The Inheritance Clause

This story contains descriptions of graphic sex between males. If that kind of thing does not appeal to you, stop reading now.

This story is pure fiction. If this resembles something that happened to you, it must have been an incredible experience. But it's simply a coincidence.

All comments are welcome: djwarner1984@hotmail.com Please donate to Nifty: https://donate.nifty.org/

-DJ

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The Inheritance Clause - 28

Artie was dressed in sweatpants, a sweatshirt, and sneakers. His hair was mussed. He had mud on his clothes and dirt on his face. He looked like he hadn't slept since Adam threw him out of the lake house.

Dawson was in shock, not quite able to process what was happening, as he looked at Artie pointing a gun at them.

"Mr. Jameson?" Dawson said, "What are you doing here?"

Adam immediately moved to put himself between his father and his boyfriend. He spread his arms to shield Dawson.

"You don't want to do this," Adam said in a very calm voice.

It started to register with Dawson what was happening.

"Adam..." Dawson said with concern as he grabbed onto Adam's shoulders and tried to move him to get in front of him.

Adam stood his ground, keeping his arms spread so Dawson stayed behind him.

"I'm going to get my inheritance," Artie said angrily, "With you two out of the way, they'll have to give it all to me."

"That's not how that works," Adam said with as much calmness as he could muster, "They'll arrest you for murder. You'll end up in prison. All of the money will go to mom."

"They'll never know it was me," Artie said with a grin, "I got on the property without anyone seeing me."

Dawson was still trying to get around Adam. As the boys tussled, the rings dangled on the chain around Adam's neck. It caught Artie's attention. He licked his lips.

"Give me those rings," Artie said gesturing the gun toward Adam, "They're mine."

Just then, MacDonald, the security guard, appeared on the pool deck behind the boys. He had his hands out in front of him in an attempt to calm Artie. He had a taser strapped to his side, but he estimated it would be ineffective with how far away he was from Artie. When Artie saw MacDonald, he redirected the gun toward him. Dawson was still trying to get in front of Adam, but Adam wouldn't let him. The boys turned to see where Artie was pointing the gun.

"Boys, don't move," MacDonald said, concerned that they could agitate Artie.

Adam turned back toward his father.

"Dad," Adam said with more calmness, "You're not going to get away with it now. Just put the gun down. You can walk away."

Artie now looked concerned and confused. He moved his arm to point the gun back at the boys.

"He's right," MacDonald said, "You were spotted coming onto the property. The security team and the police are converging on us right now."

Artie looked panicked now. He began to move the gun toward MacDonald again. Suddenly, Krantz appeared from behind the hedges holding a five-foot section of the pool skimmer handle. Krantz swung it like a golf club, aiming for Artie's outstretched arm.

"Thwack!!!" reverberated in the air when Krantz made contact with the underside of Artie's arm.

"Ahhh!!!" Artie screamed as his arm flung upward.

"Bang!" the gun went off.

They reacted instantly to the sound of the gunshot. MacDonald ducked. Dawson hunched his shoulders. But Adam puffed himself up and tried to block Dawson from the line of fire. The bullet shot harmlessly into the air toward the lake. The gun fell out of Artie's hand and into the pool.

"Ahhh!!!" Artie cried again as he grabbed his arm in pain.

Krantz, not even flinching when the gun fired, quickly repositioned his feet and swung the skimmer handle like a baseball bat.

"Thwack!!!" reverberated again as Krantz whacked Artie with all of his strength, square on his back.

"Uuoogghh!" Artie yelped as his back bent from the force of the blow.

The momentum from Krantz's swing caused Artie to fall into the shallow end of the pool.

"Eeee!" Artie squealed in terror, sounding like a little girl, as he hit the water.

Artie began to kick his legs and wave his good arm. He was terrified as he gasped for air in the pool.

"Eeee!" Artie kept screaming with a high-pitched voice, "Eeee!"

Krantz overexerted himself with the blows to Artie's arm and back. He dropped the skimmer pole by the side of the pool and staggered toward the hedges lining the edge of the pool area. Krantz grabbed onto the branches as he hunched over, leaning against the hedge, trying to catch his breath and regain his balance.

MacDonald and the boys were focused on Artie, his head going under a couple times as he floundered. If he hadn't panicked, he would have realized he was only in a few feet of water. Dawson and Adam moved toward him and watched him struggle before they moved in and grabbed him under his armpits.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Artie whined as the boys lifted him into a standing position, "My arm! My arm!"

