Zander's pace quickened upon hearingthe faint sound of Alexis calling out tohim. He didn't want her pity or her advice; all he wanted was to be left alone. Ducking under some bushes he came out the other side, only to be cut off at the path by Sonny.

"Leave me alone, Sonny." Zander demanded, trying to pass only to be blocked again.

Sonny raised his hands to halt the younger man, "not on your life."

"Look, I know Alexis put you up to this! I don't need a babysitter, what I need is to be left alone." Zander pleaded, he knew he was near the edge and he didn't want to take anyone with him.

"Then you won't need us to clean up your messes either." Sonny replied calmly.

"I don't need anything from anyone!" Zander shouted, "I'm as alone as I've ever been, I can take care of myself!"

Sonny's brows drew together, "Bull!" he growled, "look you might get Alexis' sympathy, but your not getting mine… your hurt, I get that, your angry and I get that too, but don't stand there and tell me you've been alone… you got issues with me fine! But Alexis never turned her back on you Zander, even when you lashed out at her, she's given you more than anyone could, she gave you a home, she gave you her love, and most of all she gave you here trust!"

"Your such a joke… you and Carly… you and Alexis, what flavor will it be next week Sonny, maybe Brenda?"

Sonny shook his head slowly, "you want to lash out at me, is that going to make you feel better?"

"Yeah…yeah, I think it is! Where were you Sonny?" Zander yelled, "I needed you… after Jason came back you dropped me… you dropped Alexis, we were expendable, we weren't worth your time!"

"This isn't about you and me, Zander… this is about Emily."

"Shut-up!"

"I made a mistake,' Sonny said reigning in his temper, catching Zander's peculiar expression he shook his head, " more than one… but you can't compare the two, Zander."

Zander looked away, "I remember asking Carly why the people we loved couldn't love us back, " he turned to look at Sonny, "Maybe, I should've taken the lesser road and played dirty."

"You would've lost in the end." Sonny approached Zander," Besides, there's to much good in you to be bad."

"Being bad has always worked for you."

"It has and it hasn't, " Sonny remarked, "you lose more than you gain, if you've learned anything from me Zander, I hope it's that you don't want my life and I don't want it for you either."

"You mean you don't think I'm smart enough."

"No Zander, "Sonny said shaking his head, " It's because I think your to smart to let it happen… you've got a lot to offer, and we'll both be here to support you in whatever you choose to do."

Zander raised his head, his eyes tearing, " It's hurts so much."

"It will," Sonny said placing a hand on Zander's shoulder, "but you won't go through it alone."

Alexis watched from afar, wiping her eyes she cleared her throat and approached her two favorite men, "I called the airport, the jet is ready whenever we are."

Sonny had no idea if Zander had heard a word he'd said, but he hoped he'd done something to temper the storm waging inside the younger man.

Zander felt as if part of him had died tonight, his dreams shattered in two. How could he have been so wrong about something that had been so right? He doubted he would ever trust another with his heart again, but as he looked at Sonny and Alexis standing before him with concerned faces he was soothed by their care for him in that moment, it acted as a buffer to the torrent of emotions circling throughout him.

He stepped away from them, and looked up at the stars, his eyes slowly traveled down to them and he finally spoke, "lets go home."

Luke accessed the damage he'd done to Jake's and grinned, it would serve his competitor right for trying to horn in on his business.

Jake stepped through the front door and grimaced, " when I gave you creative control, I didn't expect you to destroy it… this is a business remember?"

"You wanted a change."

"Change is good… destruction not so much."

"Leave it to me Jack, this place will reek with your heritage."

Jake stilled," Knock it off Luke."

Luke watched as Jake stormed into the other room, " a crack in the veneer, well worth the wait."

Jake strode back into the room with his inventory sheet," What are you getting at?"

Luke grinned," that the sage Jake O'Brien who spouts off more advice than Dear Abby, has a few chinks in the old armor."

"And what does that mean to you?"

"That's you're a human being for cripes sake!" Luke muttered, " you know how long it took me and Sonny to figure out you weren't a fed."

"What?"

