Episode 2.04

Ramada Inn—Conner’s Room

Conner rolled over to discover that he was alone in bed, a piece of hotel stationary was placed on the pillow besides him. Had a great time, maybe we’ll do it again sometime. Joan. He sat up and shook his head, a smile creeping along his face. Last night had been exactly what Conner McKay had needed, a night of meaningless sex with a random woman in Denver.

He picked his pants up from the floor and pulled them on before going over to his laptop and checking his e-mail. A message from Maggie caught his eyes. His breathing seemed to go faster as he tried to comprehend the words he was seeing on the screen; Kevin is the father of my child. He slammed the lid down and started to pace the room. His gut instinct was telling him, that sure it only took once, but it didn’t always have to be just once, right?

Hallow Hills—Pool House

Chad was typing up his column, when the phone rang. “Davis Residence, how may I help you?” he asked. “Oh Conner, yeah we can keep Lysa with us for a few more days, what’s going on?” Chad felt himself nodding to Conner even though he was about 100 miles away, “You’re going to Nashville? What’s there?” He leaned back in his desk chair, his eyes growing darker with curiosity. “Oh Maggie, the girl from the children’s clothing store? I thought she married Det. Lane’s brother?” He pulled the phone away from his ear as a few expletives came flowing from Conner’s mouth, “Alright, I’ll tell Bethany, and Lysa is always welcome to stay here.”

Jade’s Apartment

Jade adjusted her long dark hair into an upswept style, showing off her long, graceful neck. She attached her large silver hoop earrings and then studied her image in the mirror. A menacing smile crossed her mocha colored lips as she grabbed her bag.

“Where are you going?” her roommate Ophelia asked.

“Out, I think I’m going to go and seduce that wonderful boyfriend of mine.” Jade told her as she looked for her keys.

Ophelia rolled her eyes, “Um Hon, Kevin dumped you for the blonde remember?”

Jade looked up, a smile bold on her face, “Yes well, I have a feeling it won’t matter since Kevin loves me, I’ll get him back when he realizes what he’s lost.”

“What are you going to do Jade?” Ophelia took several steps closer to her roommate and best friend, hoping that common sense would win out and Jade would stop.

“I’m just going to go have a little chat with Mrs. Lane and find out what got them together and if there is anything or anyone in her past that could come between them.”

“Please don’t get arrested. It won’t be good for you’re Album sales.” Ophelia reminded.

Kevin’s Apartment

Maggie was in the kitchen making lunch when Kevin came in with a smile on his face. “How is my wonderful wife today?” he asked as he went to the coffee pot to pour himself a fresh cup of liquid caffeine.

“I’m just peachy.” Her voice was slightly bitter as she put mayonnaise on the bread.

Kevin took a step back, “Bad day sweetie?”

Maggie looked at him, her eyes drilling into him, “Oh you know I just love it when I can’t eat anything because 15 minutes later I see it again. It’s just so much fun.”

Kevin rubbed her back, “It’ll be alright sweetie, its just morning sickness, and it’ll pass soon.”

“I know.” She sighed as she turned to look at him, “But that doesn’t make it any less unbearable.”

Ciel’s Room

Ceil sat on her twin bed, reading the latest issue of Vogue, and thinking about how much fun she had the night before skiing with Dan Adams. He was so different from the boys she usually went out with; first off he actually worked rather then had a trust fund. Though she was sure her parents George and Callie Beaumont would never approve of him. There was something so sweet in his simplicity, the way he looked at the world differently then all the prep-school boys she had grown up with. Yes, Dan Adams was definitely something different, and a good different.

Flight 4592 for Nashville

Conner drummed his fingers on the tray in front of him as he sat uncomfortably in his coach seat. He was going to have to do over time at the store to make up for spending so much money on a last minute plane ticket to Nashville, but he had to see Maggie. Nothing was going to stop him, not the miles between them or her husband. He would see the love of his life once more.

“Sir, could I get you something to drink?” the male attendant asked as he seemed to hover over Conner.

“A cola would be great.” Conner was absent minded not really paying attention as he thought of ways he could get to see Maggie again. He needed something to get through to her, that they belonged together, no matter whose child she was carrying, even if he was positive it had to be his.

Hallow Hills—Pool House

“So explain to me again what Conner is doing?” Bethany looked at her husband from her place on the couch after she sent Lysa to go wash up for lunch.

Chad sighed realizing he had already explained this twice, “Conner is going to Nashville to try and get Maggie away from Kevin Lane. He’s got this idea in his head that she’s pregnant with his child and he wants to prove it. I think he watched one too many romantic comedies at some point.”

Bethany shook his head, “He should just move on and away from Maggie. She’s too sugary sweet for him.”