Krantz was trying to recover. He was no longer hunched over but was still clinging to the hedges. He looked like he had regained his balance.

Cassie and Joan came running around the corner. They were in their pajamas.

"Artie?!?!?" Joan yelled in surprise, "What's happened?"

"We heard a gunshot!" Cassie said with concern.

"Ow! Ow!" Artie kept whining, "You broke my arm!"

The boys got Artie to the pool steps. Suddenly, Niven appeared. There were police officers and security guards with her. The police officers dispersed around the pool. Two of them grabbed Artie. He was wailing and crying about his arm as the officers roughly pulled him from the pool.

By then, Krantz had moved a couple steps away from the hedge and was able to stand on his own. He was adjusting his tie when Niven spotted him.

Dawson threw himself toward Adam. He grabbed his biceps and looked at him.

"Are you crazy?!?!" Dawson said excitedly, "He could have shot you!!! What were you doing?!?!"

"I was protecting you," Adam said.

Dawson paused as he looked at his boyfriend. He pulled Adam in and they embraced. Dawson welled up as the enormity of what just happened hit him. Adam's instincts were to protect Dawson at his own peril. He truly loved him. Dawson thought he was the strong one in their relationship. It turned out that Adam was so much stronger.

Adam comforted Dawson as Joan and Cassie came over holding towels and the boys' robes. Dawson kept clutching Adam as they stood in the pool.

"Are you hurt?" Adam asked Dawson as he pulled back to look at him.

"No," Dawson managed to say, even though his eyes had begun to water.

"You're alright?" Adam said to Dawson when he saw he might start to cry.

Dawson swallowed hard and nodded, unable to say anything more because the emotions of the moment were washing over him.

Joan and Cassie helped them out of the pool. The boys wrapped themselves in their robes. Cassie draped a towel around Dawson's neck. He used it to dry his hair with one hand while he hung onto the arm of Adam's robe with his other hand. He was still reacting to what just happened and wanted to make sure Adam was still there next to him.

A police officer came over. MacDonald pointed to where he thought the bullet from the gunshot went.

"He shot into the air, toward the lake," MacDonald said, "Based on the trajectory, I don't think the bullet made it as far as the water."

"We're going to need to take everyone's statements. And there are paramedics on the way to check you out," the police officer said.

"We're fine," Adam said as Dawson clung to his arm.

"It's protocol..." the officer said, "You need to be cleared medically."

The police separated everyone to take their statements. Krantz and MacDonald were taken up to the terrace. They separated the boys, having them sit at different tables on the pool deck. A few police officers went toward the lake in an attempt to find the bullet.

Niven came outside carrying a tray of coffee. She had two bathrobes over her arm. Niven handed the robes to Joan and Cassie and they put them on. Adam, Dawson, Joan, and Cassie all took a cup of coffee.

The women sipped their coffees and watched as the boys were checked out by paramedics. Niven came around with coffee for the police and security guards. Adam and Dawson gave their statements to the police as they nursed their coffees. Another police officer took down Joan and Cassie's statements.

One of the police officers removed his gear. He took off his shoes and socks. He waded into the pool to retrieve the gun. He dropped it into a plastic bag, which another officer on the pool deck held out for him. The officer on the pool deck also took the pool skimmer pole and put that in a very large plastic bag.

Two police officers came up from the lake. One was carrying a metal detector. The other was carrying a plastic bag containing the bullet that Artie had fired.

After they were done giving their statements, the boys went over to Joan and Cassie. Dawson and Cassie hugged. Joan and Adam hugged.

"Are you alright, honey?" Joan asked.

"Yeah... What happened to dad?" Adam said as he looked around.

"They took him," Joan said, "They said Krantz hit him so hard he broke his arm. And he may have cracked some vertebrae. Your father is being treated at the hospital right now."

Joan looked at the ground and sighed.

"Where's Krantz?" Adam asked.

"They're questioning him up on the terrace," Joan said.

Adam took his mom's hand. He signaled to Dawson and Cassie. The four of them made their way to the terrace. Krantz was sitting at one of the round tables, sipping coffee. The police officer who was questioning him had just finished and was standing at the table collecting the paperwork.

"Krantz..." Adam said as he came toward him.

Krantz stood and turned.

"Yes, sir..." he barely got out.

Adam leapt at him and hugged him.

