Breaking Ties: An Ensemble Story (Read 240,828 times)

[heroicmuse]

Week 330 - 4
“...and next time we will pick up with the political forces that shaped the early days of the United States,” Mrs. Harrison said as the bell rang.

Vicki got up right away, hoping that she could make a quick escape before the teacher remembered that she was supposed to stay after class. But Ciara blocked her path and said, “I don’t think so. If I have to stay after, so do you, since you’re the reason I’m in trouble.”

Vicki rolled her eyes. “Doesn’t your mom tell you that you have to take responsibility for your actions?” she said. “It’s mine’s favorite phrase.”

Ciara’s shoulders slumped. “Not anymore. She’s been in Wales half the year with my stepdad. And now on her first day home I’m going to have to tell her I got in trouble thanks to you.”

“I wasn’t the one who wrote on a desk!” Vicki said. “That’s on you.”

Mrs. Harrison cleared her throat. “And this is why I asked you both to stay after. Take your seats, please.” As Ciara threw herself into a seat as far away from Vicki as she could get, Mrs. Harrison said, “Next to each other, please.”

Ciara glared at her but didn’t move.

Vicki got up and moved over. “We’re going to be late for our next class,” she said.

“I’ll write you a late pass,” Mrs. Harrison said. “Besides, you’re new. You’re not expected to know your way around just yet.”

Vicki shrugged. Mrs. Harrison said, “Now, the reason I asked both of you to stay after is because it’s clear that you don’t like each other. I don’t want this kind of antagonism in my classroom. So how about you tell me what your problem is with each other and let’s see if we can’t work it out, all right?”

“She stole my seat!” Ciara said.

Mrs. Harrison rolled her eyes. “Ciara,” she said. “That’s not your real problem. Come on.”

“And my boyfriend!” Ciara said. “Theo was supposed to be mine. When we were little we used to play we were married and then the second we grew up she came swooping out of nowhere and took him for herself.”

“I can’t help that!” Vicki said. “I didn’t do anything to you! Sometimes I don’t know why I’m so lucky that Theo loves me the way he does, but he does, and you can’t hate me for that because it’s not like his heart is a computer that I can program the way I want it.” She looked at Mrs. Harrison. “Right?” she said uncertainly.

Mrs. Harrison nodded slightly. “Vicki is correct. We feel how we feel, Ciara. That’s not something anyone can control. But what we can control is how we behave. Now, I’m sorry that Theo feels about Vicki in a way that you wish he felt about you, but that’s no excuse for behaving in ways you know are inappropriate. You don’t write on school property and you don’t bully someone just because they’re sitting in the seat you prefer to sit in. So now, this afternoon you’re going to come to my classroom for detention and help me clean graffiti off all the desks.”

Ciara’s eyes snapped. “What about her?”

“What about her?” Mrs. Harrison said calmly. “Vicki didn’t do anything wrong as far as I can see. There’s no reason she should have to serve detention because of the way that you treated her.” She turned toward Vicki. “Don’t gloat, though,” she said. “It takes two to have a conflict. Remember that and think about what you can do to make things better between you and Ciara too. If the two of you fight again in my classroom you will have to face some consequences as well.”

“But - “ Vicki began.

“I’ll write you that late pass,” Mrs. Harrison said, and walked over to her desk, making it clear the conversation was over.


Mr. Berger sat down on the bed next to Kenneth. “Try not to panic,” he said gently. “Their case against you is circumstantial. They don’t have actual proof that you shot Marcel.”

“Not yet, you mean.” Kenneth’s voice was flat. “If they want me locked up they’ll find it somehow.”

“If you’re innocent, I don’t see how. Unless there’s something you’re not telling me.” Mr. Berger leaned forward. “Is there?”

“Not really.” Kenneth held his hands out. “I didn’t do this, Mr. Berger, I swear. But I’m not 100% innocent either. I… the dealer gave me the gun way earlier than he was supposed to. There was supposed to be a 72-hour waiting period and he changed the dates so I could have it that afternoon. They find out about that, that’s all the proof they need I committed a crime, right?”

Berger frowned. “It’s proof the dealer did,” he said. “And I guess that it does suggest you were in a rush to get the gun before Marcel’s hearing. But still…”

Kenneth gulped. “If the cops find out about it, is it enough to…”

“They could try, but they can’t prove you knew he wasn’t supposed to cut corners. If you do get picked up for this, the important thing is to stay calm. Cooperate with the arrest but say nothing except you want your lawyer. They probably won’t be able to make any illegal gun possession charge stick, not when you have a permit and you bought it from a licensed dealer, and if you follow my directions they sure as hell won’t get anything else out of you either.”

Kenneth’s mouth was a grim line. “But you’re saying I could get arrested over it?”

“Yes, but you’ll be released if you do what I’ve told you to do and keep your mouth shut.” Berger patted Kenneth’s knee. “The best way to make all this go away is to find out what the hell happened to your gun. We find it and prove it wasn’t used in this shooting, that’s the end of this. Any idea who might have taken it?”

