Breaking Ties: An Ensemble Story (Read 248,601 times)

[heroicmuse]

Week 498 - 2

At Julie’s, David’s phone buzzed again as he came in from outside with a bag of groceries. He put it down and picked up the phone from the counter as it stopped buzzing.

“Three missed calls from Val,” he said to himself. “Dear God, please don't let anything have happened to Hannah in that safe house.” He picked up the phone and called Valerie back. “Val? Is everything okay?”

“No!” Valerie said. “I mean, I’m fine, but…”

David’s knees buckled. He grabbed onto the counter. “Is it Hannah? Did something…”

“Not as far as I know, and we don’t have to worry about her. I thought they got you.” Valerie’s voice shook. “Why didn’t you answer before?”

“I was bringing in groceries for my mom and I forgot to take the phone with me.” David leaned it on his ear. “Val… what happened?”

“A kid with a gun came into this hospital, that’s what,” Valerie said. “He didn’t get me. He wanted to but Henry Shah took the patient in my place and he got held hostage for a little bit.”

“Henry Shah.” David’s voice was flat, remembering when he learned that Valerie had cheated on him with Henry while he was away for all those years. “That guy’s always playing the hero, isn’t he?”

“This is no time for petty jealousy,” Valerie said. “I’m coming to Julie’s and we’re going to discuss what we need to do to keep ourselves safe until this trial is over.”

“What we need to do is tell the DA that Hannah’s not testifying,” David said. “I never thought — ”

“We’ll talk when I get there,” Valerie said, “and no, that is not an option.” She hung up.

David took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose before putting them back on.



Judge Walston sat down on the bench and took his time arranging his papers before he said, “This decision is more complicated than I expected it to be, given the circumstances of this case. The question before this court today is whether there is enough evidence for the state to press charges against Agent Hernandez for obstruction of justice, a question which is considerably muddy to begin with given the fact that the shooting of William Montague led to his arrest for the kidnapping and drug facilitated sexual assault of a minor. However, that is an argument for another day, as today I must only determine whether the proposed subpoena against Former Commissioner Roman Brady is justified for the purpose of seeing the full range of admissible evidence the state has against Agent Hernandez.

“Former Commissioner Brady is in an interesting position relative to that question. He is the defendant’s former boss. He is also the grandfather of the minor whose abduction led to this entire situation the first place, and given that he was subpoenaed by the prosecution, he likely believes that Agent Hernandez does not deserve to be prosecuted in this matter.

“Subpoenas are warranted when a witness has material evidence that they are not willing to voluntarily share with the court. In this case, Former Commissioner Brady does not have direct knowledge of the alleged crime. His only role in the rescue of Johnny Dimera was as a concerned grandfather and perhaps a concerned husband since the woman who allegedly shot Mr. Montague is his wife. Thus, Mr. Kiriakis is correct that the only tangible evidence Former Commissioner Brady could provide is of Agent Hernandez’s behavior while employed by him as a police officer.

“As a judge, I have to consider carefully whether such evidence’s merits would outweigh its prejudicial nature. Poor behavior in the past does not necessarily prove criminality in the present, and it is important not to paint an inaccurate picture of a defendant by allowing the prosecution to dig up dirt that has little to no bearing on the current accusation.

“In this case, however, some of what Former Commissioner Brady has to say is indeed relevant. I do not believe that the more recent incident, in which Agent Hernandez was suspended against Commissioner Brady’s will by a temporary overseer who himself faces RICO charges due to his alleged abuse of the badge is relevant. However, the other incident Former Commissioner Brady has knowledge of, in which Agent Hernandez allegedly covered up the fact that the Commissioner’s daughter shotherthenhusband, is almost exactly the same as the crime he stan∂ß accused of today. Furthermore, Roman Brady may have knowledge of other incidents that occured when Agent Hernandez was employed by him. Therefore, I will hedge my bets slightly by offering a compromise ruling. The subpoena stands.”

As Justin sighed deeply, Judge Walston went on, “However, I am ordering that any questioning of the former Commissioner in relation to this matter, either now or in the future, be limited to his knowledge of events that were similar to the one he is accused of. Any mention of the suspension at Supervisor Rodman’s hands is inadmissible, and given the behavior I’ve seen so far, I must warn you, Ms. Petersen, that you have no room for errors here. Any mention of the Rodman incident will land you 24 hours in a cell for contempt. I hope I have made myself clear.”

