Previously...

Jordan convinced Debralee Scott to make a press statement exhonerating Nathan.  Stormy planned to tell Heather that he didn't want to get back together with her.  Samantha showed up in town and Brett arranged for Heather to walk in on her and Stormy in bed together.  An angry Heather ran straight to Miranda and filled her in on Brett's affair with Terri.  James told Alex that he still doubted her claim that Nathan had raped her.  After speaking with Miranda, Brooke jumped to the conclusion that Ethan knew about Will being his father, and ultimately wound up confirming the truth to a stunned Ethan. After getting drunk in his room, Ethan raced to tell James the truth about Michael.  Sierra learned that Renee had never told Kenny about her.  Hurt and upset, she ran straight into the path of a drunken Ethan behind the wheel of his car.  

Episode 55

"Return of a Matinee Idol"

Flashing lights from the police cars and ambulance lit up the dark night sky outside of Hotel Terranova.   Word had quickly spread throughout the staff and guests.  The concierge phoned Renee in her room and calmly told her of the accident under the porte-cochere.

The paramedics loaded Sierra’s unconscious body into the ambulance while several onlookers gave statements to the police.   Several feet away, two uniformed officers handcuffed Ethan’s arms behind his back and read him his rights. 

“I didn’t see her,” he murmured to himself, having been startled sober after the horrific accident.  “I didn’t see her.  She came out of nowhere.”

Ignoring his protests, the police officers pushed him into the back seat of the squad car and closed the door.  They turned just as Renee came darting outside into the crowd.

“Where is she!?” she cried, spotting Sierra inside the ambulance just before they closed the back doors.  “Oh my God, Sierra!  What happened?  Is she going to be all right?”

One of the police officers had to physically restrain her to keep her away from the ambulance as it lurched forward and sped off down the long driveway from the hotel.  He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her gently in an effort to snap her out of her frenzy.

“She’s being taken to Cedars-Sinai.  She’s in critical condition, but she’s alive.”

“Oh my God!” Renee exclaimed, her eyes flooding with tears.  “How did it…”

Just then, her eyes traveled across the drive to Ethan sitting in the back of the squad car, his head hanging low and his eyes red and bloodshot.   She placed a hand on her heaving chest and covered her mouth with the other.   The tell-tale damage on the hood of the BMW told her just what she needed to know.

“We’ll take you to the hospital,” said one of the police officers and led her to another squad car. 

Renee nodded, realizing she had to keep her wits about her for her daughter.  She couldn’t think of anything else until she was out of danger. 

Across town at the Blackthorne mansion, Brett followed Miranda into the parlor room downstairs, intent on making her reconsider her hasty decision.  Heather followed fast on his heels.  She was determined not to let Brett talk his way out of another sticky situation.

“You can’t do this, Miranda,” Brett said.  “I’m your husband, damnit.  I love you.  I wanted us to have a baby, remember?”

“With me or with Terri, your slutty secretary?”  Miranda screamed.

“Don’t let him talk you out of this, Miranda,” Heather chimed in.

“Stay out of this, Heather!” Brett yelled angrily.

Folding her arms across her chest, Heather glared heatedly at Brett.  “He set it up so I would walk in on Stormy with Samantha Fallmont tonight,” she explained.  “He knew that I would freak out and probably hoped that it would take my mind off of seeing him with Terri.”

“You’re a piece of work,” Miranda said and walked steadily toward him.  “When I think of all the strings you’ve been pulling around here it makes me sick.  You just can’t stand it unless you’re in the middle of everything.  Well now you’ve finally outfoxed yourself.”

Brett decided to take off the kid gloves and get nasty.  “If you make things difficult for me I swear to God I’ll tell your father about Stormy and Samantha Fallmont.  Last time all he got was a slap on the wrist.  This time he’ll be removed from Sunset Studios permanently.  Do you want that on your head?  Do you want to be the reason that your brother fails again?”

Miranda gritted her teeth angrily and slapped him clean across the face.  Brett brought his hand instinctively up to his cheek and looked at her in amazement.  It seemed there was nothing he could do to get out of the mess he’d made.

“If you tell my father anything, I promise you I will make damn sure that you leave this marriage with nothing.  Your stock options, your car, your clothes, your bank accounts.  It’ll all be gone.  You’ll have to go back to selling phony tickets to tours on the strip just to make enough money to eat.”

Brett jolted back a step, swallowing hard as he was forced to admit defeat.

“Or I can get a quickie divorce and you can leave with everything you’ve acquired during this train wreck of a marriage,” Miranda continued.  “What’s it going to be?”

Taking a minute to consider the options, Brett glanced at Heather and then back at his wife.  He knew she meant business, and one word to her father would leave him destitute.

“Fine, I won’t say anything,” Brett said with a certain amount of regret.

Miranda didn’t react.  She simply stood and stared at him with contempt, her eyes following him as he made his way back out of the room.  After he’d gone, she looked at Heather and shook her head with disappointment.  Minutes later, the phone rang and she looked at it with irritation.  With her luck, it was probably more bad news.

