Breaking Ties: An Ensemble Story (Read 252,110 times)

[fluffysmom]

I'm glad Chloe was able to pull herself together enough to sing for Parker.

I hope Marlena can get some information from the victims without further traumatizing them.

[Kpatch]

Good luck Eve, neutralizing Jill will not be easy.

Chloe can't deal with the situation alone. I can't really blame her for her reaction to seeing Nicole. She's very emotional right now.

I think re-enactment would be scarier than hypnosis, but I like the drama potential. I also liked Marlena's advice to Hope.

[heroicmuse]

Jan 21, 2015 11:55:22 GMT -5 Kpatch said:

I think re-enactment would be scarier than hypnosis, but I like the drama potential. I also liked Marlena's advice to Hope.

I saw re-enactment being done on a Law and Order episode a while ago and I thought it would be an interesting route to go down in this story I guess either one could be scary for Marissa or the other victims. 

As for Eve, I don't think she expected that Jill could possibly give her this much trouble! She has forgotten what she was like when she was Jill's age. LOL

[unavitasegreta]

Daphne's kinda annoying, isn't she, lol?!

I'm glad Jennifer excused herself so Parker could be with his mother!

[heroicmuse]

Bev could hear the shower going as she approached Cole’s apartment. Good, she thought. Maybe I won’t have to actually deal with him. She was wearing tight jeans and a shirt that showed more than she really liked showing, just in case.

She tried the front door--Cole was stupid enough to forget to lock it half the time--but today it was locked. She took one of the clips out of her hair and used it to unlock the door. It wasn’t easy to do; she made a mental note to get Cole to give her a key.

Bev opened the door as quietly as she could and tiptoed inside, closing it behind her. Cole’s apartment was a huge mess; there were papers everywhere and of course he hadn’t bothered to throw away the paper plate from last night’s pizza. Bev wrinkled up her nose in disgust but she kept looking around until she found his phone.

The shower was still going as she picked it up and went into the call and text logs. She saw a call to the 800 number they’d given everybody after the robberies first started. Tip line, she thought. That’s weird. There were also a bunch of calls to a number she didn’t recognize. She put the number into her own phone so she could check it out on Ewe Search later.

Bev was concentrating on that, so she didn’t hear the shower turn off. Cole came out into the living room, his towel wrapped around his torso, and wearing nothing underneath but his boxers. “What the hell are you doing in my stuff?” he demanded.


It was already starting to get dark as JJ cut through the park on his way home. He thought he heard leaves rustling behind him, but he ignored it. I’m not on campus now, he thought, so the robber’s nowhere near me. I just gotta quit being paranoid.

The rustling got louder and closer. JJ started walking more quickly. He looked over his shoulder and thought he saw a tall guy a little bit behind him. He walked faster, but so did the guy behind him, or was it his imagination?

No matter how fast JJ walked, he couldn’t shake the guy. He turned suddenly, heading out of the park, towards Horton Town Square. As he started to go through the gates, the guy caught up to him, putting his hand on JJ’s shoulder.

JJ reacted instinctively, trying to pull away. “Let me go, dude,” he said. “I don’t have anything you want.”

“Dude, relax,” Rory's brother said. “It’s just me, Kurt. Who’d you think it was?”


Nicole’s eyes narrowed. “Is there something in the Salem water that the minute anyone steps foot in town, they have to find something to blame me for? Seriously, Chloe, your child is sick and all you can do is take shots at me?”

“I’m not,” Chloe protested. “Look, I’m not even mad at you. I’m just concerned, because I know Daniel and I know you. You’re one of my best friends, Nicole, but what the two of you are doing is all kinds of wrong, and you know it. You’re taking Daniel away from Parker when Parker needs him most. Plus, Parker’s going to think you’re going to be in his life full time, and you know that can’t happen. Sooner or later you’re going to make everything blow up in your face, and Daniel will run back to Jennifer… and Parker will be so confused. Go adopt your own child and leave mine alone.”

“Jealous much? News flash! You don’t own Daniel just because you had a child with him. Or was it with Philip? No, I was right the first time, but just for fun, why don’t we check Lucas Horton’s DNA?”

“Both of you shut it!” Daniel said. “My son… our son, Chloe… he may not be at his best right now, but he is not… he is not deaf and he is not blind, and seeing two of the people who care most about him in the world at each other’s throats, that is only going to upset him.”

“Daniel’s right,” Kayla said from behind them. “This isn’t the time or place for petty disagreements.”

“I’m sorry,” Nicole said quietly. “I shouldn’t have lost my temper and said… well, most of what I said. Even if it is all true.”

“Nicole…,” Daniel said.

“Don’t engage her,” Kayla said. She turned towards Nicole. “Nicole, right now Daniel and Chloe are facing a family crisis. Out of respect for that, I think you should give them some space.”

