THE SEASIDE CAFÉ

"No, you can’t!" Keith quickly darts upwards from his chair to reach out to stop Annie by grabbing her arm. On the way up, Keith miscalculates things and his knees slam against the bottom of the table, knocking all the glasses and silverware to the floor. By this time, almost every eye close to them is staring at this scene. Just when Keith thought things couldn’t get any more embarrassing, he stumbles over his own left foot and goes falling backwards and hits a waitress that is carrying a huge chocolate cake. Things seem to go in slow motion as Annie watches on shockingly as the cake falls and lands on Keith’s head! Annie can’t control herself as she erupts into extreme laughter. Keith lies on the ground, his face covered with chocolate cake.

Over at the Jones’s family’s table they hear the big commotion over at the other end of the restaurant. Eve stands up to see if she can get a view of what just happened, "It looks like someone just fell flat on their back." Suddenly something clicks in her mind-that sure looks like Annie standing over there. Oh my…Keith is the one who’s on the ground with cake on his face!

"Eve, sit down! What is going on over there is none of our business. It was probably nothing but a klutzy waiter." Carl looks a little annoyed at Eve’s extreme interest in the commotion and he motions her to sit back down.

Cassie can’t know that those two are here together. Eve thinks as she obeys her husband. She is in too much of an emotional state recently. Damn Keith! Why does he have to lead Cassie on like this in the first place? I knew Cassie would end up hurt if she gave Keith a second chance.

 Carl then notices that Cassie seems lost in deep thought, "Honey, are you alright?"

"Darling, please don’t get yourself worked up like this. I know we have been enduring a lot lately and it seems almost impossible to be in a good mood but I’m just asking you, put your trust in God for this situation. He is our only hope right now." Carl holds his daughter’s hands as he gives these words of comfort.

Cassie slowly lets out a grin, "Daddy, you are so amazing. You have a way of making me feel so much better. I only thought that Keith could make me feel that way."

At the mention of Keith’s name, Eve can’t help but let her eyes dart over to where Keith and Annie are. A waiter is there with some towels for Keith to wash his face off with. Eve can’t help but crack a smile at seeing him covered with cake. I wonder how that ended up happening, she thinks while still grinning.

Both Cassie and Carl both notice Eve’s sudden smiling. "Eve, what are you so happy for?" Carl questions as he looks her in the eye.

She quickly brings her attention back to her own table, "Umm…I was just thinking about what Cassie said about how you have a way of making people feel so much better. I agree with her completely." She then kisses Carl.

Cassie smiles as she watches her parents in their embrace, Hopefully Keith and I can last as long as my parents have. Speaking of Keith, I hope he’s getting plenty of rest like I told him. I can’t wait to see him again. Cassie then picks up her drink and takes a quick sip and scoots her seat back, "Mom and Dad, I’m going to the restroom. I’ll be right back."

"Oh, just tell him that I want the shrimp platter. OK? I’ll be back." Cassie rises and begins to head towards the direction of the restroom.

Eve leans into Carl’s ear, "That’s it! She is going to see Annie with Keith and it is not going to be good."

Carl quickly understands what Eve says as he also spots Keith and Annie. "I can’t believe this. I’m telling you, Eve. The last thing Cassie needs right now is to see them together."

The two parents watch helplessly as Cassie heads in Keith and Annie’s direction. There is nothing they can do to stop the confrontation that is bound to occur in a matter of moments.

SUNRISE BAY HOSPITAL

Derek and Tara stand eagerly outside of Tom’s hospital room while the doctors run test to check if Tom is going to completely pull through things. They hold each other’s hands tightly as they gaze through the window as the doctors are gathered around the hospital bed that holds Tom.

"So as soon as I left to call Eve and Carl he started talking?" questions Tara as she looks up into Derek’s eyes.

"Yeah, only seconds after you left. So anyway, what did Eve and Carl say?" questions Derek.

"They weren’t home and I guess they didn’t have their cell phone with them because all I got was their voice mail. I’m surprised they wouldn’t have it with them. There could be news at any second on Tom or Melissa."

"I know." Tara says with a tone of defeat. "Where are you, Melissa?" her voice cracks as she thinks of her best friend. She then turns to Derek.

Derek then pulls Tara into a tight hug. The two lovers then embrace in a passionate kiss. Derek holds Tara tightly and he never wants to let go of her. The couple stands in an embrace. They don’t even notice the doctors cheering in the neighboring hospital room that Tom is conscious and aware.

"Who in the hell are you?" questions a furious Mason as he holds a gun to the younger man’s head.

The other man is stricken with complete fear. That’s what I should be asking you! Who in the hell is this madman holding a gun to my head? He then swallows hard and shakily responds, "Look, I’m—I’m not here to do you any harm, man. Please, will you put the gun down? It’s completely unnecessary!"

"I’m not putting the damn gun down until you tell me your name and what the hell you are doing back here!" Mason pushes the barrel of the gun even harder into the other guy’s face.

