David stepped off the elevator and strode to the waiting area at Pine Valley Hospital, where Marissa, JR, Tad, and Jake stood huddled together. "I got here as quickly as I could," David said, trying to suppress any hint of panic in his voice. Marissa hadn't given many details over the phone, but based on everyone's faces, something was definitely wrong. "What is it? Is it AJ?"

"Actually," Marissa spoke slowly, almost reluctantly, it seemed, "it's Krystal. She's going to be fine – I was just in there – but that's not why I called you."

David eyed the four of them warily. "Why do I get the feeling that I've just been set up?"

Marissa moved forward. "There's something you should know."

David sat alone in an empty exam room, some time later, his head in his hands. How did the night end up like this? One moment he thought his daughter was reaching out to him, and the next, he was finding out that his daughter might not be his daughter at all.

"Look," Jake had said, "based on the blood types, I'd say with a lot of certainty that Marissa is not Krystal's daughter. But if you guys want to go ahead with the test…"

"Yes," Marissa had answered, almost too quickly, "I want definitive proof of this before I get my hopes - " she'd hesitated – "before we all get carried away, you know?"

This was almost too much for David to bear. "She's right," he'd managed to choke out. "Elimination by blood type doesn't take into account natural mutation. Do the damn test." He shot a glance at Marissa. "I'm sure Krystal's delighted by your enthusiasm."

"Krystal's not aware of this," Tad had snapped. "She doesn't need this right now. Opal's bringing Jenny. We'll have her tested instead."

David responded with a spiteful chuckle."Why stop there, Tad? Why not dig up Babe while you're at it? Involve her in all the fun."

JR had lunged forward, raising his hand in a position to strike, but Tad had managed to pull him back. "You have a hell of a lot of nerve coming down here and running your mouth," JR seethed. "Marissa called you here as a courtesy."

David had remained unfazed by this display. "Now, junior, I thought you knew a load of bull when you saw one. This wasn't a courtesy, was it, Marissa? You've finally found your chance to be rid of me, and all it took was Krystal almost dying in order to make it happen."

At this point, Tad had taken a step forward. "If Marissa wants you out of her life, then more power to her. And if you're looking for someone to blame, trying taking a good look in the mirror some time."

David regretted the comment about Babe as soon as it came out of his mouth. But he couldn't very well back down in front of the Martins. He didn't care what they thought of him, anyway.

Then he thought of Greenlee. She never made it to the hospital, as she'd said she would. Trey's words from earlier echoed in his mind: But the question is, are you what makes Greenlee happy? He honestly couldn't answer that. They had been distant ever since Erica's plane went down. And then tonight, Greenlee uttered those dreaded words that no one in a relationship wants to hear: "we need to talk." He didn't need to be told what about. It was fairly obvious that she wanted out of their marriage. Maybe it was for the best. If Greenlee got out now, before David could drive her away, just like he'd driven away everyone else he ever loved, then maybe they could manage to retain some semblance of the friendship they once had.

Maybe marrying Greenlee had been a huge mistake. They were friends. They were more than friends – they were family. Then these feelings – unwanted feelings – crept up out of nowhere, threatening to interfere with the one relationship he'd managed not to screw up over the years. So why did he do it? Because she had asked him to. It was true. It certainly wasn't revenge. He had no reason to go after Ryan. Not that Lavery was his favorite person – at best, he barely tolerated the man, and at worst, he despised him – but he didn't wish Ryan any specific harm. He married Greenlee, his friend and former sister-in-law, simply because she asked him to.

But now…he'd already hurt Greenlee enough with the stunt he pulled with Erica's plane. That plane was never supposed to take off in that condition. But he knew Erica. He knew how willful and stubborn she was. Of course she'd insist on taking off anyway. She wouldn't be Erica if she didn't. So he should have known better. It was unusually careless of him. And it caused a rift between him and Greenlee. Yes, his love was toxic. Of course Greenlee would want to leave. Why the hell wouldn't she?