Kenneth remembered again his dad telling him that if he got a gun someday, he’d have to be very careful to make sure Vicki never got her hands on it and Vicki asking him what was in the box. But if he told anyone that, even his lawyer, could his sister get in trouble? She’d gone to school at the same time he’d left for court, and if she got caught bringing a gun to school, that was it. She was going to jail even if she never planned to use it, even if she’d only taken it because she was curious.

“No,” Kenneth said, letting his breath out slowly. “No idea.”




Rafe and Nicole watched as Gabi took her seat. Nicole reached for Rafe’s hand and whispered, “I know this judge. He’s the best one she could have gotten. He’s fair; he’s the one who gave JJ and Paige that big settlement after what Jenkins did to them and I heard Hannah Martin’s hoping to convince him to terminate her probation early.”

“Sure hope so,” Rafe said. He was staring at the back of Gabi’s head. “If she gets out - “

“WHEN she gets out,” Nicole said firmly.

“Same difference,” Rafe said. “If. When. It could be today, it could be two years from now when she’s up for parole, could be eleven years from now when she’s done her whole sentence.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Nicole said. “She’s been a model prisoner. At the very least, she should get time off for good behavior.”

“Could you let me finish?” Rafe said.

Nicole held up her hands. “Sorry. You know me, mouth open, brain turned off. What were you saying?”

“Nothing, I guess.” Rafe sighed. “Just when she gets out it’s just the beginning. Eight years in prison would screw with anyone’s mind, and then the kidnapping... “ He shook his head. “I had no idea what that bastard did to her. If he wasn’t already dead I’d kill him myself.”

“I know,” Nicole said. She hugged Rafe.

Someone cleared their throat. Nicole looked up at Trask. “What do you want?” she said. “Did you not get humiliated enough by the judge and need me to finish the job?”

“Quite the contrary,” Trask said. “I wouldn’t get too smug if I were you, Ms. Walker. You may have won this battle, but I’ll win the war. If the judge is stupid enough to let Ms. Hernandez out, make sure to tell her that I’ll be watching her. One false move and I’ll make sure she goes back to jail. And her hermano here is headed there too. It’s just a matter of time before I connect him to the Montague shooting. So enjoy your freedom while you have it, because it won’t last long.”

Trask walked away.

“Unbelievable!” Nicole said. “You’d think someone whose big mouth got her under investigation herself would - “

Rafe put his finger on his lips. Judge Walston was coming back to the bench. “Looks like the judge is ready to make his decision,” he whispered.


Valerie said to JJ, “I don’t know. I’m not so sure it’ll help. If Hannah’s arrested, yes, I will go on the air and tell her story because I am sick and tired of my baby being treated like a criminal because of the color of her skin. But to do it now… I don’t know. It just seems exploitative somehow.”

“I’m not trying to take advantage, I swear,” JJ said. “Yeah, I gotta get something to bring back to my boss, but I mostly wanna help Hannah out. And you.”

“I appreciate that. How about I tell you on the record what I just said about how Hannah’s always the first to be arrested and they don’t care about her guilt or innocence?”

“Not this time,” Hannah said, coming over to them. “They let me go after asking me a bunch of dumb questions.” She sighed as she sat down. “I’m not so sure about Kenneth, though. They tried every which way to make me say something they could use to lock him up for shooting Marcel and now he’s not answering his phone and I keep thinking he’s been arrested.”

Valerie put her hand on her shoulder. “I hate to say it, but they might have a case against him.” Hannah pulled away and Valerie said, “Hear me out. I have nothing against Kenneth. You know that. I think he’s been good for you, the opposite of Marcel in a lot of ways. But baby, he hasn’t been himself lately. I was standing right there that time he told you he was going to make sure Marcel paid for what he did to you one way or the other. And I heard him this morning too, saying Marcel better not come near his sister and - “

“Cause he’s scared for Vicki,” Hannah said. “Besides, that’s just words. It doesn’t mean he shot him.”

“I know he wanted to get a gun.” Valerie’s voice was soft. “And that day I picked him up, he was in the worst part of East Salem in front of a gun shop.” She shook her head. “I don’t know if I could hold it against him if he did shoot Marcel. After all the things that man did to you, and to him... “ She let her breath out slowly. “But understandable or not, to take a man’s life… if he did it, he’s going to have to do a lot of time in prison, and that means you’re going to have to think long and hard about whether you want to stay attached to him until he gets out.”

“He didn’t shoot anyone!” Hannah snapped, “and if he goes to jail over this I’ll stand by him for as long as it takes til the cops get their heads out of their butts and let him come home. And you can’t tell me otherwise so you might as well stop talking!” She got up.

“Hannah!” Valerie said, but Hannah stomped off without another word. Valerie rubbed her temples and said to JJ, “I’m sorry, but with Hannah like this, I can’t stay and talk to you. I have to try to smooth this over with her.”

