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BALE HOME
Simon Holden had no idea what he'd signed up for when he married into the Hanley family. Though any sane man would have figured out that there was a storm brewing the first time he met Valerie Hanley. When he was in medical school, his girlfriend at the time was forced into hosting a high school senior for the weekend. When his girlfriend ending up banging their RA with the goddamn door open, Simon rebounded. Quickly. With that high school senior.
He, even as an intelligent medical student, was led to believe their one night stand led to a pregnancy. He thought he was a father. Turned out, it was a lie. But when he discovered that Valerie had actually been impregnated by her half-brother and was desperate to keep that shame from her child, he foolishly agreed to marry her and raise the child as his own.
From that stupid mistake came a genuine love for Matt Holden. In every sense of the word, Matt was his son. And it was that which kept Simon sane as he endured scheme after scheme from his wife.
Like the time she paid a man that looked like Victor Lopez, one of the former clients of the woman she hated the most... Melissa Maddock. After that scheme, Simon was fed up with Valerie and left Marquette Cove. But he returned and once again became wrapped up in the messy web left by Valerie and the Hanleys.
He was now living with Felicia Bale, Valerie's sister. And Felicia was formerly married to Robert Bale, whose wife was Melissa Maddock. And her cousin Aaron was now the source of a brand-new headache for Simon. All of these people are connected in some awful triangle, quadrangle, circle or whatever, of irritation.
All of which he endures because he cares deeply for Felicia.
A Hanley.
Simon is now beginning to think he might deserve all of the trouble he gets for continuing to weather that family's storm.
"Let's get you back home," Simon says, talking to Felicia as she paces back and forth in the foyer. "It's been a long day."
"I can't believe the nerve of that woman," Felicia says, referring to Rebecca Li, the woman currently sitting perched on Aaron's lap. "Turning a day that's supposed to be devoted to my son into a three ring circus."
"Don't worry about them. Aside from Rebecca and Aaron getting married being the single weirdest thing I've heard in decades...I'm more worried about you."
"Felicia, I've got a bed made upstairs for you," Robert Bale announces, descending the stairwell and entering the foyer. "You can head on upstairs."
"We're actually going to go home," Simon says.
"You don't have to," Robert says. "I know that the day kinda got a bit...derailed, but...Felicia, you should stay here. The things you were saying earlier...losing two children?"
"She obviously meant Phllip, her grandson," Simon interjects. "You're dissecting a grieving woman's words like a lawyer, Robert."
"He's not exactly a lawyer anymore, is he?" Felicia remarks.
Robert takes Felicia by the arm and pulls her to the side. "Felicia, you and I both know what you were referring to. And you haven't talked about that since..."
Felicia shoves Robert away from her. "Simon. We're leaving."
"I'll go and get Matt," Simon says, nodding.
And at that moment, with the pitying gaze he gets from Robert, Simon knows very well that he deserves all of the trouble he invites.
After taking a few moments to let the effects register, he dips his key into the bag again to service his second nostril. Before he can raise the key to his face, however, the bathroom door flies open.
"Shit," Matt groans, sliding back and falling into the tub.
"Matt! What the hell are you doing?" Akilah Moore demands, her purse swinging from her wrist as she stares at him with disdain.
"Nothing," Matt insists, managing to hide the coke. "Just taking a break from all the craziness."
Akilah sighs and approaches the sink. "Tell me about it. But I kinda need to use the bathroom."
"Oh, right," Matt says, climbing out the tub. "I'll just go. But um...how have you been?"
"I've been good," Akilah says. "You know...I never got to thank you for helping me, last summer. With all that stuff that happened..."
"Yeah."
"Thank God I was able to finish my exams and enroll in Fordham Bay a semester late," Akilah says.
"Good for you. College is...not for me."
"And how does your Dad feel about that?"
"Don't even ask," Simon says, appearing at the bathroom door. "Matthew. We're leaving."
"Fine," Matt says, hiding the bag of coke behind his back. "I just need to..."
Thinking quickly, he turns around and pulls Akilah into a warm embrace. As she is taken off guard, he drops the bag of coke into her purse. Once he's sure it's hidden, he kisses Akilah on the cheek and breaks away from her.
"Good seeing you," Matt says, exiting the bathroom.
Still confused by Matt's sudden affection, Akilah smiles halfheartedly and waves as he leaves. "You too."
Robert glances up and takes the beer from Sean, knocking it back quickly. "Thanks, buddy."
"How's Felicia doing?"
"God if I know," Robert says. "If it's not one thing, it's the other. First those baseless allegations, and then...I lost my son, Sean."
Sean takes a seat beside Robert. "When I made the decision to stay with Denise, prepared to let Leslie lead a normal life with Michael and my kids...I thought I was doing the right thing. But now I know, if I ever lost them again...it would destroy me. I've practically lost them already, and it kills me every day."
"Then do something about it. I never got to fix things with Alec. You can fix things with Vince and Akilah."
"Can I?" Sean demands. "From what I've seen, even living with a bastard like Michael they've been better off."
"Don't say that," Robert says. "You're still married to Leslie. You can reach out to her. I could tell her..."
"No," Sean says, shaking his head. "I have things I need to do first. I need to find out exactly what Michael did to me. What happened during those missing years. Otherwise, I'll never be able to be a father to my children."
"And how are you accomplishing that?"
"I have to..."
Before Sean is able to respond, the doorbell rings. He stands up and answers it, surprised to find Vanessa Watson on the doorstep.
