Chapter 7
Hope woke up the next morning and looked around. She suddenly remembered that she wasn't at home.
"Oh no." Hope said.
"Did you sleep well?"
Hope looked up to see Gabe standing in front of the bed.
"I can't believe we slept together. This was a major mistake." Hope said then got up and began to get dressed.
"Wasn't this what you were hoping for when we first met?"
"Shut up, jerk."
"You know, I actually thought we had a good time last night. We got along, we had fun and I hope I made you feel better."
"I'll admit, I did have fun and you're pretty darn good in bed…but that doesn't change all that's happened."
"You started it, Hope Manning-Thornhart. We could've been friends but you wanted to be the arrogant spoiled brat that you are. We can have a fresh start as of yesterday and be friends. You've seen that regardless of the fact that we aren't friends and you really work my nerves I still manage to have your back and everyone needs a friend like that, don't you think?
"You're just that great, huh?"
"Yeah! I'm a McBain."
-v-
Miracle spent the night at Tea` and Shaun's. She heard a knock at her bedroom door.
"Come in!" Miracle exclaimed and Leon entered the room with a trey of breakfast. "Hey!" She said with a smile.
"I brought you breakfast in bed." Leon said.
"Wow, one kiss and I get breakfast in bed. You've never done that before."
"Actually, there were two kisses." He gave her the trey of food and then sat next to her.
"So what happens now? Are we together or what?"
"There's no one else I'd rather be with now that I've come to my senses."
Miracle smiled.
"This is different…but I like it. I don't think we should tell our parents though."
"I think I agree with you."
-v-
Liam walked into Hollow Grounds Coffee Shop and ordered a Latte`. He looked over and saw Izzy at a table seriously engaged in a book. He walked over to her.
"Izzy." He said and she turned around frightened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's ok; I guess I was just really into this book, join me." Izzy said and Liam sat with her.
"I don't know too many people who come here."
"I like it here. It's quiet. I like quiet."
"My dad would like you."
"Who's your dad?"
"He's the commissioner. You didn't know?"
"No. I don't really keep up with who's who and Llanview. We don't have any classes together. It wasn't that long ago that I found out that you were a Buchanan. All I knew was that your name was Liam McBain."
"You don't watch TV?"
"Hardly… So tell me more about you, like what is your dad like?"
"He's cool, laid back, quiet, fair, loyal and loving to a fault…he hates to be lied to though. It seems like I get the biggest penalty when I lie. I try not to it.
"He seems like a wonderful dad."
"He is. I don't think I could have a better one. What about yours?"
"… You know, we're really just starting to get to know each other. We should do something fun."
"Yeah, we should. What should we do?"
"I don't know. Surprise me."
-v-
Ryder, Millicent, Jaime and Jay are gathered in the Llanfair living room.
"How is it dating my brother?" Jaime asked Millicent.
"It's great. He's so good to me."
"He better be." Jaime said.
"Someone's cooking. It smells delicious!"
"My grandmother, Carlotta is visiting and she's going to make a fantastic dinner. My dad is helping her. It should be done by the time my mom comes back."
Jessica walked into the room.
"I'm back now." Jessica announced.
"Mom, you're early!" Jaime said. "Mom, this is my boyfriend, Dr. Jay and you've met Millicent, right?"
"Briefly. Hi everyone." Jessica said and Ryder got up to give her a hug.
"I've missed you! Where's dad?" Ryder said.
"I missed you too, sweetie. Your dad missed you just as much and he's going to see you later. Something came up."
"Ok. I'm going to call him. I'll be right back Milli. I promise."
Ryder leaves the room as Antonio enters.
"Honey, you're back!" Antonio kissed her. "I see you've met our lovely guest. Dinner will be ready soon. Come with me so we can catch up."
"I'll be back too! It'll be really fast." Jaime said, leaving the room with her parents. "So how is Bree?"
"Ford and I took her to St. Anne's. She's obviously not happy about it but it's for the best."
"I wish you had called me. I would have gone with you." Antonio said.
"I know but we had it under control."
"This must've been hard for you." Antonio hugged her.
"Yeah it is." Jessica said.
-v-
Bree was in a white padded room in a straight jacket. She screamed with rage.
"Jessica Vega! You will regret this!" Bree yelled.
About an hour later Bree began her first therapy session.
"Bree, does this alter of yours have a name?" Dr. Yen asked.
"Yeah, she does! Her name is Brennan, Brennan Smith." Bree replied.
"Where did that name come from?"
"Brennan is the name I received at birth, Smith is the last name of my mother and grandmother's alters, Tess and Nicki."
