A/N: To make up for how long it took me to update, here is a super long chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 14: Dying

Marissa looked at Cal as he lay on their bed looking over a rewritten script. They were back in LA to film the last few episodes of the season before heading back to New York to start filming the movie.

"Big cliffhanger for the finale," she said. He looked at her. "Brian and Faith running off to Vegas."

"It'll be fun," he smiled. "I like that it's all The Graduate-y, you know? Like sitting in the back of the bus." She nodded. "Mari, are you OK?"

"Yeah," she said. "I guess, I just," she sighed. "Have you talked to Carmen?"

"Um, no," he shook his head. "We don't start shooting for three more weeks. So I probably won't talk to her for three more weeks." She looked at him. "Why are you being weird about this? We've played opposite other people before."

"Not exes," she muttered, "and there's a big difference between some PG-13 making out and a hard core sex scene with the girl you were in love with in high school." He sighed.

"I do not have any more feelings for Carmen." He said simply. "I love you. I'm marrying you. So can you please stop being crazy?" He kissed her, she smiled. "You could still change your mind and do that play in New York, instead of the movie here."

"Yeah, three months in a play, and get my ass kicked by critics," she said. "Or do a crazy fun action movie? That's tough." He laughed.

"You're better than you give yourself credit for Mari," he said softly and kissed her. She sighed and hugged him.

"I don't want to be away from you for so long," she murmured. He smiled.

"I love you," he said. "OK? Nothing will change that," she nodded. "I think I'm going to leave the show."

"Really?" She said. He nodded. "You're sure?"

"No, I'm not sure at all," he said. "But I wanna talk about it." She nodded. "It won't change anything between us!"

"Of course it will," she said. "We won't be at work together everyday anymore. That's going to change things."

"Not necessarily for the worse," he shrugged. "We'd get to you know, tell each other about our day, and that kind of thing. From my parents, I hear that's kinda fun." She laughed.

"I guess," she smiled. "God the fans are going to hate you." He laughed and kissed her.

"Just so long as you don't," he smiled. She laughed and kissed him.

"I could never," she said happily.

"That's really intense, Elle," Hunter said, sitting with Elisa on a bench. "She's terminal?"

"That's what she said," she whispered. "I just, can't believe it, you know? I mean, it's Jaime, and she's going to be gone." He nodded. "Hunter, I um," she looked at him. "I've been thinking a lot, since she told me." He nodded. "I don't think you should move in with Anne." He looked at her. "I don't think you should, I mean, you can't."

"Elle," he said. "What are you talking about?"

"I love you," she said. "And not in that, 'we're best friends' stupid kind of way. I'm in love with you and I think that you're in love with me too." He closed his eyes and sighed. "So I don't think you should move in with Anne. I'll think you'll regret it."

"You're not in love with me Elle," he said. She looked at him. "You're not, I'm just the only guy who's not related to you who's stuck around." She looked at him. "I'll always be here for you, but I'm not that guy."

"You could be," she whispered.

"No, I couldn't," he said. "I love Anne, I always have and I always will. You knew that even before I did." She nodded. "I want to deserve her. I want to set a good example for Graham, and this, whatever it is, is not that."

"Yeah," she said. "There was this weird night with Eddie."

"Yeah?" He asked. She nodded.

"When I found out about Grandma," she said, "I don't know, I thought I wanted to be alone but my dad called Eddie, and we talked and," she sighed. "I really like Clark, you know?"

"Sure," Hunter nodded.

"But it's Eddie," she said. Hunter smiled. "And you," she sighed. "God, this sucks." He laughed.

"Welcome to my world," he put his arm around her.

Carmen walked into The Oak Room at the Plaza. Jack had offered to buy her dinner and then show her the suite where her character, Isabel, "lived." Meaning the suite where they would be shooting. She'd been hoping he'd do it another night, because tonight Terry had a class. What Cal had said about Jack was kind of haunting her.

"There's my star," Jack walked over and she hugged him. "Come on, they're not ready for our table. But I'll buy you a drink."

"Oh, um, I'm only nineteen," she shook her head.

"Carmen, they're not going to card you," he laughed. She blushed. "Where's the boyfriend?"

"Oh he has a class today," she said simply moving onto a barstool. The bartender walked over. "Hi, can I have a mojito please?"

"Sure," the bartender nodded. "Bacardi?" He asked. She nodded. Jack sat down.

