With the morning sun shining on his face, Cayden King stretched in his bed and groaned. He opened his eyes slightly and smiled when he saw Szymon Skubisz lying beside him and watching him silently.

“Hello,” Cayden said softly.

“Good morning,” Szymon responded.

“What time is it?” Cayden questioned.

“It’s just after ten.”

“Seriously?” Cayden inquired. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Because you look so peaceful when you’re sleeping. I didn’t want to bother you,” he said as he reached down and pulled Cayden into his arms. “Besides, I was being selfish, I like laying next to you.”

Cayden laughed and shook his head. “Well now that you’re living here, you can lay next to me whenever you want,” he explained.

“I know, and I’m so happy about that,” Szymon assured him.

“How did Andrea take it when you finally told her you were moving out? Was it bad?” Cayden inquired.

“Are you kidding? She practically packed all of my things. She was thrilled,” Szymon said with a chuckle. “She actually asked me what took me so long.”

“Yeah,” Cayden inquired, “why did you take so long?” He questioned.

“Because of Sammy,” Szymon admitted. “Andrea and I just got divorced, I didn’t want to blindside him again by telling him that I was moving out. Andrea and I spoke to him though, he understands that he still has two parents that love him,” he explained.

“That’s good,” Cayden agreed.

“Yeah, he’s excited about coming over here and staying the night,” Szymon explained.

“That would be great,” Cayden said excitedly. “We’ll spread out in front of the television and watch cartoons all day and eat junk food.”

“You feed my son junk food and you die,” Szymon teased.

“You’re no fun,” Cayden remarked.

“Oh really?” Szymon inquired as he reached down and began to tickle Cayden’s sides, causing him to laugh uncontrollably.

“Stop!” Cayden cried through laughter. “I take it back! I take it back!”

“No,” Szymon warned, “you said I was no fun!”

“I was wrong! You’re tons of fun, I swear!” He shrieked as he tried to get away.

“That’s right,” Szymon said with a smile as he scooped Cayden into his arms and brought him closer. He stared into Cayden’s eyes and Cayden stared back, smiling. “I love you,” he said softly.

“And I love you,” Cayden replied as Szymon leaned in for a kiss.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing?!” They heard someone yell.

“You’re not moving in here, get the hell out!”

Szymon pulled away from Cayden and paused. “What the hell is that racket?” He questioned.

“I signed a lease!” A man yelled.

“Well that’s just too damned bad!” Came the reply.

Cayden shook his head and sighed. “Let me see what’s going on,” he said as he threw the covers off of himself and stepped out of the bed. He walked out of the bedroom and into the living room and paused as he yawned.

”What the hell is your problem? Are you crazy?” He heard a man yell in the hallway.

Slowly, he shuffled to the front door and unlocked it. When he opened the door, he caught a glimpse of Devon James walking into her apartment and slamming her door shut. With a smile, Cayden shook his head and stepped into the hallway wearing just his underwear.

Down the hall stood a young man with dark hair and an embarrassed expression on his face. He too was dressed in just his underwear.

“What’s going on?” Cayden questioned with a smirk.

“I got locked out of my apartment,” the young man admitted.

“How did you manage to do that?” He asked, somewhat amused.

“I met my new neighbor,” the man responded as he pointed to Devon’s apartment.

Standing in the hallway, Cayden King laughed and waved for the young man to come toward him. “Come inside,” he said, “I’ll call the maintenance guy to let you in.”

The man paused for a moment, then started for Cayden’s apartment. “Jesus Christ,” he said, shaking his head with disbelief, “What’s her problem anyway?”

“Oh Devon?” Cayden questioned. “She’s just naturally unhappy,” he explained. “I’m Cayden King by the way,” he said as he extended his hand for a shake.

“Sebastian Vaughn,” the young man replied as he shook Cayden’s hand.

“Well come on in,” Cayden said as he entered his apartment. “I’ll give maintenance a call. I hope the guys not drunk and passed out by now, because then you’ll have a hell of a time getting back in,” he explained.

“Thanks,” Sebastian said as he entered the apartment.

“By the way, I like your Spiderman underwear,” Cayden said over his shoulder as he picked up the phone and smiled.

"Hello?" Gage Matthews said as he held his cell phone to his ear. "Devon, slow down, I can't hear you when you scream. What happened? Are you okay?" He questioned before stopping at the corner and shaking his head.

"Are you serious?" Gage questioned. "You called me screaming because someone moved into the building? I thought you were hurt or in pain or something. No . . . I do care about your feelings . . . no, I'm not calling you stupid, I just think it's not that big of a deal."

He crossed the street and continued walking. "Well what do you expect, the apartment's been vacant for three months now, someone was bound to move in. No . . . I'm not being disrespectful to Mason. I was sad when he died, but that was three months ago. What Kathryn did was horrible, but you can't take it out on this new guy." He paused for a moment. "He called you what? Well . . . it does sound crazy . . ." Gage replied.

Gage stopped as Devon began screaming. "No, Sweetie," he said, "I'm not calling you crazy, I just think you shouldn't be mean to the guy just for getting an apartment. Listen, I'm almost home. I'm at the subway now. I'll be there in ten minutes."

Snapping his phone shut, Gage rounded the corner to go down the stairs to the subway when he was caught off guard and slammed into the brick façade of a building. It took him a moment to recover from the impact.

"Well look who we have here," a tall dark man said with a smirk. "It's Gage Matthews."

Gage closed his eyes and shook his head. "Luis," he said, "hey man, I was just about to call you," he explained.

"Sure you were," the man responded.

"No seriously, I was," Gage explained.

"Where's the money?" Luis questioned.

"Well see, that's why I was going to call you," Gage said. "I have the money, but it's at home. I have to go get it," he assured him.

