PREVIOUSLY ON SUNRISE BAY...

*Cassie was hauled away from The Seaside Cafe in handcuffs after violently attacking Keith and Annie.

*Melissa thanked Zachary for saving her from Mason and was shocked to discover Shayla's diary lying near the cabin. She picked it up and happily ran to talk to the police about Mason's shooting, stressing that Zachary did it out of self defense.

*Tara and Derek were ecstatic when Tom began to awake from his coma.

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SUNRISE BAY POLICE STATION

Keith enters the jail cell room apprehensively. He wants more than anything to plead for Cassie's forgiveness and for the horrible events at the restaurant earlier to have been all a bad dream. However, this is reality and things are never that easily dismissed.

"Cassie, I am more sorry than you'll ever imagine. I wish you would believe me when I say that..." He lets his tone linger when he realizes how weak his words sound. Keith immediately begins to wonder why he even bothered coming in the room to speak with her again.

"I don’t want to hear it, Keith! You have been secretly seeing Annie behind my back and I will never forgive you!" Cassie screams in venom. Her eyes are puffy and blood shot.

Keith drops his head in defeat. He realizes that there is absolutely nothing he can say to alleviate the pure pain and devastation that Cassie feels right now.

Annie then appears outside of the door to the cell room. She gives Cassie a very cold gaze through the door’s glass. Annie wears a large bandage upon her forehead where she received stitches from the attack at the restaurant.

Keith foolishly lets more words spill from his mouth, "Cassie…I can’t change the stupid shit I did. Why can’t you just accept my apology? I never wanted things to end up like this! You have to believe me!" His pleading is falling upon deaf ears and he knows this, but he doesn’t want to accept it.

"Just leave me the hell alone, OK!? I want left alone!" Cassie slams down onto the cell’s bed and buries her face in the pillow that sets beside her. She begins to cry profusely. The image of her physically attacking Annie and Keith at The Seaside Cafe rushes through her mind.

Suddenly the door of the cell room flies open. Keith immediately turns his head and is now gazing into the angry eyes of Carl Jones. Carl is completely consumed with anger towards Keith and his careless actions. "I want you to leave my daughter alone! Don’t you think you’ve caused her enough pain? Get out of here so I can speak with her."

Keith doesn’t say a word as he makes his way towards the door. He glances one last time at Cassie before slowly opening and shutting it behind him.

Annie immediately embraces Keith. "Keith, don’t let Cassie get you down. Did you see how much of a psycho she acted like at the restaurant? She has lost every ounce of reason. Cassie is simply nothing but a raging lunatic!"

"My daughter is not a lunatic, Annie!" Eve startles the red head with the defense of her daughter. "I would really appreciate if you had the decency to comprehend that her mother has been standing a mere three feet away."

Annie rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. "Eve, I know you are her mother and think the world of her but look at my forehead! Look how she completely went insane at Seaside Café! Look, I’m sorry but I think you should have her committed again."

"Annie, stop it right now! I think we’ve had enough yelling for one night. Why won’t you go home and get some rest. You need it." Keith is the one who’s doing the talking.

"I’m not tired, Keith. I am going to stay with you and you can’t stop me." Annie says in a stubborn tone.

Keith just shakes his head and looks at Eve. "Eve, I hope you understand that I never wanted to hurt your daughter like I have. If I could take everything back, I would."

Eve gives him a faint look behind watered eyes. Keith is surprised when she simply walks away without a word.

Annie once again pulls Keith into a tight embrace. "Keith, will you please stop beating yourself up about this whole thing? Cassie is where she belongs, OK? Besides, you know that her parents are going to bail her out tomorrow."

"I’ve had enough! Please just shut up about how Cassie deserves all of this! Just go home like I told you to!" Keith has lost ever bit of control of his temper.

"Don’t talk to me like that! Who in the hell do you think you are? I have done nothing but try to be supportive and help you through everything and this is how you repay me? Why did I ever even want to be with you?! You can go ahead and have Cassie if you’re so damn guilty!" With that, Annie gives Keith a piercing glare and quickly makes her way out of the police department with a slam of the front door.

Keith stares at it as he breathes heavily. His heart is racing with a mixture of fury and guilt.

SUNRISE BAY HOSPITAL

Tara closes the door to the hospital room slowly and makes her way over to Tom's bed, having a seat at a chair that is adjacent to it. Tom slowly turns his head to the sound of the opening door. He now wears a grin on his face as he looks at the curly haired woman.

"So how are you feeling?" Tara says as she extends her hand to touch his.

Tom sighs and then swallows, "Well I've definitely been better..."

Tara lets out a faint smile as she looks into Tom's eyes. Isn't that the truth...

"It was so weird waking up in a hospital bed like I did. I must of had temporary amnesia about The New Years Ball because I thought it was the morning of it and that I was waking up next to Melissa..." Tom stops in deep thought of his wife.

I can't believe we had to lie to him like we did. Oh well, Derek is right. It would completely devastate him to know what's really going on with Melissa. Tara thinks worriedly. She then clasps both of Tom's hands and looks him straight in the eyes, "Don't worry. You'll see Melissa again. It's just this business trip was really really important! Yeah, so that is why she isn't going to be able to get here quickly to welcome you back to the real world."

Now that Tara lets the words hit air she realizes how weak of a story it is to have told him. What if Melissa never is rescued? She doesn't want to explore that territory but sadly it's a possibility.

