Julian walked into his office and was only partly surprised to find Liz sitting at his desk. She was rifling through his papers and didn’t stop even after she noticed Julian looking at her.
 

“Let me guess, looking for the reason why I married Becca instead of pursuing my relationship with Eve, am I right?” he said, straightening some papers Liz has callously thrown to one side.

“Of course Julian. Why else would I come to see you? You don’t actually think I would come here for a social call do you?”

“Do me a favor and fire the security guard on this floor on your way out since you already seem to think you own this place,” Julian said as he motioned her towards the door.

“Owning this place? Not a bad idea,” Liz said as she sat back in the chair. “But I’ll save that ambition for another day. I’m here to offer you a little business wager. You begin funding the Blue Note, I forget that you’re hiding some deep dark secret that most likely would lead to you to your death should someone actually find out. And I forget you are cheating on your adoring wife with my whore of a sister.”

“Nice try Liz, but please remember I happen to have the inside on a nice little secret you happen to be keeping, namely that you are in fact Eve’s dear darling sister and were sleeping with TC before the ‘deep dark secret’ of my and her past even came out. You don’t hold any more over my head than I do over yours. No deal”

“That’s too bad Julian because I’m sure Rebecca happens to have an inside as to why you are with her since I’m sure she had to persuade you more than a little to marry her after Eve was free and I’m sure she would be more than willing to share once I tell her you are still sleeping with Eve and I want to bring her down as much as she does.”

“Haven’t you done enough Liz? Eve has lost her husband and both her daughters because of you. Isn’t that enough? I guess it’s not is it? You can’t handle it can you? You can’t handle that not only does TC still love her and you are sloppy seconds, you can’t handle that I love her and that means two men love her still even after all the ‘horrible’ things she’s supposedly done and no one loves you. You are so consumed by your jealousy still even after you’ve gotten everything you wanted you couldn’t let her be. Well it doesn’t matter Liz. Bring Becca into your manipulations. Try to destroy Eve and me. It doesn’t matter. Your hatred will not go away. I will still love her. TC will still love her. Deep down Simone and Whitney will still love her and you will still be what you are. A spiteful, evil, manipulating witch with no one and nothing because you threw it all away in your relentless pursuit of a dream.”

“Shut up Julian! You are going to pay. You and my evil sister are both going to pay. I don’t care if I have to burn all of Harmony to the ground to do it, I will see you both hanged.”

With that, Liz pushed past Julian and out the door. Julian sighed as he watched his papers fly from his desk. Part of him was horrified that Liz would actually go to Rebecca in spite of everything and part of him actually wanted her to. This horrible secret was tearing him apart. He wanted it out, but that would mean losing everything. Or would it?

Eve already knew. Eve knew his horrible secret and still loved him in spite of it. He remembered the day he had told her. Her entire world had been torn apart and instead of being able to comfort her like he longed to, he was planning his wedding to Rebecca. A wedding he had never wanted. He had gone to Eve. Gone because his guilt and his pain were eating him up inside. Gone because he wanted to set her free, to give her a reason why they couldn’t be together, to let her know he still loved her desperately.

She had been crying when she came to the door. Crying because she was alone. Whitney hadn’t called in weeks. Simone refused to speak to her and TC only called to yell at her. He took her in his arms for what he was sure would be the last time.

“Oh Julian, thank God! I had thought I had lost you too. Thought you had forgotten me and loved Rebecca.”

“Never my love. I will always only love you,” he said, holding her tightly.

“Then why are you still marrying Rebecca? If you love me, why marry her? I don’t expect you to just drop your life to be with me, especially since I made you wait for so long and probably would never have been with you if TC hadn’t left, but why? I know you don’t love her.”

“I have something to tell you Eve and after I tell you, I am sure you will never want to see me again. You will never love me again. But I had to tell you because it isn’t fair to you to think I don’t love you. I do. With all my heart Eve, I do.”

So he told her. He told her everything. About how his father was so determined to keep Luis and Sheridan apart he ordered Julian to kill them. Told her how he hadn’t really fought it, but was consumed with guilt once he thought he had succeeded. Told of how relieved he was when she appeared alive and well back in Harmony but how he couldn’t show it for fear of his father. Told her it all. And Eve sat silently taking it all in. When he stopped to look at her, she was crying.

“Your own sister Julian, how could you! Poor Sheridan. Her own father wanting her dead, her own brother making it so, or at least trying to. I don’t understand. How could you!”

Julian had left then. He knew it was over. He knew how horrible he must have looked in her eyes. He knew he would never see her again. So an hour later, when a knock came at his door he was completely surprised to see it was Eve.

