CHAPTER 75

(CHRISTIAN)

"So… this might seem like an obvious question, but what happens now?"

I and everyone else turn towards Ireland who is standing with Christopher. He has his arm around her and there was an uncomfortable silence which had descended on everyone after the authorities had come into the room and taken Elizabeth away for questioning. She had gone quieter than she had arrived. Not a word of protest leaving her mouth. That silence has now been broken with a question which I think everyone has been silently asking but which Ireland has just voiced.

"I… I think you all need to sit down and talk. Try and make sense of everything" Martha says carefully. She looks around the room her gaze resting on Gideon.

"You in particular have so much to be resentful for… I am guessing that you have been working through it already with this lovely lady," she pauses and waves her hand towards Caroline. "But after the events of today, I think you all really need to sit down and process this together. After all you are siblings whether you want to be or not and so much has happened between you all. You've all looked upon each other as the enemy for so many years because of the lies you have been fed by the real enemy, and the fact the real enemy were the very people you should've been able to unquestionably trust makes it even worse… and I hold my hands up for my part in that, as I could've done more… much more".

Ryan immediately shakes his head adamantly, "NO! Don't beat yourself up about this mom. You were the only one who told me the truth! Don't beat yourself up about what you did. My father was a monster and you were in survival mode, you did what you had to do to survive. I don't blame you for what you did, he used us both in different ways".

Martha smiles at him and places her hand affectionately on his cheek, "You are a good boy, but I don't deserve the title of mom as I let you down as much as Elizabeth did" she says quietly and I watch Ryan swallow hard and wrap his arms tightly around Martha assuring her that she is his mother and the only mother he needs. At which Martha bursts into tears at Ryan's words and weeps openly on his shoulder. After a moment she pulls away, and looks at Gideon again.

"Talk, this is a golden opportunity for all of you, to try and right the wrongs of the past" she says simply.

I watch as Gideon looks at Ryan and nods, "I'm up for that" he replies and Ryan acknowledges that with a nod of his own, before carefully taking a step forward, he clearly has something he wants to say.

"I do have one question?" he asks carefully.

"Go on" Gideon says simply.

"That guy… Chris? Now, I know that he is Ireland and Christophers father – and your step dad, but what the fuck is his problem? Surely after seeing what his wife is really like, he should be standing beside you and supporting you".

Eva lets out a derisive snort, "You'd think so, but no" she says.

"But why? It was almost like he blames you for getting the truth out" Ryan asks.

Gideon sighs, "To be honest with you, I am not entirely sure. My best guess is he is feeling more than a little bit stupid for believing my mother for all these years. He loved her and believed every word she told him. When I was a child, he believed my mother's assertions that I was just a naughty boy when I acted out when in actual fact I was a traumatised grieving child. He believed her when she denied my claims that I had been abused, he has stood by her side and supported her. He knew I came as part of the package when he got with my mother, but I think deep down he resented that fact. He just didn't want the responsibility, he didn't want to look at another man's child every day, which is possibly a reason why he solidified the relationship with our mother and then Christopher and Ireland came along so quickly... relatively speaking. Yes, he left her when it all came out about her being complicit in the Ponzi Scheme, and he has distanced himself from her and the inevitable fall out of that, but I am assuming that he still believed deep down that she was innocent and that when all what he saw as the misunderstanding was cleared up he would then quietly return to her. Now that it has been brutally pointed out to him exactly what she is like he realises that is no longer an option for him and so he is lashing out. He needs someone to blame for his gullibility and blind spot where our mother is concerned and I am the easiest target".

"Oh Gideon, you have been made a scapegoat for everyone over the years" Ana says sadly.

Gideon snorts and shrugs "Tell me about it" he says.

"Well, it's not fair and I say no more" Ana persists and she walks up to him and wraps her arms around him and hugs him tightly.

Gideon smiles as he returns the hug but doesn't say anything.

"If I could put my two cents in?"

We all turn and look questioningly at Victor, who has been standing talking quietly with Caroline. He steps forward and takes a deep breath.

"As Martha has suggested I think you guys should all sit down and talk things out, but I also think you should reach out to Chris as he is clearly hurting right now".

