AUTHORS NOTE: I know I have already said this but I am totally astounded by the reception this story has received and how much people seem to be enjoying it. I want to thank everyone for their patience for the updates as this is not my normal way of doing things. I normally have the story complete in skeleton form before I start uploading it, whereas this is totally a work in progress. I do try and update quickly so I don't leave people hanging but real life has to come first as this is a hobby, and while the world has been on lockdown I have been continuing to go out to work six days out of seven as my job is considered essential here in the UK.

I want to thank everyone for their input into this story as it has really helped me with the block which I couldn't get past, your comments have inspired me! I want to just shout out to 'R Reinee' who PM'd me and pointed out that surely Kate would have something to say about all this. I had been totally fixed on getting the reaction of the two mothers right and showing their polar opposite attitudes to motherhood that I had totally forgotten about Kate, so hopefully this chapter rectifies that oversight. Also, a shout out to 'naudigirl' whose comments about giving Arnie a bigger role in the story made me think a bit more about it and then around the same time 'R Reinee' PM'd me and said 'wouldn't it be great if Christian was related to Arnie in some way?' That brought together all the thoughts I was having and this chapter is the result, all I can say is I hope I did all your comments justice.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER 17

(CHRISTIAN)

"So, there you have it" Arnie says as he finishes laying out everything that is going to happen to Frank. It appears from what he has said, the military take a very dim view of a soldier deserting and Frank is now looking at a maximum jail term of five years. Arnie seems to think that the book will be thrown at him for his actions as he made it totally clear from the start that it was his intention to leave the army by deceptive means and not return. Then there is the disruption he caused by the way he went, the searches and the investigation and enquiry into what went wrong which were all totally unnecessary.

"Nothing more than he deserves" Gideon says coldly.

Arnie nods, "I have to say I agree with you, and it's not just the desertion although that is all that counts in the eyes of the military. But I cannot get past the reasons why he did it. I cannot understand why and how anyone could abandon one child let alone two, but to go to the lengths he did. First transferring to another unit in another state to avoid his parental responsibility and then when it happened again the elaborate scheme he dreamt up to avoid his responsibilities… again!" he pauses and shakes his head, "You do have to wonder how his mind really works" he adds sadly.

"Would there be any restitution available for Monica and Carla for the way Frank treated them, as he did abandon them?" I ask. I am expecting the answer to be no, as the two daughters he abandoned are now grown women.

Arnie smiles at me and shakes his head, "I'm afraid not, had they been married to him that would've been a different matter entirely but as they weren't there is not any provision for them. Plus, the children he abandoned are no longer minors, there may've been some wriggle room had that been the case and I certainly would've pushed for it but as it is… no".

This makes me really angry how he could go around impregnating women and leaving them to raise his children while he got off Scott-free. I know this anger is probably arising from my own birth mother's situation. I have no idea who my birth father was but my mother was alone with me so clearly it appears he was someone who didn't care after he got what he wanted from her.

"Are you ok son?" Ray asks as he is watching me closely.

I shake my head and my hands ball into fists at my side, "It just makes me angry Ray, a man has a responsibility to the children he fathers. If he doesn't want that responsibility then he should ensure that accidents don't happen, or if they do he should stand up and be held accountable for them".

Ana stands up and walks over to me, I realise I am now pacing and I stop as she wraps her arms around me.

"It's ok, look at me Christian" she says gently and I take a deep breath and look down at Ana who is smiling up at me.

"It's ok, from everything I have heard about Frank I really think I dodged a bullet. I can't speak for Eva but I know for a fact I grew up with the best dad in the world and my dad is worth a million of Frank". She pauses and glances at Ray who just looks embarrassed.

Eva stands up and walks over to us and she is nodding her head. "I agree, my dad is and always will be that guy right there" she says as she points to Victor who is grinning proudly at her. "Frank Lambert is nothing to me, as I clearly stated in that press release we did. The only positive thing out of everything that Frank did is that I now have a whole new family. I have my baby sister and my brother in law and what's not to like about that?"

I start to relax slightly and I nod in agreement, "I apologise for my outburst but it is a subject which was a little too close to home" I mutter.

