Previously...

James and Brooke were re-married in a private ceremony. Miranda cautioned Brooke not to hurt her father again.  Stormy tried to make amends with James, then warned him that Brett was up to no good as head of Sunset Studios.  Brett backed out on his promise to give Heather a starring role in The Murderess.  Will learned that Heather was a spy and vowed to get revenge.  Janet Harper engineered an accidental meeting with Ethan.  James told a furious Brett that Stormy would be helping him run the studio while he recovered.  A mysterious intruder broke into the mansion and startled Brooke.  Later, James grew weak as a result of the pills that Gwen and Brett gave him, and fell down the stairs.  

Episode 28

"Love, American Style"

The television in the waiting room at Cedars-Sinai blasted a report from the Hollywood Bowl where setup was underway for the annual 4th of July celebration.  Bands did their soundchecks and the fire department supervised as fireworks were trucked in for the traditional display.   Miranda and Brett sat restlessly in the cold plastic chairs, watching the midday news on television while they waited for word about James.

"I don't understand what's taking so long," Stormy complained as he paced back and forth in the depressing waiting area flocked with cheap dime-store flags and red white and blue decorations.  "He's been in there for an hour and nobody's come to tell us anything."

"Brooke's still in with him.  Maybe she'll have some news," Brett remarked with a shrug.

Miranda gazed at the television and shook her head with concern for her father.  "I can't believe he fell," she said.  "It's like he's not getting any better.  Gwen should be in there with him.  She's his nurse.  She needs to confer with Dr. Farraday."

"She's upset," Brett said with an edgy sigh.   "She probably blames herself."

"That's ridiculous," Miranda exclaimed.  "You know my father.  Once he gets something in his head you can't change his mind.  He was determined to go out and look for whoever it was that Brooke saw in the house.  An army couldn't have stopped him."

"Well I'm going to go see if I can find anything out," Stormy said with frustration as he started out of the waiting room just as Heather entered with a tray of coffee.  He stopped and looked at her blankly, the awkwardness still present every time he saw her.

"I thought everyone would like some coffee," she said and handed him a cup.

"Thanks," Stormy said and took a cup from her on his way out of the room.

Brett looked up at Heather and rolled his eyes.  He wasn't in the mood for her this morning of all mornings. Was she going to start in on him again about his broken promise to cast her in The Murderess?  Hopefully she'd exhibit some tact and let it rest at least until James was back home with his family.

Moments later, Alex rushed into the waiting room, a streak of panic on her heavily made up face.  She rushed toward Miranda and threw her arms around her in despair.   A minute later, Jordan entered after having parked the car.

"Thanks for coming, Mom," Miranda said with misty eyes.  She gave Jordan a hug and then sat back down in her chair.

"How is James?" Alex asked, bundling her mink stole around her shoulders.  "I was horrified when I heard.  Miranda, Darling, tell me this doesn't have anything to do with that awful Brooke Taylor."

Miranda opened her mouth to reply when from outside the waiting room came Brooke, followed by Stormy and Dr. Noel Farraday, James’s long-time physician.

"Excuse me, Alex," Brooke seethed, her eyes red and puffy.  "If you've come here to start trouble then you can turn around and walk right back out that door."

Miranda glared at Brooke and stepped in front of Alex.  "Don't tell my mother to leave," she said.  "She has just as much right to be here as you do, Brooke."

Their eyes met in a long standoff.  How dare Miranda defend Alex to her at a time like this?  She was married to James now, not Alex. When were people going to realize that she was not going away again?  She was here to stay.

"Would you all stop bickering," Stormy insisted.  "Dr. Farraday has news about Dad.  He wanted to tell us all together."

Brooke broke from her penetrating stare and turned to the doctor.  "How is my husband, Dr. Farraday?" she asked.  "Please tell me we can bring him home."

He nodded and put a hand on Brooke's shoulder.  "He's going to be fine, Mrs. Blackthorne.  We took some X-rays and didn't find any broken bones or head trauma from his fall."

"Oh thank God," Alex said, placing a hand on her chest and leaning against Jordan for support.  Jordan couldn't help but feel jealous of his wife's obvious concern over James Blackthorne.  Something told him that she would never get over her first husband completely.

