"Meltdown's looking for a new clown, living in a world that's make believe. Used up burned out always got a hand out, ain't nothing here for free."- Nerve Damage, Lifehouse

Episode 26: "Nerve Damage" to listen the theme song please click here.
Written By: Kelly Zollo

Scene 1: West Lake Regency Hotel; West Lake, NY

Walking into the West Lake Regency Hotel lobby, Brian spots his mother at the table, wine glass in her hand, making his way through the crowd to sit with her. She looks slightly pale and he has to wonder, why she is even still in town his father’s remains have been sent back home. He has made it clear that he is staying in West Lake for the remainder of the year after the upcoming book tour. He is still slightly irritated with her from her first meeting with Vanessa weeks ago.

“Hello mother,” he manages to say, sitting down at the table with her.

Mary has no illusions about why Brian is staying in West Lake and after her run in with James and Helen in the elevator, she is thinking about leaving. The only problem is that she hasn’t spoken or seen Ryan since the fight with Brian and she is worried. Worried that something has happened to her son, or worse that James has found him to donate to Shane. She simply can’t leave in the time of crisis for her two children, if Brian is set on staying so is she.

“Darling I am so glad you could make it,” she replies.

Brian shifts uncomfortably in his seat recognizing his mother’s annoyed tone, “You don’t have to like my decision to stay here or Vanessa. You do have to respect it mother.”

Mary looks at her youngest son for a moment before reaching out and grabbing her glass of wine, taking a sip. She knew that he would bring up Vanessa, no doubt the girl had all but spilled about their conversation. Not that it mattered to her one way or the other, she had never been one to bite her tongue when it came to the well being of her children. Instead she focuses back on Ryan, and hoping that her oldest son has reached out to Brian about where he is.

“I didn’t ask you here to discuss that. I haven’t heard from your brother since the fight at your house, I’m worried about him Brian.”

Brian has to raise his eyes at her, before reaching out and grabbing the glass of water on the table to take a drink. He hasn’t spoken to Ryan in weeks since the incident and if he were to he would tell his brother to turn himself in. The evidence against him is mounting every day and it doesn’t help that Tyler is naming him as his assailant. He doesn’t know what his brother and Jessica are planning and deep down he doesn’t think he wants to know, but he does want Ryan home safe.

“Mom I haven’t heard from Ryan in weeks, if I did I would turn him into the police.” Brian says, as the waiter approaches.

Mary takes a moment to wave the waiter off before looking back at her youngest son, “He is is your brother Brian. We have to help him, if we can.”

“He is wanted for assault, breaking and entering, quite possibly murder, mom. It’s not like the other times where it is just simple petty stuff, this is pretty serious.”

Seeing Alan approach their table, Mary tries to hide her disappointment in her youngest son. Before she can however Alan reaches their table and looks between the two of them.

“Mary, may I have a moment to speak to you alone?” Alan asks.

Brian looks over at his mother curious, as to why Alan Donovan would be interested in speaking to his mother. Mary has no choice in order to get what she wants, nodding her head at Brian and then at Alan. Taking the glass of wine off the table to finish the glass.

“We will talk later Brian. If you hear from him please let me know,” she says, leaving the table with Alan.

Brian watches his mother leave with Alan Donovan and he can’t help but wonder what it is all about, possibly her past in West Lake. A past that he is coming to realize that he really had no idea about in the first place. Leaning back in his chair, to go over what he does know Alan Donovan fired his mother years ago and his father adopted Ryan after he was born.

Scene 2: Harvell & Associates; West Lake, NY

It’s late at the firm and most of the associates have gone home for the day, finishing up a phone call with Alan, Garrett reaches over for his jacket. Stopping when he looks at the two family photos on his desk, one of himself, the twins and his first wife. The other with himself, Sharon, Callie and the twins years later. Everything is quickly getting to be a mess again with Mary back in town, James’s call for help earlier in the week doing nothing to ease his nerves, she knows to much.

“Can I talk to you?”

Looking up from his desk Garrett comes face to face with his daughter, he is slightly confused about why she is at the office so late he had assumed everyone had gone home for the day.

“Of course, what’s going on?”

Vanessa has been meaning to ask her father for weeks about what Mary said to her at dinner, she just hasn’t had the chance. She and her father have always been close and if her father did know more about her mother’s suicide he would have told her and Cade. She doesn’t know why Mary’s words have bothered her so much over the last few weeks, she barely remembers her mother, she was young when she died. Instead she should be focusing on her relationship with Brian and her work at the firm.

“I wanted to talk about mom,” she says, shrugging at him from the doorway.

Garrett looks, at her his face pale they haven’t spoken about Leann in years, ‘Vanessa, your mother...,”

He is hastily cut off when she speaks.

“I know she wasn’t all there like Cade, I just I met Brian’s mom a few weeks ago at dinner and she was talking about you and mom. Saying that mom couldn’t handle your secrets and that is why she killed herself. I just wanted to know if it was true.”

Garrett can hardly contain his rage at the nerve of Mary McAllister to use Leann’s suicide against his daughter. Despite what he may or may not have done in his past, Leann’s suicide still effected him and his children. Taking a few moments to calm himself down, he helps move his daughter to the couch in the office before taking a seat across from her.

