Chapter 35 – Take The Money And Run
PINE VALLEY
Leora was tossing and turning, trying to get some sleep. Normally she slept quite well in her comfy bed at Wildwind, but after she and Ian returned from their brief visit to Port Charles, things felt different. Even though she and Ian enjoyed each other's company, they were taking things slow, and hence their relationship hadn't reached the point where they were sleeping together, yet somehow tonight she got the sense that someone was in the room with her. She finally opened her eyes and, from the moonlight shining in through the lozenge windows, thought that she could see the outline of someone sitting in the armchair in the corner of the room, a tall, lanky figure. She turned on the lamp…
Peter August: I was wondering when you'd finally open your eyes!
Leora: What are you doing here?!
Peter: What do you mean? I live here!
Leora: You live here?
Peter: That's right. Rent free…in your head of course!
*He laughs*
Leora: Oh yeah…right. *Sigh* You know, even though I've heard about all the awful things you did while you were alive, I'm not afraid of you.
Peter: Well, I'm certainly glad that you're not afraid of me, but you nonetheless should be afraid. Very afraid!
Leora: Afraid of what?
Peter: You seem to be forgetting what I told you in the graveyard that night. If you really are Leora Hayward, aside from Anna Devane, who, from what I've observed, you are afraid of, you've got no family left! Many of your relatives, including me, are dead and buried. Others are presumed dead, but they've been gone for such a long time that at this point, it's unlikely that they survived. Others have left for parts unknown and haven't bothered dropping by for the occasional surprise visit or even sending a Christmas card. The rest of your family is in prison!
Leora: I haven't forgotten. I still want to talk to them though.
Peter: When will you finally open your eyes?
Leora: They are open…at least I think they are.
Peter: No, no, no, you misunderstand me. Assuming you are Leora, and since you haven't taken a DNA test you can't say for certain that you are, you have two relatives, one on your mother's side, one on your father's side, both of whom are in prison! Let that sink in.
Leora: It has, because otherwise you wouldn't be bringing it up.
Peter: Somehow I'm not entirely sure that it has. You know about all the things that I did while I was alive, much of which I deeply regret, but if I were still alive, I'd be in prison too. So would your grandmother, Vanessa Bennett. My own mother, Alex Marick, hasn't been heard from since she fell into the water after Anna shot her, but if they ever find her, she'd likely go to prison as well. It's unfortunate that you had such a rough childhood and want to find out where you came from, and what really happened that necessitated you being kept away from your family, but your search for answers might cause trouble to find its way to you!
Leora: So you're saying I shouldn't bother trying to figure out what happened, if nothing else, simply for closure?
Peter: I'm saying, take the money…and RUN!
Leora: Money? What money?
*Peter laughs*
Leora: What money?! ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!
Voice: Leora! LEORA!
*Leora opens her eyes*
Leora: Wha-?
*Ian is standing over her with a worried expression*
Ian: Are you alright?
Leora: What happened?
Ian: I heard you yelling at someone to tell you where the money was, or something like that.
*Leora sits up in the bed*
Leora: It was my cousin, Peter August. He's dead, but I had a dream about him. He told me to "take the money and run" so I was asking him to tell me what money he was talking about.
Ian: You probably were thinking about it because we were listening to the radio in the car on our way home from Port Charles and that song came on, and I wanted to listen to something that wasn't so mainstream, but you said you liked the song and wanted to hear it.
Leora: Yeah…you're probably right. Although before he said that, he kept telling me to "open my eyes" to the fact that I have two relatives who are in prison, and a lot of my deceased relatives including Peter would likely be in prison if they were alive. He seemed like he was discouraging me from finding out about my family while implying that there's some secret stash of money somewhere.
Ian: Do you have any reason to believe that there is?
Leora: I don't know.
*She looks at the clock on the nightstand. It's only 3 AM*
Leora: I hope my screaming didn't wake you up.
Ian: I was just now going to bed. I heard you screaming when I walked past your room.
Leora: If you're not comfortable doing it I totally understand…but…
Ian: Doing what?
*Leora blushes. Ian sits down on the bed behind her and begins massaging her shoulders and upper back*
Ian: How does that feel?
Leora: It's a good start.
Ian: What can I do differently?
Leora: This.
*She kisses him, then pulls away*
Leora: Sorry, I…
Ian: Sorry? For what?
*They kiss again*
PORT CHARLES
Esme gave Ace his breakfast and was getting ready to head over to PCU when her phone rang.
Esme: Hello?
Willow: Hi Esme, it's Willow Tait.
Esme: Oh, hi Willow.
Willow: If you're not able to I totally understand and have someone else I can call, but is there any way you could watch the kids later today? It would only be for a couple of hours.
*Esme is about to tell her she can't do it, but then sees Nelle walking into the room*
Esme: What time would you need me to come over?
