ST. THOMAS CHURCH

Felicia Bale adjusts the flower arrangement placed near the church entrance, allowing it to be seen in a brighter light. It's a simple gesture, but one she hopes will make things slightly more welcoming at the joint funeral about to occur for Sara Reynolds, Kelli Anderson, and Chris Sever.

Though in all fairness, it was more of a funeral for Sara, with Kelli's parents away in Atlanta unable to deal with the continued stress of living at home without their children, and the fact that Chris' relatives didn't seem to care at all about being involved in his funeral.

It made Felicia feel sorry for him. Though she was never particularly fond of Chris because of his past a drug dealer, the thought of him dying without any friends or family to mourn him is a horrifying thought.

Felicia regains her composure and smiles as people begin to file through the doors, putting on an extra smile for Father Ruiz as he approaches her.

"Father," Felicia says. "It's so nice to finally meet you. Though I feel like we already know each other from our continuous phone calls and e-mails."

"Likewise," Father Ruiz says, nodding. "Things have been quite a rush here at the church. I've only recently felt like I've fully gotten used to the congregation. I know I have some big shoes to fill."

"Yes. Father Grady was a great man," Felicia nods. "When he first started at the church, he married me and my husband."

"Your husband? The man you came in with?"

Felicia glances toward Simon Holden, already in the church walking amongst the pews to find a seat.

"Simon? No, I'm just living with him," Felicia says.

Father Ruiz raises an eyebrow. "You're not living with your husband?"

"God no," Felicia says. "We're divorced. Or rather, our marriage was annulled. But only because Robert brought up personal issues during our hear, like the fact that he thought I was dating my brother. But I wasn't. I just never told any of them we were related."

"Oh, I see," Father Ruiz says.

"He only divorced me because he was cheating on me, for the record," Felicia insists.

"But you're living with..."

"Simon, he's married though."

"Your roommate is married?"

"To my sister," Felicia says. "But she's in prison."

"Oh," Father Ruiz says, realizing he may have gotten a bit more than he bargained for signing on to work in Marquette Cove.

"Don't worry about it," Felicia says nonchalantly. "We'll sort all of this out in confession on Sunday."

Father Ruiz forces a wide smile. "I look forward to it!"



HUGH ROGERS' APARTMENT
ATLANTIC CITY

Still feeling as if his nerves have yet to calm since he arrived in Atlantic City, Robert Bale contemplates turning around and heading back to the airport. But he knows that this is something he has to do if he wants to get his life back.

His last conversation with his son was enough to prompt Robert to book a flight to visit the man who was Robert's only connection to his deceased wife's sordid past. He knew from Melissa that her relationship with her cousin, Aaron, turned rocky when she discovered he'd been manipulating her during their therapy sessions.

That knowledge, coupled with the fact that Aaron had been manipulating Melissa because he was being blackmailed by Hugh Rogers allowed him to come to the conclusion that perhaps everything Alec remembered in his therapy sessions wasn't the exact truth.

Robert knew that Aaron hated Robert for taking the fortune he thought he was owed, but perhaps that hatred came from somewhere else. Maybe he'd held a grudge against Robert long before that.

"I'm here to see Mr. Rogers," Robert says as the door to Hugh's condo is opened by a young man around Alec's age.

"What brings you to my neighborhood?"

Robert turns away from the door to find Hugh entering the hallway from the elevator

"I came to talk to you about Aaron Maddock," Robert says.

Hugh frowns. He turns to his son and signals for him to close the door. "Tyler, go on inside."

Tyler merely rolls his eyes and slams the door, leaving Robert and Hugh alone in the dimly lit hallway for an intense, almost Woodward-esque encounter.

"I have nothing to say about Aaron," Hugh says. "Or Melissa. I've closed that chapter of my life."

"I just need answers," Robert insists. "I need to know what you were using to blackmail Aaron."

"That's none of your business."

"I'm making it my business," Robert snaps. "Whatever secret he was keeping, it was big enough to make him hurt my wife. His own cousin. So I want to know what you know."

"The only thing I know is that you sir, are in dire need of a shave and a shower. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Hugh goes to the apartment door, but Robert quickly grabs his arm. "I thought you loved her. That's the impression I got when you spoke at your funeral."

"I did," Hugh says. "Melissa was like a daughter to me. An insolent one, but a child nonetheless. Which is why I prefer not to discuss her past or anything related to it ever again. Leave dead things buried, Mr. Bale."



