Alex tried to breathe, but felt his throat tighten up. He felt like he had been punched in the gut, and the alley was spinning. "What?! You can't be... It's... That's impossible!" Alex sputtered weakly. Alex started to feel himself fall, but then was caught in the embrace of his father.

"Alex, my boy. You have no idea how long I have waited for this day," John said softly, with a hint of relief mixed with sadness. "You've grown so much!"

Alex started to smile, and then started to feel his mind cloud up, with confusion, with anger. "What the hell is going on? You're supposed to be dead!" Alex snapped.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint," replied his father, with a slight smirk. "I know you have a lot of questions, and I hope I have answers for you. For now, you should call Sabina, and have her meet us over at Lori's Diner over at Ghirardelli Square. Your mother really wants to meet you."

"Mom..." Alex mumbled, his mind threatening to shut down on him. Alex then pulled out his Motorola Razr, and speed-dialed Sabina's phone.

"Alex?"

"Hey, uh, there's been a change of plans. We'll have to postpone the movie. Can you meet me over at Loris Diner at Ghirardelli?"

"Um, sure. Is everything okay? You sound a bit distracted."

"Yeah, I'm okay, Don't worry, I'll see you in a little bit..."

"Okay, I'll see you soon."

Click!

"Well, Alex, we better get going. I have a reservation and don't want to keep Helen waiting."

Helen Rider... His mother. The woman who had been stolen from Alex a mere 3 months after his birth. The one who was dead for 15 1/2 years, but who really was alive.

...and waiting for him at a restaurant table. Waiting to meet him. He could barely even comprehend it.

Next thing he knew, he was walking through the double doors of Lori's Diner. The hostess at the podium flashed an obviously artificial smile, and said "Welcome to Lori's Diner, how may I help you today?"

John responded, "I am here meeting with Helen, party of four. We have one more on the way, Sabina. She'll be here shortly." The hostess then pointed to a rather secluded area of the restaurant and said "She's over there."

John then led Alex to a booth, where he saw the back of a woman's head. The woman turned her head, and she recognized the face immediately. That face was on a photo that was kept inside his wallet. The face had been weathered, but it was unmistakable.

That was his mother.

Any sense of what Alex had built his life around: the fact that his parents died when he was a baby, the fact that they were murdered, the fact that he had no more family, came crashing down in an instant. Alex then broke down, and let tears flow down his face.

Alex was then seated next to his mother, who wrapped her arm around her. He then truly just melted, under the embrace of the one woman who he never he would see, let alone be hugged by. The two people whose mystery had consumed his life, were now sitting at the same table as him.

Yet he had no clue how, or WHY, they were alive. Julia Rothman said herself that his parents were dead, and his godfather had even confirmed it. Alan Blunt even said they were dead, and despite all the lies he had fed Alex, he had a gut feeling that Alan truly believed their demise.

All of Alex's thoughts culminated in a single question: "Why are you here, and how are you alive?"

Author's note: This chapter may be a little rushed, but trust me, the next one will have some stuff you won't want to miss!