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"Are we almost done?" Valerie Hanley-Holden demanded, from where she was perched on Aaron Maddock's desk.

"Almost," Dr. Victor Collins, the hospital's Chief of Staff, responded as he worked on the electronic device he was placing in Aaron's phone. "You know, it might go faster if you actually helped."

"Oh please, Victor," Valerie said. "You act as if I have any idea how to put a bug in a phone. That's what my father pays you for."

"Of course," Victor said. "Almost finished."

"Good," Valerie said. "Because soon enough, I'll be able to find out all of Melissa's dirty little secrets. Then I'll get that bitch back for what she did to me."

Victor flinched at Valerie's comment, knowing full well what she was talking about. But it wasn't necessary for Valerie to know what his business with Kevin Hanley was years ago, and so he chose not to enlighten her.

Victor hung up the phone and turned to face Valerie.

"We're all finished here," Victor said. "That will catch Aaron's phone calls, and the extra bug set on the edge of his desk in his computer's speaker system will catch his conversations with Melissa that occur in his office.

"Boy, you really are helpful," Valerie said. "Thank you, Victor. You know, it's a wonder my brother doesn't use you more often."

Resisting the urge to smirk, Victor nodded. "Yes, it's a shame."

He walked toward the door and opened it to find that Aaron was outside talking to a nurse. Victor quickly motioned for Valerie to exit with him. She grabbed her purse and hopped down from Aaron's desk before exiting the office with Victor.

He closed the door behind her, and then they walked toward the elevator.

"Let me know when you'd like the bug retrieved," Victor said.

"Hopefully I'll get something this afternoon," Valerie said. "The little witch is supposed to be having a session with her cousin today."



Marquette Cove High School

Vincent Moore left the classroom where he'd been having English, and found Julia Mitchell standing near her locker. He approached her and stood in front of her, speaking in a low voice to keep anyone else from overhearing their conversation.

"How are you doing?" Julia asked.

"Fine," Vince said. "Thanks for letting me stay over in your room."

"When I woke up you were gone," Julia said.

"I couldn't sleep...I kept thinking about Antonio and Zaliphyr, and how they're inside me," Vince continued. "I had to get out, I had to go for a walk. I just ended up walking all night until it was morning."

"Don't worry, we're going to find a way to get rid of them."

Vince forced a laugh. "Here I was, telling you to stay out of stuff like this, and now I'm bringing you back in so you can help me."

"Just when I thought I was out," Julia said, smiling. "Look Vince, you saved my life. You saved Blake and Alec too. I'm sure they'd do the same for you."

"Blake, maybe," Vince said. "He does seem relatively more normal these days. But Alec...I doubt we're still...actually, I don't know what we are. I still kind of hate him. For the Jessica thing, and for treating Akilah how he did."

"What about me?" Akilah demanded.

Vince turned around to find his sister standing behind him, with her arms folded. Vince rolled his eyes.

"I can't talk about my own sister?" Vince asked.

"Sister? Don't relatives live with one another?" Akilah shot back.

"Touché," Vince said.

As he talked to Akilah, he noticed Mark Zane walking near the far end of the hallway.

"I've got to go, I'll talk to you later, Julia," Vince said. "And Akilah, tell mom I can't make the appointment after school today. I've got a big newspaper meeting."

"We do?" Julia asked.

"You'll find out," Vince reassured her, hurrying to catch up with Mark.

Once Vince was gone, Julia stepped forward to talk to her best friend. "The assembly is about to start. Jessica is in class with Tim, she's going to try and sit by him."

"Akilah, it's only a seat," Julia insisted.

"Julia!" Akilah snapped.

"Oh, fine," Julia said. "We'll do something about it."

"Mark," Vince said, catching his attention.

"What do you want, Vince?" Mark demanded. "I have to take pictures of the assembly since our photographer is at home with mono."

"Fine...I'm just going to come out and say it," Vince said. "I know you've been buying drugs from Ricard Branch."



