"Come on, hurry up," Yolanda, Leslie's sister, urges. "We drove all the way outside of Marquette Cove so no one would see you buying a pregnancy test. So let's just get it over with."

"I can't," Leslie says. "If I'm pregnant, then..."

"Then you'll be pregnant," Yolanda says. "Yes. I know. But you're married. You've already got Vincent running around the house, I don't see what the big deal is."

"We can barely afford to care for one child," Leslie insists.

"But Sean just took that job at Hanley Enterprises. He'll be working closely with Kevin Hanley himself. Money is definitely going to be coming in."

Leslie still doesn't move.

"What the hell is going on, Leslie?" Yolanda demands. "Money is not what you're worried about. What's the real reason you don't want to know if you're pregnant or not?"



THE PRESENT

Leslie blinks and comes out of her fantasy. She stands in front of the cash register, holding a pregnancy test in her hand. She's miles away from town, in the same convenience store she purchased a test to see if she was pregnant with Akilah.

Although, this time she's not there merely out of a need to keep things secret. She's here because most of the stores in town are closed due to the recent power outage.

And Leslie can't wait. She needs to know now.

"Yes," Leslie says quickly. "I'm sorry...how much was that, again?"


HANLEY HOME

When the fluid enters Sean's brain, it becomes volatile. Victor attached two chords to the opposite ends of Sean's skull and returns to the machine they are attached to. He turns on the machine, now in full use of the power that has been temporarily stripped from the rest of Marquette Cove.

The electricity from the machine enters Sean's body and reacts with the fluid in his brain, tearing away at pieces of his brain, and in turn, his memory. For most, the process can be completed in one hour. But for Sean, there seems to be a lengthier process involved.

Perhaps part of Sean is still fighting the memory loss. Fighting to keep them. But it's no matter. They'll be gone soon enough.

Sean's eyes fly open halfway through the process. Some people awaken during the ordeal. Unfortunately for Sean, he is one of those people. And the pain is excruciating.



Michael Hanley swills a glass of bourbon as he stares at Sean through the laboratory's door. He feels a sense of deja vu, but it's uncomfortable. The first time, there was elation...euphoria.

Now all Michael feels is disgust. With Sean and with himself. He just wants it to be over with so he can get on with his life. With his family. Leslie, Vince, and Akilah. They are part of his family now.

Whatever mistakes he'd made with his first wife, with his own children...he isn't going to repeat them. Everything will be different. Michael knows it.

"Goodbye forever, Sean Moore," Michael whispers.

Now, he has no choice. Not anymore.

"Alec, did you hear me?" Aaron asks.

"Yes," Alec says quickly. "I heard everything that you...um...okay. No I didn't."

"I thought as much." Aaron sighs. "Alec, I understand that Melissa wants you to be here because of what happened earlier tonight. But to be frank, we've had sessions for the past five months and I don't think you've made a single bit of progress."

"I've tried," Alec says. He knows he's lying as the words escape his lips.

"No you haven't," Aaron responds. "But when you came in here, you were in tears. Why?"

Alec closes his eyes. "I've been having nightmares."

This causes Aaron to raise an eyebrow. "Nightmares?"

"I told you that something happened when I was a kid," Alec says. "Something I said I couldn't remember. But that was a lie."

"It was?"

"I think I was..." Alec can't find the words. It's too embarrassing to say. "...I think I was abused. Or...molested. Or something." He turns away from Aaron. He can't look at him.

"Alec, that is not something to be embarrassed about," Aaron says. He reaches across the coffee table to touch Alec, but he recoils and rises to his feet.

"Yes it is!" Alec snaps. "I am a man. I'm not a kid anymore, I'm a man. I dealt with my father sleeping with anything that would walk while he was married to my mom. I dealt with it when they finally got a divorce. When my father turned into a grade-A asshole and kicked my mom out of her own house? I dealt with it. I mean, who else could I turn to? My supposed best friend was too busy trying to ruin my life. And Jessica didn't want anything to do with me...the only reason she does now is because I knocked her up during a drunken one night stand."

Aaron is silent for a moment. "You're not alone in anything, Alec. You're alone because you make yourself that way."

"I want to do it."

"Do what?" Aaron asks, a confused look on his face.

"The hypnosis," Alec says. "I want to do it. You said we could do it before...but I said no. But now I want to. I don't have any other choice."