Sloan’s smirk disappeared. “Yes, your Honor,” she said quietly.

Justin rubbed his temples, not looking forward to delivering this news to Rafe and Nicole.

[Kpatch]

Hopefully David will swallow his pride and be able to thank Henry for what he did.

[André DiMera]

Glad David is okay! Hannah not testifying isn’t really an option, though.

Sucks that the subpoena couldn’t be stopped. At least Sloan will have to stay on topic this time.

Great chapter, heroicmuse!

[heroicmuse]

Week 498 - 3

Daniel was walking down the hall at the hospital when someone called his name. He turned to see Philip standing there with Parker and Charley.

He frowned as he came over. “Everything all right? Kids aren’t sick, are they?”

“No, thank goodness,” Philip said. “They’re having their yearly checkups before camp starts, that’s all. But I wanted — “

“Daddy said if I’m a big girl and don’t give the nurse a hard time with my shot we can have ice cream after!” Charley interrupted.

“Yeah?” Daniel said. “That sounds like fun. I”ll tell you a little secret.” He lowered his voice. “If you look away and think about something else, you won’t even feel the shot.”

“I’ll try it,” Charley said.

Daniel said to Parker, “What about you? You don’t even have a hello for your dad?”

“Sorry,” Parker said. “I couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Hi, Dad.” He pulled on Philip’s sleeve. “Are you gonna invite him so we can go get this appointment over with or what?”

“Hold your horses,” Philip said, “and don’t be rude.”

“Invite me where?” Daniel said. “Ice cream should just be for you guys. Get that family time in without an extra person hanging around.”

“I appreciate that you understand that,” Philip said, “but actually that’s not what Parker’s talking about. I don’t know why he’s so impatient but —”

“Cause I hate going to the doctor,” Parker said. “No offense, Dad. But the less time I spend in this hospital, the better.”

“Understood,” Daniel said. “So what is it you guys wanted to invite me to?”

“We’re having a party for Independence Day!” Charley said. “Daddy’s going to grill burgers.”

“Used to be my brother Bo’s tradition,” Philip said, “and Doug’s too, but since they’re both gone we thought we’d have a beginning of summer slash Fourth of July party. You and Jennifer are invited, and her kids too, of course.”
“I appreciate that,” Daniel said. “Gotta check with the boss before I commit, but we’ll probably be there.”

“Can you set off real fireworks?” Parker asked.

Daniel smiled nervously. “Real fireworks? What makes you think I can do that?”

“Cause you can do ANYTHING,” Parker said, “and Daddy Phil said he wouldn’t so you were my Plan B.”

“Thanks, I think,” Daniel said, “but no, that’s not something I can do.”

“Awww,” Parker said, disappointed.

Maxine came out of a room just then. “There you all are,” she said. “I’ve been wasting my breath calling for you in the waiting room.” She turned toward Daniel. “Excuse us, Dr. Jonas. I’m supposed to be running a tight ship here and these guys are AWOL.”

“Not a problem,” Daniel said. He shook hands with Philip and said, “Soon as I talk to Jennifer, I’ll let you know our plans.”

“Thanks,” Philip said. “Come on, guys.” He took the kids and they went in with Maxine.

Daniel smiled sadly as he watched them go. It was still hard after all this time for him to watch Philip raising his son. He sighed deeply as he took out his phone to call Jennifer.



JJ had met Rory in the park, where they were sitting on swings like they used to in high school and watching Harlow play with Mariposa in the sandbox.

“So Doug gave you a pile of money, huh?” JJ said.

“Yeah,” Rory said. “He trusted me, unlike some people.” His feet scraped against the dirt underneath the swing. “Julie wanted me to put it in some kind of account with her name on it so she could give it out every month, but I told her no way. If Doug wanted it that way, he’d have put it in the will that way. He saw me as a man, not a boy who never grew up.”