Willow: Anytime between 2 and 7 this afternoon. Michael has a meeting at ELQ and I'm going to be, uh, out of town for a couple of days, but tomorrow Michael will be able to spend more time with the kids. Monica will be here and she enjoys spending time with the kids, but she recently fell and has been told to take it easy, so that's why the time is flexible and it will only be for a couple of hours so she can get some rest.
*Esme glances over at Nelle*
Esme: Can I call you back?
Willow: Sure.
Esme: Okay.
*They hang up*
Esme: That was Willow. She wants me to babysit!
Nelle: When does she need you there?
Esme: Between 2 and 7 this afternoon, and just for a couple of hours so Monica can get some rest.
Nelle: So, call her back and tell her you can do it!
Esme: But I can't though. I have my psychology class today, and meanwhile I have a kid of my own who needs to be looked after.
Nelle: But that's why I'm here, remember? You trusted me to look after Ace for you while you're on your journey of self-discovery, and I think this is a great opportunity for you to prove to Willow that she and the rest of her family can trust you. Don't forget, Carly is her mother-in-law, and if you can get Willow to trust you, Carly will trust you too, and her opinion of who's trustworthy and who isn't carries a lot of weight, as you know.
Esme: But I'm also pregnant.
Nelle: It's only been a few weeks, and it's not like you've been put on bedrest.
Esme: And I'm also recovering from a broken nose.
Nelle: Wiley is a very sweet little boy. He's not going to punch you or try to roughhouse with you. If anything he'll be tired after school.
Esme: I don't know Nelle.
Nelle: This would also be something to help you take your mind off of Spencer.
Esme: I'm always going to be thinking about Spence!
Nelle: I'm not saying you should forget about him, but busying yourself with something that you don't normally do can help you move on. It's only going to be for a couple of hours.
*Esme sighs, then calls Willow back*
Willow: Hi Esme.
Esme: I'll do it.
Willow: Great. What time do you think you'll be over?
Esme: Well my class actually ends at 2, but it's going to take me a while to get there.
Willow: That's perfectly fine. I'll let Monica know.
Esme: Okay.
Willow: Thank you so much Esme!
Esme: You're welcome.
*They hang up*
Esme: I hope you're right about Willow and Carly.
Nelle: I feel very confident that I am.
That afternoon, Leora and Ian headed over to the headquarters of Tempo Magazine to talk to Brooke English. Leora needed to know the reason why Brooke told her that the interview with David wasn't published when it actually had been, and if she could see the full article.
*They enter the office to find that there isn't anybody at the receptionist's desk, but they can hear voices coming from the hallway. Leora recognizes one of them as Brooke, but the other is a young woman whose voice sounds VERY familiar, albeit much less innocent. Leora inches closer to the hallway to see if it's who she thinks it is, but the woman is too far inside the office for Leora to see anything other than a shadow. She also notices that Brooke sounds very uncomfortable*
Brooke: Why are you so interested in Jim Thomasen?
Mystery woman: It's for an essay I'm writing.
Brooke: An essay.
Mystery woman: For my criminology class.
Brooke: Well, I don't understand why you had to come all the way to my office for it. I mean, you can find plenty of information about him on the internet.
Mystery woman: Well, I've already looked on the internet, and I was able to find a lot of information which I'm of course going to be using as references for my essay. But I was wanting to see if there was any additional information that isn't so widely available. Perhaps even stuff that hasn't been published.
Brooke: I see. Well unfortunately unless you're an investigator who is trying to uncover evidence for a cold case, I can't help you.
Mystery woman: But that's the thing though. I'm studying to become a criminologist, and I need to write an essay on something, or someone. And I was hoping that I could get some additional information from someone…close to the source.
Brooke: And just what kind of information are you looking for? Is it perhaps the illicit photos he took and distributed on the internet, and ruined many people's lives in the process?
Mystery woman: He did that? Wow, I had no idea! That's so wrong on so many levels!
*Leora and Ian both get the impression that the woman already knows about the photos and seemingly doesn't care*
Brooke: I know. And what bothers me is that somebody is harassing me about it when it's a very difficult subject for me to discuss, let alone show you any unpublished information about it, which I don't have!
*Leora turns to Ian*
Leora: Maybe we should come back on a different day.
*Before they can leave, the receptionist comes out of another room and makes her way to the lobby*
Receptionist: Sorry to keep you waiting. Can I help you?
Leora: I was hoping to talk to Brooke English, but she seems to be busy, but-
Receptionist: It's no problem!
*The receptionist moves behind the front desk. As she's doing so, the mystery woman rushes by and makes her way to the door before Leora and Ian can get a clear look at her face, though they see that she's wearing a grey blazer and matching skirt, extremely high heels, and her brown hair is bunched up into a tight-looking bun at the top of her head. A nauseatingly-strong scent of perfume follows her out the door*
Receptionist: Can I have your name?