“Right,” Nicole said. “When I lived with Daniel, I put Parker down for naps and played with him and got him from preschool when Daniel couldn’t. I was the one watching him when this all started and I was the one who got him to the ICU. But I’m not good enough to stay in the room when he’s just been diagnosed with a life-threatening condition? Yes, I want to support Daniel, but has it ever occurred to you that even though I don’t have any blood tying me to Parker, that I don’t want to lose him either?”

“Nobody doubts that you care about Parker, Nicole,” Kayla said firmly, “but you aren’t acting in his best interest right now. If you want to help, go. You can come back later when his parents have had a chance to absorb the news about his condition.”

Nicole looked at Daniel but he said, “Why don’t you go do that other thing we talked about? I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Can I at least give Parker a hug?” Nicole asked. Daniel nodded and she went over to Parker, hating that she had to ask permission. She tried to put her pain aside as she sat down on the edge of the bed next to him. “Hey little guy,” she said, blinking back tears. “How you doing?”

“I wanna go home,” Parker said, sniffling.

Nicole put her arm around him. “Trust me, we all want that. But you know what? You’re getting better and better, so you keep doing that and one day soon you’ll be in your own room again begging for another story before bed. And if I’m there, you know what I’ll do? I’ll give in and read you one. that’s what!” She hugged him tight. “I have to go, sweetheart,” she said, her voice breaking.

“Noooo,” Parker whined.

“I don’t want to, believe me I don’t.” Nicole held back her tears so she wouldn’t upset Parker further. “I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay?” She kissed the top of Parker’s head.

“One more hug,” Parker begged. Nicole gave it to him without a second thought.

[Kpatch]

I am worried about Bev!

It's nice that everyone can see that Nicole has a close tie with Parker. But speaking of breaking ties, I agree that now is not the time for her to be there.

Who the heck is Kurt??? OMG I hope it's someone JJ knows.

[heroicmuse]

I agree--I think Nicole is taking it too personally because of the way certain people treat her, so she figures Chloe and Kayla are suddenly on the anti-Nicole bandwagon. Also she wants so badly to be part of a family that she can't see that she's inserting herself into Daniel's when he and Chloe need to deal with Parker's illness by themselves first.

Kurt is Rory's brother. I'll go back and change something to make that more clear--I forgot he hasn't been around in quite a while.

[fluffysmom]

I'm glad Nicole wants to be there for Parker and Daniel but I agree she needs to step back and let Chloe process everything.

Yikes Bev. I think she'll have to seduce Cole to distract him.

[heroicmuse]

“Sorry I scared you, dude,” Kurt said as JJ pulled away.

JJ scowled and hurried towards Horton Town Square. Kurt followed. “Look, I’m worried about my brother, and neither one of you is taking my calls, so I had to take drastic action.” He glanced at the empty tables near where they were standing. “Can we sit down and talk a minute?”

JJ crossed his arms. “Depends. Are you sober?”

“What?”

“Look, dude, I’m not one to judge. You know that. But Rory told me what went down the other night, and it wasn’t cool, man. He was counting on you, and you were so wasted you let him down.”

“Whoa, slow down little dude. I dunno what you’re talking about.”

“I know you don’t.” JJ’s anger was rising. “It’s easy for you, cause you wake up the next morning and it’s like nothing ever happened. But Rory, he remembers.” JJ turned his back on Kurt. “He remembers how he couldn’t go home cause you were so messed up on booze you tried to attack him.”

Kurt pinched the top of his nose. “Wait… hold up a second…you’re saying… Rory did swing by?” He sighed. “No wonder he’s not talking to me, man. I kinda overdid it that night.”

“Come on, man, you know it’s not the first time. Rory, he told me that’s pretty much what happens every night.”

“That is so not true, JJ. You gotta believe me, dude. Come on, could I hold down a job if I was drunk out of my mind all the time?”

“I dunno. That job doesn’t seem like it takes a lot of brains.”

“You’re mad too. I get it. But just listen for a second.” Kurt’s eyes were wide and JJ almost felt sorry for him. “I… I used to have a drinking problem,” Kurt said. “Rory was just a little kid, he probably doesn’t remember, but I was 12, 13 years old when I took my first drink, and it got worse from there. When I was 16, our mom had enough and she told me it was either the booze or a roof over my head. So out I went. These last few years, though, I got it together, and when Mom went the same route with Rory, I told him, man, I told him, if you stay here it’ll be a good time and I promise I won’t get drunk, maybe do a little weed, maybe drink a little, but getting bombed’s a thing of the past.” He laughed to cover his embarrassment. “Guess I screwed up, huh?”

JJ didn’t say anything. He was trying to figure out what he felt. He was angry still but at the same time, he could see Kurt was just a messed up person like Rory was, like JJ himself had been.

