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Happy new year! Hope you all had a fun and sexy time
Over the next few days it seems like the whole town out to help Blue and Ollie get the ice-cream production bock up and running. They work long and hard getting everything in place best they can for when the equipment and supplies arrive.
Around 4pm on Wednesday when they are sending people home, having done all they can before their health inspection Clara arrives with Gervais, Bea and Chris
"Blue, Andy we need to have a family meeting. Ollie can you get home okay?" Clara asks.
"Yes I drove me and Tad here, See you tomorrow. Call me if there is a change of plan." Ollie says and leaves.
Blue shows them into the break room and they sit around a table.
"We just need to wait for Randolph." Clara says and they all look surprised.
"Jeremy okay with you leaving early?" Blue asks.
"Yes he has told me to take any time I need, or rather you need me. My project is done and I'm just picking up odds and ends right now." Gervais says.
"Sound like you're ready to quit." Andy says.
"I am. I'm planning to tell him tomorrow that I'll do one more week. Brian's replacement is starting next week so -I'll help them settle in and go. I need to take a break before we go back to school. Plus I can drive Ocean for the week while Spence and Will are away." Gervais says.
"That sounds a good idea." Clara says.
"You can help me." Andy grins.
"I thought that. I'd really like to have some time outdoors." Gervais says.
"Has Brian found a job? Just wondering about him staying in the apartment." Blue asks.
"He has moved in with Norm already. I have his key, I met him for lunch on yesterday, so much has happened I forgot." Gervais says.
"So he's not mad at you?" Blue asks.
"Not at all. Norm has found him a job. Jeremy was good about a reference and everything. I mean he was really good at his job, he just messed up." Gervais says.
"Right, you're all here good." Randolph says.
"If this about the fire, why are you still involved, not wanting to be rude?" Blue asks.
"Your mother trusts me and as long as you're not needing me to actually defend any of you, I can manage the work and it has been interesting. And well Arnold is family so it's personal too, especially now." Randolph says and Blue accepts the explanation, a bit annoyed his mom has stolen his lawyer.
"So what has happened?" Andy asks.
"Huge developments in the last 24 hours, Lana, Paul and Jett have all been taken in for questioning, Jett isn't talking but I know they have found clothes with what they suspect is the accelerant on and there are some large payments to his account, He has informally been identified by people in the apartment building. The police think, strongly think that Paul is behind it. They have a loose connection between Paul and Jett but nothing to Lana. However Lana has confessed, seemingly to save Paul and well the police might go for an easy out." Randolph says.
"What a stupid bitch." Chris says.
"Will you talk to her?" Clara asks.
"What?" Chris asks.
"Will you talk to her and promise her the world if she recants? I do not think she has capacity to do this, do you?" Clara asks.
"Yes she does. Look how she treats Bea." Chris says.
"Look how Paul treats Bea." Clara says.
"Mom is suggesting that Paul is the cold calculating one and Lana blows up and it blows over. I am not agreeing with her as I think she cuts Lana way, way too much slack over everything that happened." Blue says.
"There is absolutely no way mom would have done it. She saw how much Chris loved the parlor. I've been thinking about it over and over but remember before we fought she loved the place too and she loved seeing Chris enjoy a birthday treat. She would not want to ruin the place that held such a precious memory. It is the only time she had all three of us together on our birthdays and dad would have been really, really jealous of that. It would have been enough to tip him over." Bea says firmly.
"I'd bet Paul has told her he'll take her back if she takes the fall. He probably called off the divorce temporarily as he knows he'll get a better deal if he starts it when she's convicted." Andy says.
"Agreed." Randolph says.
"You think the police will stop looking if she sticks to her story?" Gervais asks.
"Yes. If she recants there is more of a chance for Jett to make a deal. In order for him to make a deal he will have to drop one or both of them in it." Randolph says.
"It 'isn't our problem. Not mine anyway. She's a grown woman, if she wants to be that stupid she should go ahead. She knows she's putting us all in danger of being burned to death if the real culprit is let go but she doesn't give a shit." Blue shrugs tired of it and acutely ashamed that the whole town showed up to help him when it was his psycho family behind it all.
"Blue." Clara admonishes.
"I brought Jett in, which is totally my fault. I didn't check him out, I trusted him and he betrayed me twice. Thing is I never fired him, he never showed up again saving us all, I can't believe he did this. But he did. I have to live with that and you two have to deal with one of your parents doing this. Momma you are to blame too, you got involved with the pair of them. What does it matter who did it?" Blue asks.
"I don't get why either of them would be so destructive. What do they gain? A level playing field for the three of you? I don't see Paul's motive." Gervais says.
"His motive was framing mom to get an easy divorce and all their assets and getting at Clara at the same time. To punish Blue for not sharing his fortune and because he could. It was dad. No question but I am with you if mom wants to go to jail that is her look out. She's a fool and I say we leave her to it." Chris says.
"I will talk to her. If I can visit her I will do it." Gervais says.
"You?" Bea asks confused.
"As Chris's ex and Blue's close friend I have a pretty good insight into your family dynamic and I know how much she means to the pair of you, however much you protest. Nothing so guilt tripping as an orphan." Gervais says looking Bea and then Chris in the eye.
"Okay. I'll come too." Bea says.
"Chris?" Clara asks.
"I'll stay with Blue and Andy. I can't be seen favoring one of them over the other. We might need me down the road." Chris says.