“I understand,” JJ said. Valerie patted his shoulder and left. JJ said to himself, “Now what? There’s gotta be someone willing to talk to me.” Just then, his phone buzzed. He sighed as he looked at it.

Text from Harriet
I need you to come back to SPN so we can go over whatever you got out of this mess.


“Better ask it,” Hope said to Aiden. “Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad. We just went halfway around the world together after promising to be there for each other forever. So what’s going on?”

“What’s going on is this,” Aiden said. “I gotta ask you…” He sighed. “Hannah Martin’s innocent. You know it as well as I do. So can you not file the paperwork on holding her for questioning today?”

Hope’s jaw trembled but she said, “You know I can’t do that, Aiden. Abe sent me down here to question Hannah personally. He did that because he knew that gave her the best chance of being treated fairly and we both had our doubts when we heard she was a suspect. But if I don’t file a report… he’s going to wonder why. And you know how by the book he is.”

“Yeah,” Aiden said. “I do. It’s just…” He sighed. “Probation’s been on her ass for almost three years. Five years probation for an open container is outlandish to begin with, but if you ask me they’ve been praying she screws up so they can lock her up all over again. And when they find out she was detained for questioning in a murder… far as they’re concerned it’s guilty til proven innocent and I’d be real surprised if she wasn’t arrested for a probaiton violation the second she reports it.”

Hope sighed. “I know,” she said. “And I wish there was something I could do for her. But all I can do is note that she was cooperative and hope that’s enough to get them to see reason.”

“It won’t be.” Aiden took Hope’s hands in his. “Can you at least talk to Abe before you file the report and see if there’s any way he can bend the rules?”

“I doubt he will, but I’ll ask,” Hope said. “But first, there’s something else I need to talk to you about.” She squeezed AIden’s hands. “Abe wants me to work under him.”

“You already…”

“I mean as his deputy commissioner. It’s a lot of responsibility but it means I’d be in the field less, which makes it a lot less dangerous, plus I’d be able to be around more to help with the kids. But I don’t want to do anything without talking it over with you. So… what do you think, Mr. Jennings?”

[André DiMera]

Glad Vicki didn’t get in trouble. If Ciara didn’t want to have to tell Hope she got detention on her first date back, she shouldn’t have been acting like that.

Even being questioned and considered a major suspect in this case clearly hasn’t taught Kenneth not to keep secrets regarding a gun. While I don’t think Vicki took it, and I guess he’s not technically lying, he’s kind of not telling the whole truth, as Vicki seemed quite interested in what was in the box.

Trask, go away! Can’t wait to hear Judge Walston’s decision!

I doubt Kenneth did shoot Marcel, but like Valerie, I wouldn’t hold it against him if he had. I get Hannah’s upset, but it’s not like Valerie said she actually thinks Kenneth did shoot him, just that there’s a lot of evidence that suggests he may have. Hopefully J.J. can find someone to talk to before Harriet becomes impatient.

Glad Hope agreed to at least talk to Abe about this. I agree with Aiden about Probation looking for reasons to put Hannah in jail again. Also glad Hope told Aiden about her potential promotion.

Great chapter, heroicmuse!

[Kpatch]

The lawyers and enforcers are busy today. I'm glad Hannah was released. I hope Kenneth will be cleared and Gabi will be released too.

[heroicmuse]

Week 330 - 5

Horowitz and Prescott had gone back to the station with Abe to discuss the case.

He said, “We’re still waiting for Detective Brady’s report, but in the meantime… where are we with this case?”

“I still like Kenneth Hansen for this,” Prescott said. “Look, I know you got a personal connection with him, but with all due respect… this lines up a lot better than the evidence ever did against Paige Larson when Commissioner Brady was hellbent on getting her for that prostitute’s murder a few years back. Everyone who knows Kenneth Hansen said the same thing: he’s been making ambiguous statements that sound like vigilante justice ever since he was rescued from Simmons’ clutches last Christmas and we know he had a gun that looks just like the murder weapon. And with it being found under his seat and the threats Simmons made against him right before the hearing… I don’t mean any disrespect, but are you sure the reason you let him walk’s cause of the evidence and not cause you don’t want him to be our guy?”

Abe was quiet for a second. “You know how I feel about vigilante justice. That’s a road we don’t want anyone going down cause once it starts it doesn’t end. And if Kenneth Hansen did this, he has to face the consequences. So if the physical evidence proves that he used this gun to kill Marcel Simmons, he will do time for it. But we aren’t there yet and I have worked too hard to clean up this department’s reputation to risk having to apologize to another innocent arrestee after the fact, especially after the racism that he and Hannah Martin have endured far too often at the hands of this police department and the one that you just transferred in from.” He nodded at Prescott. “Besides, it just seems to be too big a coincidence that the day Marcel Simmons is due in court to begin answering for all the ways he tortured both Kenneth and Hannah, they become the prime suspects in his murder. It’s too perfect a revenge on top of the case against Kenneth being too obvious.”

