MARQUETTE COVE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

Ryan Phillips walked through the corridor leading to Alexis Lopez's hospital room. He was preparing to leave Marquette Cove that evening, but before he left, he had unfinished business with Alexis. He wanted to attempt to see if he could reach out to her before he left, if it was at all possible.

As he approached the door to her room, it opened and someone he recognized exited the room. It was Jessica Reyes, Alexis's best friend.

"Jessica," Ryan said.

"Mr. Phillips," Jessica said, greeting him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit Alexis," Ryan said. "I'm leaving Marquette Cove, and I won't be here for the fall semester. So I'm saying goodbye."

"I don't think that's necessary," Jessica insisted. "I think you've ruined Alexis's life quite enough already."

"Excuse me?" Ryan demanded.

"I know what you did to her," Jessica said. "I can barely talk to her now, she's so obsessed with you. Because of what you did."

"And what is it that you think I did?"

"You raped her," Jessica said.

Ryan scoffed. "That's a lie, Jessica. You shouldn't believe everything you read in the papers."

"Oh, I know you were acquitted when Alexis kidnapped your son," Jessica said. "But I also know that you slept with her."

"I did not —"

"She told me she did," Jessica interjected. "Before you drove her crazy. Before the entire mess with Miss Watson in San Francisco. She told me you slept with her and that you told her you loved her."

"Jessica, I'd think about what you're saying right now," Ryan snapped.

"I know exactly what I'm saying," Jessica said. "I know that you slept with Alexis. And I was there when she found out that she was pregnant with your child, and that was before you forced her to get an abortion and then had her locked up in the psych ward…did I leave anything out?"

Ryan frowned. "Jessica, this isn't like you. You shouldn't talk to your elders like this."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Phillips," Jessica said. "But I feel obligated to tell you to go directly to hell without passing 'Go' and collecting two hundred dollars. Because if I wanted to, I could tell everyone in Marquette Cove what I know and have you thrown in jail faster than you can imagine all the things prisoners do to rapists behind bars."

"Just a second!" Dr. Aaron Maddock called out to no one in particular as he rushed into his office where his telephone was ringing. He sat down at his desk and reached for the phone to answer it. Once he raised the receiver to his face, he asked who it was.

"Hello, Aaron."

"Hugh," Aaron said, realizing who was on the other end of the phone. It was Hugh Rogers, the man who had come back to Marquette Cove to blackmail Aaron and his cousin, Melissa, with information that she used to be a prostitute when she was paying for her law school tuition. "Long time no talk. What is it you want now? Money?"

"No," Hugh said. "I'm calling to give you some news."

"Oh, really?" Aaron asked. "And what's that?"

"I'm leaving Marquette Cove," Hugh replied.



EMERALD PARK

Kelli Anderson kept close behind Chris Server as she followed him from her home, through Emerald Square, and into the park near the edge of the Emerald Lake. The breeze from the lake made Kelli glad that she'd brought her jacket, even though it was late August.

She spied Chris as he sat down on a park bench and waited for someone. Kelli ducked behind a tree and craned her neck to watch him. A few moments later, Ricard Branch arrived at the bench. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could see a gun poorly concealed underneath Ric's jacket.

"Oh my God," Kelli gasped. "Tell me this isn't what I think it is."

Kelli found her worst fears met when she saw Chris remove a package of what looked like cocaine from his inside jacket pocket. Tears formed in her eyes and she turned away from the scene. She couldn't believe that Chris had been lying to her and Blake for nearly a year about what he was doing.

He was still selling drugs, he had never changed. Kelli clutched her stomach and tried to keep herself from vomiting as she ran away from the park as fast as she could.

Alec Bale turned off his cell phone and hurried through Emerald Square, wondering what the frantic message he had gotten from his mother was about. He assumed it wasn't pertaining anything important, but that she was still reacting horribly to the fact that she was divorcing Alec's father.

As he walked, he saw Vincent Moore approaching him. Little did Alec know, the person he was running into wasn't actually Vince, it was Discourse, the doppelganger of Alec's ex-best friend who was holding Vince, Julia, and Akilah captive.

"Vince!" Alec called out, rushing to catch up with him. "Hold up!"

Discourse paused and turned to face Alec. He'd ventured into Marquette Cove to see if he could find out whatever secrets his captives were keeping from him, so that he could understand the angel and the demon inside his mind and their insistence that this Vincent Moore was an incredibly important key to Discourse's future.

"Who are you?" Discourse demanded.

"Look, I know you don't want to talk to me," Alec said. "But I think that we can finally…you know, mend fences? Become friends again? It's not like Jessica wants to date either of us."

