Face It

Everyone has to face something sometimes. At some point everyone is confronted with a truth, rather it be your worst nightmare, something you need to pay for as a result of your own actions, something someone doesn't like about you or maybe something you don't even want to believe about yourself. It doesn't matter because everyone has to face it at some point.

At Llanfair the Vega's were gather together but everyone left the room except Jamie and Jessica.

"I can't believe that was Bree in those photos, my baby." Jessica said.

"Right… about that. That's not like Bree." Jaime said.

"I don't know what to think. She is an adult. It's just out of the ordinary."

"Exactly, out of the ordinary, not like Bree…Sound familiar?"

Jessica looked at Jaime wondering where she was going with her statements.

"I saw Bree at Ultra Violet a few days ago. She was dressed differently than usual-" Jaime started before Jessica cut her off.

"Differently how?" Jessica questioned.

"Uh…quite ho-ish, I must say. That's the only way to describe it and Bree never dresses that way. At first I didn't pay it much mind until…I saw her dancing with this man I knew she didn't know and it was very provocative…then she started making out with him. It just wasn't Bree at all."

"Yeah that's not at all like Bree…Jaime, what are you saying?"

"I think you know. It seems like she may have DID too. Think about it, when is the last time she's spent anytime with the family, been really sweet and loving, and been everything we know Bree to be? She's been acting strange for a little while now. It's just that now it's becoming apparent to us."

"Bree doesn't have DID, why would she? Nothing traumatic has happened to her."

"Are you sure about that? It could be something no one knows about, no one knew what happened to you or grandma, or maybe it's something more subtle with Bree, or maybe-"

"Or maybe it's just genetic." Jessica said cutting Jaime off. She knew that Jaime could be right. She thought the same thing but didn't want to believe it. It was hard to hear, even harder to deal with but she's not as fragile as she once was. She's fully intergraded with all of her personalities…that we know of.

-v-

A few days passed; the teens were back in school. Art class was about to begin. Marcie McBain entered the room.

"Ok…what is my mom doing here?" Millicent said in true teenage fashion.

"You didn't do anything, did you?" Miracle asked Millicent.

"No, I never do." Millicent replied.

"Hello everyone, I am Mrs. McBain. I will be substituting this class today."

"Where's Jaime?" Miracle asked leaning over to Ryder.

"I don't know." Ryder said, looking just as confused as everyone else.

The class went on. Millicent would often zone out and gaze at Ryder, not even realizing it herself but someone noticed, a couple noticed actually.

Miracle was in the middle of a self portrait and just so happened to look over to Millicent. She saw her making goo-goo eyes a Ryder and for once Ryder actually didn't notice, he was focusing hard on his painting and Millicent was focusing hard on him. Marcie turned around and couldn't believe how her daughter was looking at this handsome Ford the way she was. She wondered if she was going to snap back to reality soon, or was she going to have to do it for her.

"Millicent." Miracle called in a serious tone which was exactly what Millicent needed to be jolted back into reality.

Marcie was just glad she didn't have to be the one to do it.

After class, Miracle wanted to confront Millicent about her having feelings for Ryder but then flashed back to the kiss she almost had with Leon. She figured Leon didn't really look at her that way and figured Leon didn't think she looked at him that way and that it was just an emotional thing. Even though she knew it wouldn't be the case, she didn't want anyone to think she was just trying to get Millicent out of the way so she could have Leon for herself, though no one knew she liked Leon as more than just a best friend. She knew Millicent was into Ryder and she was protective of Leon but felt like she needed to mind her own business so she let it go.

-v-

That night Hope met a guy at Ultra Violet who she thought was terribly hot. They spent a lot of time together that not, he bought her a few drinks and she got pretty tipsy. Hope figured it was a good night for a one night stand so they got a room at the hotel. The guy stepped out of the room. They were hoping for a wild night so she anxiously waited for him to come back in handcuffs. About ten minutes passed before the door opened again. She was surprised at who entered the room. A camera flashed.

"Gabe? What are you doing here?" Hope said, angrily.

"I told you, karma is a bitch." Gabe replied in a monotone.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"The next time you want to talk about a scheme you cooked up you might want to make sure the person you're scheming on is nowhere around."

"You're crazy."

"No, you are. I heard everything you and Valerie talked about outside of Miracle's party. If I'm not mistaken, you wanted her to break my heart so bad it felt like a heart attack, correct? Sorry, it's not going to happen…You know you're dumber than I thought."

"Excuse you."

