Episode 5.01

Dominican Republic—Medical Clinic

The rosy pink walls of the waiting room reminded Adel of a dress she had when she was sixteen years old. It was the dress she wore the night she gave herself to him, the night that she conceived the child she gave away. Now she was surrounded by that exact same color as a child she had adopted lay in a room down the hall, sick.

Preston Layden studied Adel, he could tell she cared for his daughter and that she was going to put up one hell of a fight to keep her. Isabella was all he had left of Kathryn, even though now he wondered if she had ever loved him, he wasn’t going to loose his child.

Monique the nanny chewed on her thumbnail, worried about this child that had just had the flu. Perhaps it was worse then the flu, and now they were finding that out.

The doctor came in, his white lab coat snug against his body as he looked over the test results, “Has anyone given Isabella aspirin lately?”

“No of course not.” Adel responded as Monique raised her hand. “Monique?”

“When she had the flu, we were out of the other medications.”

“That fits then, I’m sorry Mrs. Davis, but your daughter has Reyes Syndrome.”

“What is that?” Preston asked as he took a few steps forward.

“It affects young children. It causes drowsiness, confusion, at times it can even cause seizures and even put her in a coma.”

“She’ll be alright, right?” Preston’s eyes showed how much he cared for this child.

The doctor sighed, “We’re waiting on some test results but so far everything looks good.”

Preston paced a few steps before walking out the room and in the direction of the chapel.

210 Shavano Court

“Daddy?” Cassie called out as she and the boys entered the house. Everything was silent. She knew that Ariel had taken Hardy out, which was good. This meant she could tell her father this, without waking her baby brother.

Larry Williams came down the stairs and looked at Eric and Dan, unsure why these young men were with his daughter, “Cassie, Eric, whose the friend?”

“Dan Adams.” Dan stuck his hand out and Larry shook it.

“Um Daddy, I have to tell you something.” Cassie twisted her fingers together and looked at the floor.

Larry looked to Eric and Dan, “What’s going on?”

“Mr. Williams, someone has been sending her some abnormal notes.” Dan explained, “Cassie wants your permission to hire me to help find out who wrote them, and protect her because she doesn’t want to give up her pageants.”

“Cass, why didn’t you tell me before?”

She sighed looking up at her father, “I didn’t want to admit it was happening. But after the last one, I told Eric, and he introduced me to Mr. Adams.”

“What is it exactly that you do?” Larry leaned against the frame of the banister and studied the man his daughter was trusting with her life.

“I’m a former cop with the Pinõn Hallow Department. I’m currently a Private Investigator, I promise you sir that I will keep your daughter safe.”

“Cassie, are you sure you want to go through with this season?”

She nodded, “For Maggie. I have to Daddy, for her and for myself. So I can feel semi-normal again.”

“I guess I have to trust you with my little girl.” Larry looked at Dan, “If something bad does happen to you, I’m gonna come after you after the person that hurt her. Understood?”

Dan nodded, “Yes, it is sir.”

Ethan’s House

John Adams opened the front door of the home his daughter shared with her husband. He knew she wasn’t back yet, cause he knew that as soon as he saw her, he’d shake some sense into her.

Ethan came down the stairs, locking eyes with his father-in-law, “I’m so sorry John.”

“You are?” John’s gaze followed Ethan as he walked to the fire place and picked up a card.

“Abby must have found it and left before I could give her an explanation.” Ethan leaned against the rock wall. “I love your daughter John, but its becoming clearer and clearer that I’m not enough for her.”

“What are you talking about?” John hated having to play dumb, but navigating the situation seemed to call for it at this moment.

Ethan rubbed his eyes, “I think Abby is in love with my cousin, Chad.”

John’s eyes grew wide, “I understand, but what you left a note telling her you were leaving and she found it before you left?”

“I think so, I keep hoping she comes back.” Ethan put the note back down on the coffee table, “How did I screw this up so badly?”

“You didn’t do this Ethan. Sometimes love isn’t as obvious as we expect or want it to be.”

“How have you and Lydia lasted so long? You’re both so different?”

John smiled as he thought of his wife, “That’s what makes us work. If we were exactly alike, we’d have murdered each other and never had the kids.”

“Do you think Abby and I can make this work?”

“How serious were you about leaving?”

“You’re right, you really are right.” Ethan sighed and returned the note to the mantle.

 

Highway

Sally Payne kicked the side of her tire as she flopped her body against the side of her car. This was the last thing she needed tonight. Why did her tire pick tonight to go flat? Who was she kidding, it didn’t pick the time it just happened.

“Need help?” Carsyn Raleigh stood several feet away from the car, the headlights from his shining on the two of them.

“Yeah, my cell phone is dead and my tire is flat.” Sally’s hand went into the pocket of her jacket and clung to the bottle of pepper spray.

“Got a spare?”

“Nope, well I do but I took it out when I had to go get a new pump for my station at work and I just hadn’t put it back yet.”

“Pump, what do you do, glass art?”

“Close, I’m a manicurist.”

“Doctor.” Carsyn went over to his car and took out his cell phone, “I’ll call triple A. You’ll be ready to go in no time at all.”