"That's what you said last week," Luis reminded him. "I'm not going to play this game with you anymore," Luis warned him. "Mr. D'Agostino wants his money. He's not the kind of man who likes to wait, and you've kept him waiting, Gage," he explained.

"I'm sorry," Gage explained. "Tell Mr. D'Agostino that he'll have his money before the end of the day. I promise," Gage said.

"I don't believe you," Luis explained. "In fact, I think you're lying. I don't like liars, Gage," he said as he brought a switchblade into view.

"Listen man," Gage said, reacting to the idea of getting stabbed and left for dead in the streets of New York, "I have the money. I'll pay him back. I swear."

"You have until three o'clock," Luis said as he put the switchblade back into his pocket and punched Gage in the stomach with his fist.

"Jesus Christ!" Gage said as he doubled over and fell onto the sidewalk.

"That's just to make sure that you remember," Luis said before turning and crossing the street and getting lost in the crowd of people.

"Gage?" Sarah Mulberry said as she stooped down beside him. "What the hell was that all about?" She questioned as she looked for the man who had just assaulted her friend. She found herself unable to spot him. She turned back toward Gage and helped him up.

"That was nothing," Gage explained, "just a misunderstanding."

"A big one if you ask me," Sarah said as she did her best to help Gage. "What did he want?"

"Nothing," Gage said as he got to his feet. "I told you it was just a big misunderstanding. What are you doing here anyway?" He questioned.

"Shopping, of course," Sarah responded. "But I'm done now, so I'm going home. You're welcome to join me," she added with a wink.

"Ha ha, very funny," Gage responded. "You know I'm with Devon."

"Yeah. I just thought I'd give it a try," Sarah laughed. "I still don't know what you see in her, but who am I to mess up a happy marriage," she sighed.

"Are you kidding?" Gage chided, "you'd love to mess up a happy marriage."

"Well . . . that's true," Sarah Mulberry chuckled.

"Hello Cayden," Isaiah Montessori said as he stood in the hallway. "Where's my brother?" He questioned.

"He's at therapy," Cayden explained as he stepped aside. "Come in," he said.

"He's not at therapy," Isaiah said as he entered the apartment and shut the door behind him. "I called his therapist. He hasn't been to an appointment in three weeks."

"Are you serious? He's been going twice a week."

"Not according to her, he hasn't," Isaiah explained. "When I agreed to let Elijah stay with you, I was under the impression that you'd be watching out for him," Isaiah explained.

"And I have been," Cayden explained.

"Then why isn't he going to his appointments?" Isaiah questioned. "And when I called his therapist, why did she tell me that she hasn't seen him in three weeks?"

"I don't know," Cayden responded. "He leaves for his appointments on time and he gets back home when he's supposed to."

"Then where is he going?" Isaiah questioned. "I'm sure that I don't have to remind you that he's not exactly back to full capacity, Cayden. He still gets very confused and when he's confused, he can't talk very well. And I'm also sure that I don't have to remind you how dangerous it could be for someone like him out there."

"I know all of that," Cayden assured him. "I see him everyday. I don't just drop by when the mood strikes me," he said.

"Don't give me that crap," Isaiah said. "My brother's handicapped. He could have come to stay with me after you nearly got him killed, but for some unknown reason, he wanted to stay here . . . with you."

"Your brother wanted to stay here because he feels comfortable here," Cayden explained. "He doesn't feel like he's handicapped or mentally deficient when he's with us," Cayden assured him. "He feels like a normal person when he's here."

"But he's not a normal person!" Isaiah responded. "For Christ's sake, he can't even understand how to tie his shoes!"

Cayden King smiled and shook his head in disbelief. "He's been tying his own shoes for almost three months now, Isaiah. He's been able to hold a pen and write for the past two months. Yeah, he stutters and sometimes he gets confused, but he's not handicapped."

"Look, Cayden . . . I didn't mean to take it out on you, I just want to know how my brother is doing. He doesn't call me. He doesn't come over. I called his therapist and she said he hasn't been to his appointments. I'm just trying to understand what's going on here," he explained.

"I have no explanation for why your brother isn't going to his appointments, but when he gets back, I'm going to ask him," Cayden assured him.

"Thank you," Isaiah said. "He's my only brother, Cayden."

"I know," Cayden said with a nod, "but he's getting better. He's doing great. He has his job at the magazine. They were nice enough to hold it for him after . . . the incident," Cayden explained. "Everything is going great. I'm sure nothing is wrong."

"I hope not," Isaiah said with a nod. "Call me when he gets home, I'd like to speak with him."

"Of course," Cayden assured him.

"And listen, I'm sorry for going off on you," Isaiah said as he stepped toward the door.

"Don't give it another thought," Cayden said, "it's water under the bridge."

"Thanks," Isaiah said as he opened the door and stepped into the hall, pulling it closed behind him.

Cayden nodded and glanced at the clock on the wall. Elijah was supposed to be home at any minute. He turned for the phone. Lifting it, he dialed Elijah's cell phone number and waited while it rang.

"Elijah," he said when he heard the voice mail message. "It's Cayden. Give me a call when you have a chance. Your brother was just here and he's pretty upset. Why haven't you been going to your therapy appointments? Listen, just give me a call when you can, okay?" He said.

As he hung up the phone, he heard a knock at the door. "Elijah?" He called out. "Did you forget your key again?" He questioned with a smile as he reached for the doorknob and pulled the door open.

"Mom?" Cayden King said with surprise. "What are you doing here?" He asked as he glanced down at her feet and saw several bags laying there.

Standing in the hall, Victoria King stared at her son, a slight smile on her face.

"Hello Cayden," she said softly.

"Look, she's sorry about what she did earlier," Gage Matthews said as he stood in the hall outside of Sebastian Vaughn's apartment. Devon James stood next to him with her arms crossed. She rolled her eyes.