Leora: Yes, it's Leora Hayward.
Receptionist: Ah yes, I remember you. Come on back.
*They follow the receptionist down the hall to Brooke's office*
Receptionist: Leora Hayward is here.
Brooke: Oh yes, let her in.
*The receptionist holds the door open for them as they enter the office*
Leora: Hi Brooke!
Brooke: Leora! What a pleasant surprise! And…
*She looks stunned to see Ian*
Brooke: Ian!
Ian: Hello Brooke!
Brooke: I didn't know you were in town!
Ian: Yes, and I'm here to stay. I've been away from my family for far too long.
Brooke: How's your mom?
Ian: I think she's doing better now that I've decided to stay. I regret a lot of the things that I did and that's why I stayed away, but I realized that by doing so I wasn't solving any of the problems that my poor choices caused, so that's why I'm back.
Brooke: Well I'm sure they're very glad to have you home. So, how can I help you?
Leora: Um, well, unfortunately we overheard a bit of your conversation with that woman, and I can completely understand if now is a bad time, but-
Brooke: I don't think anybody can be worse than her. She called me asking if she could talk to me about a very difficult topic, and when I told her no, she showed up anyway and insisted that I tell her everything, including information that wasn't able to find on her own, which I don't have.
Leora: Well, I don't want to do the same thing that she was doing, but I need to ask you, and I promise it's simply because I'm trying to find out everything I can about why I was told that my parents had abandoned me at the hospital after I was born after they found out I had a heart defect when that wasn't true. Last time I was here, you told me that you had done two interviews with my father, one in 2013, and another in 2019.
Brooke: That's right, I did.
Leora: And you said that the more recent one hadn't been published.
Brooke: No, it wasn't published.
Leora: Well, a friend of mine found this and showed it to me.
*She brings up the article on her phone and hands it to Brooke, whose eyes widen in shock as she's skimming the page*
Leora: I'm not sure how many pages there were, but only the first one will load.
Brooke: *Hesitates* I see. You said a friend of yours found it?
Leora: Yes.
Brooke: Did your friend happen to tell you how they found it?
Leora: She said she was searching for information about Stephen Clay, which led her to Silas Clay, which led her to this article.
Brooke: I see.
Leora: So, it seems like it actually was published?
Brooke: It wasn't supposed to be published.
Leora: What do you mean?
Brooke: As you saw at the beginning of the article, your father began the interview by saying that he felt like he could finally share the full story about Project Orpheus now that the two other individuals who were initially helping with the research were deceased.
Leora: Yes.
Brooke: At the end of the interview, he said that he was glad to finally have closure, and even though I had known him for many years, I really saw a side of him that I had never seen before. He had his good days and his bad days, but following the interview, he seemed much more relaxed and less short-fused than I had ever seen him.
Leora: Okay.
Brooke: Well, that unfortunately didn't last very long. The day after the interview, I got a frantic phone call from him begging me to not publish it because he inadvertently had shared some information that he felt could jeopardize his safety, as well as the safety of the few family members he had left. Aside from you, whom he sadly was led to believe had died, he has a grandson who he wasn't close with, but he also found out that he had a son that he didn't know about before. His son's mother finally told him the truth after he told her about the interview, and, lets just say that this news was pretty distressing for him.
Leora: Well, that's understandable. I mean, it's natural why somebody would be upset after they find out that they had been lied to. I can only imagine how he'd react if he found out that I'm alive.
Brooke: Well, that's not the reason for why he was so frantic. He told me that he had suspected for a while that he was the father of this woman's son, but it wasn't until she told him the truth that he began panicking.
Leora: But why? Is it because Ryan Chamberlain was actually still alive when my father thought he was dead?
Brooke: No.
*Leora and Ian look at each other, then back to Brooke*
Leora: *Sigh* Well, my friend will be relieved to hear that. She's Ryan's daughter, and when she showed me the article, she was under the assumption that her father had killed my father.
Brooke: Well, he didn't. There was no evidence suggesting that Ryan Chamberlain was anywhere near your father when he was discovered dead in his bed from carbon monoxide poisoning. However, it's more than likely that unfortunately your father was indeed murdered.
Leora: Murdered by who?
Brooke: That's the thing. No one knows for sure. What I remember happening was that he called me panicking that some people who at one point had tried to get their hands on the profit from the drug organization that his mother had run many years earlier would likely try to take his son hostage if they saw the interview. But he never said who these people were.
Leora: Oh.
