Sorry it took so long to update this time. I fried my hard drive and had to get it fixed. Sadly I lost everything off the hard drive. Thankfully almost everything I've written is posted online so I was able to get most of my stories back that I've written. Only 3 stories were never posted. Enjoy the next chapter:
The air surrounding the Boat House was thick as the sun began to sit over Pine Valley. The shadows stretched across the lake and cast an eerie look over the young man Greenlee couldn't take her eyes off of.
Her mind was racing as she processed what he had just told her. The second he said Vanessa's name her heart skipped a beat. It wasn't possible…Vanessa was alive?
"How long?" she finally managed to ask.
"What?" Leo asked confused.
"How long….How long were you with her for Leo?"
"Greens…I don't know"
"Damn it Leo. How long? You said you didn't know if you were with her for months or years. Your memory came back right? How long had you been there?"
"I got my memory back during the fall of 2004" he admitted.
"Two years? You were there for two years." She wrapped her mind around what that meant. "You knew who you were for seven years. You knew what she had done. You stayed away and let me think you were dead for seven years!"
"Green's it wasn't like that…" Leo said as he stood up and walked across the boat house. He sat down next to her placing an arm around her shoulders.
Leo's once comforting touch now felt like a knife to her heart. She pushed off the bench and stood across from him. "It wasn't like that? How they hell was it then Leo? Damn it can't you ever let you mother go! She tried to kill me how many times. She almost killed you, and what do you do, you stay in France with her for seven years playing 'the good son'. How could you?"
"Come on Greens there's things you need to understand." Leo pleaded with her as her eyes filled with anger and hurt.
"No! You don't get to call me that Leo. The man that called me Greens stood in this place and promised to love me forever. You….I don't know who you are any more." She tried to keep the tears from escaping her eyes. As she stared at him she was reminded of having almost the same conversation with Ryan not to long ago. Ryan had also stayed dead to "protect" her.
"Why Leo? Why would you do that? You're not better then Ryan…"
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Erica sat across from Jackson at Krystal's enjoying a quiet moment together before Bianca and Kendall showed up with their families. Erica recognized the tense look on Jack's face. She had hopped by having a family dinner he might relax but, he looked just as stressed as he did at the penthouse.
"Jack?" she placed her hand on his trying to bring him back to reality.
"Um yeah that sounds good. I'll have that." Jack shook his head trying to get the fog out and concentrate on the woman in front of him.
Erica laughed at him, "You haven't heard a word I said."
"Um no I guess not. Sorry darling."
"Jack you can't worry about tomorrow. Everything is out of our hands. You said it yourself we have one of the best D.A.'s trying the case. We have to trust that justice will prevail."
It was Jack's turn to laugh, "Justice…what does that word mean Erica? I used to believe in Justice."
"But then there was Michael Cambias?" Erica said the name with more hate then she had for any other person in this world. "Jack for every case you lost there are hundreds of other's where justice was served. Is anyone in jail right now for killing him?" She watched as Jack shook his head. "See Jack justice was served Michael is dead and my daughter Bianca didn't go to jail for protecting herself from that monster."
Jack moved his hand up to her face caressing her cheek with his fingers, "How do you do it Erica? How do you make me feel better?"
"The same way you always make things better for me darling, because our love and our family will always protect us." Erica leaned in her lips meeting his.
Ryan stormed into Krystal's hoping to find Greenlee there. He had searched for her everywhere he chould think of. He had gone to the falls, her old penthouse, the hospital, he had even gone home hoping she had returned. He hadn't found her anywhere and he was growing more and more concerned. His eyes scanned the crowd disappointed when he didn't see her. He noticed Erica and Jack deep in conversation. He walked over to the older couple, "Jack? Erica?"
"Hi Ryan!" Erica greeted him brightly.
Jackson stood greeting his son in law, "Ryan is my daughter with you?" he asked looking towards the restaurant door a smile on his face.
"No Jack she's not. I was hoping maybe she was here or maybe you had heard from her."
A look of concern grew on Jack's face, "What are you talking about Ryan? She should be with you. She shouldn't be off by herself. What happened?"
