PREVIOUSLY…

*Gary and Barbara got a surprise visit from Elaine, who demanded Gary give her four million dollars for the new business she’s opening up.

*Hell-bent on revenge for Gabi stealing money from him, Creg handcuffed Gabi to the bed after their latest sexual romp.

*Elliot called Todd’s house and Annie answered. Todd didn’t react so well when he nervously realized Annie was chatting with his ex-flame

*The Jones’s family continued to distress about Tom being shot and Melissa being kidnapped.

******************************************************************************

     "I’ll see you later, Barbara !" says Elaine Breese cheerfully as she places her check for four million in her leather purse.

            Barbara gives her a scowl as she finishes her third glass of champagne that morning. "Hopefully you’ve gotten everything you wanted out of Gary ."

            "Oh, of course I did. I accomplished everything I wanted to. See you later, Barbara!" Elaine opens the door and makes an exit, slamming the door behind her.

            Barbara yells for Rose the maid to grab her yet another glass of champagne as she makes her way onto the couch. Suddenly she hears a faint yelling coming from upstairs. That sure does sound like Gabi . Barbara scurries up the staircase.

            "It’s coming from Creg’s bedroom. That has to be Gabi!" She reaches for the door knob and then quickly pauses. Wait, what if she and Creg are… "Maybe I..."

            Suddenly Creg appears at the top of the stairs. "Why are you standing by my bedroom door, Barbara?" If she found Gabi handcuffed naked to the bed like that, she’d have a panic attack! On second thought, that’d be hilarious…

            "I swear I heard my daughter yelling from your bedroom. I was just going to open the door to find out." Barbara answers with a panicked look in her eyes. The look also is accompanied by bloodshot as the morning alcohol seems to be taking effect.

            "No, you must just be hearing things. I was actually going to go in there to change. I have no idea where your daughter could be. By the way, Rose had a glass of champagne ready for you downstairs."

            Barbara studies his face for a moment, "OK but I am not going senile, Creg. I heard yelling, I swear!" Barbara says it forcefully as though she’s trying to convince herself that she’s not going senile.

            Creg doesn’t respond as he watches Barbara head downstairs. He quickly opens and locks his bedroom door. He erupts in laughter as he sees a naked Gabi hanging sideways from the bed. "You crack me up, Gabi. Really you do."

            "Whatever! Just get me out of these damn handcuffs and free me so I can get into some fucking clothes!"

            Creg studies the scene of his girlfriend attached to the bed for a few minutes longer before heading to his dresser drawer and removing a small silver key. "You know, I should just leave you here. I’ll feed you bread and water whenever you get hungry and put a bucket or something for you when you have to take of business."

            "You are such a disgusting jack-ass, Creg! What in the hell has gotten into you?" Gabi yells as Creg unlocks the handcuffs.

            "I just decided to have a little fun with you. I thought our relationship was lacking serious fun." Creg states plainly. Yeah, I was having fun screwing with my manipulative girlfriend who thinks she can get away with stealing my damn money.

            "Well never again are you going to try to have so-called fun with me!" Gabi pushes him out of the way and slips into the same clothes she was wearing last night. "I have to go home and take a shower, change into new clothes, and go to the newspaper. There’s a big story I’m working on about the shooting last night at the New Years Ball. Don’t expect me to be back over tonight!" With that, Gabi slams the door behind her.

            "Oh, she’ll be back." Creg says aloud as he crosses his arms.

            Barbara is pacing one of the many huge rooms that are in the mansion with her latest glass of champagne in her hand. Her thoughts are scattered in her mind as the alcohol takes control of it. Sudden footsteps rushing from upstairs make her jump. Her eyes widen as she is surprised that it is her daughter who is responsible for the footsteps.

            "Now I know I can’t be losing my mind! Gabi, I knew that I heard you screaming! What the heck is going on?!" Barbara states in total confusion as she sees Gabi headed down the stairs.