“Mary McAllister, is a manipulator, a woman that once worked for Alan and has a score to settle with him nothing more and nothing less, I loved your mother very much and no one will ever know what went through her mind that day. I’m a lawyer Vanessa, sometimes that means that I have to do things for a client that I don’t want.” Garrett says.

Vanessa still isn’t sure what to say to her father’s statement, she barely knows Mary and already she doesn’t like her. She’s never had this problem before, she had always gotten along with Jake’s parents. The thought of Jake, makes her grip her hands in her lap wondering if he is alright.

“She doesn’t like me, she doesn’t like that I am seeing Brian, she thinks I’m going to run back to Jake. She didn’t like mom, did she?” Vanessa asks.

“Mary wanted to be something that she was not, it has nothing to do with you.”

Nodding her head at her father for a moment before speaking, “How’s Jake doing with the custody stuff?”

Garrett knows that the question comes from genuine concerns for Jake, yet part of him can’t help but wonder if it is in fact something more. If it is something more than Mary will get her wish, her son away from his daughter. Grabbing his coat he helps her up form the couch and towards the door.

“Don’t pay attention to what Mary does or doesn’t say all right? Let’s go get something for dinner, we haven’t done that in a while. Jake’s doing okay.” Garrett answers, leading her out of the office shutting the light off behind them on the way out.

Scene 3: Unknown Motel; West Lake, NY

Sitting inside a seedy motel room about twenty miles outside of West Lake, Ryan grabs his gun from the night stand when he hears a knock on his room door. Making sure the safety is off and checking the peephole to see Jessica on the other side of his door. Holding open the door to let her inside, making sure the gun’s safety is put back on the police have been breathing down his neck. His picture is all over the paper and the news, he even had to trade in his father’s silver watch.

“What in the hell were you thinking attacking Tyler at the warehouse?” Jessica asks, taking a seat at the end of the bed and removing her padding from her stomach.

The appointment with Jake and Peter went well, better than she expected the good doctor had even came up with the excuse that they didn’t need to do a live ultrasound. In fact, he had already got one for Jake, played it and let him know the baby was a hundred percent healthy. Jake had of course been none to pleased with the news, as he now couldn’t add to his case against her. Nothing was working out the way it was supposed to, Alan was on her, Jake didn’t want her, she was running out of options.

“You know I am getting really sick of this Jessica, you said the case would be over with already that the cops would close it. Paige was supposed to go down for this along with your father, you were supposed to marry Jake and I get my cut,’ Ryan says, pacing in front of her with the gun, ‘Instead I can’t go see my mother who is in town and could ruin everything. I have to live out of warehouses and just now here. Start thinking about that would you? I am the one taking all the risk.”

“Of course I am taking a risk, I put myself at risk everyday with Jake getting closer to the truth and now I have Alan breathing down my neck. I have to be careful I have to appear to be the good girl here. It will be over soon, we just need to hold out a bit longer.”

Ryan lets out a snort to her statement before turning and looking at her.

“You really think Alan is just going to sit by and let you trap Jake, now that he knows the truth?”

Jessica ponders his question for a moment, growing annoyed with his paranoia.

“No that is why I need you to find something that can’t be traced. He has a heart condition we can slip it into his drink and resolve the problem.”

Ryan can feel his blood run cold at her suggestion of killing Alan Donovan, part of him wants to say no and the other part knows that he can’t. It has to be done or else they’re both going to lose everything that they have worked for. Defeated he nods his head, as she makes her way to him wrapping her arms around his neck.

“I am doing this for us, for you. For everything that the Donovan’s did to your mother and what they did to me, it has to be done Ryan,” she says, hoping to ease his mind.

“We can’t kill everyone Jess,” he manages to get out, breathing in the scent of her hair.

He’s always loved Jessica Robbins from the time that she moved into the house down the street from him, pregnant at the time. He had been kicked out of school and they bonded. He had overheard that his mother, fighting with Elliot about one of his affairs, letting him know that she hated him, hated their life together. His stepfather threw it back that if she hated it so much she could run back to West Lake to Alan Donovan or Nick Porter, one of her many lovers. It was that moment that he realized his entire life had been a lie and started to learn from his mother that she had been fired by Alan and was paid money to leave town.

Jessica understood him in her own demented and sick way, she had been shipped off when she revealed that she was pregnant with Alan’s grandchild. She wanted the baby, thought it would be an adventure and when she lost the baby he could swear that he saw something break in her. She became vindictive and angry, she needed sex for attention something that over the years he gave into easily. Her lips are already pulling at his earlobe, hands are skimming his waistline, closing his eyes he gives into her again pulling her to him, as they make their way towards the motel bed.

Scene 4: 574 Shoreline Dr. Apt #4; West Lake, NY

Jacob Donovan has blown off dinner with his parents in order to stay home and focus on the paperwork that Garrett has sent over about the custody case. His mind is still whirling from the events leading up to the ultrasound, he was going to be a father. Up until that moment he hadn’t wanted it to be true, he wanted anything but it to be real. He could still be a father and he also knew that he and Vanessa could still be friends afterwards or at least he hoped. Reaching for the phone he dialed her number.

“Hi it’s me,” he says softly into the phone.