Arnie looks at me with compassion, "I've read a little about you, when Ray told me Annie had fallen for a billionaire and was marrying him, I looked you up to see if I needed to call the guys together and pay you a visit".

I feel my eyes widen in surprise at that and then I remember Ray's attitude towards me when I first got with Ana. I knew full well he didn't like me at the beginning and I can imagine that he would air those concerns to his friends if the topic was brought up and with the media attention at that time, I am certain it was probably brought up more than once. I feel a sense of comfort that Ana had this silent invisible wall of protection surrounding her and looking out for her.

"I had no idea" Ana says quietly.

Arnie smiles affectionately at her, "Your dad was a popular guy and he had a lot of friends and those friends watched you grow up. How do you think he got the money together so quickly to fetch you back from Texas? When he told us what was happening we all wanted you out of there and I offered to fly him down to Texas and bring you back himself, but Ray said if he did that he couldn't be sure that he would be able to control himself and his priority was being there for you. If he did something stupid and ended up in prison as a result, where would that leave you? So, we did the next best thing and made sure you had the means to escape and when he decided to fight your mom for custody of you, I told him that I would help him out with the legal costs but as it turned out the lawyer he found did it for free".

I inwardly smile at that, as the lawyer he found turned out to be my father.

Arnie pauses and looks at me, "So, when Ray told us about you, I did a little research. I read that you were adopted at a young age by the Grey Family and with your reaction a moment ago, I'm guessing your birth mom put you up for adoption after being abandoned by your dad?" he asks.

I feel myself stiffen and Ana increases her hold on me and tries to calm me down by gently rubbing my back.

"My biological mother died of an overdose, I was four years old" I say stiffly.

Arnie's eyes widen and he is immediately full of apologies, but I shake my head and hold my hand up to stop him. "There is no need to apologise, my mother was an addict and she sold her body for the drugs she craved so there is no telling who my sperm donor could be. My parents are Grace and Carrick Grey, they adopted me and gave me a loving and stable home, ergo they are my parents".

I feel my phone buzzing in my pocket, "Excuse me" I mutter as I pull it out and look at it. I frown slightly as I see it is a text from Elliot.

Hey Bro, just got back from Hawaii. A quick heads up, Kate has now seen the press conference, warn Ana because she's on the warpath! Bye for now E

I quickly text him back thanking him for the warning and I look up at Ana, "That was Elliot, it appears he and Kate are home from their vacation and Kate is now aware of the situation. I am certain you will be hearing from her soon". I say.

Ana rolls her eyes and immediately pulls out her phone and switches it off. "There, I'll deal with Kate when I'm ready" she says.

"Who is Kate?" Eva asks and Ana smiles.

"Kate is my sister in law, she married Christian's brother Elliot, but we have known each other for years. We met at college and shared an apartment; the thing is she is also a reporter and it makes her… shall we say tenacious…"

"That's the polite term, but I could think of other ways to describe her," I mutter, "sorry baby, I didn't mean to interrupt" I add.

Ana shakes her head, "Sadly Christian is right, she can be a royal pain in the ass sometimes and if she thinks she has been left out of the loop on this she is going to be unbearable".

Eva frowns, "Well I'm sorry but how is it any of her business? I mean, yes she is your friend and yes she is your sister in law but that doesn't give her the right to invade your life and it doesn't mean you have to inform her of everything that happens in it".

Ana laughs, "Sadly Kate doesn't see it that way" she says a little bitterly. "I have an awful feeling she is probably going to hate you on sight as well, as Kate is very protective towards me and she looks upon me as her little sister, so I fear she really isn't going to take the news that I have a biological sister at all well".

Eva folds her arms, "Sounds like a friend you could do without" she says bluntly.

I grin at her, as it is a thought I have always had about Kate. "I couldn't have put it better myself" I say before I can stop myself.

