In the living room, Ned managed to get both the confused Henrietta and the glaring Fernando to sit across from each other, with Garrick sitting by Henrietta's side while Ned had Fernando sit by his side.
"You really look like Faunus!" Henrietta stated but Fernando remained silent, glaring her down.
Feeling Uneasy, Henrietta glanced worriedly at Ned, without saying another word, her eyes Asked him to explain this situation, and Ned was about to.
But the moment he opened his mouth, Yuri teleported inside the living room.
"JESUS CHRIST WTH?!" Garrick was startled by the mage's sudden appearance as usual, "Ned, I've found you finally! I've made-up my mind about clearing this misunderstanding!" Yuri spoke-up before they took notice of the odd meeting that was happening in Ned's living room.
"Henrietta?...And Fernando?" Yuri blurted, "You know me?" Henrietta Asked but got ignored.
"I'm in the middle of something really important Yuri, and I'm not sure what you're talking about right now." Ned said.
"I'm talking about Jade.
Also, What the hell is going on in your living room?! I usually don't question what you do Ned darling, but these two together? looks like a bad idea." Yuri replied.
"I said the same thing." Garrick said, "I'm not gonna do anything, I promised Ned so, so chill out!" Fernando spoke-up.
"Since I'm being ignored, I'll change the question...Who is she? I mean she just literally teleported in here?!" Henrietta asked while pointing at Yuri.
"I'm Yuri, and I go by They/Them, I'm Ned's Ex-boss and current business partner." Yuri replied slightly annoyed.
Surprised, "No wonder that you know me then! Ned must've told you at some point." Henrietta said smiling.
Still slightly jealous, "Stop smiling, Ned is my mate." Garrick mumbled unhappy.
"Yuri just Sit down and I'll explain everything I know to you." Ned said and Yuri Sighing in defeat, sat down.
But When they couldn't see her anywhere, "Where's Jade? we're still going to talk about her, right?" Yuri Asked, "Yeah we will.
but right now Jade is with Grey, he accidentally told her he likes cars, so she took him to see hers in the garage." Ned explained.
Scoffing, "You mean your cars? I bet it was you who payed for those sweet rides." Fernando commented.
"I Know It's my fault that Jade is a trust fund baby, Freddie.
But my child spending my money isn't what we're going to discuss right now." Ned replied, "What I'm about to tell you, will explain to you why I think you've been a victim this whole time." he added.
"Him? a victim?" Yuri said scoffing, "I'm so confused...am I involved?" Henrietta asked, "Yes! You are!" Ned replied.
But before Ned could start explaining, Someone else teleported in the living room, cutting him off.
Sighing, "What now?" Fernando said annoyed as Yurei and Jasper stood-up in the living room, "Yuri! I've been trying to find you!" Yurei said enthusiastically.
"Jasper? Yurei? what the hell is going on?" Ned asked feeling both surprised and Angry, "I'm wondering the same thing." Yuri said disappointed.
"Yurei dragged me here, I'm innocent!" Jasper replied before he noticed Fernando, so he casually and quietly went to sit next to him.
Still fired-up by his idea and oblivious to the room's atmosphere, "I came here with a proposition Yuri!" Yurei said before he noticed Henrietta whom he never saw before, "I don't want to assume your gender but DAMN DUDE! you're built like a warrior!" Yurei said pointing at Henrietta without a warning.
"Umm, Thanks?" A confused Henrietta said.
Feeling embarrassed, "YOU LITTLE SHIT?!" Ned shouted, "What? I didn't mean it as an insult! Matilda and Garrick are as big as this person, I think they look good." Yurei replied while still pointing at Henrietta.
"Stop pointing at her?! it's impolite YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Ned shouted again.
Annoyed, "Jeez fine!" Yurei said then he glanced over the other person who was by Ned's side.
When he realized it was Fernando this whole time, Yurei's expression twisted from Annoyance to Anger.
"What the hell?!" Yurei said, His expression promised that he would do something stupid, but luckily someone else stepped in to make sure Yurei wouldn't cause a problem, "Judging by the...unusual scenery here...I'm glad I...made the decision...to follow you...Mi amor." Tacito who just teleported, spoke calmly, even with Fernando now staring at him strangely.
"Tacito, I think I made it clear that Jasper should stay in my office." Yuri spoke-up, "My Apologies Jihi...It is quite...tricky to deal...with Yurei's shenanigans." Tacito replied bowing his head apologetically.
"Shenanigans?! I came here for you!" Yurei said feeling offended.
"How are you, Taci?" Fernando asked, the sincerity in his voice struck Tacito as odd.
"How sweet of...you...Are you asking...me such question...now that I'm...carrying your grandchild?" Tacito replied sarcastically, it made Fernando look away as he felt hurt by those words.
Surprised, "Grandchild?...wait? you're pregnant! is that why you asked to do my paperwork!" Yuri asked.
"I suppose, we only told the parents we love, that we're expecting a new family member." Yurei said making both Fernando and Yuri frown at him.
Sighing, "Can we discuss this later?" Fernando asked.
"At this point I'm afraid the moment I start talking again, someone else is going to show-up!" Ned replied sighing as well.
Like a wish come true, The doorbell began ringing, "You guys are expecting more company?" Henrietta asked.
"Maybe it's the pizza delivery? didn't Jade order pizza already?" Garrick replied and got-up from the couch.
"Where you going?" Ned asked, "To see who's there of course!" Garrick replied and left to open the door.
In few seconds he was back, with Faunus, Muriel and Thorn.
"You three? Ok what the hell is going on?!" Yurei asked.
"Sorry we came unannounced, but Thorn and i are here with an important thing to say to Ned." Muriel spoke first, "I came because I was worried Mother, you forgot to drop by the hotel." Faunus spoke next.
