Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. If I ever do, I'll let you know, but I highly doubt that I ever will.

A/N: I really don't have much to say at the beginning of this chapter except I'm so glad I have this to distract me from writing my oratory. It's hell! Oh and thank you for all your kind reviews. You have no idea how happy it made me when I came home yesterday and had four reviews waiting for me in my mailbox! Anyway, I should start writing the actual chapter….

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The house was huge, that was for sure. Mark never would get how Marli lived there and never got lost. Maybe because it was the house she grew up in or whatever, but that didn't matter. The house was probably home to a good eighteen rooms, with two ballrooms, twenty-four bathrooms, libraries, offices, two kitchens, and all that jazz. While Marli was getting ready for the brunch, he decided to explore.

He was walking down one of the long, regal hallways when he ran into Roger…literally, ran into him. "Hey Roger," Mark was still completely wiped out from the night before.

"Hey. Trying to explore Marli's house?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Guilty as charged. You know, one would think that the both of us would have more worthwhile things to do with our time."

"Yeah. But apparently we don't. My wife decided she would take like a million years to get ready. I'm not sure I will ever completely figure out why the hell women take so long to get ready. All we need to do is shower, shave and get dressed."

"Because they are women, Marky. God, so are so fucking lucky that you're married already. If you weren't, I'd worry that it would never happen. Not that I didn't before Marli and everything…but let's face it, then you were lucky because you had me."

"Oh yeah, Rog. Thanks for making me feel so special and loved and smart and oh so good inside!" His voice was oozing sarcasm by the gallon, but Roger failed to notice.

"Anytime buddy! Let's have a look around, shall we?"

The two men walked around, not really talking but rather marveling at this house. While both of them had grown up well off, despite how they lived as adults (well, formally, as they were both about to be huge stars), they had never been in a house this size before. Quite frankly, it reminded both of them of their tenth grade class trip to Rhode Island and Massachusetts to see all the old estates. Then, it had seemed different though, because all those houses were now museums. Someone actually lived in this house…Mark's in-laws.

Finally they bumped into their women and walked to the brunch. If it weren't for Marli, they probably would've gotten completely lost. Thank goodness she was there. Mark was convinced that terrible things would've happened had Marli not been there. They would've gotten lost and then they could've fallen into some secret trap room, where someone was waiting for them…okay, maybe that was a little over the top. But give him a break, he was a filmmaker and, after all, they do have pretty active imaginations. He was sure Marli's was a little more active, though, she was a writer.

Marli really wanted a mimosa. She wanted one really, really bad. But no, she couldn't have one. Of course not. She just had to be pregnant. And babies just had to be damaged by liquor. Stupid babies! No, that was mean. She was going to love her babies. And the first thing she would do when they were born? Have a mimosa, that's what.

So sitting at brunch, drinking her stupid, non-spiked orange juice, she was thinking. Thinking of how she couldn't wait until she was back in New York. She needed civilization. Palm Beach was nice, but she hated being around her parents too much. They drove her crazy. It wasn't always like that though; it wasn't like that at all until Hillary died.

Stop, she commanded herself. She shouldn't have been thinking about Hillary the day after her wedding. She was supposed to be happy, not borderline depressed. You see, this was the house Hillary died in. It was so unexpected. One day, she was Hillary, all vivacious and bubbly, and the next day she was dead. Hillary was Alicia's twin, but they never acted like it. Alicia was ambitious and nerdy while Hillary was…well she was Hillary. She apparently had eaten something and had an allergic reaction in her sleep. The next morning, when Marli had come back from getting her license, she ran to Hillary's room to find her dead. Years of serious therapy later, she still wasn't completely over it.

Shit! She was crying now! This wasn't good. Surely everyone would notice the few tears that had managed to escape her amber eyes. She wiped them and looked down into her orange juice. Around her, everyone was full of eager conversation, and here she was, resisting the bitter urge to cry. She felt Mark squeeze her leg, and she knew that he had noticed. And although she didn't want anyone to notice, for appearances sake, she was glad he did. It made her feel somewhat good, to have someone that noticed what went on in her silence, hidden by a forced smile. Perhaps it was just that, which was the true definition of love. But for now, she would smile and hope no one besides him would notice.

Soon, the brunch ended, and a relieved Marli headed for the bathroom. She needed to pee, really badly. She went into the one just off the ballroom, the one just like hotel bathrooms and closed a stall, locking herself in. She urged herself not to cry. How come she could never be happy in this house? Years of therapy later, and she was still depressed. It wasn't supposed to take this long to grieve.

Then the door to the bathroom opened and she prayed it was someone whom she actually liked. "Marli? Marli Camille Ryan, I mean Cohen…or Ryan if you didn't change it for your career or whatever. So, uh, Marli Camille, talk to me if you're in here!" It was Alicia. Marli didn't want to come out, but she knew she had to. If she couldn't talk to her big sister, then whom else could she talk to?

"Hi Leesh. What's up?"

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same question. I saw you crying at the brunch. And I just want to tell you…I miss her too."

"What are you talking about?" Marli always had found it better to play dumb when talking to Alicia. While Alicia was probably a certifiable genius, she didn't usually feel like putting up a fight and usually just left you alone when you didn't want to talk. While Marli doubted her dear older sister would do that in this circumstance, it was worth a try.

"Mar, don't play dumb with me. You were crying about Hillary. Thinking about her and everything. I know you and I know you miss her so much. I miss her too. She was my fucking twin and yet I can never seem to cry over her. But I miss her too. I miss her so much. And I know this house makes you think of her. I know because every time we're here at the same time, I can hear you crying in your room. And those rooms were meant to be soundproof."