"She doesn't look very apologetic," Sebastian remarked after glancing at her.

"She is," Gage assured him. "She is," he repeated as he stared at Devon.

"What?" Devon questioned when she noticed Gage staring at her. "Okay, fine!" She said as she turned to Sebastian. "I'm sorry for locking you out of your apartment. Are you happy now?"

"Not as happy as you appear to be," Sebastian rejoined.

"Screw this," Devon said as she turned away. "I'm done trying to be nice. It doesn't work."

"Baby," Gage said as he reached out and grabbed her by the arm, "wait. Devon's pregnant," he said to Sebastian. "She's just a little hostile right now because of hormones."

"If you think I'm hostile now, just wait until later," she said to Gage as she elbowed him in the side, causing him to wince in pain.

"Pussy," she whispered under her breath when she saw his reaction.

"The point is," Gage said, choosing to ignore her remark, "is that Devon isn't going to do anything else to offend you or upset you," he explained. "We've just been going through a very difficult time. The man who lived in this apartment before you was a friend of ours and he was murdered."

"Wait a second," Sebastian Vaughn said. "Some guy died in this apartment?" He questioned.

"No," Gage said in response. "He died in that apartment over there," he said as he pointed to Cayden's apartment.

"In Cayden's apartment?" Sebastian questioned.

"How do you know Cayden?" Devon asked.

"He helped me get back into my apartment when you locked me out," Sebastian explained.

"Fucking good Samaritans," Devon whispered under her breath.

"Wow, I can't believe he'd still live there after someone got killed there."

"Well, it's not like it's the first time someone got killed in that apartment," Gage said.

"Shut up!" Devon said as she elbowed him in the side again and noted his response. "What the hell is wrong with you? I didn't hit you that hard."

Gage rolled his eyes and shook his head. "A girl was murdered in the apartment before Cayden moved in.

"I heard about that," Sebastian said. "Julie something, right?"

"Taylor," Devon James spoke up. "Her name was Julia Taylor. If you're gonna say her name, then say it right or don't say it at all. Anyway, I have to go and decorate for Jesse's party," she said to Gage. Turning toward Sebastian, she smiled. "Don't worry your pretty little face off, Spiderman. No one got killed in your apartment," she said as she turned away. Pausing, she turned back, "But a guy did commit suicide in your apartment at Christmas last year," she added with a chuckle as she walked toward the elevator.

"So . . . yeah . . ." Gage said awkwardly. "Never a dull moment in this building."

"Apparently," Sebastian said with an understanding nod as he stepped back into his apartment and shut the door.

"Okay," Gage said as he turned away. "Way to meet your new neighbor," he added as he shook his head. At the other end of the hall, the elevator door opened and Gage could see a couch being pushed out.

"Wait up," Gage said as he ran down the corridor. "Let me help you!" He got to the other end of the hall just in time to save the couch from smacking into the wall. "Whoa!" He said as he caught the end.

"Oh thanks!" A fat greasy man said as he wiped his brow with the back of his hand.

"You moving in?" Gage questioned.

"Nope," the man responded. "I'm just the mover." He handed an invoice to Gage. "Which apartment is this?" He questioned.

Glancing down at the paper, Gage was shocked to see the apartment number. He glanced up at the moving man. "Someone is moving in there?" He questioned.

"No, I bring furniture up to the eighth floor of buildings just for shits and giggles," he explained.

"It's that one right there," Gage said as he pointed toward the vacant apartment that had once been occupied by Kathryn Hayes.

"He did what?" Cayden King questioned. "That son of a bitch!"

"Cayden!" Victoria King said with shock. "Don't talk about your father like that," she added as she sat on the couch with her bags beside her.

"Mom, he cheated on you," Cayden reminded her.

"Your father is going through a very confusing period right now," Victoria explained.

"Don't make excuses for him," Cayden said, "he's a pig. He slept with another woman."

Victoria King paused and shut her eyes for a moment. "Yes, I'm painfully aware of that, Cayden . . . you don't have to keep reminding me."

"I'm sorry," Cayden said as he rushed to her side and sat down beside her, reaching for her hand. "I'm just . . . shocked."

"Imagine how I felt when I walked in on the two of them," Victoria explained. "And to think, I always thought she was such a nice woman. I even baked her a pie one time. I should have spit in it."

"Mom," Cayden said with a laugh, "that wouldn't be very proper, now would it?"

"To hell with being proper," Victoria King announced. "I'm a forty-year-old woman whose husband just left her for his much prettier, much younger blonde secretary. I think I should be allowed to be just a little pissed off."

"Go right ahead, I won't stop you. I can't believe that bastard," he sighed.

"Cayden, regardless of what your father has done to me, I don't want to hear you talk about him like that," she explained.

"What about what he's done to me?" Cayden questioned. "I almost got evicted," he informed her. "I had to get a job at a convenience store just to pay the rent," he explained.

Victoria King sighed. "I'm so sorry about that," she said.

"You could have stopped him," Cayden said.

"I know," Victoria explained, "but your father is a very strong-willed man. When we found out about you, I didn't know what to do," she said. "I should have done something, but I didn't, and I am so sorry that I didn't," she admitted.

"It's okay, Mom," Cayden assured her. "It wasn't your fault. I know how Dad can be. I don't blame you."

"Thank you for saying that," Victoria said.

"I'm still gay though," Cayden explained.

"Well, I didn't expect you to brag about all of your bitches and hoes," Victoria responded.

"Mom?" Cayden laughed. "Bitches and hoes?"