HANLEY HOME

Denise Price bursts into Sean Moore's room in a frantic state, surprised to find Riley Schaefer sitting at Sean's beside, slouched forward in a chair. She narrows her eyes at him and walks toward the bed. "Get away from him."

"Excuse me?" Riley asks, confused by this woman's random declaration.

"I know what y'all did to him," Denise snaps. "And if you think I'm letting you get away with it, you are sorely mistaken."

"I need for you to calm down."

"Riley's right," Michael Hanley says, entering the room and slamming the door shut. "If I'd known you were going to fly off the fucking handle, I would have kept you in the dark."

"How else am I supposed to react?" Denise demands. "After everything you told me?"

Riley rises from his seat, reaching for the gun concealed beneath his suit jacket. Michael waves his hand to keep Riley from producing the gun.

"I told her everything," Michael says.

"Everything?"

"Yes," Michael nods. "I told her about how Sean survived a car explosion years ago and contracted amnesia. Then about how I, in a moment of weakness and selfishness, convinced Sean that he was someone else and got him to leave Marquette Cove and his family. So that I could marry Leslie."

Riley smirks. "Oh. So you did tell her everything."

"It's fucked up is what it is," Denise says. "You rich folks think you can do whatever you want with people!"

"Listen Denise, I apologize for how abrupt all of this sounds," Michael says. "But look at it this way. If I hadn't told Sean that his name was Simon Price, he never would have met and married you."

Denise nods, seemingly ready to agree with Michael, but then she quickly switches gears. "I don't care. I'm not so pathetic that I need to lie to a man to keep him. And as soon as that irritating wife of yours gets home, I'm telling the bitch everything."

"Everything?" Riley says, reaching for his gun again.

"Yes," Denise says emphatically. "Everything."

ST. THOMAS CHURCH

Darren Reynolds enters the church with Blake Thomas, with surprisingly bright looks on their faces. After going through so many funerals recently, they've found the ability to use the events to celebrate life rather than to have a dreary few hours in a church filled with people crying.

As they spot Felicia walking toward them, they also see that she has been joined by Ricard Branch. Blake tenses up slightly. He hasn't seen Ric at all since he was arrested and carted off to prison.

But seeing him now, in a different light, it's weird that he seems so mature even at a glance. He'd always associated Ric with being juvenile since he was left back so many years in high school, but now Blake fully realizes that Ric grew up in town as one of Darren's oldest friends.

"You okay?" Darren asks.

"Yeah," Blake says. "Worlds colliding and all. I always think of you as coming to Marquette Cove a few years ago, but I forget that you lived here all the way through high school."

Darren shrugs. "Most of my friends moved away. Ric is probably the only one left, aside from Ariel and Eric, as far as people I grew up with."

"Hello boys," Felicia says. "I don't think you've seen Ric since he got back."

"No, I haven't," Blake says, extending a hand. "Hey."

"Hey Blake," Ric says. "I was sorry to hear about your...uh...your Chris."

Blake smiles. "Thanks."

"Has anyone seen Alec?" Darren asks.

"You didn't check your voicemail?" Felicia says.

"No...what's up?"

"He was arrested last night. We all thought he just left because things were too uncomfortable for him, but he was arrested for violating the restraining order against him."

Ric's eyes widen and he looks to Blake for some kind of explanation. But before anyone can offer a refresher course for Ric, Felicia notices Jessica entering the church with her mother, Natalie Reyes.

"Excuse me," Felicia says, hurrying to the entrance. "Jessica! Natalie! Can I have a word?"

"If this is about your son, then no," Natalie snaps.

"Natalie, you're being unreasonable," Felicia begins.

"Unreasonable? He attacked my daughter. Again! It's about time someone finally took him off the streets. I hope he gets put away for life when he's sentenced for killing Melissa Bale."

"Jessica?" Felicia says, attempting to appeal to her daughter-in-law.

"I'm sorry, Felicia," Jessica says softly, walking into the church.



EMERALD SQUARE

"This is utterly ridiculous," Yolanda Holland says, staring at the script in front of her. "I'm clutching my stomach every time I past by the boy, of course everyone's going to know he's my long lost son."

"You're clutching your stomach because you have the flu!"

"Are you serious?"

Yolanda throws her script onto the table and glares at Andy Eckles, the head writer and executive producer of The Blackthornes. Oblivious, he takes another slurp from his Emerald Café frappucino.

"I think it's very subtle," Andy says. "You're just too close to the material."

"I think you couldn't be dropping any more anvils without getting sued by the creator of Looney Tunes!"

Andy rolls his eyes. "Be that as it may. Look at the idiots who watch the show. We're preaching to the lowest choir denominator here."