"Thank you, Krantz," Adam managed to say as he started to tear up.

The adrenaline coursing through Adam's body was starting to wear off. He began to feel the emotional impact of what had just happened. Dawson came over and put his arm around Adam. Adam let go of Krantz and he moved to Dawson. They embraced.

"It's ok, babe. I've got you..." Dawson said as Adam sobbed softly on his shoulder.

While still hugging Adam, Dawson reached his hand out and placed it on Krantz's shoulder.

"Thank you, Krantz," Dawson said quietly.

"Of course, sir," Krantz stoically said.

Adam finally recovered and the boys stopped hugging. Adam held onto Dawson's arm with both hands, standing as close to him as he could.

"I should contact Miss Cartwright and postpone your meeting," Krantz said.

"No," Adam said, "I want to get it done."

"Perhaps delay it an hour then?" Krantz suggested, "I can have her come at ten instead."

"Ok," Adam said.

"And you should have something to eat," Joan interjected.

"I want to get dressed first," Adam said.

He turned to Dawson to see what he wanted to do.

"I need to talk to you in private, Krantz," Dawson said in a quiet tone, "about a totally unrelated matter.

Adam had forgotten all about Dawson's newfound family. He looked at Dawson and then at Krantz.

"Why don't I head upstairs and take a shower? And then you come up after you talk with Krantz," Adam said to Dawson.

"MacDonald is about to brief us on how Artie got through security," Krantz said, "You should hear his briefing first."

Niven was talking with MacDonald and the remaining police officers. They all went over to them.

"At approximately 6:15 am, Kirkwood, one of the guards, was patrolling the perimeter. He spotted an intruder on the grounds. Kirkwood was too far away to intercept him, so he sent an urgent text alert to the rest of the security team and the two of you," MacDonald said as he gestured to Niven and Krantz.

"I immediately called 911," Niven said and then pursed her lips and nodded once.

"I was down at the lake when I got the text, which is why I got there so quickly," MacDonald said.

"When I was alerted," Krantz chimed in, "I was in the dining room, setting up for breakfast. I went outside to warn the boys because I knew they were in the pool."

Krantz gestured toward Adam.

"I was surprised to hear your father's voice," Krantz continued, "Then I heard you say, 'put the gun down'. I reached for the closest thing I could find, a section of the pool skimmer pole, and grabbed it. I used the hedges to hide behind as I approached him. That's how I was able to sneak up on him."

"But how did he get on the grounds in the first place?" Dawson asked.

"He knew the property pretty well," MacDonald explained, "There is a long stretch along the creek at the far end of the Santos property. We have been patrolling it, but he must have waited and timed it for when the security patrols passed by. Once he was on the property, he was able to make his way to the house without being seen. That is, until Kirkwood spotted him."

Everyone was quiet as they absorbed what MacDonald told them.

"I'll say this," MacDonald said, "He was determined. That creek is several miles away. And he had to cross through a thickly wooded area. He must have breached the Santos property at some point in the middle of the night. And then he spent the rest of the time trying to stay out of sight as he made his way to the house."

"Wow," Adam said as he looked at the ground.

"What extra precautions can we put in place?" Dawson asked.

"We can't put up any kind of barrier in that location," MacDonald said, "but we can put up proximity alarms along the creek and the edge of the woods. They'll alert us if there is any kind of breach in that area. And we'll keep doing the security patrols as well."

"What about Rosemary's Point?" Krantz asked, "I want to be sure the boys are safe out at the cabin."

"I'll take a look at what we can do there," MacDonald said, "And we'll review all of our potential breach points to bolster security to make sure this doesn't happen again."

Dawson and Adam thanked the police officers and the security team. Then Niven began to escort the police officers out. Joan came over to Adam and the two of them headed inside.

"Cass, I need to talk with you after I talk to Krantz," Dawson said to her.

"Do I have time to take a shower and get dressed?" Cassie said.

"Yeah, I need to get dressed, too," Dawson said, "Wait for me in the hallway upstairs afterward."

"K," Cassie said.

"Let's go to the library so we can talk in private," Dawson said to Krantz.

Krantz nodded and they headed inside the house. They made their way down the hallway.

Krantz and Dawson were quiet as they entered the library. Dawson closed the door. He pulled his robe tighter and cinched the belt. He took the towel off from around his neck and held it. He looked at Krantz. He took a deep breath and then sighed.

