Episode 2.13

Methodist Church—Outside Entrance

Adel and Doug walked out each holding a one of the babies, following Chad who was alone. Conner and Lysa were getting in the car, and the pain was written all over the young girls face.

Ethan Jacob’s came up to Chad and put a hand on his shoulder, “If you need to talk Chad, I’m right here for you, anytime day or night.”

Chad looked up, revealing his tired eyes, “Thank you Reverend. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Ethan left Chad and went over to Adel and Doug, “How are the children doing?”

Adel gently rocked her arms that held a sleeping Fallon, “Healthy, they have no clue what’s going on. I just hope Chad can find the help he’ll need now.”

“Yes well, I gave him the nanny service number a few weeks ago. I’m sure as soon as he’s ready he’ll find someone.”

“I hope so, this is going to be very hard on him. I don’t think Chad ever cared for anyone, the way he did for Bethany.” Doug said as slowly began down the steps, protectively holding baby Del.

Ethan looked back to Chad, “God works in mysterious ways. Ways that we may never be able to understand.”


Hallow Hotel—Room Six

Maggie threw her purse down on the bed when she entered the motel room. Her job interview had gone well and she felt really good about possibly being the new manager for the Java Jet.

She went into the bathroom and turned on the hot water for the shower and undressed and got in, allowing the pulsating rivets to massage her muscles. As she began to relax for the first time in days she heard someone knocking on the door of her room. Turning off the water she grabbed her bathrobe and put it on, allowing her hair to be dripping wet.

“Who the hell could it be?” she asked aloud to herself before opening the door and setting her eyes upon her first boyfriend, Luke Campbell as he held up their good luck charm, a troll doll key chain named Fred. “Luke!”

“Magpie!” he said as he pulled her small frame into him for a long, strong hug.

“What are you doing here?” she asked bringing him into the room.

“Well I got your call and it sounded pretty bad, so since its summer and I have no classes to teach, I figured why not return to Colorado and check on you. As well as deliver this little guy.” He said putting his bag down on the floor.

Maggie took Fred and smiled, “Thank Luke, this is great.” Tears were forming in her eyes.

“Okay Maggie, what happened?” He took her hand and they sat down on the bed.

Maggie shook her head and looked up at the ceiling. “Luke the last year has been nuts. Everything with Conner, this guy I was totally head over heels for. Just as we start a relationship his wife comes back.”

“Maggie, what were you doing with a married man?”

“It wasn’t like that Luke.” She said pushing her wet hair behind her ears, “She left him years before, him and their daughter. Well when she came back I insisted they try again for their daughters sake. It was then that I met Kevin, my friend Siobhan’s brother. He and I started to date and before I knew it, we were married just in time for Conner to be free of Bethany. Thing is, I slept with Conner after Kevin and I got married—before Kevin and I slept together.”

“Baby doll, how in the world did that happen?”

“Well I sort of figured Conner and I could get back together and my marriage to Kevin could be annulled, only Conner got pissed and stormed out.” Maggie looked down at her fingers, “So Kevin and I stayed married obviously and things started to really work out. I got pregnant, we moved to Nashville. That’s where Jade Spencer is, stupid little tart.”

“Whoa, vocabulary check. You must be really upset.”

Maggie nodded, “I have reason to be though. See Jade is Kevin’s ex-girlfriend who couldn’t accept it was over between the two of them. She was always trying to bait me, and get me to say Kevin knocked me up so we had to get married. That’s when she pushed me down the stairs, causing me to miscarry the child. Though my doctor later told me, it was highly likely of happening.”

Luke reached over and caressed her face, “Oh Maggie, you should’ve called me sooner.”

Maggie smiled, “There’s more I’m only half way through. See when I was in the hospital they sent this specialist to talk to me.” She paused for a moment trying to figure out how to word this, “Turns out, it was my mother. So you can imagine how I handled that, a lot of yelling and screaming. I even threw one of those hospital water pitchers at her.”

“But you throw like a girl.”

“Not when I’m angry. Anyways I decided I would leave Nashville and go see my Dad and Cassie. Well my Mother came to Durango, and she brought my little brother.”

“Wait, little brother?”

“Exactly, turns out she lied to my father about her last miscarriage, so of course Gary being so young wants to know if they’re going to get back together. My Dad decides this is the best time to announce he’s marrying Cassie’s Pageant coach, Ariel. She’s my age, we used to compete against each other.”

“Okay, wow never would’ve expected that from Larry, but then again sometimes even we do things we don’t expect.” He said remembering how he had slept with a student. “So Larry’s marrying someone your age, how does this tie to finding your husband in bed with this Jade person.”

“Well I went back to Nashville after that, I got in that morning at like 7:30, and back to my apartment a bit after that. Well the front door was unlocked, which is very odd considering Kevin has tons of equipment, he’s a music writer. Well I go upstairs and there they were, together, naked in our bed. I freak of course, throw a vase, call Jade a whore, let Kevin in on the fact that she caused me to lose our child.” She looked into his light eyes and frowned, “Then I let it slip that I slept with Conner and that I was leaving him.”

“That’s when you left Nashville and called me. Girl you know what you are?”

“What?”

“Spunky. Spunky and stupid.” He smiled, “But its what makes you, you. Its part of why men fall all over themselves for you, trust me I know I’ve been one.”

“So being spunky is a good thing?”

Luke nodded, “It sure is Baby doll, it sure is.”


