Washington, DC – September 2014
Henry calls the number five more times. It rings through completely, landing on voicemail each time. On his final call, he hangs his head and sobs. He has lost her again, and the ache in his chest is almost unbearable. He can't wrap his head around what's happening. He buried her. Ten years ago, he sobbed at her grave. Her headstone still bears her name. So how is this possible?
He stumbles back into his hotel room as quietly as possible. Jason is on a cot, and Allie is sharing a bed with the twins, his wife sleeping peacefully. His hands shake as he pours himself a whiskey from the minibar. He gulps it down in one swallow. It burns his throat, and the sensation brings him back to his senses. Elizabeth is alive, and yet she is not here with him. He shares his life with another woman. Another woman he loves. And does truly love Jess. But that was simpler when Elizabeth was dead… an hour ago.
He sits on the edge of the bed and takes a few deep breaths.
"Honey?" Jessica whispers as she sits up in bed, her hair messy and her eyes squinted.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." Henry tries to keep his voice quiet as he can.
"It's alright. Is everything ok?" She rubs her eyes and leans toward him.
"Yeah," Henry says as he lays next to her.
"Are you sure? You've been off since we left the restaurant." He feels her run her hand softly up his back. Her touch is a comfort to him. It has been for a long time now. But yet, there's a part of him, deep down, that still aches for his first love, the woman he'd do anything for, even after all these years. And now, getting her back could be more than a dream.
"Yes. I'm sorry." He presses a chaste kiss to her lips.
"Henry," She whispers, wrapping her arms around him. And he melts into her. When his mother died a few years ago, he had cried almost as hard as he did the day Elizabeth died. And Jess had held him in a way very similar to the way she is now. "Tell me what's going on."
"Jess," He pulls away and runs his hands over his face. He can't tell her. It will break her. She'll think he's crazy. He presses his lips to hers softly once again. Their sleeping children surround them. They'd gone to bed happy, and he's going to keep it that way. "I'm just… DC is getting to me." He says.
"Alright." She yawns and snuggles into him. Henry watches her close her eyes. He stays awake through the rest of the night, holding Jessica to his chest and watching Allie and Jason sleep. He can't believe Elizabeth would leave them. The three children they made together. That's what he can't wrap his head around. If she was alive, why didn't she come back to them?
…X…X…X…
George isn't surprised when his phone rings. He's been waiting for her call. He knew that Henry wouldn't be able to resist curing his curiosity, and he knew Elizabeth wouldn't handle the initial shock well.
"Hey, kiddo."
"What were you thinking?" Her voice is thick with emotion. There is anger and fear, and he can tell she's been crying.
"It was time, Bess." He says calmly. It was a calculated risk on his part. He knew she'd be upset. And he's sure Henry is, too. But this had to happen. She deserves to have the chance to heal her relationship with her family. And he knew she would never go for it unless he placed it in front of her.
She sniffs into the phone, and he hears her sigh. He's not going to lie. This whole thing has taken a lot out of him, too. He is so glad he could be there for her for the last ten years. But being the sole person available to her has not been easy. He would do it all again because she is his best friend, and he loves her. But she needs her broader support system back.
"I didn't even say anything to him... I just hung up the phone," she says regretfully.
"That's okay, I'm sure it was shocking."
"I've made a mess of everything, haven't I?"
"No, most of it was out of your control. You'll sort it out, Bess. You always do." He reassures her.
"What if I don't?"
"Bess, take a few days. Come to terms with the fact that the truth is now out there. The pressure of the big secret is off you now, okay? So call him back when you're ready. You can do this, kiddo. You've already been through hell, and you survived. And then you survived the recovery. And now it's time to live again. And maybe you can start to heal your relationship with Henry and your kids. And maybe you can have a life where you have your kids in it again."
He knows this is what she wants. He can hear the hope in her voice when she talks about her children. And he also knows that she's scared of rejection- scared of them seeing her the way that she sees herself. And she's terrified of Dalton's power. But he believes she can fight him. He believes there are enough people who will believe her and the proof they have to protect her and her family.
"Okay." She sighs.
"I love you, kid." He tells her. "You can do this. And in the meantime, don't do anything stupid. Get your ass to a meeting if you need one."
"Thanks, George. Love you, too."
And then she's gone.
George sits back in his chair. She'll figure this out. He has faith in that.
Pittsburgh, PA – October 2014
He's tried to call every day. It doesn't feel real. It feels as if he's floating through time and space. The earth has tilted off its axis. His brain can barely comprehend it. He keeps checking his phone, willing it to ring. And every time he calls the number, he prays that she'll answer. He's raked the internet for anything he could find on Lisa Aldin, but the results have been minimal. It's almost as if the person doesn't exist. No social media, not even a LinkedIn page. Not a single photo of her on her company's corporate Facebook or Instagram. It's as if she's a ghost. So, he decides it's time for a different tactic.