“Julian, as much as I hate that you tried to kill your own sister, I have seen a change in you into the man I loved so many years ago. I have seen you with Sheridan now and you are devoted. You would do anything for her and it’s obvious to everyone. Not saying that absolves you from trying to kill her in the first place, but you are making an effort. I know as well as anyone you do not cross Alistair Crane, even if he is your father. I just realized I had never stopped loving you. I’m not going to see you behind bars. You have to marry Rebecca. Keep her happy and from telling the truth. I love you Julian. I will never stop.”

That night they made up for the years of passion they had missed.

Julian was brought back to reality by the sound of his father’s voice on the intercom.
“Are you there Julian?”

“I’m here Father.”

“I just wanted to let you know that I heard what you and Dr. Eve’s sister were talking about and you had better keep your mouth shut about Sheridan. You do know what would happen if you ever even tried to say I ordered you to murder your sister.”

“Of course Father. I know you are not above killing your own children.”

“Good Julian. You are a loyal son.”

“I try Father.”

Kay sat exhausted on the couch. Tabitha’s potion for Cassie had worked for that night but the next morning Cassie had awoken with bright green spots all over her body. Kay had had to think quickly to come up with an excuse as to why Miguel couldn’t see her for the day. She had wracked her brains and finally did the last thing she would ever want to do…called Charity. She had told Charity that she wanted Miguel to take the day off and spend the time with her since it had been so long. Charity was so thankful Kay had almost puked at the sweetness in her voice. It took everything in her to not just to try to pass Cassie’s spots as marker but they had started to whistle and change color, so she didn’t think he would buy it. She was in a horrible mood that wasn’t helped by Jeremy’s laughter as Cassie’s spots began whistling the Star Spangled Banner.

“Tabitha you are never giving my daughter anything ever again to ‘fix’ her. Now I’ve basically handed Miguel back to Charity on a silver platter.”

“Tut tut Kay one date isn’t going to change months of seeing each other only on rare occasions.”

“I hope you’re right Tabitha, because Miguel still doesn’t love me even after having his baby, succeeding in keeping him and Charity apart and him spending so much time with me and Cassie. All he does is talk about Charity.”

“Surely that’s not all he talks about.”

“Pretty much. Charity and Cassie, his two best girls as he calls them. It makes me sick.”

“It makes me laugh,” Jeremy said as he entered the room carrying an amused Cassie whose spots had changed their tune into the Andy Griffith Theme. “Mom this is one of your best potions ever!”

Tabitha beamed at her son while Kay glared.

“Next time she makes a potion I’m making sure she tries it on you first Jeremy Lennox. Then we’ll see who’s laughing.”

“They won’t have the same effect on me you know Kay. I’m part Warlock, part Crane which makes me twice as bad,” he said with pride.

Kay snorted, “You wouldn’t know it by looking at you.”

“That’s because I’m dashingly good looking. No one could ever suspect how evil I am inside,” he said, flashing his perfect teeth in a bright grin.

“Whatever. Why don’t you go make yourself useful and go find a cure for Cassie’s spots.”

“Why, they’re so amusing!” Jeremy said, but headed for the bookshelf anyway when Cassie’s spots began whistling Jingle Bells. “It’s too early for Christmas songs,” he said as an explanation.

Kay shook her head and leaned back into the couch cushions.

“I don’t understand it Tabitha. We’ve combined both our powers and nothings worked on Miguel. At least not long term. What are we doing wrong?”

“Well, Kay, maybe Charity’s powers are stronger than we thought.”

“She doesn’t even know she has powers Tabitha. How could she use them to keep Miguel when she doesn’t even know she has them.”

“What I don’t understand is why you’re still chasing after Mr. Horse Whipped Fitz Gerald in the first place Kay. It just makes you look really pathetic,” Jeremy said as he passed through the living room looking for some mushroom oil for a potion.

Kay glared at Jeremy. “You don’t know anything about love Jeremy. I have loved Miguel my whole life. It doesn’t just go away. And now that we have a baby together I love him even more.”

“Love him or obsess over him?” Jeremy asked.

“Shut up Jeremy.”

“Alright you two,” Tabitha interrupted before it turned into a full blown insult war, “We’re trying to keep Charity and Miguel apart so she won’t come to her full powers.”

“You know you have been worried about that for years and it’s never happened, so just quit worrying. She’s so wrapped up in Miguel anyway I seriously doubt she would even realize that she has any powers once she gets them anyway. Too busy making swoony eyes at Miguel.”

Tabitha laughed but Kay wasn’t amused.

“Someday Jeremy. Someday I hope you fall in love with someone so badly you can’t even dream of not being near them all the time. And I hope they don’t even look at you so you’ll know what it’s like. Then you’ll know how I feel and why I have to have Miguel.”

“Fat chance of that Kay. I’m my own man. I’ll be the one doing the heart breaking, not having my heart broken,” he said and scooted off to the kitchen.

Tabitha watched as he walked out. “He’s something else isn’t he.”

“Sure is, “ answered Kay shaking her head.