"I don't know about that. I love the show. And I'd like to think I'm pretty smart."

Yolanda and Andy turn to find Eric Hanley has approached their table, a wide grin on his face and a briefcase in his right hand.

"Who the hell are you?" Yolanda demands.

"I'm Eric Hanley. Michael's son."

"Oh," Yolanda says, uninterested.

"I'm here to make you an offer as the Assistant Marketing Director at Hanley Enterprises," Eric says. "One that just might get you into the good graces of the woman who made you look like a good, damn bitch."

Yolanda cocks her head. "Excuse me?"

"Your sister. She's the Marketing Director," Eric says. "Anyway, I saw that your production company, FisherCorp, was looking around for places to host the new season launch party next week. Well, how about our company take care of everything?"

"I don't have any interest —"

"You're dating Blake Thomas, aren't you?" Andy interjects. "The boy we just cast in the guest role?"

"I was," Eric says, a frown forming on his face.

"Will he be at the party?"

"I don't know?" Eric says. "Doesn't he work on the show now?"

"Right," Andy nods. "We'll do it."

"We will?" Yolanda asks.

"Yes, we'll do it. Do you have a business card? I'll be in contact first thing in the morning."

Eric obliges, handing out a card to both Yolanda and Andy. He thanks them and then hurries off, pleased at the prospect of pulling off a great event for Hanley as well finding another way to piss off Leslie.

Yolanda watches him leave, then glares at Andy. "What the hell is with your obsession? That little scrawny white boy is not even cute."

"I'm not interested in sleeping with Blake," Andy insists. "Trust me."



HUGH ROGERS' APARTMENT
ATLANTIC CITY

As Robert exits the building to hail a cab, he hears someone calling out his name. He turns around to find Tyler Rogers rushing after him. "Tyler?"

"Mr. Bale," Tyler says. "I was sorry to hear about your wife's death."

"Thanks," Robert says. "Did you want something from me?"

"I don't know if she ever told you this, but she thought she was my mother."

"She...she what?" Robert demands. "Melissa told me that Aaron was keeping her from remembering that she miscarried a child years ago. Not that she thought the child was still alive."

"Well, she did. We had a DNA test done and everything."

"And...are you?" Robert asks. He is absolutely floored by the idea that this grown man could be the last surviving connection he could possibly have to his late wife.

Tyler shakes his head. "No. But her memories seemed pretty vivid. She said she was going to keep looking for her child."

"Th...thank you," Robert says. "That means more to me than you probably know. Have a good day."

"Wait, there's something else," Tyler says. "I know what my father was using to blackmailing Aaron Maddock. I overheard their conversations millions of times."

Robert raises an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"The details are kinda sketchy, since they didn't lay everything out, but I trusted Melissa, she seemed like a good person," Tyler says. "And if you were married to her, then I know she'd want you to know."

Robert almost feels as if someone has slapped him across the face upon hearing Tyler's words. He's not quite sure what kind of person he is anymore. "Go on."

"When Aaron was younger, his parents paid a lot of money to cover up something illegal he was doing. And my father was the lawyer they consulted."

"When Aaron was younger? What on earth could he have possibly done?"

"It kind of disgusting. He was having sex...no, not having sex. Molesting," Tyler says slowly, unable to let the words escape his lips without feeling violently ill. "Some boy named...um, Kevin? Kel?"

"Kyle?"

"Yes! That's it. Kyle. Melissa's brother."

"Aaron is about ten years older than Kyle. So he was molesting him when he was...oh God," Robert gasps, feeling his body shaking uncontrollably.

"Mr. Bale! Are you okay?" Tyler asks. "Robert?"

"I let that man...that man stayed at my home, took care of my son," Robert says. "And with Kyle gone, he must have...christ. That man...that monster did the same thing to my son."



HANLEY HOME

"I thought I could trust you!" Michael says, following Denise down the stairs and into the living room. "You are really something else!"

"Like a boxer in the ring trying to defend myself from the both of y'all!" Denise snaps, pushing Michael away from her and scowling at Riley as he joins them in the room.

"Just think this through. If you keep quiet, you can get Sean to be your husband."

"I am not going to trick a man into staying with me!" Denise says. "Good lord, I wish Pappa were here. I need to call him, he'd know what to do."

"What? Like send you another python?" Riley remarks.

"You watch your mouth about Pappa!"

Denise sits on the couch, collapsing into tears. Michael stands next to Riley, unsure what to do. Riley pulls back his jacket as if to explain their only solution, when Denise starts mumbling again.

