Episode 3.06

Janet, Steve and Kelly by Shari,
Donna, David, Brenda by Heather,
Brandon, Dylan and Gina by DC, Clare and Jake by Blanca, Carly And Lexi by Val, Valerie by Jessica

Lexi

At Whilshire Memorial

Michael paced nervously up and down the halls of Whilshire Memorial. He rushed anxiously to the door when Megan and Ryan walked in. "Oh, thank god your here! I am so nervous."

Megan hugged him. "Hey. How is she?"

"Well I checked her out before and she was doing better, but she still can't remember anything."

Ryan huddled between them. "What do you think it is? I mean is she going to be ok?"

Michael nodded. "By the looks of it she's doing better."

"That's good." Megan was always on the positive side of things, and that's what Michael liked about her. "I have some pink roses for her in the car, but I didn't bring them in--"

Ryan cut her off. "Yeah, we're waiting for the lavendar ones to arrive," he said trying to make Michael feel better.

He seemed to be thinking about something. "Yeah, those always were her favorite." He came out of his thought and said," I gotta go. Talk to you later." He ran off smiling, with an idea.

Clare

At the Beverly Royale Hotel

"Your wife?!" Clare said mad at the news Jake sprang on her.

"Yeah....I think she came back."

"What do you mean she's back?!"

"I mean she's back. She got into a plane from Hawaii and now she is back," Jake said trying to calm her down.

Clare didn't care what Jake had to say. She walked over to their table, picked up her purse and stormed out towards the back door.

"Clare!" Jake yelled after her

She didn't stop; she didn't really hear him. She was too mad.

Jake

At the Beverly Royale Hotel

Jake ran after Clare and caught up to her right before she got to her car.

"Come on Clare, you can't get mad over this! I dont even know if it was her or not," Jake said as she took her keys out of her purse and started to open her car door.

"Well than I suggest you go and find out!" Clare yelled back, "and while you're at it, find out what she is doing here and what she wants! And most importantly, if you're still married!"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know, okay? I don't know! And frankly I don't care. All I know is that until you find out, don't call or come looking for me okay?!"

By that time Clare had gotten her car door epen and was already inside. She turned the key and put her car in reverse and started pulling out fast. Jake stepped back from her car afraid of what was coming next.

"Come on Clare! CLARE!" Jake yelled, but it was useless, Clare had already pulled out of the parking lot.

Brandon

At Dylan's Place

Both Brandon and Dylan were starting to get a little tired and very hungry. After Dylan had hung up the phone, the morning of their flight, he planned on eating, but the knock at the door interrupted him. He opened up the door and before he could realize who was standing before him, he was tazered and didn’t know anything else until he woke up and found himself handcuffed to his kitchen table.

“When you knocked at the door, Kanis tazered me again,” Dylan said to Brandon, quietly continuing his story. “After that I woke up still handcuffed, but only this time, it was to you. What happened when he answered the door?”

Brandon looked into the living room where Kanis was sitting. They were trying to keep their voices down so not to get caught by Kanis. He sort of flipped out last time he heard them conversing. “I was lucky enough not to have the stun gun used on me. He opened the door with gun in hand and quickly painted a picture of you being held up in the kitchen.”

“Any ideas?”

“On how to get out of this?” Brandon confirmed. “Not yet. Is anyone supposed to come by? A neighbor? Gina?”

“Brenda might come by to spend the night, but I doubt it.”

“Brenda?” Brandon noticed. “Never mind.” That was something that needed to wait. “I was supposed to call Kelly when we landed.”

“Same for Gina,” Dylan said, “But we never called. Think they’ll catch on?”

“Let’s hope so,” Brandon said, looking into the other room. “Let’s hope so.”

Kelly

At the After Dark

The gang was still at the After Dark, awaiting David and Donna's arrival. Carly sat down with Kelly and started talking, when a slow song came on. The gang paired up quickly with Steve and Janet, Noah and Brenda, and Gina, Kelly, and Carly were left.

Gina walked over to Carly and Kelly and said "Hey. What are you guys doing?"