“What are you saying?” Horowitz asked. “You think Marcel had someone shoot him just to frame Kenneth?”

“No,” Abe said. “That doesn’t add up, not when he died on the operating table. But what I do think is that someone else knew who we’d look at if Marcel was shot, and that person put the gun under Kenneth’s seat after they were finished with it to help us along the path they wanted us to go.”

“Maybe,” Horowitz said. “Or maybe it’s a coincidence. Maybe the shooter just threw the gun the first place he passed.”

“What’s the story with Hansen’s gun, though?” Prescott asked. “Why’d it disappear if it’s not the murder weapon?”

“Good question,” Abe said. “What we don’t know is whether the shooter stole his gun or whether this is a lookalike.”

“Or what happened to the lockbox,” Prescott added. He looked through his notes. “You talked to Valerie Martin?” he asked Horowitz.

“More like she talked at me,” Horowitz said. “All she had to say was she knew for a fact her daughter was innocent and that she didn’t want to see her get railroaded again. Finally let her give a statement to try to calm her down. Why?”

“Because,” Prescott said. “Something in the notes here.” He looked at it. “She said the other day she picked Hansen up from in front of a gun shop and she never got a straight answer as to whether he’d bought a weapon.”

“Right,” Horowitz said. “But we know he bought a gun so how does that help us?”

“Cause I know this place. When I worked East Salem we had our eye on it. Got reason to believe the dealer engages in illegal gun sales. Gives people guns without proper background checks, that kind of thing. We’d been trying to prove it when I left but far as I know, no dice.”

“That dealer might have sold this murder weapon, then,” Abe said.

“Not only that,” Prescott said, “but Hansen was desperate to get a gun. Ten to one this guy offered to cut corners to get it to him quicker. And if he went along with it… that’s an arrestable offense whether or not we got enough yet to pick him up for Simmons’ murder.”


Paige made herself let her breath out slowly. “What do you want, Cole?” she said, crossing her arms. “There’s a restraining order against you, remember? And the police station is across the street. So if you come any closer, you’re going to get caught.”

Cole held out his hands. “I know you don’t believe me, but I’m not trying to hurt you. I learned my lesson in jail.”

“Right,” Paige said. “Because you didn’t know that you shouldn’t kidnap people and force them to have sex with you before Clyde Weston did it to you.”

“Look, I know what I did was unforgivable, but I need your help.”

“If you think I’m going to support this ridiculous custody bid - “

“The reason I did that is because Bev is putting our son in danger!” Cole said. “She’s dating this guy Ian and he’s a stalker. I heard you guys talking so I know you know it as well as I do.”

“I don’t know anything,” Paige said. “Just that Bev said he texted a lot.”

“She said more than that,” Cole said. “And I know how these guys operate. I used to be one.”

“Still are,” Paige said under her breath.

Cole’s eyes narrowed but he said, “Today it’s texts, tomorrow it’s following her around, next week it could be kidnapping her… or our son. So here’s what you need to do.”

“I don’t need to do anything,” Paige said, “and the light’s changed so - “

Cole said, “If you’re really her friend, you’ll do what I want you to, because you don’t want to see her get hurt any more than I do. Please, Paige, you’ve got to tell her to block that loser and report him to the police. He’s the one who deserves a restraining order, not me. Tell her if she does that, I’ll drop the custody suit. Otherwise… I’ll see her in court.”

Cole turned and walked away. Paige’s heart pounded as she watched him go, unaware that she was about to miss the light again.


Mr. Woods leaned his phone on his ear. “I appreciate you letting me know. Other than the problem with Ciara Brady, how was my niece? That’s good to hear. Yes, I will handle it. Thank you again.”

As he hung up, his secretary poked her head in and said, “Your nephew is here. He said it’s urgent.”

“Send him in, I guess,” Mr. Woods said. He rubbed his temples.

Kenneth’s eyes were wide with fear as he came in. He was breathing hard. “Where’s Vicki right now?” he asked.

“In class,” Mr. Woods said, “and by all accounts doing well. I just spoke with one of her teachers, who gave me a mostly good report. Which is more than I can say for you. What’s wrong?”

“You gotta have her brought to the office,” Kenneth said, “and you gotta search her things and her locker.”

“Why?” Mr. Woods put his hands on Kenneth’s shoulders. “I don’t know what’s happened, but you’re so upset that you aren’t making sense. Take a few breaths and then talk to me.”

“My gun is missing,” Kenneth said. “I know you said not to buy one but I did and it’s missing and… and I’m afraid Vicki might have taken it to school.”

[André DiMera]

Whether Kenneth did shoot Marcel or not, he could still be in trouble. This isn’t good. Glad Abe brought up the idea that someone could be setting him up.

I hope Paige doesn’t give in to that blackmail. While I can’t deny that there’s something off about Ian, I doubt he’s anything like Cole thinks.