Sitting alone at the dinner table staring out the window after her father dropped her off back at home, before leaving again for a meeting with a client. The last thing that she expected was Jake to call, they really don’t have much to say to each other in her mind. Their lives are going in different directions, him with being a father and her, in her relationship with Brian.

“Hi,” she says quietly.

He takes a breath thankful that she even picked up the phone before he speaks, “I thought I would call and see how you were.”

“I’m fine. Listen Jake, I don’t know why you’re calling...,” she begins only to be cut off by him on the other end.

“Do you remember how it was before? We would go down to the lake, take walks, make a bonfire. You were happy then, we would go back to the house, sneak in up the stairs the bedroom and just spend hours together. I miss us being like that.”

She can feel her throat tighten at the memories that his statement stirs in her, memories that she has fought for months to forget. She loved him at one point in her life and he loved her, yet Hannah’s death is still there in the back of her mind. Instead she focuses on a spot on the table, her fingers tracing the light as the silence seems to engulf the phone call.

“I know we’ve been through a lot the last few years, We could out and get a beer together just hang out if you wanted,” he finishes.

“It’s not that easy Jake. I just can’t go out and meet you for a drink because you want me too.”

“It could be.”

Composing herself she bites back the tears that are threatening to fall when the front door opens and she sees Cade enter. Giving her a questioning glance from the doorway about who she is talking to.

“Listen it’s not going to work at all.”

Closing his eyes on the other end of the phone, he takes a few moments to fight back the blow that she has delivered to him.

“You’re right, we’re better off apart.”

“I gotta go.”

The line goes dead and he leans back in the chair, closing his eyes wanting to scream at the walls, scream at her, scream at anything to get her off his mind. Instead his mind wanders to her, like it always does, when he is in bed, when he is driving down the road, when he sees her with Brian McAllister. It’s always her looking at his phone when it rings to answer Austin’s call.

Leaning back in the chair at the table, Vanessa stares out the window tears brimming her eyes, as her brother takes a seat across from her. She didn’t think talking to him would be that hard on her. It is, it stirs up everything that she has been holding inside of her about her past with Jake. Cade’s voice finally breaks her from her thoughts.

“You want to talk about it?”

Her reply is to shake her head no and stare back out the window, hand covering her now trembling lip. Closing her eyes, as she allows a few tears to trickle out in the process.

Scene 5: Club 90; West Lake, NY

Pulling out a chair at the table inside Club 90, Austin gets up to greet his friend and his half-brother, something he is still adjusting with. It is the first time in weeks that they have been able to get together and sit down. He has been back and forth with his mess that he has created with Liz and Jake he is sure has been busy with Vanessa and Jessica. Raising his hand for a waitress to stop by the table and take Jake’s order, he sits back down nursing his own beer.

“Thanks for coming, I thought you could use a distraction. Lord knows I could,” he says glancing over at his brother.

Jake shrugs before turning to the waitress, “I’ll have one of what he’s having.”

He waits a moment as the waitress leaves, before leaning on the table to fold his hands in front of him. He needed a drink after the phone call with Vanessa, he needed to get her off his mind. Booze would do the trick it normally would, he could find a companion for the night and be done with it.

“You’re right. I called Vanessa.”

The statement makes Austin take notice, taking a sip of his beer before speaking.

“You all right?”

The shrug gives him the answer he needs and he speaks again, “It’s going to take time Jake. At least she is speaking to you.”

Jake nods his head, as the waitress sits the beer on the table and he takes a long drink from the bottle. Closing his eyes to open them, noticing how run down his friend looks, his brother he should say. It is all still too weird for him, to call Austin his half brother, they’ve been best friends for years and that is how he thinks of him.

“You talk to Liz yet? How’s Paige, I’ve been meaning to stop by to see her I just haven’t had a chance yet.” Jake asks, knowing the answer is pretty pathetic at this point.

Austin shakes his head no, taking a sip of his beer before he notices Peter making his way to their table a drink in hand. He can’t help but tense, as his brother in law approaches them wondering if he there to make good on his word. Jake can feel the tension between Peter and Austin, his hands go back to the bottle peeling the paper again.

“Jake,’ Peter offers, taking a sip of his drink before looking at Austin, ‘Liz is having a sobriety thing at the house next week. I thought you might want to be there for it.”

Austin looks at him for a moment before speaking, “I didn’t expect that from you.”

“Of course you didn’t, I’m not a complete ass Austin. Liz loves you, she’s just digesting you sleeping with Kate before the wedding. I’m pretty sure that me hurting you wouldn’t really sit well with her.” Peter replies.

“Thanks, you want to join us?”

Peter knows that he should take up the offer, but as soon as the words leave Austin’s lips the only thing he can think about is that he is lying to Jake. The appointment had went well, Jake didn’t ask that many question when he saw the chart or the ultrasound. He had smoothed over any bumps, after it was over he shoved a double shot of whiskey through his system feeling sick to his stomach. None of it was sitting right with him, he and Jake had always been semi-friendly despite a few differences in opinion over the years.

“I can’t I have to get back to work but maybe later,” he offers, walking away from the table.

Austin takes a look between Jake and Peter, as Peter walks away seeing Jake beginning to flirt with the waitress. Taking a sip of his beer, he looks over at Jake before speaking.