“Yeah but he loves her and the heart wants, what the heart wants. Nothing we can say or do will let him realize that until he gets things with Maggie straightened out. I just hope that this Lane guy doesn’t beat him up to a bloody pulp.”

Kevin’s Apartment

Jade was banging on the door of the apartment, hoping to God that little miss Maggie was home. She sighed and realized this plan was not going to work, and she turned to go down the stairs, just in time to see Maggie coming up with a bag of groceries.

She looked up just at the right time to see Jade, “Oh Hi, Kevin’s at work right now.” Maggie told her as she began taking the final step to the floor.

Jade shook her head, “What did you do to trap my boyfriend? Did you get pregnant on purpose?”

Maggie stopped and looked at the woman that wanted her husband, “I didn’t steal Kevin, or trap him in anyway at all. I love him, and yes we’re having a baby, a child we conceived after we got married. You want to know why I’m so sure.” Maggie threw down the sack of groceries and took a step towards Jade, “Because I was a virgin until I was married to Kevin. No matter what anyone thinks, this child is his!”

Jade’s heart was racing; she refused to believe that it was possible at all. She took a step forward, chasing Maggie against the stairs and put her hands on Maggie’s chest, “Kevin belongs with me. I believe it and he knows it in his heart to. You’re just a distraction Maggie.”

“Jade,” Maggie was in a panic she didn’t know what to do, how to handle this. “Please accept it. I’m sure there’s the perfect guy out there for you. Sometimes we think someone is the one and there not. I dated a guy named Conner before Kevin, and even though I loved him, he wasn’t the one. He couldn’t be the one.”

“Well you should’ve stayed with Conner.” Jade said before pushing Maggie away and watching the pregnant blonde tumble down the stairs.

Conner paid the cab driver and looked up at the brick building, shaking his head. A guy like Kevin would live in a place like this. He opened the front door and saw a figure lying on the ground in the shadows. He stared at it for a moment before it registered in his mind.

He ran over and checked to see if she was still breathing and when he was satisfied she was he ran to the payphone in the corner and called for an ambulance.

Dan and Abby’s Apartment

Abby walked out from her bedroom and saw her brother once again playing his video game. She tossed a piece of paper towards him, “Another e-mail from your other half. It’s good this time.” She then wrapped her burgundy scarf around her neck.

Dan paused his game and picked up the e-mail. 

To: RomanceBaby@pinonhallow.net
From: SamAdams@gingerfalls.edu
Subject: Magical. . .
Dear Siblings,
Well, whatever plan you two had going on I think it worked. Last night at the Valentines Dance at the resort, Pam saw me. It was the most amazing moment of my life, better then anything I ever could’ve imagined. It was just as if it was out of a movie, Abs you would’ve loved it. Clay Aiken’s song This is the Night was playing and you know its Pam’s favorite singer, and the crowd sort of split like the red sea, and she looked up and there I was, holding a red rose for her. We danced, and afterwards, we made things official. Pam Mitchell and I are together, its real now. My dreams are coming true here in Hawaii, I bet you never would’ve believed it if you two hadn’t known she was coming here too.
Sam

Dan smiled, “I told you they’d get together and not to worry about some older guy on the beach. Just a distraction until fate stepped in.”

Abby rolled her eyes, “You’re a weird child, you know that right? Sometimes you make complete sense and others—well I’m really not sure what to think of what you say.” She pulled on her gloves and then looked over at the TV screen, “I’m off to meet Ethan for coffee, I’ll see you later—hopefully you won’t still be watching television when I get back.”

“I’m not watching TV.” He defended, “I’m playing Grand Theft Auto.”

“Why not go call that girl you went skiing with last night, Ciel or Callie whatever her name is.”

Dan mocked his sister for a moment and then smiled, “I have to work tonight sis, otherwise I would’ve called Ciel already.”

“Fine, whatever, I just don’t want you wasting away here. I mean Sam’s finally found some happiness with Pam, is it too much to ask that you find some as well?”

Dan paused his game again and stood up, “And what about you, you’re having coffee with the minister, you need to go out on a date.”

Abby took a deep breath, and stared into her brother’s eyes, “Um, Dan this is a date I’m having with Ethan.”

“You’re dating a minister? What the hell?”

“Oh shush! It’s just Ethan, being a minister is his job, its not all that he is.” She looked a bit puzzled for a moment, “right?”

“Yeah, sure that’s how it works. God calls you to do his duty and spread is word and it’s just a job.” Dan sunk back into his seat on the couch, “Believe what you want Baby sister, believe what you want.”

JNC Records—Kevin’s Office

Kevin tapped his pencil on the desk as he listened to the instrumental piece he was working on, trying to figure out what sort of emotions it invoked in him. The muse was starting to come to him when the door opened and Jade came in. “Hello Kevin, how are you this beautiful day?” she sat down in the red chair across from his desk, and crossed her legs as she kept her eyes focused on him.