"Pre-natal vitamins," Ryan said, clutching the bottle in his hand. "That's what you've been hiding. You're pregnant."

Greenlee stood frozen in front of him. Dammit. She sucked in a breath to calm herself before speaking. "So now you know, okay? Can you just leave it alone?"

Ryan appeared confused. "But how can you...? You're taking vitamins. Does this mean you can carry this baby to term?"

"Apparently. According to an OBGYN who isn't demented."

"You think Madden purposely misdiagnosed you."

"Would that be such a stretch?" Greenlee asked. "This is, after all, the same man who planted Erica's fetus into his own wife."

"No," Ryan agreed. "Not a stretch. After you left town, we learned a lot about Madden's shady practice. How he'd manipulate women into becoming surrogates. He had this island where he kept the pregnant women. But – but that isn't the sickest part. They were all his biological children. And when he decided someone wasn't fit to be a parent, he'd give them a false diagnosis."

Greenlee blinked. "Like me." She paused for a moment to reflect on her miscarriage years earlier. "The night I lost our baby, I was with Kendall. We were making all kinds of plans, when I starting experiencing some spotting. We were worried, and we would have gone directly to the hospital, but it was storming, so we thought we'd call Dr. Madden just to play it safe. He insisted on coming over. So we waited. And in the meantime, we went online and discovered that my symptoms were perfectly normal, so we forgot about the whole thing and looked at shoes instead."

Ryan nodded. "What happened when Madden got there?"

"We told him it was a false alarm, but he wanted to examine me just in case. I felt fine, but he insisted on bringing me to the hospital. It was only after he examined me that I felt any pain. And then all I can remember is waking up in the hospital, and I was told I had lost the baby. I accused Dr. Madden of doing something to cause the miscarriage, and everyone told me that that was my grief talking, but maybe I was right."

Ryan stared into her eyes. They were silent for an uncomfortably long time. Finally, Ryan managed to say, "This ties you to David forever."

Greenlee shrugged. "Children will do that. Just look at you and Kendall."

Ryan took a step forward, slightly invading Greenlee's personal space. "I know how much that hurt you. When you found out Kendall used her egg instead of yours. You wanted to have our baby so badly. I should've listened to you back then."

"None of that matters now," Greenlee insisted. "It's over. We've both moved on, right?"

Ryan's eyes brimmed with intensity. "Tell him it's mine."

Marissa and JR continued sitting in an exam room after the procedure was over. They sat in awkward silence until Marissa finally spoke. "Have you ever seen the musical Annie?"

The question was odd. JR half wondered if it was some sort of trick question. Annie. The mere sound of her name sent a shiver through him. "I probably saw the movie once or twice on tv when I was a kid," he managed to respond with forced nonchalance.

Marissa stared wistfully into space as she spoke. "There's this song that Annie sings where she wonders what her parents are like. Are they nearby? What are they doing right now? That type of thing. I think there's a line that goes like, 'he may be pouring her coffee, she may be straightening his tie.' I can't help but wonder who they are. Are they still alive? Where are they? Are they good people? Are they educated? Do they do volunteer work? Do they go to church? I want to be able to look at them and know that I came from them."

JR put a reassuring hand on Marissa's shoulder. "I just hope you're not getting your hopes up too high. Believe me, there's no such thing as a perfect parent."

Marissa sighed. "I know that, but, it felt so wrong being told that David and Krystal were my biological parents. I couldn't understand how I came from them...that my mother sold her own baby, and that my father is...David. This past year I've second-guessed every choice I've ever made. I've had to re-evaluate who I am. I'd have a devious thought, and I'd think 'is this the David in me?' Or I'd think about doing something impulsive or irresponsible, and think, 'is this the Krystal in me?' But now, it's like a huge weight has been lifted."