“If Liz can forgive me, then there has to be hope for you and Vanessa. Just think about that before you do something stupid tonight.”

Jake grabs his beer and leans back in his chair thinking over Austin’s words.

Scene 6: Harvell & Associates; West Lake, NY

Placing her bag down inside the law offices, Sharon can’t believe that her life has come to this her husband sleeping at the hotel. The house is long but empty except for herself and her stepdaughter. She and Garrett are barely speaking to each other, let alone even looking at her, Callie has quit the firm. Reaching for the light in her office she nearly jumps out of her skin when Simon hoffman appears in her doorway.

“Hello Sharon,” he says cooly.

She takes a moment to gather her breath before glaring at him, “Get out of my office or I will call security.”

He takes a moment to consider her offer before ignoring her request and stepping inside the office, cozy and sleek she had done well for herself. Looking around the office at her degree on the wall coming to rest on the carious photos on the desk, his eyes come to rest on a picture of Callie, as a child. No doubt now in his mind, their child since Ricahrd's outburst it only added to his suspicion. He is certain that hiring their daughter to work for him is boiling under her skin at this very moment.

“You never told me that you had her,” he says turning his attention back to her.

“if I had it hardly would have made a difference, you were married and at best someone that liked to use people. You slept with me because I was naive at the time and you filled my head with outrageous claims about leaving your wife. You wanted me to abort our child, I told you I would to get you off my back end of story. By the way how is your wife?” Sharon replies, her tone clipped as her hand moves towards the phone on the desk.

Before she can lift it from it’s cradle, he is facing her again.

“I lost my job over our affair, my marriage went down the drain. I’ve had a good career Sharon, something that I worked very hard at, you should have told me about her. I could have been a good father to her,” he replies angrily.

Holding her ground to his question she looks him dead in the eyes before speaking.

“Callie has a father thank you very much, in every way that matters. You would have treated her like one of your bargaining chips and you made it clear that you didn’t want her when you found out I was pregnant. You asking her to work for you isn’t going to change that, she has a family.”

He wants to laugh at her nerve let alone her implication that he would have been a terrible father to her, he didn’t even know she existed so he never had the chance. Not that his record was earth shattering or anything like that, as father of the year Jamie was a testament to her. Hiring Callie however was to get back at her, she was entirely right about that. By the time he turns around to stalk out of the office both see Callie in the doorway, her face full of hurt indicating that she has over heard the conversation.

“Callie...,” Sharon begins only to be cut off by her daughter’s abrupt departure from the doorway.

“Well that went over well.” Simon manages to mutter.

Sharon is seething by the time that he even manages to get out his statement, picking up a case file on her desk to then slam it down. Her relationship with Callie is on thin ice and this will no doubt add to the strain that is already there. Simon moves to the doorway stopping to turn back and look at her one final time before leaving her to the tears that start to stream down her face.

Scene 7: West Lake Regency Hotel; West Lake, NY

Walking into the West Lake Regency Hotel Garrett spots Alan Donovan, James Alexander and Mary McAllister at a table in the back. Sighing as he thanks the waiter for leading him to the table before taking a seat. Alan looks like he is about to kill Mary and James looks like he wants to strangle her, he can only imagine what buttons she is pushing between them. Setting his briefcase down by his feet he reminds himself to be calm after his conversation with Vanessa about Mary.

“So, nice of you to join us Garrett, we were just discussing new terms.” Mary says cooly picking up her glass of wine and taking a drink.

“Tell us where your son is Mary.” James says, trying to get right to the point.

“Even if I knew where Ryan was I wouldn’t tell you,” she replies coldly nearly flinching when Alan’s hand comes down on the table top.

“This is getting tiring Mary, we’re not paying you more money Shane is dying and your son can help him.” Alan says.

Her nerve is beginning to get under his skin and not in a pleasant way, he has other things on his mind like exposing Jessica Robbins. The last thing he needs is Mary getting cocky and opening up her mouth to the press about everything she knows. He no longer has a relationship with either of his children due to his connection with the accident and he has vowed to change that.

James wrings his hands in the burgundy cloth napkin on the table, Nick would be rolling over in his grave at them. Screaming at them to give her whatever she wanted to save his son’s life, yet they can do nothing. It is Nick’s fault that they are where they are at with Mary McAllister in the first place, if he had just kept it in his pants they wouldn’t be sitting at the table conversing with the wicked witch of West Lake. Reaching for his water glass to take a much needed drink, he made a promise to Helen and he will keep it no matter the cost.

“Garrett knows what I want. His daughter to stop seeing my son. Also, my price has went up one million or I go to the press.” Mary says, flatly looking at them again.

Alan considers her offer for a moment before speaking, “Done.”

“Garrett, for Shane...,” James pleads only to be cut off when Garrett speaks.

“Absolutely not.”

Looking around the table at them all, he wants his daughter to be happy end of story Brian makes her happy, she has suffered enough. Even if he wanted her to stop seeing Brian she probably wouldn’t do it, Vanessa has always had a mind of her own. The only thing Mary had on him was a connection to a body from years ago, no one would believe her. Plus if she knew where her oldest son really was she wouldn’t adding money to the deal, as a lawyer he knew that much.