"I've been watching a lot of primetime shows," Victoria said with a shrug. "But seriously, I've had a lot of time to think about it. Your father may want to prove to the world that he doesn't have a gay son by sleeping around with as many women as he possibly can, but I'm okay with it," she explained. "My son is gay and I love him," she said as she reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Just please don't tell me that there are dresses in your closet, I don't think I could deal with that."

Cayden King laughed. "No," he said as he shook his head. "There are no dresses in my closet."

"Good," Victoria King said as she stood up from the couch and grabbed her bags, "but there soon will be," she said as she carried them into the bedroom.

Sitting on the couch, Cayden King paused and stared off into the distance as he fully realized the repercussions of his parents' separation. "Oh fuck!" He groaned as he sunk back into the couch.

"I heard that!" Victoria King called out from the bedroom.

"Help me with this banner," Devon James said to Elijah Montessori. She had been trying to hang it for at least five minutes before she became angry. "Hey yo!" She called out to him.

Standing beside the table, Elijah Montessori stared at the deflated balloon in his hand questioningly. Devon watched him and sighed. She set the banner down and walked over toward him. "What's wrong?" She questioned.

"I - I don't know how . . ." Elijah said softly, staring up at Devon, slightly confused. His hand started to shake.

"It's okay," Devon said as she reached down and steadied his hand. "Let me show you," she said as she picked the balloon from his hand and held it to her mouth and began to blow.

Elijah's eyes lit up and he smiled. "Okay," he said. "I remember now," he explained as he picked a balloon up and blew it to a tremendous size.

"Now you just tie the end," she said as she showed him with her balloon. He attempted to tie his own, but it was too full and some of the air came out, causing it to deflate slightly. Once it was tied, he held it up and smiled.

"That's great," Devon said. "Now come help me hang this sign," she added.

"Okay," Elijah said with a smile.

"Just hold up that end," she said as she front door of Jesse's apartment was thrown open.

"Holy shit!" Gage Matthews shouted as he stepped inside.

Elijah jumped, dropping the sign, and put his arms up to protect his head. He shut his eyes as tightly as he possibly could and waited.

"Asshole!" Devon yelled. "You scared the shit out of me!" She picked up the roll of tape and threw it at Gage. Turning toward Elijah she put her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," she said, "it's just Gage being a prick."

Elijah smiled and nodded. "I'm sorry," he said, "I still get a little jumpy."

"You get jumpy?" Devon questioned. "I almost had this baby right here and now." She turned toward Gage and shook her head. "Dumb ass," she said.

"You won't believe what I just found out," Gage said. "Sebastian Vaughn isn't the only new tenant that's moving in today," he explained as he walked over to the table and picked up a slightly deflated balloon. "Who the hell blew this one?" He questioned.

"I did," Elijah responded.

"And I think it looks great," Devon said reassuringly.

"Oh yeah," Gage said, trying to be supportive. "It's wonderful," he added as Devon and Elijah went about hanging the sign once again.

"Where's the tape?" Devon questioned.

"It's in the corner where you threw it," Gage answered.

"Well go get it, dumb ass!" Devon demanded. Gage walked over to the corner and picked up the tape. "Cut me a piece," she said.

"Someone's moving into Kathryn's apartment," Gage announced. Elijah lost his balance as he tried to hold the sign steady and fell into the corner.

"I hate that name," he said as he got back to his feet.

"Are you serious?" Devon questioned. "Who would move into that psycho's apartment?" She questioned.

"Some dude named Ryan Clarke," Gage explained as he helped Elijah with his end of the sign and taped it in place.

"Whoever it is, they better not be a psycho," Devon said. "We've had more than our share of crazy neighbors."

"No kidding," Gage agreed. "Whenever someone moves in, you know something bad is going to happen."

"What is he doing here?" Devon James asked Gage Matthews as she glanced over her shoulder at Cayden King.

"Who, Cayden?" Gage questioned. "He's here for Jesse's party."

"He shouldn't be here," Devon said. "Jesse is my friend."

"He's Jesse's friend too," Gage explained.

"But he's not my friend," Devon James explained.

"Well thank God this party is for Jesse," Gage reminded her, "because if it was for you, no one would be here," he explained.

"Fuck you," Devon said as she elbowed him in the side. Gage winced. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Devon questioned as she lifted his shirt. "Gage," she said, her eyes going wide at the sight of the large bruise on his abdomen, "What happened?" She questioned.

"You elbowed me in the side," Gage laughed.

"Bullshit," she said, "who hit you?"

"No one," Gage responded. "There was a fight in the subway and I was a little to close to it. I got knocked into a bench," he explained.

"I should knock you out," Devon declared. "You know better than to get right up front when people are fighting," she said as she shook her head. "I would elbow you again, but I might break your rib," she said.

"Oh, thanks for being so generous," Gage said.

"What do you think she's saying about me?" Cayden questioned as he helped Elijah blow up balloons in the corner. He glanced over at Devon.

"Sh-she's probably t-talking shit," Elijah said as he tied his balloon. In the short time since Devon showed him how to do it, he had managed to blow and tie a pretty decent looking balloon.

"No kidding. She probably hates the fact that I'm here. I don't care," Cayden said as he shrugged his shoulders. "If she wants to hold a grudge for the rest of her life, then she's the one that has to deal with it."

"You accused her of m-murder," Elijah reminded him.

"I apologized," Cayden explained.

"Szymon held a guh-gun on her," Elijah added.

"Yeah, but he didn't shoot her," Cayden whined.

"G-give her some t-time," Elijah said, "Sh-she'll come around."

"Yeah right, when hell freezes over," Cayden said as he reached for another balloon. "Hey, did you get my message?" He questioned.

"Wh-what message?" Elijah questioned.

"Your brother came over. He was pissed. He found out that you haven't been going to your therapy appointments," Cayden explained. Elijah paused and stared at him.

"I'm not going back," he announced.

