Faith and Justus' mother, Violet are sitting on the couch in the Ward Family living room stunned.

" Justus. Surely, you're kidding me. Edward Quartermaine didn't just turn this over to us."

" I'm not kidding, Faith. All you have to do is sign the papers, and the full transfer of the trust, to us, is complete."

" Justus, why? Why is Edward doing this?"

" Mama, I think that his last heart attack made him rethink his priorities. Faith and I were going to get the Trust. We just get it now, instead of later."

" But, Justus, are these numbers right?"

" They're all correct, Mama. All the dollars, yen, pounds, deutschmarks, and lira are all accounted for."

" The man  just wants to BUY US OFF! For being his 'dirty little secret'."

" Faith, If this had happened, in the beginning, when we first found out about Edward, I would agree with you. But, Faith, don't you see what this means? That Edward has always thought about us. That we've always been on his mind, and in his concern. Look on page 3. Do you see something familiar?"

Faith turns to the page. She runs down her finger until she sees something, and stops. She then looks up at Justus with a perplexed look on her face.

" Faith, Justus, what is it?"

Faith leans over to her mother and shows her something.

" The Woodruff Foundation? Why that's the..."

" Foundation that paid for all of mine, Faith's and every other Ward's education for years. Yes, even when we didn't know it, Edward, in his own way, was trying to provide for us."

"And you just accept this, Justus?"

" What are we supposed to do, Faith? Turn our backs on our inheritance?"

" INHERITANCE?! Well, my my, brother dear, that surely rolled off your tongue mighty easily. I guess you've spent enough time with our relatives to begin thinking like them."

" Faith, like it or not, Edward Quartermaine is your GRANDFATHER. It's not some supposition. It is FACT. Biologically, without him, you would not exist. We have proof that the man never forgot about us. That he never forgot about Dad. Isn't that what you want? Isn't that what has been at the root of your troubles with Edward? That you thought he cast us off like 'lost children'?"

" I don't know, Justus. All I know, that outta nowhere, just a few years ago, this White Rich Fat Cat turns up saying that he's our Grandfather. GrannieMae confirms it, and we're all supposed to get along. Now, nevermind, that while Daddy was alive, the man did his damndest to pulverize him into dust. Have you forgotten THAT piece of history?"

" Of course I haven't. But, Faith, I can't change the past. I look at the history between the Wards and the Quartermaines, and it is ugly. VERY ugly. But, it's just that....HISTORY. If I cling to it, then another generation will be swallowed whole. I cannot forget that when GrannieMae died..."

" You turned your back on all that you were taught, and went in with THEM!"

" No. When she died, and I was adrift, it was Edward, and the rest of the Q's, in their odd quirky ways, that gave me liferafts."

" But, those liferafts came with a price. Which meant you left all your Ward Dreams behind for the great Q 'acceptance'."

" Faith. We have had this talk before. There is nothing that has happened in my life, that I didn't choose to do and accept the consequences. Why is the path that I have chosen for myself wrong?"

" Because it goes against everything that we were taught as children."

" Well, sometimes, people's goals change."

" And yours have?"

" Yes."

" Why?"

" Because I see new possibilities for myself. This trust can open a lot of doors for me. It will give me my own powerbase within the Quartermaine structure."

(laughs) " Do you HEAR yourself? 'Powerbase'? ' Quartermaine structure'? THIS is the world that you want to call home?"

" Yes. And I thought, as my sister, that your love for me is unconditional."

" It is, Justus. It is. No matter what, you are my big brother and I support you. Even if I don't agree with what you're doing. What do you want for me to do?"

" Just sign these papers, and your portion of the trust is yours."

" I don't know what to do with this kind of money, Justus."

" Do you trust me to do right by you?"

" Of course, I do."

" Well, I have some papers that would place me in control of your part of the trust, until you decide that you want to take control. You would receive an annual stipend from the trust, paid to you quarterly. At anytime, after a year, you could take back control over your portion."

" I doubt that I would want control back."

" Well, I will send you reports on the happenings."