“You don’t have the faintest idea where your oldest son is, if you did you wouldn’t be making threats to all of us. You wouldn’t be sticking a sticker price on locating him, if I had to guess he hasn’t called or contacted you in weeks,’ Garrett replies, looking at her coldly, ‘Furthermore ridiculing my daughter about my mother was really not the way to go now was it?”

Mary looks at him coldly, as he calls her bluff.

“I’ll go to the press tell them what I know about Helen make no mistake, I’ll do it I swear to God.”

“You do that and see how far it gets you. You’re still a vindictive and cunning manipulator Mary, money doesn’t change that.” Garrett finishes.

“This isn’t finished I’l be in touch.” Mary says, cooly gathering her things and leaving the table.

Once she is gone James looks over at Garrett. Relived that he didn’t have to agree to sailing Garrett’s daughter down the river and that Ryan is still no where to be found.

“How did you know she was bluffing?”

“No mother is that insane to put a price on their child not even Mary.” Garrett says, rising from his chair stopping when Alan speaks.

“Garrett a million is a good deal, what she said about Vanessa.”

“Don’t you ever mention her to me again after what you did to her, you let her rot in prison for years, you covered everything up. Written letter or not to the parole board, trying to fix things between Jake and his mess or not, you did it. This conversation is over, enjoy your evening and quit calling me to bail you out because you don’t know how to control her threats against you.” Garrett say cutting him off angrily, grabbing his suitcase from the table before stalking away.

“I think Garrett said it best Alan, quit calling us to bring this up it is not what Nick would have wanted. Next time she rattles your cage call her bluff. I have to get back home to Paige and Helen, enjoy your evening.”

Once both of them have left Alan leans back in his chair wondering why even when Mary had them all in a vice he was still attracted to her. Taking a sip of his whiskey and thinking over his predicament he has no spouse, no children and nothing to lose one way or the other with her now.

---

"After I have travelled so far. We'd set the fire to the third bar. We'd share each other like an island. Until exhausted, close our eyelids. And dreaming pick up from. The last place we left off. Your soft skin is weeping. A joy you can't keep it."- Snow Patrol, featuring Martha Wainwright

Episode 27: "Set Fire To The Third Bar" to listen the theme song please click here.
Written By: Kelly Zollo

Scene 1: 1421 Firestone Cir., West Lake, NY

Outside of the Harvell Estate on the grounds with white tents and the sun streaming down on the guests for Callie's birthday party. Vanessa is trying to make sure everything goes smoothly. Her father is around talking a few members of the firm and her mother is back and forth between the catering and trying to speak to Callie. So far it has been the most awkward birthday party she could ever imagine her sister is quiet throughout it, politely acknowledging her guests and then walking away. Ever since she left the firm her sister has been pulling back from her family, putting more distance between them.

“Hey, is Tylerr here yet?” Vanessa asks, when she finally reaches her sister in the crowd.

She had to let the birthday party be thrown, it had been in the works for months and no matter how angry she was at her mother it was her birthday. Instead, she greets the guests as they enter the party, making sure to mind her manners. Garrett, has been nothing but supportive since the separation with her mother and Simon has shown up. Now she isn’t sure what to do, worse Tyler is again working with Jamie, her half sister and thinking about that just makes her angry.

“No, he’s working we’re supposed to do something later,” she replies.

Vanessa takes the tone into consideration for a moment taking drink from her glass, “I’m sure he wanted to be here.”

Callie shrugs her shoulders for a moment, “Yeah,sure.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Vanessa asks.

Turning around to face her sister Callie looks around the crowd spotting Simon offering her a smile in the crowd and she lets out an exhale. She doesn’t know what her sister is wanting her to say, their family is falling a part right before their eyes. Their parents are on a speedy way to a divorce, she is working at the DA’s office, Cade is off in places unknown and her sister is still wanting everyone to believe in the best.

“He made his priority, it’s my birthday and he’s off playing cops and robbers with Jamie. Paige is here, I should probably go say something, I’ll see you later.” Callie offers, before walking away.

Watching the exchange from across the lawn, Cade makes his way to his sister standing next to her in silence for a moment. His father had forced him to attend the party stating that locking himself inside his apartment was not healthy, it was either that or being sent to the mental institution. He has been taking his medications on and off, since the intervention of his sister and he is seeing Hannah less and less. Work has been picking up steadily over the last few weeks in order to distract him.

“She alright?” Cade finally asks.

Vanessa looks at him and shrugs.

“I don’t know maybe she should disengage her attitude about everything and quit thinking everyone is out to get her. If it’s not me taking over her position at the firm, it’s Tyler apparently ignoring her, or it’s her mother being a lying bitch to her.”

Cade takes a moment to ponder his sister’s statement before speaking, “She’s going through a lot. Where’s Brian?”

“He had to go back to his house and get something, he said he would be back a bit later.”

“If you want to talk about what is going on between you and Jake, I’m here. I can listen.” Cade offers.

Looking at her brother for a moment scowling at him and walking away, Cade can’t help but wonder if his sister’s life is falling apart and she doesn’t even know it.