Eva looks at me questioningly, and I take this opportunity to voice everything I have ever thought about Kate. "Let's just say Kate wasn't overly thrilled when I started seeing Ana. She behaved like a child who'd had its toy taken away. I was always under the impression she used Ana to take care of her as domesticity isn't and never has been a strong suit of Kate's. She cannot cook and I know for a fact the only time Elliot gets a home cooked meal is when they have dinner with us or our parents. She was and still is a spoilt entitled brat. When it became apparent that Ana would no longer be around to cook and clean for her she tried her hardest to split us up, by trying to undermine our relationship".

"How did she do that?" Gideon asks.

Before I can reply Ana speaks up, "She knew that Christian had concerns about my safety and worried about me when I went out anywhere, she didn't understand why he was like that and she always tried her hardest to provoke him by changing plans and when we were out she'd try and make me stay out longer than I had planned as she knew it would upset Christian. She called him derogatory names to me and she always dismissed his worries as him trying to control me. She told me that I should stand up to him and she made me feel as though I was being weak for considering his feelings," she says.

I am shocked as I never expected Ana to say all that. I fully admit that I was trying to control her at the start but Ana very quickly put her foot down about that and we'd had 'that talk' and come to an agreement of how we would move forward. Then I remember that whilst our relationship has strengthened and grown and I'm not the controlling asshole I once was, Kate still takes every possible opportunity to try and insinuate that I am and so as a result Ana has clearly seen Kate for what she really is.

"I sometimes wonder how Elliot puts up with her" Ana says sadly and I realise that Kate Kavanagh-Grey has clearly upset my wife at some point for her to be this negative about her once close friend.

"Baby, what has she done?" I ask warily.

"It doesn't matter" Ana says with a shake of her head.

I know better than to push it, but once we are alone, I am going to find out what she means by that.

"Ok baby" I say gently.

I see a wicked glint appear in Eva's eyes and she turns towards Gideon, "I think after careful consideration, when we leave San Diego I think we should return with Ana and Christian to Seattle and I should meet Kate, what do you think Ace?" she says.

Gideon grins at her, "Whatever you say dear" he says sarcastically which makes everyone in the room including myself and Ana laugh loudly.

"If you are returning to Seattle with us, I'd like you both to meet my parents. I know Grace and Carrick are looking forward to meeting you at some point" I say carefully and Gideon nods.

"Yes, if only Kate could be like Grace and Carrick. All they have done is quietly offer their support and said that they are there if we need them" Ana says and once again I am detecting the hint of bitterness in her tone. I know that she was touched when mom text her after the press release and said that if she needed her to just call, but that's my mom all over. She didn't intrude she just quietly let Ana know she had her support.

"Family is certainly a strange thing" Arnie says suddenly and we all look at him. I am surprised by this odd comment and how he almost sounded sad as he said it.

"Indeed it is" Gideon replies knowingly.

Eva immediately wraps her arms around him and rests her head against him and I see him respond by simply holding her tightly.

"Did you ever find your sister Uncle Arnie?" Ana asks carefully and Arnie shakes his head. I look up in surprise and realise that this must be the reason behind the comment he has just made.

"No, she just disappeared off the face of the earth when Liam died. I tried, I used all the resources I had available in the military to try and track her down but you have to remember this was twenty odd years ago, maybe more and things were not as sophisticated as they are now. I even uploaded my DNA and details to that company who brought you and Eva together to see if they could trace her, but even they hit a brick wall. As time goes on, I have to accept that she just doesn't want to be found," he says sadly.

"What happened, if you don't mind me asking?" I ask as I am curious to know more about this.

Arnie smiles, but I can see the pain in his eyes. "I don't mind. I have… had… have a little sister, she is 7 years younger than me. She was the baby of the family. There were four of us altogether, I have an older brother Hal and then there was my sister Evette but sadly she died a few years ago". He pauses and I offer my condolences.

"Sorry for your loss" I mutter and he smiles kindly at me.

"Thank you, she died of cancer and I think after Ella being gone for so many years, losing Evette was the last straw for our mother and she died shortly afterwards. Anyway, Ella was the baby and she took up with Liam and married him".

All I can hear is a buzzing noise in my ears, his sister was called Ella. Ana notices my reaction and she grips me tightly.

"It's ok, Christian look at me it's ok" she says.

