-1Her heart sunk. Stanley was alive and she didn't know after all these years. That fat blob she hoped that he rotted in hell although even though she was angry with him she was glad he was still alive but how could he have lied to her and say he was dead. After all these years he decides to return but what would she do. She had moved on and found a new love, but she always wished she could have that second chance with Stan and now she did but how would she handle it. She love Malcolm but she still loved Stan. Her thoughts were interrupted by Grace coming back inside. She shot a glance at Grace. Did she hear us talking about Stan, Grace thought. No she always looks at people that way that was just her. "So who did Will have to meet?" Jack asked. "Yeah!" Karen questioned. "I don't know, beginning to worry that Karen really did hear them, he just got a call and said he had to meet the client." "So what do guys want to do?" Grace asked. "Well I am not doing anything with you guys cause me and Malcolm are going to our box at the opera." Karen responded. "You mean yours and Stan's box?" Jack questioned. Just the sound of Stan's name made Grace think about Karen and how she would react to Stan being alive now that she had Malcolm who she loved and how she would dill with him and Stanley both and now how she wished they didn't have to tell her and let her go on living her life like she had been. Grace's thoughts were interrupted by Karen and Jack's conversation. "Poodle what is wrong, Karen questioned do you not like Malcolm?" "No, I don't." Jack responded. "Why not?" "Because he is taking Stan's place, even though Stan died he is still the love of your life and you can't say you married him just for his money because when he was in prison you were miserable, I know cause I was there all the nights that you were up crying and drinking your self silly cause he wasn't around." "Jackie your opinion means so much to me, but I love Malcolm and I will always love Stanley but he is gone and I know he would want me to move on and I am but even if u don't approve of Malcolm I am still going to date him." Karen said in a hurt voice. "Look why don't you come with me and Malcolm and you can get to know him and see the side of him no one has seen well maybe not all the sides." she responded with a giggle. "Ok, I guess I could go with you but this still does not mean I will change my mind." he responded. "Great, well see ya Gracie." "Bye you guys." Grace answered

Meanwhile Will enter the pub. He looked around looking for Stan and soon found him in the far corner.

"Stan?" Will questioned. "Yes it is me." Stan said. Indeed Stanley Walker the man who had been dead for years now was here and fully breathing but why did he stage his own death. "I know you have many questions but before you ask how is Karen doing" he asked. "Well she is still her drinking, pill popping self that you left and she has actually moved on with Mal.." he was cut off by Stan who finished his sentence "colm, yes I know, he works for me and I sent him there to take care of Karen while I was gone." "Stan this is hard for me to say but I really think they have fallen in love for each other. I really don't think he is putting on an act." Will said. "Well at least she did move on." Stan replied. "I really love Karen and I miss her and maybe it was a mistake coming back but I really needed to know how she was doing and maybe it is best that I leave and go back into hiding." Stan said as he began to get up. "No, Stan you can't you need to go and talk to her, she still loves you. Please stay and talk to her. You need this and so does she. She is miserable without." Will pleaded. "Ok, if you think I should." he said and sat back down. "So why did you leave." Will asked. "Well remember when I went to prison, well Karen had apparently said something she shouldn't have and these assassins had threatened to kill her and so I made a trade for them to take me instead of her and eventually they decided to let me go, that keeping me away from here tortured her enough so here I am back." Stan replied. "Did Karen know about any of this?" "No I kept it away from her, I didn't want her to know cause I don't know what she would have done and so I gave my life for hers." "Wow, you did all of that for her." "Yes I just couldn't let them hurt her." "So when do you plan on telling her?" Will asked. " I don't know cause I don't know exactly how to tell her that I am alive and I still don't know if she will ever get back together with me cause remember I still cheated on her." Stan answered. "Well just tell her straight forward and she should at least for give you for leaving cause if she doesn't they she really is the selfish heartless bitch I always thought she was and I am sorry to speak of her like that." "oh that is okay cause she knows she is a bitch and will admitted it herself that is just part of her." "So what are you going to do about Malcolm?" asked Will. With a worried looked that they had fallen in love and then he shows back up and she has to make a choice to stay with Malcolm or to forgive him for everything and come back to him he said "Well I will talk to him and then I guess I will take it from there, but in the mean time don't say anything to anyone." Stan pleaded. "Well Grace is the only one whose, but I will not tell anyone especially Karen and Jack." Will responded. "Oh how is Jack." Stan asked. "Well he is gay as ever but him have Karen have taken care of each other he has really been there for her for each other." "Well great at least they have each other like you and Grace which I guess she is still the same Grace too." Yeah everyone is the same and everyone missed you while you were gone." "I missed them too especially Karen." Stan got a little misty eyed thinking about the last time he had saw her, he should had told her what was going on but he couldn't and hopefully she would forgive him and they could live happily together and just be together forever. Stan looked at Will who had been staring at him and said "I have to go to a meeting and figure out a few things. I'll keep in touch." "Bye Stan." Will said standing up and shaking his hand. "Goodbye." And with that Stan left and Will soon followed and went back to his apartment. Will enter his apartment where Grace had been waiting impatiently. As soon as he enter, Grace ran up to him asking him "what did he say, why did he do it?" "Grace calm down." Will said walking around her. "Well what did he say." she questioned again. "He said that Karen had said something and someone threaten to kill her, so he took her place instead and they thought that she had suffered enough and let him go." Will responded. "So he did all of this for her." Grace asked. "Apparently" Will responded wondering why anyone who trade lives for Karen to live but Stan really loved her. "And Malcolm was sent here to watch over her while Stan was gone but I think he has fallen in love with Karen so Stan is going to talk to Malcolm before he talks to Karen." Will added. "This has got to be hard on Stan." Grace responded sadly. "And poor Karen, she really likes Malcolm and now Stan is back." she added. Will stood and said "don't say anything to Karen or Jack cause he doesn't want anyone to know." as he walked to his room. Grace sat on the couch wondering how everything would turn out after Karen found out that Stan was still alive.

Meanwhile at the opera, Jack hadn't said anything to anyone unless he was talked to. He hated that Karen had moved on. He wanted her to be happy but she still belonged to Stan even though he had died. Now to Jack it seemed like that he was not the center of Karen's world that Malcolm was. Karen looked at Jack and noticed that he looked a little sad. "Poodle, what's wrong?" she asked. "Nothing" he responded looking down at the floor. Karen already knew what was wrong but she was happy with Malcolm and even though Jack's opinion meant so much to her, it wasn't going to stop her from dating Malcolm. Yes she did miss Stan and she still did love him but she was furious with him because he lied to her and now he was back. How could he have done this to her. She was with Malcolm now and nothing was not going to change that not even Stan. Malcolm looked at Karen who had gotten quiet and saw she was thinking. "Hey baby, what are you thinking about." he asked. "About us and how much I love you and that nothing will ever change even though Jackie doesn't think we belong together." Karen responded. "Jack you think me and Karen don't belong together." Malcolm questioned Jack. "Yes it is true. Her and Stan are not officially divorced even though he is dead and so I think you two should not be together even though I want her to be happy." Jack responded. Hearing those words Stan being dead make Malcolm think about Stan and how he was sent here to watch out for Karen but in the process had fallen in love with her and Jack was right they were not divorced and they should not be together cause Stan was still alive but he did love Karen. He wanted so bad to tell them that Stan was alive but he promised he wouldn't and he couldn't do that to them so he just responded the best way he knew how. "I know that Jack but I really love Karen and I just hope that you can except that." Malcolm answered. " Can we please just drop the conversation." Jack asked. So for the rest of the opera no one spoke a word just sat and thought.

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