Brooke: Now he had only briefly talked about it at the end of the interview, and initially he thought nothing of it, and neither did I, but when he called me begging me not publish it, I obliged and didn't publish it. And that was unfortunately the last time I talked to him. Later that day, he got into a scuffle with the family of a young man who had been in a car accident whom he wasn't able to save. After he broke the news, the young man's father attacked and tried to strangle him, and unfortunately, due to your father's lengthy criminal record, the police assumed that he was the aggressor and arrested him. He was released later that day once they reviewed the CCTV footage. He told the hospital that he was going to take a day off to recuperate from the incident, which they understood. That was the last time anybody heard from him. He didn't come back when he said he would, and they figured he needed another day, so they didn't worry too much about it. But the next day, when he again didn't show up for work, the police decided to do a welfare check. That's when they found him dead in his bed from carbon monoxide poisoning.
*Leora thinks back to her conversation with Dr. Angela Hubbard a few weeks earlier, and remembers Dr. Hubbard telling her about the incident with the boy whose life couldn't be saved, and how her father was arrested but released later that day*
Leora: Wow. Okay, um, was the person who attacked my father one of these drug operatives who wanted the money?
Brooke: That I don't know. He never told anyone the names of these people, but the police said that the man who attacked him wasn't anyone whom they had any record of having been involved with his mother's criminal organization. However, the man was later charged with murder when it was discovered that not only was the young man's car tampered with, which led to the crash, but neither he nor the woman he was with were the young man's parents. After he was properly identified, his actual family was called to inform them of what had happened, and they had the reaction that one would typically have when receiving such horrible news. It's normal to lash out when receiving the news that your own child has been killed…
*She is silent for several seconds*
Brooke: Sorry. I'm remembering how I reacted when I learned that my daughter was killed by a drunk driver when she was only five.
Leora: I remember you telling me about that. That's awful!
Brooke: I know. I remember lashing out at the person who told me, who was my ex-husband and my daughter's father. As you can imagine I was in shock and disbelief after hearing that horrible news. But I never punched or tried to strangle him.
Leora: But that's what that guy did to my father?
Brooke: Yes. The police concluded that what most likely happened was that this guy was hired by whoever these drug operatives were to get your father out of the way so that they could break in and search his house for the money, but there are a lot of holes in this theory, as there was no evidence of a break-in or anything having been stolen from his house when the police discovered him dead. Unless there's any new evidence that comes to light, it's likely that this will unfortunately be a cold case.
Leora: I see. What about the article though? Was it ever published?
Brooke: Not by anyone at Tempo. Whoever uploaded this must have somehow gotten their hands on it without our knowledge. What I can tell you though is that the website that this was uploaded to is not the Tempo website. Not only that, but by the time this was uploaded, your father most likely had been dead for at least a day. We conducted the interview on May 8, 2019. I got that frantic phone call from him early the next morning, on May 9, and that was the last time anyone had seen him alive or spoken to him. They conducted the search and discovered him dead on May 12, but according to the autopsy, he had been dead for about three days.
Leora: Okay. Would it be possible for me to see the rest of the interview?
Brooke: If I still had it I would be happy to show it to you, but unfortunately, when your father begged me not to publish it, he also insisted that we delete it from our archives, so that's what we did.
*Leora begins to cry*
Brooke: I'm sorry Leora.
Leora: *Sniffle* No, it's okay. I just wish I could find out what happened to him. But at least I can let my friend know that her father didn't kill him. She's been a great friend and she felt awful having to break the news that she thought her father killed my father, so much so that she didn't tell me when she first discovered it, because she wasn't sure of the best way how.
Brooke: Well, it's far more likely that whoever killed him was affiliated with his mother's drug organization, though unless they uncover new evidence, it will unfortunately be one of those cases that's never solved.
Leora: Okay.
Brooke: I'm sorry that I can't be of more help.
Leora: Oh no, this has been very helpful. Thank you so much.
Brooke: Of course. If I remember anything else he may have told me I will let you know.
Leora: Okay, thank you.
*They leave the Tempo office suite and make their way down the hall towards the elevator. Ian presses the Down button*
Ian: Are you alright?
Leora: Yeah.
Ian: You sure?
Leora: I mean I'm frustrated. This was helpful, though there are a lot of things that don't make sense.
Ian: Do you still think Brooke isn't telling you everything?
Leora: I think she told me everything that she knows.
*The elevator doors open*
Leora: Is it just me, or did that woman who was talking to Brooke sound exactly like Esme?
Ian: I wouldn't say she sounded exactly like Esme. Esme's voice doesn't send chills down my spine.
Leora: Good point.
*The mystery woman watches them from around a corner as they enter the elevator and the doors close*
Esme was walking out of her psychology class and was about to check her messages when her phone rang. She saw that it was her driver Ernesto who was calling her.
Esme: Hey Ernesto, what's up?