He holds up his hand as Eva, Ireland and Christopher simultaneously let out a protest at that, "Hear me out" he says simply and everyone quietens again. "I don't condone his behaviour, he should not have behaved the way he did but I think he knows he's wrong and he's spent all his life believing and standing beside your mom so he has no idea how to change things and make things right, so he is lashing out to cover up his guilt and the anger he is feeling at himself that he has been lied to and duped for so many years. So, you need to be the bigger person and open a door for him to walk through".

There is a silence as everyone thinks about that, "We could start that process for you" Ana says eventually, looking up at Gideon questioningly. "Christian and I aren't really involved in this". She pauses and gestures between Ryan, Christopher, Ireland and Gideon. "So, while you are processing and talking things out together, Christian and I could go and find Chris and talk to him… if you want us to?" she turns to look at me and I immediately nod my head in agreement.

"I agree" I say, and I gently pull Ana from Gideon's arms as I say so. I wrap my arm around Ana and pull her close pressing a kiss to her head and then I automatically bury my nose in her hair and inhale the rich apple scent of her shampoo.

Eva grins at Ana and nods her head, "Yeah that sounds like a brilliant idea… plus you need to talk to Christian about that other stuff that we talked about briefly – you need to tell him," she says looking at Ana knowingly.

"What stuff?" I ask immediately on alert, wondering what is wrong.

Ana shakes her head, "That isn't important right now. She is irrelevant" she says simply.

"Who?" Gideon asks stepping forward.

Ana gives Eva an exasperated look and shakes her head.

"Seriously sis can't you keep your damn mouth shut!?" Ana says.

Eva grins again. "Yeah, but I choose not to. The way I see it – because I know what you are like, is that you will bury it and try and deal with it alone because you think that your issues are unimportant compared to the bigger picture, but look around you Ana the bigger picture is being dealt with. Elizabeth has gone – even if the statute of limitations to press criminal charges against her have expired, there is still the civil cases hanging over her and with the evidence we have gathered along with everything that Martha has handed over and her testimony she will be stripped bare. Gideon and Ryan have buried the hatchet – and not in each other, and right now they are going to sit down with Caroline, Ireland and Christopher and process the hell out of all this shit so hopefully they can all come out of it reasonably healthily. Admittedly you and Christian are going to seek out Chris and try and make him see sense but you also need to make Christian aware of how that bitch is rattling cages again. I don't want her causing us or El and Meg any problems… I don't want her to become the next bigger picture".

"Ana?" I ask as I realise immediately who Eva is referring to.

Ana sighs and waves her hand in the air. "Fine! Kate called me" she blurts out, confirming my suspicions.

"When?" I ask and I look up at Taylor who meets my knowing look and then immediately starts tapping on his phone.

Ana sighs, "Just before we flew out, she called me a couple of times and I obviously ignored her and she has left a number of voicemails and texts saying she wants to build bridges and that she is sorry. I was going to tell you, but I was going to wait until we returned to Seattle, as there is nothing we can do and I have no intention of responding to her".

I nod understanding her reasoning, "I get that baby, but you still should've told me" I say.

"Well, you know now thanks to my sister opening her big mouth" Ana says irritably giving Eva a glare, to which Eva just grins wider, before sniggering and blowing a cheeky kiss at Ana.

I think for a moment, Ana is right as there is nothing we can do at present and the focus of our attention should be on the current situation we are in.

"Ok, well I'm aware now which is the main thing. Now we set Kate aside and focus on the task we have right now - which is Chris. We will head off now and go to try and find him. Any idea where he might be?" I ask.

"My best guess is he would be at Vidal Records. Hiding in his office and licking his wounds" Christopher replies.

"Mr Vidal is correct sir" Taylor says a moment later and I look up at him.

"How do you know that?" I ask.

Taylor glances at Angus and shrugs, "I have my ways" he says evasively which I know roughly translates to 'Probably best you don't know'. "Also, I've made Welch aware of the situation with Miss Kavanagh, so he can start looking into it".

"Thank you, Taylor" I say. I return my attention back to Ana and hold out my hand, "Shall we go then baby?" I ask and she immediately slips her small hand into mine and nods.

"Wait!" Gideon says as we move towards the door and we both stop and look round.

"Thank you" he says simply and I just grin at him before leaving.