Kelly cleared her throat. "Having a conversation. I might add, it's not for all ears."

Gina folded her arms across her chest. "Really? Who would you be talking about?"

Carly felt in an awkward position. "Uhh...guys why don't you calm down."

Gina glared at her. "Stay out of this, Carly."

"Whatever you say," she muttered.

Kelly got off her chair. "Don't talk to her that way."

"What are you gonna do about it?" Gina said anticpating a snotty remark.

Steve and Janet turned around to see what was going on and soon the whole room heard Gina and Kelly's heated fight.

"Gina, Kelly, why don't you just knock it off?," Carly said eyeing Gina.

"This isn't worth it," Kelly said walked away.

David

At the Bungalow

"Let's go to the bedroom," David whispered to Donna, when they stopped kissing long enough to talk. Donna shook her head and pushed David off of her.

"I don't think that is a good idea," Donna said, trying to catch her breath.

"Why not? Don't you want me?" David asked.

"Oh David, if you only knew just how much I want you right now. I just think we have a lot of stuff to sort through first and us sleeping together would only complicate things," Donna tried to explain.

David nodded. He understood, he really did. That didn't make it any easier to be sitting there next to her. "I think it's time I was going, anyway."

Donna stood up and walked him to the door. David turned to look at her before walking out. Donna reached out and pulled him into a hug. Tears came to her eyes as she said, "Happy Anniversary David."

David fought back his own tears as he whispered back to her, "Happy Anniversary to you too," before walking out to his car.

Valerie

What a long way down, she thought to herself as she stood up on the bluffs, calmly looking down as the cars that were whizzing by. She had immediately checked into the Belage Hotel after she left the After Dark. She was so angry at herself for letting Noah see her at such a vulnerable stage. She hated him so much, she tried to convince herself. It was useless.

After seeing him again today, she realized how much she still loved him. She wanted to run into his arms and never let go. But that couldn't happen. He had his perfect little Brenda, if they were even still together. She didn't know these days. She didn't know anything really, except how much she wanted to take a dive right about now; jump from those high, high bluffs and never look back; get rid of all her problems in a blink of an eye. It all seemed so simple. The life she was living was not suiting her. She wanted so much but accomplished so little. She wanted to be...gone.

She stayed up there for another hour or so. Finally, she decided she was tired enough to go to bed. So, she took one last long look at the ground beneath her, then turned her back on it all and went to her hotel room.

Lexi

At Whileshire Memorial

Michael ran to his desk unaware of the time or anything--not even caring. He rushed to his phone and dialed the number to Jane's flower shop. Since Jane was his ex-wife and he hadn't talked to her in months, he may feel uncomfortable but he didn't.

"Hello," a tired voice said.

"Jane? Hey, its Michael. I know its late and I'm surprised you're still there, but I need a favor."

Jane listened to his voice intentively. "Hey Michael. Yeah, what is it?"

"I need one hundred of those lavender roses Lexi likes."

Jane nodded and wrote it down. "Sure, what's the occassion and why couldn't it wait until tomorrow?"

"Jane, Lexi's in the hospital. She has a bad skull injury and she's asleep right now. I did surgery on her a few hours ago."

"Oh my god! Is she ok?"

Michael got upset. "No," there was a pause of uncomfortable silence. "Well thanks for the flowers, when will they be here?"

"I'll bring them on my way out, okay?"

"Yeah sure, thanks."

"No problem. Send Lexi my best."

"Will do."

"Bye."

"Bye," Michael hung up the phone and looked at Lexi's paperwork at his desk. Only immediate family could fill it out. But he would do.

Steve

At the After Dark

Steve sighed as he slurped what was left of his diet coke. He was totally bummed that David and Donna didn't show, not to mention tired. He got up and walked over to where Janet, Kelly and Carly were talking about Clare's mad-dash out of the club.

"Honey?" Steve interrupted, "It's getting late and we need to get some sleep. Big day tomorrow."

"Why? What's tomorrow?" Carly asked.

Janet answered while grabbing her purse, "We have our interview tomorrow."

"Oh, you mean the 'Interview from Hell'?" Kelly and Carly both said at the same time.