Ernesto: Esme, I'm really sorry, but I haven't been able to get my tires replaced yet.
Esme: So Sonny's guys actually slashed your tires?!
Ernesto: Yeah, unfortunately, and Sonny said he'd get new ones and have one of his guys install them for me at no charge, but I haven't heard anything back from him about it. I've heard he normally is a man of his word, so if that's true, this isn't like him.
Esme: He probably forgot. I don't know for sure, but I think he might be off his meds. Don't tell him I said that though, but you might want to call him.
Ernesto: Yeah okay. Anyways, I'm not going to be able to give you a ride. I'm really sorry.
Esme: It's okay. I guess I'll book a ride with another driver through the app.
Ernesto: Okay.
Esme: Thanks for letting me know.
Ernesto: No problem.
*They hang up. Esme sighs, then brings up the rideshare app on her phone, when…*
Richard Thomas Smith: Going somewhere?
*Esme jumps, as Richard is standing behind her*
Esme: As soon as I'm able to book a ride, I'll be going…to work.
*She remembers promising to babysit for Michael and Willow*
Richard Thomas Smith: Oh really? Where do you work?
Esme: Not your business, that's for sure!
Richard: Well, aren't you gonna be late if you need to wait for a driver, since your usual guy can't drive you?
Esme: The hours are flexible.
Richard: So you can come and go when you want? Lucky!
*Esme turns around*
Esme: Do I have to say it again? None. Of your. Freaking. Business!
Richard: Oh my god! What happened to your face?!
Esme: *Sigh* Someone punched me, okay?
Richard: Want me to whoop his ass for you?
Esme: If you want to be forever known as a guy who hits women, be my guest. Good luck finding a girlfriend!
Richard: Okay, nevermind. Look, I'm just trying to be helpful. You said you need to get to work, and you haven't booked a rideshare yet, so let me drive you. What do you say?
*Esme thinks about it for several seconds. Even though Willow said the hours were flexible, she had told her she would head over the Quartermaines as soon as her class let out. It was only for this one day, and therefore he wouldn't know where she lived or, if she happened to get a regular job, where she worked*
Esme: *Sigh* Fine.
Richard: Really? You mean it?
Esme: I guess so.
*Richard looks as if he just won the lottery*
Richard: Awesome! I promise you won't regret it.
Esme: I better not.
*She follows Richard over to his car in the parking lot. He drove an Infiniti I35. While they weren't in the same league as Bentleys, which her adoptive family's chauffeur drove, they still were pretty nice cars. Richard opens the trunk and places his own backpack inside, then reaches out his hand*
Esme: What?
Richard: Can I get that for you?
Esme: No thanks, I'll take it with me in the car.
Richard: Are you sure?
Esme: I'm taking one class. The only things in that bag are a book and some pencils.
Richard: Okay.
*He slams the trunk shut, then walks around to the passenger's door and opens it for her*
Esme: You didn't have to do that.
Richard: But I wanted to.
*Esme sighs, then gets in the car. Richard closes the door. She looks around inside the car. The interior is very dirty and grimy. The leather is very hard, dry, and in some spots, cracked. There are food wrappers everywhere, and it smells strongly of marijuana. Richard gets into the car and starts the engine*
Esme: Can you open the windows please? It reeks in here!
Richard: Well, it's an old car! Obviously it no longer has the "new car smell."
Esme: How old?
Richard: 2002.
Esme: That's the year I was born! Are you calling me old?
*She immediately realizes that, if Richard was looking for any sign that she might be trying to flirt with him, this might have sounded like a playful comeback, though that was not what she was trying to do*
Richard: That's nothing! I was born in 1992.
Esme: You mean to tell me that you're in your 30s and are still going to college?!
Richard: Yeah, so? Lots of people go to college in their 30s.
Esme: No, they go back to college after getting a job and working for a few years.
Richard: I work.
Esme: Oh really, doing what?
Richard: Scalping.
Esme: What the hell?!
Richard: Oh, I-I know the job title sounds hella violent, but it's nothing like that. It just means-
Esme: It means you rip people off for a living!
Richard: I wouldn't put it like that. I just buy stuff at a low price and sell it at a higher price. You can think of it like investing. Buy low, sell high!
Esme: No, investors are legitimate businesspeople. If you had enough money to invest in something, you'd probably have enough money to clean your car. And please open the windows.
*He rolls down the windows*
Richard: I can open the moonroof too, if you'd like.
Esme: I don't care, it's your car. I hope.
*Richard slides the inside panel open, then presses the button to open the glass. He has to press the button several times until its fully open*
Richard: Can you imagine a nice evening drive underneath the moonlight?
Esme: Not at the moment.
