~@~@ Fallen Ch.29

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“Eve?” Julian walked over to her cautiously , she had been dangerously quiet since T.C. had stormed out, still in fact staring at direction that her children took” What are you doing here?”

“I…” Eve finally turned form the doorway, and gasped at the sight, Julian looked at though he been the lone survivor of a car crash, bloody lip, scars framing his face, his body sagging from what she guessed were several beatings. “What happened to you?” She looked past him, to pose the question to Sheridan, only to the find the blond look only slightly better then her brother.” What happened to both of you?”

“I can answer that.” Sam stepped into the small room, motioned for them to follow him to his office, when they reached it he closed door, shutting out the gawking officers.” Apparently your daughters happened to them.”

“Jody and Simone, did this?” Eve asked as she moved closer to Julian and began inspecting his bruises.

“Well more accurately Simone did that.” Pointing to Julian, and gave a similar nod toward Sheridan.” Did you need medical supplies Eve?” At her nod, he motioned toward Luis, who left the room returning with a large first aid kit, that he handed to the doctor.” According to witness most of Jody’s blows were centered on Simone, and two gentlemen that we’re still holding downstairs.”

“So they were fighting with each other.” Eve stopped tending Julian hands, and dropped her head in disappointment, in her mind she knew that it was a strong possibility, and in fact the only thing she thought could be happening, between the two girls, but a small glimmer of hope, had begun forming in her chest with Whitney’s hesitant acceptance.

“I’m sorry to report that ‘fight’, is a gross understatement for what happened tonight.” Julian rubbed his shoulders, and winced at the pain. “It was like watching Wrestlepoolza, there were body slams, and hair pulling…”

Sheridan removes the ice pack Luis had handed her.” Chair shots.” She gives Eve a small smile.” Simone must know how to play tennis too, because she got a hell of an arm, and her aims a little off, but everything else was dead on.”

“This is wonderful, my life falls apart, and my children are trying to kill each other, I’m sure it could get worse I just can’t imagine how?”

“Well, let me clear up the confusion.” Sam takes a sit on the edge of his desk. “We’ve had several calls for back up, from practically every other security agency in town.” He removed a list of phone messages, and began dropping them on his desk.” Crane Security, Hospital Security, James Security, they patrolled several private neighborhoods, and the high school, the reporters have descended on Harmony in mass.”

Julian opens the bag holding his personal belongings and takes out the blinking cell phone.” Hello?” He gives an eye roll, and drops his head.” No just stop, it’s become obvious that this situation is beyond you, I‘ll simply have to trust the Harmony Police department. “ He closes the phone, and turns to look at Sam Bennett, for several years he had hated this man, Ethan’s true father, a man whose family he had helped his father destroy, and now the only man that could actually be capable of helping him protect his family.” Chief Bennett, I realize how ridiculous it is of me, to ask for help, after…”

“Years of treating me like some moron rent-a-cop that you just couldn’t get rid of.” Sam finished for the man. “Julian, I don’t like you, and you don’t like me, but I think it’s time we put aside any past assumptions we’ve made about each other, in order to make sure, that this… situation an mess free as possible, I think we could put aside our dislikes if for no other reason then to protect the innocents involved, like Jody, Simone, and Whitney.”