" Fine. Where do I sign?"

" Here."

Faith signs the document giving Justus control over her share.

" So. How much income does one get from a $350 million dollar trust."

" I thought $2 million a year would be fair. Do you want more?"

" Surely, you're kidding. What the hell would I do with $100,000. Let alone $2 million a year. Well, Mama, I guess it means you can stop working."

(laughs) " Why thank you, honey. So, Justus, how do you feel now that you're a Board Member?"

" Yeah, Bro. Grandpa gave you all the Keys to the Kingdom today. I wonder how friendly the 'family' is going to be towards you, once they realize that you are a true 'playa'."

" I don't know, Faith. But, I would pay money, to hear the conversation between Edward and Ned right now. "

" Well, you've certainly got enough of it now. We both do."

And with that, Justus, Violet and Faith all laugh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" You did WHAT, Grandfather?"

" I gave Justus his Trust and a Seat on the Board."

" I didn't know that Justus HAD a trust."

" Well, he does. It was something that I set up for Bradley, and continued with it after he died. I decided to give it to Justus and his sister now, instead of after my death."

" Why?"

" Because, I thought it was time."

" And Justus' seat on the Board?"

" All my other Grandsons have one. Why not Justus? He actually WORKS for ELQ, unlike some others."

" I should have been consulted."

" Why? It was my stock. Mine to do with as I pleased. And it pleased me to give some to Justus. He's earned it."

" And what did he do to 'earn' his trust."

" He is the first born of my first born. There's nothing else that he would EVER need to do, outside of that. This conversation is getting tiresome. Goodbye Ned."

Edward leaves Ned there, stewing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sasha and Stefan are playing chess after dinner.

" I have some news for you."

" Oh, Katya? Good news I hope."

" Excellent news. Edward Quartermaine's heart attack has made him a very introspective man."

" Meaning?"

" That he is thinking of the future. And the future of his family."

" And what has he done that deals with the future of his family?"

" He released to Justus Ward today, a Trust Fund, and a Seat on the ELQ Board?"

" Money and Power in one fell swoop. That is impressive. How large is the Trust?"

" From the glance that I got today, a little over $700 million dollars."

" Well...well...that IS impressive."

" It certainly is."

" And it all belongs to Justus?"

" No. It's split between him and his sister. But, since his sister has made no effort whatsoever in trying to relate to the Quartermaines, and seems completely disinterested in them, I am sure that she will allow Justus power of attorney and control over her share."

" This will make Justus a powerful player indeed."

" It certainly will. And I am sure that more than a few feathers in the Quartermaine family will be ruffled when all is discovered."

" Namely the feathers of one Ned Ashton?"

" Exactly. It's one thing to have a smart, intelligent, witty cousin, who works in the company, with no money or power. It's quite another, when, overnight, that cousin becomes a powerhouse in his own right. Ned Ashton has NEVER had a legitimate challenge to the Throne of ELQ."

" How do you know that Justus even desires the throne?"

" I can see it in his eyes. He is almost afraid of it. To tap into what he knows is there. I don't know if it is the Ward in him, or the layer of decency that permeates from him, but I see deep ambition in him. It's like a pent up force. If it were to be released.  I believe that there is a battle within him, that he is afraid of the Quartermaine inside of him."

" And you intend to help him find it?"

" Of course."

Stefan laughs. " Ever the good friend, Katya?"

" Absolutely, Papa."

" Well, I would like to discuss Nikolas' birthday party with you. Do you believe that he would come if I held one here?"

" I assure you that he would come, because I would make sure of it. May I make a suggestion?"

" Of course."

" Please invite Bobbie Spencer and Lucas."

" For what reason?"

" For the reason that Nikolas loves Lucas, and that it would signal to him that you are ready to accept his living arrangement. And that you are the mature adult that you say you are."

" I see."

" Papa. If you're afraid that Bobbie will drug you again, I promise to sample all food and drink before it touches your lips."

" Very funny, Katya."

" I thought you'd be amused."