"Hey Dad, you got a minute?" said Wyatt as he walked into Bills office.
Bill frowned at the intrusion but waved him in, "What's up?"
"Liam's moved back in to your place." At Bills shocked look he continued.
"I told him it was okay, I didn't think you'd kick him while he was this down, and believe me, he wasn't a happy camper when he called, he'd just walked out on Hope, and he says that this time it's for good. I told him to just put his stuff in his old room and we'd see him tonight, because of that business lunch you had organised."
"What happened?" asked Bill.
"No idea, I didn't ask, but I think we can both guess. I'm just surprised he didn't try to go to Steffy to wangle a room first. You know, use the kids as an excuse or something lame like that." Said Wyatt
"Oh god, not his waffling again, please no. I've got enough on my plate with-out having him pleading his case to Steffy every second day, especially after he just left that pasty faced, moralistic, hypocrite he was married to." Replied Bill as he rolled his eyes to the ceiling in exasperation.
"No!" said Wyatt suddenly as he looked at his father. "Don't you dare go there again! The last thing Steffy wants, or needs, is you two fighting over her, besides, we know the damage you caused last time! Don't you do it!"
At Bills frown Wyatt pointed his finger at him, "It's to late, isn't it? You've already gone and done something stupid – haven't you?"
Bill shrugged as his face reddened. "If you mean did I tell her how I felt about her then, yes, Wyatt, I did."
Wyatt's eyes narrowed, "and what did she say when you told her?"
Bill sighed heavily, "she told me I was wrong, and that it wasn't going to happen and that I needed to find a woman who I really loved, not just one who accepted me for who I am." He huffed loudly, "like that's gonna happen . . . looking back, I guess it wasn't one of my best ideas."
"Yah, think!" said an incredulous Wyatt
"Okay, Okay," snapped Bill in mock indignation, "Now that I've been put in my place, I think we should both forget about work for the day and go and see if Liam is alright or not."
"Can you put off your lunch? I know you've been waiting for this meeting all week." Asked Wyatt, he knew his father was looking forward to meeting Antonio Veroni, and had sent him several proposals to look at.
Bill nodded and thought for a moment before buzzing Connie, his secretary, over the intercom. "Connie, call Antonio Veron and tell him I have to cancel our lunch today, make sure he knows it's a family emergency, and try to reschedule it for as soon as possible, thanks, I'll be gone for the rest of the day. Tell Justin the company is in his hands for the day."
He looked at Wyatt and stood up, "C'mon, lets go and see how that idiot brother of yours is, I don't think he should be alone right now."
Wyatt walked to the door just ahead of Bill, pulling out his phone as he went,
"I'm just ordering some more of that nice scotch we had the other night. As the boy scouts say -Be Prepared." He quickly ordered another half dozen bottles of the Lark to be sent to the house immediately and then hung up.
Bill smiled as he heard the amount Wyatt was going to lavish on his brother, "Great, but it's going to cost you, you know."
Wyatt patted Bill on the back, "No such luck dad, I just told them to put it on your account." Said Wyatt with a grin as he sauntered away.
Bill stopped in surprise, his mouth opening and closing several times before he silently followed his now laughing son to the lifts.
Meanwhile, over at Marius and Cats . . .
Eleven o'clock, there plane had been in for two hours now, she thought, as a rising panic threatened to engulf her.
What if Beth is really my little girl, Bella? How do I tell Dad? And what will he do once he finds out?
She got up and paced a bit before going to the kitchen and making a fresh pot of coffee – not that she needed any more caffeine, she was wired as it was!
She jumped at a sharp knock at the door, thinking Marius must have left something behind she hurried over and opened it, only to find her father and Sebastion standing there.
"Caterina," said Sebastion smiling warmly, "Buongiorno Mia Cara"
Cat smiled at her brother, "In English Bastion, you're in America now."
Sebastion strode into the room and swept her into his arms, "English, sminglish, you are my sister, I'll talk to you in Swedish if I wish. Now give me a hug and tell us what you've been up to."
Cat gasped and looked over to her silent father as she slowly disentangled herself from her older brother.
"Father, please, come in, I've just put some coffee on if you'd like a cup?"
Antonion Veron walked into the room slowly, examining everything with his eyes as he went. Cat was always reminded of a wary animal scenting for danger anytime her father had visited her, and she'd always gotten the feeling he was somewhat disappointed in her by the time he left.
"So, this is where you are living now, and Marius, he is leasing this . . . home," he said as he leant down and picked up a sketchpad from the coffee table.
"Yes, he wasn't sure how long he'd be staying so he grabbed the lease while he could, besides, it's nice here."