Wonder what Mr. Woods will say about this!

Can we please have previews, heroicmuse?

[Kpatch]

I'm sorry Paige had to deal with Cole at all. I don't trust him for a second.

It's good to see Mr. Woods!

[heroicmuse]

Thank you André DiMera and Kpatch for your comments this week. I'm excited for what's coming next and I hope you are too!

Coming Up on Breaking Ties...
Malcolm is disappointed to hear that Kenneth has broken his trust, but he has a more pressing matter to deal with: he needs to make sure Vicki hasn’t got her hands on that gun, especially with Ciara bullying her. He sends a dejected, guilty-feeling Kenneth home and calls Vicki into his office, praying that he won’t be forced to involve the police.

Vicki claims not to have touched the box and to be shocked that Kenneth bought a gun -- but is she telling the truth? And if she is, then who has Kenneth’s gun?

Meanwhile, Prescott won’t give up his belief that Kenneth killed Marcel even though Abe tells him to back off. Abe doesn’t want to play games by arresting Kenneth for a lesser offense to try to get a confession out of him, though he does tell Prescott and Horowitz to check out the gun dealer to see if he might have sold the gun found in the courthouse.

Horowitz tries to convince Prescott he is wrong, reminding him that she was the only one who believed Paige was innocent too. Prescott doesn’t quite buy it but they drop it for now to go question the gun dealer. However, they are surprised by who else they find in the gun shop, especially since they might have accidentally stumbled on the person who stole Kenneth’s gun. But while they are doing this, Abe and Hope look at security footage and discover another circumstantial piece of evidence against Kenneth.

Elsewhere, Valerie tries to get Hannah to calm down and listen to her, but Hannah is in no mood to hear that there’s a possibility Kenneth could go to jail when she knows he is as innocent as she is. After an emotional conversation, Valerie wants Hannah to come with her to see David, but when Hannah finally hears from Kenneth, she rushes over to his house instead… only to learn that he had bought a gun despite the risk it posed to her probation. Will she be able to forgive him?

FInally, Paige confides in Kayla about Cole’s threats, Daniel tells Maxine what’s going on with Parker, and JJ nervously awaits his meeting with his new boss.

[André DiMera]

I hope Vicki doesn’t have the gun!

Hopefully Prescott won’t pull a Roman with this case. Glad he and Horowitz are checking out the dealer.Wonder who they find, as well as what potentially incriminating evidence Hope and Abe find.

I hope Hannah tells Kenneth how much he potentially is screwing things up for her by buying that gun. Though ultimately, I also hope she forgives him, but that may take a while, and depend on how things go for both of them.

Glad Paige talks to Kayla, and that Daniel talks to Maxine. Hope J.J.’s meeting goes well.

Thanks for the previews, heroicmuse!

[lumiforeverandalways]

Still enjoying

[heroicmuse]

Week 331 - 1

Malcolm put his hands on Kenneth’s shoulders. “You need to get ahold of yourself,” he said. “What you’re saying not only doesn’t make sense, but is a damn serious accusation against your sister.” He lowered his voice. “By state law I have to report any incidents involving a student bringing a gun to school to the police, and I’m afraid of what might happen to her then. We’re talking juvenile hall and depending on whether the gun was loaded and what she intended to do with it, perhaps real jail as well. So I am not even going to go there without a very good reason. Now calm down and begin at the beginning. What makes you think your sister has a gun?”

Kenneth made himself breathe. “Sorry,” he said. “I’m even less myself than usual after being accused of murder” He held up his hands as Malcolm started to say something. “I didn’t do it. But, um, Marcel got what he deserved anyway. Someone had less self-control than me and they shot him in the back while they were taking him out of the courtroom.”

Malcolm frowned. “And the cops suspected you because of the things you’ve been saying?”

Kenneth’s cheeks got hot. “That,” he said, not looking his uncle in the eye, “and they found a gun under my seat that I didn’t put there.”

“I see,” Malcolm said. “And you think your sister has a gun based on what?”

Kenneth stared down at Malcolm’s desk. “I didn’t listen to you,” he said. “I bought a gun yesterday and I put it in the lockbox Dad gave me. But when I tried to show it to the cops, it was gone and so was the box. And all I could think was, Vicki was in my room this morning asking me what was up with that box and if she got it open somehow she wouldn’t have had the sense to leave it alone.” His voice shook. “I’m sorry, Uncle Malcolm. I thought I’d made sure she couldn’t get her hands on it but who else would take it box and all?”

“Was the gun loaded?” Malcolm asked quietly. Kenneth said nothing. Malcolm said, raising his voice slightly, “Kenneth. Was it loaded?”

“Y-yes,” Kenneth said. “I know you’re not supposed to but like I said, I didn’t think Vicki could get her hands on it.”

