Cayden reached into his dresser and pulled out a pair of pajama bottoms and a shirt and set them on the side of his bed. He paused, glancing over his shoulder at the bathroom door for a moment before stepping out of the bedroom. He sat in the living room of his apartment, glancing around at the decorations for his mother’s engagement party as he heard the shower running in the bathroom. He glanced down at the coffee table in front of the couch and saw the gift that he had gotten his mother. It angered him to think that his father had caused her any more pain.

He could hear the shower being turned off and a moment later, he heard the bathroom door open slowly. He held his breath. Who was this stranger in his home, this boy who looked like him and sounded like him? He still couldn’t understand how Izik Morin was his brother, and how his father could keep such a secret from him and his mother. Despite that, Cayden King knew one thing, he hated his father.

In the doorway of the bedroom, Izik Morin emerged, pulling the white t-shirt over his head. Cayden glanced in his direction. His eyes traced down the length of Izik’s torso and came to rest on a purple bruise on his midsection.

"What are you looking at?" Izik questioned when he realized that Cayden was staring at him. It made him uncomfortable and he took a step back, an outward sign of his inward turmoil. He waited.

"I’m sorry," Cayden said as he glanced up at Izik’s face. He raised his hand toward Izik’s midsection. "That bruise," he said. "What happened?"

"That’s none of your business," Izik answered. He didn’t want to share his life story with a complete stranger, and especially not the son that his father chose over him.

"Relax," Cayden said with a sigh. "I’m not your enemy here." He looked into Izik’s eyes and attempted to smile. "Why don’t you sit down? We need to talk."

Izik hesitated for a moment. Cayden seemed like a perfectly nice person, but Izik had met other perfectly nice people before and had quickly discovered that they weren’t as nice as they appeared to be. He sat down anyway.

"I’m sorry if you hate me," Cayden began, "but I don’t think it’s fair to dislike me because of what our father did," he explained. "Until you came into my apartment, I had no idea that you even existed."

"I know," Izik responded as he glanced away. "But I hate you anyway," he explained.

"Okay, fine," Cayden said, "but give me a chance to change that."

"Why?" Izik questioned as he glanced at his older brother.

"Because you’re my brother," Cayden explained, "and because you’re obviously hurt," he said as he pointed to Izik’s midsection.

"I’m fine," Izik responded as he shielded his bruise from Cayden.

"What happened?"

"Life happened," Izik said. "I couldn’t take it anymore, all my mother did all day was drink herself unconscious. I kept waiting for something to happen . . . something to change . . . and then I realized that I didn't want to wait anymore. I had to get out of there, so I ran," Izik admitted. "I found out that it’s not so easy to live on the streets," he said with a shrug, "I made a lot of mistakes and I got into some trouble. I got roughed up, it’s nothing."

"It’s nothing?" Cayden questioned. "It’s the size of a softball, Izik."

"Don’t pretend to care for me," Izik said. "I know I came in here and ruined your whole life. You’d want nothing more than to see me gone," he responded.

"That’s not true," Cayden argued. "I mean, yes, I was shocked to find out about you, but that doesn’t mean that I want you gone. I just want to understand," Cayden explained.

"Why?" Izik questioned.

"Because . . ." Cayden said as his cell phone began to ring. He sighed as he reached for it. "It’s Szymon," he said, "I have to take this. Hello?" He said softly as he held the cell phone to his ear. "Yes, of course," he said to his boyfriend. "I’ll be right there." He hung up the phone and glanced at Izik. "I have to leave," he explained.

"I’ll get my stuff," Izik said as he stood up from the couch.

"No," Cayden said as he reached over and grabbed his brother’s hand. "Please stay," he said.

"You don’t even know me," Izik Morin reminded him. "And you trust me in your apartment alone."

"No," Cayden said as he shook his head. "But I want you to stay anyway. Go to my bed and get some sleep. I just need to call someone," he said as he stood up from the couch. He dialed a number and held the phone to his ear.

Izik watched him, unsure of what to make of this older version of him. Cayden seemed so sure of everything, so willing to put himself out there . . . He didn’t understand it.

"Hi," Cayden said softly as he held the cell phone up to his ear. "I need you to do me a big favor . . ."

Jesse Martinez had a decision to make. He sat in the middle of the living room with a letter in one hand and an address in the other. He paused, unsure of what to do. Inwardly, he tried to decide if he should follow up on the letter that Sarah gave him - a letter from a patient at Wellington Hills or if he should instead take a drive to Palmer, Massachusetts where Julia Taylor grew up.