            Gabi raises her hand as though she doesn’t want her mother to say another word. "I really have to get going. But for the moment, let’s just say I am completely infuriated with Creg! See ya later, mom. I have to rush home to get ready to go the Sentinel." Gabi quickly leaves and slams both doors on her way out of the mansion.

            Barbara chugs the rest of her latest glass of champagne. She is starting to grow a little oozy so she goes and has a seat on the sofa. She only relaxes for about a minute before the doors come open again. This time it is Cynthia and her son Nicholas arriving hand in hand.

            "Mother, Cynthia and I need to talk to you about something very important." Nicholas states.

            Barbara sits up straight, "Yes, and what exactly would that be? Don’t even say a word if it has something to do with your total opposition to me and Gary being together."

            Nicholas sighs and rolls his eyes. "Even though I do oppose to you and Gary ’s relationship, it has nothing to do with it."

             "Good! Then let me hear what you two have to say. You know I am open to anything my wonderful son has to say!" She forces a broad smile.

            Nicholas then notices his mother’s bloodshot eyes and the empty champagne glass that she holds in her left hand. He sighs and then exchanges glances with Cynthia. Cynthia is growing impatient with Nicholas. She wishes he’d just spit out the news.

            "We have given it great thought and we want to move out of the mansion. I think it’s about time we made something of our lives. I’ve made it through high school with good grades and I think it’s time to finally move onto the next step in my life."

            "Next step? What is the next step that you are speaking of?" Barbara looks genuinely at a loss.

            Cynthia rolls her eyes over Barbara’s denseness and lets the news out before Nicholas can utter another word, "Your son is trying to tell you that we are getting a house together. That is the big step we speak of."

            Nicholas’s eyes are suddenly preoccupied with his feet, "Umm…yeah. That’s what I was trying to say. We are going to find a house together."

            Barbara is very taken back and she rises swiftly from the couch, "I think not! There is no way in hell I am letting Nicholas run off to live somewhere with you! Nicholas, you can’t leave me! Don’t any of my dedicated years of parental loyalty mean anything in your book?! ANYTHING?!" Barbara’s eyes are welling up with tears as she lets her emotions take over.

            Gary comes down the staircase just in time to hear Barbara. "May I ask what I just walked in on?"

            Nicholas, Cynthia, and Barbara go quiet.

   "Let me talk to that bastard." Keith is all worked up as he questions Officer Tyson. "I have a few choice words for him."

            "I’m sorry but I can’t let you near the guy unless he’s behind bars and that will be after we get all the information we can get from him about who hired him to shoot your twin brother."

            "Fine but I seriously want to speak with that guy. You’d be doing me a huge favor if you’d let me." Keith looks down at the ground and shakes his head. There are big bags beneath his eyes because of his constant state of thought and lack of sleep since last night.

            Jarrod comes from behind with a bottle of Pepsi. "Here you go, dad. Its ice cold just how you like it."

            "Thanks, son." Says Keith as he quickly opens it and takes a huge gulp.

            "Is there anything else I can do? Dad, you look awful." Jarrod says as he notices the large bags beneath his father’s eyes.

            "Well can you blame me, Jarrod? Someone shot your damn uncle who was hired by a maniac! Mason ruined me and your mother’s life but I am not letting him destroy the Jones’s family!" The intensity in his voice matches the intensity of his facial expression.

            Eve Jones solemnly approaches Keith from behind, "I couldn’t help but overhear you. I am glad you are so adamant about getting justice but I really would feel better if you went home and got some rest. Please, Keith. I’ll call you as soon as I get any word on anything."

            "No. I can’t leave. I just can’t! You don’t understand, Eve. This is something that I’ve wanted to get resolved for years and I don’t want to miss a damn thing!"

            "Dad, I really think you need to settle down. Please." Jarrod touches his dad’s right shoulder as he says this. 

            Keith glances at Jarrod and then at Eve and her tear-stained eyes. "Oh, I’m so sorry, Eve. I am being a little too hotheaded about this but it’s just…I’m so angry!"

