Title: Tears in the Rain

Disclaimer: I have nothing to do with ABC, OLTL, or the characters.

Authors Note: For the first few chapters there will be a lot of flashbacks, just to clear up things such as the KCK etc.

Introduction

Steven Phillips had known what he was up against when he accepted the job at Statesville prison. He was fully aware of the challenges that faced him regarding not only the inmates, but the other guards as well. Although Steven knew that being only a few days shy of his twenty-second birthday and still possessing his boyish good looks would not work in his favor, he still accepted the job, needing not only the money but also the experience.

So here he was, his second week on the job and still being assigned the more futile tasks such as filing and cleaning. Steven laughed warily as today's job happened to be a combination of both. Upon checking in for his shift, Steven had been given four manila file-folders of recently deceased inmates with the instruction to pack up their belongings and have them shipped to the next of kin. The first three had been no brainers. Two older men who had died from cancer, and another from old age, whose belongings were either shipped to their families or Salvation Army. It was the last one, however, which was giving him trouble.

John Doe (Vega, Cristian) – Cause of Death: Unknown

Sighing in confusion, Steven entered the cell and started to pack, deciding to worry about the file's ambiguity later. Paintings and sketches surrounded him, most involving a striking young redhead. Steven deduced that the woman in the art must have been the prisoner's wife, as there were a few sketches of her in a wedding gown, and realized how strongly the inmate loved her. Curious, Steven opened the file and looked down at the reason for imprisonment. It read "Murder: Victim - Tico Santi." The name sounded vaguely familiar to Steven, and he racked his brain trying to figure out where he had heard it before. Finally it came to him… the former mob boss who had terrorized Llanview. Steven sighed, suddenly feeling sorry for Cristian Vega. After spending what seemed like hours pouring over the artwork and carefully packing it away, he picked up a leather bound journal, gently tossed it on top of the art work and began taping up the box.

Assuming that the Mrs. Vega would want her husbands possessions, the young guard skipped to the back of the folder where it was customary to list the next of kin. However, there was none. Puzzled, Steven briefly considered asking his supervisor for help, but quickly pushed that thought aside, not wanting to prove what the other guards already thought about him.

He began flipping through the file, hoping to find something that would help him, until he came across a photograph of the redhead from the paintings. "Natalie Vega." She was beautiful, Steven thought, as he began to copy her listed address on to the box. To Steven, it was common sense. The file had the name Cristian Vega listed on it, so the inmate must have been Cristian Vega. Had Steven bothered to read the whole file he would have known the circumstances surrounding the John Doe, and Natalie Vega wouldn't be in for yet another horrible surprise.