready for that.

"I'm not sure. Don't you think it would've triggered somewhere in the six year span. I have a feeling that if I haven't remembered anything yet, I'm not going to remember anything now," Jade firmly pulled her own hand back and wiped it surreptitiously on her shirt.

"You have to. It's the only way I can help her," Sienna muttered under her breath, pacing back and forth. "I know you can do it. You just haven't been served with anything that can bring your memory back yet. Now, if we were to uncover something like old pictures, or toys, or something like that…"

"Look," Jade jutted into Sienna's wayward thoughts. "I really do want to help. Not for your sake, but for mine. We're talking about ten years of blurred images here. But, what makes you think that any of me memories will help with anything? I could end up remembering birthdays and Christmases, and I don't see how that's going to help us."

"Well, he's hiding something. If he hasn't tried to get you to remember, he obviously has something he doesn't want you to know. If we could only access that, we could use it to hurt him..." Sienna's voice trailed off again, as a look of viciousness overcame her pretty features.

An uncomfortable rolling was festering itself in Jade's stomach upon seeing Sienna's spaced out and vacant expression. There was an almost psychotic look on Sienna's face that Jade didn't like. She quickly reached into her bag and pulled out her cell phone, just in case she needed to dial an emergency number when Sienna lost it.

"I'm sorry," Jade sighed in mock sympathy, but still gripping her phone. "I really don't remember anything, and I don't think I will. And as much as I'm sorry about your sister's death, doing this won't bring her back from the dead."

Sienna whirled sharply around to face Jade and she gripped her cell phone even tighter than possible, feeling its edges dig itself into her palm. "She's not dead yet, even though she might as well be. There's only so many more years she can take being a human vegetable," Sienna said shortly, and then almost nastily added on, "But I forgot that you don't know anything about that. After all, it's not like you've ever visited us or anything."

Jade's back stiffened when she heard this. "It's not like I had a choice," Jade snapped back, not liking the woman's tone one bit. If anyone had even bothered to inform Jade about what was going on, she would've been able to make her own decisions. So, really, the woman should not be bitching and complaining at all.

"True," Sienna backed off slightly, seeing how angry Jade had become. She sat back down, finally relieving her feet of all the pacing. Sighing, she took Jade's hands in her own again, ignoring Jade's pronounced wince. "Look, Jade. All I need is your cooperation. I think you're entitled to what's rightfully yours. And, I can't do this without you. You're the only one who has the answers to everything. So, what do you say? Do we have an arrangement here?"

Jade stared long and hard at Sienna. She already knew what her answer would be, but it wouldn't hurt to let Sienna sweat it out a bit. Finally, noticing that she was almost late for her father's annoying family Van Buren dinners, she cut to the chase. "Deal, but on one condition."

Sienna took Jade's hand and shook it firmly. "Anything within reason."

Jade looked her in the eye to let Sienna know just how serious she was. "I want to visit your comatose sister."

"Why?" Sienna asked suspiciously.

Jade moved her shoulders up and then down. "No reason. Just wanted to see the person who was brave enough to marry my father," she lied. Truthfully, she'd wanted to get a glimpse at Astoria, and to see if there was a part of Astoria that was in Jade as well.

Sienna sighed and dropped both their hands, placing her own in her lap. "Fair enough. Although you seem to be taking the comatose thing a little bit too well."

Jade shrugged nonchalantly. "I didn't know her, so it really makes no difference to me how she is physically. It's like she's just another shadow in the rest of the world.

Sienna smiled a small, sad smile. "I was afraid it'd be that way."

Jade wisely chose to ignore that comment and pulled herself up from the couch, dusting her behind for any lurking bits from the couch. "Well, it's been nice seeing you again. Unfortunately, I need to get going, but I'll be in contact."

Sienna nodded. "Remember, pictures, videos, etc. Use whatever you can find, and we'll talk Sunday."

Jade stopped short outside the front door. That damn reception. "Sorry, I can't. I have an event, so I can't meet up with you. Although," Jade paused, tapping her right index finger thoughtfully against her lower lip. "there's a reception that you can go to."

"No." Sienna shook her head. "I won't know anybody there." Sienna continued to say, defiantly. She fiddled with her fingers, as if she were trying to rid herself of all the extra energy.

Jade tried not wrinkle her nose. She couldn't stand tiny nervous gestures. To her, it was such an obvious sign of weakness.

Jade drove away her pet peeves and tried to provide some support for Sienna. "Nonsense. You know my father, and Arielle, at the very least." Jade cajoled, using her special voice that almost always worked on getting things out of people. Surprisingly, she could be quite charming when she wanted.

And the more that she thought about this problem, the more she liked it. The idea certainly had potential. Mark Lewallen's ex-wife's sister at his own wedding reception. How fitting that there would be reigning chaos and confusion. Just the way Jade liked it.

When Jade's comment about Mark sunk in, Sienna's eyebrows shot up so high it nearly disappeared behind her bangs. "Your father?" There was no mistaking that same contemptuous tone. Again.

Jade scoffed spitefully, as memories of the van Burens flitting through her head, called forth from the question. She blamed all four of them for her unhappy situation. "Yeah, he's getting remarried to this disgusting woman and her equally disgusting kids."

Sienna eyed her for a second. "I don't know," Sienna said skeptically. "He doesn't like me at all, and I hate him. I'm sure that on his wedding, he'd at least appreciate no fist fights. Besides, it's been way too long for me to just show up like that, uninvited."

When she'd rejected Jade's offer with her shitty excuse, Jade had been ready to burst with anger. Now, Jade's eyes sparkled as she altered the situation and realized for the first time what could be her first step towards revenge.

It may not have been the smartest course, but Jade was in desperate need to bring someone down to step on. "If you haven't seen him in so long, then come home with me and we'll have dinner with my father. He'll be so pleased to see you. I'm sure the two of you will be reacquainted in no time," Jade purred evilly, just imagining Mark's face as she presented his former sister-in-law.

It would truly show him once and for all who was the master. Jade was tired of being treated as his second-rate daughter who was all but invisible to him.

If you can't join them, you might as well beat them senseless with anger.

"I'm sure it would motivate me a great deal," Jade hedged when her aunt didn't answer, knowing that Sienna wanted nothing more than for Jade to make recovering her memories first priority.

Sienna was silent for a moment, and then, she looked up and her eyes were full of mirth. "I'm feeling terribly hungry all of a sudden," Sienna said, letting Jade know that she would partake in Jade's plan, with a wicked smile on her face. The look made her look young and spirited enough to be a teenager again.

Jade caught her aunt's eyes and in them, she found a companion. Someone who understood Jade's mental thought. Someone who was willing to help her. And in that moment, Jade's alliance was truly solidified. "Well, let's see what we can do to satisfy that appetite," Jade pulled her lips back, letting her pearly whites shine in the bright light, as the two of them headed out the door.

People always say that revenge is best served cold. Jade couldn't help but disagree. This time, revenge was going to hot, and Jade would only let her wrath feed it until they were both satisfied.

A/N: Thanks everyone for reading and giving me feedback. I promised that I'd have this chapter up as quick as possible, and I finally have it. Warning: it's not an action chapter, more of a clarification chapter, so no real action happening. Also, if you sent my a PM or reviewed for chapter 15, I have yet to reply. It's three in the morning, so I'll get to those tomorrow, after six hours of sleep.

Okay, enough rant from me and good night! Thanks again everyone, and R/R please. 