The paramedics pushed the gurney with Sierra’s motionless body into the emergency room at Cedars-Sinai.  A team of doctors and nurses rushed over just as they entered.  Dr. Farraday quickly went to work at checking her vitals.

“What happened?” he asked, prying open her eyes and shining a pen light into her pupils while his nurse checked her pulse.

“Hit by a drunk driver,” said a paramedic.  “She’s been unconscious since we got to the scene.”

“He pulse is weak, Dr. Farraday,” said the nurse.  “She’s in shock.  There could be internal bleeding.”

“Let’s get her into the O.R.,” he said, just as Renee burst into the emergency room with her police escorts.

“Sierra!” she cried and dashed over to her.  “Is she going to be all right?  Dr. Farraday, please-“

“We’ll do everything we can,” he replied and motioned for the police officers to restrain her.   “Now we’ve got to operate to stop any internal bleeding.  We’ll have someone get you as soon as we know anything.”

With that, they were wheeling Sierra down the hall to the operating room.  Renee stood back, her hands covering her mouth in horror.  If anything happened to her daughter she’d never forgive herself.  It was her lies that sent her running out of that hotel tonight.

“Ethan knows?” James asked in shock.  He and Brooke were standing in the library at the mansion, the crackle of the fireplace breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Brooke looked into James’s eyes and saw the pain and regret that overcame him after hearing the news.  She reached out her hand and pulled him into an embrace, wishing she could make it better but knowing that nothing would.

“How did he find out?” James asked in bewilderment.

She closed her eyes with regret.  There was no way to sugar coat the truth.  “I told him.”

Suddenly and without warning, James abruptly pulled away and took a step back.  He looked at her with wide, disbelieving eyes.  “You what?”

“It was an accident, James,” she said hurriedly.  “Miranda saw him and came to me and said she was worried about him.  Something she said made me think that he knew about Will.  So I went to see him and…”

“And you confirmed something that he didn’t even know in the first place?!” James shouted angrily.  He’d never been so upset in his entire life.  “Brooke, do you realize what you’ve done?”

She nodded her head, tears flowing down her cheeks.  The look in her husband’s eyes reminded her of when they were first married, when James learned that she’d had an affair with Ethan.  She was suddenly taken back to that angry, distrusting man that she married.

“I didn’t mean to!” she sobbed, following him across the room and reaching her hand out to him.  “You have to believe me!  James, please-“

He shrugged her away violently, turning and placing a hand on his forehead.  “You’ve destroyed everything that I tried to do for twenty-eight years!”

“It was all lies!” Brooke reasoned.

“For Ethan’s own good!” James screamed.  “You know what kind of man Will Thomerson was!  Look what he did to our family!  Is it any wonder why I never wanted Ethan to know who his father was?!”

Brooke buried her face in her hands and shook her head miserably.

“Now because of you and your stupidity, everything I’ve done has been destroyed.  God only knows what Ethan will do now that he knows the truth!”

The hateful tone in his voice sent chills down Brooke’s spine.  She knew she’d made a terrible mistake, but he was like a different person now.  He looked at her with so much hatred and contempt.

Just then, Miranda pushed the door open and walked inside.  “Daddy-“

“Not now Miranda!” James yelled, his eyes unmoving from Brooke.

She knew they were in the middle of something, but what she had to say was more important.  “But Daddy, it’s Ethan.  He’s been arrested!”

James and Brooke both turned and looked at her.  Suddenly Brooke knew that her slip up was going to have more ramifications than either one of them could have imagined.

Jordan raced into the hospital and scanned the waiting area.  Renee saw him enter and raced over to him in a frenzy.

“Jordan, thank God!” she shrieked and threw her arms around him.

“Shhh,” he said and held her close.  “How is she?”

Renee shook her head in despair and led him to the waiting room.  “They’re operating on her now,” she said.  “They say she may have internal bleeding and they’re trying to stop it.”

“How did this happen?” Jordan asked.  “All you said on the phone was that she was upset and she ran off.”

Wiping her eyes, Renee threw her hands in the air and sat down in a chair.  “She found out that I never told Kenny about her,” she explained.  “She was hurt, and I can’t say that I blame her.  Jordan, I’ve handled everything so badly.”

Jordan sat down beside her and rubbed his hand softly down her back.  “And she didn’t see the car coming?”

Renee shrugged and looked up.  Her eyes traveled across the room to two police officers leading Ethan inside the emergency room.  Quickly, she shot to her feet and raced across the room toward him.

“It’s because of you!” she screamed, pounding her fists into Ethan with all her might.  “You did this!”

Ethan backed away, looking at her apologetically as the police and Jordan restrained her.  “I’m so sorry,” he said.  “I didn’t see her, I-“

Renee could smell the booze on his breath and her eyes flashed open angrily.  “You were drunk!” she screamed.  “You got drunk and got in that car and hit my daughter!  Now she’s in there fighting for her life and you’re standing here getting a cut on your forehead bandaged!”