He glanced up from his choices. "What do you think I should do?" He asked Sebastian Vaughn, who sat across from him. "Should I go to Connecticut or Massachusetts? Or both?" He questioned.

Sebastian leaned forward and reached for both the letter and the address in Palmer. He glanced at them curiously before setting the letter down and handing Jesse the address. "I don't know if gong to Connecticut or Massachusetts is the right idea right now. Maybe you should just wait."

"I don't want to wait anymore," Jesse responded. "I've waited long enough."

Sebastian paused for a moment. He realized that Jesse really needed to do this. "You should go to Massachusetts," he explained.

"But what about this letter?" Jesse questioned. "Don’t you think it might be important?"

"It’s a letter from a patient at a psychiatric facility," Sebastian said as he picked it up and skimmed it over. "Whoever this is, they don’t seem like they have their wits about them," he explained. "You could go down there and not find anything," he explained. "The whole trip could be for nothing. You have more of a chance to get information if you go to Palmer and speak to the people in the neighborhood where Julia grew up," he explained.

"You’re right," Jesse said as he nodded his head. "I shouldn’t waste anymore time. I’ve sat on this for three months," he explained. "The minute I found that picture of Julia and Jamie, I should have gone to Palmer and checked it out for myself."

"Why didn’t you?" Sebastian questioned curiously.

"I don’t know," Jesse responded as he stood up and walked toward the window. "I was scared maybe. Julia never really talked much about her life before she met me. I knew that she had her share of problems. It was only when she died that I heard the stories."

"What stories?" Sebastian questioned.

"Szymon hated me," Jesse explained. "He thought I killed her. He said she was a prostitute and came from an abusive relationship. He told me that she used people and discarded them when she didn’t need them anymore."

"Was he telling the truth?" Sebastian questioned.

"At the time I thought he was lying," Jesse explained. "I thought he was just trying to get me angry to trip me up into confessing."

"And now?" Sebastian asked.

"I asked him a couple of month ago," Jesse answered as he glanced at Sebastian, "and he told me that he didn’t make any of it up. He was telling the truth."

"I’m sorry."

"I knew who Julia was," Jesse explained, "I just don’t know if I can handle knowing who she used to be," he admitted.

"And you shouldn’t have to," Sebastian Vaughn said as he stood up from the floor and crossed over to his friend. "At least not by yourself. I’m coming with you," he said softly as he placed his hand on Jesse’s shoulder.

"I can’t believe she really expects us to count every last little paper umbrella," Ryan Clarke said as she glanced down at the pile of umbrellas sitting on the bar in front of her.

"Something happened," Ariana Nakamura said as she glanced up from counting her portion of the paper drink toppers.

"What do you mean?" Ryan questioned.

"When something really bad happens, she gets really bitchy." Ariana said as she held up an umbrella.

"I just thought she was being herself," Ryan noted.

"Oh, she is," Ariana explained, "this is just extra bitchy," she said with a shrug.

"No, no no!" La Diva Jackson shouted from where she stood in front of the stage. "I said right, not left!" She headed for the stage where Vasilios Hatzis was dancing. He paused with frustration.

"When I asked you to help me with my routine, I didn’t mean for you to go all diva on me."

"I can’t help it," La Diva responded, "it’s my name. You asked me for help," she explained. "I‘m perfectly content to just decorate this place for our ‘70‘s party, but I am taking time out of my busy scheduled to help you," she explained. "So enough with the bitchy attitude."

"I need a quick break," Vasilios said as he stepped off of the stage and started out of the room.

"Fine, be back in five!" La Diva shouted.

At the bar, Ryan smirked. "She’s fierce," she noted as she set the umbrella’s aside. "Finally," she sighed. "We’re done. I think I have just enough time to go home, grab a quick shower and a two-minute nap before I have to be back."

"No kidding," Ariana said. "They work us like dogs."

"Woof, woof," Ryan said with a chuckle.

As Vasilios stepped out of the room, Ryan bent over to tuck the umbrellas under the bar and heard a piercing shriek. She dropped the box, sending the umbrellas crashing all over the floor behind the bar. She froze and locked eyes with Ariana.

"What the hell?" La Diva said as she started out of the room on her stilettos. Ryan ran from behind the bar as Ariana jumped off of the stool to follow La Diva. "What happened?" La Diva Jackson questioned as she reached Vasilios’ side.

