ILLICIT #5 : Eclipse

Chapter 37 - Dean's Past

Dean Alessandro

After Danielle fell asleep, I went back to my room. As I was sitting on my hospital bed, my father came into the room. He helped me to raise my legs to the bed and tucked me with my blanket.

He looked like he has been sleeping for days and he smiled when our eyes meet. He grabbed a chair and sat beside my hospital bed. He grabbed my hand and held it tightly.

We both didn't say a word but slowly I could hear him sobbing. He was crying and he leaned his head to our hands.

As someone who didn't grow up with him, it was weird to me seeing him crying. I don't know what kind of emotion that I have to feel because I never know Alejandro Serano as a person.

All I know was.. he was one of the people who supply Europol's first batch of weapons and gadgets back in the days. He's well respected by people for how up to date and perfect his weapons are.

Not to mention that he's a surgeon too. If I grew up in the family, people will say that I'm the perfect copy of my father.

"Why? Why did you give me to Alessandro?" I asked and he looked up to me. He tried to calm himself and wiped his tears.

"30 years ago, I got into the Europol's most wanted list. There's a man by the name Xandros who basically ruined all the weapons that had been deliver to the Europol headquarters in The Hague. He installed a bomb and blew up the headquarters causing hundreds of people lives go away instantly."

"I was trying to think of a way to keep my kids safe. I don't want you all to get hurt and decided to ask some people that I trusted to take care of the 4 of you. Your mother told me that it's better to separate all of you guys and I listened to her."

"I dropped Damien first to my friend named Mark in Paris. I dropped Edmund second to my friend Edna. I dropped Bella to my third friend Mira. Your mother insisted to bring you with us on the run because you're only 3 months old and we're so in love with you that I agreed."

"On our way to Spain, we got chased by Europol and it was a really traumatic event for us. Your mother got hurt while holding you in her arms and that's when I decided to drop you to the Alessandro's."

"And you abandoned me?" I asked and he shook his head.

"After more than a year on the run, I proved myself that I was not guilty. Your mother and I were trying so hard to live and get back to you all. After more than a year, I picked Damien first.. then Bella and Edmund.." He said as he took a really deep breath.

"When we contacted Alessandro, they told me that you passed away." I looked at him completely shocked.

"They told me that not long after I dropped you, you were experiencing a lot of seizures and not being able to cope the pain. They told me you passed away and it actually made sense because in Spain, you got a big impact from your mother being thrown to the wall."

"I didn't believe it at first but somehow they made it believable. I was devastated, you don't even know how devastated I am knowing you passed away." He started to cry again and it left me speechless.

"Then the Alessandro's passed away. They told me that have a kid and I was confused. I was trying so hard to find you but before they die.. they erased all the history and all the records about you."

"Then I learnt from Alessandro's family friend that they fell in love with you and didn't want to let you go. They didn't lie about you being dead and your identity but for sure they didn't give you a good image of me."

"I was trying my best to find and locate you. Years and years, I never stop looking for you until I heard about ILLICIT. I heard about Parker and that's when I started to investigate." He said and it made sense because he showed up not long after Parker made ILLICIT.

"Dean, I would never.. just leave you and abandon you. How could I? I've been watching you for years. Seeing you grow up into a man that you are now. I was there when you got your medical license. I know you don't want me to be involve in your life but at least, I want you to know that I will always be there no matter how hard you try to push me away."

"You grew up pretty fast and I saw how similar you are to me. You're smart, you're brave, you're selfless and lastly.. you care about people." I don't even know what to say.

"The reason that I don't try to approach you boldly is because I felt guilty. Something within me felt guilty for not be the father that I supposed to be. I watched you from a far and trust me, it was hard. Your mother even almost divorced me thinking that I cheated on her when all I did was watching you."

"You're an ILLICIT, Dean. You're chased by people a lot and you don't know how many people that I killed to protect you." I turned to him and he smiled.

"Forgive me, son. I'm sorry for everything, all the hardships you went through." He cried again as he held my hands tightly.

"I don't want to force you to be a part of us if you don't want to. I don't want to make you hate me more." He added. Slowly the emotions got me, I found myself crying and completely understood my father.

There was indeed a lot of layers to my life and I guess being a part of Serano is one of them.

My father hugged me and he cried harder. I slowly hugged him back but still trying to process everything.