New Beginnings, Chapter 17
 

Julian was still sleeping on Sheridan's couch, when he felt a finger poking at him. He slowly opened up his eyes, to see a curious and angry Luis over him.

" What the hell are you doing here?"

Julian is disoriented. " I…I…"

" Did Alistair send you? You trying to hurt Sheridan? Why are you bothering her?"

" LUIS!", Sheridan yells. " Leave Julian alone!"

Luis is confused. He goes over to Sheridan, and pulls her into the bedroom.

" Sheridan, what is wrong with you? Don't you know that he has to be up to something? How many times are you going to let him hurt you?"

" Luis, I know what's wrong with Julian. But, he needed me, and so I'm here for him."

" It's a plot, Sheridan. Some kind of scheme between him and Alistair to hurt you and probably try and break us up."

" It's not a scheme. Julian is being genuine. I know he is."

" Sheridan, he's suckered you before. You aren't seeing things clearly. Any kind of affection from Julian or Alistair, and it blinds you."

" Don't you trust me to know what's going on?"

" No. Not where those two are concerned. It's a plot."

" It's NOT a plot. And I resent that you think that I can't take care of myself."

" This has nothing to do with whether or not I think you're capable. I know you are. But, you are BLIND, Sheridan. BLIND to the depths of their ruthlessness as deviousness."

" Be assured, Luis. I have no blinders as to my father's capacity of treachery. "

" Only your father? Julian too."

" Not this time."

" How do you know?"

" I just do. "

" Sheridan, that's not good enough. They've lied and deceived you too many times."

" Well, I'm not asking you to trust Julian. I'm asking you to trust ME, Luis. "

" Then, explain it to me. Tell me what's going on that would have you in league with your brother. Explain it, Sheridan."

Sheridan looked at Luis. She loved him, but, she couldn't tell him. She couldn't betray Julian like this. Luis would understand once it all came out. He would, she told herself.

" Well?", Luis asked impatiently.

" I…I can't tell you, Luis. I can only ask you to trust me."

" You're keeping secrets from ME? Sharing secrets with JULIAN? What's wrong with this picture?"

" You're overreacting."

" I am not. I can't believe that you would actually be supporting Julian and agreeing to ANYTHING that he says. Nothing good can come of it."

" I'm sorry you feel this way, Luis. But, my brother needs me. Really needs me for the first time in his life, and I'm not going to let him down. I've never complained when you've helped your family."

" My family isn't the Cranes!"

" Well, I'm sorry Luis, if you don't think my brother is worth my time or my feelings. But, he's MY brother, and I love him. We've never had a chance to be siblings until now, and I'm not throwing it away."

" He is going to HURT YOU. That is what he and Alistair do."

" Then, I'll have to learn it for myself."

" Sadly, yes, you will. I'm going to work, which is where you can find me when he puts the knife in your back..AGAIN!" Luis turns and opens the door and walks out of the Cottage.

" I'll be FINE!", Sheridan yells as Luis slams the front door.

Sheridan turns to see Julian in the door, holding a cup of coffee.

" He's right, you know. I can handle my own problems. Getting you involved was a mistake. "

Sheridan brings Julian over to the couch. " Julian, I'm involved because I want to be. This is my family. I told Luis the truth: this is the first time that you've needed me. How can I walk away from you?"

" It would be better for you and Luis."

" You let me worry about Luis. I'll be fine. We'll be fine. Luis loves me, and I love him. And, I love you, Julian. I can't walk away. I thought I was destined to never have a family, except for the one Luis and I will make one day. Now, I have a chance, and I'm going to fight for it. "

" I don't deserve your support."

" But, I love you."

" Thank you, Sheridan. Outside of Mother and Eve, no one has ever loved me."

" Eve….Eve loved you?"

" Yes, but, I was too blind to see it."

Sheridan takes Julian's hand. " Things look bad now. But, you've done the hard part - you told Chad. Nothing else can be harder than that."

" No. ….you're right."

Sheridan is about to say something when her phone rings. She goes to answer it.

" Hello."

" Put me on speakerphone."

Sheridan looks back at Julian and mouths ' father' to him. Julian rubs his temple, and then nods to her. Sheridan puts the phone down, and puts it on speakerphone:

" Father.", Julian says.

" Julian, what the hell were you doing spending the night at Sheridan's?"

" I was tired, Father."

" You're never been tired enough to spend the night on Sheridan's couch, and she's never wanted you there. What is going on."

" Why does anything have to be going on, Father? Why couldn't it be that I wanted to spend some time with my brother?"

" Oh spare me, Sheridan. You and Julian have never been close."

" Well, things can change."

" Oh, they can, Sheridan? And, what would make them change. What would make you and Julian all of a sudden bond?"

" Maybe finding out what kind of a monster you TRULY ARE!", Sheridan says with a heated passion.

The room is still at that moment. Sheridan regrets her outburst to Alistair, and looks at Julian in fear. Nobody is saying anything.

" You want to EXPLAIN your comment Sheridan?", Alistair asks coldly.

" I thought it was self-explanatory, Father. "

" Stop being smart. What do you THINK I've done that would qualify me as a 'monster'? I think those were Sheridan's words."

" You really want to know, Father?", Julian taunts.

" Don't play with me, Julian."

" Oh, I'm not playing with you. Sheridan and I found out that we had a common bond. This new relationship is founded upon the knowledge that you tried to murder my son."

" What the hell are you talking about?"

" I'm talking about my son with Eve."

" He's dead, Julian."

" No father, we BOTH know that's not true. "

" I don't know what you mean."

" MY SON CHAD, FATHER!"

Sheridan had never heard Julian raise his voice at Alistair that way. The tension was so thick. Nothing was said by them for a few moments.

Then, Alistair  spoke up.

" So….you put it all together, did you, Boy?"

" About my SON? Yes, I did. How could you? How could you try and kill him?"

" I would do anything to protect this family."

" He IS your family. "

" He is NOTHING. He means NOTHING."

" HE IS MY SON, AND HE MEANS EVERYTHING!"

" Nonsense. He's the bastard you had with that Black whore."

" Shut up! Don't talk about Eve in that way."

" Why, you didn't have any problem with me saying this for years."

" Yes, and that was MY mistake."

" So, I guess the message that I got from Malcolm was right. He said that he had been sent a new will from you, done by another lawyer."

" Yes. I've changed my will to reflect Chad's place in it."

" WHAT?! He will get NOTHING!"

" He will get what is his, Father. You can't change the terms of Great-Grandfather's will. Chad is who he is, and as such, he has certain entitlements coming to him."

" He'll never live long enough to collect."

The phone went dead, and Julian and Sheridan looked at one another in horror. They were stunned. They didn't  say anything to one another for several minutes, then Sheridan spoke up…

" Did he…did he mean what I thought he said?"

" Oh my God. What have I done? What have I done to my son? I was so focused on my fury at Father, that I didn't think about the big picture. That I didn't realize what I was doing. " Julian barely made it back to the couch to sit down. Sheridan rushed to his side. She had tears in her eyes.

" What do we do now?", she asked.

Julian shook his head. " I don't know. What would stop him, Sheridan? What would stop him? We have to think about what would stop him and protect Chad."

Julian gets up and paces around the room. Sheridan watches him, as he goes back and forth, and then, he gets a smile on his face.

" WHAT?!", Sheridan asks.

" It's risky, but, I don't have another choice. I'll need for you to go and try and smoothe things with Chad."

" Anything. Just tell me."

Julian sits down with Sheridan and explains his plan.