WAITING AREA

She doesn't recognize the voice. But the words...they're haunting. After spending years trying to find a son she believed Hugh Rogers had stolen from her, only to find out that it was all a fabrication, she doesn't know what to believe.

Could it be true? Is it possible that she really does have a child in Marquette Cove?

"Hey Melissa."

The greeting startles Melissa. She turns around to find Joel Kincaid approaching her.

"Detective Kincaid," Melissa says. "How long has it been?"

"A while," Joel responds. "Not exactly Detective anymore."

"Oh, that's right. I forgot about...forgot about that."

"It's just Fordham Bay University Head of Security these days," Joel smiles.

"What brings you back to Marquette Cove?"

"Julia's not feeling well," Joel said. "She's down the hall."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that," Melissa says.

"What are you doing here?"

"I just..." Melissa stops talking when her phone rings. "Excuse me." Melissa answers her phone. "Hello?"

"Hello, Melissa. Why so sad?"

"Who is this?" Melissa demands.

"I want you to meet with me. I know where your...daughter is."

"Daughter? Who the hell is this?"

"Meet me."

"Go to hell," Melissa snaps, hanging up the phone. She turns to Joel. "I'm sorry."

"What's going on?" Joel asks.

"It's about...oh my God! You can help me!" Melissa gasps.

"I can?"

"You helped me track down Hugh Rogers, when I was searching for my son," Melissa says.

Joel nods. "Yeah. How did that work out?"

"Not so well," Melissa frowns. "But I've been receiving phone calls from someone...someone I don't know. And they said they know where my daughter is. But they want me to meet with —"

"Daughter?" Joel asks. " Erin?"

"No, I don't think so," Melissa says. "What if I just...what if I just assumed the baby that was stolen from me by Hugh and his lackey was a boy? It could have been a girl."

"But why would you —"

"Because I miscarried a boy," Melissa says. "That's how Aaron was able to convince me I was imagining things. And it must have affected my memories from when I was on so many drugs I couldn't even..."

"But what if this is a lie too? You don't know what you could be walking into."

"That's why I need your help," Melissa insists. She hands him her cell phone. "Can you figure out who's been calling me?"

"I don't work at the station anymore," Joel says. "Not since Anna died during...I'm sorry."

"Please," Melissa says. "Please."

Joel grips the cell phone. "I'll see what I can do."


MARQUETTE COVE COUNTY PRISON

"I can't imagine why," Felicia mutters.

The bitterness in her voice is not lost on Valerie, but she has no idea why Felicia would be upset. Felicia takes her seat. A harsh fluorescent light illuminates the room — the prison still has power, being that it's on the outskirts of town.

"It's past visiting hours," Valerie says. "How did —"

"I used Robert to get in to see you," Felicia says. "Besides, I know a couple of the guards. I told them it was important."

"Is something wrong with Alec?" Valerie asks.

"What? No, Alec is fine," Felicia answers. "I'm here to talk about you."

"Me?"

"You've been really supportive of me since you found out that I was your half-sister, and I think that it's about time I repaid you for your kindness."

Valerie reaches across the table to touch Felicia's hand.

"No touching." The sound of the guard in the corner causes Valerie to yank back her hand.

"Well, unless you've got a get out of jail free card —"

Felicia laughs. "God, it must be awful in here, right?"

"Well it's certainly not the Highwind Resort," Valerie says, joining in the laughter.

"You know, now that I think of it, your relationship with Simon must have been on a downturn at that point," Felicia continues. "What with you busy hiring a man to impersonate a dead man so he could stalk Melissa, or lying to him about being Matt's father."

Valerie frowns. "What are you getting at?"

"I just mean, you had to have someone else be your dupe, right? Since Simon was obviously getting tired of the position."

"Dupe?"

"That's what I was, right?" Felicia demands. "When you made me think I caused Melissa's miscarriage?"

Valerie's eyes widen. She tenses up and grips the edge of the table.

"What are you talking about?" Valerie tries not to let her emotions get the best of her.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Felicia snaps. "But let me tell you one thing, Valerie. I'm done getting worked up over you. You're in here where you belong, and now, just like everyone else has been telling me, I finally see that."

"Felicia!" Valerie cries.

"I'm sorry," Felicia says, rising to her feet. "Have we met? I don't think I know you."

She strides out of the room. Tears finally roll down Valerie's face as she buries her face in her hands.


EMERALD HEART

"What a fucking day."

