***I would like to thank ally-martsolf and Courtaney for writing with me!
I have had 2 deaths in my family in the last 2 weeks, and they have helped me tremendously! God bless you both!***
 

Chapter 25

Julian looked at Eve, the disappointment showing clearly in his hazel eyes. His daughter obviously did not trust him, but then he could hardly blame her. "She despises me, Eve," he said regretfully.
 

"Julian...I apologize for her rudeness, but Whitney was being protective of me.” Eve's heart ached at the pain on Julian's face. "She'll come around--we just have to give her some time, that's all.”
 

"I don't know, Eve," Julian said slowly, hanging his head in sorrow and disappointment. "She obviously doesn't want anything to do with me, and can I blame her? After all, I did run out on the two of you years ago."
 

"Oh, Julian, you didn't know about Whitney. And remember, I'm the one who ran out on you - not the other way around."
 

"Yes, but I gave you little choice," Julian said, lifting his head so that he could look into Eve's deep brown eyes. "If only I could turn back the clock…”
 

"You know that is water under the bridge now," Eve said, taking Julian's hand in hers. "We are together now. That is all that matters. And Whitney will see how happy we are together. She'll come around."
 

Julian was about to pull her into a kiss when a loud crash came from the bathroom; Eve and Julian looked at each other for a second, and knew right away that something had happened to their daughter, Whitney.
 

Eve looked Julian in the eye and mouthed, "You go. She'll appreciate it."
 

Julian smiled, since he knew Eve was just telling him what she knew best. He walked slowly towards the bathroom, not wanting to disturb her privacy at first. He knocked on the door, "Whitney, are you all right?"
 

Yet, no answer came, so he tried again, "Whitney, dear, are you all right?"
 

The bathroom door creaked open a slight bit, and Whitney's face appeared, "I'm…I'm fine...I just dropped something..."
 

Julian didn't believe her; his fatherly instinct was kicking in. "Please Whitney... I want you to know that you can tell me anything. I want to make sure that you are all right."
 

Whitney stared at him, her beautiful face tear-streaked. "I said I was fine, Mr. Crane." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "You don't need to worry about me."
 

"I care about you, my dear. Of course I can't help but want to know if you are okay." Julian smiled, seeing Eve's lovely features upon their daughter's face.
 

She shook her head. "Why now?" Whitney demanded, doubt adding an edge to her voice. "You weren't around for my mother, why would you be here for me?"
 

"Whitney, listen, I know I have made a lot of mistakes. If I could take them all back, I would. I...I wasn't around for your mother when she needed me. I realize that now. I would have given anything to have known about you, the beautiful child our love created."
 

Whitney drew back, a scowl appearing on her face. "I am not some...leftover garbage from a party that got out of hand!"
 

"Darling, you are missing the point," Julian said, obviously hurt from her last comment. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I found out I had a child - a beautiful daughter - with the woman I love. A man couldn't ask for anymore than that."
 

"I don't care. The only father that I truly know is Daddy. He brought me up, and as for you, I do not know what else to say."
 

"But Whitney, he abused your mother. I'm not like that."
 

"All men are the same. They are controlling; they think women should just stay at home and take care of children."
 

"I'm not like that, Whitney. Look how far your mother has come. She's a successful doctor. No matter who has raised you, I'll always be your father by birth."
 

"If you aren't like that...explain one thing to me..."
 

"Anything, Whitney…just name it.”
 

"Why didn't you ever come find my mother or me? Why didn't you ever come looking for us?"
 

Julian exhaled softly, leaning against the door. "I didn't know of you until very recently, my dear. Your mother had begun work in our local hospital, and I am on the board of directors. When I saw her...it was a complete shock."
 

"Shock as in, you thought you'd never see her again?" Whitney's tone was biting.
 

"Yes...but not in the manner that you are thinking. I thought I would never get the chance to tell her how wrong I was, and how much I cared for her."
 

Whitney's eyes softened a little, but then hardened again. "That still doesn't explain why you let her walk away to begin with."
 

Julian took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. This was not going to be easy, he knew. "Whitney, I was a very foolish man when I was younger. I did some crazy things, things I am not proud of. One of them was letting my father badger me into marrying a nasty blond socialite by the name of Ivy Winthrop."
 

Whitney raised her eyebrows, the same way her biological father, Julian, always did when he was surprised to hear something. Of course, Julian was too busy trying to plead his case with Whitney to notice the striking similarities between his daughter and himself.
 

"A blond socialite, Mr. Crane?!" Whitney exclaimed. "I bet you were mighty happy to have someone like that on your arm to show off everywhere you went. Yes, I bet she was just what you and your daddy wanted."
 

"No, Whitney, Ivy was not who I wanted to marry. My heart has always belonged to your mother. I want you to believe that. It's just...my father exerted such an influence over me when I was younger. I'm not saying that was right. I should never have given into him like I did, believe me. But I was young and afraid of being disinherited. I was afraid I couldn't make it in the world without the crutch of the Crane fortune to fall back on."
 