Arkansas River Bank

The water was flowing, white cascades hitting the rocks. Chad loosened his tie as he sat down on the dry bank, watching the water. “Oh God Bethany, why did this happen?”

There was no answer as he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the Lady Agatha Locket. He ran his thumb over the silver case and the pattern it created. “This destroyed you, this Lysa, Fallon, and Del without a mother. Damn it!” he cried out loud, causing a group of teenagers to look towards him.

He stood up with the locket in his hand as he reached high towards the sky before throwing it into the river, watching the water take it away.


Love and Honor Set

“Okay this won’t be too bad at all.” Wink explained as he took Kevin onto the set. “All you’ll do is ask each of the remaining girls the following questions, first up is Alisa, then Ophelia, then Trista, and finally Joan. Oh and one more thing, Joan and Trista our the networks choices to be the top two, so lets make sure there both in top three.”

“Where’s the reality in that?” Kevin asked, not sure why he was doing this, he should be trying to get his wife back.

“Its Television, come on now. Anyways, Brock’s not suppose to know any of these women and he and Joan were once engaged. It’s all good.”

“Fine, if you say so.”


Brock was walking down the corridor when someone grabbed his arm and pulled him into a closet. “Brock, we need to talk.”

Brock smiled just as the light was turned on and he looked down at Joan, “Hello to you to. What’s going on?”

“I should ask you that, why am I still around?” Joan released a heavy sigh as she looked into the eyes of a man she had once loved so much.

Brock reached down and caressed her face and smiled, “Why do you think you’re still around Joan?” he asked before kissing her gently on her lips.

Joan felt the heat from his body as she found herself pressing against him, returning the kiss.

Brock pulled away and smiled, “You are still in love with me Joan, you and I we’re fated to be together.”

Joan backed away, her fingers gently touching her lips for a moment before she spoke, “You watch too many soap operas Brock. Come on, I know I’m not going to be the one you pick. Wink has too much control.”

Brock shook his head, “Joan, I picked you the moment I found out you were going to be on the show. I just hope I don’t hurt Trista too much, or Ophelia.”

“Trista won’t be hurt, at least not by you.” Joan said remembering the conversation she and Trista had the evening before.


Siobhan’s Apartment

Becker* and Siobhan sat on the couch eating popcorn and watching her brother prepare to eliminate someone else from Love and Honor. Becker leaned over and began to nibble on her ear.

“Becker! Come on now, I’m trying to watch this.” Siobhan said trying not to giggle.

“It’s just a television show.” He said as his hand began to run up her leg.

Siobhan smacked his hand away, “And my brother is on it. Sort of a mood killer.”

Becker sighed just as someone was knocking on the door. “I’ll get it.” he told her as he got up and answered it, opening the door to a shirtless Kyle. “Um, hi Kyle.”

“Hey Becker, Siobhan around?” he asked as he came into the apartment, “You’re watching this again?”

Siobhan stood up and looked at her friend, “why do you not have a shirt on?”

“It’s summer, anyways listen I’m taking off for a few days.”

Siobhan rolled her eyes, “Where are you going Kyle?”

Kyle crossed his arms over his chest and smiled proudly, “I’m going to Nashville, I’ve got a plan and I think it’s going to work.”

Becker closed the door, “And what Kyle is this grand plan of yours?”

Kyle leaned against the back of Siobhan’s couch, “I’m going to find out where Love and Honor is tapped, get on the set and tell Trista how I feel.”

Siobhan nodded for a moment, “And what if she’s fallen in love with Brock and you’re too late.”

Kyle’s expression saddened, “Then at least I know I’ll have tried to get her back, tried to fix things between us. Maybe then I won’t screw up again.”


Methodist Church—Ethan’s Office

Ethan sat at his desk, his hands folded as his eyes looked down at the service pamphlet from earlier. He hated funerals, but he knew it was all he could do to help the families.

“Hey Rev, mind if I come in.” Abby asked as she slowly entered the office, still wearing her black suit from earlier.

“Hey, how’s Lysa holding up?”

Abby shook her head, “She stopped crying for a while, but it’s going to take a lot. This little girl only knew her mother for not even a whole year, and then had her ripped away. At least she’ll have some memories to share with the twins.”

Ethan nodded, “Its times like these that really get you thinking about the future and what you want out of this precious gift called life.”

“Yeah it does. So what has it brought to your mind?”

Ethan stood up and turned to the window, looking out at the view of the Angel of Shavano, “It just reminds me how much work I have to do here, bringing God’s message to the world, helping in his plan.”

Abby came up behind him and put her arms around him, “This really is more then your job, isn’t it?”

Ethan turned around, his arms holding Abby close, “Yes and I hope your apart of this.”

Abby looked down, “Ethan, my life is just starting. I’ll be placed with a family soon as a Nanny. Yes God is a huge part of my life, but children is a bigger part.”

Ethan nodded, “We’re better off as friends aren’t we?”

Abby released her hold on him, “Sadly I think so, and it’s a pity to.”

“Why?” he asked looking into her eyes.

“Because you were probably the most perfect guy possible. Too bad just friends seems to work better for us.” She said with a soft smile. “I better go, Dan’s been drinking pretty heavily since Ciel left him. I should make sure the living room isn’t covered with beer cans.”

Ethan smiled, “Good idea, if he needs to talk to someone let him know he can come to me.”

“Will do, see ya later Rev.”

*The Role of Chief Shamus Becker, has been recast.