(GIDEON)

I watch as the door closes and I can't help but wonder what kind of reception Chris will give to Christian and Ana when they show up at his office. I hope that he doesn't refuse to speak to them, but that is a very real possibility. Taylor has gone with Christian and Ana but Angus and Raul are still here. I look up at Angus, the only real father figure I had in my life as I was growing up and he smiles kindly at me.

"Sit yourself down lad and get all this hashed out once and for all" he says simply.

I nod and reaching for a chair I sit down. Everyone seems to follow my lead and all gather around with chairs. "I'll leave you to it" Victor says carefully and Eva immediately stands and hugs her father.

"Thanks for being here dad" she whispers and he mutters something in her ear which I don't quite catch. I nod at him and we share a look which silently speaks volumes and I realise with a jolt that I now have someone else in my life I can count on. As well as Angus I also now have in Victor the father figure that I have always craved. Victor quietly leaves with Raul at his side but Angus remains in the room watching quietly from the corner.

"So… as Ireland previously said, what happens now?" I ask.

"If I may" Caroline interjects and all eyes turn towards her.

"Upon hearing everything that your mother… Elizabeth was involved in what are your feelings towards her now?" she asks generally looking at each of us in turn.

There is a silence as everyone thinks about that question but I just shrug. "I am sadly not all that surprised. The levels of depravity were quite shocking but the fact she was involved and willingly participated does not surprise me and I'm not as shocked about that as I suppose I should be" I say. I think some more about it, "I think I am more upset… no, not upset… more… unsettled by the revelations about my father. Yes I know he was a criminal, I know he stole money from people to make himself rich and in the process destroyed the Cross name which I have spent all my adult life trying to restore honour and levels of respect to. But to me, he was my dad… he taught me to ride a bike and to sign my name. I was unaware of his activities and I was very young when he died and what I have learnt as I grew up should've prepared me for these revelations about him… but… it still came as a shock that he was just as bad as my mother".

Caroline nods, "Would it be fair to say, that could be because you didn't witness anything negative about your father in the short time he was in your life, whereas your view of your mother has been coloured by her behaviour as she was your primary guardian and carer your entire childhood?"

I snort, "I would hardly call the way she raised me as caring. I wasn't wanted, she made that fact abundantly clear" I say.

Caroline nods, "Exactly, but you have fond memories of your father. He showed you attention and affection, and you remember that positively so therefore it is natural that you hang on to that and it is more of a shock to you when you hear evidence that contradicts that memory you have of him".

Ryan nods, "I agree with that, my father was my hero. I adored him, so when you came with the recording the other day and made me see that I had been manipulated by him all my life. Lied to by a man who was nothing like the person I believed him to be… well that hurt, badly. I was looking forward to today to see Elizabeth's reaction to everything that was said to see if she could possibly restore the view I held of my father, but all she did was confirm everything. For me that was cathartic as now I know the full truth… but it also leaves me feeling incredibly guilty for the way I have treated you all my life," he pauses and looks at me.

I wave my hand, "You have no reason to feel guilt, you naturally believed what your parent, the person you loved told you. You are supposed to believe what your parents tell you".

"For me… I wanted mom to say something or do something which would prove Martha wrong. I was upset and I was hoping that she would say something to put everything right. But on the other hand, I think I also knew deep down that it was true… the way she has treated Gideon, since everything came out. She tried to poison Christopher and I against him when we started to get close, when he told us about… the abuse. It was almost as if she was scared that we would see the real her and she didn't want us to lose the perception we had of her. She didn't want to lose us, but now I think it was more the fact she didn't want to lose dad because as soon as he made it clear he believed her over Gideon she dropped us like a hot brick and didn't care anymore what we thought," Ireland says and her hurt tone makes me feel incredibly guilty.

I nod in agreement and then try and make her feel better by trying to explain our mother from my perspective, "That sounds like our mother" I say bitterly. "Her primary concern is herself, but she also needs to have a man in tow, so the thought of losing Chris would be more of a wrench to her than losing her own children as it is obvious she has no real maternal feelings. Chris unquestionably believed the lies and the picture of herself that she portrayed. He believed what she wanted him to know, so when another version of her life came to light she naturally fought against it to prevent him from knowing about it, even if that meant cutting her children loose in the process".