"I am concerned, however," Dr. Farraday continued.

Brett looked at the doctor with panic in his eyes.  What if he found out that he and Gwen had been feeding James muscle relaxers to keep him dependent on his chair?  What if this was the end of the line for him?   He couldn't let that happen.

"What is it, Dr. Farraday?" Stormy asked, paralyzed with fear that something worse had happened to his father.

"After reviewing the X-rays and doing some tissue monitoring, I'm surprised that this happened," the doctor continued.  "The tests show miraculous tissue recovery in James's legs.  That, compounded on top of his daily therapy, should be enough to give him substantial feeling in his legs again."

The family stared at him in silent disbelief, and Brett suddenly felt a surge of terror course through his veins.  What if this was it?  What if his plan was about to be exposed?  Stormy would get his way and have him thrown out of the house and out of Sunset Studios, leaving him to run it by himself.

"So why isn't my father walking yet?" Miranda asked.  "I don't understand it."

Dr. Farraday shook his head regretfully.  "I'm afraid I don't either," he said.   "There could be any number of reasons why he isn't regaining the use of his legs.  Something in his diet, something psychological, or-"

"You mean something my husband is doing could keep him paralyzed?" Brooke asked.

"Not exactly," Dr. Farraday replied.  "I'm thinking of possible drug interactions.  If any of you know what he's currently taking then maybe I can tell if there's been a reaction."

"His nurse would know," Miranda said.

Stormy grabbed his jacket and shoved his arms through it.  "I'll go home and talk to Gwen," he said.

"Why don't you let me do that?" Brett asked in a panic.  "James is your father, Stormy.  I know he'd want you to be here for him."  He couldn't let Stormy go and talk to Gwen.  Not in the delicate state she was in now.  She'd probably spill her guts and tell Stormy everything.

"Brett, I want you to stay here with me," Miranda pleaded, clutching to her husband's arm.  "I need you here.  I don't know what I'd do without you."

Decidedly caught between a rock and a hard place, Brett reluctantly gave in and sat back down next to Miranda.  He watched Stormy with hawk-like eyes and prayed that he wouldn't find anything.

"I'll let you know as soon as I can," Stormy said before turning and rushing out of the waiting room.

As soon as he got to the main floor of the hospital, he was accosted by a slew of reporters asking him questions about the condition of his father.

“Mr. Blackthorne, can you give us an update on your father?” asked a reporter from the Chronicle.  “Is it true that his condition has worsened?”

“How do you think this is going to affect the Academy Awards next year?”

“Is your father’s marriage to Brooke Taylor legal this time around?”

“What changes do you and your brother-in-law plan on implementing now that you’re both running Sunset Studios?”

Stormy was a pro at ignoring questions from reporters.  He made his way out to the parking lot when a familiar face stepped in front of him.   He stopped and looked Janet Harper up and down, not a bit surprised by her presence.

“You certainly have a way with reporters,” she said and licked her lips.  “I don’t suppose you’re holding out to give me a personal interview, are you?

Stormy smiled and folded his arms.  “Why do I get the feeling you’re following me, Miss Harper?” he asked.  “First I run into you in Denver, then at the airport in Phoenix, and now back here in L.A.  Am I supposed to believe this is a coincidence?”

“You can believe whatever you want,” Janet said with a grin.  “But I like to think of it as destiny.”

Suddenly remembering he was in a hurry, Stormy quickly cut their intriguing conversation short.  “Why don’t you tell me what it is you’re after, Miss Harper?”

She smiled and pulled her purse tightly over her shoulder.  “You’ll find out soon enough,” she said with a grin.

Stormy raised a curious eyebrow and continued down the steps to his car in the parking lot.  He didn’t have time for riddles, in particular riddles from a reporter like Janet Harper.

Half an hour later, Stormy was walking inside the foyer of the Blackthorne mansion.  He started up the stairs when Leilani came running out from the dining room to see if there was any word on James.

"Not yet, Leilani," he said.  "Is Gwen in her room?  It's important that I talk to her."

Leilani shook her head.  "No, sir.  She was upset after the ambulance came and drove off in her car.  I don't know where she went."