“Renee, stop-“ Jordan said, trying to pull her away.

“It was stupid, I know,” he said.  “Look, if there’s anything I can do-“

“Haven’t you done enough!” Renee screamed and burst into tears.

Just then, James and Brooke walked into the waiting room and immediately sensed the conflict between Ethan and Renee.

“What’s going on?” James asked and looked at his nephew, his arms bound with handcuffs and a gash on his forehead.  “Ethan, are you okay?”

Ethan glared angrily at James, still reeling from the revelation of his betrayals about his father.  “I’m fine.”

“If you’ll excuse us, we need to get the suspect treated and then back to jail while he awaits his hearing,” said the police officer before leading Ethan back to a private examination room.

“Renee?” James asked with concern.  “What’s happened?”

Too upset to continue, Renee turned and ran off to be alone.  Jordan took a deep breath and led James and Brooke off to a corner of the waiting area.

“Sierra’s in the O.R,” he explained.  “Apparently Ethan had been drinking.  He got in his car and…there was an accident.”

Brooke gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.  “Oh my Lord.”

“Is she going to be all right?” James asked flatly.

Jordan shrugged.  “She’s critical,” he said before returning to Renee’s side.

Brooke shook her head in disbelief.  She could feel James’ disapproving stare.  He blamed her, and rightly so.  She pushed Ethan to the edge and now an innocent young woman was paying for it.

“I’d better go call Kenny,” James said.   “Ethan’s going to need an attorney.”

He walked away, ignoring the way Brooke looked at him with pleading eyes. 

Across the room, Dr. Farraday emerged from the O.R. and approached Renee in the waiting area.

“Dr. Farraday, my daughter…is she going to be okay?” Renee asked breathlessly.  “Please tell me that she’s going to be okay.”

He held his hand up in an effort to calm her down.  “Renee, we’ve been able to stop the bleeding, but she’s lost a lot of blood.  Sierra has a very rare blood type and we don’t have an adequate supply on hand.  There's a very good chance that your blood will be a match.  We’ll need you to-“

“Of course, anything!” Renee exclaimed in a hurry.  “I’ll donate as much as you need.  Just please save my daughter, Dr. Farraday.”

“Renee, wait,” Jordan said and clasped his hand around her arm.  “Chances are you’re not a match.   Sierra isn’t your biological daughter.”

Jordan’s words hit her like a truck.  She felt her heart beating wildly in her chest and she struggled for words.  “Yes, but I….” she stammered awkwardly.  “I have to at least try.  Dr. Farraday, you’ll test my blood and we’ll see.  We’ll find out if I’m a match, right?”

Jordan looked at her suspiciously and dug his hands into his pockets.

“I had my nurse pull your medical history just in case,” Dr. Farraday said, turning just as the nurse approached with Renee’s file.  He flipped it open and paged through a few sets of charts.  His forehead creased and his eyes narrowed on the information printed on the page.  “Unbelievable,” he said.

“What?” Jordan asked.

“Renee’s blood type is A negative.”

“And what blood type is Sierra?” Jordan asked.

Dr. Farraday leveled a look of disbelief at them both.  “A negative.”

A hush escaped Renee’s throat and she began to perspire.  A light-headed feeling overcame her and she placed a hand on Jordan’s arm to balance her weight.

“Are you saying that Renee and Sierra have the same blood type?  They’re not even related.  What are the odds of that happening?” Jordan inquired.

“Under normal circumstances it wouldn’t be so unusual,” Farraday explained.  “But with Sierra having such a rare blood type…well, the fact that her adoptive mother has the same rare blood type…it’s just mind boggling.  Only seven percent of the population has type A negative blood.”

Renee wrung her hands together and turned around with apprehension.  She gathered her wits and took a deep breath before turning back to them.  “Well let’s not stand around in awe over a coincidence.  I just want to help my daughter.  Let me donate the blood and we’ll-“

“It’s impossible,” Dr. Farraday cut her off.

Sighing, Renee shook her head adamantly.  “Look, I know it’s a medical marvel, but the point is that Sierra and I are a match, so let’s not waste any more time!”

“No,” Farraday clarified.  “I mean you can’t donate blood, Renee.  You’re anemic.  You’re not a candidate to donate blood to anyone.  We’ll have to find another donor.  I’m sorry.”

Beside herself, Renee began pacing the waiting room with frustration.  “I’m not worried about my health.  I just want my daughter to live.”

“Are you in contact with her biological parents?” the doctor asked.

Renee stopped and grew into a daze.  She couldn’t stand any more questions.  It was too difficult to deal with on top of everything else.  She felt backed into a corner and she didn’t know how much more she could take.

Suddenly, she began to feel light-headed again and the room began to spin.  She felt her eyes flutter and then her knees grow weak.  Finally, she collapsed into a dead faint and Jordan quickly swept in to catch her.

“You need to sit down,” he said and led her over to a chair.  He was unable to shake the strange feeling he got from Renee’s behavior.  He’d never seen her so nervous before.