"First of all, Krantz," Dawson said, "Are you alright?"

"Of course, sir," Krantz replied, looking at Dawson as if he didn't know why he would be concerned.

"Krantz, I saw you," Dawson said, "after Adam's father fell in the pool. I'm worried."

"No need to worry, sir," Krantz said with his typical unreadable face, "I'm fine."

He looked at Krantz. He didn't appear phased at all. Dawson decided he would drop it.

"I have some surprising news," Dawson said and then paused, "I found out last night that Margherita's aunt, Helena Navarro... She is my grandmother."

Krantz tilted his head to the side as he looked at Dawson.

"I don't understand," Krantz said.

"Helena's daughter, Teresa... she's my mother," Dawson said.

Krantz's face tightened as he looked at the floor, trying to process what he had just heard.

"Sir, are you certain?" Krantz said as he looked at Dawson, projecting a calm exterior, "perhaps there's been a misunderstanding."

"No, Krantz, no. It's true," Dawson said as he tried to get Krantz to understand, "We confirmed it. My mother is Helena's daughter."

Krantz looked at Dawson. His lips parted and he looked completely confused.

"Mr. Jameson never said a word to me about it," Krantz said as he looked down trying to remember if there was any time that Clayton might have said anything about it.

"No, he wouldn't have," Dawson said, "We don't think he knew. Nobody did."

Krantz was looking off to the side, thinking.

"Jorge and Helena were twins. So, it does seem logical that I would inherit similar traits," Dawson explained, "That must be why I reminded Clayton of Jorge."

Krantz looked at Dawson and nodded in agreement.

"This must have been shocking news to you, sir," Krantz said.

"It was, Krantz," Dawson said, "But now that the initial shock has worn off, I'm quite happy about it."

Krantz looked at Dawson with pride.

"I'm going up to tell Cassie next and I'll tell Niven after breakfast, so keep this to ourselves until they all know," Dawson said.

"Of course," Krantz said.

"Thank you, Krantz," Dawson said and then he paused. "I mean... really... thank you. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't..."

"You mustn't think about that, sir," Krantz interrupted him, "It didn't happen, so don't dwell on it."

Dawson looked down and nodded.

"Between the two of us, if I may say so... I've wanted to smack some sense into that ungrateful bastard..." Krantz said and then stopped as he momentarily lost control of his emotions.

Dawson tried to hide his surprise at Krantz's comment.

"Well... let's just say I was happy to do it, sir," Krantz said as he regained his composure.

"Adam and I will forever be grateful to you," Dawson said sincerely.

Krantz nodded and then he thought for a moment.

"Sir, are you sure you are up for seeing your parents today? Given the news about your grandmother and what happened this morning, perhaps you should postpone and take some time..." Krantz suggested.

Dawson interrupted him with a loud sigh.

"I appreciate the concern, but I'll be fine," Dawson said, "Adam and I want to resolve our personal issues and get to Rosemary's Point. We don't want to delay it any longer."

"I understand," Krantz said.

Dawson gave Krantz a single nod in acknowledgement.

"Thank you, Krantz," Dawson said as he laid a hand on Krantz's shoulder.

Krantz nodded once. He turned and opened the door. They both left the library. Dawson went upstairs. When he got to his bedroom, he immediately went into the bathroom. He tossed the towel he was holding into the laundry bin. Adam was still in the shower. He saw Dawson and opened the shower door.

"How did Krantz take the news?" Adam asked as he stuck his head out.

"He was pretty shocked. He fainted when I told him," Dawson said as he scanned Adam's body.

"He did not!!!" Adam said with surprise.

"Of course he didn't!" Dawson said with a chuckle, "He reacted the same way as if I was telling him to order a case of wine. Mr. Stoneface, that one..."

Adam tilted his head and looked at Dawson with a grin.

"Krantz didn't know about my mother being a member of the Santos family. He had no idea," Dawson confirmed.

"Hmm," Adam said.

Adam began to step out of the shower while it was still running.

"Here, jump in," Adam said, "I'm done."

Adam stood next to the open shower door. The hair on Adam's body glistened more prominently with his body all wet, which made him look even sexier than usual. Dawson's eyes visibly widened and he licked his lips as he ogled Adam. Dawson felt his penis begin to harden.

"Um," Adam said as he gestured toward his eyes with two fingers, "My eyes are up here."

Adam smiled as he grabbed a towel. Dawson snapped out of his stupor and smiled at Adam.