            "I know. I know. Keith, it’s very understandable. This man has put you through hell before and now you want to repay him for everything but the best thing for you to do right now is to go home and get some rest. Please. For me at least. I was extremely worked up like you are last night but now I’ve realized it doesn’t help things along any quicker."

            Keith begins to nod his head, "You’re right, Eve. I need to go home."

            "Good. You do that, dad." Says Jarrod as he pats Keith on the back.
            "See you guys later. Call me as soon as you learn anything new. I want to know every detail of what you find out." 

            "Don’t worry, we will." Eve responds. As she watches Keith’s figure disappear in the distance her mind is overcome with the image of her daughter screaming for help.

            She immediately gets worked up. Jarrod goes and hugs her for comfort. "It’s going to be OK. They’ll find Melissa."

            Tears stream from Eve’s eyes as she moans, "I need to be there to help her like I wasn’t when she was 16 and needed me!" Eve gives into her emotions as her mind pictures Mason having his way with her daughter.

"So Tom is still in the same condition? I can’t believe this!" Tara Smith states sadly as she speaks with Dr. Carl Jones over the phone.

            Derek is sitting on the couch with his toddler daughter Maci on his lap and listening in on Tara ’s conversation. Maci seems to be very aware of the looming sorrow that has inhabited the home.

            "Dada! Dada!" Maci begins to cry and scream out for Derek.

            "It’s alright, baby girl. Things are going to be just fine." Derek rubs his hands through her thick and curly black hair as he comforts her. "Your daddy will always be there for you."

            Tara hangs up the phone and wipes her tear-stained eyes. "Tom is still in the same condition and they still have found no sign of Melissa. What great way to start the New Year, right?" She slowly moves towards the couch and sits closely to Derek. She then brushes her hand through his hair similar to the way he was brushing his hand through Maci’s hair earlier.

            Derek then lowers Maci, making his daughter’s tiny bare feet touch the living room floor. "Come on, Maci. Show daddy that you’re a big girl and can walk!"

            Tara stares dreamily at Derek while he interacts with his daughter. How did I get so lucky?

            Suddenly the phone’s ring fills the living room of the house. Tara jumps up quickly and put the receiver to her ear, "Hello?"

            "Hi! This is Bobbie. It is so great to hear your voice!"

            Tara is surprised to hear her friend Bobbie Kane’s voice. "Bobbie, I haven’t heard from you since you got to New York ! What have you been up to?"

            "Things are going great. Roger and I got this amazing house right outside of New York City . My baby’s due in a month and we’re just both getting along real well. How about you?"

            Tara is ready to spill everything out about how she and Derek are planning for their wedding but then she is hit with the sad news that Bobbie obviously hasn’t heard. "Well, me and Derek are doing great as well. You should see Maci-- she’s getting so big and she has the biggest head of black hair that I’ve ever seen on such a little girl." Tara then clears her throat knowing she is going to have to deliver the bad news next.

            "Awww, you really need to send pictures. Duh! That’s right; I never gave you my new address. Well, I’ll give it to ya in a bit. So how are Tom and Melissa doing? I was going to call her up next."

            "No, no. Not that. Bobbie, something horrible went down last night at the New Years Ball."

            "What happened?"

            "There was a shooting. It was so horrible. Tom got shot and Melissa…Well, she’s missing."

            "No, I can’t believe it! Tom got shot? Melissa’s gone…No."

            Tara feels a big bout of tears coming on again. "I know. For the past few months this psycho has been stalking them and there was even more security at the ball. I just can’t help but cry when I think of it. I really hope Tom pulls through and Melissa is found and is OK. Since you’ve been gone, Melissa and I have been closer than ever and now this is happening." She wipes her eyes.

            "I wish I were there for Eve and Carl and the rest of the bunch. I can imagine how horrible it is to go through a double slam like that." Bobbie says in a sorrowful tone.