He poured a cup of water from the cooler and handed it to her before turning back to Dr. Farraday.  “Her parents are dead,” he said. 

“I see,” Dr. Farraday remarked and lowered his glasses as he studied Renee’s chart again. 

“I’m O negative,” Jordan announced hopefully.  “Is that any kind of match?”

“Not an ideal match, but it’s just as rare and probably the most compatible donor we’re going to find at this short notice” the doctor said.  “Would you consider donating, Jordan?”

“Of course,” he said without hesitation and turned to Renee.  “Listen, she’s going to pull through.  You’ll see.  I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Jordan, thank you,” Renee whispered and hugged him warmly.

After he’d disappeared into the back with Dr. Farraday and the nurse, she placed a hand on her head and took a deep breath.  Sierra’s accident was becoming more of a tragedy by the second.

Stormy walked into Heather’s bedroom at the mansion and saw her standing at the bed folding clothes into a suitcase.  Frowning, he quietly closed the door behind him and approached her with apprehension

“Look, about earlier-“ he began.

Heather quickly put her hand up in an effort to silence him.  “You don’t have to say anything, Stormy,” she said through her quivering voice.  Surprisingly, she held it together.

“But I do,” he said.  “That wasn’t how I wanted this to happen.  See, tonight at dinner I was going to tell you that….”  A pause while he reconsidered his choice of words.  “I mean, Samantha showed up in town and I guess I lost track of time.  I just never wanted to hurt you that way again.”

Heather stopped what she was doing and turned to him.  “You didn’t,” she lied.  “We’re not married anymore, Stormy.  You can see whoever you want to see.”

But Stormy could see in her eyes that she was hurt.    “How did you even know where to find me?”

“Brett told me,” Heather said matter-of-factly.  “Was there ever any doubt?”

Stormy finally realized what had happened.  Brett had set him up again.

“But don’t worry, he’s not going to say anything to your father about you and Samantha Fallmont,” Heather continued.  “Miranda made sure of that.”

At least that was some good news, Stormy thought.  He looked down at the suitcase and suddenly got the impression that something else was going on.

“Are you going somewhere?” he asked.

She nodded and continued packing.  “I’m moving out.”

“Heather, please don’t do that,” Stormy said and grabbed for her hand.  “I don’t want you to leave.  I just don’t think that we should-“

“You don’t think that we should get back together, I know,” she finished for him.  “I got that impression tonight.  But really, this is for the best.  I shouldn’t even have stayed here for as long as I have.  We’re not married anymore.  I don’t belong here, Stormy.”

“Yes you do,” he said, heartsick by what he’d done to her.  Her life was turned upside down and all he wanted to do was help her.  Instead he wound up making it worse.

“Look, you have your own life to live and I have mine.  It’s for the best.”

Standing in awe, he watched as she closed and latched her suitcase.  It seemed that Brett had done his share of damage yet again.

Kenny arrived at the hospital and sought out James and Brooke who stood in separate corners waiting for Ethan to be seen by a doctor.  He saw Renee sitting alone on a bench and decided to approach James first.

“I got here as soon as I could,” he said.  “I spoke with the prosecutor.  They’re going to detain him tonight and his hearing will be first thing in the morning.”

“What are his chances of beating this thing?” James asked with concern.

Kenny shrugged and whispered when he replied.  “Not good at all if Sierra doesn’t pull through.”

James buried his face in his hands and looked up to see Brooke watching him from across the room.  He walked over to her and dug his hands into his pockets.  “Why don’t you go home?  There’s no sense in us both being here.”

“I want to be here for you, and for Ethan,” she insisted.

James shook his head.  “You should be home with Michael.”

Brooke felt her eyes stinging with tears and she reached her hand out to his.  “James, please don’t push me away like this.  I know you blame me, but can’t you let me help you through this?”

“I said go home!” James shouted so loudly that Brooke staggered back a few steps with surprise.

Devastated by his tone and demeanor, she raced through the waiting area and out the doors to the parking lot.  Tears streamed down her face as she made her way to the car and driver waiting by the door.

As the car lurched forward, she wiped her eyes and thought about the mess that had become of their lives in such a short time.  First James told her she was too suffocating with Michael since he’d gotten home, which instigated a heated argument.  Now he blamed her for Ethan’s breakdown and for the accident with Sierra.  It seemed everything she did was pulling them apart.

Back inside the hospital, Renee darted over to Kenny and glared angrily at him.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded.

“I’m here to talk to James,” Kenny replied softly.  He was still outraged by his ex-wife’s betrayal and unforgivable lies, but to see her so worried about her daughter reminded him of the beautiful woman he fell in love with in the first place.

“If you’re even thinking of defending Ethan Blackthorne, then you’re even more of a monster than I thought,” she said in a shrill voice.

“Renee, I-“ Kenny began.

“No!” she screamed.  “He put my daughter in the hospital!  He could have killed her, Kenny!  She’s in there fighting for her life right now and you want to defend the man who did that to her?”

