Breaking Ties: An Ensemble Story (Read 240,926 times)

[André DiMera]

Glad everyone’s being supportive of Chanel. I don’t think Hannah backing out is the best idea, but I can see why Nan might think that.

J.J. and Stephanie both have good reasons to feel the way they feel. J.J. made a good point to Steve. At least Kayla and Jennifer agree that they don’t want this to come between them.

Great chapter, heroicmuse!

[Kpatch]

Steve shouldn't have said what he said. It inflamed everyone. I'm disappointed that JJ let his temper get the better of him. Steve is his greatest supporter and didn't deserve that much wrath. As for Stephanie, I didn't like her ultimatum. Not only that, I don't believe she would ever let things lie. I don't think she can.

[heroicmuse]

Week 490 - 3
Kayla held up her hand. “You don’t have to answer that,” she said to Jennifer. She crossed her arms and turned toward Stephanie. “Look. I have been 100% supportive of you not wanting anything to do with Jeremy and I even told your aunt that I was not going to run interference between JJ and your dad over this. But this is not the time or place, Stephanie. We are getting ready to help Maggie bring food over to Julie’s for Doug’s wake. Do you think this is honoring his memory, to dare your aunt to turn her back on her nephew, to try to push Jeremy’s father to reject him? That is not what Doug would have stood for and no matter how angry you are that Jeremy is in Salem too, that does not excuse you talking to the people who love Jeremy that way at Doug’s funeral.”

Stephanie’s eyes snapped. Daniel said, “I was just telling Mike, when Jeremy first came to Salem, I didn’t trust him either. But now he has more than proven himself.”

“He pulled the wool over your eyes, you mean,” Stephanie said.

Daniel crossed his arms. “I’ve worked in the ER most of my career. I’ve treated drug addicts, gang members, kids who got into poison. All of which is to say, I know a thing or two about when someone’s trying to do a snow job. But I also, Stephanie, I also know that holding onto anger and resentment and trying to ruin the life of someone who once hurt you to try to make him feel what you once felt… that’s not healthy. Forget Jeremy, forget whether you believe he’s changed or not. Getting so mad that not everyone sees him the way you do, that’s not good for YOU.”

Stephanie blinked back tears. “That’s a nice little speech,” she said, “but when you have to see your entire family supporting the person who held your head under the water til you were almost dead, then talk to me about forgiveness and letting go. Until then, you don’t know anything.” She turned and said to Steve, “Mama’s right. We should go.” Then she hurried away without another word.

Jennifer put her hand on Mike’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry about that,” she said.

Mike shook his head slightly. “I support my son no matter what. You know that. But actions have consequences, you know? She’s got every right to be angry at Jeremy, and she’s right that it’s not the sort of thing that can be fixed with an apology and a promise to do better. I just hope she doesn’t get to him because right now things are great but if he starts to feel like nothing he does is good enough… that other guy he was when he hurt Stephanie could come back with a vengeance, and that’s not a nightmare I want to contemplate.”

Jennifer thought of JJ’s face twisted with anger after he’d been arrested for breaking that bookstore window. “I understand more than you know,” she said softly. “When JJ stormed out of here just now…”

“I keep telling you,” Daniel said. “He’s fine. And Jeremy, he will be too.”

“Even so, I want to at least call and check in with him,” Jennifer said, “and then I want to head out to Julie’s. I just hope certain people behave themselves at the wake.” She shook her head sadly.


Mr. Woods was going over attendance logs. He picked up the phone and said to a teacher, “This is Principal Woods. I noticed you marked Allie Horton absent this morning.”

“Yes, sir,” the teacher said. “She was excused to go to a funeral.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Mr. Woods said. “Thank you.” He hung up the phone, then said to himself, “This may present a rare opportunity to solve the problem between Allie and Ruby.” He picked up his phone again and pressed a button, then said to his secretary, “Could you please have Ruby Michaels sent to my office?”


Dani was walking past the quad on campus on her way to class wehn someone called, “Psst!” She turned and saw a boy standing in the grass across the way.

Dani sat cross-legged on the quad with the boy and a bunch of other kids. They had all just got high and now they were passing around a bottle of rum someone had sneaked onto campus. Dani threw her head back and drank about half the bottle before handing it to the next person.

“No,” she said now. “I don’t want to do that.”

The boy blocked her path as she kept walking. “So what is this?” he said. “You think you’re too good for us now, is that it, Dani?”

“No,” Dani said, “but I’m on probation and I can’t risk getting arrested again.”