"Hello?" George answers his personal cell, not accounting for the fact it could very well be bugged. Not knowing that his visit to Georgetown had made Jessica McCord so suspicious, she reported it. Not knowing that Jessica McCord is who she is.
"It's Hank."
"How are you doing?"
"She umm... She won't answer my calls." Henry admits. He can't believe he's having this conversation. He doesn't know why he won't say her name. Maybe it's because he doesn't really believe it. Or maybe it's because he doesn't want anyone else to know. He doesn't know what it is or how he feels.
"She might need a bigger push," George says, more to himself than Henry. His words officially confirm to him that Lisa and Elizabeth are the same. His heart almost stops in his chest.
"What are you suggesting?" Henry is almost afraid to hear the answer.
"Go see her."
"George. I can't just go to LA! I still have four kids at home. I have a wife… Jesus… I can't believe this is happening." He sighs.
"Take a little vacation, Hank. They'll be fine. I'm sure your wife can handle the kids for a few days." Henry shakes his head. He knows that Jess could handle the kids, but this isn't fair to her. And what's he supposed to tell her? Sorry, honey, I have to see my dead wife, who isn't really dead? That'll go over well.
"I don't know. I just..."
"Think about it, alright?"
"Fine," Henry says with a sigh.
…X…X…X…
"Hey, honey." Henry smiles as he walks into the kitchen, holding a vase of fresh and expensive roses. He always springs for the vase when he buys flowers, mostly because he doesn't buy them very often. Elizabeth liked… likes hydrangeas. But Jess, roses, yellow ones specifically. So he bought two dozen of them, hoping to prep her to forgive him.
"Hey!" Jessica turns to greet him, kissing him softly. "They're beautiful! What are they for?" She says, kissing his lips once more.
"How's your day?" He asks, setting the vase on the table and pulling her into his arms.
"Good. What are the flowers for?" She asks, a playful smile on her face.
"Do I need a reason to get my beautiful wife flowers?" He murmurs, running his lips across her neck.
"No." She smiles, "But you have one." She whispers playfully into his ear.
"I have to go to LA on very short notice," Not a lie, "Dr. Fitzpatrick can't make a symposium at UCLA, and the University asked if I could fill in." Lie. "It's a two-day trip." It's also a lie. He doesn't know how long he'll be there. He has no idea what happens now that he's decided to remove the lid from Pandora's box fully.
"Oh." Jess' eyes narrow as she pulls away.
"I'll only be gone a few days, I promise. And the kids will be at school anyway." He kisses her again, "I'll make it up to you. I swear."
"Yeah." She forces a smile and turns away, busying herself with a task at the counter.
"Don't be mad," Henry says quietly. He hates lying to her. Hates it. But until he knows for sure that their lives are going to be flipped upside down, he thinks the lie is necessary. "I love you, Jess. Don't be mad. It's a few days." He wraps his hands around her waist from behind and places soft kisses on her neck.
"I love you too." She says. Her tone is flat, but he lets it slide. She's not happy, but he'll have plenty of time to make it up to her.
Los Angeles, CA – October 2014
He stands outside of the 777 Tower. Part of him wants to stay outside. Part of him wants to fight to reclose Pandora's stupid little box. But it's been opened. And unless she's run somewhere else in the three weeks since he called her for the first time. She's in there.
The elevator dings, and the doors slide open. He can see his reflection in the stainless-steel panels. He looks tired and scared, his eyes red and his expression anxious. He steps out and looks at the directory, finds the firm, and walks into the lobby, his heart pounding. He prepares for disappointment; what if this whole idea was a mistake? But the young woman at the reception desk smiles, her glasses glinting in the light.
"Can I help you?" She asks, standing and smoothing out her skirt. He smiles slightly and pulls the prepped envelope out of his coat pocket.
"I have a delivery for Lisa Aldin. I need her signature." He says. It's the only way he could think of being able to see her in person. The young woman nods and walks down the hall, opening a door and speaking to someone before returning.
"She'll be out in just a moment. If you'd like to have a seat."
"Henry?" He hears her surprised gasp, and his body floods with relief. She is standing in front of him, real and alive. His mind and his heart can't believe it. She's alive. And then, rage. He doesn't understand how she could have left him, left them. His fists clench. Where does he go from here?
Washington, DC – October 2014
Juliet Humphrey's hands are expertly still as she places the bug in George Peters's office. He's onto her. Or at least the bugs. This will be the third one she's tried to place. They keep going dark. He can always tell.
It won't be long before he finds this one, too.
Her boss is already impatient, and the clock is ticking. She doesn't have time to do it right. She's just got to do it fast. Her orders were simple. Find out what Peter's told Henry McCord. And then take care of the problem.