*He pulls out of the parking lot. His driving makes her very nervous. He seemed to have no regard for the speed limits, always going at least 10 MPH too fast, as well as slamming on the brakes too hard whenever he stopped and never using his turn signal. She is so nervous that she nearly forgets where she's going*
Esme: So, um, turn left here.
*He turns left*
Esme: Okay, um, then make a right here.
*He turns right on a red light at an intersection where there was a "No turn on red" sign.
Esme: You know if a cop saw you do that you'd get a ticket!
Richard: They don't care.
Esme: Haven't you ever been pulled over?
Richard: Only once, and it wasn't for that.
*Esme finds this hard to believe but decides not to ask him, as she doesn't think she wants to know*
Esme: Okay, and make one more left he-CAREFUL!
*He turns left at an intersection without a green arrow and without yielding to the driver going in the opposite direction, who is going straight. The driver slams on her brakes and blares her horn for several seconds*
Driver: LEARN TO DRIVE, JERK!
Richard: Sorry, sorry. I don't go to this side of town very often.
*Esme can't help but feel like maybe she's partially responsible for this particular blunder, since he apparently isn't used to driving here*
Esme: Okay, make a right here, and we're there.
*They reach the front entrance to the Quartermaine grounds*
Richard: Whoa, you never told me you work at the Q mansion!
Esme: That's right, I didn't. Thanks for the ride. Goodbye.
*And before Richard can say anything else, Esme gets out of the car and hurries up to the front of the mansion as fast as she can. Remembering that Willow told her that the door is unlocked, she lets herself in*
Esme: Hello? Mrs. Quartermaine?
*She hears footsteps and sees an angry woman with grey hair in a bun enter the foyer from the living room*
Tracy Quartermaine: What are you doing here?!
Esme: My job.
Tracy: Oh really? Who hired you?
Esme: Willow. She asked me to watch the kids for a little while so Mon-I mean, so Mrs. Quartermaine could get some rest. But I guess maybe there's no need for me to be here, so I guess I'll be on my way.
Tracy: Willow told me that someone was coming. She didn't tell me it was you. And what happened to your face?
Esme: Someone punched me. At a memorial service I might add.
Tracy: Oh yes. I had forgotten that you're Spencer's ex-girlfriend. Wait, don't you have your own child to look after?
Esme: I have somebody else looking after him for me.
Tracy: So, you're leaving your own child behind with a babysitter to come babysit somebody else's children?
Esme: The "babysitter" happens to be the director of All Our Children, who has graciously allowed me to stay with her rent free while I attend PCU, and is helping me look after my son. She urged me to accept this job because she feels like it would be good for me to prove that I can be a productive member of society after all the bad things I've done that hurt a lot of people. But I see that I'm unwelcome, so I'll be on my way.
Tracy: No wait, you can stay. As I said, I was expecting somebody over to give Monica a break from watching the kids while she gets some rest, and meanwhile I'm going horseback riding.
*Esme thinks back to her riding lessons when she was a child, one of her few happy memories*
Esme: Um, okay. So, uh, where are the kids?
Tracy: Amelia is in the nursery upstairs. There's a baby monitor on the table in the living room. She's napping, but if you hear her crying, you'll know what to do. As for Wiley, he's in the living room. I'll be going now.
*She makes for the front door*
Esme: Oh, okay. Well, have a nice time riding.
*Tracy looks at her, seemingly in disbelief*
Tracy: Thank you.
*She walks out the door as Esme goes into the living room, where she finds Wiley on one of the couches. She notices he looks unwell*
Esme: Hi Wiley.
Wiley: Hi.
Esme: Everything okay?
Wiley: I don't feel well.
Esme: Aww, I'm sorry to hear that. What's wrong?
Wiley: I have a headache. I get them pretty much every day.
*Esme is reminded of her constant headaches as a result of her addiction to mnemeophrine*
Esme: Ugh, I know what those are like.
Wiley: Auntie Tracy says that headaches are something that only grownups get, but I get them pretty much every day. I feel good when I get up in the morning but I always come home from school with a headache. Mommy used to be a teacher and she said that she thinks they give too much homework.
*Esme thinks back to her own childhood. Her adoptive parents said the same thing about kids not getting headaches, and although she didn't get one every day, she did get them occasionally, and whenever she told her parents, they would yell at her, which made them worse*
Esme: Well, I used to get headaches when I was a kid too, so your Aunt Tracy is lying. Please don't tell her I said that though.
Wiley: I won't.
Esme: Does your mommy help you with your homework?
Wiley: Yes.
Esme: Well, I'm not a teacher, but I can help you if you'd like.
Wiley: Okay.
*Wiley shows her his homework. She could see why Willow thought that he was overwhelmed. It was definitely a lot of homework for a first grader. She tries to help him as best as she can*
Esme: So, as you can see here, five plus five equals the same number as nine plus one. Do you know what that number is?