The boy laughed. “Like we care if you drink or not. Come sit with us. If you don’t want to drink, just smoke some, okay?” He took a pipe out of his pocket that already had a bud of weed in it. As he did, Dani’s eyes darted to a tattoo on his wrist that she’d never noticed before. It was half covered by his sleeve, but what she saw looked like the lower half of an animal’s mouth and part of a flame.

The Fire Lion tattoo.

Dani stared at the pipe, her heart pounding.

A siren blew behind her and then Joy called, “Campus police. Don’t move, either of you.”

Dani swallowed hard, her eyes darting back and forth. She sighed deeply as she put her hands in the air, sure the woman she secretly had a crush on was going to take her in on a probation violation when she hadn’t been doing anything and was just trying to get to class without getting bothered.

[André DiMera]

Glad Kayla at least tried to talk some sense to Stephanie. I get why she’s upset, but this isn’t the time or place.

Wonder what Mr. Woods plans to do.

Hopefully Dani won’t get arrested for something she didn’t do.

Great chapter, heroicmuse!

[heroicmuse]

Week 490 - 4
Dani’s heart pounded harder and harder as Joy and two other cops surrounded her and the boy. “P-please,” she said. “I was just trying to get to class, I swear, I wasn’t…”

“Don’t,” Joy said softly. “I don’t want to hear anything that could be used against you.” Dani swallowed hard and fell silent. Joy went on, “We informed you at the dorm meeting that you guys would be subject to random searches to prevent problems. This is one of them. Come over here with me, please.”

Dani obeyed, allowing Joy to lead her a little ways away, where Joy told her to turn around and put her hands behind her back. Dani bit her lip as she complied.

No sooner had Dani gotten outside the convenience store than the cops stopped her. “Look,” she said, “I’ll give it back, okay, since I’m not supposed to have it. Please.. I don’t want to go to jail.”

“Should have thought of that before you gave that fake ID to an undercover,” a cop told her. “You’re gonna spend a night behind bars and that’s how it is. Now stop arguing and put your hands behind your back.”

In the present, Joy squeezed Dani’s wrists, pinning her hands behind her back while she patted her down. Dani couldn’t help wishing the circumstances of Joy touching her like that were different, but she knew better than to try to flirt with her now.

“Listen,” she said as Joy felt the outside of her jeans pockets. “I really wasn’t trying to do anything wrong. I was just walking to class and that guy blocked my way.”

Joy nodded slightly. “I have to do this. I’m sorry.” Her voice was gentle as she added, “Spread your legs for me, okay?”

Dani obeyed, staring straight ahead. As Joy continued patting her down, she tried again, saying, “I’m on probation, so if you take me in over this it’s going to be three months behind bars when I didn’t do anything wrong, I swear I didn’t.” Her voice shook.

“Relax. You’re clean and you’ve been cooperative. All you need to do is keep cooperating and you’ll be okay.” Joy let Dani go and gestured toward a nearby bench. “Have a seat. I have a few questions for you and then you can go.”

Dani sank into the bench. She put her hands in her lap even though Joy hadn’t asked her to, aware that she was still in trouble. Joy sat down next to her and said, quietly, “You’re not who we’re after. That guy is. I had to stop and search you to make it look good, but I’m aware he was trying to force you to do something you didn’t want to do. Dani, right?”
Dani nodded. She couldn’t help smiling slightly that Joy knew her name even though there was nothing to smile about, really.

“Had you ever seen that boy before?” Joy asked.

“Y-yeah.” Dani swallowed hard, considering what to say next. “Um, I used to have a drinking problem and he was one of the people I drank with.”

“And smoked weed with, from what I observed,” Joy said. Dani nodded again and Joy said, “And you’ve stopped hanging with him since your arrest?”

“Yes ma’am,” Dani said, and looked away, realizing too late that there was a flirty tone in her voice.

Joy blushed too. “Um…” she said, and then recovered. “At the time you used to hang out with him, did he ever mention the Fire Lions to you or try to recruit you?”

Dani’s eyes widened. “If he was a Fire Lion then I didn’t know, I swear. He was just one of like five kids I used to get drunk with. I don’t even know his real name. Everyone called him Snake, and now I can kind of see why but back then I was too messed up to realize that he was bad news.”

“I see. Do you know the real names of any of the kids you used to get drunk with?”

Dani shook her head even though that was a lie. She didn’t want to get labeled a snitch. “Can I go now?” she asked. “Please? I’m late to class as it is.”

“Yeah,” Joy said. “Keep your eyes peeled, okay, and if Snake or anyone else bothers you again, let me know.” She gave Dani her card.