He'd have to search her room himself, Stormy decided as he made his way down the hall upstairs.   When he got to her room, he quietly pushed the door open and walked inside the meticulous space.  Fortunately Gwen was alarmingly neat and orderly so finding the pills that she'd been giving James was no problem.

Quickly, he plucked his cell phone from his jacket and dialed Miranda.  Moments later she answered and he quickly rattled off the unpronounceable names from the labels on the bottles so that she could relay them to Dr. Farraday. 

After he finished, he clicked off his phone and started back out of the room.  Before he left, his eyes darted toward a bag from a local pharmacy that rested on top of Gwen's dresser.  He emptied the contents onto the bed and was floored by what he saw.  A home pregnancy kit.

Just then the door opened and Gwen walked inside, stopping mid-step when she saw Stormy going through her personal things.

"What are you doing?" she asked in horror.  Without wasting a second, she raced forward and snatched up the test.

Stormy felt horrible for having violated her space.  "Gwen, I'm sorry.  I was just looking for the pills that you'd been giving my dad."

Gwen looked at him quickly.  "Pills?"    She wondered if he meant the mood enhancers Brett had insisted she give to James.

"Yes.  Dr. Farraday wanted to know what he was taking so he could find out if the medication had anything to do with his fall."

"Oh," Gwen said, her heart beating wildly.  She wondered what Brett had really been asking her to give to James.  If they were just mood enhancers then the doctor wouldn't be having concerns.   "Did you find them?"

Stormy nodded reluctantly.  "Yes, those over there."  He pointed to the tray of pills he'd already reported back to Miranda.   "Is that all there is?"

Hesitantly, Gwen nodded her head. "Yes, that's all," she said.  "Is Mr. Blackthorne going to be all right?"

"I think so," Stormy replied as he started to the door.  He paused and looked back for a second.  "Listen, Gwen, I'm sorry if I overstepped my-"

She shook her head in an effort to dismiss any further discussion on the topic.  After he'd gone, she opened her top drawer and placed the pregnancy kit inside.  She moved a few articles of clothing around and withdrew a hidden bottle of pills from inside.   She shook them around in her hand and closed her eyes with regret. 

Back at the hospital, Brooke sat by James's side in his room, holding his hand and gazing longingly into his eyes.   He started to open his eyes and she squeezed his hand tightly, overjoyed that he was awakening.

"You gave us a pretty good scare," she said softly.  "How are you feeling?"

He nodded vaguely and managed a smile.  "I feel better now that you're here," he said.  "How are you feeling, Darling?  Did they find the prowler?"

Shaking her head, Brooke leaned forward and kissed his cheek.  "Don't worry about that now," she said.  "You're the most important thing to me.  You and our baby."

James smiled and squeezed her hand in return.   "Would you tell Gwen I’m sorry for being such an overbearing bully?" he asked with a good-natured chuckle.  "I think I've been pretty hard on her."

"I'll tell her," Brooke said with a smile.   "Dr. Farraday says you can come home in just a few hours.  We'll have a reason to celebrate this 4th of July.  Leilani and the Gardner have been busy getting the house ready for a little celebration.  Leilani's making her famous fried chicken.  We'll sit in the garden and watch fireworks..."

"Our first picnic together," James said, his eyes twinkling.  "I can't wait."

"Me either."  She leaned back, her hand still clasped around James's.  "Dr. Farraday says that your muscle tissue has improved a lot.  He says you might be regaining some feeling in your legs soon.  Won't that be wonderful?  Like a miracle."

James nodded dreamily.  "You coming back to me is the miracle," he said.  "I promise I'm going to give you the best life you can imagine.  Just wait and see."

Just outside the room, Alex listened to their heartfelt words with a pang of jealousy.  She wiped a tear from her eye and turned back down the hallway where Jordan was waiting.

"I'm ready to go," she said.

"But I thought you wanted to see James before we-"

"Now," Alex insisted as she gave Miranda a quick squeeze.  "Darling, I'm going to head home.  I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Won't I see you at the house later?" Miranda asked with a hint of disappointment in her voice.  "I think Daddy needs to have people around him right now.  That's why we're having this 4th of July party..."