Scene 2: West Lake Regency Hotel, Party Room

Arranging the table for the seventh time in the last half an hour, Liz manages to put on a smile as her recovery group celebrates her soberness. Weeks into therapy and she is still doing the steps and has managed to put that part of her life behind her, or so she thinks. She had went to Club 90 a few weeks ago and an old acquaintance came up to her offering her to party with them. She had considered the offer, she could nearly smell the cocaine again, feel what it was like when she was high, until Peter had swooped in to her rescue.

She had almost relapsed and she could account her reasons not to on her brother for being in the right place at the right time. Instead, he had taken her to a table they had ordered food and caught up, he had brought up Austin and she had promptly shut down. It’s not that she didn’t want to talk about it, she did. Just not with he brother’s prying eyes digging into her and pushing her. Turning around to grab her coat and say her goodbyes to the groups she’s shocked to see Austin in the doorway hands shoved in his pockets.

“Hi,” she finally manages to get out.

He hadn’t even planned on coming to the party feeling like he didn’t deserve to be at the party after everything that had happened. Eventually deciding that it was really going to be the only place that he could get his wife to talk to him. He could show his support for her recovery and their marriage in one stop. The divorce papers are still being filed with their attorneys and he isn’t even sure he wants to salvage their marriage let alone, if she wants too. He feels exactly like his mother at this point, a failed marriage that had been built on lies and delusions of happily ever after, only to fail.

“Pete let me know that you’d be here. You won’t return my calls, I thought I would come and support you, see how you were.”

Liz looks at him with a shrug, “Now you care. I have been doing therapy for weeks on end by myself. In rehab, you didn’t even bother to come see me. You then lied to me about sleeping with Kate before you married me.”

“I was trying to do the right and honorable thing, I couldn’t exactly say no at the alter. Besides you are the one who was snorting cocaine and didn’t bother to tell me or anyone else for that matter. Do you know what it felt like to see you lying near death inside of the house?” he retorts, his voice rising slightly.

Liz takes a moment to collect her thoughts, knowing full well that she can own up to her part in how things played out between them with her addiction. She was wrong, she shouldn’t of been doing drugs in the first place and endangering her life. However, her husband the man that she loved shouldn’t of slept with another woman before the wedding especially an ex who still had feelings for him.

“You’re right I shouldn’t of been doing drugs and now I’m paying the consequences for my actions. I screwed up. But you shouldn’t of slept with Kate before the wedding and then went through with something that you didn’t want.”

Austin stares at his wife’s outburst for a moment considering her statement, “It’s not like that Liz. It was a mistake.”

“Really which one marrying me or still being in love with Kate?” Liz retorts, folding her arms in front of her to stare at her husband.

Austin is processing her statement searching his brain to find out if any of it could be true, he is always going to have feelings for Kate. They’re friends and they have been for years, she was his first love. He loves Liz, he and Liz have been together for years since Hannah’s death. It was Liz who was by his side when the truth came out and supported him and his family.

“Liz...,” he starts only to be cut off by her.

“You should figure out which one you want and then we can talk. I appreciate you coming by it means a lot. I have to go Pete’s waiting outside.”

She doesn’t give him a moment to answer, leaving him crushed in the doorway as the tears stream down her face down the hallway.

Scene 3: 1421 Firestone Cir., West Lake, NY

Kate Porter has been put on official leave from the hospital by her mother for the sake of her pregnancy in her final months. She arrived at Callie’s birthday party with her mother and so far has avoided running into Cade. She and Cade haven’t spoken in months, she hasn’t told Austin about the baby yet and she probably never will. Instead she has made small talk with various guest before excusing herself to head into the house to use the restroom, running into Cade.

Cade had left his sister by the outdoor tent after she had stalked away from not wanting to talk to him about what was going on with her and jake. Anyone could see it in his mind, that she was fighting her past with him tooth and nail. No doubt Brian would be caught in the crossfire and he had wanted to avoid that if it were possible. He had retreated back into his childhood home for some quiet time to think, eventually heading to the library and quickly being unable to open the door. Heading back out of the house towards the door running into Kate.

“Hey,” she manages to get out looking up at him.

They haven’t spoken for months and now that he sees her fully pregnant he can’t believe how moved by it he is. She is going to be having a baby, a new life to celebrate in all of the tragedy of the last few years. As soon as the thought comes it passes just as easily, it is Austin’s child not his that she is carrying. Shifting his feet awkwardly in the foyer he attempts to say something to her, only to be stopped when she speaks.

“How are you? My mom said you left the hospital when I was there. That had to be hard for you, I know you don’t like hospitals.” Kate offers, hoping that he is alright.

“I’m fine. Have you told Austin yet,” he answers quickly.

Kate notices his tone and shakes her head no as he continues.

“You need to tell him before it’s too late, Liz deserves to know she’s questioning things already Kate.”

“it was easier wasn’t it when we were all younger, when everything was normal. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’ll tell him when the time is right, please just respect that until then.” Kate replies, looking at the ground before looking back up at him.

Cade considers her statement for a moment before nodding his head, leaning over to place his lips against her forehead, “Take care Kate.”

Stepping backwards to allow her to head down the hallway towards the bathroom, he then moves to the window to the outside of the house and the party. His drink in his hand, his nostrils flare as the lavender scent begins to fill his senses. He can feel her arms around him, feel her breath against his ear when she speaks.

“It’s still all your fault.”

