Judge Talbot Nielsen left the bathroom in the courthouse and found a man standing in the shadows under one of the broken lights in the hallway. It didn't take long for Judge Nielsen to recognize the man as Quentin Blood, a known drug dealer in Marquette Cove who had been able to evade jail since moving into town twelve years ago.

"Hello Judge Nielsen," Quentin said, smiling.

"Mr. Blood," Judge Nielsen said. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm come for a favor," Quentin responded.

"Then I'm the wrong person you came to see," Judge Nielsen insisted.

"I don't believe so," Quentin continued. "You are the judge presiding over Chris Server's sentencing, correct? After he pleaded guilty as an accessory to attempted murder? Since there won't be a trial…you're the man I need to speak with."

"If you've come here in some attempt to change the outcome of this trial, then you are about to be disappointed," Judge Nielsen said.

He started walking toward his chambers, past Quentin, but Quentin reached out and quickly grabbed Judge Nielsen by his arm, pulling him into the shadows of the hallway.

"I have ways of making my case heard," Quentin said. "And a wide array of persuasion tactics. Would you like to hear them?"

"I just want to start the new year out without having to worry about this," Chris Server insisted, brushing past Detective Joel Kincaid as he entered the courthouse. "Once I get sentenced, then it's over with."

"I know you didn't pull the trigger, Chris," Joel said. "What I want to know is who else was with you. Are you working for Quentin again?"

"That's none of your business, Detective Kincaid," Chris snapped. "And I'm not a police snitch."

"Funny, you were singing a different tune last year," Joel reminded him. "Or was that all a game you were playing? Were you lying about getting your life back?"

"Leave my client alone," Melissa Maddock said, entering behind them. "I'm sorry I'm late, Christopher."

"It's fine," Chris said. "Are you okay?"

He looked up at Melissa, who appeared to have been crying.

"I'm perfectly fine," Melissa insisted. "We should get inside."

"Chris, just give me the name of —"

"That's enough, Detective," Melissa snapped.


MARQUETTE COVE HIGH SCHOOL

"Thank you all for coming to this impromptu rehearsal," Lori Racine said, walking onto the stage in the school's theatre. "Those of you that could make it, anyway. I'm Lori Racine, the receptionist in the office here and theatre fan. I'm also your replacement director, since our previous director left town after his wedding and the replacement director left town just before him...after her own wedding…the same wedding actually...and the school neglected to hire anyone else. So…I'm going to be your director for our winter production of Dangerous Liaisons."

"Les Liaisons Dangereuses," Alec Bale corrected, standing next to Lori.

"That too," Lori said. "So, I'm sure you all know the new stage manager."

"Formerly assistant stage manager," Alec said. "But the stage manager is missing and presumed dead as of Christmas, so here we are. Now, we're just going to be doing a read through of the script, since it's New Year's Eve and I'm guessing everyone wants to get out of here and get wasted…"

Off Lori's look, Alec quickly changed his train of thought. "Or not. So, why don't we get started?"

"Whatever," Eve Lim said, rising to her feet. "Long as we're out of here by seven. I've got a date with some Alias DVDs."

"We don't even have a Valmont," Farrah Louis reminded everyone. "How am I supposed to act without anyone here to read against my part?"

"It's a read through, you're not acting," Lori said.

"I can read the part," Scott Hart said, sliding next to Farrah. "Or you could read my part."

"Ew. Was that a double entendre?" Farrah demanded.

"It was hardly intelligent enough to be considered one," Eve said, smirking.

"Bitch," Scott muttered.

"I'll read the part of Valmont," Alec said. "Let's just get this over with."

Lori smiled. "Way to rally the troops."

Alec raised an eyebrow.

"That wasn't sarcasm," Lori insisted.

Alec sighed. "Unfortunately, I know."


MARQUETTE COVE COURTHOUSE

Blake Thomas entered the courthouse, where he saw Chris entering the courtroom with his lawyer. He frowned at the sight of his ex-boyfriend and turned back to watch the Andersons — Cyrus, Tina, and Morris — enter behind him.

"Don't you have a rehearsal today?" Tina asked.

"I talked to Alec to get out of it," Blake said.

"But you're the lead," Tina said.

"I can miss a read through," Blake insisted. "This is important for Kelli. I want to be here."

"He's a great actor, Tina," Cyrus insisted. "He'll be just fine."

"Guess I take after my brother," Blake said.

"Yeah, I saw you two in Comedy of Errors before he got cancer," Morris said.

"How about we go in?" Blake suggested, quickly changing the subject. "The sooner we're done with this, the better."

"I hope that bastard gets everything he deserves," Morris said. "They can't give him the death penalty, but they can stick him in prison and let him get raped for all I car."

"Morris, please," Cyrus said. "Don't talk like that around your mother."

As they all headed toward the courtroom, Blake felt a chill run down his spine while walking through the hallway. He had the strangest feeling that something was wrong at the courthouse. But he knew there was no way Chris would be able to get away with what had happened to Kelli, and so he chose to ignore the feeling and follow the Andersons inside.


HANLEY HOME

"Leave me alone," Vincent Moore snapped, lying on his back on the floor in his bedroom. As he looked up, he could see Antonio and Zaliphyr surrounding him. Not saying anything, but just looking at him.

He had been able to resist them taking full control of his mind, if only because they were in part still weak from when he slaughtered them in Ronarr's lair and they had to retreat to his mind like the parasites they were.