“Kenny, maybe I should meet you at the courthouse,” James said, hoping to defray any further outbursts.

He nodded sorrowfully and turned to leave.

After he’d gone, James looked at Renee and took her hand in his.  “I’m so sorry this happened,” he began.  “I know that doesn’t change what happened, but I want you to know that I’ll help in any way I can.  Anything you need, it’s yours.”

She nodded appreciatively and walked back to her chair.  “I just keep thinking about all that time I didn’t get to spend with her, you know?”

“Don’t talk like that,” James insisted and sat down beside her.   “Sierra is going to be just fine.”

Renee shook her head and wiped her eyes with a tissue.  “I’ve been a horrible mother,” she said.  “Keeping her in boarding schools halfway across the world, insisting that her coming here was a mistake, keeping her a secret from the world.”

James had to agree that her behavior was a little extreme, but now was not the time to bring that to her attention.  “I’m sure you had your reasons for doing what you did.  We sometimes do drastic things – insane things - to protect the ones that we love.”  He couldn’t help but think about Ethan and the way he lied to protect him from Will.  Who was he to judge another parent and the things they did to protect their children?

“And yet now none of it seems to matter,” Renee went on.  “You go through life thinking that you’re doing the right thing, and then something like this happens and you realize you were wrong all along.”

James put his arm around her and held her close, realizing that he and Renee had more in common that he ever realized.

Later that night, James made his way through the detention center at city hall downtown.  He stopped when he got to Ethan’s cell and looked at his nephew sitting silently on the concrete bench.

“I hear you talked to Kenny,” he said.

A long stretch of silence before Ethan nodded slowly.  “I told him to go away,” he said softly.  “He was married to Renee.  It isn’t right that he defends me.”

James sighed and dug his hands into the pockets of his trench coat.  “You need someone to defend you at the hearing tomorrow,” he said.

“How is Sierra?”

“It’s touch and go, but Dr. Farraday seems to think she’ll pull through,” James informed him.  “Ethan, I know you didn’t mean to hurt her.  You couldn’t hurt anyone if you tried.  I also know what Brooke told you, and I’m sorry that you had to find out that way.”

Finally Ethan looked up at his uncle.  “You’re just sorry that I found out period, aren’t you?” he asked with hostility.

James took a deep breath and shrugged.  “Yes, I am,” he said.  “I never wanted you to find out the truth.  I did it for your own good.”

“For my own good?” Ethan asked.  “You’ve got to be kidding me.  You lied to me for my entire life.  You told me my father was a carnival worker who blew into Windsor and got my mother pregnant.  Then he mysteriously vanished, never to be heard from again.”

“In a way that is what happened,” James said.  “Will Thomerson got your mother pregnant and then left her.   He broke her heart.  He left town and moved to New York City and never looked back.”

“What about when he showed up in L.A. three years ago?” Ethan demanded angrily.  He ran his fingers through his hair and got up from the bench, gripping the cold bars with his hands.  “You could have told me then.  My God, I spent a year working for the man after you disowned me.  All that time I had no idea who he was.  Meanwhile, you were sitting back judging me for sleeping with Brooke.”

“Look, Ethan-“

“You had the nerve to judge me!” Ethan shouted at the top of his lungs.  “All because I made a mistake and let my emotions get hold of me.  But you sat back keeping this secret to yourself, playing God and taking it upon yourself to decide when and if I should know who the hell I really am.”

“I didn’t want you knowing what kind of man your father was,” James explained.  “Look at everything he did to this family.  Look what he did to Heather, and to Michael.  He kidnapped my own son.”

“Because you kept me from him!” Ethan yelled.  “Don’t you get that?  It was your fault that Michael was kidnapped!  If we’d never gotten him back it would have been because of you and only you!”

“That’s not fair,” James lamented.  “I kept you from your father to protect you.  Will took Michael out of hate and revenge.  They’re completely different situations.”

Ethan grew into a daze, thinking about the lie that Brooke had perpetuated on all of them.    “If Will had known the truth, he would never have taken Michael.”

James shook his head in frustration.  “What do you mean?” he asked.  “What are you saying, Ethan?”

Ethan opened his mouth to reply, fully intending on telling James the truth and putting an end to the vicious cycle of lies and deceit.  He had to tell him that Michael was really his son.  He wouldn’t let another generation of lies destroy them.

But it wasn’t the time.  A young woman was in the hospital fighting for her life because of his actions.  He wasn’t about to turn it around to suit his needs, no matter how wrong it was to continue the lie.

“I’m going to plead guilty to the charges tomorrow,” he finally said.

"Ethan, you’ll go to jail,” James warned him.  “If you don’t want Kenny, I’ll get another lawyer.  Anybody you want.  Just don’t let this thing beat you.”

“I got drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit a girl with my car,” Ethan insisted.  “I deserve everything I get.”

Sighing, James realized there was no arguing with him.  He’d made up his mind and there was nothing he could do about it.

