Fox smiled and when it was ready, they all sat down to eat. It was nice to know that they still had people they could count on in their lives. Grace and David came around sometimes as well, so they weren’t completely alone. They sat around and talked for a while, it was good to have Sheridan and Luis over especially. Julian wanted so much to have a great relationship with his sister for so very long. He had never been there for her much either and he wanted to mend his relationships in all ways, with Fox, Sheridan, Eve, everyone. It was nice to be able to sit down and talk with Luis as well. That was one thing he never thought would have ever happened in his entire life. After they left, Eve put Ashtyn down for the night once again and joined Julian in bed. She was really getting used to her new life with him and their daughter and she loved every minute of it. The next day, Julian walked in the door, hanging up his coat as usual after a day of work and greeted Eve with a sweet kiss. Their life was very routine now, but always wonderful.
“Sweetheart, I have a surprise for you.” He said holding his hand behind his back.

“Really Julian?”

“Yes dear, how would you like an evening out?”

“That would be great Julian, Ashtyn always likes to go out with mommy and daddy.” She said holding her.

“Um, I meant just the two of us Eve.”

“Oh, I don’t know Julian, she’s so young and…”

“Eve, we can get a babysitter, I am sure it would be okay for one night, maybe Sheridan or Grace?”

“I really don’t know, we have never left with her anyone before.” She said being overprotective.

“Sweetheart, Ashtyn will be fine, I want to take you somewhere.”

“Where?”

He put out his hand to show her two tickets.

“What are those for?” Eve asked.

“Honey, Elton John is playing tomorrow night and I got tickets for it, I know it’s last minute and all, but I thought you would love to go, I know I would.” Julian said smiling.

“Elton John?” she said looking at him.

“Come on dear, he’s so good, besides, we could use the break. Believe me, I love Ashtyn with all of my heart of course, but sometimes you just need a few hours, it will do us good.”

“But Julian, she’s our baby and…”

“But the biggest kick I ever got was doing the thing called the Crocodile Rock.” He sang.

“Okay, okay, you don’t have to sing.” Eve said laughing.

“Am I that horrible?”

“Don’t quit your day job?” she said smiling.

“Eve!” he said laughing.

“I’m joking, you are right, we need a night to ourselves, and I will make some calls to see who we can get.”

Julian sat with Ashtyn on the sofa, gazing at how beautiful she truly was like her mother. He smiled when she grabbed his finger with her hand, squeezing it as much as she could.

“Julian, Sheridan’s busy tomorrow, so is Grace.” She said frowning.

“What about Whitney or Simone?” he asked.

“Hold on, I will call them.”

Julian turned on the TV and laid Ashtyn against his chest, stroking back her wavy brown hair, waiting patiently for Eve to get someone. She sighed at him and shook her head.

“They are busy too?”

“Yeah, they are out of town T.C. said, and I don’t want to get T.C. or Liz, sorry to say.”

“I understand Eve.”

She was just getting up from the chair when the phone rang. Julian watched her curiously wondering who it was.

“That was Grace, her friend’s daughter could do it.”

“Okay?”

“Her name is Lily, she’s twenty-one, but I don’t know Julian, it’s not like we really know her.”

“Well, how well does Grace know her?”

“Very well, she said she’s nice and she babysat before.”

“I am sure Lily would be fine, my Ashtyn is the perfect angel, she wouldn’t give her any trouble.” He said proudly.

“I don’t know why I am so worried.” She said sitting next to Julian.

“It’s only natural hon, Ashtyn is always with us and you love her so much, of course you are nervous about leaving her, but don’t be, everything will be fine.” He said caressing her hair.

The next evening Lily arrived and she smiled when she saw Ashtyn.

“She’s so adorable.”

“She takes after her mother.” Julian said touching Eve’s hand.

“Now Lily, I told you where everything is, if you need us, call, please.” Eve said a bit worried.

“Eve, she’ll be fine.” He said rubbing her back to reassure her.

Eve sighed and when Julian helped her on with her coat, Ashtyn began to cry.

“Julian, she’s crying, I can’t leave her!” she said in a panic.

“Eve, honey, if we don’t do this, you’ll never be able to leave with her anyone, now come on, let’s go okay? Lily, help yourself to whatever you need and thank you.”

“Your welcome, I’ll take good care of her.” Lily said smiling.

Julian opened the car door for her and Eve sat there, just frowning.