“I see.” Malcolm’s voice was very quiet. “You broke my trust, Kenneth. Your mother and I both told you more than once that we were not comfortable with a gun in our home, and I believed you would respect that. But I don’t have time to deal with that right now. First I need to do what I can to protect your sister, especially…” He sighed. “Her history teacher told me that another student was bullying her. If your sister does have that gun, we could be looking at a very serious tragedy. I’m going to have to call her to the office right now and make sure that this worst case scenario does not come to pass. But once this crisis is averted, you and I are going to need to talk, because what you did… well, right now I just don’t know what I want to do about your failure to respect my rules in such a dangerous manner.”

“Yes, Uncle Malcolm.” Kenneth had tears in his eyes. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think…”

“I know you didn’t intend any of this.” Malcolm’s voice was soft. “Go home, Kenneth, and pray that I don’t have to tell your mother that either of her children has been arrested for a gun-related crime.”

“Okay.” Kenneth sniffed. He started to walk away, then turned and looked over his shoulder at Malcolm, but his uncle was already picking up his phone. Kenneth turned and shuffled away, his shoulders slumped over.


Paige put her hands in her lap as she sat down across from Kayla, but she couldn’t help fidgeting.

Kayla smiled at her. “Thanks for coming down,” she said. “Unfortunately, Daniel’s not going to be able to work with you today. He just lost a patient and he’s not in the right headspace to - “ She frowned. “You seem to not be in the right headspace either. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Paige said. “It’s just that I heard there was a shooting at the courthouse and JJ hasn’t called me back yet to let me know that he’s okay.”

“I can put your mind at ease about that,” Kayla said. “The only person shot was Marcel Simmons. He was the patient Daniel lost.”

“Oh.” Paige’s voice was flat. “That’s good, I guess.” Her eyes widened. “Wait. They… JJ wasn’t arrested, was he? Because he was there covering the hearing but he would never…. And I know what it’s like, being falsely accused, being questioned endlessly and not knowing when you’re going to be arrested, and eventually being thrown in jail for something you didn’t do…” Her breathing started coming faster despite her best efforts to control herself.

Kayla leaned forward. “Look at me,” she said. “You’re panicking, sweetie, Try to take some deep breaths, okay?”

Paige took a deep breath. “Sorry,” she said. “I… I flashed back to when I was arrested and…”

“Anyone would after what you’ve been through.” Kayla’s voice was soft. “I’m sure JJ is fine. From what I understand, the police are questioning everyone and they will be releasing those who they have no reason to suspect shortly, so I’m sure you’ll hear from him soon.” Paige nodded and Kayla said, “Are you going to be able to focus on work today?”

“Yeah,” Paige said. “It’s the best thing for me, really. But um, there’s another reason I’m out of sorts, something else I’d like to forget.” Her eyes hardened. “Cole was bothering me while I was waiting for the light. He wants to use me to blackmail Bev into breaking up with her new boyfriend, if that’s even what Ian is, and I don’t know what he’s going to do to me if I don’t go along with it.”


At their lockers, Claire said to Vicki, “I can’t believe Ciara was so mean to you! I know she’s jealous, but ever since I stopped being friends with her, she’s gone nuts.”

“I don’t know about that,” Vicki said, “but she almost got me in trouble and now Mrs. Harrison says next time I will be even though I didn’t do a single thing to her.”

Claire frowned. “We need to neutralize her somehow,” she said as she took a notebook out of her locker.

“She’s not worth it,” Allie said. “People like her thrive on attention. If we don’t give her any, she’ll get bored and leave Vicki alone.”

“I don’t think so,” Vicki said. “She wants to make Theo love her instead of me and she’s never going to give up on that. And Ken says you have to look bullies right in the eye and let them know they’re not intimidating you or they’ll never stop.”

“Yeah,” Allie said, “but you have to fight back the right way or you’ll get in trouble instead of her. Although I’m sure my mom would say otherwise.” She closed her locker. “Come on. At least we’ll all be together for English.”

As they turned to walk down the hall, Mrs. Jefferson, the assistant principal, came up to them. “Excuse me, ladies,” she said. “Vicki, you’re wanted in Mr. Woods’ office. Come with me.”

VIcki’s eyes widened but she said to Claire, “Uncle Malcolm probably just wants to check in with me personally. Save me a seat in English and don’t let Ciara take it.” She followed Mrs. Jefferson.

“I don’t think that’s all he wants,” Claire said under her breath to Allie. “I have a feeling Ciara pulled something or other that he feels he has to address with Vicki.”

“Yeah,” Allie said. “You go ahead, I’ll go find out what this is about.”

“Allie!” Claire said. “You can’t cut class. Your mom’ll kill you.”

“It’s for a good cause,” Allie said. “Like you said, we have to neutralize Ciara.” She hurried down the hall in the other direction, toward Mr. Woods’ office, leaving Claire to shake her head sadly.