“Yes, we’ll need to work together.” Julian turns to look at Luis, and catches his eye, and motions above the door of the office. Luis moves toward the door, and at Julian’s prompting reached above the jamb, he pulls his hand back down, and reveals a microphone, at Sam insistent, he passes it along to his boss, who looks at Julian questioningly, who merely mouths. ‘Alistair.’

~~~

The atmosphere of the car was tense to say the least, although they maintained a united front, at the police station, Jody and Simone where still as close as their previous fist fight indicated. Separating quickly once they reached the parking lot and Simone went as far as to dust off Jody touch from her clothes. The move only made her oldest sister chuckle. The mood was so charged Kay was sure the sexual tension that she and Antonio were feeling was actually helping matters.

“So, did you guys have fun tonight?” Antonio asked as he paused at a stop light and lightly drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.

Kay and Simone glared at him from the back seat, Jody actually smiled.” You know truthfully I did.”

“Yeah I somehow, thought you would.” Antonio let his eyes return to the road, and barely keep the grin from surfacing.” And you Simone, you okay back there?”

“Just Peachy.”

Jody turned around in her seat, and looked back at the girl.” Put some pep in your step Tony, I think baby sister you could use some medical attention, or I guess in her guess helpful medical attention.” No one laughed, and she explained.” Helpful, because before it was ME a doctor beating her senseless.” She turned back, and laughed at her own joke, and found Tony, and even Kay snicker along with her, much to Simone disgust.” Oh come on, if can’t laugh at yourself, how are you ever going put this whole thing behind you, and trust me you should put it behind you.”

“And that’s what you’re going to do.” Simone sat and glared at the woman’s head.” You could just find your birth parents, one a town joke and the other the town’s biggest liar, and just move one, completely ignoring the fact that it makes you grandchild to one of the richest man in the world, and then it completely destroyed a family.” “You’re that self-evolved that it doesn’t bother you, that you and you only are the sole reason for the destruction of my life.”

“WOW.” Jody glances in the rearview mirror and meets the other girls’ eyes. “Aren’t you just ‘Miss Woe is Me 2004’?” She turns in her sit, and meets the girls glare dead on, before looking briefly at Kay.” Let me tell you something that will help ensure that you live a long guilt free life, listen up Bennett, you too Tony, cause this the kind of knowledge that you should always remember.” “Life is rough, people come and go, some hurt you, some help you, but at the end of the day, you and you alone are responsible for the hell or heaven that your life becomes.” “ But I will give you this one gift Simone, because you’re young , and you are in for a hellish ride, I will gladly take the blame for this night, and for hell your life is about to become, so go ahead and blame me for all the lies Eve ever told, and T.C.’s temper, Liz’s flirting, and hell even you losing coffee boy to Whitney, blame me for it all, but do yourself a favor and don’t look in the mirror ever again, or your precious little world will crumble.”

Antonio stopped the car, in the driveway, or at least as close tot eh drive way as he could get, with all the reporters surrounding the house. “I think we have a problem.”

Jody looks out the window, and nods.” You think.” She unbuckles her seatbelt, and unlocks the door.” Tony drive around the back and sneak the girl into the house, you may want to call Hank or Sam and get some cops up here, and I’ll take the front door, and see if I can get rid of them.”

Kay snapped out of her thoughts, and focused on the throng of reporters surrounding Jody’s house, and recognized the bad feeling building in her gut for what it was, Trouble.” I don’t think that’s a good idea Jody, why don’t we just call my dad, and rive around until they leave.”

“Cause they won’t leave not without a story, or some pictures, and to tell the truth, and still in the mood to fight, so I'm kinda looking forward to it.” That said she jumped out the car, and slammed the car door, drawing the reporters attention, as Antonio gunned the engine and backed out the drive, going the opposite direction then Jody told him to go.

~~~

Sam looked at the mike, with distaste, before dropping it to the ground, and crushing it under his heel, his picked up the remains, and opened the window, tossing it out. “Julian, would you like to tell me, just how you knew Alistair had a mike in my office, and why he does?”

“ Alistair, has always had a seemingly accurate sixth sense, about the things that go in this town, which made me think that he either had spies, or ‘ears’ everywhere, as for the way, well I’m afraid I can’t help you, my father shares the town’s view, that I’m an incompetent loser, and so he rarely confides in me.” Julian looks briefly at Eve and Sheridan, before meeting the other mans eyes.” However those time, that he has, have been quite enlightening, and I’ll think you’ll find in some cases quite criminal.”

Luis straightens and looks over at Julian, eyes wide.” Excuse, I think I’m dreaming, are you offering information about your father and his criminal tendencies to us.”

Sheridan moves to stand behind her brother, and rubs his shoulder.” It’s no dream, Julian and I both, are quite willing to give any and all information we have about our father, in exchange of course for full immunity, on any involvement we may have had even unwittingly.”

Sam put up a hand to stop them.” Hold on first off for that, I would need the D.A.” Luis took the hint, and left the office, running to make the call.” Second, why now all of the sudden, after years of the silent wall being built around the Cranes, now Sheridan, I can understand, but you Julian, even with tonight revelations, I’m at a loss as to your motivation.”

“Don’t you see Sam; it’s because of tonight that he has to.” Eve says reminding everyone that she too is in the room. “Alistair went to great pains to see that our child never saw daylight as a Crane, and I have no doubt that unless, his power base is taken away, he will do anything necessary to rid himself of any embarrassment.”

“And I happen to know that my father will kill… to keep a secret, hidden.” Julian said, taking his sisters hand, and gripping it tightly.

Luis reenters the room, and looks at Sam, nodding.” D.A. Vickers is on his way, over.”

Sam looks at the people assembled, and nodded. “Good, it looks like we’ll be building a case against Alistair Crane.”

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