“Thanks that’s very kind of you.”

“Carsyn, Carsyn Raleigh.” He stuck his hand out.

Sally took it and gave it a quick shake, “Sally Payne.”

“Hi, this is Dr. Raleigh, I’m with a friend and her front tire went flat. Thing is she doesn’t have a spare. We’re just outside of town on Country Road twelve…great, we’ll be waiting.” He turned and smiled, “Just about twenty minutes and you’ll be on your way.”

“Thank you very much.”

Caspian Vineyard

Siobhan looked at the large house, amazed having never seen it in such amazing shape. Even during Conner and Maggie’s wedding it still had that abandoned feel to it. Now, it glowed against the dark dusk sky.

She took slow tentative steps up to the door before reaching for the large knocker. She felt like she was being taken back at least a hundred years into the past.

As it hit with a clang, Elijah opened the door. He couldn’t help but smile as he looked at Siobhan, the mixture of sunset and moonlight reflecting on her dark hair. He’d seen this once before, on the island. Now, she was a vision on his doorstep. He leaned against the doorframe as he’d seen in the old American movies. “Good evening Detective, is there something I could help you with?”

“I’d like to discuss something with you. May I come in?”

Elijah pushed the door open allowing plenty of room for her to enter. “But of course.”

Siobhan stepped in and looked around, everything was much more put together then it had been during the summer.

“So what is it you’d like to discuss Siobhan?” Elijah pushed the door closed, and it revealed the old creak of the house.

“Us, this avoiding thing we do. Only to be drawn into each others worlds at very random times.”

Elijah chuckled, “You really think its random, that’s so adorable Siobhan. I’ve been giving you time. I didn’t want to push you, I didn’t want you to feel like you were forced into something. I wanted you to come to me, when you were ready.”

She pushed her dark hair behind her ear and cocked her head to the side, “Do you honestly think we have a chance at something real Elijah?”

“Yes, I do Siobhan. I’m not running away from you. I’m open to you.” He sighed for a moment, “When we met on the island I knew then, you were my future. I knew that if it was meant to be, I’d see you again. And look I came to Pinõn Hallow and you were here. You never told me where you were from, and yet I sensed you were here. This one night I was down at the old gate house and I could’ve sworn you were there or had just been there.”

“I had been. This place, was my favorite spot to come and think since high school. When I found out it had been bought, I had to say goodbye. The gatehouse, that was the place I dreamed of the man of my dreams.” She rubbed her temples. “I’m sorry, I just can’t do this right now.”

Elijah watched her for a moment, before realizing she had just walked out on him again. “Siobhan, please don’t be so stubborn.” He said to the paintings and mirrors around him, “Give us a chance, give me a chance, and give yourself a chance.”

225 Shavano Court

Abby nervously opened the front door of her parent’s house, her suitcase in hand. She couldn’t believe how stupid she had been to go to New York, only to have Chad tell her to go back to Colorado. Perhaps she should’ve insisted on staying, or even stayed and not told him. Let him come across her randomly. If they’re meant to be together, they’d be together, right?

Lydia Adams held her coffee cup close to her as she stood in the doorway of the kitchen, waiting for Abby to say something. “You’re father is at you’re house. Trying to smooth things over with Ethan.”

Abby put the bag down and studied her mother for a moment before speaking, “Mom, what did you want from me? Or rather who did you want me to be with? The second you found out Ethan and I were dating you pushed me towards it. Especially with all that respectability thing about being the wife of our minister. But the moment a flirtation developed between myself and Mr. Davis appeared you were all over that. Think of the power Abigail; think of what you can do as Mrs. Davis.”  She unclenched her hands and took a deep breath, “I’m not blaming you, I’m blaming myself for listening to you. After the kidnapping, Ethan was the safe choice. You even said so. So of course I listened to you. I denied my heart. Over and over, and over again!”

“Abigail stop this nonsense!” Lydia demanded as she put the coffee cup down on a nearby shelf.

“No!” Abby lifted her hand, palm facing her mother to keep her distance. “I’ve screwed up my life. I married a man I wasn’t sure I was fully in love with, and then I slept with his cousin, the one man I was sure I fully loved. I tried to keep Chad out of my heart mother. I couldn’t. Even after he left town, I just couldn’t. So after months of torment, wondering what if I did this or that, I went to New York.” Abby leaned against the banister of the stairs, “What do I get when I get there, a go home Abby.”

Lydia stood frozen, unsure of what to say, unsure of how to handle any of this. Watching as tears fell from Abby’s eyes.

The front door opened and John walked in with Ethan right behind him. Both men stopped when they saw Abby in tears.

Abby looked at her father and then at her husband, “Its over Ethan, it was over a very long time ago.”

Miami, Florida

Brighton Simpson smiled as he climbed into the Limousine, with Sean McKay right behind him. The warm Miami air had felt great, but the air conditioning of this spacious back seat felt even better after waiting in the hot sun.

“Where are we going?” Sean asked as he looked at his partner in crime, part of him itching to get away from Brighton, sick of the sexual advances that came at every chance.