“Nathan’s coming home tomorrow afternoon.  But I’ll make sure I’m at the hearing for you.”

“No,” Ethan replied quickly.  “I’d rather if you weren’t there.”

James hesitated and then nodded slowly.  He realized he needed time, and maybe it was for the best that he gave it to him.

The next morning, Miranda made her way downstairs and saw Brett in the foyer surrounded by a sea of boxes and luggage.  Her limo driver walked inside the house and she motioned to her single Gucci suitcase by the door.

“Just that one,” she said, sliding a pair of big round sunglasses over her eyes.  “I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Going somewhere?” Brett asked as he picked up one of his own bags.

“Yes, I’m flying to Acapulco,” she replied coldly.  “If I file for divorce there it’ll be final in two days.  I don’t see any point in putting it off any longer than we have to.”

“Are you sure this is what you want?”

She lowered her sunglasses and nodded slowly.

“Well I won’t be here when you get back,” Brett said.  “I’m staying at Hotel Terranova until I find a place to live.  I hope that won’t be too awkward for you seeing as how you run the place.”

“It’s a big hotel,” Miranda said and headed for the door.  “I think I can manage.”

Before she could leave, Brett called after her again.  “Miranda-“

She turned back and looked at him, anticipating another plea for her to change her mind.  Instead, he offered a vague smile and dug his hands into his pockets.

“Have a safe trip,” he said.

She didn’t reply, but was mildly surprised that he hadn’t made one last play for her affection.  She opened the door and walked outside to the limo waiting to take her to the airstrip.

At Cedars-Sinai, Renee slept awkwardly in a waiting room chair, Jordan by her side with his arm around her as she laid her head on his shoulder.  A nurse approached and tapped her gently on the shoulder.

“Mrs. DeWitt,” she said softly and waited until Renee stirred awake.

“Sierra…” she said groggily.  “My daughter…how is she?”

“We’ve moved her out of ICU.  The doctor will let you know when you can go in and see her.”

Renee smiled with relief, turning to Jordan and embracing him warmly.  “Did you hear that?” she asked.

Jordan nodded happily.  “That’s great news.  I told you she was going to be okay.”

Renee stretched and walked with him to the coffee machine.  “I tell you, I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been here for me all night, Jordan.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You did too,” she said and stopped, looking deep into his hazel eyes.  “Not only did you give blood to save my daughter’s life, but you stayed with me all night.  You held me, you talked to me, you let me ramble on endlessly.  You’re a good man, Jordan Rydell.”

He smiled and popped quarters into the machine and got them each a cup of coffee.  He still couldn’t shake the feeling that she was hiding something.  Last night she acted very peculiar, and not just because she feared for her daughter’s life.  There was something more.

After Brett dropped his things off at Hotel Terranova that afternoon, he made his way down to Sunset Studios to test the waters.  After the volatile blowout with Miranda, he wasn’t sure what would happen.

His questions were answered immediately upon arriving at the security gate outside the lot.  The guard refused to him pass, claiming that his clearance had been taken away and that he’d have to obtain a visitors pass at the security building.

Frustrated, Brett went through the motions, claming that he had personal effects that he needed to pick up.  They allowed him to pass with a security escort.  Grudgingly, he went along and made his way into the suite of offices.

‘”Where’s Terri?” he asked, noting the empty desk in the reception area.

“Terminated,” the guard said abruptly.

Brett felt his heart skip a beat.  He never thought that Terri would suffer from their extra curricular activities, but it seemed that Miranda, or more likely Stormy had arranged for her to be fired.

Making his way into his office, he found a few boxes of personal items stacked on a chair.  The filing cabinets were padlocked and his personal computer was noticeably absent from the desk.

“Where’s my computer?” he asked the guard.

“It’s property of Sunset Studios,” said a voice from behind.

Brett quickly spun around and came face to face with Stormy.  He set his jaw angrily and marched forward until he was within inches of his face.

“I had personal things on that computer,” he said.  “I need access to it.”

“You don’t get access to anything anymore, Brett,” Stormy said.  “That includes your files and my sister.”

“You smug son of a-“

“Just consider yourself lucky that you got off as easily as you did,” Stormy threatened him.  “Miranda has a soft spot for whatever reason, and decided not to strip you of everything but the clothes on your back.  I, on the other hand, would have sent you packing without a dime to you name.”

“Everything I have I’ve earned,” Brett said in a rage.  “I never took any handouts from Miranda or your family.”

Stormy chuckled and folded his arms in amusement.  “You took plenty,” he said.  “You took my sister for a ride, not to mention my secretary.  You manipulated Heather, my father, and just about everyone you’ve come in contact with.”

“I manipulated Heather?” Brett said with a laugh.  “Let me get this straight.  You cheated on her with Lauren, then made her think you were getting back together, but got sidetracked by Samantha Fallmont somewhere along the way.  How exactly have you been straight with her?”

Stormy felt like punching his lights out.  He was so smug and self righteous.  In his eyes he had done no wrong, and that’s what made Brett so dangerous. 