“Damnit Jade, I almost had it! I was this close to figuring out what this song is about. If you keep this up your album will never be done.” His frustration was clear on his face, as he turned red and snapped his pencil in half.

Jade stood up and walked over to him, picking up his tie with a playful smile, “Kevin, let me help you relax. I’m sure you’ve got to be stressed, I mean with this album, and Maggie expecting a baby that might not be yours.”

Kevin pulled his tie away, “What the hell does that mean might not be mine? Maggie was a virgin when we got married.”

Jade turned her back towards Kevin as she walked back to the chair, “Oh, well I stopped by to make nice with her, considering everything and well she mentioned something about people questioning the paternity. Now if she was a virgin, why would people do that?”

Kevin rolled his eyes, “Jade just go away.” He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Jade turned back towards him and smiled, “Now where would the fun be in that?” she asked as she moved back towards him, and hovered over him. Her lips only a few inches from his mouth, so inviting she had to have another taste.

As she leaned in for her attack the phone rang and Kevin hit the speaker button and she pulled back, “Kevin Lane here.”

“Mr. Lane, this is Jill Norris, down at the county hospital. Are you Maggie Williams-Lane’s husband?” asked the sweet southern voice on the other end.

“Yes, what’s wrong, is Maggie there?” his voice was panicked as he sat up and glanced over at Jade.

“She was brought in a few minutes ago sir, it appears she fell down a set of stairs. It’s serious sir, you need to come down here immediately.”

“Thank you, I’m on my way.” He disconnected the call and glared at Jade, “If I find out you did something to Maggie, I’ll hunt you down Jade.” He grabbed his keys and left the office.

Jade still sat in the red chair shaking her head, “so what, I’m sure little miss Maggie will be fine.”

County Hospital

Maggie lay in the hospital bed, her eyes red and tired from the crying she’d been doing since she woke up twenty minutes before. The mild sedative they had given her was starting to kick in, and now she had to figure out how to explain to Kevin their baby was gone, if they baby was even his. She hated herself for having gotten the blood test done earlier that day; she should’ve known it would only be a precursor to bad things to come.

The door opened and Maggie could tell it was another doctor from the sounds of the shoes, she wasn’t ready to look at anyone so she kept her back to this new intruder.

“Hello Mrs. Lane, I’m Dr. Allison Cramer I’ve been asked to speak with you and offer myself as a sounding board for your feelings.” The woman was about Maggie’s same height and shape, same blond hair and similar eyes.

When Maggie heard the voice her stomach cringed, she couldn’t believe she was hearing it.

“If Dr. Cramer sounds too formal you can of course call me Allie.” She explained taking a step closer, which caused Maggie to roll over.

Maggie’s eyes drilled into the doctor’s, “Almost eleven damn years and it’s, ‘Call me Allie.’ I think not.”

Allie looked confused, “I’m sorry, am I missing something?”

Maggie crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hold back tears that were not from the loss of her baby, but a greater deeper pain she had been keeping inside of her for a very long time, “I would say two daughters and a husband.”

Her face began to pale, “How do you know about Margaret and Cassidy?”

Maggie took a deep breath, “Mother, you know I prefer to be called Maggie.”

“No, you can’t be my daughter Maggie. She lives in Colorado.” Allie tried to rationalize.

“Airplanes, Cars, hell even trains they all make it possible for a girl to move to another state with her husband. I’m almost twenty-seven years old mother, Cassie’s almost seventeen.” Maggie began to rub her forehead, “Just get away from me. I don’t want to see you.”

“Maggie, please you don’t understand—“ Allie tried to say only to see the water pitcher fly across the room towards the door as it was opening.

Conner stuck his head in, “Is everything alright in here? Cause Kevin just got here; I don’t know how long I can hold him off if you’re not ready to talk to him.”

“Dr. Cramer was just leaving.” Maggie said bitterly as she watched her mother start to leave. “I said you were leaving, so go!”

Conner opened the door to let the doctor out and then looked at Maggie for a moment and knew that now was not the time to ask her anything, not even if she wanted water.

Conner closed the door and sat in one of the plastic chairs in the hall when he saw Kevin come running down the hall, frantically looking at the room numbers. “Kevin, she’s in here.” Conner called out.

Kevin stopped when he saw Conner, his first response was to deck him, but he held back, realizing that if it hadn’t been for him Maggie would still be in the complex. “Is she alright?”

Conner shook his head, “I don’t know, I just know she got into an argument with a doctor, if I were you I’d give her a minute to calm down, she has Larry’s temper.”

“Thanks for the warning; I’ll give her a few minutes.” Kevin said as he sat down next to Conner, deciding he would investigate later on as to why he was in Nashville.