Brighton’s grin grew bigger, “To meet with him.”

Sean sighed leaning against the back of the seat as they drove for a few more minutes before coming up to a nice, large house.

The car stopped, and the driver let the men out. Brighton looked around, and basked in the glowing sun as if it were hugging him.

The Spanish style door opened and a man came out. He wore Khakis colored pants, and a white linen shirt. His skin was that Mediterranean dark that you knew Ryan Seacrest was always attempting to reach. His feet were bare, his hair short and dark, almost as dark as his eyes. For a moment, he mesmerized even Sean.

He turned to Sean and smiled, “I’m Derek Manning, welcome. I hope you feel at home while you stay with us Sean.”

“You know my name?” Whatever hold Derek had over Brighton, Sean was sure he wouldn’t fall for it.

“Of course, Brighton always tells me about the special people in his life. I just hope your better then Chad Davis, even I was fooled by him.”

Sean laughed, “I’m a much better man then him.”

“Yes you are.” Brighton added as he got a dreamy look in his eyes as he watched Sean step up the stairs.

“Let’s get you settled in.” Derek suggested as they went into the house.

Fish tank, PHC Library

The Fish tank was filled with students furiously typing papers for their midterms, everyone trying to get ready for spring break. Amanda Bryan leaned back in the flimsy desk chair and cracked her fingers one at a time in a circular motion as she re-read the last few paragraphs she had written.

Jack Forrest looked up from the terminal, and watched his ex-girlfriend for a moment. His insides were twisted, he felt like an idiot. But she said she wanted to end things, and he let her.

He looked back at his screen, realizing that nothing made sense that he had just typed. He looked back at Amanda who was bringing up her web browser. He could see exactly what site she was going to.

Jack himself brought myspace up, quickly logging on and searching through his friends list for Amanda. He couldn’t help but smile that she was still listed. He quickly clicked her and went to her page. Anything but standard issue for her as he was greeted with the baby blue background, and special graphics.

Amanda clicked back to her homepage on myspace and saw the new comment notification.

Jack In The Box: Hey, I miss hanging out with you. Let’s have dinner at five in the cafeteria. Just you and me.

Amanda sighed before looking around the room for the clock, but her eyes settling on Jack. She licked her lips and studied her finger nails for a moment before turning back to her computer.

Jack watched her for a moment before going back to his main page and seeing the new comments.

MandyDo: Let me have my time, I need it. You need it. More is going on then you know.

Jack sighed and closed out his browser before logging off the computer.

Conner’s Apartment

“Something about this locket is just creepy.” Gary said as he lay on Lysa’s bed as she typed away on her computer.

“Not creepy, just not normal. I feel like I’ve seen it before.”

“Maybe it was your mother’s, her picture is in it.”

Lysa turned and looked at her friend, “If it is, then its cursed.”’

“What do you mean?” he picked up her blue Care Bear and started to make it dance on his stomach.

“Hold on.” She looked back at the screen as the search engine brought up the results. She clicked the first one, and was greeted with a sketch of the locket—identical to the one sitting next to her on her desk. “This is the Lady Agatha Locket.”

“I’m still not getting the big deal.” Gary sat up, still holding the bear in his hands.

“I don’t know the whole story. Chad does, at least I think he does.”

Chad?”

“My Step-Father, my Mother was this rare jewelry expert. This locket was her last item.”

“I don’t get where the curse comes in.”

“Lady Agatha was the mistress of a prince or duke or something, his wife cursed the item.”

Gary stood up, and picked up the locket, “That’s nuts Lysa.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“This.” Gary held it in his hand and then quickly kissed Lysa on the lips.

She sat there stunned, “Why’d you do that?”

“Cause I wanted to.” Gary put the locket down, “If it was a curse, I wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

Lysa leaned back in her chair, “I guess your right.”

Metro Magazine

“You know, you spend way too much time in this office.” Chad Davis stood at the door of Bianca Francis’ office.

She looked up, pushing her reading glasses up on her nose, “I have a magazine to put out.”

“True, but you pay people to help you. You can’t do it all your own. Trust me, I know.” Chad moved in front of her desk and picked up a small figurine of angel. “What do you know about Angels?”

“Angel’s? It depends. Personally I think its our loved ones coming back to help us get to where we’re suppose to be. Why?” Bianca put her red wax pencil down and studied Chad for a moment.

“You know I don’t know why I asked. Probably just this little gal.” He placed it back down, “I did have a motive for coming here.”

“What’s going on Davis?”

“Last night was just, weird. I was asleep, got a text message from my aunt. Turns out my ex-girlfriend left her husband. Then she called me, and I told her to go back to Colorado. Then it gets weird, I was in the hall and one of the books fell off the shelf. Completely random.”

“What book was it? Maybe it has a meaning.”

“It couldn’t. It was just a biography on Lady Agatha of Yorkshire.”

Bianca nodded, “Never heard of her. Probably just the building settling or something.”

“Yeah that’s probably all it was.” Chad wasn’t so sure. Especially since it was one of Bethany’s books and Abby had just called. Maybe more was going on then he knew.