“Like I said, you’ve gotten off pretty unscathed,” he continued.  “If I were you I wouldn’t press my luck.  I’d get on the next plane out of California and make yourself scarce.  Go back to Vegas or wherever the hell you came from.”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Brett asked as he picked up his boxes and paused in the doorway.  “No, I think I’ll stick around.  Sunset Studios isn’t the only thing in town.  I’ll be bigger than any of you by the end of the year.  Mark my words.”

Stormy watched him leave, happy to finally be rid of him but also afraid of what he would do next.  With Brett there was always something.

Downtown at city hall, Brooke made her way into the court room, slid into a bench in the back of the room, and waited until Ethan’s case was called.  She knew that James wouldn’t be there, and she didn’t want Ethan to go through something like this by himself.   So she got up early and spent a few hours with Michael before slipping out and driving her own car to the courthouse.

Not that she slept much anyway.  James hadn’t come to bed.  She heard him pacing around the hallways and fidgeting in his study all night.  Whether it was preoccupation with Ethan’s problems, excitement over his uncle Nathan returning, or just plain wanting to avoid her.

When the judge called the case, the bailiff led Ethan into the courtroom and he immediately spotted her seated in the back of the room.  Their eyes locked momentarily and she felt a tear trickle down her cheek in anguish of what he was going through.

The prosecutor made his opening remarks and the judge turned to Ethan.  “Mr. Blackthorne, I understand that you have waived your right to an attorney, is that correct?”

“Yes, your honor,” he replied.

“And how do you plead?”

“Guilty.”

The judge turned to the prosecutor.  “What is Miss Merteuil’s prognosis?”

“Good, your honor,” he replied.  “She was moved from the intensive care unit this morning and the attending physician expects her to make a full recovery.”

“Very well,” the judge said and reviewed his notes and the police report.  “Since Mr. Blackthorne is waiving his right to a trial, I’m ready to make my ruling on sentencing.”

Ethan held his breath, feeling Brooke’s eyes burning into the back of his head. 

“Mr. Blackthorne, since this is your first offense, you have no prior convictions and no history with alcoholic related crimes, I’m inclined to go a bit easy on you.  But a woman’s life was put in jeopardy because of your reckless actions.  For that reason I’m sentencing you to thirty days in the county jail, two years of probation, one year suspension of your motor vehicle operator’s license, and twelve weeks of an outpatient alcohol rehabilitation program, to be chosen and monitored by this court.”

Ethan’s head sunk sorrowfully and he turned to see Brooke stand and look at him with sad, heartfelt eyes.  As he was led out of the courtroom by the guards, he saw a brief flicker of the woman that he had fallen in love with so long ago. 

Hopefully one day he’d learn to forgive her.

Across town at his private air strip, James watched the Sunset Studios jet taxi to a stop on the tarmac.  Leaning against the limousine, he eyed the flock of reporters waiting at bay for the first picture of the legendary Nathan Blackthorne’s return to Los Angeles.  Parked just behind the paparazzi were four police cars and a small army of uniformed officers.

When the pilot opened the doors and James saw his uncle emerge from the jet, he quickly ran up to intercept him.  The reporters flocked to the scene, snapping photos, aiming cameras and clamoring for a quote from the once exiled actor/director.

“Mr. Blackthorne, how does it feel being back in the United States?”

“Do you expect the D.A. to drop the charges against you?”

“Did you coerce Debralee Scott into making the statement on your behalf?”

“What are you plans now that you’re back?”

The questions came fast and furious.  Nathan expertly avoided them, instead smiling coolly and waving as if performing on stage.  He walked down the steps dressed in a linen suit and Italian wing tips.  When he reached the tarmac, he embraced his nephew warmly, patting him on the back and smiling from ear to ear.

“Welcome home,” James said ecstatically as they quickly made their way to the limousine.  “I tried to keep it all a secret but you know how news travels in this town.”

Nathan grinned appreciatively and waved to the crowd of reporters.  “It’s all part of the business,” he said and patted his nephew on the back.

Nathan Blackthorne was a tall, debonair man of sixty-one.  He had a sexual quality that was unmistakably old Hollywood.  Dark hair that was slightly peppered with gray, tan skin, and glossy blue eyes showed his age and experience.

“Debralee Scott really came through,” James said over the noise from the sea of onlookers who still shouted out their questions and flashed cameras in their direction.  He eyed the police making their way through the crowd, fully aware of their intentions.

“Such a sweet girl,” Nathan said and followed his nephew's gaze.  “I’d very much like to see her again.  Did she say if she was going to stick around L.A.?”

James shook his head.  “I don’t think so,” he said.  “But I have a lot to tell you.  For starters, we’re having a party in your honor tomorrow night at the mansion.  All of Hollywood will be there.”

Nathan smiled fondly.  “Just like in the old days, eh James?”

James returned the smile.  “Yes, only better.  I can’t wait for you to see the family.”