"Leo showed up this morning wanting to talk to her. She left with him hours ago and I haven't heard from her since." Ryan sat down with Jackson and Erica.
Erica looked over to Jackson, "If she's with Leo then there's nothing to worry about. Leo wouldn't do anything to hurt her."
"Erica's right Ryan. I know things have been confusing since his return but, sorry son, he loves her. He'll protect her." Jack was beginning to understand Ryan's frantic search for Greenlee. It was more to do with fear of losing the woman then concern for her well being.
Ryan shook his head, "I don't know Jack. You guys didn't see him this morning. I've never seen Leo like that before. It looked like he wanted to punch me. If Greenlee hadn't come in the room I think he would have."
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JR looked through his closet over and over again trying to find the right suit to wear the next day. He and Diane had gone over defense strategy over and over again. Every detail was important from how he conducted himself in court to how he looked.
Jurors were fickle people. They had chosen this jury very carefully. Diane had made sure no one with a background in law enforcement was on the jury. She had limited the number of women especially mother's. She looked for men who had gone through divorces. She wanted as she putted a "normal red blooded American male". Having someone who could sympathize with his drinking or the fact that Marissa had left him for a woman could only help his case.
He finally pulled out a black suit business suit and paired it with a light blue shirt and a matching tie. He had wanted to wear pink thinking it would appeal to the women on the jury but Diane had cautioned against being that obvious.
Tomorrow he was putting his life in the hands of eight men and four women he had never met before. He needed to make sure that these people saw that he wasn't responsible for his actions. He shouldn't be on trial right now it should be Bianca and Marissa. If it wasn't for them none of this mess would have happened.
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Dixie walked down the stairs to join Tad in the family room. As she entered he had just finished making a fire. As she sat with him on the couch he handed her a coffee mug filled with her favorite blend.
"I never get tired of playing Barbie's with the girls." She smiled content on how she spent her days.
"Careful darling your daughter might hear that." Tad joked.
"My daughter…my daughter Kate…" Dixie smiled thinking about how lucky she was to be back home with Tad and Kate.
She leaned into Tad's chest and the two sat silently together watching the flames. The only sound came from the crackling of the fire wood.
Tad inhaled the soft floral scent of her hair enjoying the peaceful quiet knowing that it wouldn't last. "Are you thinking about tomorrow?"
Dixie turned her head up to him looking into his deep blue eyes, "How did you know?" She was ashamed that she was thinking of the trial rather than enjoying his embrace.
"Because I was thinking about the same thing." Tad admitted.
"I'm torn Tad. I love my son but how do I do it…" she looked back towards the fire not sure how to feel about the trial.
"How you support your son when you believe that he almost killed people we loved? When he's responsible for your grandson's death?" Tad asked and watched as she shook her head. "I've loved JR like he was my own son…I raised him believing he was my son. I don't want to believe he's responsible I want nothing more than to protect him from the charges. To keep him from suffering the consequences of his actions.
Hun that's the problem. We all feel guilty for JR's childhood. He was kept from his real father for years. You've had to leave him so many times only to come back in to his life and leave again. He thinks I abandoned him for my 'real' son. We feel guilty so we excuse his behavior. We let him get away with hurting other people, with hurting himself. I'm just as guilty as you and Adam for raising him to be the man he's become. I will stand by JR no matter what stupid things he's done."
"But…" she whispered.
"But I we cannot excuse his behavior anymore. Maybe if I had let Jesse arrest him months ago when he crashed Bianca's car or when he tried to bribe that judge…maybe none of this would have happened." Tad finally admitted the responsibility he felt for everything that happened since the party and after.
"Tad you can't blame yourself…"
"You mean you're the only one who can? Dix I know you've been holding the guilt over JR's actions over your head just like I have."
"Your right…I guess I can't help it."
"That's the problem baby. We drive ourselves mad blaming ourselves for what stupid things JR has done. We do everything we can to protect him. When we go into that courtroom tomorrow we'll be there to support the people we love and our son."
Dixie looked at him surprised by his words. How could they support their friends who were hurt by JR's actions? And at the same time support the son who had caused so much pain?