"Christian are you alright son?" Ray asks and I nod.

"I'm sorry, it is clearly a coincidence but my birth mothers name was Ella" I say as I try and pull myself together. "I could ask my team to look into this?" I add as I quickly dismiss the thoughts of my birth mother and I glance at Gideon. "Angus might be useful to get on board as well, as he found Frank in record time and he was pretending to be dead" I say and Gideon nods.

"If we can help you in any way just say the word" Gideon says.

Arnie smiles, "Thank you, that's very kind of you both. It's been so long now though, if she didn't want to be found I do wonder what her reaction would be if we tracked her down. But I will certainly think about it as I do often wonder what happened to her and Alex".

"Alex?" I ask and he nods.

"Her son, Ella and Liam had a baby son who they called Alexander" he stops speaking and stares at me and it's as if the cogs are turning in his mind. "You say your birth mother was called Ella?" he begins and I nod.

"Do you remember anything about her?" Arnie is looking at me closely and almost as if he is searching for something, and before I can answer his question, he continues with another. "You were born in Detroit, weren't you?" he asks and I nod.

"I was" I say simply.

Arnie licks his lips and steps closer to me. "Now, this is a long shot… a real long shot and as you say it could very well be a complete coincidence that my sisters name is the same as your birth mother… and your name is… but…" he pauses and looks at me as if he is searching my face for something.

"The last known location of Ella was Detroit. She and Liam moved there after they got married". He pauses again, "Now it has been laid out for me, you look… familiar, I have no idea if it is my mind playing tricks on me and making up things which aren't there but you really do bear a striking resemblance to Liam. He had copper hair and grey eyes…" he stops as I shake my head, this is ridiculous. I feel my anxiety levels rising and Ana notices and wraps her arm around me to try and calm me. I automatically lean down and bury my nose in her hair and inhale deeply. The familiar apple scent fills my nose and it has the desired effect and calms me slightly.

Arnie hesitates for a moment and then reaches into his inside pocket; he pulls out his wallet and opens it. He pulls out a tatty photograph and after giving me a meaningful look he swallows hard and then offers it to me. "This is my sister Ella and Liam and their little boy Alex".

I frown wondering where this is going as I accept the photograph and glance at it. As I do my whole world feels as though it crashes around me as I cannot believe what I am seeing, in the picture is a young family standing in what looks like an orchard. A young man and a woman holding a small child. My breathing accelerates as I recognise the woman. As I look at her the vague memories of my mother fill my mind. This woman looks healthy and happy. I look at the man at her side, I see my grey eyes and my copper hair. My eyes fall on the child and realisation hits me; this is me and my name is Alex not Christian. I shake my head.

"No… no" I mutter and Ana grips me tightly as she realises what this means.

"Christian" she says but I feel myself spiralling out of control.

"No" I say and I lurch to my feet and throw the photo down, I grip my hair with my hands as I stare wildly around the room before throwing my hands in the air.

"FUCK THIS!" I yell. I have to get out. Ana tries to stop me as she holds on to my arm and repeatedly tells me that everything will be ok.

I vaguely hear Arnie and Ray both say my name but I can't do this, I can't respond.

I yank my arm away from Ana and storm out slamming the door behind me. I take several deep breaths and I realise what I have just done. I close my eyes and try and bring my roiling emotion under control.

"Sir?" I look up and see Taylor looking at me questioningly.

I hold up my hand, "I need to be alone" I mutter and he simply nods. "Taylor" I say as he steps away and he pauses and looks at me questioningly.

"Can you just check on Ana and tell her I'm sorry for the way I have behaved and that I'm going to our room" I say.

Taylor nods and walks towards the door; I need to think so I take myself up to our hotel room and throw myself on the bed.

oooOOOooo

(ANA)

I stare at the door that Christian has just crashed through and I feel tears filling my eyes. He is obviously hurting and all my instincts are telling me to go after him but I know that he needs time to process this unbelievable development and to do that he needs to be alone. I just hope he calls John and talks to him. I reach down for the photograph on the floor and pick it up and look at the little family in it. I recognise Ella immediately from the single photograph Christian has of her which is still pinned to the notice board in his childhood bedroom at his parents' house.