"Now I can't even tell Sean my news," Denise says. "With all of this Elizabeth shit, I was just going to wait until it all went away, but now I..."

"What news?" Michael demands.

"I'm pregnant," Denise says. "I'm about done with my first trimester."

"Are you fucking kidding me? Does that man have magical sperm?"

"Excuse me? That's a pretty inappropriate question," Denise says, rising to her feet. "Now, like I said. When your wife gets home I am going to tell her —"

"Tell me what?" Leslie says, entering the living room and setting her coat on the back of a chair. "What's going on?"

"I thought you were at the funeral," Michael says.

"The service is finished, I didn't want to stay for the burial," Leslie answers. "But answer my question, Michael. What's going on here?"

Before anyone can respond, the phone on the coffee table rings. The four adults stare at the phone, then back at one another, neither of them answering the phone.

"Is anyone going to get that?" Leslie demands.

Denise groans and picks up the phone. "Hello?"

A woman speaks on the other end. "Is this the lady of the house?"

"This is a lady," Denise says. "Who is this?"

"I'm calling from the Marquette Cove Memorial Hospital, from Dr. Quinn's office."

"Oh," Denise says. "Is this about the sonogram I had?"

"Yes, Mrs. Hanley. Dr. Quinn just wanted me to follow up with —"

"I'm not Mrs. Hanley," Denise says. "Mrs. Hanley is...Leslie? Leslie is pregnant?"

Denise lowers the phone and turns to Michael. "You didn't tell me she was..."

"Michael didn't know," Leslie says, realizing that all eyes are on her now. "I...I haven't told anyone yet. I was just waiting for the right time."

Michael turns to Denise, whispering so that only she can hear. "Just an FYI, that child is not mine."

"I...I need to be alone," Denise says, rushing for the door and snatching Leslie's coat off the chair.

"Hey! That's my coat!" Leslie starts after her, but Denise is already out the door. "Dammit."

She turns back to Michael and Riley, a sheepish look on her face. She paints on a smile and approaches Michael. "I was going to tell you."

"But you didn't. I wonder why?" Michael asks. "Excuse me."

Leslie says nothing as Michael brushes past her and goes up the stairs. Riley offers her a sympathetic glance before he too leaves her alone. Sighing, Leslie takes a seat on the couch and closes her eyes, wishing upon everything that her life were much simpler than it was.



EMERALD CEMETERY

Blake kneels over Chris' freshly laid grave, running his fingers along the blades of grass. There are so many things he wanted to say at the funeral but was unable to. Fear of saying them in public, fearing of even being able to get the words out...one or the other.

"I'm sorry," Blake says. "I'm sorry about everything. I'm sorry about the fact that what I did to Damon Johnson probably drove a permanent wedge between us..."



Ric kneels over Sara's freshly laid grave, running his fingers along the blades of grass. He spoke at the funeral, but now, away from the ears of the rest of town, he feels as if he can finally say everything that has been on his mind since he was first locked up.

"I'm an asshole," Ric says. "But I was always in love with you. And when I asked Quentin to help me...I should have known he would do something to Erin. That he would kill her. But I didn't want to know. I only wanted you in my life."

He feels tears forming in his eyes and now, with the privacy that the cemetery affords, Ric lets them come.

"When I found out the truth...when he tried blackmailing me, I should have kept quiet," Ric says. "But I let Alec find out...I let everyone discover the truth before you did. And for that, I am deeply sorry."

Ric climbs to his feet.

"I have to go back to prison. Darren thinks I may get out in a few months on good behavior. Good behavior. That's a —"

Ric is silenced when he hears a loud scream nearby. And suddenly, the empty cemetery isn't quite so empty anymore.



Blake leaps to his feet as a hand shoots up from Chris' grave, grabbing at his arm. He stumbles, falling onto his back as the ground continues to shake. The ground gives away beneath his body.

He slides back on the grass, horrified at what's taking place. The hand is followed by another hand, then a head plowing up through the ground. And within moments, Chris claws out of the ground, fangs bared.

"Oh God," Blake gasps. "Chris! Don't..."

Chris leans in, as if he's about to attack Blake, but he pauses briefly. He seems to recognize him. But it only lasts for a brief seconds. Chris takes off toward the cemetery exit, leaving a stunned Blake lying on the ground, in utter shock.

Blake struggles to climb to his knees, watching as Chris' figure becomes smaller and smaller, disappearing into the night. "Chris..."

"...he's alive," Ric cries softly, emerging from behind a nearby tree. "He's alive."