"Am I talking to Brennan now?"
"No. I'm telling you what I told my mother, I am Bree, the real Bree. Even though Brennan is the daughter of my mother's alter, she's more like Jessica not Tess. I on the other hand, have some of Tess` ways. I will admit that but I don't believe I'm as bad as she is."
"So you're telling me that this new persona that everyone is seeing is the real you?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
"How is that?"
"Here's what happened doc. When I was a little girl my mom's alter, Tess would come out and she would be the complete opposite of the mother I knew. She wasn't just different. I was afraid of her. I wasn't at first because she was never mean to me but she didn't know how to be a mother. She didn't have the patience or the tenderness that I knew. My entire family tried to protect me from the truth but I heard everything. My eyes and ears were open and I knew what was going on. I even knew that she trapped my aunt Natalie and her husband at the time in the basement. She knew that I knew and she basically bribed me and took me under her wing. I was still scared but I guess I felt safer if that makes any sense at all. After a while, I felt the need to rebel. It's like even though I didn't like how she was I was becoming more and more like her but I didn't want to. I heard everything people said about her and though I was angry and scared I still cared a lot about what everyone thought about me. I was a little girl and there was a lot going on, internally and externally. Eventually, I split. I became this little angel everyone wanted, liked and loved, Princess Bree or as I called myself, Princess Brennan. I became this angel, I did what everyone wanted me to do and everything I wanted to be until one day recently, I got tired of it and I came crawling out of my shell. I stayed to myself at first because I had to force myself to remember everything I had missed but after that Bree was free."
-v-
Liam and Izzy arrived at the horse stable at the Buchanan Mansion.
"Wow. I've never seen a home so huge. Who lives here?"
"It was my great-grandpa Asa's, my uncle Bo lives here with a few other family members now.
"They weren't kidding when they said your family was rich."
"It's just money."
"It's just money to you because you just have it. Are we going to ride horses?"
"Yeah. This one is mine." Liam said, petting the white horse in front of him. "His name is Lieu."
"Why Lieu?"
"My dad was the lieutenant at the time so I thought it was cool. I was only six. Have you ridden a horse before?"
"No and I'm a little afraid."
"There's no reason to be."
"Really because I saw what happened to Christopher Reeves."
"It's ok. If you fall off I'll save you."
"Really, tall, dark and handsome guy with a white horse, what are you, my night and shining armor, my Prince Charming?"
"McBains are good for that and frankly, I don't mind. If you want to be Cinderella, I'll gladly be your Prince Charming."
"No one ever wants to be Cinderella at the beginning of the story, just the end when it's supposed to be happily ever after."
"Come on, you can ride my horse with me. Maybe it won't be so scary."
-v-
A few days went by and Hope and Gabe were at the Country Club in the Jacuzzi.
"It's weird being friends now. I spent a lot of time hating you." Hope said.
"I'm sure it's even weirder since we slept together."
"Yeah…do you want to do that again?"
"I didn't expect that."
"Well it was…fun and really good."
"I don't know."
"Don't you think I'm hot?"
"Of course I do but that's beside the point."
"There's going to be a family dinner at my aunt Vicki's. You should come with me. We can discuss this afterward.
-v-
There was a big family dinner going on at Llanfair, led by the matriarch and patriarch of the family, Vicki and Clint.
"We've called this dinner because family is and will always be important. We never do this, bring us all together and enjoy each other's company. I want us all to take the time out and just be a family." Vicki said.
"Sorry we're late!" Rex said, entering the room with his family.
"We had to make a stop and pick up my lovely niece, Sierra Rose." GiGi said hugging Sierra Rose. "She's all grown up. Isn't she beautiful?"
Shane was along with them as well with his son, Chad Balsom who's six years old and Roxy.
"Great! Now everyone is here including Kelly, Kevin, Zane and Joey who we rarely get to see. Is this awesome or what?"
"Glad you feel that way dad. Kelly, Zane and I are moving back to Llanview." Kevin said.
"That's great news! I'm so happy! Let's dig in!"
After dinner everyone adjourned to the living room to socialize.
Ryder walked over to Ford.
"Dad, I'm glad you came."
"A lot of people insisted that I come."
"Are things ok with you and mom? You've both been acting weird since you came back from L.A."
"Yeah…so where is this girlfriend I've been hearing so much about? I want to meet her.
Ryder called Millicent over and introduced her to Ford.
"Has my son been treating you right?" Ford asked.
"He's been a perfect gentleman."