He turns around to look at Hannah dead in the eyes, taking a sip of his drink to calm his nerves. He had thought that she would be long gone by now, he hadn’t seen her in a few weeks. He misses her, even looking at her now sneering at him from across the foyer he misses her. He can hear Brain making some sort of announcement outside through the open window and out of the corner of his eyes he sees Jake’s face pale only to look back at Hannah.

“None of this would be happening if you had been there that night. Now it’s just you and me,” she says.

Kate comes back from the restroom to look at him for a moment, perplexed he looks as if he has seen a ghost.

“Somethings going on outside, you okay?” she asks, cautiously.

She laughs at him before he turns to look at Kate nodding his head, “Let’s go see what the commotion is about.”

Scene 4: 14 Greystone Dr., West Lake, NY

The house is cold, as Paige sits in the living room, quietly waiting for Shane to make his way home from the hospital in a few more weeks he’ll be there. She should be looking at the dozen bridal magazines scattered all over the coffee table. Though she guesses that an ankle monitor won’t be exactly a fashion statement of the year with the white. Glancing over her shoulder, as her mother comes into view from the doorway a coffee mug in hand.

In her mind her mother has a lot of nerve even showing her face back in West Lake after everything that has happened. While she was sitting alone in a jail cell her mother was off in Europe galavanting around to cope. To cope with what being a a lying manipulating woman and helping Richard cover up the accident. Not that any of it matters anymore, Richard has been sent away and soon enough the DA’s office is going to met with her lawyers to discuss sentencing.

“You want anything from the kitchen?” Bridgette offers, getting the silent treatment from her daughter.

Taking a sigh she moves from the kitchen to take a seat across from Paige on the couch, hoping that they will be able to talk. Running away after Paige turned herself in can only be added up to the second biggest mistake she has ever made. Now she has to deal with the consequences of Paige no longer speaking to her, she and James are no longer speaking and she hasn’t even made it over to see Alan. It all could have been resolved years ago, instead Alan insisted that they just not mention Elliot’s body that he would take care of everything.

“You can’t not speak to me forever. I am your mother.” Bridgette states.

“You’re my mother when it suits you, everything is a mess because of what you and Alan did that night, when you told me to get out of town. You and dad are getting a divorce, I am facing life in prison and you ran off to europe on vacation.” Paige retorts, looking her mother in the eyes.

“It is i complicated Paige you couldn’t understand the position your father and I were in, if they had found the body your life would have been over. You wouldn’t have your club or your success, you wouldn’t have Shane. I had to do what was best for you. I left because I needed to get my head on straight about what I wanted.”

Her statement falls on deaf ears, as the phone rings and Paige reaches over to get it.

“You missed,’ Ryan says on the other end, watching the house a few blocks down the road, ‘I told you to not miss.”

“What do you want?” Paige says quietly, getting up from the couch to look out the window trying to see if she could see him.

“Is that anyway to talk to an old friend? I want to know the truth about my father, you shot and killed him, you should be rotting away for the rest of your life. How about you come and met me and we can talk about, that is of course unless lover boy has you on lock down,’ Ryan sneers into the phone, ‘Or perhaps we could make other arrangements to make me forget.”

Fed up with his antics and his behavior she shuts the phone, looking around the house and ignoring her mother’s pleas, as to what she is doing. Instead she is running her hand through her hair fighting back tears, looking for her coat. As, soon as she steps around fifteen feet out of the house the alarm will sound and she will have to make a run for it. Going to the drawer on the end table she is shocked when the gun is no longer there and feels her heart race in defeat not even noticing Shane in the doorway.

“It’s not there. What happened?” Shane asks, looking between Bridgette and Paige.

Bridgette is already reaching for the house phone to call the police station to report the harassment, as Paige looks up at him.

“He’s calling, he won’t stop,” she manages to whisper.

Shane clams her nerves, as he wraps his arms around her trying to comfort her knowing that Ryan Davison needed to be caught. If he had to he could take matters into his own hands to ensure that.

Scene 5: Club 90; West Lake, NY

Sitting at the bar after closing one of the department’s big cases Tyler rolls his neck to relieve the bit of tension in his neck. After this drink he is going to head over to Callie’s birthday party, hopefully he can make some sort of amends with her. If not, he’ll know that he has tried the best that he could with the situation. Jamie is over laughing with some of the other officers on the squad and he can’t help but notice how she seems to light up with she laughs. Shaking the though as Peter Jones slides in next to him at the bar.

“I got your text. What’s going on, is your shoulder still giving you problems? I got you a few pills for the next few days.” Peter asks, waving his hand no at the bartender when he comes over to offer him something and sliding the pain medication over to Tyler.

“Thanks, it’s still a bit uncomfortable and it’s messing with my sleep. I was hoping that you could get me a refill off the books for a few weeks.” Tyler asks, keeping his voice low.

Peter is surprised and taken aback by the request he never would have pegged Tyler Donovan for an addict. If he doesn’t give Tyler the medications he will go to another doctor or worse to some crack head dealer on the street. He has already broken medical ethics with Jessica, in his mind he may as well do this as a favor to Tyler too.

“I can get you something in a few days, I’ll call you and give them to you then.” Peter says, getting up from the bar.