"Hey," JR said softly, "no matter what this test says, nothing can change who you are. This past year, with everything that's happened, you've been the glue that's held this family together. You came into my life at a time when I desperately needed you. You were there by my side when I got sick. You're an amazing mother to AJ." He paused briefly and cupped her cheek with his palm. "You forgave me when I had no right to be forgiven. Nothing's going to change that, okay? No matter who your parents turn out to be."

Greenlee circled around Ryan, hands on her hips. "I should have known this would happen. So predictable."

"What are you talking about?"

"You. Us. When I wanted a life with you and our baby, you wanted a vasectomy and a trip off a cliff on your motorcycle. When I finally start to heal, guess who shows up at his own funeral, with a million excuses, begging for forgiveness?"

"I hurt you. I get it. I own that," Ryan said gruffly. "I don't know how many times I have to say it before you can accept that."

But Greenlee ignored Ryan's words and continued. "When you were begging me to take you back, you swore you would never stop loving me, that you could never replace me. But I come back, not even two years later, and you have a brand new wife and daughter. You were giving Annie the family that you refused to give me."

"You can still have it, Greenlee. The three of us, and Emma and Spike. We can still have everything we always wanted."

Her eyes flared with anger, and she shook her head. "I spent months trying to convince you that we weren't over. Everyone told me to move on, no one more so than you. And then, I do. I follow everyone's advice. And what happens? You decide you want me again."

Ryan inched toward her and grasped onto her shoulders, his hands talon-like. It was as if he were a hawk clutching its prey, ready to fly off with it. "Because I had never stopped loving you. When I lost my memory, I also lost all that hurt and anger I had been holding onto for so long. You helped me remember what we had."

"Ryan, there's nothing left."

"You've said those words before, Greenlee. Those exact words. You didn't mean them then, and you don't mean them now. Hayward's got you brainwashed. He's turned you into this bitter person I don't even recognize. I know you. I know you better that anyone."

Greenlee broke away from his hold. "Do you remember the night that we went to the 76ers game? You kept going on and on about how I needed to be 'real' and how 'culturally deprived' I was, and preaching to me about food stamps and having compassion for my fellow man. I realized that night that you didn't like me, you just wanted to mold me into your idea of the perfect woman, because the one you really wanted was married to someone else. So I pulled out all the stops: pretending to like basketball, reading Gillian's diary so I could be more like her, so you'd want me the way you wanted her."

"Then you changed." he insisted. "The woman I fell in love with is the real you."

"When I'm with you, I don't know who the real me is. I always end up in this trap, where my own feelings of self-worth are contingent upon you being in love with me. I always turn into this stranger, this person I think you want me to be. I hate living my life like that. You say I'm someone you don't recognize? Well, this is me, Ryan. And the woman you say you love? Doesn't exist."

"No. No, I don't believe that, Greenlee. I don't know what Hayward's been saying to you, but you can't believe him."

Yet another attack on her husband was enough to set Greenlee over the edge. "For the last time, David is not manipulating me. I've been the one calling the shots from the beginning. It was my idea to get married. It was my idea to surprise the entire town in my wedding dress. It was my idea to do it on Valentine's Day. It was my idea to sabotage Fusion. All of it. Mine. I'm the one in control here. Not David. Me."

Ryan gave her a look of - she didn't know what it was. Pity, maybe? "I knew that I had hurt you," he spoke slowly, "but I didn't realize I'd hurt you this much." He lurched forward to stroke her hair. "I told you that I'd spend the rest of my life trying to make up for what I did to you. Hayward's not the answer, Greenlee. And the sooner you realize that, the sooner we can finally start over – you and me, and the baby."

Before Greenlee could reply, or argue, or threaten Ryan with attack dogs she didn't have, she saw a figure out of the corner of her eye. She whirled around to see David, his expression stricken, standing there on the steps leading to the parlor. Weakly, she asked, "How's Marissa?" Met with no response, she decided to address the elephant in the room. "How long were you standing there, David?"

David slowly moved toward Greenlee and Ryan. "Long enough."