"Good. I don't expect anything less. That's how we've raised him. If he gives you anything less, you come to me first."
"Yes sir."
Hope and Gabe were talking not too far from them.
"So are we on for the night?" Hope asked.
"No." Gabe replied.
"Are you kidding me?"
Miracle walked over.
"Hey!" Miracle said.
"I'll let you two talk." Gabe said and then walked away.
"Did I interrupt?" Miracle asked.
""No." Hope said.
"I noticed you were distant from your parents and your grandpa."
"Yeah well…"
"I know what's going on."
"How do you know?"
"I hear things. Here's my advice, don't be angry with your parents. Anything could happen. We need to cherish every moment and let go of things of the past."
"You wouldn't understand."
"I understand perfectly. My mom doesn't know I know this but she was going to get an abortion when she was pregnant with me but she didn't and she loves me, she's always loved me and she always will. Your mom didn't give you up. Forget all of that! She loves you! She will always love you, even when you do the things you do. What they did as teenagers doesn't matter anymore. Teens change their minds, they're learning everyday and James really loves you! You know he loves you and I know you miss your dad but right now, James is the only one you have. When your mom goes away he's the one who's there for you. He's always there for you no matter what. I wish you would just see that. I don't know what to say about your grandpa but everyone else forgave him. Maybe you should talk to them; maybe you should even talk to him.
Meanwhile in the study, Sam and Sierra Rose were alone together passionately making out.
"I've missed you so much." Sierra Rose said.
"I've missed you too." Sam said.
"I'm 18 now, we should just tell everyone that we're together. It's been an entire year and a half. I'm so tired of the secrets."
"I am too but you know our families' can't stand each other because of what my brother did to your aunt which is what ultimately led to your mother's death and he never paid for it. Your aunt, uncle and cousin are in that room doing everything they can do get along with my brother, uncle and mothers. Your dads have a hard time trusting me just because of who my father and uncle are."
"I know. I understand that. It's about time everyone moved passed that, don't you think? My dad trusts you, he just doesn't want to. He can't help but to trust you, you're not like your father or your uncle. Besides, I love my family but I love you too and I want the world to know…My mom wasn't the best person in the world. My aunt GiGi and my cousin definitely didn't deserve what happened to them…but look its over and done with and I'm not dating your jerk of a brother. I'm dating you.
Back in the living room everyone was having an amazing time.
Tea` and Vicki were talking.
"This was a fantastic idea Vicki. Thanks for inviting us." Tea` said.
"Oh Tea`, you're family and you always will be. Destiny, Darren, Shaun, all of you, I'm glad everyone is here. Each and every one of you here is an asset to our lives. This was long overdue.
"Family gathering without little old me, I'm hurt." Bree said as she walked in. "This is just lovely! Everyone is here! I'm surprised no one has fought with all of these Buchanan beefs in here and no one's pulled out a shotgun. Oh how we have grown as a family but maybe there just isn't anything fresh enough to fight about. Is anyone up for some new drama?"
"Bree what are you doing here?" Jessica asked.
"The doctor realized I was well enough to come home. I told you I was he real Bree. What's the matter? Are you afraid I might reveal your little secret? I see Uncle Ford is here." Bree said and then waved to Ford.
"What secret?" Antonio asked.
"Bree, you're just upset. We should talk alone." Jessica said.
"Are you scared mom?" Bree said. "I'm sorry to ruin this little event but I have something to tell."
"Bree-" Jessica said before she was cut off.
"Shut up mom."
"Don't speak to your mother that way." Antonio said.
"You might want to hold your tongue right now, dad."
"I'm not going to let you disrespect your mother." Antonio said.
"My mother doesn't seem to have much respect for you because my mother has been having an affair with Robert Ford. POW! Gotcha! Princess Jessica isn't such a princess after all."
"Is this true?" Antonio asked.
"Antonio…we should talk."
"Is this true?" Antonio yelled.
Tears began to run down Jessica's face.
"Yes. I'm sorry! It's over with me and Ford, I promise!"
"Only because I threatened them." Bree said.
-v-
Leon and Miracle went back to Tea` and Shaun's place and went to hang out in Leon's room.
"I'm glad we got out of there. It was getting crazy. I know Ryder, Jaime and Faith are having a hard time with what they found out today. I can't believe Bree did that." Miracle said.
"Me either." Leon said staring at her.
"What?"
"I love you."
"I love you too." Miracle said with a smile than they kissed. Then it went a further than that.
"Wait, you know I've never done that before."
"You're not ready? It's ok if you're not ready. I understand."
"No…I am, as long as you have protection."