Well, that last chapter certainly seemed to get people's attention. Thank you for all the reviews and to everyone who added this story to their lists. Hopefully this won't disappoint...

EPISODE FOUR: The Truth Game

CHAPTER ONE

Ethan and Emma were cuddled up on the sofa. Both of them were wearing nothing apart from their underwear. Ethan kissed Emma on the top of the head. "Any regrets?"

"Not about doing that,"Emma replied. "I just wish…I wish that had been my first time instead of just our first time." She looked at Ethan with sorrowful brown eyes. "I'm sorry I slept with Thayer."

Ethan shrugged. "I'm sorry I slept with Sutton. Don't suppose either of us made pretty good choices."

"Maybe we needed to do all that to get here. To be sure. Because…there's no comparison. What we just did. Being with someone you love."

Ethan nodded. "I've never experienced anything like it. I love you, Emma."

"I love you too."

They kissed, feeling the tender embrace of each other's bodies, surrendering to their desires. The embrace continued as they clambered to their feet, heading back into the bedroom.

Kristin sat with Sutton at the table, where Sutton had been stumbling over an explanation of everything she'd found out in the past six months. Kristin was coming across as more and more shell-shocked as the revelations tumbled out. "Ted is your biological father? Ted…and Rebecca?"

Sutton nodded. "He knew about me but he didn't know about Emma. Not until recently anyway. Rebecca told Alec she was pregnant and asked him to get us adopted, Alec told Dad but didn't tell him it was twins, he gave me to you two and Emma to another couple. Then that went wrong and she ended up in foster care."

Kristin struggled to catch up. "And…Emma's been living here?"

"We swapped over just after we came back from Paris. It was only meant to be for a couple of days but things kind of spiralled out of control. I came back on my birthday, I ran into you here." Sutton could see Kristin's mind going back to that day, the way Sutton had pushed her away after months of Emma accepting her affection gratefully. She carried on quickly. "I've been in town pretty much every since, except for when Ethan was on the run and I was with him. The first time we swapped back was at the junior ballet fundraiser, I stuck around for the black and white ball. It was me at family counselling and at Dad's award ceremony. Then we swapped back the night Alec died and it's been me ever since."

Kristin made an attempt to piece together all the changes before giving up. "Who knows about this?"

"Well, Dad and Laurel. And Ethan. And Mads and Thayer. And Jordan." Sutton thought for a moment. "And Dan."

There was another long pause as Kristin took in the information before she asked the most important question of all. "And where's Emma now?"

Emma and Ethan had finally managed to get dressed as they exited the bedroom. "I wish you didn't have to go,"Emma sighed.

"Me too,"Ethan admitted. "But…Dan's kind of expecting me back and I don't want to push it when he finally seems to be accepting us."

"Am I going to see you again soon?"

"Soon as I possibly can." Ethan kissed her and she wrapped her arms around him in a passionate embrace.

Only to release him rapidly as the outside door opened. Emma whirled round to find Kristin standing there. "Mum!"she exclaimed, her brain struggling to process the turn of events. Kristin would think she was Sutton. Where was Sutton, could her presence here be explained? And what about Ethan, would they have to pretend he and Sutton were back together? But Kristin's next word shattered all those thoughts in a second.

"Emma?"

Emma's heart seemed to skip a beat. It was the first time Kristin had ever used her name. She knew. Kristin knew. Emma didn't know how or why but it had finally happened. Kristin knew she existed. "Kristin,"she answered.

Kristin looked awkward. "I think I preferred it when you called me 'Mum'."

Ethan had a sudden strong feeling of being an intruder. "I'll leave you to it,"he offered. He gave Emma a quick kiss. "Call me if you need me."

Emma waited until he'd gone before looking back at Kristin. "How do you know?"

"Sutton told me."

Emma was surprised and perhaps a bit pleased. After months of wanting her out of sight, Sutton had finally acknowledged she existed to someone. "What did she say?"

"Everything. Or everything I could take in at once anyway. I know that Ted's your father. I know that Rebecca's your mother. I know that…that I've loved you like a daughter. That I've held you when you were upset, that I've felt happy when you were happy, shared your pain, had you comfort me in turn. I thought you were my daughter."

Emma felt wretched. "Kristin, I'm sorry. I so wanted you to be my mother, I've never known what it was like to have a mother before and you were everything I wanted, kind and loving and nurturing. I never meant to hurt you, that was the last thing I'd ever want to do."

Kristin was silent for a long while. When she finally spoke, her voice was level, as if she was holding back from expressing any emotion. "Do you have any belongings here?"

Emma hadn't expected the question. "A few."

Kristin nodded. "Pack them."

Emma felt like her heart had been torn out of her chest. "You want me to leave?"

"I want you to come home." Emma's hopes, dashed a moment previous, suddenly soared. Kristin didn't smile. "Emma, I'm new to all this and I don't pretend to understand any of it. But you should be with your sisters. Come on, you're coming home with me."