"Dixie supporting our son doesn't mean we condone his actions. It means we love him and show him that love. We stand beside him as he faces the consequences of his actions. We help him deal with that, even if it means we watch him go to jail."
"And what if his lawyer get's him off?" she asked almost afraid that it was even a possibility.
"Then we get him the help he needs. Our son has a problem…and not just with alcohol."
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The Chandler mansion was dark and quiet. Brooke stood in the same room where months ago she had almost lost her life. It had been difficult to come back here at first. When she walked into this room she heard the gun fire and screams all over again. She could smell the gun powder all over again.
She had made a decision that first night back; she would not let the horror of that night define who she was. She loved Adam with every fiber of her being. She wasn't going to runaway scared because of his son's actions.
"Brooke?" Adams voice called to her.
Brooke turned around to find the older man standing In the door way.
"How long have you been there Adam?" she smiled.
"Oh I don't know. Time just kind of stops when I'm with you. Have I told you today how beautiful you look?"
"Oh please…" she looked down at the floor as he walked towards her. He placed a finger gently under her chin their eyes meeting. She looked into his soft brown eyes. She was the only person he allowed to look into those eyes and see his soul.
"The very first time I saw you Brooke I knew…I knew that one day we would end up here…together…" he caressed her cheek as he opened up to her. He could always be honest with her, knowing she would never think less of him.
"I knew it to…I didn't believe it…but deep down I knew it." She leaned her head in to his touch.
"Why then if we both knew how deep our love was, did it take us so long to get here?" Adam asked knowing he was the reason. His own selfish needs had pushed her away.
"It wasn't our time then. If we had given into each other back then we would never appreciate each other. Look at all the mistake's in other relationships we've made. Tad.."
"Dixie…" he added.
"Jackson…"
"Liza…"
"Edmund…"
"Erica…" he threw back with a laugh.
Brooke laughed along with him, "Erica…Adam we both loved those people at the time we cared for them. Their love and our love for them made us the people we are. It was those failed relationships that prove to me you're the one for me…now and always."
She watched as Adam lowered himself to the ground sitting up on one knee. He took her hand in to his own fingering the ring he had placed on her hand. "Brooke I asked you to marry me right here in front of our family and friends. When you agreed to be my bride it was the happiest moment of my life."
"But then…" her mind went back to what happened after he put that ring on her finger.
"What happened next is just a moment Brooke. It was a brief moment in our ongoing story."
"It's a moment I can't forget…no matter how many times I try to close my eyes and forget what happened it will always be there." She admitted.
"You're right it will be. It will be a memory that will forever be with us. We can't change what happened that night, but Brooke we're still here. I love you more today than I did that night. More tonight than I did yesterday. Just like our past loves defined the people we are today so does that night. But that night does not have to define the rest of our lives. I love you Brooke and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Whether that life is five minutes, five years, or longer than that. Marry me…" He poured out his heart to her.
"I love you to Adam. More than I have ever loved another person. That night could never change that. My answer is the same as the night you put this beautiful ring on my finger…Yes Adam of course I'll marry you. Whenever you want, wherever you want." She smiled down at him.
"When JR's trial is over. One way or another we'll need a reason to give this town some happiness." He pulled himself up and pulled her into his arms. They stood in the middle of that room making new memories there that would one day make that night fade into a dim memory.
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"No better than Ryan? I'm nothing like Ryan." Leo looked back at her surprised by her insinuation.
"You're more like him then you even know. You've been gone a long time Leo…" she spit back.
"When we were together how many times did I expect you to be anyone but yourself? When Ryan told you he loved you, you did everything you could to hold on to him knowing his heart belonged to Gillian. He broke your heart over and over again. How many times did he break your heart before you finally let him go?" Leo remembered every awful thing that Ryan had done to Greenlee. He remembered the night he spent on the island with Greenlee, they had been stuck there after she tried to get Ryan alone. He could still hear her screams when Ken attacked her in that flea bag motel. If she hadn't been trying to get Ryan to give her an ounce of attention she would never been in that situation.
"Don't act like you have a monopoly on breaking people heart's Leo." She threw his past with Laura in his face. She knew she had thrown Leo into Laura's arms, she never expected him to treat her as badly as he did.
