After the excitement of the arrest died away, the police took statements from everyone involved and all the reporters hurried back to their press offices and studios to report the breaking news.

…

Drawn together by everything that had happened, all the folks from Pine Valley gathered back at the hotel.

Marissa was the first to speak up.

"I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for your support through all this." she said, slipping her arm around Bianca's waist. "You've all done so much for us and I don't think we could have done it without you. We are finally free and we are so grateful."

"It was our pleasure, sweetheart." said Krystal, giving her daughter a hug.

"We need to mark this victory!" announced Erica, "JR is back behind bars and two vile human beings will soon be joining him..."

"Not bad for a day's work." agreed Kendal, patting Jackson cheerfully on the back.

"More than a day!" said Jackson, nodding in recognition to Tad and Jesse. "This has been building for months."

"All the more reason to celebrate!" said Erica. "I propose a dinner tonight."

"I agree." said Krystal. "And it's not like we have anywhere else to go. The Chandler Jet won't be here to fly us home until tomorrow morning."

Bianca had to bite back a sigh of frustration at the reminder; she'd been less than thrilled at the prospect of spending another night away from home. Marissa, sensing her mood, leant in and gave her a comforting kiss on the cheek.

"Then we're agreed?" asked Erica, not noticing her daughter's disappointment. "Dinner at seven?"

There were nods all round; some more enthusiastic than others.

"I'll be there." said Tad. "There's just something I have to do first."

…

JR was sitting on the cot in his cell, carving his initials in the plaster alongside all the other graffiti scrawl that covered the walls. He decided he needed to leave his mark somehow. He sat up when he heard the clunk if the door opening.

"You have a visitor." said the guard.

"Hey JR." said Tad, stepping into the room. The older man looked uncomfortable about being there, but he still gave JR a smile. "I just… I just wanted to say you did the right thing and I'm very proud of that!"

"Tad!" JR stammered, delight building inside him. He never thought anyone would come to say goodbye.

He jumped to his feet, but there were bars between them. At the same time he made an attempt to hold back his joy; Tad look uptight and JR's enthusiasm wasn't being returned.

"It's good to see you." said JR.

Tad nodded.

"Well Dixie insisted that someone should be here to say a proper goodbye… and I am happy you're getting the help you need."

"Is mom okay?"

"She still worries about you. Maybe now she can worry a little less."

JR nodded slowly in return.

"I will get well again." said JR, determination in his voice. "I just need to stop being angry. I need to be a better man. I decided to model myself on you… do what you'd do!"

"I'm hardly a saint." said Tad. "But I'm glad you're making a change… um… That's all I wanted to say really. Goodbye JR. I hope you find what you need."

Tad slowly turned back to the door.

"Wait!" cried JR, not believing that Tad was leaving already. "Wait! Can you do something for me?"

Tad turned back.

"What?"

"When you talk to AJ about this - because I know you will - can you tell him that I'm sorry. Tell him his daddy is sorry… And tell him that I got his letter and I don't hate him. I could never hate him. I love my son! I want to be the nice daddy he remembers again! And really soon, the grumpy daddy he hates is going to be gone for good and I hope then he can find a way to forgive me!" JR took a deep breath, his words had come out as emotional torrent, but Tad wasn't looking all that receptive to them. "…Just tell him I'm sorry." He ended forlornly, his voice dropping away when he realised Tad wasn't as sympathetic to his pleas as he first thought.

"Is AJ the only person you want to say sorry to?" Tad asked.

JR thought for a moment.

"Dixie too… Tell mom I'm sorry too! Sorry for all I said and all I did!"

Tad let out a deep sigh.

"Anyone else?"

"You!" said JR, after a minute longer. "I'm sorry if I became a disappointment to you."

"And that's all?"

"Yeah." said JR, not really understanding what Tad wanted from him.

"I will tell them you are sorry, but I think you need to think about how you can make this up to the one person who most deserves your apology."

Tad turned and left, and the cell door shut with a clang.

JR frowned, not having a clue who Tad was talking about.

He sat down on the cot in his cell and held his head in hands. At the same moment phantom Marissa was suddenly there with him, but somehow she had also always been there too. She came and sat beside him.

"You meant me, you idiot." she said, reaching across to pull his hands from his face. "You're supposed to say sorry to me."

JR turned to look at her; her pale skin, almost as pale a death, the blood forever trickling from her forehead.

"I'm sorry." he whispered. "I'm sorry."

…