Marli didn't know weather to laugh or sob, so she did that odd combination of both. She laughed because of Alicia's joke and was crying over Hillary. "I just feel like I should be over it by now. Like I should be okay with the fact that she's dead. But I'm not. Sometimes, I'll see a girl with gold hair and green eyes on the street and I'll just want to scream her name, like somehow saying it would make her alive again. And deep down, I know it will never happen. Yet, I still can't stop myself from wanting to do it, not really. I really wish she could've been here today…"

"Mar, she was here."

"She couldn't have been here. She's dead remember? God, maybe you're worse about this whole thing than I am."

"I didn't mean she was here physically. I mean spiritually."

"Wait, what the hell did you just say? Has Alicia Serene Ryan lost her logical, MBA brain? Did you join a cult or something?" Marli was genuinely shocked, she didn't even have to fake it.

"You know, just because I'm an MBA doesn't mean I don't believe in angels. Well I never used to…not until this weekend. When we were in the ceremony and I was standing there as you maid-of-honor, I felt this cold and oddly peaceful feeling wash over me. And then I realized, she was there Mar! Hillary was there."

Marli didn't know what came over her, but she started to sob uncontrollably, her chest heaving. This couldn't be healthy, but she couldn't care less. She felt Alicia wrap her in a tight hug and whisper in her ear. "I miss her so much Mar. So much. Even though I don't always show it, I do. Everyone does. Now wipe your tears and get back out there."

Marli did as she was instructed. She loved Alicia, she really did. She might have been a pain-in-the-ass with a superiority complex, but when push came to shove and you needed to push your size eight feet into expensive size seven heels, Alicia was your girl. Alicia was just turning to leave when Marli turned to her, "Leesh?"

"Yeah?" Alicia turned back, smiling sadly.

"Thanks. For everything. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. I needed to talk just as much as you did. There are some things in life therapy can't cure…for everything else, there's sisters."

Marli laughed heartily. "Yeah, exactly. Love you." She went over to her sister and gave her another hug.

Alicia hugged her back vigorously. "Love you, too." She smiled finally and turned around, exiting the bathroom. Marli followed her sister's lead and left.

She walked down the hall, deciding to find Mark and take him down to the beach again. Today would be such a nice day for a walk on the beach. This was until she got to the library. It was by far one of the grandest rooms in the house. It had two entrances so you could get in on either side of the house. You could activate it to be soundproof, but the doors weren't closed and there was apparently a fight going on. Marli spotted Collins and Benny with their ears pressed up eagerly against the door.

"What's going on?" She was indeed curious.

"Ssshhh! Maureen and Joanne are fighting and it's getting pretty darn good! Listen in!" She had never taken Benny to be such a gossip whore. Other types of whore, yes, but never one for gossip. I guess being married to Alison Bitch face or whatever her name was could turn you that way. Marli pressed her ear up to the door. It was indeed getting good.

"Maureen, stop being so irresponsible! You need to tell him! It's only right that he knows!" She'd never heard Joanne all heated and angry like this.

"No, actually I don't. He's happy, who am I to disturb that?" For once, it sounded like Maureen just might be the voice of reason.

"Oh I don't know, the person who's having his baby?"

"Um, just to remind you, I'm not the only one doing that." Marli's face went stark white. Surely she wasn't talking about her and Mark.

"Doesn't matter. He's the father. He has the right to know!"

"Yeah, well what he doesn't know can't hurt him!"

"He's going to find out, just have you know."

"How? Are you going to tell him?"

"Well…I don't know, maybe. But even if I didn't he would know. With your luck, the baby would turn out just like him. Looks, personality, and all."

"Well, for the sake of our sanity, let's assume that it doesn't. He never has to know. I repeat: NEVER HAS TO KNOW! He's never going to find out!"

"Yes, he is. He's not an idiot, Maureen. Apparently, you are, but he isn't. He's a smart guy. Ivy league-educated. While it's not on the curriculum at those schools how to spot your child from a one-night stand, it's pretty obvious that if you were smart enough to go there, you are probably smart enough to see that you have one."

"Fuck you."

"Seems that he already did!"

"You bitch. I had sex with him out of pity. He had just broken up with his girlfriend and was really, really depressed. So I did what any compassionate friend would do."

"Um, Maureen, I hate to burst your bubble, but sleeping with him was so beyond the lines of compassion. That was just like you to do something so impulsive and wrong like that and justifying it with 'compassion'! I don't know why I even bother! I should've just quit while I was ahead. You are so irresponsible. You just need to make up your mind! I'm done with all this drama Maureen!"

"You know what? I wonder the same thing all the time. But let's at least be happy for the last day of this weekend. We owe it to Mark and Marli. We can talk about this later, when we're back in New York." Maureen was being reasonable. Marli wished Mark was here to get this on film.

"This isn't over, Maureen."

"I know."

And that was when it happened. When the doors on both sides fell in. In the room stood Marli, Benny, and Collins on one side, along with Mark, Mimi, and Roger on the other. Benny looked distinctly uncomfortable, as did Collins. Roger and Mimi couldn't stop cracking up. Marli was beet-red, not completely sure of what had happened and not completely sure about what to think of it. Opposite of her stood Mark, who was no longer smiling as when she had last seen him at brunch. Now he was stark white, like he had just seen a ghost. Apparently, he had heard everything…and maybe it had hit a little close to home.

A/N: Mwahahahahahahaha! Cliff hanger! Yes. And review…. or you may never find out what's going on! Haha….Yes, I am fully aware that I am evil. I spent time on this I could've spent on my Oratory so you better review as always :)