"I've apologized over and over again for what happened with Laura. How long are you going to hold that over my head?" Leo had always regretted that time in his life. Marrying Laura had been a mistake.
"I'm not trying to hold that over your head Leo, I'm just trying to show you people can change. Ryan's changed."
"So your saying since this magical romance of yours Ryan has never hurt you?" Leo prodded wanting to know what would make her compare him to Ryan.
"Of course he as…" she paused not sure how deep into their relationship she wanted to go with Leo. The wounds Ryan had inflicted on her may have faded, but they were still there.
"How…" Leo tried not to push her to hard.
"The same way you used to. He chose his family over our love. He protected his brother knowing what Jonathan did to me. Your mother poisoned Jake and I. She put us on a boat that was sinking, you blamed me for that Leo. You couldn't believe your mother would do that. She held a knife to my throat, in front of you, and still you couldn't completely let her go. Ryan did the same thing. His brother fed me anti-psychotic drugs for months. I ended up in a psyche ward…I almost lost my mind…" Greenlee paused the broken memory of the week she spent tied to a hospital bed were forced into her mind. "Everyone tried to tell Ryan what his brother had done and he didn't want to see it. Just like you Leo. You love your family so much you can't see what's right in front of you."
Leo looked at her stunned. How much could one person go through in life? He wondered what else she had gone through while he was gone. "Greenlee, I'm sorry…I'm sorry…" Leo could think of no other words.
"You're sorry…God I hate that word! Everyone is always sorry. You left me, I had to live without you, you come back and tell me that this entire time you were with your mother. You stayed in France knowing I was here without you! Ryan did that to me to, did you know that? He thought he was as bad as his father and his brother, so he got on a motorcycle and drove over a cliff. I had to sit and watch another man I love fall over a cliff and die, only Ryan didn't die. He faked his death, he let me mourn him knowing what losing you did to me. He came back into my life just like you, expecting things to be alright, expecting me to just forgive and forget…" she stopped wanting the painful memories to get out of her head.
"Obviously you did…" Leo shot back defensively. He hadn't mean to sound so angry but hearing what Ryan had done that. He could see the hurt in her eyes as she talked about how both he and Ryan had hurt her.
"Not right away. It took time. I actually left Pine Valley for awhile. So much had happened between Ryan and I and Kendall. I couldn't be here anymore." She couldn't tell him about the babies she lost and how the pain drove her a way.
"But you came back?"
"Yeah, I did. But I was so full of anger. I was mad at Ryan and Kendall. I did things to this day I still regret. But somehow Ryan and I, we found our way back to each other. It wasn't easy it took years to get to where we are today." Greenlee left much of what had gone on the last few years wanting this trip down memory lane to end.
"I don't get how you could just forgive Ryan for everything he's done to you…" Leo couldn't finished his sentence before being interrupted by the feisty blonde.
"Excuse me! Aren't you asking me to do the same thing? Just forgive the fact that you left me for years while you played house with Mommy Dearest?" she wondered who the hell he was to tell her how to live her life. Who was he to judge what Ryan had done when he had done the same thing.
"You don't know everything that happened Greenlee."
"Your right, and I don't want to! I'm so sick of men leaving me because they think they're protecting me. And I'm so tired of taking the back seat to their family!" She turned to leave the boat house needing to get away from him.
Leo gently grabbed her arm turning her back towards him, "So you're willing to throw away everything we had without knowing everything that happened?"
Greenlee looked into his dark brown eyes, she saw the pain in them. The thought of losing her all over again was causing that haunted look. "You threw everything away Leo when you chose your mother over me, again." She looked away from him her heart breaking. She wanted nothing more than for him to hold her again to tell her he loved her. As desperate as she was for his loving touch the pain of the past was fresh, she had to guard her heart.
"Are you kidding me! You don't even know what happened…" Leo wanted to make her understand.
"I know enough." She turned and started down the boat house stairs. With each step the old wood cried out.
"You won't forgive me for leaving you but, you'll forgive Ryan for almost punching you in the face!" He called out to her as the image of Ryan standing over her his fist raised up, ready to make impact with her face, played over and over again in his mind.