“I get that,” JJ said. “Julie, she’s trying to look out for you, but she can be kinda pushy. You remember that year I was all depressed Christmas cause Paige and I weren’t together? Julie wouldn’t leave me alone no matter how much I wanted to be left alone. I appreciate it now, but then… she was a giant pain in the butt, you know?”

“Yeah.” Rory sighed. “I wouldn’t mind it so much if it wasn’t the thing she was afraid of.” He sighed deeply. “I haven’t done weed in years, or drank either, okay, and I’m not going to. But Julie, she thinks cause I got half a million dollars sitting in an account, I’m gonna buy so much weed I don’t know what to do with it all and be broke the next day.”

“Yeah,” JJ said. “My mom’s like that sometimes even now. I got a kid of my own and I’m not gonna screw up, ever, but once in a while when we talk on the phone she says something that makes me think she’s still worried about me relapsing. There’s some mistakes it’s hard to get all the way past, I guess.” He swung slightly, not pushing all the way off the ground. “What’s Marissa think about it?”

“I um, I haven’t told her.” Rory swallowed hard. “We’ve barely talked, honestly. I think… um… it might be over.” He blinked back tears.


Judge Hildebrand sat in her office, looking over the information about the witnesses while she thought about what to do. She frowned as she read over Hannah’s file, recalling Hannah being brought before her in handcuffs.

“That girl,” she said to herself. “I didn’t like her when I had her in front of me and if I could have given her more than a year of the most restrictive probation possible I would have. It’s not surprising that she’s in this situation now. Still, no one deserves to die… but is the threat really as severe as she’s claiming?”

She stared at the file, thinking.

[Kpatch]

Aw I'm sad that Rory and Marissa are estranged. That happens though.

A half a million dollars won't last a lifetime for someone Rory's age. I hope he invests at least some of it for the future.

Daniel and Parker seemed almost like strangers, no warmth between them. I was surprised Daniel said he didn't want to intrude on family ice cream time when HE is family too. It's gotta feel hollow but at least Daniel knows that Philip loves Parker like he was his own son and treats him very well, not unlike the way Daniel loves Jennifer's son.

[André DiMera]

Glad Parker invited Daniel to the party. So excited for that!

Wonder why Rory and Marissa aren’t talking. Glad he’s talking to J.J.

Yes, it is, Judge Hildebrand. Hope she makes the right decision.

Great chapter, heroicmuse!

[heroicmuse]

Week 498 - 4
“Dude!” JJ said. “You and her were so good together. What happened?”

Rory shrugged. “We just kind of… I don’t know, it’s me, I guess. After Doug died I didn’t really feel like leaning on her but it was like that beforehand, you know? Cause we were drifting apart anyway.”

JJ frowned. “What do you mean, drifting apart?”

Rory scraped his feet against the dirt. “She, uh, she spent a lot of time with her mom, you know, and I… um… it felt like she didn’t want to be with me anymore. I mean, who can blame her? She graduated college and everything, why would she want to be with dumb ol’ Rory who still can hardly read and is never gonna be anything more than a guy who makes coffee in the Square?”

“She’d better not have said any of that to you.” JJ punched his palm with his fist. “Cause that’s seriously uncool, and untrue. You’re not dumb, dude. You’re way better than me at planning stuff, it’s just when we were in high school the stuff you planned wasn’t stuff we should be doing. But we’re both past that, so what does it matter?”

“I dunno.” Rory sighed. “All these years she couldn’t stand her mom, and her mom couldn’t stand me. Now she and her mom are best friends all of a sudden and I’m left out in the cold.”

JJ bit his lip, thinking. “I don’t wanna steer you wrong. I’m not good at this stuff, not like Daniel was with me. But you can’t know if you don’t talk to her, dude. There’s been more than enough silence since Doug died, or maybe before. You gotta call her and see where her head’s at.”

“I guess.” Rory sighed deeply. “I kind of know what she’s gonna say.”

“No, you don’t. You just know what you think she’s gonna say. Come on, what would the dude you most wanna be do?”

“Dunno. I never met him.”

JJ glared at Rory. He could feel his frustration mounting, his throat getting tight and his eyes hurting. “Whatever,” he said. “Just call her and see what’s what, will you?”

Rory took his phone out of his pocket and stared at it, thinking.