"Come on Jake, you aren't the typical underworld type."

"And you are?" Jake asked.

"I'm unique alright… but you come off more like Tom Sawyer than a mob enforcer."

"Somehow I don't think that's a compliment."

"Nah, crazily enough it works for you… you put a person at ease," Luke commented, "then you go straight for the jugular."

"How come I never knew any of this?"

"You think we're crazy, " Luke retorted, " After what happened…"

"I don't want to talk about it, " Jake replied quickly, "now if you don't mind lets get back to work."

Luke watched as Jake disappeared into the storeroom, his friend had yet to deal withthe past even after all these years. Luke only wondered how he'd react when he came face to face with it.

"You want my money?" Jason asked, confused at the sudden direction their conversation had taken.

Brenda who'd been pacing stopped, " I had a talk with Lila the other day… she told me I'm broke, I have no assets, no career… nothing."

"What about your sister?"

Brenda shook her head; " I'm not asking her for anything… how can I when I haven't even told her I'm alive."

Jason cocked his head to the side, " She's probably read it in the paper by now Brenda, don't you think you owe her a call?"

"Ugh, looks who's talking," Brenda snorted, " you won't even speak to your parents and they live across town!"

Jason shook his head, " Okay then… what about Jax?"

Brenda lowered her lashes, " I want you to invest in my company."

"What company?"

"Deception… Barrett industries."

Jason scratched his head, " I don't understand, you've got a corporate raider for a boyfriend and you're asking me?"

"I'm asking a favor."

"You're asking for my money." Jason retorted.

"You'd make more… I guarantee it."

"Look, I don't care about the money, it's yours if you need it… but why not ask Jax?"

Brenda sat down cross-legged on the couch, "I don't know if you'll understand."

"Try me."

Brenda searched for the words, she faltered and tried again, "I need to do this on my own… I've spent so many years being someone's girlfriend, someone's fiancé, and someone's victim… this is for me, " Brenda said smiling through the tears, " I can't change the past, but I can work on the future.

Jason remained silent; he watched her eyes fall to her hands and then back to him.

"The money's yours…but I'm not."

Jax stood in the doorway watching the exchange, " I'm glad to hear it."

Emily sat in the garden, staring up at the starts, tears dried but her heart still broken replaying the events that had played out after her admission.

"Your married?" Alexis had asked dumbstruck.

Emily stood rigidly; holding the earrings Zander had given her.

"What would make you do this Emily?" Alexis had asked again, coming to stand in front of her, " to be so cruel."

Emily had flinched; her face tear streaked, "you weren't supposed to be here… nobody asked you to come… he wasn't supposed to come."

"Right a wedding announcement in the paper would've been so much better."

"I don't need sarcasm Alexis…please just leave me alone, you don't understand what I'm going through."

"Make me understand then… because the girl I used knew… she would've never treated Zander in the way you did tonight."

Alexis had given Emily one last look before she'd rushed off to find Zander.

"There you are." Monica said her voice full of relief; she approached her daughter from behind, " darling aren't those the earrings…"

"Yes."

"Wherever did you find the time to go back and them?"

"I didn't."

"Then how?"

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"Emily, what's wrong?" Monica walked around to the front of the bench, " your crying, what's happened?"

Emily fell into her Mother's arms and broke down, " I'm sorry… I'm so sorry."

"Shhhh, Shhhh, its okay, " Monica chanted soothingly, "just tell me what you need and I'll fix it."

"You can't fix this… no one can." Emily pulled back, " where's dad?"

"I'm right here darling, " Alan said, stepping out onto to the patio, "Daniels' saying goodnight to the last of the guests."

Emily stepped away from both off them and approached the bar, "I've done something that's going to hurt you."

"Nothing you could do…"

"I can, andI have." Emily said, cutting her Father off.

"Your beginning to scare me Emily." Monica warned.

"I never meant for it to come to this… I thought I'd get away with it, but to many people know now."

"What exactly do they know?"

"Daniel and I were already married."

Alan and Monica stood dumbstruck," but why, why would you do something like this?"

"I had to send a message."

"To who?"

"Zander."