"Can't I ever get rid of you two?" Vince demanded. "It's been two years! And Ronarr is dead! There's no more big bad in Marquette Cove, so get the hell out of my mind and leave me alone!"

"Not exactly the welcome I expected."

Vince sat up on the floor and saw his sister, Akilah Moore, standing in the doorway.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd stop by and see my brother on New Year's Eve," Akilah said. "I didn't know that was a crime."

"What do you want, Akilah?"

"Mom wants you home tonight," Akilah said. "I don't even know why I bothered coming over, since you're just going to say —"

"I'll be there."

"Huh?"

"Are you deaf? I'll be there," Vince said. "Just leave me alone until then."

"Um…okay," Akilah said, leaving and closing the door. "That was easier than I thought it'd be."


MARQUETTE COVE COURTHOUSE

Chris stood before Judge Nielsen, listening as Melissa explained his case once more before he was to be sentenced. Chris turned back to look at Blake, who was sitting next to Morris in the courtroom. Blake turned away from Chris when he noticed him looking.

Sighing, Chris wanted to tell Blake how part of this was his fault, but he didn't want to do that to him. Blake had been through enough without needing this on his conscience. Especially since it technically wasn't even his fault. Chris knew that his boyfriend wouldn't lie to him about killing Damon Johnson.

Quentin planted the evidence that landed Blake in jail, so he had orchestrated the entire thing and now Chris was going to have his life ruined as a result. If Chris had all of the nerve he wanted, he would just kill Quentin and get it over with.

"That would solve everyone's problems," Chris muttered.

"Did you say something, Mr. Server?" Judge Nielsen asked.

"No," Chris said.

"Are you finished, Ms. Maddock?"

"Yes, I am," Melissa said.

"Then I'm ready to make my decision," Judge Nielsen said. "I've gone over the details of the case, and I've taken Mr. Server's actions following the incident into account. And so I've come to the conclusion that Chris Server will be sentenced to one thousand hours of community service. This court is adjourned."

Judge Nielsen concluding the trial by banging his gavel, and then he exited the courtroom to his chambers as others watching the trial cried out in surprise and anger.

"What the hell just happened?" Chris demanded.

"You just got a lucky break," Melissa said, frowning. "I wish I knew how."


MARQUETTE COVE HIGH SCHOOL

Farrah closed her script book and walked over to Alec, who was sitting alone on the edge of the stage going over his rehearsal calendar. Everyone had just been dismissed for an hour break before they began on the play's second act.

"Aren't you going to lunch?" Farrah asked, climbing onto the stage and sitting next to Alec. "You've been working hard all day, Valmont."

"I should really update my calendar," Alec muttered, not noticing Farrah.

"Alec," Farrah said, hitting him in the arm.

"Huh? Oh, Farrah," Alec said. "What's up?"

"You want to go over to the Bun Shack, get something to eat?" Farrah asked.

"Um…anywhere but the Bun Shack," Alec said.

"Oh, that's right," Farrah said. "Your ex-girlfriend works there."

"Yeah," Alec said. "But lunch…sounds great."

"Good," Farrah said. "I'll go grab my car, and you can meet me in the parking lot."

Farrah hopped off the stage and left the auditorium, grabbing her jacket on the way out. As she left, Alec smiled as he watched her leave.

"It's so nice to meet new people I haven't stolen from my best friend," Alec said, half-joking. He reached into his pocket for his cell phone and began to dial Blake's number before leaving. "I think I'd better thank Blake for not coming to rehearsal today."


MARQUETTE COVE COURTHOUSE

"How the hell did this happen?" Morris demanded, standing next to his mother. "You're a judge. Do something about this."

"There's nothing I can do, Morris," Tina said. "I have no idea what happened. Judge Nielsen is usually a very fair judge."

"This is ridiculous," Morris snapped. "We should sue."

"You're not going to get much out of Chris, I'm afraid," Blake said, as his cell phone began to vibrate in his pocket. "Excuse me."

Blake removed his phone and stepped out of the courtroom, where he saw Chris talking to Melissa. Blake rolled his eyes and walked past them.

"Thank you so much, Ms. Maddock," Chris said, shaking her hand.

"Don't thank me, Chris," Melissa said. "Maybe you got yourself a Christmas miracle late. Your second, after the mysterious benefactor who paid for my counsel."

"Yes, well thank you again," Chris said, frowning. "And oh, I'm sorry about your baby. I read about it in the paper."

Melissa froze for a moment, but quickly brushed off the comment. "Thank you, Christopher. Happy New Year's."

Melissa exited the courthouse, as Morris stormed out of the courtroom and walked over to Chris, shoving him.

"You're not going to get away with this," Morris insisted.

"Morris, back off," Joel said, coming up behind him. "You don't want to end up in jail too."

"Thanks, Detective," Chris said, backing away.

"Don't thank me, Chris," Joel said. "I'd leave if I were you."

Once Chris was gone, Joel turned to calm Morris down as his parents exited the courtroom as well. Meanwhile, Blake was finishing his phone conversation with Alec at the end of the hallway. When he hung up the phone, he saw someone standing near the end of the hall. Alec frowned when he recognized the man as Quentin Blood.

Alec quickly put his phone into his pocket and turned back to find Quentin was now gone. Alec hurried back to where the Andersons where standing, now that Joel had left and Morris had seemed to calm down somewhat.

"I still have no idea how this happened, honey," Tina said, talking to her husband.

Alec glanced back down the hallway where Quentin had been standing. "I'm beginning to understand exactly how."