Dani stared at it as Joy got up and walked away. She was trembling with fear over what had almost just happened, but at the same time she couldn’t help grinning at the fact that now she had Joy’s number.

Her grin faded as two other cops marched Snake past her in handcuffs. “This is your fault, bitch!” he said. “I have friends that’ll make you sorry.”

“Guess you want some extra charges,” one of the cops that had him said. “Shut your mouth.” They dragged him away.

Dani hugged herself, her heart pounding, as Snake disappeared into the distance with the cops. She made herself breathe in and out and then picked up the phone and called someone, saying under her breath, “It’s Dani. I hate to ask but I need you to do something for me.”


JJ and Paige were sitting in some empty chairs on the other side of the memorial garden.

“You think I was too hard on Uncle Steve?” JJ asked Paige. “I feel bad about what I said, especially at Doug’s memorial, but the fact that he thinks he can tell me to stay away from my cousin…”

“I don’t like what he said either,” Paige said, rubbing JJ’s shoulders, “but I don’t want to disown him over it. You and Steve are so close, and Mari needs her great-uncle in her life.”

“Yeah.” JJ sighed. “I guess I just… the way he and Stephanie are talking about Jeremy brings me back to how everyone treated me after I broke that freaking window.”

“I know. But I didn’t listen, and you’re not listening to anyone about Jeremy either, so it’ll be all right.. The people who matter always see people for who they really are no matter what anyone else says, you know?””

“Right,” JJ said. “I guess I’d better — ”

Jennifer came up to them just then. “Sorry to interrupt,” she said, “but we’re getting ready to go to Julie’s for the wake.”

JJ stood. “I’m fine, Mom. Uncle Steve around?”

“Kayla walked him off before anything happened that shouldn’t have,” Daniel said.

JJ’s shoulders slumped. “Guess I’ll have to wait til we make it over there to apologize to him.” He took Paige’s hand. “We’ll head over soon as we check in with Harlow to see how Mari’s doing.”

JJ and Paige walked off. Jennifer turned toward Daniel, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

[Kpatch]

I don't think JJ was treated as poorly as Jeremy is or for as long.

Kayla should not have reamed Stephanie out in front of everyone. She should have taken her daughter aside to talk to her. I'm sure Stephanie had no appreciation for Daniel lecturing her either. She barely knows him.

[André DiMera]

Wonder who Dani called. I’m glad she’s not in trouble, and that Snake got arrested.

Even though Steve was being a bit ridiculous, I’m glad J.J. realized that he was being a little hard on Steve. Both had their reasons, though.

Great chapter, heroicmuse!

[heroicmuse]

Week 490 - 5
Harlow said to Mackenzie, “Back up a bit. Are you sure that that email means what you think it means?”

“It’s not as if they came right out and said it,” Mackenzie sniffed, “but I don’t see how it could possibly mean anything else. And you know how Holly is. I love her to bits but she’s not exactly trustworthy. I’m sure she meant to honour our agreement but if an opportunity arose for her to take advantage, she wouldn’t look the other way.”

“Still, it takes two people to carry on behind someone’s back, and if Haz is the man you thought he was…” Harlow’s phone beeped. “Oh. That’s Paige. She probably wants to check in on the wee one, so…”

“Take it. I’ll be fine.”

“Talk to Haz. Find out what’s really going on before you go jumping to conclusions, yeah?”

Mackenzie nodded. Harlow switched over to Paige to give her an update about Mariposa while hoping that Mackenzie was going to listen to her.


Stephanie came into the kitchen at Chez Rouge. “My dad said to check in with you to see what help you needed bringing things to Julie’s,” she said.

“That’s sweet of you,” Maggie said, “but I have employees delivering the food.” She touched Stephanie’s wrist. “I am happy for the company, though. Preparing for Doug’s wake brings back memories that I’d rather not have.” She sighed.

“Right.” Stephanie fidgeted. I, um, I don’t know what to say. I barely know you and I didn’t know Victor at all, at least not the version of him you were in love with.” Stephanie hesitated. “Um, I know back in the day he hired my dad to do all sorts of horrible things.”

“He did. But that was a long time ago, and it’s not how I prefer to think of him. And I am sure your father doesn’t like thinking about those days either. He’s a very different man than he was when he and Victor were wreaking havoc together.”

“Right.” Stephanie pushed her hair behind her ear. “I know people can change, at least sometimes. I mean, my dad did and from what you’re saying, Victor did. But the people they hurt weren’t me or anyone I knew, so…” She sighed deeply. “How do you know if someone’s really changed or if they’r ejust snowing you?”