"Who's Jessica?"

"Exactly," Alec said. "She's nobody…I can't even believe I got dumped by two girls in the same week."

"What?"

"Nothing," Alec said, extending a hand. "So, what do you say? Water under the bridge?"

Sara Reynolds sat alone at a table near the Emerald Café, her attention focused on her cousin who was talking to Vince. Sara smiled, hoping that Vince and Alec were finally going to be able to work things out between them.

Soon enough, Sara would work on getting Alec to work things out with Ricard, now that Sara was spending more time with him. He knew that Alec and most of Marquette Cove High School assumed Ric was still mixed up in a bad crowd, but she knew that he had changed from the time he devoted to helping her get over Erin's death.

Sara couldn't help remembering how Ric admitted his feelings for her months ago, but then backed off when he realized she was dating Erin. Now, he hadn't even brought those feelings up after Erin's death out of respect for their relationship.

"Of course, now I might be gaining feelings for him," Sara said softly. "But I…I won't do that Erin. I can't."



HOLDEN HOME

Valerie Hanley-Holden sat on the couch in her living room, drinking a glass of brandy while going over the photographs she had received from Hugh Rogers. Valerie couldn't contain her excitement over finally being able to destroy Melissa Maddock's life, just as Melissa had helped Valerie's father, Kevin Hanley, destroy Valerie's life years ago.

"That little bitch is going to get everything she deserves," Valerie said, taking another sip from her glass. "And I really just can't wait!"

Valerie set down her glass on the coffee table and excitedly crossed over to the phone. She picked up the phone and quickly dialed the Bale house, hoping that her half-sister, Valerie, was there. It took a few rings, but Felicia finally answered the phone.

"Hello?" Felicia answered, sounding haggard.

"Felicia! I've got great news!" Valerie exclaimed.

"That's debatable," Felicia muttered. "Also, stop talking so loudly."

"I need you to meet me at Melissa's house," Valerie said.

"Why would I want to go see that bitch rolling around with my husband?" Felicia demanded. "Or should I say, her husband."

"What?"

"They're getting married," Felicia said. "I saw them at a bridal shop today. They can have each other! I don't want either of them!"

"Felicia, have you been drinking?" Valerie asked.

"No," Felicia lied. "Don't be stupid."

"Look, I have some news to give you that's going to turn Melissa's life into a tailspin," Valerie insisted. "Trust me, you don't want to miss this."

"Oh, fine," Felicia said, hanging up the phone.

"Fantastic!" Valerie cried, hanging up her phone as well. "This is going to be the best day ever!"

Valerie performed a little dance and hummed to herself as she walked back over to the couch. She plopped back down in her seat and picked up her glass to finish the rest of her drink. Then Valerie set the glass down and took in her hands the photographs of Melissa's past in prostitution. Valerie kicked up her legs in excitement, unable to control her laughter.



MARQUETTE COVE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

"You're leaving Marquette Cove?" Aaron asked. "For good?"

"Yes," Hugh said. "I've come to the decision that Melissa has paid enough for her indiscretions, and so I'll leave it at that."

"Then why are you calling me?" Aaron demanded.

"I'm calling to make sure that our other secret remains a secret," Hugh said.

"You don't have to worry about that," Aaron insisted. "I'm in it as much as you are."

"Good," Hugh said. "Then goodbye, until we cross paths once more."

Aaron was about to respond, but Hugh quickly hung up the phone. Sighing, Aaron set the phone down and turned his attention to a post-it note on his desk. It was in reference to the planned practice he wanted to open with Simon Holden, a surgeon at the hospital.

Aaron had halted his plans due to Hugh's appearance in Marquette Cove, but now he could return to their original plan.

"Well, at least one good thing came out of this," Aaron muttered.

"I just want to see Alexis," Ryan insisted.

"Stay away from her," Jessica said. "She doesn't need to see you."

"I'm leaving town," Ryan said. "I just wanted to —"

"You've done enough," Jessica snapped. "Turn around now, and I'll forget everything I just said."

Ryan opened his mouth to speak, but instead chose to say nothing. He frowned and turned around to exit the hospital wing, leaving without speaking to Alexis. In a way, he knew Jessica was right. There was nothing left for him to say.

Once Ryan was gone, Jessica turned back around when she heard someone screaming. In the window of Alexis's room, she could see Alexis crying out to her, yelling out Ryan's name. Alexis banged on the door as tears streamed down her face.

"I'm sorry, Alexis," Jessica said. "But it's for the best."

She turned around and followed Ryan out of the corridor.