"OK! For fuck’s sake! My name is Zachary Bennett! I ran back here to escape the cops after robbing a fucking grocery store! OK?! Are you happy now?" Zachary tries to remain as still as possible though his heart is beating thousands of miles per hour.

"I’ll be the one asking the questions!" yells a furious Mason. I knew I should have gotten the hell out of here with Melissa before someone found us. What in the hell am I supposed to do with this idiot!? Mason's fists are clenched so tight that they are beginning to turn a light shade of violet.

"Look man, I have over $200 in this cloth bag right here. I’ll give it all to you if you just leave me alone. Please, man. I’m not really in the mood to die!"

"Well, isn’t that too damn bad? All’s I have to do is pull this trigger and your brains will be scattered all over the trees and brush." Mason now wears a wicked smile.

"Dude, you are some kind of freaky! Stop with the violent talk!" says Zachary with a pleading tone in his voice.

Mason can’t help but let out a small laugh. "Some kind of freaky? Are you some gangster or something?"

"Hey, I can’t help if I grew up in the ghetto of Roxford. Stuff like that just creeps into my vocab, you know what I sayin’?"

Mason pulls the gun from the side of Zachary’s face, "You’re almost too pathetic to kill. Look, how about we make a deal here."
"Anything, man! I will do anything for you to not shoot my brains out!"

"I am—" Mason’s voice is cut short by the sudden ring of police sirens that seem too close for comfort. They could signal the end for the both of the men.

JACKSON MANSION, CREG’S BEDROOM

The ring of the telephone fills the four walls of Creg’s bedroom. He comes darting from his bathroom in a bath robe and quickly answers the phone. "Hello?"

"Finally. Jeez, it seems like ages ago that I ordered you to dig up shit on him." Creg can’t wait to use every bit of info in his pursuit of revenge. He is sort of proud of himself for being able to hold the truth of how he knows of Todd and Gabi’s affair. He wants Gabi and Todd to really feel the blow of messing with a member of the Jackson family.

"Well tell me already! What the hell did you find out about him?"

"And?" Creg feels a burst of agitation.

"I’m getting to the good part. It turns out that Alec and Todd were really good friends for a while before Todd learned of his illegal dealings. I found out from Todd’s old friend by the name of Lisa that Todd and Alec seemed to be the best of buddies; the closest of friends. However, after about 3 months, that started to change. I think this was around the time Todd learned the truth about Alec."

While Creg continues the talk with his detective, Gabi walks slowly up to the outside of Creg’s bedroom. When she realizes that he is talking on the phone, she puts her ear to the door so she can eavesdrop. I wonder who he’s talking with; it’s probably some secret lover.

"Will you get to the point, Detective Barnes? Have you found any incriminating evidence against Todd Lansing?"

Gabi’s interest is immediately peaked. "Why in the hell is he looking for incriminating evidence against Todd?" She whispers in shock.

TODD’S PLACE

"Luke, I just wanted to tell you how cool it was of you to buy all the drinks tonight. I really had a great time at The Hangout." Todd says as he swings the door open to his house.

Luke then walks in from behind and enters the house with a big smile. "You’re right; it was pretty fun time there. Didn’t you think it was hilarious when that one guy tripped over his date’s feet and fell backwards? I got to tell you, I felt so bad for him but at the same time he provided plenty of laughter."

Todd lets out a chuckle as he recalls the incident in his mind. "Yeah, that was pretty hilarious. Not for him, of course. But hey, from the looks of it he didn’t mind everybody laughing." Todd grabs a Zima from his fridge and heads towards the couch and plops down hard. "You can grab one too if you want one."

"Sure." Luke says as he walks over to the tall white refrigerator and opens it. He scans its contents until he spots the shelf that holds the 12 pack of Zima.
He opens his can as he sits on the opposite end of Todd’s couch. He takes a big gulp of the liquid and glances quickly over Todd. Hmmm. There’s been something I been really wanting to talk him about- the stolen money. Maybe I should just mention it. Before Luke can even consider mentioning this, it pops from his mouth a mere seconds after the original thought surfaced, "Todd, there has been something that I haven’t told you about for a long time. It has to do with the money that went missing from my brother."

Suddenly it seems as though the alcohol that Todd was drinking went down the wrong hole as he begins to cough hard. He places his can onto the adjacent stand and then gives Luke a direct look that seems scoured with guilt.

Luke lets out a sigh and then slowly says, "Todd…well, there is no better way to put this but I know that Gabi stole that money for you. I have been hiding this from my brother and I just couldn’t keep it inside me anymore."

Luke repeats the question, this time with a more stern tone of voice: "Todd, tell me the truth! What was that money for?"

Todd swallows hard, "Luke…It was…I had to pay him off."