She shook her head.  "Jordan and I are going up to the cabin in Big Bear for the weekend.  I'll call you when I get back.  We'll do something next week.  I promise."

Miranda nodded with a sigh and kissed her mother on the cheek.  Jordan said his good-byes to Heather and followed Alex down the hall to the elevator.

The night sky lit up with fireworks, illuminated the gloomy parlor room of Will Thomerson's estate half a mile down the road from the Blackthorne mansion.   The butler entered the room and Will looked up from his reclined position at his desk where he poured over an old photo album.

"Sir, I've started to prepare the menu for your party this evening," he said.  "Will you require anything else in the meantime?"

"No, Gerald," Will replied absent-mindedly.  He turned back to the photo album and flipped through the pages.  Dozens of pictures from his youth growing up in Windsor, Kansas stared him coldly in the face.

His first love, young Georgie Blackthorne, looked so sweet and innocent back then.  She was a beautiful young woman with curly wisps of dark hair and sparkling green eyes.  A picture of them together at a town Christmas dance sent chills down his spine and he felt like he was twenty-five years younger. 

"My sweet Georgie," he whispered, touching the photograph with tender fingertips.  It had been a long time since he'd thought about her, not counting the times when James Blackthorne tried accusing him of killing her by leaving her with a broken heart.

The truth was he had to leave Windsor.  If he'd stayed and didn't take his chance on Broadway, he would have grown old and bitter and resented Georgie for keeping him there.  On the other hand, if he hadn't left Kansas, Georgie would never have been taken in by the carnival worker who got her pregnant and left her broken hearted.  As if his leaving wasn't enough of a heartbreak to her.

After a moment of reflecting on the past he looked down at the picture again and squinted, taking in the memories as best he could.  Suddenly, he caught a glimmer of something that he hadn't noticed before.  Or perhaps he'd been too blind to notice.

At twenty-one, Will had looked startlingly similar to Ethan.  The resemblance between him and Georgie was there, but the fact that Ethan today was like the spitting image of Will twenty-five years ago was astonishing to say the least.

He looked up from the photo album and stared across the room in a daze.  Just then the door opened and Ethan entered. 

"Happy 4th of July," he said and handed Will a box of sparklers.  "For the party tonight. I thought we could use a little entertainment."

Will took the sparklers and looked at Ethan closely.   He was amazed at how he never put the pieces together before today.

There was no carnival worker at all.

Alex handed her stole to the butler as she and Jordan walked into their mansion in Beverly Hills.  She quickly made her way into the parlor room and poured herself a glass of brandy, standing back and watching a fireworks display through the large picture window.

"Will you please tell me what's got you in such an uproar?" Jordan demanded as he followed her into the room and closed the giant paneled doors behind him.   "You shot out of the hospital like you were a wanted woman.  What is it, Alex?"

"Leave it alone, Jordan," she said dismissively and turned toward the French doors that led out onto the terrace.

He sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets.  "I know what this is all about," he began.  "It's James, isn't it?"

She shot him a look of protest and folded her arms, entranced by the bright glow of the enormous fireballs in the sky.  "Don't be stupid."

"No, you're upset because James is lying in a hospital bed and you're not the one sitting by his bedside," Jordan insisted in outrage.  "Isn't that right?"

"No, you're wrong."

"I am not wrong!" Jordan argued.  "You're still hung up on the man and you’re so jealous that he's married again and has a baby on the way that you couldn’t bring yourself to be there another minute.  Admit it, Alex.  I’m right about this."

She turned to him and threw her half-full glass at the wall beside him.  Shards of glass and a spray of sticky dark liquid flew in every direction and Jordan quickly dodged away to deflect any fragments from hitting him.  

"I said you're wrong!" she screamed.  "Now just get out of here and leave me alone!"

"What about Big Bear?" Jordan asked in frustration as he fished the keys to the cabin out of his pocket.  "I thought we were going to spend the weekend together.  Just the two of us.  I'd rather not have James tagging along with us if you don't mind."

"I don’t care about Big Bear!" she cried and turned away.

Shaking his head in frustration, Jordan threw the keys across the room, turned and stormed back out of the parlor.  After he'd left, Alex buried her face in her hands and wept quietly.  She hated herself for feeling the way she did.