Tyler watches him leave, glad that there weren’t more questions about why he needed the medication and that he would do him a favor. If it gets worse he will go in and get it re-check out, but having a few more weeks of medication will not hurt him. Plus, if Greg thinks he isn’t at his full potential his boss would pull him off street duty and cases, putting him on desk work and he definitely doesn’t want that.

“You all right?” Jamie asks, looking over at him as she approaches the bar beer in hand.

She finally feels like she belongs in West Lake and at the department over the last few weeks, she and Tyler have been getting along pretty good since the incident. More so she thinks that she proved her herself when she shot the assailant who had attacked Tyler. She looks over at a fellow officer who has come over to say goodbye, not noticing Tyler taking a two pills and swallowing them with his beer. When she glances back at him she finally notices the time.

The more time that she spends with Tyler, working together and having a good time the more she feels attracted to him. She has felt attracted to him since the sting operation, pushing the thoughts back due to his relationship with her half sister. Also not wanting to ruin or make their partnership awkward, she isn’t even sure where he really stands with her sister. More so she isn’t really sure she wants to know, it has to be his decision not hers and until then she just won’t say anything about it.

“Come on let’s go I’ll drive back to my condos and you can have the car, you need to get headed over to Callie’s party,” she says grabbing the keys, as they make their way out of the bar.

Tyler is certain on the car ride back to station that he isn’t even sure he wants to make ti to Callie’s party, he hasn’t even gotten her a gift yet. When they reach the condo apartments, he gets out of the car to help her up the stairs to her to the door. The lighting is dim in the hallway, as she turns the lock and he can’t help but notice as the medication kicks in that she’s beautiful. Turning around to face him in the doorway, as soon as the lock is open Jamie looks at him.

“Thanks, I had a good time going out an celebrating. You should probably get going,” she says.

Tyler doesn’t even know why he does it, as he nods at her before leaning in pressing his lips against hers being met with no resistance. He and Callie haven’t been together in weeks, they are barely speaking and it feels good to be wanted by someone again. Her hands are wrapping around his neck, his hands are eagerly working on the buttons of her shirt by the time they stumble through the front door, his foot connecting with the door to close it behind them.

Scene 6: 1421 Firestone Cir., West Lake, NY

“Brian David McAllister, you will not do this.” Mary seethes, quietly following her son through the crowd of Callie Morris’s birthday party.

Her pleas fall on deaf ears, as he grips the ring box tightly in his hand looking for Vanessa among the crowd. Spotting her over with her father and making his way towards them. If he doesn’t ask her, he’s afraid that she’s going to leave him for Jake in his mind this is a way to prevent that from happening. If she says yes, it means that she has chosen him and their life. If she doesn’t, he can stop losing sleep about it and he won’t have to worry about it while he is gone on the book tour in a few weeks.

“Hey, there you are,” he greets with a smile, taking his hand in hers.

“Hi.” Vanessa says, returning his gesture looking at him shocked when he drops to one knee.

“We’ve been through a lot over the last few years and I’m crazy about you. Would you do me the great honor of marrying me.” Brian asks, the crowd oohing for a moment.

She can barely speak, let alone process the proposal tears brimming her eyes not sure what to say to it. Her head voluntarily moving in a yes motion, as her free hand moves to wipe at her eyes. She can barely see Brian through the cloud of tears get up off the ground, to place his lips against hers slipping the diamond ring on her finger.

By the time he lets her go people are already coming up to congratulate them, her parents, her sister and her eyes finally met Jake’s in the crowd. Instead of tears of happiness filling her eyes, she can feel the painful sting of hurt from his glare at her. She manages to compose herself as her Garrett leans down and kisses her forehead before leading Brian towards the house to break out champagne for the occasion. Brian leaning in to let her know that he will be right back, she simply nods her head at them.

Jake can swear that he wants to pummel through the crowd and lay out Brian McAllister on the ground the moment that his knee his the ground. From the corner of his eyes, he can see Callie and Cade’s shocked reactions, as the scene unfolds before him. Vanessa nodding her head eyes at the end of the proposal while the rest of the crowd breaks out in applause and cheers. He is simply left feeling numb and empty, at the thought of her not being in his life anymore.

“Nice, real nice,” he manages to get out, hands shoved in his pockets by the time he makes his way towards her after the crowd has dispersed.

“Jake,” she says quietly.

“You can’t do this to me.”

Her hands come to play with the ring on her finger, not even sure what to say to him.

“We’re going in different directions Jake, you’re having a baby and I’m...I’m just,” she manages to get out her voice trailing off.

Fighting back tears, eventually willing them not to fall or worse appear in her eyes. Jake stands there for a moment trying to think of something anything to say to her to be stopped when she speaks again.

“You should go.”

He takes a breath to glance around the yard, fighting back tears of his own before leaving her standing there. He stops by to wish Callie a happy birthday on his way out of the party, and she quickly notices the hurt in his eyes. Looking back over his shoulder to her sister, who is standing there shell shocked, tears again brimming her eyes. Walking towards her sister and then wrapping her arms around her.

“You are supposed to be happy and excited right now. Everything is going to be fine.” Callie says, quietly deep down feeling like nothing is going to be the same.

Loved it or hated it? Can't wait to say something about it? Please vist our forum to leave your thoughts.