Maggie hesitated. “I don’t know that I’m the best person to ask about that. Believe it or not, I’ve sometimes been accused of seeing the world through rose-colored glasses.”

“No.” Stephanie grinned.

“Hard to believe, I know. But even I was skeptical of Victor at first. He had to prove himself. Trust me, I am far from naive and knew exactly who that man was, and if some stranger popped up out of nowhere claiming to be Victor’s friend he wouldn’t pull the wool over my eyes no matter how much I long for a piece of Victor to still be in this world.” She patted Stephanie’s hand. “Now who is it you’re afraid to give your heart to?”

“No one!” Stephanie said. “At least, not that way. It’s just… there’s someone from my past who hurt me really badly. Nearly killed me, in fact. And now he’s claiming to have changed and everyone but me believes him.”

Maggie’s smile faded. “Ah. You’re talking about my nephew Jeremy.”

“Yeah. Him.” Stephanie turned her back on Maggie. “I’m sorry. I know you’re family. He’s a Horton, so he gets every benefit of the doubt and everyone sees me as the bad guy because I’m skeptical.”

“It’s understandable,” Maggie said. “From what I understand, what he did to you was horrible. I’d like to think he’s changed. Mike and Jennifer certainly think he has, and so does my son. You know, Daniel was very suspicious of JEremy at first, but after observing him in action a while, he changed his mind. Now, you don’t have to feel the same way, of course. But it is something to consider. Now, let’s get to Julie’s. She's waiting for us, and being there for her is what's important, not who else will or won't be there."

Stephanie reddened as she followed Maggie out of the room.

[Kpatch]

Stephanie says she didn't know Victor at all but she got to know Victor pretty well when she was engaged to Philip. Maybe that didn't happen in this story.

I liked the veiled reference to Konstantin and how Maggie wouldn't be fooled by someone like that.

[André DiMera]

Mackenzie has a point about Holly, but I agree with Harlow on this one.

Love that this version of Maggie is smart enough not to fall for any nonsense. She gave Stephanie great advice, I hope she listens!

Can we please have previews, heroicmuse?

[heroicmuse]

Thank you André DiMera and Kpatch for your comments this week!

Exciting week coming up. I can't wait for some of these scenes. REad on for spoilers...

Coming Up on Breaking Ties...
Hannah makes it clear to her parents that she is not interested in withdrawing her offer to testify. She's not letting Nat win, period. But when Nat's associates up the ante, threatening her and her parents in a tangible way, will she change her mind? And when Abe suggests a solution that would be very hard on everyone, Hannah has a demand of her own.

Elsewhere, Jeremy has the bad luck to get to Julie's for the wake moments before Stephanie and Maggie do, but there's a chance Maggie's advice has gotten through to Stephanie.

Finally, Mr. Woods has a talk with Ruby that surprises and touches her and Dani turns to Alison for support.

[André DiMera]

Hope Hannah doesn’t change her mind, despite Nat’s foolishness. Wonder what her demand is.

I really hope Stephanie doesn’t cause more of an issue.

Can’t wait for Mr. Woods’ talk with Ruby. Glad Dani turns to Alison!

Thanks for the previews, heroicmuse!

[Kpatch]

I wonder why Jeremy thinks it's bad luck to get to Julie's first. I think Jeremy and Rory could become friends. Thanks for the previews.

[heroicmuse]

Week 491 - 1
Dani looked up as Alison came into the student union, where Dani was nursing a cup of coffee and pretending it was something stronger. She waved slightly and Alison came over.

“Thanks for meeting me,” Dani said. “I know we’re not really friends or anything a-and normally I’d call my sponsor but she had to go to a funeral and I didn’t know if it was over so…”

“It’s cool,” Alison said. “I’d rather you talk to me than do something stupid and end up in jail for 25 years like my brother.” She sighed deeply.

“Yeah.” Dani swallowed hard. “I almost ended up there anyway and honestly, maybe it would have been better if I had been arrested.”

Alison frowned. “What?”

“Long story.” Dani bit her lip. “The short version is, this loser I used to hang out with shoved a weed pipe under my face just as the campus cops showed up. And not any cops either. Guess who stopped and searched me.”

Alison patted her hand. “That girl you have a crush on?”