"Money was more important to you then," she said softly. "And now?"
 

"Now....there is the love I have for your mother, and the love I have for our daughter--you," Julian said, his own eyes brimming with tears. "And I am so grateful that God gave me this chance to be a part of your lives."
 

Whitney held her own tears back, but only with great effort. "How can you say you love me, Mr. Crane--you don't even know me."
 

"I can say it because you were created in love, and you are our daughter. I will love you all the more when I get to know you better, but please know that I love you now with all that is within me, my beautiful girl." Julian looked at her and then put his head in his hands, his strong form shaking with sobs. "I only wish I could have been there for you and your mother before she was abused," he cried, his breath coming in gasps.
 

Whitney was taken aback by the emotion her new father was displaying. Her eyes filled with sympathy for the man who was obviously in so much pain. She reached out and placed her hand on his arm. "Mr. Crane...uh...Father," she said shyly, trying to reach out to her dad with words as well as touch.
 

Julian lifted his head from his hands and looked at his daughter, his teary eyes full of love and understanding. "Did...did you just call me 'Father?'" he asked, a look of joy suddenly appearing on his face.
 

"Yes, I did," Whitney said softly, her mouth turning up in a smile. "You sound...so much like me when I cry. I don't want you to be upset. I can tell you do care about me and my mother."
 

"I love her more than my own life, Whitney," he said tenderly. "There is nothing I would not do to make her happy." He took out his handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped his eyes. "And I would give you the moon for a toy if you asked for it."
 

Whitney's smile widened. "I don't know what to say, Mr. Cr--Father."
 

"You don't have to say anything at all.....just give me a chance to be in your life, and I will be the happiest father on earth."
 

"It may be hard at first…" Whitney admitted. "But I'm more than willing to give it a try."
 

"That's a girl. How about giving your father a big hug as a start?" Julian asked with outstretched arms.
 

Looking at Julian's twinkling eyes and broad smile, Whitney finally opened the bathroom door and hurried into his arms. She felt his arms rub against her back, soothing all the pain she had suffered recently. Although she knew nothing could ever change the past, she was aware of how at home she felt with her new father. She knew he really did love her after all.
 

Eve looked on with happiness from the far end of the hallway. Her daughter was finally opening up to Julian, just as she once did.
 

Noticing that her mother was near, Whitney motioned her to come closer. She wanted a family hug, something she had longed for all these years but had never really had with her mother and daddy.
 

Eve approached the pair, her cocoa eyes misty. "Is there room for one more?"
 

Instantly Julian reached for her, and the three of them hugged each other fiercely, as if to draw strength from one another. "I don't think anything can happen to destroy our happiness this time," Julian declared as he held his daughter and his dearest love close.
 

Ivy sat in her hotel room watching TV, but she really wasn't paying attention. She was too busy daydreaming about Sam Bennett to take any real notice of the news broadcast.
 

Her cell phone ringing interrupted her reverie, and she angrily reached to grab it. What now, she thought, irritated. "Ivy Crane."
 

"Mrs. Crane, this is Ron Walker. I have some more information about Whitney Russell. The bugs I planted in her apartment a while back work like a charm." He had managed to bribe the landlord of Ms. Russell's townhouse to be able to plant the devices. What some people wouldn't do for money, he thought, even me.
 

"Spare me the boring technical details, Mr. Walker. What did you hear?" Ivy was quickly growing bored.
 

"It seems that Mr. Crane and Dr. Johnson just had a nice little family reunion... with their daughter, Whitney."
 

Ivy groaned--this guy was a complete moron. "I already managed to figure that out, Mr. Walker."
 

"How did you...?" Ron Walker shook his head. This woman was amazing! He didn't want to ever get on her bad side, he realized. She was a real barracuda!
 

"Just tell me, Mr. Walker, did anything worthwhile occur during our little family's get-together?"
 

"Well, not much really...just the girl, Whitney, kind of threw a fit. She was not too keen on Mr. Crane being her new daddy, you know? But she calmed down eventually...after he started to cry."
 

"Cry? Julian?!" Ivy couldn't believe her ears. Must be some sort of trick, she deduced. The Julian Crane she knew never cried about anything...except maybe a huge drop in the stock market. No, he was just using that as some sort of tactic to win over his darling new daughter. Well, Ivy would make sure whatever fake happiness the little family had found wouldn't last for long. The angry ex ended her call and then typed in a new number. She waited until someone finally picked up on the other end.
 

"Where the hell have you been?" the voice on the other end growled. "I have been waiting outside this damn mansion for hours."
 

"Oh, I have been very busy tracing our favorite couple's footsteps, Mr. Russell," Ivy hissed into the phone. "And now I have a favor to ask of you. I have learned something very disturbing about Mr. Crane and your daughter...I believe she is in the utmost danger from his temper. In fact, I think you're the only one who can save her from that monster. Are you ready to hear the plan I have come up with?"