            As Tara chats with Bobbie in the background, Derek is still on the couch looking at his daughter crawl on the floor. Suddenly he finds his mind drifting to his brother Jake. I wish Jake would wake up from his damn coma. I need my little brother again. I really miss him.

            He recalls the vicious hurricane that swept Sunrise Bay a couple years back that knocked Jake deep into a coma. Jake had been driving in the violent tropical storm. He then lost control and crashed into a huge tree that had fallen across the road.

            Suddenly Derek gets the urge to call the hospital in Miami .Come on, Derek. You know they are going to tell you that there is no change in his condition like always. Derek thinks this but he has this nagging feeling that Jake might be awake from the coma. He has no idea where this belief is coming from but he realizes it is not a feeling he is going to ignore. If Jake was awake, there would be so much that I have to fill him in on. Me now having a daughter, Tara and I getting engaged, everything that’s been going on since!

            Breaking out of his thoughts, Derek hears Tara hang up the receiver. She heads towards the couch and sits down. "That was Bobbie."

            "Yeah, I heard. I’m surprised that it’s took her so long to call any of you guys."
         

   "Well, she and Roger are just getting settled into their new life, you know. So I’m not mad she took so long to call. I hated having to give her such bad news when she was so happy and positive when she called me."

            "I can’t help it, Derek. It’s part of my personality. I have a huge conscious and I feel guilty about almost anything under the Florida sun!"

            Derek moves closer to her. "You are such a caring person. That is why I love you." He then leans in and they embrace into a passionate kiss while Maci stares at the two of them cooing with delight. Just as she sensed the sadness before, she can sense the love that is between Derek and Tara.

                        "Daddy, I would absolutely love to fill you in on why Barbara is getting all bothered." exclaims an overly-cheerful Cynthia as Gary enters the living room from upstairs. "Daddy, I don’t know what you are going to think but I’m just going to quickly spit it out to ya, anyway. Nicholas and I have decided to move out of the mansion. We are going to find a place together! Isn’t that exciting?" She anticipates her father’s response.

            He looks as though he is calculating a math problem in his head. He gives Nicholas a stern look and then one back at his daughter. Finally, his eyes lay on Barbara, who looks as though she’s ready to snap into an emotional breakdown.

            Nicholas and Cynthia exchange glances. They don’t know how to take Gary Jackson’s silence. They don’t have to ponder this that long as Gary turns to them and finally speaks up: "Whatever you think is best for the two of you. Cynthia, I’ve always taught you to follow your heart and with what your gut is telling you to do. If the two of you want to move in together, then so be it! Cynthia, I just want you to promise that you will stick to your aspirations of being a fashion designer. You have so much talent and it will get you far in life."

            Barbara’s internal screams manage to make themselves concrete as the words escape her throat, "HOW CAN YOU DO THIS!? How can you just give them approval to move out into the cruel world all alone together? Have you completely lost your mind, Gary ?!" Barbara is flailing her arms wildly about.

            Nicholas gives his mother a piercing glance, "You have to accept that I’ve grown up, mother! Please! We are young adults now and I think it is time to experience life and the real world. You really need to calm down about this. Besides, we are getting a place in Sunrise Bay . It’s not like we are moving away to Italy or something. Perspective, mother, perspective!"

            "Don’t tell me about perspective, Nicholas! Don’t even go barking up that damn tree! Don’t even! Don’t! Don’t! Don’t!" Barbara then stops. She seems to have forgotten where she wanted to take the argument.

            "Barbara, will you please settle the hell down? You are giving me another headache." Gary is perturbed. "This has been a wonderful discussion. But if you don’t mind, I really need to head to Jackson Industries to take care of a few business matters." With that, Gary makes his exit from the room.

            Barbara plops down on the couch and goes into a crying rage.

            Nicholas gets ready to dart towards his mother to comfort her once again but Cynthia quickly grabs his arm before he can go any further.