Vasilios Hatzis was standing in front of the door to the nightclub. His face was white and he was shaking. He couldn’t take his eyes off of the door.

"What happened?" Ryan questioned as she ran toward the door and peered outside. The sun was just starting to set and she pushed the door open and looked down the street in either direction. She turned back and entered the bar, walking toward Vasilios. Ariana and La Diva were trying to calm him down.

"I saw him," Vasilios said.

"Who did you see, Baby?" La Diva questioned.

"I saw the man who attacked me," Vasilios explained. "He was standing right there just staring at me."

"Wait, you saw Steven Harris?" Ryan questioned with disbelief.

"Fine," Devon said as Gage Matthews stepped out of the bathroom, "It’s true. When you helped us cover up Luis’ death, you told me that you made the decision to stop all of the criminal activity because you wanted me and our baby to be safe. The truth is that since then, I’ve just been waiting for the other shoe to drop," she admitted.

Gage cocked his head to the side slightly and stared at Devon with disbelief. She could see in his eyes that he was hurt. She didn’t want to hurt him, she was just being honest with her feelings, but deep inside she knew how much it really affected him to hear her say that.

"You have no confidence in me," Gage responded. "You never did. You can’t be supportive because you live your life expecting the worst out of everyone," Gage explained. "I did nothing wrong. I was only trying to provide for you and for our baby. I can’t believe I convinced myself that you would change," he responded, raising his voice slightly.

"That I would change?" Devon repeated. "What about you? You haven’t changed at all!" She shouted.

In the living room, Gloria Matthews glanced over at Dorthea James and smiled. "This is going to be a lot easier than I thought," she said, very pleased with how the conversation in the bedroom was erupting.

"Pretty soon my daughter will drop your son like the sack of shit that he is and everyone will be happy," Dorthea responded.

"That sack of shit is worth five times as much as your or your precious daughter," Gloria countered.

"We’ll see," Dorthea said.

In the bedroom Devon turned away from Gage, shaking her head. "Why did you ask her for the money, Gage?" Devon questioned, turning back toward curiously. "If your not gambling or doing drugs again, then why did you need it?"

"Can’t you just trust me?" Gage questioned. "For once in your life, can’t you just bring yourself to trust someone?"

"You haven’t given me any reason to trust you, Gage," Devon explained. "When I met you, you were lying in a pool of your own vomit. I’ve seen women and drug dealers parade in and out of your apartment at all hours of the night," she explained.

"But I gave all of that up for you," Gage explained. "I’ve made some mistakes, but I realize what is most important now, Devon," he admitted. "You and this baby have changed me."

"But you’re still lying," Devon argued. "You’re still keeping secrets from me."

"It’s for a good reason," Gage admitted.

"Why can’t you just tell me what it is?" Devon said. "Whatever it is, is it worth losing me?"

Gage glanced at her for a moment in silence. "Nothing is," Gage explained. "I gave everything up for you," He explained. "I gave up my bad habits, I gave up my apartment . . . I did that all for you because you gave me something special," he explained. "You gave me a reason to want to be a better person."

"Just tell me," Devon begged as tears ran down her cheeks.

"I found a really great apartment," Gage explained softly. "With tons of space and a second bedroom. I wanted to buy it for you . . . for us . . . but I couldn’t afford to save the money my parents send me every month. If I waited, someone else would have snatched up the apartment."

"You found an apartment?" Devon questioned. "But why? Aren’t you happy here?"

"This place is too small. Where are we going to fit the baby?" He asked as he glanced around.

"I figured we could move this dresser out and put the crib there," Devon explained.

"But when are we going to get a chance to be alone together?" Gage asked. "I was doing this for us," he explained.

"I don’t know about this, Gage," Devon explained. "I don’t feel comfortable taking money from that woman," she explained. "Why couldn’t you have just told me?" She said.

"Because I knew you wouldn’t accept it if you knew where the money came from," Gage admitted.

"This is crazy," Devon said as she shook her head. "We’re standing in here arguing with each other over an apartment." She paused and glanced at Gage as a smile came to her face. She waved her hand at him. "Come here," she said. Gage stepped toward her and she grabbed his hand and placed it on her belly. "Feel that," she said.

"Oh my God," Gage said with a smile. "He’s kicking."

Devon glanced into Gage’s eyes. "He doesn’t like when we argue," she explained.

"He wants you to take the apartment," Gage laughed.