Christopher nods, "I agree, she made a show of being concerned at the gala when I was shot, but she soon vanished when Ireland laid into her. She couldn't get out of there quick enough because she didn't want dad to hear the truth about what she was really like… and hearing it from Ireland would've made him at least question what he knew… you would've thought?" he looks questioningly at Caroline who sighs and puts down her pen.

"I agree. From everything you have all told me, and from what I have heard I suspect Elizabeth has a number of issues going on but looking at her behaviour objectively it appears she takes pleasure in manipulating men, would you say that was a fair assumption to make?"

Eva nods adamantly, "Yes I would. She manipulated Eric Landon and Geoffrey Cross, stringing them both along in college and almost playing them off against each other. Then she made a point of choosing Geoff and cutting loose Eric… I think she did that because he had a semblance of control over her with regard to the pregnancy. She was going to abort, but he persuaded her not to. Her greed and love of money made her accept the deal he offered, but he also had taken that control from her, so the only way she could get back at him was to effectively cut him off… Martha said she stopped servicing him, that was her way of taking back the control and she raised the stakes when she got with Geoff… in a way I think she was punishing him for making her go through with the pregnancy. Then when the Ponzi Scheme was exposed, she was once again on the back foot, not in control. She dropped Geoff and threw him under the bus by pleading ignorance when in reality she was just as culpable and she rebooted her life to cut out all trace of the one she had with him" she pauses and looks at me.

"Except for me… she couldn't cut me out, she couldn't erase me, so I in a way held that control over her so she seized it back by denying the abuse. She got her revenge on me for having that control over her" I say as everything Eva is saying is making sense.

"That's sick" Ireland says and she shakes her head, "But when you look at it, that is exactly how it looks.

Ryan nods, "And as mom said, she was the female equivalent of my father and Geoff, so my dad was then trying to regain his control at the same time and used me as a weapon to do so, by feeding me lies about what happened… which I was stupid enough to believe, that added to my jealousy that Elizabeth was also my mother who had effectively abandoned me without thought, and it made me stop at nothing to get my revenge on you".

I shake my head sadly at Ryan, "You weren't stupid Ryan, you were human. We have established that you are supposed to believe your parents. I suppose that with my experiences I am more jaded and cynical in that respect but… actually no I'm not, as I have always had total faith in Angus". I pause and look across at Angus who raises his head at hearing his name mentioned. "Angus was the closest thing I had to a father growing up and to this day, I rely, believe and trust him one hundred per cent".

Angus smiles affectionately at me but doesn't say anything and I feel Eva reach for me and squeeze my hand.

"I think what we all have to come to terms with is none of what has happened is our fault. It was all set in place by others and the sooner we accept that fact, the sooner we will all start to heal" Christopher says. He looks at Ryan, "I have forgiven you for shooting me Ryan".

Ryan gives him a weak smile, "I appreciate that, thank you Christopher and you are right, I can see now how my actions over the years caused the chain of events. That was because Cross Industries and Gideon were much more powerful than me… and I think that fed my jealousy and I wanted what you had. When I planted the mole, it was inevitable that you would find out and use that to your advantage and you did as you had stopped all my previous attempts at damaging you". He pauses, takes a deep breath and then looks at me. "I am going to plead guilty to all the charges, so there will be no trial. I will take whatever jail time they give me to atone for my part in everything that has happened".

We all stare at Ryan in shock. "If you are prepared to do that, then I'll talk to Arash about reducing the charges" I say and I am surprised when Ryan shakes his head.

"No, I deserve everything I am going to get" he says.

I snort rudely, "Don't be a martyr Ryan, you have no idea what Arash is working on. He is working on getting the book thrown at you and that is down to my thirst for revenge. A revenge which no longer seems necessary" I say.

"This is good" Ireland says, looking at each of us in turn, communication, co-operation and compromise is the key for all relationships no matter what they are, you have both communicated why you did what you did. You have admitted your guilt and now you are compromising. Ryan is going to take his medicine for what he did, and Gideon is prepared to drop some of the charges which he admits he is trying to get to stick due to his need for revenge… a need he no longer has".

Caroline looks at Ireland and smiles, "Have you ever considered a career in the Mental Health field Ireland?" she says, "I couldn't have put that better myself".