"For a girl who was afraid to order, you knew exactly what you wanted," he laughed.

"I'm Cuban from Miami," she shrugged. "I had my first mojito at twelve." He nodded.

"You're from Miami?" He said.

"Uh huh," she nodded. He went to ask, "why the boarding school in Minnesota?"

"You read my mind," he laughed.

"Everyone asks," she shrugged. "My parents both went to school in Minnesota, my dad because he got a hockey scholarship and my mom because her parents wanted her to go to boarding school. She looked at schools on the East Coast too, but she really liked Blake."

"They went to the same school?" He asked.

"Rival schools," she laughed. "I went to my dad's school and oddly enough, Terry went to my mom's." He nodded.

"You two have been together for a while then, huh?" He asked. She nodded. "Were you ever with anyone else?"

"Well, Cal," she laughed. "But we were just kids," she shrugged. He nodded.

"Why didn't you decide to go to college?" He asked. "You got into NYU, right?"

"Mm hm," she nodded. "But then I was getting jobs and I got an agent. So I decided to work instead."

"You made a good choice," he said. "You're a remarkably talented young woman, Carmen." She smiled softly, pushing her hair behind her ear. "Why don't we check out the suite before dinner?" He put his hand on her knee. She pulled back.

"I have a boyfriend," she said. He laughed.

"Carmen," he said, "you're young and incredibly talented, and beautiful. You should be with someone who can nurture that, who can help you."

"I'm doing just fine on my own, thanks," she said. "I appreciate the drink," she stood up and stormed out. She swallowed and pulled out her cell phone and dialed.

"Carmen?" Anne said on the other. She was sitting in her office. "What's up?"

"Cal said that Jack was into you," she said softly. She heard Anne sigh. "I just, I mean, he said things that made sense."

"About how he was going to help you right?" Anne clicked her tongue in disbelief. "You're beautiful and talented and have so much potential?"

"Yeah," she sniffed, not sure when she started crying.

"Ugh, that skeeze!" Anne said. "First of all, he can't help you anymore than I can, and I will help you just to fuck him over and also because you cheated on Cal so he didn't marry you or whatever," Carmen laughed. "Second of all, I love how he gets a few good Sundance reviews and he thinks he's like God's gift."

"God you really hated me back in high school huh?" Carmen said.

"Carmen, I don't know if you remember but I pretty much hated everyone that wasn't Cal or Hunter," Anne laughed. "I want you to go to my dad tomorrow and he'll threaten to release the pictures of Jack with that Thai hooker again like he did when he came on to me and you'll be fine." Carmen laughed. "Don't tell Terry if you don't want to. I never told Hunter."

"Thanks, Anne," Carmen said. "Really."

"No problem," Anne said. "Look I have a dinner, but I can cancel, if you need someone to talk to."

"No, I'll be fine," Carmen said. "But thanks." She hung up and smiled.

Anne sighed and looked over a few things when Victoria bounced in.

"Hello friend," Victoria sat down.

"Hey," Anne said. "I'm sorry, that skeezey director, I told you about him, he came on to Carmen, I had to talk her down."

"Ick," Victoria shuddered. "I saw Hunter at the house."

"Mm," Anne nodded. "That's nice." Victoria looked at her. "Tori, I don't want to think about it, OK? It's easier when I don't."

"Sure," Victoria said. "Should we grab dinner?"

"Absolutely," Anne said. "Then do you want to drive back down to USC and I can keep Hunter from humping my cousin and you can keep trying to get into Eddie Cole's pants, though I can't for the life of me understand why?"

"That sounds perfect," Victoria said. "And I don't know, I guess I just miss preppy boys."

"You hated preppy boys back in high school," Anne laughed. "That's why you decided to come out here." Victoria shrugged. "Any movement?"

"I think he's going to take me to the Lamda formal," she shrugged. "What is it about Elisa anyway?"

"I think it's the big eyes," Anne shrugged. "She has those big blue, 'I'm so innocent and fragile please help me,' eyes."

"I guess," Victoria mumbled, "but like, wasn't his other ex more like me?"

"Bella?" Anne laughed. "Yes, you and Bella have a lot in common, actually." Victoria smiled. "Anyway, let's get going."

"Hey there sexy boyfriend," Elisa said walking into Clark's room a little stumbly.