“Hold on,” Abe told Prescott. “If this dealer is selling guns illegally, I would be more than happy to help close down his business. But we are not going to play games. If Kenneth Hansen bought a gun from him without a 72-hour background check, he likely didn’t know that it was illegal. You know how dealers like this play it. And furthermore, the law was not designed to punish legitimate gun buyers who purchase a firearm with the best of intentions. It is to stop the illegal sale and trade of guns on our streets and hopefully put an end to the scourge of gun violence.”

“Yeah,” Prescott said, “but you’re forgetting one thing, boss. We don’t know that Kenneth Hansen’s innocent.”

“We don’t know he’s guilty either,” Abe said, “and we’re not playing games with arresting him on other charges in the hopes that we can get him for murder while he’s awaiting arraignment. Now, I need you and Horowitz to go talk to this dealer. Let’s see who else might have bought a gun similar to Kenneth Hansen’s before we go jumping to conclusions about whose gun that was we found in the courtroom.”

Prescott frowned, but he said, “All right. Come on, Horowitz.”

Hope was standing on the other side of the door, holding a flash drive, when they opened it. Prescott nodded at her and then he and Horowitz left.

Hope came in. “I’d ask if you were busy but it looks like you are,” she said.

“Not too busy for you,” Abe said. “What do you have for me?”

“Two things,” Hope said. “The security footage from the courthouse. This will hopefully tell us for once and for all whether Kenneth Hansen shot Marcel Simmons.”

Abe nodded. “Good. And the other thing?”

Hope sighed. “More of a question than an answer. Aiden’s concerned about probation violating Hannah Martin because we took her in for questioning earlier, and I share his concern. What can we do to protect her?”

[André DiMera]

So glad Malcolm is looking into whether Vicki has the gun or not, and that he told Kenneth in no uncertain terms that he was disappointed in him.

Glad Kayla’s there for Paige, and that she told her about Cole.

At least Vicki has Claire and Allie as friends. Though I don’t think skipping class to find out what Mr. Woods wants with Vicki is a good idea. Then again, we know what he wants and Allie doesn’t.

Can’t wait to see what the security footage shows! Hopefully Hope and Abe can help Hannah avoid trouble for being questioned.

Great chapter, heroicmuse!

[Kpatch]

I love Malcolm. I love how he deals with Kenneth.

[lumiforeverandalways]

Still enjoying.
Poor Vicki.

[heroicmuse]

Week 331 - 2

After everyone was settled down in their seats again, Judge Walston said, “This seems like a straightforward manner. Ms. Hernandez entered into a contract with the ISA in which she agreed to participate in a risky undercover operation in exchange for the termination of her sentence three years ago.

“When there is an agreement of this nature, the only question before me is whether that agreement was valid and whether Ms. Hernandez lived up to her end of it.

“The first thing I want to do is apologize to Ms. Hernandez that it took so long to get to the point where we could even discuss this matter. The ISA, due to the sensitive nature of its work, was loathe to let a simple superior court judge examine its internal documents and it took nearly three years for various other courts to decide that her lawyer had the right to demand such papers as proof that there was an agreement at all. And all that time, this defendant was stuck behind bars, forced to miss significant moments in her young daughter’s life and limited in her ability to visit her father on what might have been his deathbed. And for that I am truly sorry. Ms. Hernandez, I wish that we had a better way of deciding these matters, one that did not require you to remain in custody while the preliminary debate about whether you have the right to prove that you were promised your freedom raged on and on in a world you were not allowed to be part of.

“That said, I have examined the papers. I find that this contract was executed in good faith. I furthermore find that this defendant suffered mightily in an attempt to secure her freedom and that she did so for no other reason than to alleviate the great suffering of her young daughter who has grown up without significant contact with her mother for far too long.

‘My heart further broke for Ms. Hernandez when I heard the ways she suffered, both before her original arrest and in her attempt to shorten her sentence. I only wish I had had the opportunity to preside over her previous trial. I understand that Ms. Hernandez made a plea arrangement out of fear that she would be sentenced to life in prison. Had I been the judge then, and had I known what I know now about the abuse she suffered at the hands of the man she killed, I would not have accepted that plea bargain as written and would have sentenced her to much less prison time.

“I cannot turn back the clock for Ms. Hernandez. I cannot get her the help she needed before she felt she had to resort to murder and I cannot give her back all the time lost with her family. But what I can do is put an end to this travesty. Ms. Hernandez, if you would rise for a moment, before I officially make my ruling in this matter, I’d like to say something to you.”

Gabi’s mouth dropped open but she stood, saying to Justin in a loud whisper, “He is going to let me go, right?”

Justin put his finger on his lips.

Judge Walston said, “Believe it or not, I am not hard of hearing despite my advanced age, particularly when a whisper is more like a shout.” He smiled slightly. “In answer to your question, yes, I plan to order your release. But before I do so I just wanted to say two things. One: I know it is just words and that it will do nothing of value for you, but for what it is worth… I feel a need, as an officer of this court, to apologize to you. I am sorry that you have been imprisoned for eight long years and that you have missed so much of your daughter’s life. This court is supposed to stand for justice, and in your case there has been none.”