“Brooke seems lovely from the photos I’ve seen in the magazines.  You really outdid yourself this time, my boy.  Tell me, will Alex be at your party?”

James was slightly taken aback by his sudden remark.  He knew it would come sooner or later, he only hoped it would come later.  “I’m not sure,” he said, then quickly dismissed the subject.  “And wait till you see Michael.  He’s the next Hollywood mogul in the making.”

“I’ll bet he is,” Nathan said with a chuckle.

“And Stormy has done wonderful things with Sunset Studios.  I know he has a lot of ideas he wants to run by you.  We’ve recently acquired a script that begs for you to star in.”

“I’ll take a look,” Nathan said nonchalantly as two police officers forced him against the side of the limo and placed a pair of handcuffs around his wrists.  “Yes, I have a lot to do now that I’m back.  A lot indeed.”

Alex was chain smoking at home in Malibu when Miranda called to fill her in on her plans.  She paced the living room and adjusted the strap on her nightgown.  She hadn’t gotten dressed all day.  There was no point, she’d decided.

“Darling, if you’re sure this is what you want then I’m behind you every step of the way,” Alex said into the phone.  She was grateful for the opportunity to concentrate on something other than her own problems.  “Yes, have a safe trip and call me when you get back from Acapulco.”

She hung up and turned on the television.  A news broadcast had just come on and footage from Nathan’s arrival lit up the screen.  She hastily lit another cigarette and watched the unsettling events unfold.

“Famed actor and director Nathan Blackthorne returned to Los Angeles only moments ago after living in exile in Paris for the past twenty years,” said the reporter.  “Upon his arrival, a stoic Blackthorne was immediatley arrested and taken into police custody.  Blackthorne had been charged and tried with statutory rape and child molestation in 1987.  It was at that trial that Alex Reynolds, former wife of James Blackthorne, and protégé of Nathan Blackthorne, took the stand and claimed the director had raped her.”

Alex’s eyes flashed open in horror when an old photo of her flashed on the screen.  She sat down on the sofa and resisted the urge to throw something at the television.

“But just before closing arguments, Reynolds recanted her testimony and claimed that she lied,” the report continued.  “Reynolds was sentenced to thirty days in minimum security prison for perjury charges.  During an extended recess ordered by the judge, Blackthorne fled the United States and retreated to France, which of course has no extradition with-“

Alex flipped off the television and threw the remote across the room.  She quickly ran to the bar and poured herself a drink, wishing she could block out the painful memories and go back to a semi-normal life.  But now with Nathan back that was an impossibility.  In jail or not, he was a very real threat to her.

At the hospital, Renee emerged from Sierra’s room and gave Jordan a relieved smile.  “She’s still sleeping, but they say she’s doing much better.”

“That’s wonderful,” Jordan said.  He put his arm around her and led her across the room to a picture window that overlooked the grounds.  A nurse walked into the room and switched on the mid-day news where the footage of Nathan’s arrival was being replayed.

Renee quickly grew upset, fidgeting and turning away in an effort to block out the distraction.

“Just ignore it,” Jordan said and held her close.  “Concentrate on Sierra right now and nothing else.”

She smiled and nodded in agreement.  “She’s a fighter.”

“She must have inherited it from you,” Jordan said with a certain amount of calculation.  He watched her reaction carefully.

“Of course she did,” Renee replied.  Suddenly she stopped smiling, her face drawn and her hands trembling.  Quickly, she covered for herself.  “Well, you know what I mean.  She takes after me from experience.”

Jordan turned her toward him and looked into her eyes.  “Renee, stop,” he said.

“What?” she asked.  She was tired.  Tired of lying.  Exhaustion had set in.

Holding her hand gently, he sat her down in a chair and knelt beside her.  “Renee, I know,” he continued.

“You know what, Jordan?  I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Your blood type matching Sierra’s,” he began.  “You heard Dr. Farraday.  Only seven percent of the population has that blood type.  What are the odds that you and Sierra are a match?”

“Jordan, please-“

“She’s your daughter, isn’t she?  You biological daughter.”

Finally she broke down in tears and shook her head in agony.  Years of lies and cover-ups had taken its toll on her and she couldn’t do it any longer.  “Yes” she finally said.  “Yes, she’s my daughter.  I gave birth to her.”

Jordan closed his eyes, realizing how difficult it must have been for Renee.  “Who is her father?”

She shook her head, refusing to reveal everything.  It would destroy her daughter if she knew the truth. 

“Renee, who is Sierra’s father?” Jordan repeated.

Her eyes simply traveled to the television where footage of Nathan Blackthorne's arrest played over and over again.  She closed her eyes, tormented by the secrets that plagued her.

Next time....

Nathan meets an up and coming actress named Alex, Jordan's wife leaves him with two young children to raise on his own, James spends too much time on location which puts his marriage to Alex in jeopardy, James sets a lie into motion about Ethan's father, Nathan is put on trial with a surprise witness, Nathan finances James' war against Will.

 Read Episode 56