She removes a pearl necklace and places it next to her keys. She continues with her Dior bracelets, and her Tiffany's earrings, her Chanel bracelets, and Versace dress — clothes and accessories worth more than an entire year's stay at the Emerald Heart.

"You can say that again." An attractive, muscled Korean man emerges from the bathroom. He sizes up her current attire, the underwear she has stripped down to.

"Shut up, Kane."

"Where've you been, Mother?" Kane demands.

"Taking care of our future," Rebecca answers.

"I guess that future involves Dr. Closeted."

"He is not closeted. Stop saying that." Rebecca sits on the edge of the bed and outstretches on her back. "Trust me, I'd know. No gay man knows how to do things like that to a woman's —"

"Yo, that's enough," Kane cuts in. "I need to get the hell up out of here."

He goes to the door, but Rebecca stops him before he reaches it.

"How'd you know about Aaron anyway?" Rebecca asks. "Have you been following me around?"

Kane shakes his head. "No. That weird friend of yours stopped by for a chat this afternoon. He was looking for you."

"Oh, was he?" Rebecca asks. "Did he mention that he's been following me?"

There's a knock at the door. Kane opens it to find a man standing outside wearing an immaculate white suit. The man grins. "Good evening, Kane."

Kane turns back to Rebecca. "Go ahead and ask him yourself."


MARQUETTE COVE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
DR. AARON MADDOCK'S OFFICE

"Yes," Alec responds. He speaks in a monotonous voice. He's under the hypnosis now.

"Okay then," Aaron continues. "I need you to go back...back to your life as a young boy. Do you remember your old bedroom? Felicia tucking you in at night?"

"Yes," Alec says. "I remember...rain."

"Rain?" Aaron asks.

"Yes...it's...it's raining."

Rain pelts against Alec's bedroom window as he crawls into his bed. The thunderstorm has been frightening him for hours, so he tried leaving his room earlier. But it made the man downstairs angry. Alec doesn't like making him angry — it's worse than a monster being in his closet or underneath is bed.

Whenever he makes the man angry, the man comes to his room to "punish him." Sometimes, that involves hitting him. Sometimes...it involves other things.

"Who is it, Alec?" Aaron asks. "Can you remember who the man is?"

"No, I can't see..."

"Why not?"

"Because I closed my eyes."

Alec hides his head underneath the covers and prays that the man isn't coming upstairs this time. But all of his praying can't help him when he hears his doorknob turning.

"Please...please...don't hurt me," Alec cries.

The door creaks open slowly and Alec can see the angry man standing before him. The light from the hallway is blocked by the man's back, and the darkness in Alec's room keeps his face obscured. The man slips into the room and closes the door, locking it.

"I'm sorry," Alec pleads again.

"Don't be," the man says. "It won't hurt."

Tears rolled down Alec's cheeks. He can tell that he isn't going to get hit tonight...it's going to involve other things.

"Dad, stop!"

Aaron stops moving. "Alec...what did you just say?"

"I can see him now!" Alec cries. "It's my Dad!"

"Robert?" Aaron asks. "Alec, are you saying that Robert is —"

"Please, just make it stop!" Alec bolts up on the couch, still under hypnosis. "Just make my Dad stop!"


WAITING AREA

"I don't get it," Melissa mutters. "Is this a Les Mis homage?"

"Melissa."

She looks up and sees Joel quickly approaching. She eagerly stands and greets him. "What did you find?"

"Luckily, Detective Grady still owed me a favor," Joel says. "He was able to trace the calls to a pay-as-you-go phone registered to a nurse here at the hospital."

"A nurse?" Melissa asks. "Are you serious?"

"Sounds weird, I know, but I asked for — oh here he is."

The chief of staff, Dr. Anderson, walks into the waiting area. "Melissa. Joel. What's going on?"

"I need to as you some questions about a nurse by the name of Claire Fisher," Joel says.

Dr. Anderson smiles, slightly bemused. "She was supposed to be a transfer from King's Bay Hospital, but she actually never showed up to work. We had a locker for her and everything."

"Is the locker being used?"

"No, I don't think so," Dr. Anderson responds.

"Cyrus, I wouldn't ask if it weren't so important," Melissa says. "But we need to get into that locker. Now."

After some hesitance, Dr. Anderson agrees and leads Melissa and Joel to the nurses' changing room. He takes them to Claire's locker and opens it for them.