"Sorry, I just can't wait for Rosemary's Point," Dawson said as he scanned Adam's body again.

Adam kept smiling at him as he dried his back.

"Besides... You don't seem that upset about it," Dawson said as he gestured toward Adam's dick which was starting to get fuller.

Adam chuckled and jokingly covered his front with the towel. Dawson chuckled. He took his robe off and struggled to get out of his wet swim trunks. When he finally managed to slip them off, he tossed them at Adam. The wet trunks slapped against Adam's towel-covered leg and hit the floor. Adam laughed.

Dawson came up to him. The boys looked into each other's eyes. They both immediately recognized the seriousness of what happened to them in the pool. Everything else in the world seemed to disappear. Adam let his towel drop on the floor at his side. The two naked boys embraced. Adam sighed when he felt Dawson envelop him in his arms.

"I was so scared," Adam admitted.

"So was I," Dawson said.

They simply held each other for a minute, taking in the other's scent and reveling in the feeling of comfort with their embrace.

"I thought I was going to lose you," Adam said softly as he squeezed Dawson close to him.

"I'm still here," Dawson said as he realized their flaccid penises were touching.

Dawson gently rubbed Adam's back as they held each other for another minute or so.

Adam sighed again. He pulled back slightly and kissed Dawson's naked shoulder. Dawson turned his head and kissed Adam's cheek. Dawson let go of Adam and got in the shower. He took a few minutes with his head under the hot water. He replayed in his head how Adam protected him when Artie was pointing the gun at them. When he got out of the shower, Adam had a towel wrapped around his waist, standing at the sink.

"I'm going to tell Cassie about my mother before I go down for breakfast," Dawson said, drying himself off.

"Ok," Adam said, "Am I doing your hair?"

"Yeah," Dawson quickly agreed.

Dawson liked it when Adam fussed over his hair. Plus, he thought it looked really good when he did it.

Dawson quickly finished drying himself. He went into the bedroom, got dressed, brushed his teeth, and then waited for Adam. He came into the bathroom shortly and without any words between them, Adam did Dawson's hair.

"Gorgeous," Adam whispered into Dawson's ear when he finished.

Dawson smiled. He liked Adam telling him he's gorgeous. Dawson started to head to his bedroom. Adam followed him and they went into the hallway. They got to the top of the stairs. Dawson leaned against the banister. Adam came in close. He planted a little kiss on Dawson's closed lips as they stood close together, waiting for Cassie. He pulled back and looked into his eyes. Dawson smiled.

"So..." Adam said, "I was thinking about it in the shower. You're Mateo's cousin," and then he smiled at Dawson.

"I hadn't thought about it," Dawson said, "but yeah, I guess I am."

Dawson began to think about all of the new relatives he had now.

"Babe, how do you want to break the news to Niven?" Adam said.

"I figured I would talk to her alone after breakfast," Dawson said, "Can you tell your mom after breakfast? Then everyone will know."

"Sure," Adam said.

Just then they heard Cassie come out of her room. Adam gave Dawson one last closed mouth kiss.

"Good luck, babe," Adam said to him.

"Hey Cassie..." Adam said to her.

"Hey," she said with some apprehension in her voice because she overheard him say 'good luck'.

"I'll see you downstairs," Adam said and then he turned to go down.

Cassie had a curious look on her face.

"Something wrong?" Cassie asked, "Is it about Adam's father?"

Dawson half grinned and shook his head.

"It's about my mom actually," Dawson said.

Cassie looked concerned.

"C'mere," Dawson said.

He took Cassie's hand and led her to his bedroom. He closed the door and they sat down on one of the couches, facing each other. Dawson still held her hand. She looked really nervous.

"I found out last night that my mom's parents didn't die when she was sixteen, like she said they did," Dawson said, trying to ease Cassie into the news.

Cassie still looked concerned. But now she also looked confused.

"It turns out, her mother... my grandmother... lives right next door," Dawson said, "Her name is Helena Navarro."

"Get out!" Cassie said, "Seriously?!?!"

Dawson nodded.

"How?... I mean... Why did she lie?... I mean... I thought your mom's maiden name was Bennet?" Cassie didn't know what to say.

"So did I," Dawson said.

"Wow," Cassie said as she looked off into the distance trying to absorb the news.

"Yeah... I know, it's a lot to take in," Dawson said.