"I'm sorry Faunus, something came-up." Ned replied.
Faunus noticed his twin and frowned, but when he saw Henrietta, his jaw dropped.
"Henrietta!" he called her name, "Fau!" Henrietta said waving at him.
"So that's Henrietta..." Thorn whispered, "It seems so...she looks rather nice!" Muriel whispered back.
Despite being unhappy about Fernando's presence, "I'm hella confused and curious right now, so Ned I'm begging you please, tell us what's going on." Thorn Said.
"Fine I guess, I think it's necessary for everyone to know...But where's Matilda and Socorro? I can only assume you know where they are." Ned replied.
"Yes, they are with a guest back at my place.
And by the way, we know about Matilda and Garrick's origins, Coco has told us and the guest I mentioned gave us the information we are about to share with you." Muriel said.
"What information? you can tell me here." Ned asked, "I think we know Someone who might be also responsible in the mess Fernando created." Thorn replied grabbing the attention of everyone in the room.
"What are you talking about?" both Fernando and Henrietta asked the same question, "Really? then I think I already know what you guys are about to say." Ned replied to Thorn.
"How come? What do you know?" Muriel asked.
"Should I call Jade? this sounds like something she should hear about." Jasper spoke-up.
"No need I'm already here." Jade said as she walked inside the living room alone, "Where's Grey?" Henrietta asked.
"He's in his room, he said he suddenly wanted to take another nap, so he took Choco with him and left the garage, so I came back here." Jade explained.
"Is he alright, Grey I mean?" Faunus asked, "Grey Seems better now than when Henrietta first brought him here." Jade replied before she found a place to sit down, "So, what's this thing I should hear about?" She asked.
...Some times later...
The pizza was left untouched, no one was in the mood to eat anything, "How can someone like that have a son so innocent like Lucius, ugh!" Yurei grunted, "Lucius isn't so innocent...his body count is terrifying." Jasper replied.
"Eww! he's basically your uncle!" Yurei said disgusted, "It's not like I'm fucking him!" Jasper replied rolling his eyes.
"Both of you, Stop talking about it...it's uncomfortable." Garrick spoke-up, "Right, you're the half-brother in the Story." Yurei said mocking the situation.
"Freddie, what do you think of this so far?" Ned asked, "Huh? what do I...think?...of what?" a dumbfounded Fernando wasn't sure what to answer.
"I suppose our information has something to do with this matter particularly after all." Muriel spoke next.
"Our guest is non other than Matilda's biological mother, Soco accidentally met her around the time you told Matilda about her origins.
The woman's name is Lady Orange." Thorn announced, Making Henrietta's eyes widen at the familiar name, "That's her!" she said.
"You've met Matilda's mother?!" Ned asked, "Her name is Lady Orange?" Garrick questioned, "Yeah...this Lady Orange told us about herself and her beloved all girls academy, 'Ladiesworth'.
Lady Orange explained that the whole reason Matilda was born, was because she cheated as revenge on her spouse with Henrietta, because her spouse cheated on her first with Luciel (Lucas)." Thorn explained agitated.
"Wow...just wow! This Luciel or Lucas or whatever his name is, is multitalented!" Jade said sarcastically while Clapping her hands, "An evil Scientist, a child kidnapper And also a homewrecker?" she added.
"You're missing an important note?! This lady Orange literally birthed a child and then abandoned her as revenge?!" Yurei said angrily.
While looking down at his hands, "I still can't believe that Luciel was hiding a dark past like this...I thought he was just..." Fernando began to speak, "Just A religious and sickly overprotective mother? you're not the only one, who's unable to believe it." Jasper replied.
"This is insane...This way it seems like Luciel was already involved in Henrietta's children's lives way before he was in Henrietta's life herself!" Faunus commented.
"I think Lucius is the biggest victim of us all." Garrick said, "Agreed." Tacito simply replied.
"Speaking of victims, Ned... you still didn't explain to us why you think Fernando is also a victim?" Yurei asked.
"Me too! By now we all know the reason why Fernando has a vendetta against Henrietta, it's because she killed his and Faunus's parents." Jade said making Henrietta stand so quickly, it startled Garrick.
Furious, the older female Alpha turned towards Jade and Shouted, "WHAT?! I DIDN'T KILL ANYONE!"
Her rage sounded too authentic for a guilty killer, It made everyone question what they thought they knew about Henrietta.
"When he was first hospitalized, Luciel told me he only met Fernando few years ago where he taught him some magic then kicked him away when he developed feelings for Lucius.
But Through Garrick's restored childhood memories, I figured that Luciel knew Fernando way before that." Ned said.
"Lady Orange hinted that Luciel (Lucas) Had some sort of relationship with The Bardales...she mentioned Faunus by name." Thorn replied.
"I see...Well I guess what Garrick told me now makes sense." Ned said, "What I told you?" Garrick questioned.
"When you told me about your childhood memories, the memory where Luciel (Lucas) kidnapped you and your siblings.
by comparing something from your memory with something that Fernando told us About during the ritual we did to save Faunus's life, There's a tiny evidence that may suggest Fernando might've been misinformed on who actually killed his parents." Ned explained.
"A tiny evidence?" Fernando wondered, "It's nothing decisive, but when Lucas's accomplice tried to kidnap Leonard, Lucas refused because Leonard wasn't Henrietta's biological child.
According to Garrick, Lucas said the same phrase about Leonard, that Fernando claims Henrietta said when she took Faunus instead of him.
'This one won't do.'." Ned replied making Fernando look at him with wide eyes.
"Behind every villain is a truth, whether it be perceived or actual."-Dalton Frey.