"Don’t even bother right now, Nicholas. It’s obvious she is drunk. We all know how she gets when she’s trashed. Just wait till she isn’t so tipsy before you say another word about this. Besides--" A devilish grin forms on her face. "—you promised me a little get-together in the swimming pool. Remember? You were going to stroke my –I mean—teach me the breast stroke."

            "The breast stroke, is that right? Oh, how could I forget about something like that?" Nicholas smirks and then leans in for a gentle kiss. "OK. I’ll counsel her through this traumatic event a bit later. Besides, you know how I hate to break promises. Especially a promise that involves you in a bikini and us getting all wet."

            Cynthia giggles and then pulls Nicholas upstairs to change into swimming clothes. Meanwhile, Barbara falls off the couch and lands on the floor with a big thud. This just makes her cry harder as physical pain is mixed with her serving of emotional turmoil over the thought of "losing" her son.

  "I didn’t expect you to call back after last night, Elliot." Todd holds the receiver firmly against his ear.

            "Well, I never expected you to ever get in touch with me again, Todd. So I guess we need to expect the unexpected. Your sister is so nosy, by the way."
            Todd laughs, "Nosy is Annie’s middle name!"

            "Yeah, she didn’t even have to tell me that. I could tell that she didn’t know you were…you know."

            "Yes, and it’s staying that way. I don’t want anyone to find out that I’m gay, especially my family!" Todd states strongly.

            "Why are you scared for them to learn the truth, Todd? Doesn’t it get so damn frustrating going on and acting like you are someone you aren’t? I know it would be frustrating for me. Besides, I always thought of you as the honest type. Why can’t you just be honest about your sexuality?"

            "Look, I just don’t want anyone to know, alright? Please, just let it be. Anyway, is there anything specific you wanted to say to me?"
            Elliot goes quiet for a little bit and then responds, "I’ve missed you."

            Todd quickly says, "I’ve missed you a lot too. I think about you almost every day."

            "I’m not to blame for that, you know it! You are the one who suddenly avoided me when you lived in Hawaii . What was up with that, Todd? If I meant so much to you why did you end up driving me out of your life?"

            Todd goes silent and swallows.

            "Todd? Are you going to answer me? Why did you drive me out of your life?"

            Todd lets out a sigh and then embarrassedly admits: "I was scared, Elliot."
            "Scared? Scared of what?" Elliot sounds very confused.

            "I was scared that I was going to lose you, OK? There, I said it!" Todd throws his left hand down as though in defeat.

            "Why would you think you were going to lose me? We were getting so close. I was getting to know you really good. I thought we had something special going on."

            "Look, you won’t understand. I don’t even understand it myself. I guess I have this fear of losing people. I know I am an adult now but I still blame it all on my parents. You don’t even know how much they screwed my life up!"

            "That’s understandable but I can’t believe you would let some intangible fear like that drive me away from you. Look, I’m sorry we couldn’t go further into the relationship. I really thought we had something special. I’m with somebody else now, anyway, and things are going great for me."

            "I’m glad to hear that." Todd’s feelings are a mixture of happiness for Elliot but at the same time complete sorrow because he missed out on the same happiness he could have shared with Elliot.

            "I have to get going. I thought I’d call you because I didn’t want to leave our communication like last night’s phone call. I just felt a little guilty about how you called and I was having a good time."

            "Don’t worry about it. Anyway, I’m glad you called. It really means a lot to me. Besides, New Years is for partying."

            "Yeah, well I hope things get better for you Todd, I really do."

            "Thanks. It means a lot to me." Todd almost feels like bursting into tears but he forces himself to keep it all inside. "Bye"

            "Bye, Todd." Elliot’s tone seems to wear finality to it. It’s as though he has the feeling that this will be the last time he and Todd Lansing have actual contact. 

            Todd slowly turns off the phone. What have you done, Todd? You ruined your only chance at happiness. "What the hell is wrong with me?" states Todd, as he realizes how he screwed up maybe the only thing in his life that could have brought him true happiness.

THAT IS THE CONCLUSION OF THIS EPISODE OF SUNRISE BAY!

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