"Look," Devon said, "there are bigger things at stake here than just an apartment," she admitted. "We have a child that we need to prepare for and right now you and I aren’t at a place to do much of anything for him right now," she explained.

Gage stared into her eyes. "You’re right."

"I’m pretty sure those two women out there would like nothing more than to see us break up," Devon explained.

"They’ll just have to deal with it," Gage said.

In the living room, Dorthea and Gloria heard the yelling subside and were sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for their children to come out of the bedroom. When the door opened, they both stood up and turned with baited breath. Devon James and Gage Matthews stepped out of the bedroom with smiles on their faces.

"We have a proposal for you," they said in unison.

Sarah Mulberry stepped out of the rain into the lobby of the building and paused for a moment when she saw Elijah and Nicolae still sitting there. "What are you guys doing here?" She questioned as she approached them.

"We’re waiting for the rain to stop," Elijah responded. "I hate getting wet."

"That’s not what you said last night," Nicolae teased.

"Shut up," Elijah laughed as he rolled his eyes. "What about you?" He questioned as he glanced at Sarah. "The last time we saw you, you were running out of here like a bat out of hell. Are you okay? What happened?"

"My mother happened," Sarah responded with a sigh.

"Your mother?" Elijah questioned.

"She’s in town," Sarah said with a nod, "and she has a plan. She wants me to move back to Albany with her and act like we’re this big happy family and forget about all of our problems."

"What problems?" Nicolae asked.

"You don’t even want to know," Sarah explained. "My mother is like Martha Stewart on crack. She’s Bree from Desperate Housewives to the tenth degree. Everything must be perfect and in a row and if one thing doesn’t match, she’ll cut it out and throw it away."

"Wow, she sounds like a barrel of monkeys," Nicolae noted.

"A barrel of what?" Elijah questioned, slightly confused.

"I’d like to stick her in a barrel, all right . . . and roll her ass of a pier," Sarah admitted.

"So what happened between the two of you?" Nicolae questioned.

Sarah paused for a moment as she regarded the question. Her eyes seemed to drift away from the two of them and she got this incredibly sad look on her face. A moment later, she smiled and glanced at them. "I didn’t fit into my mother’s world and she cut me out," Sarah responded. "And now the bitch is back. She must be redecorating or something," she explained.

She glanced out of the door at the rainy streets. "So, it doesn’t look like it’s letting up any time soon. You guys wanna come up to my place? My grandmother’s on a date, so she won’t be there."

"Sure, as long as Mrs. Mulberry’s not there," Elijah responded.

"Yeah, I can’t take another pinch on my ass. It’s still black and blue from the last time I was over there," Nicolae smiled.

They rode the elevator upstairs and stepped off on the eighth floor. Sarah pulled her keys out of her purse and unlocked the door for them. The moment she opened the door, they were greeted with the most scrumptious smell. Elijah’s eyes opened wide and Nicolae smiled. Sarah Mulberry was furious.

As she stepped into the apartment, she knew immediately what she was smelling. It was the warm, gooey scent of freshly baked cookies, but not just any cookies, chocolate chip cookies. They were her favorite and her mother knew that.

"Oh Sarah," Cassandra Mulberry said as she stepped out of the kitchen with a fresh batch of cookies. "You’re back . . . and you brought friends," she said with delight. "I just made your favorite cookies. Why don’t you sit down and have some? I’ll get some milk."

"I don’t want any milk," Sarah responded. "And I don’t want any cookies either."

"Very well," Cassandra said with a smile. "Boys, would you like some?"

"Sure thing," Elijah said as he rushed to the table. Nicolae followed closely behind.

"I’m Cassandra Mulberry," her mother said as she extended her hand for a shake.

"I’m Elijah, this is Nicolae," Elijah said as he shoved a cookie into his mouth.

"Mom, that’s enough. I know exactly what you’re trying to do and it’s not going to work. You can’t make me change my mind about moving to Albany and all of the damned chocolate chip cookies in the world won’t change that."

Elijah and Nicolae paused, not sure of what to say. They glanced from Sarah to Cassandra with shocked expressions. They wanted so desperately to eat the delicious cookies that they stood there, in silence watching.

"Sarah please," Cassandra responded. "That’s no way to talk in front of guests. We can discuss your plans for moving later. Right now, let’s just sit down and enjoy a tasty snack," she added with a smile. "I’ll go get some milk."