"Why not? You need to go to therapy. How else do you expect to get better?"

"I am b-better," Elijah said. "I'm n-not handicapped. I'm not guh-going back!" He turned away from the balloons and stormed into the kitchen to check on the food.

Devon and Gage glanced at Cayden and Devon shook her head and went after Elijah. Gage slowly walked toward Cayden.

"What was that about?" He questioned.

"Elijah stopped going to his therapy appointments," Cayden said.

"That's a bad idea," Gage agreed.

"Can you talk to Devon for me?" Cayden questioned.

"I'm not giving her a message if that's what you're thinking. If the two of you want to stay mad at each other, then go ahead, but don't use me to send messages to one another."

"Why? Did she want to send a message to me?" Cayden questioned, slightly curious.

"No," Gage responded.

"Liar, what did she want?" Cayden questioned.

"She wanted to borrow a movie. I told her that if she wanted it, she had to ask you."

"And what did she say?" Cayden questioned.

"She went to Blockbuster," Gage admitted.

"That's just like her," Cayden said as he shook his head. "I just need you to tell her that she needs to convince Elijah to go back to therapy. He's doing a lot better, that much is true, but if he keeps going, he'll get better even faster. For some reason, he's gotten closer to her these past three months. She's the only person that he listens too these days."

"I'll try," Gage said, "but I won't promise anything."

"Hello everybody!" Mrs. Mulberry said as she entered Jesse's apartment. "I brought one of my homemade pies. Jesse always liked them," she said as she set it down on the table and glanced around the room. "What's with all these sad-looking balloons?" She questioned. "They look like limp dicks."

"Elijah blew them," Cayden responded.

"What's up with that?" Mrs. Mulberry questioned. "I thought fags knew how to blow?"

"I h-heard that," Elijah said with a smile.

"Well, I said it loud enough," Mrs. Mulberry responded with a smirk as she picked up one of the balloons and tossed it in his direction as she glanced around the room. "Well, what the hell is going on?" She questioned. "This is supposed to be a party. Everybody looks like they're attending a wake."

"Hello, hello, hello!" Sarah Mulberry said as she stepped into the apartment smiling.

"Oh, hell no," Devon said with frustration at the sight of Sarah Mulberry.

"Did I miss him?" Sarah questioned. "Is Jesse here yet?"

"No, he's not here yet," Devon explained, "but when he gets here, you won't be here, so just turn around and leave," she added as she pointed to the door.

Cayden King shook his head and stepped forward. "Sarah is Jesse's friend," she said, speaking up. She has as much a right to be here as anyone else."

Devon turned and shot Cayden a hateful expression. "Jesse's friends are already here," she said, "everyone else can just leave. You included."

"What the hell is your problem?" Cayden questioned.

"My problem?" Devon questioned. "My problem? What the hell gives you the right to come in here and start demanding answers from me? Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Jesse's friend," Cayden responded. "And up until recently, I thought I was your friend too," he reminded her.

"Friends don't accuse one another of murder," Devon retorted.

"That's enough!" Mrs. Mulberry yelled. "This is a party dammit, and we're all just going to relax and have fun if I have to beat the shit out of you to do it! Am I making myself clear?"

Cayden and Devon turned toward Mrs. Mulberry, their jaws dropped. Each of them knew better than to go up against the tiny tyrant. Instead, Devon sighed and shook her head and sat down on the couch. Cayden stared at Devon for a long while, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Do you have a nervous twitch or something," Mrs. Mulberry questioned as she crossed her arms atop her breast and stared at Cayden. "Or do you have a problem?"

Cayden sighed. "I have a problem," he responded.

"Fine, then let's hear it," Mrs. Mulberry demanded. "If we have to do this, then let's get all of our problems out on the table before Jesse gets here, because so help me God, if any one of you little shits ruins this welcome home party, I'll drag your ass to the incinerator and dump you down the chute myself."

"She's my problem!" Cayden said as he pointed to Devon.

"Fuck you!" Devon said as she stood up from the couch.

"Baby," Gage said as he went to grab her arm to prevent her from taking another step forward, but Devon wrenched her arm away from him before he could get a hold of it.

"You thought I was a murderer," Devon shouted.

"I was confused!" Cayden shouted back. "I didn't know what to think!"

"Well, you could have trusted me," Devon explained. "You could have believed that I would never kill my best friend. You could have had some faith in me!"

"Well I'm sorry that I'm not perfect," Cayden retorted. "I'm sorry that I got scared. My life was in danger, you know!"

"Your life? I was the one who got stabbed in the back!" Devon said.

"Yeah well, Kathryn shot me!" Cayden explained. "In the arm, I might remind you."

"And she pushed me down the stairs!" Sarah interjected.

"Yeah, well she didn't push you hard enough," Devon said.

"Oh screw you!" Sarah said as she took a step forward.

"Guys," Gage said as he glanced toward the door.

"Shut up," Devon said as she reached back and whacked him on the arm. "This has been coming for a long time," she said as she took another step toward Cayden. "You were my best friend and you turned on me. You and your boyfriend accused me of murder and held a gun on me. Do you honestly think that I'm just going to forget about that because you made a mistake?" She questioned.

"Hey guys," Gage said again.

"Shut up!" Cayden shouted to Gage before turning toward Devon again. "So tell me, Miss High and Mighty, what would you have done? Maybe I did make a mistake, but don't bring Szymon into this, he was just following up on a lead. Your fingerprints were all over the pictures we found in the incinerator. What was he supposed to think?"

"Those pictures were stolen from my apartment," Devon explained.

"Well, why didn't you ever report it?" Cayden questioned.

"Because I didn't know," Devon answered. "I kept them in a shoebox under the bed. I couldn't bring myself to look at them. I couldn't bring myself to open the box and look at all of the pictures of me and Julia and remember all of the fun times we had together, because when I was done, I would have to close the box and remember that she dead."