“She will be fine, you know she will.” He said touching her chin.

“I guess so.”

“Look, we are going to have lots of fun tonight okay? You like Elton John and if you don’t put a smile on that face, I will start singing again.” He said laughing.

“No, don’t sing again, the coyotes will start howling.” She said dryly.

“That’s a girl.” He said leaning over to give her a nice hug.

When they arrived at the concert, there were people everywhere and Eve’s face lit up when she saw all of the merchandise.

“I can tell you want something, so here.” He said taking a few bills out of his wallet.

“Thanks Julian.” She said looking at him.

“My pleasure, get whatever you want, you might as well show your love for Elton along with all of the other groupies. Maybe if I can get us backstage, he will give you a pair of his famous glasses.” He said laughing.

“Ha ha!”

They took their seats and Elton opened up with Crocodile Rock and Julian started singing to it. Eve glared at him jokingly and he put his arm around her, as they stood there, knowing that they would probably be standing for quite some time. Their seats were not that far from the stage really so they had a good view. He smiled at her when Eve started to dance a bit, he didn’t see her do that too often so he thought it was quite cute. As the concert progressed, Elton started playing some of his love songs and when The One came on, Julian held her close.
 

And all I ever needed was the one
Like freedom fields where wild horses run
When stars collide like you and I
No shadows block the sun
You're all I've ever needed
Baby you're the one

He hugged her tightly, as she leaned her head on his shoulder. Julian smiled when he looked around, a very pretty scene with lighters held up all around them.

“Thank you Julian, I am having a good time.”

“Your welcome Eve, I am glad.” He said smiling.

The crowd cheered, waiting for Elton to return for the encore and when he did, he smiled taking a seat back at the piano for Candle In The Wind.
 

Goodbye Norma Jean
Though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself
While those around you crawled
They crawled out of the woodwork
And they whispered into your brain
They set you on the treadmill
And they made you change your name

“Oh Julian, I love this song.” She said smiling.

“And I love you.” He said turning to her to hug her tightly.
 

And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would have liked to have known you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did

Julian leaned forward, kissing her quite softly at first, but then more passionately as the song continued, lost in each other’s eyes, lost in the moment. Julian was startled suddenly when a young man tapped him on the shoulder from the row behind.

“Yes?”

“You know dude, it’s cool you and your lady want to kiss and all, but all I can say is get a room man.”

Julian and Eve burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry, I guess we got carried away.” Eve said smiling.

“Hey it’s all good, you don’t see people your age doing stuff like that anymore, right on!”

“We are not that old.” Eve said.

“I just mean, two people making out that are like my parent’s age, very cool, you go dude!” He said putting up his hand to give Julian a high five.

Julian just shook his head smiling and turned back around to watch the rest of the concert. When it was finally over, he held her hand, not wanting to lose his ladylove in the crowd. When they arrived at the car, Julian leaned her against the side of it to look at her.

“You know, you look so hot in that Elton t-shirt.” He said smiling.

“You’re so silly.” She said playing with the back of his hair.

“You do and you fill it out in all of the right places.” He said kissing her neck.

“Thank you for taking me.”

“My pleasure, we will have to plan another date like this again, my beautiful Eve, the groupie.” He said smiling.

As they drove, Eve couldn’t help but look at Julian, and when she ran her fingers through the side of his hair, he smiled at her.

“Honey, I am going to crash this car if you are not careful.”

“Why?”

“Your lovely touch turns me on of course, so…, perhaps if you want to do that, we better wait until we get home safely, ok?” he said kissing her hand.

“Okay.”

Julian pulled into the driveway, noticing that the lights in the living room were off.

“That’s strange isn’t it?” he said looking at Eve.

“Why, maybe Lily wanted to conserve our power.”

“I don’t know, but well, let’s go in then.” Julian said.

He locked the car and Eve stood there as he fiddled to find the house key.

“Eve, I need that mini key light of yours, I can’t see a bloody thing.” Julian said annoyed.

She nodded and when Julian opened up the door, there were no lights on whatsoever, the house in complete darkness.

“Julian, I don’t understand, what’s going on?” she said concerned.

“I don’t know, maybe there is a power outage.” He said when he flipped the switch to turn on a light.

“I don’t think so, there is power in the neighborhood, Julian I’m scared.” Eve said.

“Maybe a fuse blew Eve, come on sweetheart, I always keep a flashlight in the kitchen.” He said taking her hand.

