New Beginnings, Chapter 27
 
 

Ivy was in her room when there was a knock on the door.

" Come in."

" Well, hello Pilar."

" Mrs. Crane."

Ivy was reading the late papers. " I know you've heard the news."

Pilar looked to see Chad and Julian's faces on the newspaper.

" Yes, I know."

" Well, I can't believe Julian admitted paternity."

" Why do you think he did it?"

" That's obvious. To protect Chad from Alistair."

" Do you think he will be successful?"

" Well……the one thing Alistair hates above all else is bad publicity. If anything were to happen to Chad NOW, it would lead right to Alistair's door, whether he's guilty or not. "

" So…you think Mr. Crane is sincere?"

Ivy put down the paper. " Pilar, why all these questions?"

" I am wondering about Mr. Crane's sincerity. Chad is a nice young man. I don't want to see him get hurt."

Ivy snickers. " Well, I don't think Julian will hurt the young  man. Not on purpose. Now, TC Russell on the hand…"

" What about TC?"

" He's going to hit the roof. I know that the Russells are out of town because of a tennis tournament. But, the way TC hates Julian? NO WAY is he going to allow Chad to stay at his house."

" Chad isn't at the Russells anymore."

" He's not? Where is he?"

" He lives at my house now."

Ivy's eyes grow wide. " Pilar….WHY?"

" Because Theresa asked me to help Chad, and I thought it was the right thing to do."

" You DO know now, that your family will now be stalked by paparazzi, and even worse..Julian will be visiting your home."

" Mr. Crane has already been there."

" So soon?", Ivy said with surprise.

" Yes."

" What did he say?"

" He tried to offer me money for Chad. I turned him down."

" Of course."

" I want Chad to feel comfortable at my house. I want him to have a place where he's able to really think about how his life is changing."

Ivy nods. " This is typical you, Pilar. It's very much in your character. Chad is lucky to have a friend like Theresa. Of course…there's nothing in it for her…other than Chad being a Crane."

" Ivy, I know that you still blame Theresa for your secret being revealed, but, remember this, Theresa was friends with Chad when he was a nobody DJ searching for his parents. They are true friends, supporting one another through difficult times. If you'll excuse me, I have to go check on tonight's menu."

Pilar leaves the bedroom, and Ivy looks back at the newspaper. " Say what you want Pilae, but, Theresa is keeping Chad near HER, so that the other golddiggers won't get a chance to get near him. She might be your daughter, but, she's inherited none of your modesty or humbleness. Theresa sees another shot to becoming Mrs. CRANE, and she's taking it."

Rifing through the paper, Ivy makes an observation: " Still nothing about the identity of Chad's mother. So, Julian…you're protecting Eve. I wonder if I can use that?"
 

" How did things go with Chad?", Sheridan asked in the limo on the way back to the Mansion.

" Pretty good. He didn't scream at me or throw me out. That's progress."

" Did he like the gift?"

" I didn't even ask, Sheridan. I wanted to give him time to look at it by himself. "

" What did you talk about?"

" I tried to explain to him about why I did what I did, and he seemed to be listening. Giving me the benefit of the doubt. I can't believe that I was actually talking to my son."

" You were, Julian. Don't worry about it. Things will get better."

" Sheridan…I really think he believed me. I really think he feels I was sincere."

" Well, that's because you were sincere. It's going to work out, Julian. You'll see."

" I certainly hope so. I don't know what to do about the Eve situation. There is still a block on phone calls to her room. I need to speak with her."

" Julian. I'm sure she's heard the news, or will read about it soon. She will call you if she can. If she can't get to a phone then I would bet anything that she's going to come home sooner than expected. "

" I hope so. I don't want her thinking that I don't respect what she did for our son. She can't possibly understand how grateful I am to her for loving our son. Even when I was too cowardly, she  was there. Chad deserves to know his mother."

" And, you'll make it possible."

" Pilar doesn't seem to have any problems with Chad staying there."

" Of course not. Pilar would never hold it against Chad that he was a Crane."

Julian laughed at that statement. " Oh, how bad that sounds. But, I guess it's true. Father and I have done little to dissuade those about the family."

" It's a new day. For all of us. WE are a family."

" You're happy about it, aren't you?"

" Yes. Absolutely delighted.", Sheridan says, kissing Julian.
 

" Well, it's good to be home.", TC Russell said, crossing the threshold. The women in his life were silent. They had been silent on the drive from the airport home. They had taken the red-eye, and it was still early in the morning. Simone and Whitney had glared at TC all the way home, not speaking to him since the blowup with his wife about Chad's paternity.

Simone dumped her bag in the living room and kept on walking.

" Where do you think you're going young lady?", TC asked.

" To see Chad. See if he's ok."

Whitney went with Chad, and Eve sat down on the couch.

" Honey, don't you think you should go upstairs and get into bed?"

" TC, I'm pregnant. I'm not made of glass."

" I know it, Eve. But, this is a difficult pregnancy."

" I will take care of the baby. But, we have more pressing matters, like this ridiculous attitude that you have against Chad. TC, it's simply unreasonable for you to want to treat him.."

Eve was unable to finish her sentence because Whitney and Simone came running into the living room.

" Mom! You should see this.", Whitney said, handing Eve an envelope. Eve opened it and read the letter inside.

" Well, I hope you're proud of yourself, Thornton Chandler Russell."

" Me? What did I do?"

Eve opened up the letter and began to read.

    " Dear Doctor and Coach Russell,
        By this time, you should know that Julian Crane came out and said that he was my father. Yeah..I know. A real shock. Well, I know how both of you feel about Julian Crane, and Coach Russell made it clear that how he would feel if I was related to the Cranes. I respect your family to much to keep placing your family in any kind of an uncomfortable situation.
        I thought about it, and I realized the best thing for everyone would be if I moved out. I want to thank you for everything that you've done for me. I will always remember it.. I appreciate it more than you will ever know.
        I hope, in time, that you will want to remain friends with me, no matter what. I think it will take time.
        Mrs. Lopez-Fitzgerald is letting me stay at her house.
        Thanks for everything,
 
        Chad Harris "

Eve folds the letter back up. " You see, what you've done, TC?"

" What I'VE done?"

" The boy KNEW that you wouldn't welcome him. You drove him off!"

" Drove him off? No. He had more sense than God gave a gnat, and he knew staying here would be too uncomfortable."

" For whom, TC? Not for the girls and me. Not for us. It is your blind hatred for the Cranes that would drive a good, honest young man from our home."

" Eve, the boy is at Pilar's. He's not in Timbuktu."

" That's not the point."

" That IS the point. He saved me the trouble of throwing him out, and that's the one RIGHT thing a Crane has ever done. If you'll excuse me, I have luggage to get."

Once TC was out of the house, Simone hurried to her mother's side.
'
" Mom, we have to get Chad back."

" No, Simone. I didn't want for him to leave, but there's no reason for him to be here. He's better off at Pilar's without all the hostility. This is a traumatic time for Chad. He will certainly need his friends. So, why don't the two of your go find him and talk to him. "

" Do you think it will help?" , Whitney asks.

" It can't hurt."

Whitney and Simone leave by the back door, and once they are gone, Eve makes her way to the phone.

" Hello?"

" Eve, is that you? I've been wanting to talk to you about…"

" I saw the press conference Grace. It's ok."

" How are you?"

" Shaken. Grace, I need to talk to Julian. Can you come over here, and help me get rid of TC?"

Eve hears TC's voice and hangs up the telephone before he comes back.