Tara notices that she's been holding his hands tightly and completely removes her grip. Tom gives her a knowing glance and surprises her where he takes the conversation: "Of course I'm thrilled to have you here by my side as well, Tara. You know how I feel about you. If Melissa or Derek weren't in the picture..." He lets the rest of the words be unsaid.

Tara quickly stands up from her seat and can't seem to look him in the face. She crosses her arms and begins pacing back and forth while wearing a melancholy expression. After a minute or so she turns slowly and speaks again, "Tom, maybe you shouldn't say things like that. It's not helping either of us. What's between us--or--what was between us will have to stay in the past. I love Derek and I love my best friend."

Tom is surprised by her direct comment and sighs heavily, "Tara, I'm sorry if what I said upset you--"

"--It didn't upset me!" Tara interrupts loudly. Though her words say one thing, her actual tone is decorated in pure defense.

Tom doesn't respond or finish his previous statement. Instead, he lets out another sigh.

Tare then quickly apologizes, "I'm sorry for just snapping like that. I guess I have been so stressed out lately with you being in the hospital and all." Oh, and your wife being kidnapped, there's another stressor there.

Tom just nods his head as though accepting her explanation. He then abruptly steers the conversation into another direction, "Tara, are you sure I'm just imagining things about something happening to Melissa? I swear I remember hearing Eve shouting at the New Years Ball that Melissa was missing. Please, Tara--tell me if you guys aren't just saying that Melissa is fine because I just woke up from a coma." He has a desperate look in his eyes as he questions her.

Tara swallows hard. She doesn't know whether she should just come clean that Melissa has been kidnapped. It would completely devastate him to know that his wife isn't just stuck in Miami on some very important business trip. She's stuck with a psycho God-only-knows where.

However, Tara doesn't have to answer as she hears the door swinging open. She turns around to see her fiance making his way in. Derek wears a very eager expression and Tara can sense he knows something that she doesn't.

"Hey, can we go outside to talk really quick, babe?" smiles Derek as he points to the outside of the room. "Tom, you really should get some rest. Besides, the doctors said no more visitors for the night. You can talk to Melissa in the morning because that's when she'll make it back from that business trip of her's."

Tara gives him a piercing glare and can't believe he is telling Tom that Melissa will be returning in the morning. However, something clicks in her and she picks up that whatever Derek is about to tell her will be the best news that could be possibly given.

"What makes you think I’m getting trashed? I’m only having a couple of drinks.", Nina says defensviely.

He then hears something that completely perks his interest: "Mrs. Jones, we have great news to tell you. Your daughter was discovered near Roxford and she is perfectly fine!"

Eve is overcome with pure exhilaration and jumps and down like a thrilled child who just got a cool toy they wanted. "I can’t believe it! Carl, did you hear? Melissa has been found!" After all of the bad events of the night, there has been a huge burden lifted.Carl and Eve happily embrace and Keith quickly makes his way over to the pair.

"That’s wonderful!" Keith exclaims sincerely.

The cop smiles and continues, "Yeah, I guess this man who was running from the cops in Roxford after robbing a store came upon the cabin that Melissa was being held in."

"Held? Did they catch the man that kidnapped her? I want that bastard behind bars the rest of his life." states Carl with poison behind his words.

Keith then adds, "Have they confirmed if her kidnapper is indeed the same Mason I told you about?" Please, let it be! I want so badly to have a talk with him about how he destroyed Shayla’s life. He needs to feel every damn ounce of pain and hurt I felt and everyone felt because of him!

"There are no details about his identification just yet but we’ll tell you all once we get the details." The officer answers dutifully. "And to answer your question if they caught the man, well, he is in very critical condition. The man who found your daughter shot him in self defense."

"So Melissa is not hurt?" Eve questions with hope in her eyes.

"From what I know, your daughter doesn’t even have a single scratch. They are on their way here as we speak. When Melissa gets here, we are going to have a series of questions to ask her. After that, your daughter is all yours!" The officer gives them a wide grin. He knows he has made their night thousands of times better.

Eve once again jumps with joy and hugs her husband of 25 years. She then says, "You know what would really end this night on a good note?"

"I can guess that would be if Tom woke from his coma as well." Smiles Carl. "That would indeed be a miracle."

"Well then your wish is our command!" comes the happy yell of a female voice from behind them. Keith, Eve, and Carl quickly turn around and look into the happy eyes of a freshly arrived Derek and Tara.

"What do you mean by that, Tara?" Eve questions.

"Guys, Tom awoke from his coma! Derek and me just got word about Melissa and rushed over here!" Tara gives Derek an excited gaze and then lets her focus set back on the other three to get their reaction.

"You got to be kidding me! Tom is awake?!" Eve is in disbelief along with Carl and Keith.

"Then God has indeed given us a miracle!" Carl happily states as he glances upward. He has always been a Christian man and truly puts his faith in the Creator.

"I have to go tell Cassie. I’ll see you guys in a bit!" Eve giddily says as she rushes towards the cell room.

Derek and Tara exchange glances as they witness Eve rushing to the jail cell room to see Cassie. However, right now is not the time to be asking questions.

"My brother’s awake, that’s amazing!" Keith exclaims.

The four are left with a feeling of happiness over them. What started out to be a night of despair has evolved into one of extreme celebration. All of them have a renewed sense of revival and feeling that maybe other things may soon be looking up for the best...

THAT CONCLUDES THIS EPISODE OF SUNRISE BAY!

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