Marquette Cove Memorial Hospital

Melissa Maddock emerged from the hospital's outside deck, where she had been smoking a cigarette. She spotted her cousin, Aaron, standing near the receptionist's desk talking to a nurse. It was Kimberly Black, who Melissa didn't mind most of the time, but she was talkative enough to drive anyone to another cigarette to calm down. Though it was hardly Kimberly who had caused Melissa to take up smoking again, it was her current situation with her fiancé, Robert Bale, and his soon to be ex-wife Felicia.

Melissa was still recovering from the fact that a jealous Felicia caused Melissa to miscarry the child she was having with Robert. And now, Melissa was having nightmares about losing her child. Most of them were also stemming from the loss of Melissa's first child, Erin, who was murdered last summer.

"Hey Aaron," Melissa said, approaching them. "Hello Kimberly."

"Oh, Melissa," Kimberly said, smiling. "I was just telling Aaron all about the date I had last night."

"A date?"

"With Duncan Kincaid," Kimberly replied. "My roommate. And boyfriend. I think. I don't know if we're dating yet. I mean, we went on a date, but I don't know if it's officially a..."

"That's great, Kimberly, but we've got to get going," Aaron said. "I've got an appointment with Melissa."

"Oh...about the baby your boyfriend's wife made you miscarry?" Kimberly asked.

Melissa frowned.

"Yes, Kimberly," Aaron said, sighing.

Kimberly smiled. "Have fun!"

She returned to her work, leaving Aaron and Melissa alone for the time being. Aaron rubbed Melissa's arm gently, attempting to calm her down. She smiled at him and started toward his office.

"Did you get my voice message?" Melissa asked.

"I did," Aaron replied. "And you...you're sure you want to go under again?"

"It helped before," Melissa said. "Hypnosis is the only way I'm going to find out what these nightmares mean. And the only thing that will help me recover my memories from when I lost my son last summer."

Valerie watched as Melissa entered Aaron's office and he closed the door behind her. She smiled at hit Victor in the shoulder to get his attention.

"Ow," Victor snapped. "What was that for?"

"They're meeting now," Valerie said, barely able to contain her joy. "I'm finally going to be able to destroy Melissa for good this time. First her relationship with Robert, and then her entire, miserable, and pathetic life."

Love is eternal. Life is forever. Yet things shall always remain...guasti cose.

"You're lying," Mark insisted. "I'm not doing drugs, and I haven't been buying anything from Ric."

"I know what you were doing yesterday," Vince said. "You were buying drugs from Ric."

"No I wasn't," Mark said. "We were working on a school project."

Vince frowned, trying to think of a way to bluff Mark into thinking Vince knew the truth about him. At that moment, he could hear Antonio cackling in his mind. Vince tried struggling to resist Antonio's hold, but Antonio didn't seem to be trying to control Vince...he was reading Mark's mind.

"No...you weren't," Vince snapped. "Because you're not in any classes together."

"How would you know?" Mark demanded, attempting to walk away from Vince.

Vince grabbed Mark's arm and pulled him closer to him.

"I also know that you might not have bought the drugs yesterday, but you got them this morning and kept the pot in the newspaper office," Vince said. "I've already told Mr. Black about it...but I haven't told him it was you yet."

"What do you want from me?" Mark asked, defeated.

"Hmm...what do I want?" Vince asked himself. "Oh...I know."

Vince leaned forward and whispered something into Mark's ear.

"You're crazy!" Mark cried. "There's no way I'm doing that."

"Well, if you don't, then I'll just have to go to Mr. Black and Ms. Kolver and get you thrown out of school, so...you know, whichever. I'll give you until the meeting to decide."

Vince released Mark's arm and turned around to leave. As he walked away, Mark glared at him. Once again, Vince was going to get everything he wanted. One of these days, Mark was going to make sure he was on top instead of Vince.



Marquette Cove Memorial Hospital

"Can you hear me, Melissa?" Aaron asked, using only the light from the lamp on his desk.