"Hey guys!" Gage Matthews yelled loudly.

"What!!? Cayden and Devon questioned in unison.

"Jesse's here," he said as he pointed to the door.

Everyone in the room turned toward the doorway with shocked and embarrassed expressions on their faces. Standing there, with a bag slung over his shoulder, was Jesse Martinez. He glanced around at all of the faces in his apartment and offered a meager smile.

"Hello," he said softly.

"Hello," Jesse Martinez said again softly as he set his bag down on the floor and took a step forward.

"Well shit . . . surprise . . ." Mrs. Mulberry said as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Jesse," Devon said as she walked toward him and threw her arms around him. "It's so good to see you. How are you?" She questioned.

"Fine," Jesse said as he hugged her back. "I'd ask how all of you are, but something tells me that you're all not doing so good," he said as he pulled away from Devon's embrace and glanced around the room from face to face. "What's going on?" He questioned.

"It's a welcome home party," Cayden said as he walked over to Jesse and gave him a hug.

Jesse smiled. "Thanks, but I feel like I just walked onto the set of Jerry Springer."

"I'm sorry about that," Cayden said. "We were just . . . having a disagreement," he explained as he glanced at Devon.

"A disagreement?" Jesse inquired. "Looked to me like World War III."

"Not yet," Devon warned as she shot Cayden a glance.

"Welcome home," Mrs. Mulberry said as she stepped front and center and gave Jesse a hug.

"Welcome home Jesse," Sarah said as she leaned in and threw her arms around him and her grandmother, causing Devon to roll her eyes and mutter something under her breath.

"W-welcome home," Elijah said as he stood in the corner, safe from the hostilities.

"I don't understand it," Jesse said as he shook his head. "Why are you all so mad at each other? Kathryn is gone and Julia will be here any minute. She's gonna love that we're having a party," he said with a smile. "Whoa, is that pie?" He questioned as he walked over to Mrs. Mulberry's famous dessert.

Devon glanced at Cayden with a dumbfounded expression and Cayden stared back, shrugging his shoulders with confusion.

"Jesse," Mrs. Mulberry said as she took a step forward. "Julia is dead. Don't you remember?"

"Of course I remember," Jesse said as he slice a piece of pie for himself and put it on a plate. "But it's not true."

"What's not true?" Devon questioned.

"Julia isn't dead," Jesse explained.

"Of course she is," Devon reminded him.

"No," Jesse said with a smile. "It was a lie. They were trying to flush out her killer, so they faked her death to make Kathryn think that she was dead. But she's not," Jesse explained.

"How do you know this?" Cayden questioned.

"Because I just saw her," Jesse explained matter-of-factly.

"You saw her?" Devon questioned.

"Yeah, I was just getting out of the cab and I glanced up and saw her in the window. She's back guys, isn't it great?" He asked as he glanced at all of the faces in the apartment. He noticed that no one was smiling. "What's wrong?" He questioned.

"Jesse, I don't think Julia is back," Devon said.

"Maybe you should lay down and get some rest," Mrs. Mulberry said as she took a step forward.

"Yeah, you're probably exhausted," Gage added.

"I'm not exhausted," Jesse explained. "Don't look at me like that," he said. "You all think I'm crazy. I'm not crazy," he affirmed.

"You just came out of a mental institution," Devon James reminded him.

"And I'm better now," Jesse assured her. "I am. I know what happened. I know that I killed Kathryn Hayes. I know that she was the one who killed Julia. I know all of that. I can deal with it now, I really can. But the truth is," he said with a smile. "The truth is all of that was a cover up. None of it was really true. Kathryn didn't kill Julia because Julia is alive. I saw her with my own two eyes!"

"I think he's gone crazy again," Sarah Mulberry whispered to her grandmother as she stood in Jesse's apartment watching him go on and on about how he'd seen Julia Taylor. "Maybe he escaped," she added.

"Oh shut up," Mrs. Mulberry said with frustration. "Jesse, Sweetheart," she said as she took another step forward and placed her hand on Jesse's arm, guiding him toward the bedroom. "I think you should go and lay down. Get some rest."

"I don't need to rest. I want to be here when Julia gets here," he explained.

"No Jesse, I think you really need to get some rest," Mrs. Mulberry assured him and she guided him toward the bedroom.

"Take your hands off of my grandson," a shot long-haired Hispanic woman standing in the doorway demanded.

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Mulberry questioned as she glanced in the woman's direction at the same time that everyone else in the room turned to look at her.

"I said take your hands off of my grandson," she repeated as she took a step forward and stared Mrs. Mulberry down. "He's just been released from the hospital. He's had a very long day. He doesn't need all of you harassing him right now."

"No one here is harassing him," Mrs. Mulberry shot back. "We're his friends, we want to make sure that he's well taken cared of."

"Yes, well as great as that is," the woman said, "I am his grandmother. I will be taking care of him," she announced. "Jesse, vaya a dormir," she said as she pointed to the bedroom.

"Pero abeula," Jesse responded.

"Pero abuela nothing," the woman responded, "I said go to sleep. You've had a very long day," she explained.

"Okay," Jesse said with a nod. He turned to all of his friends. "Thanks for the party guys. Let me know when Julia gets here, okay?" He asked as he headed into the bedroom.

"Yes, thank you for the party," the woman said, "you can all leave now. I will clean up."

"I don't believe we've met," Mrs. Mulberry said as she took a step toward the woman and extended her hand for a shake while she glanced up at down at the woman, summing her up and coming to the conclusion that she very much disliked her. "Louisa Mulberry," she said. "I've been looking after Jesse for several years," she added.