The contents of the locker are non-existent, save for a pair of scrubs hanging on a hook. Melissa angrily kicks the locker door. "Dammit! Another dead end! I can't...I just can't take this anymore."

Joel touches Melissa's shoulder out of consolation, but freezes when he sees several sheets of paper on the locker's top shelf. "What's this?" Joel removes the papers and reads from them, initially confused about what he's reading. "These look like some sort of DNA tests."

"DNA tests?" Melissa asks.

"Let me see those," Dr. Anderson says. He takes the tests from Joel and scans them. "Yes, this a DNA test. Done in our lab." He reads aloud the social security number on the first sheet of paper.

"That's my social security number," Melissa gasps. "What's it doing in this locker?"

Dr. Anderson has only a confused look to share with her. "I'm sorry, I have no idea what's going on here."

"Can we find out who the second number is?" Melissa asks.

"There's no need," Dr. Anderson answers. "I recognize this patient's file. I just reviewed her paperwork this morning...she's currently residing in our psychiatric wing. She has been for four years."

"Four years?"

"This file belongs to Alexis Lopez," Dr. Anderson says. "And according to this test, she seems to be an exact match for..."

"For what?" Melissa demands, clutching Joel's hand. "Exact match for?"

"You," Dr. Anderson finishes. "According to this test, you're Alexis' mother."


MARQUETTE COVE HIGH SCHOOL

He shines a flashlight to see where he's going and moves toward the area where Quentin Blood resides. Since the police tried to bust his operation, he's been living underneath the school.

Chris feels slightly weirded out by the fact that his boss lives underneath the building where Chris spent four years of his life, but it's always a feeling that passes quickly.

A rat scurries across Chris' foot, causing him to jump in surprise. He drops his flashlight and quickly tries to recover it. Someone else picks up the flashlight for him and shines it in his face.

"Christopher."

"Quentin," Chris says, recognizing the voice. "I have the...um, the test results."

"Perfect," Quentin says. He holds out his hand.

Chris unzips his messenger back and removes a folder. He hands it over to Quentin. He uses the flashlight to illuminate the folder's contents. Quentin tries reading the information on the page, but it makes no sense to him.

"What the hell is this?"

"Oh, sorry...there are social security numbers and triangle graphs and...I'll just explain everything," Chris says. "I have the blood sample you gave on the first page. And tested it against every female in Marquette Cove. It took a while, having to do one a day, and then there was all of that stuff with —"

"Christopher."

"Yes?" Chris asks.

"I don't care."

"Right," Chris says quickly, nodding. "Long story short, I finally found a match."

Quentin grins widely. "Out with it then. Who is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Chris stares straight ahead into Quentin's eyes before speaking. "Akilah Moore."


HANLEY HOME
1989

"Sean, are you two finally going to set a date for that wedding?" Elizabeth asks. "You can certainly afford a lavish wedding now that you're working for Michael's father."

Sean grins and clasps Leslie's hand. "Way to go and ruin our big announcement, Liz."

"Oh my God," Felicia gasps. "You're finally getting married!"

"Yeah, we can't wait," Leslie says, forcing a smile.

Yolanda narrows her eyes at Leslie. "Can we have a word, Leslie?"

"Not right —" Yolanda cuts her off.

"In the foyer. It won't take long," Yolanda says. She rises to her feet and excuses herself from the table before disappearing into the foyer. Leslie reluctantly stands and follows her.

"What is that you want?" Leslie demands.

"Did you tell Sean you're pregnant?" Yolanda asks.

"That is none of your business!" Leslie whispers, craning her neck to see if anyone is listening to them.

"There has to be some reason you aren't telling Sean that you're pregnant."

"You want an answer? Fine, I'll tell you! I was raped."

Yolanda's mouth falls open in shock. "Oh, Leslie...are you serious?"

Leslie turns away from her sister. Without looking her in the eyes she responds, "Yes."


THE PRESENT

"It's done," Victor says.

"Good. I want him to recover tonight, and then have him sent back to New York in the morning."

"You know, this would be a lot better if you would just kill him."

Michael laughs. "It's a bit late for that now, don't you think? When I first started all of this...I did this so that I could use Sean to maintain a larger share of my father's inheritance. But now, it all just seems so...so moot. But I can't kill him. Not when he means so much to her."

"To Leslie."

"As long as he's still technically alive, then I'm really responsible for killing the love of her life," Michael answers. "And maybe, just maybe, if he's gone long enough...she'll find room in her heart for me."