"Vanessa," Sean says.
"Sean. Is Robert here? I came to pay my respects to him and Felicia," Vanessa says.
"Thank you," Robert says, rising to his feet. "I'll find Felicia, if she hasn't left yet."
Vanessa nods as Robert wanders off. Sean closes the door and takes her jacket from her.
"How are you doing?" Sean asks.
"I'm good," Vanessa says. "I had my lawyer in Paris fax me the statement from the man claiming my brother-in-law was in Paris when Nikki was murdered."
"Who was it?"
"A man by the name of Monsieur Clayton."
Sean's face falls. "Monsieur Clayton? That sounds like an alias."
"I know," Vanessa says.
"Well, we can investigate on our end. Without Michael's help or that private investigator it might take a few weeks, but we can investigate bank records, maybe talk to some local police officers on the phone, and..."
Vanessa rolls her eyes and produces a printed sheet of paper from her purse. "Or, I could just Google Monsieur Clayton and find out that his real name is Francois Davenport, and Monsieur Clayton is the alias he uses for his fashion company in Paris."
Sean laughs. "Well, I guess that works too."
"And I guess we're going to Paris," Vanessa says. "Is that okay with you?"
Sean nods. "I've got nothing keeping me here."
Though judging from the looks on everyone's faces, "entertain" would be a gross overestimation. Everyone is relieved at Robert's sudden interruption.
"Sorry, I haven't," Aaron says, smiling. "Something wrong, Robert?"
It takes everything Robert has in him to resist the urge to punch Aaron in the face. This man has taken so much from him in the past few months. His relationship with his son, the trust of his wife and family friends... and now, even the serenity of remembering the lives of Alec and Phillip.
It seemed like it would never end.
"Just looking for her is all," Robert answers.
"You know, why don't I go and help?" Vincent Moore says, jumping up from the adjoining couch.
"But I haven't told you all about the wonderful way he proposed," Rebecca says, smiling sweetly.
"It's okay, mom," Kane Li insists. "We'll catch the DVD."
"It's getting late, I think I'm going to go home," Jessica Bale says to Kane. "Would you mind driving me?"
"I can do it," Vince says.
"Don't worry about it, buddy," Kane says, patting Vince on the back. "I got it taken care of. Let's go Jess."
As Jessica heads off with Kane in tow, Vince sinks back down into his seat. Robert watches him, reading into the situation, but choosing to remain silent. He returns his attention to Aaron.
"I'll keep looking for her then," Robert says.
"You always seem to be losing...things, Robert," Aaron says.
That smug son of a bitch.
If it weren't for the fact that Tyler Rogers seemed to be MIA, he would have brought the boy himself to Marquette Cove to have him shout from the roofs that Aaron was a certifiable creep and likely the man who molested his son.
But since Kyle refused to corroborate the story, Robert was up the creek without a fucking paddle.
And he really needed one to smack Aaron in the face.
"Give Felicia my love," Michael Hanley says, entering the room and shoving his cell phone into my room. "I need to go."
"So soon?" Robert asks, feigning disappointment.
Michael is unable to respond as Aaron's irritating cell phone ringer breaks into his sentence. Aaron answers the phone and hangs up almost as quickly as he answers.
"I have to leave as well," Aaron says quickly.
"But we just..." Rebecca begins.
"Let's go," Aaron says, standing up. "We can't be here when...we need to go."
Robert watches in surprise as Michael, Aaron, and Rebecca make a beeline for the door. "What in the hell is wrong with these people?"
Vince shrugs, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. "They're your family."
"Everyone gone?" Robert asks, entering from the kitchen.
"Yes," Leslie says. "The baby's kicking."
Robert smiles, approaching the steps and sitting down next to Leslie. He touches her stomach, waiting for a response.
"I don't feel anything," Robert says.
"Just give it a moment."
Robert waits patiently, tapping his foot on the floor in mock impatience. Finally, he feels something moving against his palm. Leslie's stomach is moving...he can feel the child kicking.
"There it is," Robert says. "It's been a long time. Since Hunter."
"How is he?"
"Sleeping. I was just checking up on him. Thank God Akilah's around. She's been a godsend, watching the baby."
"Maybe your new stepdaughter can do that now? It'd be a nice way for you two to bond. And Hunter is her brother."
"Oh. Right," Robert says, frowning. "Alexis."
The doorbell rings, interrupting another conversation at the Bale residence. Robert stands and opens the door, revealing a short, heavyset man with a thinning hair line.
"Hey buddy, I'm looking for the man of the house. Talking 'bout Jesus today."
Robert groans. "Sorry, I don't want any..."
"You Bob?"
"Robert."
"You've been served," the man says, handing an envelope to Robert.
"Excuse me?" Leslie says, joining Robert at the door. "What's the meaning of this?
The man winks at her. "You are beautiful. I think I've seen your ad, your name is Candy, right?"
"My name is Leslie," she snaps.
"You've been served too." He hands off a second envelope to Leslie, and then hurries off from the house, chuckling to himself. "They fall for it every time."
"What in the hell is this?" Robert says, opening the envelope. "I'm being...I'm being sued. That son of a bitch Aaron Maddock is suing me for custody of my son! He wants to take Hunter away from me."
Leslie rips open her envelope, wondering if she's been named in the suit. Instead, she is surprised to find that she's been subpoenaed for a different suit altogether. "I'm being sued by Michael...he's trying to...he's trying to take away our unborn baby!"