"Liliana Martinez," the woman responded, coming to the very same conclusion about Mrs. Mulberry. She didn't like her, and what's more, she didn't like the way Mrs. Mulberry tried to assert her control over Jesse. "Thank you for looking out for my grandson," she said, "but I am here now and I will look after him," she announced. "He doesn't need anyone else," she added.

"With all due respect," Mrs. Mulberry interjected. "Jesse needs all of the friends he can get. I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but he still believes that Julia Taylor is alive," she explained.

"I am aware of my own grandson's mental state," Liliana responded, "and I will make it my life's mission to make sure that nothing bad ever happens to him again. That includes any bad influences that he may experience," she said as she glanced around the room.

"Bad influences?" Devon James questioned as she cocked her head to the side. She had the nagging suspicion that she wasn't going to like Liliana Martinez, not in the least.

"Look, I'm sure you all mean well, but the road to hell is paved with the best intentions," Liliana explained.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Devon questioned.

"It means that each and every one of you, whether you meant to or not, contributed to my grandson's fragile mental state. If he had never met any of you, he would be fine."

"Excuse me?" Devon James said with surprise.

"You have been excused," Liliana Martinez reminded her. "In fact, I would like all of you to leave right now," she said as she pointed to the door. "Please!"

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Devon questioned.

"Devon!" Mrs. Mulberry said as she raised her hand and called for Devon to stop. She turned toward Liliana Martinez and smiled. "Mrs. Martinez," she said, "you must be mistaken. We aren't here to hinder your grandson's improvement. We love Jesse. We only want to make sure that he's okay."

"With all due respect, Mrs. Mulberry, that is my job. I will see to my grandson's recovery. Jesse is extremely fragile, and because of it, I will not allow him to be around people that can trigger another episode. I'm going to have to ask you all to leave."

"This is ridiculous," Devon said as she shook his head. "Where were you these past few years? Where were you when Julia died? Why is this the first time that we've all seen you? If you love your grandson the way you say you do, then why weren't you here for him?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you," Liliana replied. "Now, get out of this apartment right now or I will call the police."

"Wait a second," Cayden King said as he stepped forward. "There's no need for that. We're leaving," he added as he glanced at everyone in the room. "Come on guys, let's just go," he said as he began to usher everyone out of the apartment.

"There's just one more thing," Liliana Martinez said to them as they exited. "Do not call my grandson, do not knock on his door or drop by for a visit. Do not approach him if you see him. In fact, pretend as if you don't see him. I don't want any of you to have anything to do with Jesse ever again. Now, have a nice day," she said as she shut the door.

"Skubisz, get in here," Chief Connor O'Shay called out before stepping back into his office. Szymon Skubisz sighed and stood up from his desk. He paused for a moment to stare at the empty desk across from his where Cecilia Nakamura once sat. He sighed, hoping that she'd be back soon.

Slowly, he walked over to the Chief's office and stepped inside. "Hey Chief, what's up?" He questioned as the man behind the desk motioned for him to sit down.

"Szymon," he said. "You're one of the best detectives we have. You get the job done and that's what we need around here. We haven't had any problems with you or your behavior other than a few minor incidents with some of the other guys and some complaints about activity in the locker room."

"Activity in the locker room?" Szymon questioned.

"It's nothing," the Chief said as he waved his hand. "Some of the guys don't like the fact that you're gay," he explained. "Me? I have no problem with it. What you do in your personal life is no one's business, but what you do in your professional life is my business."

"Have I messed up, Sir?" Skubisz questioned, slightly confused.

"You've gone through three temporary partners in the three months since Nakamura's been on disability leave," O'Shay explained. "I've got every guy in the department beating down my door telling me how much of an asshole you are to work with. They hate you out there," he explained.

"Sir, with all due respect, the guys that I've been assigned to work with are a bunch of idiots," he explained.

"No shit," O'Shay said as he nodded his head. "I'm inclined to agree with you, but I just got a fourth request for reassignment. Ruiz came in here today and begged me to reassign him. He even went so far as to offer to do traffic. Now what am I supposed to think when one of my homicide detectives comes into my office and begs to do anything but work with you?" He questioned.

"I don't know, Sir," Szymon responded.

"We all love Detective Nakamura, and what happened to her was horrible, but this department has to go on and you've got to get along with whoever is assigned as your partner until Nakamura returns," he explained. "Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir, it is," Szymon responded.

"Good. Then I'm reassigning Ruiz as requested and I'm assigning you a new partner," O'Shay said. "Do me a favor, Skubisz, don't fuck this one up too. I'm running out of guys here."

"Don't worry, Chief, I won't fuck it up again," Skubisz said as he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," Chief O'Shay said as he waved to the officer.

"Chief," Joseph Lester said as he stepped into the office and glanced at Szymon Skubisz. His face flashed red with anger at the sight of the homosexual police detective and he did his best to ignore him. "You wanted to see me?" He questioned.

"Lester," Chief O'Shay said, "have a seat. Skubisz, Officer Lester just got a promotion to detective. I'm assigning him as your partner. You're gonna have to teach him to ropes, but he's a good officer," he explained.

"Fuck this," Lester muttered.

"God dammit," Szymon said as he shook his head.

Szymon Skubisz stared at Joseph Lester in shock. Joseph Lester stared back at him equally dismayed. "Is there a problem, gentleman?" Chief O'Shay questioned as he leaned forward and stared at the both of them.

"No, Sir," they said in unison.

"Good, then say hello to your new partner and get the hell out of my office and back to work," the Chief demanded.

Szymon Skubisz stood up from his seat and crossed toward the door in silence. As he stepped out of the office, he realized that he never missed Cecilia Nakamura more than he did at that moment.

"Skubisz," Lester said as he followed him. "Let's get one thing straight," he said. "I'm only working with you because I have to," he explained. "Don't try any of that perverted gay shit on me, am I clear?"

