David and Eve walked into Alistair's office at Crane Industries early the next morning. Alistair quickly hid the look of surprise on his face.
"To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" he asked as Eve and David helped themselves to seats. Eve was visibly uncomfortable. David took her hand firmly in his own.
"Eve needs to know something, Alistair. She and Julian had a son long ago and she wants to know what really happened to him."
"I already told you Eve. He died."
"I don't believe you Alistair," Eve said, her eyes filling with tears. "I don't believe that he died at birth."
Alistair watched her face. He slowly softened as he saw the pain she was in.
"Eve, it was best for you not to know what was happening. I am warning you now, the truth is painful and it would be best for you and all involved if you didn't know."
"Tell ne, Alistair. I have to know or else I will be haunted for the rest of my life."
AListair sighed as he settled back in his seat.
"Very well then. I was not lying when I said your son died, but he did not die at birth. He was born with disabilities. We hid him, from you and from the public...partially to save the Crane name, but mostly because, hard as this is for you to believe, I didn't want to hurt you witht the truth. His disabilities were due to your drinking and drung use during pregnancy. I didn't think you would be able to live with yourself knowing you had been the cause of that. He was brought up in a very nice family far away from here, but the diabilities eventually killed him. He died ten years ago with his loving adopted family by his side."
Eve burst into tears at the news. Her body wracked with sobs. David put his arms around her, trying to comfort her, but she had to grieve.
"I never knew him! I wish...I don't know what I wish. You should have talked to me first Alisair. I will never forgive you for this."
"I don't expect you to Eve. But I was only thinking of you. I am not the monster your husband thought I was. Not all the time anyway. You were not in the right mind when you had him. All you wished for was the next fix. You hardly noticed when he was born."
Eve's tears were starting to subside. "You're right Alistair. I could have ended up killing my own son with how drugged out I was. But you should have told me about him once I was sober."
"By that time, you had your degree and were to be married. It would have caused more problems then good."
"Did Julian know?"
"No. He still believes your son died at birth and I would prefer he always believed that."
Eve nodded as she stood to go. "Thank you Alistair, for finally telling the truth. I still think what you did was wrong, but I am glad that you thought of me while you did it. I can sleep better now knowing that my son was in a safe place."
With that, she and David walked out the door.
 

Paloma was sitting with Miguel in his room while Kay packed her bags.
"You are being such a baby, Miguel! I am not going to say what Kay did was right, but at least she's told you she's sorry," Paloma said, her hands on her hips.
"I'm not going to get into this with you Paloma. Kay lied to me. She tricked me into bed and made me lose the love of my life die to her lies to me and to Charity."
"But that is in the past. You have a child together. You can't spend the rest of your life seething in hatred for Kay. Your son will figure it out and it will ruin his life too. She's trying to make it up to you. She's moving out so you can be without her for cryig out loud. DO you know how hard that has to be for her?"
"I don't care Paloma. I didn't want her here in the first place. It was Mama's idea."
Paloma threw up her hands in disgust.
"You are determined on being angry with her for the rest of your life. It's not only going to ruin you, but your child as well. Even if you insist on staying mad at her, you at least have to act civil around your son. You coul make her life so unbarable here that she would leave and take him with her, you know."
Miguel stared at his sister. How could she make so much sense? Paloma smiled as though she had read his thoughts.
"Life is much different outside of Harmony, Miguel. You learn a lot outside of this little social circle you people seem to have burried yourselves in. You should try leaving this place some time."
"Maybe I should. Thank you Paloma. You've made me realize what a jerk I've been. But I'm not ready to forgive her yet."
 

Ethan and Gwen had left town to visit their lawyer when Theresa burt into Alistair's office.
"You will call the Crane lawyer and he will represent me," she informed him, trying her best to seem powerful.
"No, I don't think so," Alistair said, not even looking up from the paper he was reading.
"Then I'll just take Lil Ethan and leave."
"No. You won't be doing that either," he said, presenting her with a packet of paper.
"What's this?"
"It's a judges order saying you cannot take Lil Ethan from the Crane mansion until this cystody battle is settled. You are welcome to stay in the house, but if you choose to leave, he is not going with you. You will not be ordering me nor anyone else in that house around anymore, Theresa. Find your own lawyer and pay him yourself. Sell off the thousands of dollars worth of jewelry you have if you need to, but we are not paying for any of this court battle for you. And you are also ordered to stay away from Ethan and Gwen save for in the courtroom. Should you see them in the house, you are to keep your mouth shut and your hands to yourself, is that clear?"
Theresa was fuming. She held the judges orders in her hands, preparing to tear them up.
"You can do that is you wish, for that is only a copy. I have the original myself," Alistair said.
Theresa glared at him as she stormed fromt he room.
Alistair smiled at the slamming door. The king was back on his throne.
 

The doorbell rang at the Lopez Fitz-Gerald house. Kay didn't pay much attention to it. She was fighting back tears as she packed her belongings. It had been agreed that Brandon would stay at the house for the time being. She couldn't believe that everything had gone so wrong. Not did she feel completely alone, she had lost all of her friends except John by her own actions. A knock at the door shoock her from her thoughts. She turned around and her eyes grew wide. There stood Grace.
"Mommy!" she cried, throwing herself into her mothers arms.