"So, she lied all this time?" Cassie said, "Why would she do that? Does your dad know?"

"Cass, I only have bits and pieces of the answers," Dawson said, trying to avoid telling her all the details, for now.

Cassie sighed. She looked at the ground for a bit, thinking. Then she looked at Dawson with sympathy.

"Are you alright?" Cassie asked him as she grasped his hand tighter.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Dawson said and then he smiled, "I am. I'm fine. My grandmother is so sweet. And there's a whole bunch of cousins and aunts and uncles."

"No, I was talking about Adam's father," Cassie said with concern.

"Oh, well," Dawson said, "Adam and I had already written him off after the inquiry."

"No, I mean..." Cassie said as she tilted her head, "Adam's father just shot at you."

"Oh... yeah..." Dawson said as the image of Artie pointing the gun at him flashed in his mind. "That's not what I'm focusing on. Adam... Adam got in front of me. He was ready to let his father shoot him to protect me. He really loves me, Cass."

Cassie sighed.

"I know," Cassie said, "It's obvious you two are in love." She paused. "Hey, I'm sorry I said anything before about watching out for him. I can see it now. He really does love you. He's perfect for you."

Dawson smiled and squeezed Cassie's hand.

"So..." Dawson said.

He wanted to change the subject.

"I was originally going to just tell my parents to fuck off," Dawson said, "but now... I'm thinking I want to do more than that."

Cassie looked at him skeptically.

"What are you planning?" Cassie said with a slight laugh.

"Nothing solid yet," Dawson said, "but I'm mulling a few ideas. Want to help?"

Cassie grinned.

"Hell, yeah," she said.

"Ok, let's talk later," Dawson said, "I'm still thinking about what I want to do."

"Ok," Cassie said.

They left the bedroom and went downstairs. When they entered the dining room, Joan and Adam were already there. They took their seats and Krantz poured their coffees. After fixing his coffee, Dawson got up and selected a muffin and a banana.

"Giving up that second muffin?" Adam teased him.

"For now..." Dawson said as he absentmindedly put his hand on his abs.

"Juice, sir?" Krantz asked Dawson.

"Yes, please, Krantz," Dawson replied.

"What time is Vickie supposed to be here, honey?" Joan asked Adam.

"In a little while," Adam said as he glanced up at the clock, "at ten."

"Don't worry, I'll be out of the way," Joan said, "I need to call Melanie and tell her about your father."

There was quiet as everyone thought about Artie.

"I should tell you," Cassie said, "There will be renewed interest by the media after what happened this morning. Police reports are public records. Everyone is going to be tracking down the story."

They all looked at Cassie.

"I'm going to draft a statement for you to consider sending to the media before you leave for the cabin," Cassie said to the boys.

The boys looked at each other.

"Ok," Dawson said.

Krantz poured cranberry juice for Dawson and put the glass down in front of him. Krantz knew that Dawson always had orange juice. It was Adam who preferred cranberry juice. Dawson assumed that Krantz's condition had distracted him again, causing him to pour the wrong juice. He didn't want to call attention to it and raise Adam's suspicions, so he said nothing. Krantz, not realizing his mistake, went into the kitchen.

After Cassie's comments, Adam didn't want to talk about his father anymore, so he changed the subject.

"How was dinner last night, mom?" Adam said to his mother, "You didn't have any problems with the media, did you?"

"No," Joan said, "Nobody had any idea who I was. Oh... we went to Barton Creek Tavern. You used to work there, didn't you?"

Adam and Dawson glanced at each other and grinned. When they were doing the ballroom music task, Adam told Dawson he used to work there.

Joan didn't wait for a response. She simply jumped to her next thought.

"Oh, how was the birthday party? Did Marcus enjoy himself?" Joan asked.

"Marco..." Adam corrected her, "Yes, we all did. It was a good party."

"Mmm, it was," Dawson said, "but not as much fun as I bet Cassie had. How was your horror double feature?"

"Oh, it was awesome," Cassie said as her face lit up, "The second movie scared the crap out of me."

Dawson smiled and chuckled as he shook his head.

The conversation continued as they ate breakfast. They all avoided talking about Artie and what happened that morning. Eventually, Cassie had to go upstairs. She needed to get on a conference call.

Adam left the dining room with his mother. He told her he wanted to talk, so they went up to her room. They sat next to each other on the couch in Joan's bedroom.

"Mom, do you remember Helena Navarro? She lives next door at the Santos farm," Adam said.