Sarah Mulberry sighed with frustration as her mother entered the kitchen. "And while you’re at it, why don’t you choke on it," she said as she sat down at the table. She glanced over at Nicolae and Elijah and shook her head. "Traitors," she said.

As Cayden King stepped into the emergency room, he could feel a difference in the air. He had been to emergency rooms before and recognized what it was. It was fear, the fear of loss, the fear of pain, but most of all, the fear of death. He hated that feeling.

He glanced around quietly for a moment at the people gathered here. People whose faces seemed to be forever contorted into unspeakable looks of agony. He glanced away. He never wanted to see the other side of life, the painful side.

His eyes fell upon a lonely man sitting in the waiting room, staring at the floor in silence, seemingly unraveled by the hustle and bustle around him. He paused, sucked in his breath. It was Szymon Skubisz.

"Szymon," Cayden said as he approached him. Szymon glanced up at him slowly, as if it took all of the strength within him to move his head and eyes just inches to greet his boyfriend. "I came as quickly as I could," Cayden said as he sat down beside him. "What’s going on."

Szymon Skubisz stared into Cayden’s eyes and shook his head. "He’s sick," Szymon responded. "He’s sick and I can’t do anything to help him," Szymon responded before turning away again and staring at the floor.

Cayden reached over and tried to hug him, but Szymon remained silent, stoic in his observation of the green and white tiles on the floor. Cayden pulled away. He wanted to do something, he wanted to help. "Where’s Andrea?" He questioned as he glanced around. Szymon did not respond. "Stay right here," Cayden said as he stood up from the waiting room chair. "I’m going to go find Andrea and Cecilia."

He stepped away from Szymon. A selfish part of him wanted Szymon to grab for him and pull him back and keep him close. He wanted to be what Szymon Skubisz needed to get him through this nightmare. Szymon did not move.

Cayden walked through the emergency room slowly, he wanted to find Andrea and Cecilia and find out what had happened to Sammy. He needed to do it for Szymon. He needed to be prepared for whatever it was that had Szymon looking so heartbroken and defeated. He found them in a curtained area. It surprised Cayden just how easily he was able to walk through without being stopped, but these thoughts were pushed out of the forefront of his mind when he saw Sammy Skubisz lying in a hospital bed.

"Cayden," Cecilia said, her eyes filled with tears. Cayden glanced at her. He could not remember ever seeing Cecilia Nakamura cry. Even when she was thrown from the fire escape and broke her back, he hadn’t seen her cry. She gave him a hug and managed a smile.

"Thank you for coming," Andrea Darling said as she stepped away from her child’s bedside long enough to manage a brief hug.

"What happened?" Cayden said as he reached over and touched Sammy’s hand. The boy was sleeping and Cayden could feel his eyes welling up at the sight of the small boy just lying there.

"The doctors say that he has leukemia," Cecilia responded.

"Leukemia?" Cayden questioned with surprised. "But . . . How? Why? What happens now?"

"We don’t know," Andrea responded. "We’re waiting for the pediatric oncologist now, but they’re pretty sure," she explained. "What we do know," Andrea said as she wiped her eyes, "is that we need to be strong for Sammy right now. We need your help," she explained as she glanced over at Cayden.

"My help?" Cayden questioned, unsure of what he could do to make a difference.

"We need you to be with Szymon," Cecilia explained. "He’s not taking this too well. You can’t really blame him, but he needs to be strong for Sammy too. We need you to help him through this."

"Where is he?" Andrea questioned. "He left when the doctor mentioned leukemia and we haven’t seen him since, but I know him, Cayden. He’s taking all of this onto his own shoulders. He’s blaming himself."

"He’s in the waiting room . . . staring at the floor . . ." Cayden responded.

"Cayden, I know we’ve had our differences," Cecilia Nakamura said, "I thought you were completely wrong for Szymon, but you proved me wrong. He needs you right now . . . we need you right now. We’re a family," Cecilia explained as she glanced down at Sammy. "Sammy needs the four of us right now."

Cayden nodded. "I understand," he said softly. "I’m going to find Szymon." He stepped out of the examination area and walked slowly back to the waiting room. He paused when he saw Szymon, sitting in the same exact position that he’d left him in. He walked toward him.

"It’s my fault," Szymon responded as Cayden neared him. He glanced up at Cayden and nodded his head. "I did this."

"How could you have known," Cayden responded as he knelt in front of him and stared into his eyes. "You can’t blame yourself for this."