In her chambers, Judge Hildebrand had contacted Andrew on a secure video chat.

“I know you are bound by levels of security that are far above my pay grade,” she said, “but I understand you are the liaison for the witnesses who are in protective custody, and I need your input, as far as you can give it.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Andrew said. “What do you need to know?”

Judge Hildebrand sighed. “The defense attorney for Natalie Simmons has filed a motion demanding the witnesses testify in court rather than remotely. I need to know the exact nature of the threats against the witnesses and how likely it is they would be attacked if they were required to come to court.”

Andrew’s eyes narrowed while he thought about what he was allowed to say.


“Of course that bitch got her way,” Nicole said when Justin filled her and Rafe in. “She always does, no matter how ridiculous she’s being. I hope you have something up your sleeve to stop her from sending Rafe to prison.”

“The first thing I have up my sleeve,” Justin said, “Is a reminder that calling the opposing counsel names isn’t going to help Rafe’s case. So don’t. And as I told you both earlier, right now I can’t do much since I can’t cross-examine witnesses at this hearing. But if, and I still say it’s a big if, the judge decides to go ahead with the case, I will pull out my ace in the hole. A motion to dismiss altogether. If and only if that fails will we have to prepare for trial, so we’ll talk about our strategy then.” He nodded at Rafe. “In the meantime, I need to go over what Roman’s likely to say and how we’ll handle it if it comes up again at an actual trial in the future, so if you’ll come with me…”

“Yeah,” Rafe said heavily. “Okay.” He kissed Nicole. “Be right back. Try not to worry.”

“Who do you think you’re talking to? I never worry. I take action.”

“Don’t do any of that just yet either,” Justin said. “Wait til I finish talking to your boyfriend first.”

Rafe and Justin left. Nicole crossed her arms. “Sloan and Trask are not getting away with this!” She picked up her phone and dialed a number.

[André DiMera]

I really hope Rory listens to J.J. He gave him good advice.

Hopefully Andrew can convince Hildebrand that Hannah does, in fact, need protection during this trial.

I seriously doubt that Nicole won’t take action of some kind.

Great chapter, heroicmuse!

[Kpatch]

I love these JJ/Rory scenes. JJ was giving good advice. He just has to learn not to get frustrated. You can't control other people. I hope Rory gets up the courage to talk to Marissa.

[heroicmuse]

Week 498 - 5
Kevin Marshall had been brought in handcuffs to the interrogation room, where now his hands were cuffed in front of him on the table and he was wearing leg irons.

He looked up as Prescott and Horowitz came in. “Didn’t that little card you read me say I ain’t got to talk to you?”

“It did,” Prescott said, “but we’re hoping you will anyway.”

Horowitz sat down. “It’s like this, Kevin,” she said. “I know you did time in juvie for shoplifting and getting into fights, but those are small potatoes compared to the trouble you’re in now. You brought a firearm into a hospital and used it to hold a doctor hostage, and it’s all caught on CCTV. So you’re not going to juvie this time. Uh uh. The way things look, you’re probably going to be doing 25 years hard time in maximum security prison.”

Kevin gulped but then he set his jaw and gave a little shrug, trying to make it look like he didn’t care. “I don’t scare easy,” he said, “so if that’s what you think you’re gonna do…”

“You think we’re talking Statesville here?” Prescott said, raising his voice. “Uh uh. That’s like a luxury spa compared to where you’re going. Supermax is no joke. You’re gonna be held in a tiny cell for 23 hours a day. Only people you’ll ever see is the guards and most of the time they’ll just be voices on the outside of the cell telling you to stand with your hands behind your back while they slide your meal in through a little slot. No visitors, no day room playing cards, no nothing. Every day is gonna bleed into the last while you just sit there all day long, praying you don’t lose your mind, day after day, year after year, with no chance of parole.”

Kevin gulped. “Y-you’re lying to scare me. I’m just a kid, they wouldn’t…”

“What’d you think would happen if you threatened a doctor with a gun?” Horowitz’s voice was soft. “Serious question, Kev. Did you really think you’d end up anywhere but maximum security prison?”

Kevin stared down at his cuffed hands. “I guess I didn’t think I’d get caught.”