Gabi bowed her head. “Thank you, your Honor,” she whispered, fighting tears.

Judge Walston went on, “In a moment, when I order your release, it will end your obligations to this court. From this moment forward, you will be free to make the choices that seem best for yourself and your daughter. However, eight years behind bars is a very long time, and in my experience, people who have been incarcerated for that long find it difficult to adjust to freedom and to the responsibility that it entails. I therefore hope that you will seriously consider getting help. This court has a list of therapists that work with the recently released. The clerk will give that list to you and I strongly suggest that you take advantage of this opportunity. Again, this is not an order, but merely some encouragement from someone who has seen what can happen when a person who is used to being told what to do and when to do it is returned to society without proper support. I do not want to see you torn away from your daughter again for any reason.”

“Thank you, your Honor,” Gabi said. “I have mi hermano to support me.” She turned around. “I can stay with you until I find my own place, right?” she said to Rafe.

Rafe nodded. “Course,” he said, his voice choked up with tears.

“That is a fine start,” Judge Walston said, “but it may not be enough. Anyway, that is up to you. I am ordering that your sentence be terminated immediately and that you be released from custody with no further obligations to this court.”

He banged his gavel.

Rafe said to Nicole, “This is real, right? I’m not dreaming? My sister… Gabi’s coming home?”

“She’s coming home,” Nicole confirmed.

Rafe and Nicole hugged. Nicole was happy for him, but at the same time she was worried. Gabi living with Rafe might complicate things, especially since she had hoped Rafe would go with her to investigate whether Ethan was her son.



Kayla frowned. “If Cole threatened you, that’s a matter for the police.”

Paige fidgeted, playing with her fingers. “He didn’t threaten me, exactly. I mean, I couldn’t cross the street to get away from him until the light changed, but he didn’t try to force me to talk to him or anything like that. He just… said horrible things.”

“Still,” Kayla said softly, “he violated the restraining order against coming near you or Bev and he clearly scared you. You just said that you weren’t sure what he was going to do to you.”

“Right,” Paige said, “but I don’t want to send him back to jail if I’m wrong. I… I could have been overreacting because of what he did to me before.”

Kayla sighed. “What exactly did he say, sweetie?”

“Oh, not much.” Paige crossed her arms. “Just that he was only suing for custody because he thinks Ian is dangerous and that he wants me to be the one to tell Bev to break it off so that he can drop the lawsuit.” She stared down at her hands. “The thing is, I’m not sure he’s wrong. I mean, I don’t know he’s right either and it’s not his place to tell Bev who to date, and I’m sure she won’t bring Ian around her son unless she’s absolutely sure it’s a good idea. But Bev did tell me that after one date Ian’s texted a billion times and it’s driving her nuts. She was scared that it meant something and that she’d picked another Cole to go on a date with. I told her to try telling him not to text so much before she wrote him off and she got mad at me. She said of all the people in the world, I should know better than anyone to pay attention to red flags. And I don’t know whether she’s scared because of what Cole did or she’s picking up on something really bad about Ian.”

“It’s good that she’s keeping her eyes open,” Kayla said, “and she’s right that sometimes someone giving a woman too much attention after just one or two dates can be a sign that person has a dangerous obsession with her. But you’re also right that Cole doesn’t have the right to tell her who she can and can’t have in her or her son’s life, especially considering that she is doing her best to take care of a child who was only conceived because Cole violently and brutally assaulted her. And the last thing you need is Cole manipulating you this way. If you start giving his messages to her, he will put you in the middle forever, and who knows what other diabolical plans he has for her and her son.”

“Right,” Paige said. “So what do I do?”

Kayla sighed. “I still think you should report this encounter to the police. But if you don’t want to do that… at least tell Bev that Cole is trying to use the threat of taking custody of Mason to control her.”

“Okay.” Paige’s voice flat. “But not now. Now I want to get to work. You said Daniel’s not available?”

“He’s not in a good place right now, sweetie,” Kayla said. “And anyway, he has to deal with the aftermath of his patient’s death. He has a morbidity conference to prepare for this afternoon. So in the meantime, I’m going to have to assign you to another doctor temporarily.”

“A cardiologist?” Paige asked hopefully. “I worked a little bit with Hannah’s mom at the other hospital a few weeks ago and I really liked it."

Kayla said, “You’d be better off working for Valerie full-time if that’s really your interest. She’s one of the top heart surgeons in the country. But in the meantime, since you’re here, I’ll call Dr. Klein, our head cardiologist, and have him put you to work.”

[André DiMera]

Yes! I’m so glad Judge Walston made the right decision! I do hope, now that she’s released, that Gabi takes his advice. She’s been in prison for a long time, and it can be difficult to adjust.

Glad Paige and Kayla talked. That was good advice. Hope Paige working with Dr. Klein goes well.

Great chapter, heroicmuse!