Emily approached timidly. “What is it?” She asked again.
“Emily, come here.” He held a hand out to her as he spoke.
Nik’s tone scared her. Something was wrong, way wrong. She wanted to hold his hand. She wanted to hold him. She couldn’t. “What is it Nik?” She asked again. “Please just tell me.”
Nikolas tried to think of a way to tell her. “You said you would make a decision about how much you wanted to know when we found out more about your father.”
Emily stood stunned. “You know something about him?” She asked almost frightened. She had wanted to know for so long. Now that it was so near it scared her.
“Yes. I found a letter.” Nikolas answered.
Emily’s heart raced. Was she more excited or scared? She didn’t know. “Tell me about him. Please.” ,p>
--
Ned smiled at V’s expression. “Maybe we can help each other.” He answered.
“You shouldn’t have to help me. I am an adult. I should be able to take care of myself.” She said stubbornly.
“I have no doubt that you can, V.” He said with a smile. He knew she could do anything she set her mind too. She could shoot a gun, she could file a perfect report, she could sit through hours of red tape, she could cut through it just as easily, she could sign a record deal, she could sing, she could dance, and she could light a room up by simply smiling. He smiled just thinking about it.
Ned’s smile flustered her. “I am mad at you and you are smiling at me:”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “You are just so much fun when you are annoyed.”
V did not look amused. “Thank you very much. I come to help you and you laugh at me.” She didn’t know why it hurt so much. “I don’t need this.” Her voice grew louder with every word. “I am leaving.” She said as she got up and headed for the door.
Ned couldn’t let that happen. He hadn’t really smiled in weeks. He couldn’t let the one thing that brightened up his mood walk out the door. If he did that he was done for.
“V, don’t go!” He exclaimed.
“Why should I stay?” She asked as she turned back towards him.
Ned thought of many reasons. He just couldn’t put them into words. “I… You….” He stumbled.
His inarticulate attempts were wearing thin. “When you think of a reason for me to stay, call me. I might come back.” She said softly. Her anger was dissipating, however, she wasn’t ready to give in.
That changed when she heard the reply.
--
Sonny took the picture Carly was holding. That photograph was one of the few tangible memories he had of his son. He stared into the boy’s eyes. Sonny noticed, not for the first time, they were his own. “He is my son.” Sonny answered softly.
Carly nodded and blinked back the tears. One look at the boy in the photo told her that much. She expected that answer. Still, it hurt.
Mike expected it too. The boy looked so much like Sonny when he was that young. “Tell us about him, Michael?” Mike wanted to know everything about his grandchild. He knew the story couldn’t be good. If it were Sonny wouldn’t have hid it for so long. He almost feared what Sonny would tell him.
“Great Pop I tell you the biggest secret I have and still you call me Michael. Can’t you show a little sympathy for the suffering? Hell, why don’t you just leave. I am not worth the trouble anyway.” Sonny said as he began pacing.
“You are my son. You are worth the trouble.” Mike answered.
Sonny shook his head. “I suppose you want to hear this too.” Sonny asked Carly. “His name is David.”
“What happened to David?” Carly feared the answer even as she asked the question.
“Very good, Carly. I loved him. Something obviously happened to him. Maybe you should take that as a sign and take Michael as far away from me as possible.” Sonny snapped. How could she trust her child around him. Everything he touched disappeared.
“What happened to him?” Carly repeated. She couldn’t be deterred that easily.
“He was kidnapped.” Sonny answered. “Somebody took him to prove they weren’t afraid of me. They wanted me to roll over. I left instead. I couldn’t get David back, the least I could do was protect the rest of my family.” Sonny’s rage held back his tears.
He had never spoken about them to anybody. When he started he couldn’t stop. “With me out of the way my wife could be free to live a long and happy life.” He said with a sarcastic laugh. “As much of one as she could without our son. In the end a lot of good it did her. I left to save her life. A bullet, an explosion, or a fire, maybe one of those would have been less painful for her.”
Mike and Carly could only watch as his tears began to fall. “She was supposed to take the baby and live a good and happy life. Paige was supposed to move out west and raise our daughter away from madness. In the end she died too young and Emily’s “family” is as mad as they come.
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