“Well, that was dumb,” Prescott said, “but good news is, there’s a way out of this.” He turned a chair so it was facing Kevin and sat down. “We know this wasn’t your idea, Kevin. So if you tell us who put you up to it and why, there’s a chance you could do time at a regular prison like Statesville.”

Kevin’s eyes narrowed. “Turn snitch, you mean?”

“You call it snitching. We call it self-preservation.” Horowitz leaned forward. “This is a good deal, Kevin. You’re going to have to do time either way, but if you talk to us, you have a chance of turning your life around. At Statesville, there’s a library and opportunities to get an education while you’re doing your time, and parole or time off for good behavior might be options.You could still have a life.”

“Or,” Prescott said, “you can stay quiet and spend the rest of your life in a tiny little box, barely ever seeing another human being. You have the right to remain silent, so if that’s your choice, it’s your choice. I just happen to think it would be a damn shame.”

Kevin swallowed hard. “My life’s over either way. I snitch, I’m dead, don’t you get that?”

“We can protect you.” Horowitz’s voice was soft. “Besides, what’s the point of staying alive if you’re going to be confined to such a tiny space, with nothing to do, ever, except sit alone staring at the walls?”

Kevin blinked hard, staring into space, but said nothing.

“Come on, Kevin,” Prescott said. “Don’t throw your life away. Do the right thing so we can help you.”

“What if I told you where I got the gun? It ain’t legal and if you shut them down no one else can get hurt.”

“That’s a start,” Horowitz said, “but if you want to go someplace where you’re not going to lose your mind, we’ll need more than that.” She leaned forward. “Who ordered you to kidnap this doctor?”

Kevin shook his head.

“You want to tell. I can see you do,” Horowitz said. “Don’t let your fear mess everything up for you. Tell us who ordered this hit.”

Kevin said, “I-I need a minute to think.”

“FIne,” Prescott said, “but if you take too long the deal goes away.” He knocked on the door and a guard came in. Prescott said, “Take Mr. Marshall back to the holding area, and do me a favor and let him sit in the solitary wing a while so he can get a taste of what his life’s gonna be like after he’s convicted.”

Kevin’s eyes widened as the guard said, “You heard him. On your feet. Now.” The guard grabbed Kevin’s wrists and helped him up, then attached a chain to his cuffed wrists so that his arms were pinned to his waist.

“Let us know if you wanna talk,” Prescott told Kevin. “Otherwise, next time you’ll see us is in court telling the jury what you did to that doctor.”

Kevin bit his lip but said nothing as the guard dragged him away.

“How long til he cracks, you think?” Horowitz asked Prescott.

“Dunno. Soon, I hope,” Prescott said. “Supermax is no place for a kid, even one as hardened as him.”

Prescott’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it and saw it was his brother, probably returning his call about Joshua McCarthy.

[André DiMera]

I really hope Kevin cracks and tells Horowitz and Prescott everything. Curious what Prescott’s brother will say.

Can we please have previews, heroicmuse?

[heroicmuse]

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

I'm so excited for Philip's party for 4th of July.

Coming up on Breaking Ties...

Mike's concern and fear about Jeremy being in the safe house cast a shadow as Independence Day approaches, but he puts that aside to help Jennifer support Daniel after Daniel's disappointment about Parker.

Elsewhere, Judge Hildebrand must hurry up with her ruling before court closes for the holiday, but will an anonymous threat sway her?

Everyone comes out for a great party at Philip's! But how will the safe house residents deal with being locked up for the holiday? And will Kevin choose freedom and tell the cops what he knows about Nat?

Finally, Dani struggles with her growing attraction to Joy and Prescott tries to get the truth from his brother.

[André DiMera]

Glad Mike is there for Jennifer and Daniel, despite his concern about Jeremy.

I really hope the judge makes the right decision!

Can’t wait for the Fourth of July party! Hope Kevin confesses.

Interested to see what happens with Prescott’s brother, and with Joy and Dani.

Thanks for the previews, heroicmuse!

[Kpatch]

Daniel needed to do a better job cultivating a relationship with his son. He could have asked to accompany them to their ice cream social. He gave himself an excuse not to join them.

Looking forward to July 4th in Salem. Thanks for the previews!