"Bea do you want Robin with you?" Blue asks and Bea nods.
"Do Arnold, Ella and Heidi know about Jett?" Andy asks.
"Not yet. I'll talk to them while we're on our way. Lana is in a police cell the other side of the city." Randolph says.
"Does she have a lawyer?" Chris asks.
"A women's charity I support recommended someone who has dealt with women like this. I'm hoping Gervais and Bea won't be needed." Clara says.
"Thanks momma. I hate you right now but you are so good in a crisis." Chris says.
"Thanks Chris. You don't need to hate me. I do accept that Blue doesn't want what I want for him. That it has unified the three of you is a joyous thing." Clara says.
"Can I go? Are you going now?" Blue asks curtly.
"Yes. What has got you so annoyed?" Clara asks.
"Andy and I have had to put off going to support our partners at nationals because of this crisis and it fucking blows. I miss Will like crazy, he has supported me so much and I can't be there for him because you decided to have a fucking weird arrangement with my bio dad. I am fucking angry that I can't just live my life, that you all push your way in, every time I get away, start over you all fuck it up. You, those two, the bio dad and Lana. What exactly did I do to deserve all this?" Blue says the past few weeks bubbling up and spilling out, lashing out at his family.
"Come on bro, lets get home." Chris says getting up.
"Fuck off Chris, it's my home not yours." Blue says and shrugs him off.
"Let him calm down. He is feeling guilty and you lot being here isn't helping." Gervais says.
"Guilty? He didn't do anything." Chris says.
"He feels like he's taken up everyone's time this week, and it was his fault for bringing his toxic family here." Andy says.
"You're the one with no guilt switch. I feel to blame too." Bea says.
"Well Jett, mom and dad all made their own choices. Come on Andy lets get Blue home and a beer or three in him." Chris says and Andy quickly follows.
"I'll drive Bea and Robin if you give me the details." Gervais says.
"That is great." Clara says.
"Lets go we can get Robin on the way." Gervais says.
Chris tries to work out what he can say on the drive back. Blue and Andy have given him such great advice since he met them and he wants to make things better for Blue. He knows he has been the cause of a lot of Blue's trouble and he knows he doesn't deserve to be here at all.
"Whats up? Other than your parents facing prison." Andy asks.
"Getting an attack of that guilt." Chris says.
"It isn't actually your fault either. Not this part of things. You've fucked Blue over but you usually limited it to just Blue." Andy says.
"Sometimes Bea. And I sued my parents, which kicked this all off." Chris says.
"Your parents deserved that. They are duplicitous shits." Blue says.
"That is true but I didn't think through that my dad would always take revenge, always." Chris says.
"Because he usually took it on your mom, or Bea. You were always let off." Blue says.
"Yeah. Even now he's taking it out on you not me. He is so screwed up thinking momma screwed him over. But joke is on him because you're not going to be harmed at all. If anything you're stronger than ever." Chris says.
"Arnold has been fucked over the most. Jett is the one getting revenge, your dad has no idea." Blue says.
"Like when I tried to get you out of school and Gervais was being screwed too." Chris says.
"Great timing mate." Andy says and all three of them start laughing at just how bizarre their life is.
"I'm going to see if Will is free." Blue says.
"Is he going to be okay?" Chris asks Andy.
"I don't think so. He's close to the edge." Andy says.
"I thought so the way he started cursing at momma. I mean it was cool but it wasn't like Blue, not when she hadn't actually done anything wrong. When she was doing good." Chris says.
"Your momma has always been pretty great to me and Katelyn, but she has done so much to Blue, going back years, before you were on the scene. You know that. She knew who your parents became and she still played this game. Taunting them. Letting them thinking they had one over on her when it was a drop in the ocean. She could have asked about your college funds years ago, taken them back to court, insisted on proper investment. She didn't because she wanted them in the trap." Andy says.
"You think she thought that far ahead?" Chris asks.
"Yeah, maybe she believed the money went to your mom, I don't know. I just know she is way to smart to have let it happen on purpose." Andy says.
"Do you think my mom has something on momma? And that is why this all started?" Chris asks.
"I have no idea. I think if they could all move on like you, Bea and Blue are doing and stopped keeping score everything would be better. I don't think anything matters anymore." Andy says.
"I started loving Blue when I stopped adding up what he has." Chris says.
"I am glad you didn't have your shit together like this when we were together. Might have missed out on Spence. What with you being half human." Andy grins.
The three talk late into the night. They don't mention the troubles but talk about their futures, college, work and weddings.
Gervais is unsure why he volunteered. Being a hero is not his style. He just feels sorry for Lana, she seems like the one who is losing the most. Sure she has brought a lot on herself but she also had a rough deal from the start.
"Why are you covering for him?" Gervais asks as he goes into the interview room with the lawyer.
"He could never cope with prison." Lana says.
"So you go to prison and he is free, who will stop him actually killing Blue next time. You know it was only because it was my birthday that Blue wasn't there when the fire was started. You know it almost killed a herd of cattle. But all of that is nothing compared to you giving up on Bea and Chris." Gervais says.
"I'm not giving up on them." Lana says.
"You expect them to come visit? You expect to repair your relationship while they fear for their lives? If he gets away with this he will step things up and it will be on your hands. Don't leave the triplets without any parents at all. It fucking sucks." Gervais says.