“Look,” Kurt said, “I get Rory wants a little space, but he’s still my brother. Have him call me, will you dude?” JJ nodded, and Kurt got up. “I guess I’ll let you go, man,” he said. “Thanks for looking out for Rory and, you know, for the chat and all.” He took off before JJ could say another word.


Cole took a step towards Bev, his hands curled into fists. “Don’t even bother making up a lie,” he said. “Forget what you’re doing in my stuff, what the hell are you doing in my house?”

Bev batted her eyelashes and said, “You mean you didn’t leave the door open for me?”

“Don’t be cute.” Cole was standing very close to Bev now. “If that’s what you wanted, you should have just got in the bed. Now that would have been hot. But no, you came here and rifled through my stuff. Now you know I don’t like anyone touching my stuff, don’t you?” He pushed her, but she kept her balance. “Answer me, bitch.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I just wanted to charge my phone.” Bev had the scared, innocent girl routine down pat. It had saved her ass with the cops more than once; hopefully it would work the same on Cole.

“I don’t believe you.” Cole pushed Bev again. She backed away from him, towards the alcove where his bed was, but he kept advancing. “You’re a liar, Bev, and nothing but trouble.”

“Takes one to know one,” Bev said in a half flirtatious, half scared tone. She tried to back up more, but tripped over the bed post. Cole pushed her onto the bed.

“Yeah,” Cole said, holding her down and getting on top of her. “It does.” He ran his free hand through her hair and put his lips on hers, kissing her hard. Bev squeezed her eyes shut as his hand traveled downwards. Just let this be over quickly, she thought.

Suddenly, Cole stopped. “Like I’d ever do it with a skank like you,” he said, and spit in her face. “Get the hell out, and if you want some ever again, you’d better remember how to not piss me off.”


Marissa was lying in bed. After the phone call with her mom, she was more exhausted than ever. She’d wrapped herself in the blanket like she was a caterpillar in a cocoon. It had always made her feel safe and protected to do that.

She couldn’t sleep, though. Her conversation with her mother kept swirling around and around her head, getting mixed up with her memories of seeing Rory get arrested and conversations with Detective Brady and the attack itself.

Her phone rang. Marissa glanced at it and saw it was Detective Brady calling. She hit the ignore button, then got out of bed and threw her purse over her shoulder. If I want peace, there’s something I have to do, she thought.


Daphne had wanted to take Paige to the student center to chill out, but Paige wanted to go to Club TBD instead. Now they were sitting at one of the tables, drinking coffee to get ready for their big move.

“I still don’t get it,” Paige said. “Mom acted like she’d never heard of Jill, but when it happened she wanted to see the photos, so she should have remembered who she was. But why would my mom have any connection with someone like that?”

“Why is this such a big deal?” Daphne asked. “I mean, yeah it’s weird, but so what? It’s not like you’re going to have to live with her or even see her again. All sorts of people come to try to rent rooms. Trust me, it was a coincidence.”

“No,” Paige said. “You don’t know my mom. When it comes to her, there are no coincidences.”

“Even if she does know Jill, what does it have to do with you? Unless…” Daphne stirred her coffee. “Are you thinking about giving JJ another chance?”

T, who was coming over to their table, turned around and walked away. Paige couldn’t see the expression on his face as she looked up, but he called, “Ben! Can you get this table for me? It’s past time for my break and if I end up doing overtime, Sonny will kill me.” Paige sighed and excused herself so she could go talk to him.

[fluffysmom]

I wonder if JJ will tell Kurt that Rory is in jail.

Poor Marissa. She really needs to talk to someone.

Bev got lucky this time. She needs to be more careful.

[unavitasegreta]

Bev better be more careful in the future! I'm glad she is okay.

I like that JJ is such a good friend to Rory.

You make the younger characters actually interesting as opposed to stupid and un-rootable. It just proves that a good story can be written for them if a writer just makes the effort - and has talent!

[Kpatch]

Oh, Kurt is Rory's brother. He is really into rationalizing his drug and booze abuse, isn't he?

Bev really dodged a bullet. I was scared for her!

I love how you write Paige so true to her dog-with-a-bone character. Poor T. She's been rude to him one too many times.

[heroicmuse]

PREVIEWS FOR NEXT WEEK!
-Jeff interrupts Paige and Daphne’s celebration.
-JJ gets a job offer.
-Eric tries to pay a condolence call to Daniel but finds himself face to face with someone else.
-JJ hits Jen where it hurts during a confrontation.
-Someone’s lack of empathy gets Marissa to reach out to Marlena..
-Jill is temporarily out in the cold.

[Kpatch]

Condolence call! OMG don't tell me Parker dies. Please.

Sounds like a very exciting week!

[heroicmuse]

No, parker is not dead, thankfully. Eric is so positive though ya know. Lol