Eve started to panic, not knowing what was going on and when they opened the kitchen door, their mouths nearly dropped to the floor.

“Lily, oh my God!

She was tied up to the kitchen chair with a gag in her mouth, struggling to get loose. Julian quickly untied her.

“My baby, where’s my baby?” Eve said in a state.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know.” Lily said.

“What do you mean you don’t know, what the hell happened?” Eve yelled.

“A man, he came into the house, I didn’t even hear him.”

“You were supposed to keep the doors locked at all times!” Eve said angrily.

“They were Eve, somehow he got in, I don’t know how.”

“I want my baby, oh Julian, our baby!” she said in hysterics.

“She was upstairs sleeping at the time.” Lily said.

“Lily, call the police, Julian, maybe she’s still upstairs, come on!” she said pulling him to go with her.

“No Eve, what if he’s still in the house!”

“I don’t care Julian, I just want my baby, Ashtyn, mommy’s here, Ashtyn!”

But she was stopped cold at the foot of the landing when he came down the stairs with her.

“Step back now!” he yelled.

“My baby, I want my baby!” she cried.

“Shut up and step back, before you and the baby get hurt.”

“Don’t do this!” Julian said.

“I told you to shut up and I told you I would make your life as miserable as hell Julian, now it’s pay back time, for you and Eve.”

“Please don’t hurt her, please, I beg of you.” She said, tears running down Eve’s cheeks.

“I told you that you would pay for defying me Julian, it was bad enough that you were once in love with this whore, now you want to marry her? It will never happen, not in a million years. You really thought I was going to except this relationship, this marriage? Now you have this child as well as your son, I forbid it!”

“You can’t do this Alistair!” Eve yelled.

“I can and I will, I have two missions in life Eve, to tear my children’s lives apart, when I am done with you, I move onto Sheridan and Luis once again.”

“What are you going to do to us?” Eve asked.

“It’s not what I am going to do, it’s what you are going to do. There will be no marriage, you are going to split up forever and this child, I take her, you will never get her back, you will never know where she is, just like you won’t know where your son is.”

“You are a monster, I hate you!” she yelled.

“Good Eve, I hate you too, but no skin off my back.” He said laughing.

“You are not leaving this house with our child, now give her back or you will be sorry!” Julian said angrily.

“Oh please, your threats mean nothing to me Julian, you lose, simple as that, now step aside.” Alistair said.

“No way in hell!”

“You have been warned, now you either move, or the baby gets it!” he said taking out a gun.

“Noooo, my baby, Alistair, she’s just a baby, you can’t kill her!” Eve said dropping to her knees balling.

“You wouldn’t dare, you bastard!” Julian said moving towards him.

“Uh uh uh Julian, you don’t know how serious I am, I will kill this baby right now if you don’t get out of my face!” Alistair yelled.

“Fine, I’ll move.” He said gritting his teeth.

“What?” Eve said shocked.

“You win, take her.” Julian said frowning.

“Julian!” she screamed.

“That’s more like it, I knew that some day you would realize you can’t cross me and get away with it son, I’m your father, the one and only true Crane.”

“I have no father, you are a sick bastard!”

“Thanks for the compliment Julian, bye now.” He said laughing.

When he turned his back, he bolted towards him, hitting him over the head, loosening his grip enough to grab Ashtyn and give her to Eve.

“Oh angel.” She said crying as she held her.

But he didn’t hit him quite hard enough when Alistair shook his head and grabbed Julian by the shirt, pushing him against the wall.

“Now you will pay with your life.” He said pointing the gun directly at his chest.

“No Alistair, don’t!” Eve yelled.

“Shut up whore, you are next!”

“Don’t you call her that!” Julian yelled.

“You are in no position to tell me what to do Julian!”

Alistair pointed the gun closer to him, letting him know he was serious.

“It’s over Julian, say goodbye to Eve and your baby.” Alistair said smiling.

“Drop the gun Alistair, now!”

He didn’t move, still pointing the gun at Julian, when he heard Luis’s demand.

“I mean it, drop it now or else!” Luis said.

“No Luis, my son is going to die, you can’t stop me, I am Alistair Crane!” he said laughing.

“Drop the gun, I’m not going to tell you again!” Luis said pointing the gun at the back of Alistair.

“Say your prayers Julian.” He said leaning towards his son.

As Alistair went to pull the trigger, it was too late, Luis had shot him dead.