"You don’t understand," Szymon said as he reached for Cayden’s hands and held them in his own. "I had leukemia when I was a child, Cayden. I may have just handed my son a death sentence."

"So what exactly are you saying, Victoria? You’re ex-husband is back in town and wants to get back together with you? And, to boot, he has a bastard child that shows up on your doorstep at?" Jacob Talbot questioned with surprise.

"Keep your voice down," Victoria said as she glanced at the bedroom door. "He’s sleeping in the next room."

"Why are you even here?" Jacob questioned.

"Because Cayden had an emergency. He asked me to come over and watch after Izik," she explained.

"I happen to like your son, Victoria, but sometimes he can be very cavalier with other peoples’ feelings. How could he even ask you to do such a thing?" Jacob questioned incredulously.

"Because he knows that I don’t blame Izik for what Patrick did," Victoria explained. "He’s just a boy, Jacob," Victoria responded. "None of this is his fault."

"And what about Patrick?" Jacob questioned. "Where is he through all of this?"

"He’s staying at a hotel a few streets over," Victoria responded.

"Oh great, he’s staying in town," Jacob sighed. "Hasn’t he caused enough trouble? After what you told me, I can’t believe that he would have the nerve to show his face here ever again," he explained.

"I’ve stopped trying to understand my ex-husband months ago," Victoria explained. "I have no idea what he is thinking or doing half of the time. Can you believe that he wants me and Cayden and Izik to be a family?" She questioned.

Jacob paused for a moment and turned to her. "And what do you think about that?" He questioned.

"What do you mean?" Victoria asked as she glanced at him curiously. "Do you think I would go back to Patrick?" She questioned.

"I don’t know what to think," Jacob admitted. "But you told me that there was a time when the two of you were happy with one another," he explained. "Maybe it’s not a stretch to think that you could be happy again. I don’t know," Jacob said as he shook his head. "I’m just rambling here."

Victoria stepped forward and placed her hands on Jacob’s face and stared straight into his eyes. "You have nothing to worry about," she assured him. "II don’t want to be with Patrick. I love you," she said.

Jacob nodded. "I know," he responded. "I’m sorry that I doubted that."

"It’s okay," Victoria said, "we’re all a little on edge right now. Patrick has managed, yet again, to blow our lives up. I’m just sorry that you have to be involved in another one of his dreadful games. Hopefully he’ll get the message and go back to New Hampshire and leave the rest of us alone," she said with a sigh as she stepped away from him.

"And what about the boy?" Jacob questioned as he stepped over to the door of the bedroom and peered inside. He could see Izik’s shape lying on the bed. Victoria joined him by the door.

"I don’t know," Victoria responded softly. "He’s troubled. It breaks my heart. His mother is an alcoholic. Cayden said that he ran away from home. The poor boy was starving. I made him a sandwich and he ate it so fast that he almost choked. It was so heartbreaking, I had to make him another," she explained. "Cayden told me how he had been beaten and it took me nearly two hours to convince him to lift his shirt high enough so that I could see his bruises. And to think, I had no idea who he was when he sat down next to me on the train."

"Wait," Jacob said as he turned back toward Victoria. "You met him before tonight?"

"It was on the train back from Albany," Victoria admitted. "He sat next to me. He was trying to hide from a woman whose wallet he stole."

"He did what?" Jacob questioned.

"Relax," Victoria said, trying to get him to lower his tone. "He only took the wallet so that he could guy something to eat. He was hungry."

"He sounds like a thief and a con artist," Jacob explained.

"Well, I covered for him and we went to get something to eat after we got off of the train. The woman saw him and tried to get him and he ran away. It was only after he left that I realized that my cell phone was missing."

"He stole your cell phone?" Jacob questioned incredulously. "Victoria, this boy can’t be trusted."

"He’s been living on his own for most of his life, Jacob. Even when he was at home, his mother wasn’t really there. She’s an alcoholic. He’s had to provide for himself for a long time now."

"That doesn’t give him the right to steal from people that are trying to help him," Jacob commented.

"No," Victoria said softly, "I suppose it doesn’t, but I understand why he would," Victoria said. "When you live your whole life with someone that is supposed to love you and care for you and you realize that that person doesn’t really love you or care about you . . . Well, you can do some pretty awful things. I feel badly for him, Jacob. I know what it‘s like to feel unwanted."

In the bedroom, Izik Morin slowly reached up and wiped a tear from his eye as he listened, intently.