"Fuck off," Szymon retorted. "You're not my type anyway, asshole."

"Who the fuck was that?" Devon James questioned as she and the others stood on the elevator. "Where does she get off thinking that she can just excommunicate us from Jesse's life?"

"Calm down," Gage said softly. "You're pregnant now, you have to think about the baby . . ."

"The baby's fine," Devon retorted. "Your demon child is growing quite nicely," she added with a sarcastic smile.

"That was a little strange," Cayden King said, somewhat mystified by what had just happened. "Jesse never told me anything about his grandmother before. Where has she been all of this time."

"The more prudent question is, now that she's here, what does she think she's going to do?" Mrs. Mulberry spoke up. "I for one think she talks pretty tough for being such a little shit."

"No kidding," Sarah Mulberry agreed. "I'm not going to let her stop me from seeing Jesse," she added.

"Well, if she doesn't stop you, then I will," Devon explained.

"Oh back off!" Sarah shouted.

"Bitch, you wanna go at it right here?" Devon questioned.

"The baby!" Gage reminded her.

"Fucking shit," Devon said, remembering her delicate condition. "I'm kicking your ass after I give birth," she promised as she pointed her finger in Sarah's face.

"Oh, I'm so scared," Sarah rejoined.

"Why is she fucking with me?" Devon questioned as she glanced at Gage. "Why does she keep testing me like this? I swear to God, Gage, I swear to God, I'm gonna hit her."

"No," Gage said, "you're not going to hit her. You're not going to hit anyone. We're going back to your apartment and we're going to lay down and relax," he informed her.

"D-Devon," Elijah said softly. "W-we can watch that m-movie I bought. The one w-with Jude Law in it. He's h-hot."

"Oh yeah," Devon said with a smile.

"He has a little dick," Mrs. Mulberry announced, causing everyone to look at her. "What?" She questioned as the elevator doors opened. "I saw the video online."

"Elijah," Cayden said as they stepped out onto the eighth floor. "I thought we were going to watch that movie?" He questioned. "And order a pizza?"

"S-sorry," Elijah responded. "I promised D-Devon we'd see if. But w-we can watch it together l-later," he offered.

"Whatever, do what you want," Cayden said as he rolled his eyes and turned away.

"Hey!" Devon shouted. "Don't be rude to him!"

"Oh, mind your business," Cayden responded.

"Just because he agreed to watch the movie with me doesn't mean that you can treat him like shit," she expressed. "He has other friends, you know. You're not the only person in his life, as much as you'd like to be."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Cayden said as he turned back. The other in the hall had already taken their familiar stances, staring at the two of them.

"It means that not everything revolves around you and your problems, Cayden. Some of us have lives of our own and problems of our own."

"I never said you didn't," Cayden responded.

"This past year has been all about you," Devon continued, "and what you want and what you couldn't have. It's time for the rest of us to have lives."

"Then go on," Cayden said, "I don't care. Go on and live your life!" He yelled.

"You're just mad that you're not the center of the universe anymore," Devon said. "You're pissed because the rest of us aren't paying attention to you anymore, and it makes you crazy."

"You are a sad little unhappy wench," Cayden said, shaking his head. "Whatever friendship we used to have is gone. I can't even see it anymore," he sighed. "The Devon I used to know is gone."

"That's the problem, Cayden," Devon said as she took a step forward. "You never really knew me. You never really knew any of us," she added as she motioned to the people around her. "The world according to Cayden King is over. It's our time to take front and center. Why don't you just go back into the background where you belong?"

"I am where I belong," Cayden retorted. "This is my life," he said as he threw his arms in the air. "If you want to be a part of it, then fine, but if you want to walk away, that's fine too. I'm done being the nice Cayden that everybody loves. I moved here and got the shock of my life. I had to make changes and adjustments, but I did it. But not you," he said as he shook his head.

Cayden King paused and sighed. He smiled with frustration as he glanced at Devon James. "You can't change. You can't even forgive someone when he makes a mistake and apologizes. You want to be unhappy. You want to be miserable. Well go ahead, see if I care. Live your life," he said, mocking her.

"Hey guys!" Jesse Martinez shouted as he raced off of the elevator. "Did you see her? Did you see her?" He questioned as he ran toward the group.

"Did we see who?" Mrs. Mulberry questioned as she glanced over at Sarah quizzically.

"I didn't see anyone," Gage explained as he glanced up and down the hall.

"W-who?" Elijah questioned.

"Julia!" Jesse shouted. "She was just downstairs. I saw her out the window. She's gonna be here any minute," he exclaimed.

"Jesse," Cayden said softly, wondering if perhaps the mental institution has prematurely released his friend. "Julia is dead."

"No she's not," Jesse Martinez said forcefully, his face full of outrage. "She's alive!" He yelled as he turned back toward the elevator. He had to get away from these people. They weren't his friends anymore. They looked like his friends and sounded like his friends, but there were definitely not his friends. His friends wouldn't have treated him like he was crazy. His friends would have believed him. He pressed the elevator button. "My grandmother was right," he said. "you're not my friends . . ."

As the elevator doors opened, Devon moved after Jesse, but the breath was taken away from her and she paused in her tracks, her heart beating out of her chest.

"Holy shit," Mrs. Mulberry gasped, surprise getting the better of her. She stumbled backward, grateful that Sarah was there to catch her.

"Oh my God," Cayden King said as he stared in the direction of the elevator with disbelief.

Standing on the elevator was a beautiful young woman with long brown hair. She glanced at the group of people standing by the elevator and flashed them a smile. "Hello," she said softly as she stepped off of the elevator curiously. "I'm Ryan Clarke."

She was a dead ringer for Julia Taylor.