Dani shivered involuntarily. The other girl I have a crush on, she thought as she pulled away, hurrying to pick up her coffee before Alison could notice anything. She had even less chance with her than she did with the cop, she was sure of it. “Yep,” she said. “If the circumstances were different I wouldn’t have minded her putting me in cuffs, which didn’t actually happen, by the way, but as it was…” Dani gulped her coffee. “She knew my name and she said searching me was for show cause she was trying to get me away from the guy but still.”

“Well, she didn’t arrest you so she must have known you weren’t up to anything.” Alison chewed on her straw. “You can’t seriously wish she arrested you just because you’re embarrassed that she had to detain you.”

“No, that was the least bad part. The thing is…” Dani sighed deeply. Lowering her voice, she said, “That loser was a Fire Lion. I saw his tat when he was trying to force his stupid weed down my throat, and she asked me a billion questions about whether he’d ever tried to recruit me. And then…” Dani grabbed onto the understide of the table, holding it tight while she tried to find the right words. “Then they arrested him, right, and they marched him past me when they didn’t have to and he said I’d be sorry I got him sent to jail.”

“Oh, Dani.” Alison grabbed her phone. “I’m guessing the cops didn’t do anything about that?”

“It wasn’t Joy’s, I mean, Officer Wesley’s, fault,” Dani said quickly. “She was already gone. The two stupid cops who had him should have dragged him away the other way so he couldn’t say his stupid garbage.” She took another gulp of her drink. “They told him to shut up or he’d get more charges and that was that.”

“But you’re still scared,” Alison said.

“Trying not to be,” Dani said. “But he’s a freaking Fire Lion and from what they said at that presentation the other night, that gang is super dangerous so…”

Alison took out her recorder. “There’s one thing we can do. Expose the fact that the Fire Lions are on campus and that the cops aren’t handling it properly.”

Dani stared at it. “You mean…”

Alison nodded. “Give me a statement for the record and let’s see what my boss says about running this story on the six o’clock news tonight.”

Dani stared at her recorder, thinking.


Valerie decided to talk to Hannah while David was driving them to Julie’s for the wake. “I don’t necessarily agree with Mrs. Hansen,” she said. “I told you when Marcel was the one on trial that I thought you should be brave and tell the truth so he could be put away, and I still feel that. But I’m also so tired of that Natalie Simmons messing with you, sweetheart. It’s bad enough that she got you sent to jail for a year when she’s the one who belonged there ahd that she had you getting her and Marcel drugs and whatever else, but now, when you’ve had that all behind you for years, she’s still causing trouble.”

Hannah gulped, thinking about the message she’d gotten this morning. “I hope she does time in supermax,” she said, “but I’m not so sure even that’ll stop her. You see on TV these gangsters that have all this power and they’re calling the shots from behind bars. How do I know she’s not one of them?”

“How can one girl cause this much trouble?” David said. “These are empty threats, Hannah. I’m sure of it. Otherwise she’d have done a lot more than given you some generic nonsense about how you’ll be sorry.”

“I hope so,” Hannah said. She played with her phone. “I don’t want to give up testifying. If I do, Nat wins, cause even if she goes to jail, she’s learned throwing her weight around’s gonna get me to shut up. That’ll just get her to keep messing with me. But sometimes, I think of that time that boy shot up the house to try to stop me from speaking out and then I think, dying for the cause of teaching her a lesson’s not worth it.”

“That’s the same circle going through my mind,” Valerie said as David stopped at a stop sign. “You and Kenneth have a whole life ahead of you and for it to be cut short by — ”
The car jerked forward as someone hit the back bumper. WHoever it was didn’t hit hard enough to cause any damage, but did bump them hard enough that the car lurched forward slightly. Then the culprit pulled around them and sped off while they were still sitting at the stop sign. Hannah watched it go. It was a silver sedan, or at least she thought so. It went bb too fast for her to be sure.

David shook his fist at the car as it disappeared from sight. “Yeah, you’d better run,” he said. “You don’t want to deal with me, believe me.”

Hannah’s phone buzzed as Valerie said, “David. We’re all right, that’s all that matters.”

“Mom’s right,” Hannah said. “Keep driving.” She glanced at her phone. “But in the meantime I’m calling Abe and describing the car as best as I can and if you noticed anything you should tell him too soon as you can.”

Valerie sucked in breath sharply enough for Hannah to hear. “Nat?”

Hannah nodded. “I got another message just now.”

She showed her phone to Valerie. The text said:

PRIVATE NUMBER
That was your final warning. Tell the judge you’re not testifying or next time you’ll be run off the road.

[André DiMera]

I like Alison’s plan! So glad Dani went to her.

Nat really needs to go away! Hope Hannah tells Abe about this!

Great chapter, heroicmuse!