"Is that the one you used to call Ablita?" Joan asked.

"Abuelita, yes," Adam said, "We found out last night that she is Dawson's grandmother."

"What do you mean?" Joan asked all confused.

"Dawson's mother lied to him when he was growing up," Adam explained, "She told him her parents died when she was a teenager. But the truth is, her mother and her whole extended family are still alive."

"Why would any mother do that to their child?" Joan said, still not comprehending.

Adam sighed.

"Who knows why some people do the things they do?" Adam said.

With that comment, they both couldn't help but think about Artie.

"Did your father really point a gun at you?" Joan said quietly.

"Yeah," Adam said softly as he looked at the floor.

"What an ass..." Joan said with some anger in her voice.

When Adam and Joan left the dining room, Dawson remained by himself. He sat and thought about his parents and how he wanted to handle them. Krantz came in and began to clear the other place settings.

"Krantz," Dawson said in a sympathetic tone, "You poured me cranberry juice, not orange juice."

Krantz looked at Dawson's place setting and saw the glass of cranberry juice.

"Oh, I'm sorry sir," Krantz said, "I'll get you some orange juice."

"No, it's ok," Dawson said, "It's not about the juice."

Dawson looked at him and sighed.

"It's more than just distractions, like you said before, Krantz," Dawson said.

Krantz's face remained unchanged. He looked at Dawson for a moment. He realized it wasn't worth arguing with Dawson about it.

"Yes," was all Krantz said.

"Things are progressing faster than the doctors said, aren't they?" Dawson said.

"It appears so, sir," Krantz said.

"Krantz, what can I do?" Dawson said, almost pleading, "We should tell Adam now."

Krantz sighed.

"Please don't, sir," Krantz replied, "It will interfere with your plans for Rosemary's Point. Please, let him have his time with you before you tell him," Krantz said.

Dawson contemplated Krantz's plea.

"Ok," Dawson said with sadness.

Dawson paused and then his face looked a bit sterner.

"While Adam and I are away, you take it easy. That's a direct order, Krantz," Dawson said firmly, "and when we get back from Rosemary's Point, we will talk about lightening some of your duties."

Krantz looked at Dawson.

"Yes, sir," Krantz simply said.

Krantz began to clear the dishes again. About a minute later, Dawson and Krantz heard the doorbell ring. Dawson threw Krantz a look because they both knew it was Vickie. Krantz left the room to answer the door. Dawson got up and went into the kitchen to find Niven.

"Niven," Dawson said when he found her leaning over the counter, reading a recipe in a cookbook.

"Oh," Niven said when she saw it was Dawson, "Is everything alright?"

She made a sympathetic-looking face.

"Yes," Dawson said and then paused, "I have something to tell you."

Niven immediately pursed her lips and looked worried.

"It's not bad news," Dawson said, "So, no need to be worried."

She leaned against the counter, positioned her arms at her side, and rested her palms on the edge of the counter. She pursed her lips again and looked at Dawson with anticipation.

"So, I found out last night that Margherita Santos' aunt Helena is my grandmother," Dawson simply blurted it out.

Niven looked at him trying to figure out what he just said.

"Did your parents never tell you?" Niven asked.

"No," Dawson said, "I recognized my mother in a picture they had in their living room and we put two and two together."

"Oh, you poor dear..." Niven blurted out.

Dawson was touched by Niven's comment.

"I've invited Helena, Margherita, and Rosa to dinner on Sunday," Dawson said, "Can you add them to the dinner count?"

Niven simply nodded.

"Dawson..." Niven said.

She paused when she realized she inadvertently called him by his first name. She reached out and gripped his shoulders. She peered into his eyes.

"I'm sorry for everything you've gone through. I hope you find comfort and happiness with Adam and your new family."

Niven appeared maternal as she looked into Dawson's eyes.

"Thank you, Niven," Dawson said, "That's very kind of you."

"Get away!!!" a woman's voice suddenly screeched from outside.

Dawson and Niven were momentarily startled. Niven removed her hands from Dawson's shoulders as they looked at each other with concern on their faces.

"Ahhhh!!!" the woman screamed.

"Oh god, what now?" Dawson exhorted as they both moved toward the screams.

==========

The Inheritance Clause - 28

If you like this story, tell me: djwarner1984@hotmail.com And then donate to Nifty: https://donate.nifty.org/

-DJ