SEASIDE CAFÉ

"This is it, Carl! Cassie is going to see Annie and Keith together here and you know she isn’t going to react so well." Eve has a very worried look as she squeezes Carl’s arm and watches her daughter head towards the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Cassie sees the bathroom door and makes a left turn right towards it. Suddenly two figures command her attention from the corner of her eyes. No, it couldn’t be! Keith is at home sick. She turns fully around and is greeted with the view of Annie and Keith sitting back at their seats after recovering from the commotion that occurred earlier. Cassie clenches her fist tightly as adrenaline surges through the entirety of her body. "What in the hell is he doing here with Annie?" She whispers under her clenched teeth as she slowly walks up to them.

A man and woman next to her notice her angry face and the woman taps her and questions, "Excuse me, are you OK? You don’t look so well."

Cassie quickly glares at them and doesn’t utter a word as she walks right up to Annie and Keith’s table. Annie looks up from her plate as she is slicing her steak with a fork and knife and immediately notices Cassie approaching from behind Keith and points behind Keith to get his attention. Keith turns his head and his face loses color when he and Cassie’s eyes meet.

Cassie gives both him and Annie a look of fury before screaming, "What in the hell do you think you are doing here together!?"

Keith rises from his table slowly, "Please Cassie. Settle down. I can explain everything." He swallows hard and knows that things are not going to be pretty from here on out.

"You told me that you were sick with some kind of contagious illness and now you are having dinner with Annie!? Explain that, Keith!" By this time, Cassie can feel her whole body shaking with a mixture of pure betrayal and complete anger.

Annie does not know what to do as she watches on in shock. Look at her shaking like that! Jeez, she needs to be recommitted in the mental ward!"

Cassie, this is not the right place to have this discussion. Let’s go outside together and we can talk things out. Please settle down." Keith tries to alleviate Cassie’s fury but he somehow knows that none of his talking is going to help with anything. He realizes that Cassie probably now knows that he has been lying about everything. Everything he didn’t want to happen is happening.

"There is nothing to talk about, Keith! You lied to me and I bet you have been lying to me all along, haven’t you? You have been seeing Annie behind my back this whole time, haven’t you Keith!? ANSWER ME!" Cassie is now in complete tears. Eve and Carl rush up to Cassie to try to calm her down.

"We are leaving, Cassie." Says Carl as he grabs Cassie by the arm. He is in for a big shock when his daughter elbows him and almost knocks him onto the ground. Eve catches Carl before he falls. The two parents realize that the situation is a lot more serious than they could ever have imagined.

Things seem to happen in slow motion once again like with the cake incident as Cassie maliciously jumps into Keith knocking him onto the ground. "YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A LIAR, KEITH! A LIAR!" She screams as she slaps Keith over and over while on top of him on the ground.

Annie has seen enough and is fed up with Cassie as she bolts from the table and pulls Cassie by the hair, "Get off of him you damn psycho bitch!!" She manages to pull Cassie upwards by the hair which causes Cassie to turn violently onto Annie and knock her onto the ground as well. By now both Carl and Keith are pulling at Cassie to get her off of the other woman. Eve stands on the sidelines of the activity and watches in complete shock as her daughter screams in anger.

"Annie, you’re bleeding!" Yells Keith when he realizes there is a big gash in her forehead.

Annie raises her hand on her forehead and looks at her finger that is covered in blood with pure disgust and anger. "That is it! I am pressing charges on you Cassie. There is no fucking way you are going to get away with this!" Annie rises from the ground and looks Cassie straight in the eyes.

Almost on cue, Officer Tyson approaches the group of them. "The restaurant security called me and told me to get the hell over here. May ask what is going on?"

Annie quickly fills Tyson in: "What is going on is that we have a psycho who needs locked behind bars!" Suddenly Annie grows very dizzy as the pain increases tremendously in her forehead. Before being able to utter another word, things go black and she falls to the floor.

"Tom, I love you more than anyone. I never want to leave your—", Melissa’s eyes slowly open and the reality hits her like a ton of bricks: "I was dreaming again."

She rises upwards from the bed and she realizes that Mason is nowhere in sight. She then hears the sound of voices coming from outside of her cabin prison. Has someone finally found me? Melissa jumps from the bed and slowly creeps over to the tiny window on the adjacent wall. Whose voice is that? It’s some other man. Maybe I should scream at the top of my lungs for him to hear me...

After some slight hesitation the blonde decides to do just that, "SOMEBODY HELP ME! I’M BEING TAKEN PRISONER IN HERE! HELP!!!"

BACK OUTSIDE

Zachary immediately shoots Mason a freaked out stare, "You’re holding someone captive in there?!"

"YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!" Mason once again points the gun towards Zachary. "You better not say another damn word about the voice you hear coming from the cabin. You know what? I can’t take any fucking chances. I am definitely going to have to kill you!"

Once again, Mason cocks his gun but before he knows it, Zachary has gotten a burst of courage and knocks the man onto the ground, causing the gun to fly off a mere 4 feet as the men violently roll on the ground in a wrestling match.

THAT CONCLUDES THIS EPISODE OF SUNRISE BAY!

NEXT EPISODE