"That's definitely Christian's mother" I say to Arnie, "He has a photograph of her and this is the same woman" I say. I point at the family. "I am assuming this is Liam and this…" I pause and swallow hard at the well cared for and happy baby, "This is Christian?"

Arnie nods, "It is, although Christian was his middle name, well one of them. His full name was Alexander Christian Edwin Banks. That's why it never registered with me, well not until Christian mentioned about his mother. That was when I started putting it all together and I really looked at him and as you can see he is the image of his father, although now I know I do see glimpses of Ella in him too". Arnie pauses and he wipes a tear from his eyes before continuing.

"Ella was still in school, she was in her final year, a senior when she met Liam Banks, he was a year older than her and had graduated the previous year. She had just graduated when she discovered that she was pregnant. Liam was fantastic about it and wanted to marry her right there and then. Ella hesitated though and said she needed time. Liam went along with her wishes and after the baby was born Ella agreed to marry him, they moved to Detroit as Liam had managed to get a job there and everything was looking rosy for them. Then the next thing we heard Liam had been killed in a car accident. He'd been travelling home from work and he'd been hit by a car which had spun out of control after bursting its tyre. A complete freak accident. Hal went to Detroit to fetch Ella home but she refused to come. She said she would be fine, she was grieving and not thinking straight. I told Hal he should've insisted and brought her back to Ohio by force if necessary. I got some leave and I flew out to Detroit myself to try and talk some sense into her but discovered she'd been evicted from the address where she was living, I searched the city but it was as if she had disappeared into thin air. Hal and I have been searching for her ever since".

What a sad story, and nothing like the one Christian had assumed was his background. I hope when he calms down and Arnie has chance to tell him this, he will take the positives from it and see that where he came from wasn't as bad as he'd thought. He was loved and cared for by two parents who loved him dearly but due to bad luck and circumstances everything had unravelled and Ella had found herself in the dire situation she did. I do wonder why Ella hadn't taken the opportunity to come home and I look up at Arnie and voice that question.

"I wonder why Ella didn't take the opportunity to come home?" I ask.

Arnie shrugs, "I have no idea, the only thing I can assume is she was grieving for Liam and just not thinking clearly".

"Is Liam buried in Detroit?" I ask and Arnie nods, "Yes we all helped out with the cost of the funeral and he has a marked plot in the cemetery, that was our focal point over the years and we did think the worst when it was clear the grave was unattended. I think that is probably why she got evicted from where she was living, I think she'd spent what money she had along with the money we sent her on his funeral and headstone and then couldn't meet the rent".

"Ella is too, buried in Detroit that is. Christian and I go to visit her grave regularly. It took him a long time to come to terms with his past and to forgive her" I say.

"Forgive her?" Arnie asks and I shake my head.

"I can't tell you, it's not my story to tell. Christian needs to be the one to tell you what happened, but all I will say is he lived through hell up to the point where he was found at his dead mothers' side and it left a lot of emotional scars".

I look up to see the door opening and Taylor stands there. He clears his throat and looks at me sympathetically.

"Mrs Grey, Mr Grey has asked me to tell you that he is sorry for the way he behaved and he has gone to your hotel room to be alone".

"Thank you Jason" I say kindly.

I watch Jason leave and wonder what I am going to do now. "Well, this has turned out to be more eventful than I anticipated" I say wryly.

"I'm sorry, but I had to find out if my suspicions were right after what was said" Arnie says sadly.

I walk over to him and hug him. "Don't, Christian will get over it. He always reacts like this when something happens that is out of his control. He reacts then he calms down and thinks about things. He'll be mortified by the way he behaved, but he'll come around and we all need to support him when he's ready ".

I look around and everyone is nodding. I notice that Gideon is missing and I wonder where he has gone.

"Where's Gideon?" I ask Eva and she looks around in surprise.

"I have no idea; he was here a moment ago" she says.

"He left shortly after Jason went" Victor says.

I look at Eva and from the expression on her face it appears she is thinking the same thing I am, that he has gone to see Christian.