Wiley: Umm…ten?
Esme: Good. So let's look at this next problem. Five plus blank equals the same number as four plus three. What's four plus three?
Wiley: Umm…seven?
Esme: Very good. So what number plus five equals seven?
Wiley: Two.
Esme: Great. Now remember, with addition, you can add five plus two, and it will equal seven, but you can also add two plus five, and it will also equal seven. So, what number goes in the blank spot?
Wiley: Two!
Esme: Excellent.
*Wiley writes a two in the blank spot*
Esme: Look at that, you're all done! High five!
*They high five. Even though it isn't very hard, it sends a sharp pain in her nose*
Esme: Ow!
Wiley: Oh no! I didn't mean to high five so hard.
Esme: No it's fine. I broke my nose the other day, and it's still getting better. The doctor said it's going to take six weeks for it to heal completely.
Wiley: I thought that you look like you hurt your nose. Mommy told me that it isn't polite to ask about stuff like that because it might make people feel uncomfortable. That's why I didn't say anything about it.
Esme: Aw, well unfortunately you're not the only person who has asked about my nose today, so it's okay. And you asked in a nice way, so I didn't mind.
Wiley: How did you break your nose?
*Before she can answer, there is a knock at the door*
Esme: I better go answer the door.
Wiley: Okay. Can I please go to the kitchen and get a drink of water? It helps my headaches get better.
Esme: Of course.
Wiley: Okay. Thanks for helping me with my homework.
Esme: My pleasure!
*Wiley goes to the kitchen while Esme goes to answer the door. She opens it to see Joss!*
Joss: What are you doing here?!
Esme: I can ask you the same thing!
Joss: This is my brother's Michael's house, and I'd like to talk to him. Is he here?
Esme: No, this is actually Monica's house. Alan gave it to her. And even if Michael were here right now, which he isn't by the way, you're in violation of your restraining order by showing up while I'm here.
Joss: And why exactly are you here?
Esme: I'm here because Willow asked me to watch the kids for a couple of hours in order to give Monica some time to rest.
Joss: Oh really? Because I don't believe you.
Esme: Believe what you want to believe, but regardless, you were ordered not to have any contact with me whatsoever. So you need to leave now unless you want me to report you to the cops!
*Joss sighs, turns around, and begins to walk away, but then stops and turns back around*
Joss: You know, the only reason why the cops are on your side is because one of them was at Spencer's memorial service as he's Spencer's cousin. And Dante is also a member of my family as he's my stepbrother.
Esme: You mean your ex-stepbrother. Sonny and Carly are divorced now, therefore you're no longer part of Sonny's family!
Joss: No, but I still care about Dante, as well as Kristina and Avery. And his mother Olivia is married to Ned, so he's part of the Quartermaine family as well. One phone call to him to report you for trespassing on his mother's property and I'll have you finally thrown in the slammer where you belong.
Esme: I'm not trespassing because I was hired to babysit for a couple of hours. So you need to leave. Now!
Joss: And what about your own baby? You're leaving your own kid behind so you can-
Esme (through clenched teeth): I said leave!
*Joss huffs, turns around, and walks away right as Esme hears Amelia crying. She goes upstairs to tend to her*
LATER THAT DAY
Esme came home to find Nelle playing with Ace in the living room. Seeing them together made Esme start to question why Nelle insisted on Esme going over to the Quartermaines to watch Wiley and Amelia as opposed to coming home after her class let out to tend to her own child, as well as getting some much-needed rest.
Nelle: Hi Esme! How did it go?
Esme: Well, the bad news is that I seemingly had no choice but to get a ride from Richard Thomas Smith over to the Q mansion, as Sonny has so far hasn't replaced Ernesto's tires, and if anything, I now feel even more uneasy around him as he's a terrible driver. Plus I found out what he does for a living. Then after I arrived, I was grilled by Tracy about why I was there. The good news is that I enjoyed helping Wiley with his homework…
*Nelle's face lights up as she's saying this*
Esme: AND I got to yell at Joss and order her to leave. So both of those things made up for it, I guess.
Nelle: Wait, Joss was there?
Esme: She dropped by unexpectedly because she was looking for Michael and wanted to know what I was doing in his house, and I reminded her that it was Monica's house that Alan gave her. I never thought I'd get the privilege of saying that to someone.
Nelle: How did that feel?
Esme: Very satisfying!
Nelle: That's wonderful!
Esme: It was. Can I ask you something?
Nelle: Fire away.
Esme: Both Tracy and Joss asked me why I left Ace here in order to babysit somebody else's kids. Is there any reason why you had me do this?
*Nelle is silent for a few seconds*
Nelle: I just thought it would be a good idea to be out of your comfort zone for a little while. It's an important stop on your journey of self-discovery. Part of this journey is showing the people who continue to judge you negatively that you're a changed woman whom they can trust.