"You actually came up to this hotel room with a man you met a few hours ago and let him put you in handcuffs with intent to sleep with him. That's stupid and low."

"I'm just having fun."

"You're just trying to get yourself killed…or raped. Either way, you made the stupidest decision I ever witnessed. Now, too bad for you, I have proof of it." He said showing the camera. "

"If you ever show that picture…"

"What are you going to do, Hope Manning Thornhart?" The room went silent as Hope tried to think of something to say. "That's what I thought. Do we have an understanding? Good." Gabe got Hope out of the handcuffs.

"How do you know that guy?" Hope asked.

"He's an old buddy of mine."

"Jerk." Hope said as she squinted her eyes at him.

"This jerk had to teach you, Miss Manning, a lesson and you know what, this jerk is about to give you a ride home."

"I don't need you."

"Just shut up and ride."

-v-

Over the next few days, Miracle and Leon went on with their lives as if they were never going to kiss. They acted like they always act together, like best friends. Meanwhile Leon and Millicent were still dating. One day, Millicent asked Leon to meet up with her in Angel's Square.

"Hey." Leon said before he kissed her.

"Hey." Millicent said, shyly.

"Is something wrong?"

"…Yeah. I can't lie to myself, or you or anyone else anymore."

"Lie to me about what?"

"Leon, I don't want to hurt you but… I have feelings for Ryder."

Leon laughs.

"Of course you do." He shook his head. "Why? Why would you want to be with a jerk like him?"

"I don't really think he's a jerk, at least I don't now."

"You're so naïve."

"I'm not! I don't know why I like him I just do. I like you too but it's just not the same. I haven't really gotten to spend much one on one time with Ryder but I just have a magnetic attraction to him, I don't understand it so I can't explain it. I hope we can still be friends."

"Magnetic attraction." Leon said, shaking his head and thinking what she was saying was ridiculous.

"Fine, go attract to your magnet. When he breaks your heart and leaves you with an open womb, I'll be here to patch it up and be your shoulder to cry on. That doesn't mean I'll be waiting around for you to come to your senses and come back to me."

"I'm sorry." Millicent said and then hugged him.

"Bye Milli."

"See you later." She said, sadly and then walked away.

-v-

Bree had been M.I.A. for a few days so Jaime, Jessica, Antonio and Ford had been looking for her. They didn't tell Ryder and Faith what was going because they didn't want to worry them. They just told them she went to do a fashion show in L.A. and they weren't sure when she would return. That was Jaime's reason for missing class.

They were lying to Ryder and Faith but the lie made Jess think. She thought, "When I was Tess I would go…" That made her think that maybe Bree really was in L.A. Jess and Ford flew to L.A. to follow her gut feeling. Antonio felt that at least one of them should stay with Ryder and Faith, plus, he couldn't afford to miss work with them getting closer and closer to solving the case they're working on.

Jess and Ford found Bree at Nash's winery.

"Bree…" Jessica called.

"Look who found me." Bree said.

"Why did you disappear like that? We were all worried about you."

"That doesn't feel so great, huh mom?"

"What does that mean?"

"You know. This is very Tess like, am I right?"

"Unfortunately, it is. Why don't you come home so we can fix whatever the problem is?"

"Oh mom, these problems run deep. You should already know that but actually I've never been better in my life."

"Of course, that's what you think but I know different?"

"I'm sure you believe that but Bree…just come home sweetie, come back to us."

"For example, here's one thing I know that you don't know. I'm the real Bree and that girl you've come to love? Yeah, her name is Brennan."

-v-

Millicent found Ryder at the country club sitting alone with a long face. She went to sit next to him.

"Are you ok?"

"Honestly…not really. My sister Bree, I think there's something wrong with her but no one will tell me."

"I'm sorry. You two are close, huh?

"Yeah, we all are. I'm worried about her."

"Don't take this the wrong way because I'm not really in the mood to be anything but serious so why are you talking to me?"

"You looked sad."

"Do you like me?"

"I thought you were worried and everything?"

"I am but I need a distraction and I'm not dumb, I see the way you look at me and how you suddenly talk to me and give me all this attention you never would have before. I know when a girl likes me."

"Then why did you ask?"

"It was more polite than assuming. I'd rather hear it from your lips to my ears."

"How about my lips to your lips?" She kissed him.

"Oh… Milli, I didn't expect that."

"Oh no, you didn't like it? I'm sorry."

"Nooo, that was fantastic!"

"Oh…thanks. I enjoyed it too…" Millicent said with an innocent smile on her face. "And by the way, I'm not a girl. I'm a woman."