Jesse Martinez stood inside of the entrance of the Xstatic nightclub staring at the front door. Beside him stood Sebastian Vaughn. When Jesse received the call from Ryan, she sounded frantic. She rambled on about Steven Harris for several minutes before Jesse was able to calm her down enough to get the story.

What he understood was that Steven was seen outside of the nightclub by someone. When Ryan heard this, she made a phone call and was informed that Steven had been released from jail. Jesse became concerned when Ryan expressed her belief that Steven was somewhere waiting for her. He left his apartment with Sebastian and headed straight to the nightclub.

As they stood there, waiting for Ryan to get her coat, Sebastian shook his head incredulously. "You do see what’s going on here, don’t you?" Sebastian questioned.

Jesse glanced at him curiously. "What?" He asked, not sure why Sebastian seemed so annoyed by all of this.

"Why do you drop everything and run whenever Ryan calls?" He inquired. "Are you a masochist or something?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I’m talking about you," Sebastian responded. "She uses you whenever she needs something and you let her. Then when she drops you like a bad habit, it crushes you and get all sad and depressed again. Do you think this time is going to be any different?" He questioned.

"I’m here because I know how lethal Steven Harris can be," Jesse explained. "When he beat that stripper, that guy could have died."

"I know that," Sebastian responded, "but why is Ryan your responsibility? She knows how to dial the police."

"What is wrong with you?" Jesse questioned as he stared at his friend with disbelief. "Steven terrorized Ryan for months while they were together. She’s afraid of him. She doesn’t want him to hurt her and I’m her friend. I don’t want her to be hurt either."

"Of course you don’t," Sebastian agreed, "but you keep putting yourself out there for her and she takes and takes and never gives you anything back. I figured you would just stop trying after a while. I figured you’d get it."

"I get it," Jesse said with a nod. "You care about me . . . you love me," he added, causing Sebastian to glance away with embarrassment. "I know that Ryan uses me, I’m not stupid. I know that whenever she needs something, she calls me and I give it to her. I know all of this," Jesse admitted.

"Then why do you keep letting her use you?" Sebastian questioned.

"Because I need to keep her close," Jesse responded. "Because I need to find out the truth about who she is. If there is even a remote chance that Ryan could be Julia’s sister, then I have to know. I have to do it for Julia," he explained.

"I just wish you would realize that you don’t need her to be happy," Sebastian explained.

"I need you to trust me, Sebastian. I am going to find Jamie and I believe that Ryan Clarke is the key to all of that. I’m using her too," he admitted as he heard someone walking toward them.

"Okay," Ryan Clarke said as she stepped into the entryway. "I’m ready," she said as she pulled her coat closed. She glanced at Jesse. "What’s wrong?" She questioned.

"Nothing," Jesse said, "the street looks clear. Let’s get you home," he said as he leaned forward and pushed the door open. He glanced at Sebastian and offered him a smile.

Sebastian Vaughn smiled back. He was certain of one thing. Jesse Martinez was playing a dangerous game. Ryan Clarke wasn’t just your average conniver. She was pro and he was determined to unmask her for what she really was, a fake.

Victoria King sighed as she shut the door behind Jacob Talbot. She paused for a moment as she heard him walk down the hall and unlock the door to her apartment. She heard the door close. She shut her eyes and breathed in deeply. There were tough times ahead. Of this, she was sure. She turned back to glance at her son’s apartment.

The decorations were a sad reminder of her engagement party. She took a step forward and reached up for a streamer. She paused for a moment in quiet reflection before tearing it down. It felt as if she were tearing at her heartstrings. She breathed in deeply again and nodded her head. It was time for the decorations to come down.

She set about taking down the rest of the streamers and the balloons. She worked slowly, carefully. Inwardly, she wondered what was going to happen now that both Patrick and Izik were in their lives. She knew they were in for some big changes, and realized that all she could do was wait until they happened. She felt helpless again.

She stepped over to the table beside the couch and as she reached for a balloon that had fallen behind the table, she caught sight of an old picture frame sitting on the table of her family. Cayden was sitting on her lap smiling and Patrick was standing behind the two of them.

She was suddenly struck by how different their lived had become. She stared at the picture in silence as she remembered what things used to be like. They were happy once. They were a family once.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she began to cry. Her legs underneath her began to shake and she lost her balance and fell to the floor. She reached up for the picture and grabbed it, staring at the life she once had . . . a life that had changed so much.