Esme: I suppose so. But why babysitting? Especially while I'm pregnant?
Nelle: It's a good way to prepare yourself for being a mother to multiple children. You have one child and another one on the way. Parenthood is a big responsibility. You're going to have your hands full for a long time. It's a fact of life. You want to be a good mom, don't you?
Esme: Yeah, I do.
Nelle: And there are plenty of single moms who have multiple children, and they've got to tend to the needs of both of their kids. If anything, Michael and Willow are going to be even more overwhelmed, as unlike your kids who are much closer in age to each other, Michael and Willow have one kid who's still a baby, and another who is school age. They're in two different life-stages, and it's only going to become more difficult for them as their children get older. Before they know it, Wiley is going to be a teenager and will be facing issues such as peer pressure and eventually having his first relationship, while Amelia will have to deal with going to school. Some kids like school, others find it difficult.
Esme: Wiley seems to be having a hard time. Willow thinks his teachers are giving him too much homework, and he says he comes home from school with a headache pretty much every day. Plus, I think his homework might be a little too advanced for someone in his grade.
Nelle: Oh my god! That's horrible! I feel so bad for that poor guy.
*Esme notices Nelle's reaction seems rather strong*
Esme: You okay?
Nelle: Oh yeah, I'm fine. I just feel bad. Some people are concern that kids may be overworked at school. If he's getting regular headaches, that's not good. Hopefully his parents are going to do something about this.
Esme: Well, Wiley told me that Willow used to be a teacher, so I'm sure they will.
Nelle: I hope so.
Esme: And I hope Ernesto's car gets fixed soon, so I don't have to get any more rides from Richard. He will not leave me alone even though I've asked him multiple times!
Nelle: Well, if this becomes a regular thing, please let me know.
Esme: I will, and thank you.
Nelle: Of course! That's what I'm here for. And thank you for trusting me.
*Esme smiles, then joins Nelle in playing with Ace*
Leora felt very safe with Ian around, but was feeling less comfortable out in the world, given what T.K. said in the note, all the things Brooke told her, as well as the "visit" she received from Peter, which she interpreted as a warning of sorts. She and Ian were getting ready for bed. They had decided the time was right to literally start sleeping together.
*They get into bed*
Leora: Can I tell you something?
Ian: You can tell me anything,
Leora: Thank you for being here for me.
Ian: I'm glad to hear you feel that way.
Leora: It's true though. You were understandably very angry at your dad for abandoning you and choosing his casino business over his family, and then you were led to believe something that wasn't true.
Ian: I know, but I let a serial killer escape from prison. My cousin Miranda almost died because of me, all because of how she was brought into the world.
Leora: But she didn't almost die because of you. Why? Because you realized your mistake, and you did something about it. You saved her life. You might be sick of hearing people say this, but you're a good person. A wonderful person.
*She looks into his eyes as they lean in for a kiss, unaware of the person peering in through the window at them*
THE NEXT DAY
Brooke English was in her office at Tempo. She heard a familiar pair of high heels hastily making their way down the hall to her office. She looked away from her computer to the unwelcome visitor standing in front of her.
Brooke: What are you doing here again?! Who let you in?
Mystery woman: Oh your receptionist wasn't at her desk, so I took the liberty of letting myself in.
Brooke: Well you can see yourself out! You are not welcome here!
Mystery woman: I came here to apologize. I was out of line by choosing that particular subject for my essay. I thought, since you were close to the source, you'd be able to tell me what you knew that other people didn't, but I realized that I wasn't respecting your boundaries.
Brooke: Well thank you for acknowledging, but you're still not respecting my boundaries because you are trespassing. So now that you've apologized, I really need you to leave. I have work to do.
Mystery woman: Not until you give me what I want.
Brooke: And what is that?
Mystery woman: Well I still need to choose a subject for my essay. I was wondering if you can tell me what you know about Proteus.
Brooke: Well, as I told you the other day, there is plenty of information on the internet that I'm sure you can use for your essay. I doubt I have any information that hasn't been published.
Mystery woman: So you're not going to help your own granddaughter further her education?
Brooke: I…don't have a granddaughter.
Mystery woman: Yes you do. You're looking at her!
*Brooke looks more closely at the mystery woman's face, with an increasingly horrified expression on her own*
Mystery woman: Oh, come on. Aren't you happy to see me?
*The woman smiles. Brooke recognizes the sinister grin and charismatic-yet-shady tone of voice. She had clearly inherited both of those traits from someone who had terrorized Pine Valley many years earlier*
Brooke: You can't be his daughter!
Mystery woman: Oh but I am! And you know my mother quite well.
*Brooke looks even more horrified*
Brooke: Oh…my…god!