[heroicmuse]

Week 499 - 1

Jennifer patted Mike’s hand. “I’m sure that even if Jeremy can’t reach out himself, Abe or whoever is his contact will get in touch soon to let you know he’s safe.”

“I hope so.” Mike swallowed hard. “When Jeremy was arrested and seemed so out of control, I thought it was the hardest thing I’d ever go through. His future was in doubt and the kid I knew I had was gone, replaced by this… unpleasant person. But even that, even being on pins and needles about whether my son was going to prison… that’s not as bad as being cut off from him altogether like this. And the worst part is, he’s doing it for a noble cause. He didn’t have to go to that safe house. He chose to go because he wanted to support his girl.”

“He must really love her,” Jennifer said softly. “Maybe when they get out of this we’ll be hearing wedding bells.”

“I think it’s a little soon for that,” Mike said quickly. “And if he does get married, it should be at a time when his mother can be here too. Besides, he still has to clear up those warrants.” He sighed deeply. “I’d give anything to hear his voice right now. I can’t think about after… not until he gets out of this black hole he’s in and I can hold my boy in my arms again, or at least talk to him.”

“I know the feeling,” Jennifer said. “Well, at least the trial will be over soon. They’re testifying in a few days, right? So once that’s done…”

“They still have to lock that woman up and throw away the key. That’s the only way Jeremy and Chanel will be safe.” Mike rubbed the bridge of his nose.

He put his finger on his lips as Daniel’s key turned in the lock. Daniel came in and Jennifer got up to greet him. After they kissed, she said, “You’re home early.”

Daniel shrugged. “It wasn’t busy and Kayla didn’t mind me popping out early.”

Mike frowned. “Everything okay? You’re as dedicated as me, so if you’re leaving early…”

“I don’t know.” Daniel sat down. “I know things could be worse but I saw Philip with my son and Parker, he barely acknowledged me.”

“Ouch,” Mike said. “Sorry, man.”

“Maybe he was just distracted,” Jennifer said. “You know how it is at that age.”

“Yeah, I do.” Daniel swallowed hard. “Philip, he wanted to invite us to his July Fourth party but Parker didn’t want to stay to talk. And I get he had to have a shot and he wanted to get it over with, but seeing him so eager to get away from me… it just brought back all my feelings from that fake test that made me think he wasn’t mine.”

“I know,” Jennifer said, putting her arm around him. “But it’s different now. You and Philip aren’t at each other’s throats and Parker does love you. He just is as awkward about admitting it as JJ was when he was that age.”

“And you when you were that age, Squirt,” Mike said, grinning.

“And me now if you call me that again,” Jennifer said, but she was smiling slightly. Turning back toward Daniel, she said, “Parker’ll come around. Let’s see what he’s like at the party.” She frowned as Daniel nodded, his shoulders tight. “You… do want to go, don’t you?”

“I do,” Daniel said. “It’s just, if Parker’s gonna ignore us, it’s gonna be real difficult.”

“Sounds like we both could use some distraction,” Mike said. “We’ll all go and if Parker gives you the cold shoulder, I’ll be there to remind you how much worse it could be.” He smiled again.

“Sounds like a plan,” Daniel said, but he didn’t smile back.


Judge Hildebrand had finished her call with Andrew. “Thank you for your time, and for the little information you could give me,” she said.

“Not a problem,” Andrew said. “Keep me in the loop with your decision, please. If we have to provide extra security at the courthouse, we will, but we need to know that in advance.”

“Of course,” Judge Hildebrand said. She hung up and said to herself, “All right. I think I have everything I need to make my decision.”

Her phone buzzed.

She picked it up, frowning, because she didn’t know the number, and hit decline, then opened her software on her computer to write her order in before she delivered her decision to the lawyers.

Her phone rang again. It was the same number.

“Oh, for goodness sake,” she said, annoyed, and answered the phone. “This is Judge Roberta Hildebrand. Who is this?”

A distorted voice said, “Natalie Simmons is counting on you to be fair. If you disappoint her, you’ll need to watch your back.” The person hung up.

Judge Hildebrand stared at her phone, her eyes wide with fear. She couldn’t believe she was being threatened.