To Set You Free

I am thankful that the kids didn't have school today. I could shield them from the outside world. Protect them from the monsters just waiting to report your every single move to the media. I planned to have a junk food fest with Wyatt and Kinleigh. Normally we only have one a year, and it's my birthday, but I am more than willing to make an exception just to get my mind off of everything that has happened recently.

I scoop out ice cream into three separate bowls then raid my fridge and pantry for sugary condiments.

"Hey guys, come it breakfast."

I watch as Kinleigh and Wyatt squirm their way up on the bar stools and see what I prepared for them.

"Ice cream for breakfast? Mama, are you sick?" Kinleigh asked before taking her first bite.

Wyatt already has a mouth stuffed full. "Shut up and eat Kin, she might change her mind."

Kinleigh's eyes go wide and she puts a big scoop of ice cream and whipped topping into her mouth. I round the counter and place a gentle kiss on the tops of their heads.

"Don't eat too fast, I don't want any sick children today."

There was a knock at the door. I looked at the clock, 9:30. Everyone I associated with is either at work or school during this time.

I open the door without unlocking the chain. I was surprised to see Celia standing there.

I shut the door, unhook the lock and then allow Celia to enter.

"Nana!" The kids cheered. I never understood how they loved her.

"You're feeding them ice cream? Nice parenting skills," Celia scoffs.

"Well Celia, no one can be perfect like you," I smirk rudely. "Why are you here?"

"Thomas left his hotel room last night. Quinn said that she thought you called right before. He hasn't come back. I thought that maybe he was here."

I turn to Wyatt and Kinleigh, "Hey guys, I need to talk to Nana alone. We'll just be in my room. Holler if you need anything."

I head into my room and wait for Celia to enter before I shut the door.

"Yeah, I called him last night but just to tell him that after this DNA test, I want nothing to do with him or even his family."

"Family? You're not going to keep my grandchildren away from me."

"Yes, did you watch TV last night? He called me crazy, on live television. They said that he made a statement that Elena Fraser was crazy. Think about how that will impact my kids. There friends parents will talk about me, then those kids will taunt my kids at school. They already have a hard time seeing dad's pick up their friends when they don't have one."

"I know, he is acting childish about this. It was the right thing for you to do."

"Well you made me do it so," I trail off as Celia gives me a harsh look.

"So you don't know where my son is?"

I stop and think. He used to do this a lot when we were kids. We'd get in a huge fight and I'd claim I don't want anything to do with him and he'd storm off. Most of the time he would lock himself in his room and play his guitar until his fingers bled. Other times he would go hang out in the break room of the Bar.

"Did you check every room of the Bar?" I ask.

"Yeah, I called Eric and he went down there."

I thought some more, and it hit me. I knew where is was. "I think I know. Can you watch the kids for a bit?"

"Uh, sure?" She questioned.

Celia left me to change. I didn't have time to shower or fix my hair, so it stayed in a messy bun that I slept in.

"I'll be back soon," I kiss the tops of Wyatt and Kinleigh's heads again before making my way out of the door.

I put on sunglasses to help shade my face from of the people waiting by my car, to snap my picture.

"Elena Fraser, where are you going?" One of them asked.

"Is it true you do meth?"

"Are you really crazy?"

I laugh loudly as I unlock my car. "Why would I tell you where I am going? No I don't do meth, who came up with that? And I am the craziest, obviously," I slide into my car with ease before stepping on the gas and jetting away from the people with the absurd questions.

When Celia and her ex husband were going through a divorce, they would fight a lot. Tommy would leave during these fights and he always found himself on this old train bridge that has been unused for years. It is very secluded, and you have to walk most of the way just to get to the train tracks that you have to follow.

I reached the tracks and by a thick part of the woods Tommy's car is there, in attempts to be hidden. I park beside him and start south. The tracks branch off, and I take the one that leads into the woods.

The river and the bridge come into view. Tommy is sitting in the middle, with his feet dangling off the edge.

He's looking down, his head in his hands as I approach him. "How did I know you'd be here?"

I startle him. "What?"

"Your mom came over worried because you didn't go back to your hotel last night. She thought you were with me."

"Oh. Ed is prepared to call the FBI if you don't call him soon."

"Did you talk to him?"

"No, that's what he told Celia."

"Can I borrow your phone, mine died."

I hand him my phone and I watch as he sends a single text to his mom acting as me, telling her that I had found him and we're going to talk about things.

"So lets talk," I say after a rather long awkward silence.

"About what?"

I laughed out a sarcastic ha before speaking, "About what? Everything that is happening. We can start at you calling me crazy."

"I didn't say that, I would never say that. Not about you, Elena. I know you're not crazy. You can get emotional and sometimes irrational, you are selfless and loving, but you are never crazy. You need to believe me on that."

"I do," I whisper, scared to speak any louder.

"I didn't want it to be like this. I didn't want this to be some big ordeal, but I was, I am just so mad. You didn't even tell me, I found out from a four year old that I might be her father."

"Do you really think that there is a chance that Wyatt and Kinleigh are not yours?"

"I don't want them to be mine," Tommy says facing me. I can see the truth all over his face.

"Oh, well then, I'm sorry that I've disappointed you," I say rising to my feet. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess, then you won't have to see me again. I wish you the best on your marriage, Quinn is a lucky girl," I have to leave quickly before Tommy has a chance to see me cry.

I pull back my tears, I must not cry. I keep repeating this to myself all the way home. I chant it in my head the rest of the day, as I eat my feelings with the rest of junk food fest.

*

Today is a very big day. The day where all of this gets laid to rest. The last day I will ever see Tommy face to face. I try not to think about that part as much though. Celia has taken Wyatt and Kinleigh out for the entire day, she and Eric have given me the day off without me asking. This will able me to prepare for what is going to happen. Also allowing me to over think what this day will bring.

I got dressed at a snail's pace, leaving no time to over think my outfit. Though now, as I am getting out of my car with the flash of the cameras I regret wearing a skirt.

Besides Curtis Jones I am the only one who is here. I am fifteen minutes early and as the the clock strikes four, Ed, Quinn and a lawyer that introduces himself as Ross enter the building. We sit in silence for Tommy.

I look up at the clock and realize we have been waiting for thirty minutes. Quinn notices too, "What did you do to him?"

"What?" I asked shocked.

"You were the last one that saw him, I know you were. Celia told me," Quinn points out.

"And you think just because I saw him last, I am the reason he isn't here?"

"You probably killed him, so he couldn't sue you."

"Sue me for what?"

"I don't know, like making him waste his time and money on finding out he's not the father of your bastard children."

I count to what seems like a thousand by eighths in my head before speaking. "Okay first, he is the one wasting my time and money. I know who the father is. And second if you ever call my children bastards or any other name for that matter, I'll make sure that bull dog face of yours is never in anymore movies again. Got it?" I ask calmly.

"Whatever, you're still fat," Quinn says like she is back in high school.

"And you're still plastic bimbo," I smile nicely.

Curtis Jones looks at both of us. Finally he releases us, saying that if Tommy wants to know the test results to come in by himself before six.

I make my way back to my home. I couldn't believe that Tommy didn't show up, after everything that has happened over these last three days. The paparazzi aren't waiting outside when I pull into my parking spot. They are probably still at Curtis Ross' office.

I go to unlock the door, but I find it's already unlocked. I push the door open slowly.

"Tommy?" I ask when I fully enter the living room and find him sitting nervously on my couch.