At her fathers raised eyebrow she stumbled, "I know it's not where you'd live, but believe it or not, it suits both of us. I mean, things might change if either of us start dating, but at the moment we're both single, so it's all good."
"Caterina, I've come here for some answers, and not only about what Marius seems to have somehow got himself involved in. I want to know why you have kept away from Italy, from our home, and from me, for nearly five years. All I have gotten is a weeks visit here and there. You have finished school, you have your degree, I want you to come home and start working for the company."
Cat panicked, she stared at her father not knowing what to say, finally she settled on the truth. If the test came back negative, then so be it, but if it came back positive, then she was going to go straight to the police and demand custody of her daughter.
She took a deep breath, "Father, Bastion, I have something to tell you, and it's going to be a bit of a shock, so please, sit, and whatever you do don't interrupt because once I stop, I don't know if I'll ever be able to start again, okay."
Both men nodded and sat, Cat kept standing and began to tell them her story, about how a drunken one-night stand with another student who was visiting a friend at her school had resulted in her falling pregnant. She refused to look at either of them, in case her courage failed her, so picked up a small statue and gazed unseeingly at it as she then told them of her struggles in school, but how she'd persevered and passed her exams. Her voice broke as she recalled the fateful night she'd gone to the Island and had unexpectedly gone into labour and had lost her precious daughter.
She took a deep shuddering breath, almost overwhelmed by her emotions, as she haltingly told them that she'd eventually told Marius, and he'd recalled the story of Hope Logan, and realized that her stolen baby was born on the same night, in the same clinic, with the same Dr as Cats daughter, Bella. After putting two and two together he'd relayed his suspicions to her, and to be sure that the Dr hadn't lied, and that Beth was truly Hope and Liam Spencers daughter and not hers, both of them had travelled to L.A. to find out the truth.
She looked at her father in trepidation, "I took a position as a nanny for Beth, and before the incident at the Fashion Show I finally managed to get a sample of DNA from both Beth and Hope. I've sent them to a laboratory, the best in L.A, along with a sample of my own DNA. I'm just waiting for the results, which should be any day now, hopefully."
Sebastion was staring at her with horror, "Cat, you should have told us, we could have helped you! Who is the father, I will cut that piece of filth to dogmeat for doing this to you!"
"I won't tell you his name because he doesn't know, I never told him," Cat said fearfully. "As I said, it was a stupid one-time drunken fling," she turned to her still silent father, "I swear to you father, I've never done anything like that before, or since, we just kind of got caught up in the moment."
Her father took out his phone, "you should have told me Caterina, but there is still something I can do that may help us find out a little sooner who the child really belongs to. Now, who was the Doctor that delivered your baby?"
Cat quickly told him all the details she and Marius had about Doctor Reese Buckingham, including the prison he was in.
Her father got up and moved away to the window and quickly punched in a number, he immediately started barking orders as soon as it was answered, when he was finished, he put the phone back in his pocket and turned to his now terrified looking daughter.
"Don't fret Caterina, I'm merely sending someone to the prison for a quick visit, some threats will be made, including the fact that we are awaiting DNA test results, and that if Dr Buckingham has any hopes of surviving, then it might be best if he comes clean now, to both me, and to the authorities."
Cat jumped up and ran to her father, throwing herself in his arms. "I'm sorry, I know I should have told you, Marius tried to get me to tell both of you, he said I needed the support of all of my family, but I couldn't. I just felt so stupid, so ashamed, and I was so worried you'd hate me."
Sebastion stood as his father held a now sobbing Cat. He walked over and put a hand on her shoulder whilst giving his father a hard angry look.
"We would never think you stupid, or be ashamed of you Cat, we love you, and although I'm loathe to say it, Marius was right, you needed all of us, and we should have been there for you to help you carry this burden."
Cat sniffed and pulled away from her father, a small surprised smile playing on her lips, "you do know I'll have to tell Marius that you thought him right – don't you?"
"Ahh, you wound me sister, you know he'll never let me live that down, his smugness alone will be unbearable," he said grasping his heart melodramatically.
"Speaking of my erstwhile brother, has Marius got anything a little stronger than coffee in this place, or must we go in search of something more substantial, because I for one could do with a drink at the moment."
He turned to his father, "what do you say father?"
"Come, my meeting has been cancelled with Bill Spencer, but I would still like to see an investment property a client has, so what do you both say to an early bite?"
Cat nodded, "that sounds great, I'll just get my purse." She turned and moved over to a small table and grabbed her purse before re-joining them.
Unknown to Cat, as soon as she had turned her back Sebastion had given his father a quick questioning look.
His father had simply nodded and mouthed the word -Today!