She reminded herself that she was no longer the woman in the picture. She was smarter, braver, and she wasn’t stupid. Not anymore. Her eyes came to rest on her ex-husband. He was smiling back at her and she hated him even more for it. That picture was a lie.

As she cried, she heard a rustling in the bedroom and quickly set the picture back on the table and wiped her tears away. She didn’t want Izik to see her crying. He didn’t really know her and she didn’t want to give him another reason to feel uncomfortable.

She glanced at the door, but didn’t see Izik standing there. The rustling sound had stopped. As she started to glance away, a blinking light in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She hadn’t seen it before. On the floor beside the bedroom door was a cell phone, but not just any cell phone, it was her cell phone.

She crawled over toward it and picked it up. A smile came to her face as she stood up from the floor, wiping the rest of her tears away. She stepped forward and pushed the door open slightly. She could see Izik laying in the bed. She knew he was awake.

"Thank you," she said softly before turning away from the door.

On the bed, Izik Morin remained silent, and as Victoria stepped away, he managed to whisper, "You’re welcome."

Dr. Alyssa Flores stood before young Samuel Skubisz’s parents as she informed them about their son’s condition. In her line of work, she was used to looking at sad faces. Every time she broke the news about a patient’s medical condition, she was prepared for the worst. She knew it was in peoples’ nature to fall apart and become depressed. It was part of the reason that she became a doctor. She saw that pervasive sadness within people and wanted to change it. She wanted to make people well so that she could turn that sadness into joy. She wanted to save lives.

"Sammy has Acute Lymphoblastic leukemia," she explained. "Nearly 80% of children diagnosed with this who receive treatment are leukemia-free for a long time afterward. There are many treatment options. The good news is that we’ve found it early," she admitted. "But I would like to keep in in the hospital for several more days so that we can monitor his condition. I’ve scheduled a meeting tomorrow to go over treatment options," she said as she handed Andrea and Szymon a booklet with the information on the disease and it’s treatments. "We need to be as aggressive about this as possible," she explained.

Szymon reached for his booklet slowly and held it in his hands. He couldn’t bring himself to look at it. He knew what was in store for him son, he had gone through it himself. He remembered the look on his parents’ faces every time they came to see him. It was as if they were expecting him to die at any minute. It terrified him to think that Sammy would see that look in his eyes.

He shook his head as Dr. Flores continued and stood up from his seat. He dropped the booklet on the floor and turned to exit the room.

"Szymon," Andrea said, her voice cracking slightly with fear as he walked out of the hospital room.

"Cayden, go follow him," Cecilia said softly.

Cayden nodded and followed Szymon out of the room. "Szymon," he called out when he caught sight of him a little further down the hall.

"This is not going to happen," Szymon said as he shook his head. "Not to my son, not to Sammy. I won’t let it," he affirmed as he continued down the hall.

"Szymon, please . . ." Cayden said as he tried to get him to stop. "You need to listen to what that doctor is saying," he pleaded.

"I know what she’s going to say," Szymon explained. "It’s the same thing they said about me," he added. "I almost died when I was his age, Cayden. I won’t let my son die. I won’t."

"Okay then," Cayden said with a nod, "then come back to the room with me. Listen to Dr. Flores. We need all of the information that we can get about this. If we’re going to help Sammy then we need to listen to the doctor."

"I can’t listen to her tell me that my son is dying," Szymon admitted. "I can’t hear that right now."

"Alright," Cayden said with a nod. He knew better than to try to convince Szymon into doing something that he wasn’t ready to do. "I understand. What do you want to do?" He questioned.

Szymon paused for a moment. "I can’t take this!" He shouted. "I can’t . . . take this!" He was shouting at the top of his lungs and causing everyone around them to stare at them. Cayden glanced around. The faces of the people in the emergency room were sympathetic and filled with sadness as they watched Szymon Skubisz start to break down.

"He’s . . . my son . . ." He said softly. "I can’t just wait around until he gets worse. I have to do something," he explained as he reached into his pocket.

Cayden was unsure of what to do. He had never seen Szymon like this before. The man seemed broken, defeated. Cayden’s eyes welled up with tears as Szymon broke down before his very eyes.

Szymon dialed a number on his cell phone. He was shaking to much that he dropped to his knees. Cayden gasped with surprise. As he held the cell phone to his ear, Szymon waited, and then when he heard the voice on the other end of the line, he cried. Tears sprung forth and flowed down his cheeks.

"Mom . . ." he said softly.