"Whoa," he said as she giggled and fell against him and he put his arms around her waist. "Have you been drinking, Riley?"

"A little," she said softly. "Clark," she whispered.

"Mm hm," he said, guiding her over to the bed and taking her shoes off.

"You're such a good guy," she whispered. "You won't sleep with any of my cousins will you?"

"Well, once during a drunken confession session, I did say that Cal would be the only guy I'd go gay for," he said. She laughed. "You've been really distant lately, are we OK?"

"That doesn't have anything to do with you," she muttered crossing her arms. "My grandma is dying."

"Elle, come on, I didn't mean that," he said. "I want to be here for you, that's all." She smiled. "Who were you with tonight?"

"Hunter," she said. "He and Anne are here to move her stuff to New York." She kissed him.

"Elle," he shook his head. "You're welcome to crash here, but you're wasted." She frowned.

"Fine," she said standing up. "If you don't want me Clark Spencer there are plenty of guys who wouldn't say no." She grabbed her shoes and stomped out.

Eddie sat quietly in a bar when Hunter walked in and sat down next to him.

"I did not expect to see you tonight," Eddie laughed. "Why aren't you and Ellie off committing adultery?"

"It's only adultery if you're married," Hunter said. "And I turned her down. Then she did some tequila shots and I deposited her at her boyfriends. I'm waiting for Anne and Victoria now." Eddie nodded. "So, what? Even after the Jaime dying news you couldn't close? That's pretty pathetic." Eddie laughed.

"She's not interested," Eddie sighed. "She wants to be friends which sucks, because every minute I spend with her and I'm not you know, with her," he shook his head. "I mean, you get it."

"Yeah," Hunter whispered as Anne walked in and waved. "I get it." She walked over. "Hey big shot. Hi Tori."

"Hello Hunter," Victoria said. "Hi Eddie," she slid into the seat next to him.

"Hi Victoria," he said. "I should go let you three," he stopped seeing Anne and Hunter already making out. "Catch up," he laughed. "I guess not."

"Where's Elisa?" She asked. "I thought Hunter was hanging out with her."

"She's at Clark's," he shrugged. She nodded. "You kind of remind me of someone, from a long time ago." She smiled.

"Why don't you tell me more about her then?" She said softly.

"I'd really rather not," he admitted and then kissed her.

Elisa stood at the door and knocked on it loudly. The cab she'd come in was still at the curb. Cal opened the door and looked at her.

"Elisa," he said softly. "What are you doing here?" She hugged him.

"I needed to sober up a little," she said, "I figured a cab ride up here, but then, I didn't have enough cash."

"Yeah," he said, "go inside, get a glass of water." He walked over to the cab and the driver rolled down the window.

"Holy shit!" The guy said. Cal smiled. "Dude, my girlfriend is going to freak, she's obsessed with you."

"Yeah," Cal said, reaching into his pocket and handing the guy a $100 bill. "Look, that's my cousin. She's having kind of a tough run." The driver nodded and he looked at the license, "the extra money is so that none of this ends up on TMZ or Perez, get it?"

"Got it," the driver nodded. "Can I maybe get an autograph too?" Cal nodded and the guy printed off some receipt paper and Cal signed it. "Thanks bro."

"Uh huh," he nodded and walked inside. Elisa was staring at the TV, turned off. "Elisa Julia," he shook his head. "What am I going to do with you?"

"He doesn't love me, at all, does he Cal?" Cal sighed and sat down. "I mean, I don't know why I thought he did."

"You thought he did because he said he did," Cal said softly. "I love Hunter, I mean, hell the guy's probably going to be my brother in law," she nodded. "But he treated you like crap these past few years Ellie, and it really annoyed me and I should have said something sooner." She wiped her eyes. "What about Eddie or that Clark guy, he's pretty cool." She laughed.

"Cal?" Marissa said walking down stairs. "Hi, Elisa," she said. "Is everything OK?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "she drank too much and took a cab up here." Marissa nodded. "I'll be up after I get her settled."

"Sure," Marissa said. "I'm sorry about Jaime, Elle," Elisa looked at her and smiled.

"Thanks Mari," she whispered. "I think she'd like to see you if you get the chance."

"Absolutely," Marissa said softly. "I'll see you in the morning." She walked back upstairs. Elisa looked down.

"Are you OK?" Cal said. She nodded. "I love you, come on, you get the good guest room." She laughed and hugged him.

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