"Yes," Melissa responded, from her trancelike state.

"Okay," Aaron said. "I want you to go back. Back to when you were pregnant."

Aaron stood over Melissa, as she was lying on the couch in Aaron's office. He took a few steps back and leaned against his desk, concentrating on getting Melissa to remember everything about the incident at her mansion where she lost her son.

"I'm...I'm pregnant," Melissa.

"That's right."

"I didn't want this pregnancy," Melissa continued. "I don't want this baby. I have to...I have to get into law school."

"Law school?" Aaron asked.

"I don't want this baby, I can give it up for adoption," Melissa insisted.

"You gave your child up for adoption?"

"No...I think I change my mind," Aaron replied. "I changed my mind about...I want my baby."

"You want your baby."

"Yes!" Melissa cried. "I want my baby! Don't take him away from me!"

"Melissa, I'm not going to take your child," Aaron insisted.

Melissa sat up on the couch and stared at Aaron in anger. She balled her hands into fists and tried to attack him.

"You can't have my baby!" Melissa shouted. "Hugh, I'm not going to let you take my baby away from me!"

Aaron froze and could move as Melissa came toward him. He was stunned that she hadn't remembered anything about last summer, but instead was remembering something from her past. Something that Aaron didn't want her to remember — something he couldn't let her remember.

"Oh my God," Aaron gasped.

Melissa collapsed in Aaron's arm, coming out of her trance. Now she was only crying...crying from the loss of her child, but Aaron wasn't quite sure what she remembered from going under. He hoped desperately that she didn't remember anything about Hugh stealing her child from her. Because if she did...both of their lives were over.



Marquette Cove High School

Jessica Reyes walked through the hallway, keeping close to Timothy Black as they approached the auditorium for the mandatory assembly on procedures for the end of the semester. As they walked, Julia walked past Jessica carrying a soda.

"Hey Tim," Julia said, stopping as if to tell him something.

As she stopped, Julia twisted her arm and let her soda spill out, splashing onto Jessica's shirt. Jessica cried out in anger and glared at Julia.

"Dammit!" Jessicaa snapped. "What is it with you damn sophomores and your inability to hold drinks?"

"Excuse me?" Julia demanded. "I'm so sorry...it was an accident."

"I'll bet," Jessica muttered, turning to face Tim. "I'll go to the bathroom, save me a seat?"

"Sure," Tim said.

As Jessica stormed off, Julia followed her to the bathroom. Jessica opened the door and went inside, as Julia stood outside the door. Recalling one minor spell she had read while researching the occult, Julia whispered a few words in Latin while grasping the pendant around her neck.

It was a pendant she'd bought from Emerald Square, but it had turned out to be extremely useful in channeling energy for performing small spells at least. A few moments later, Jessica tried emerging from the bathroom, but found the door jammed.

"Hey!" Jessica cried. "Someone let me out of here!"

Julia smirked and walked away from the bathroom. "I guess Tim is saving a seat for Akilah."



Marquette Cove Memorial Hospital

"Are you sure you're okay, Melissa?" Aaron said.

"I'm fine," Melissa insisted, wiping her eyes. "I just...I guess I overreacted to going under the hypnosis. I'll be fine."

"I told you, Melissa," Aaron replied. "These sessions, they're going to be more detrimental to you than helpful."

"I don't care," Melissa snapped. "Sooner or later, I need to figure out everything that happened to me while I blacked out at the mansion. When Felicia caused me to miscarry my son, because God knows she was too drunk to remember."

"Fine," Aaron said. "But not this week. You need some time to rest."

"Aaron, I'll be —"

"Rest, Melissa," Aaron insisted. "You don't even remember anything from going under, so what good is it doing you now? Get some rest."

Melissa sighed. "Fine. I'll wait."

Melissa gave her cousin a hug and exited his office. He closed the door behind her and then hurried to his phone and dialed an operator.

"I need you to connect me with Atlantic City," Aaron said. "It's urgent."

executive producer
Ira Madison