"Why? What happened? Did it go bad?..." Steve started, getting all nervous.

Janet put her hand over Steve's mouth, "Steve...don't even start."

"I'm sorry," Carly began, "I shouldn't have said that."

"Me either," Kelly said, "We didn't mean anything by it other than we don't think our interviews went so well."

"But I'm sure yours will go much better," Carly said, trying to raise Steve's hopes.

"Yeah, yeah," was all Steve would reply with.

"Oh, let's go you big baby," Janet said, leading Steve out by the arm, "Night guys."

Janet and Steve exited the club, leaving Carly and Kelly restarting their previous conversations, among others.

Valerie

At the Belage Hotel

When Valerie got into her hotel room, she placed a call to Buffalo. Surprisingly, no one answered. She decided to leave a message anyway, hoping she'd check it before it was too late.

"Hey, it's me. I just wanted you to know how much I miss you. And how sorry I am for the way I've treated you in the past. I'd really like you to come down to Beverly Hills soon. I'm staying at the Beach Apartment these days. There's enough room for the both of us, if you're interested. Give me a call soon. Bye." She hung up and decided to get to bed, hoping things would be better in the morning.

Brenda

At the After Dark

Brenda looked at the clock and then looked around at her friends. "I don't think they are going to come."

Kelly had to agree. "Well, at least we tried."

Everyone began to gather their things to go home. Noah began clearing some of the cups from the table. Kelly started to help him before Brenda stopped her. "Go home Kelly. I'll stay and help him clean up."

Kelly looked at Brenda and smiled. "Okay, if you insist." She grabbed her jacket and headed out the door with the rest of the gang.

Noah watched Brenda grab the trash can, "You don't have to stay and help."

"I know. I want to," Brenda told him. Noah didn't say a word, but crossed the room and grabbed a dishcloth to begin wiping down the tables.

Brenda worked along side him, enjoying the silence. She knew they needed to talk but she knew that Noah would wait until she was ready.

She waited until he was done and walked out to the car with him. She started to get into her own car before she realized that she didn't want to be alone. She ran back over to his jeep.

"Noah, wait!" He rolled down his window and looked at her.

"This is going to sound silly," Brenda started saying shyly. Noah just looked at her expectantly. "I don't want to go home alone. Can I ride with you?"

Noah nodded and leaned over to the passenger side door to unlock it for her. Brenda climbed in. "Thanks, I appreciate this." Noah only nodded again.

"You're not about to make this easy on me, are you?" Brenda asked with a small laugh.

Noah had to smile, "Nope."

"Noah, I'm sorry for the way I have been acting. I have just had some stuff to sort through."

"Is it all sorted out now?" Noah asked.

Brenda looked straight ahead, "It's getting there. It's just that I have realized that I don't want to sort through it alone. I want you to help me."

"That's all I ever wanted."

"I know," Brenda said, wiping away a small tear.

Noah pulled into the parking place at Melrose Place and shut off the engine. He turned to face Brenda and took her hands in his. "I love you Brenda Walsh. I am here for you when you are ready to let me be."

Brenda smiled and looked into his eyes. "Thanks Noah."

They both got out of the car and headed for their own apartments. Brenda watched Noah unlock his door and go into the apartment. She started to unlock her own door before thinking twice. She quickly ran across the complex and knocked at Noah's door. He opened it a moment later, having already removed his shirt. Brenda took a good look. "This is going to sound silly..."

"I know, I know..." Noah interrupted. "You can stay here. C'mon in Brenda." Brenda smiled and followed him into the apartment.

Dylan

At Dylan's Place

Kanis had gotten tired of sitting alone in the other room. He moved himself to the kitchen table where he had Dylan and Brandon. He had both men sit face forward with their hands resting palms down on the table.

Kanis sat directly across from them, gun in hand. He didn’t say anything for the first ten minutes or so. He just pointed the gun and stared into Brandon’s eyes.

“Did you think I would let it go, Walsh?”

“Let what go, Kanis?”

“You taking away my freedom. You thought you’d get away with it.” You could see that he was proud of his makeshift kidnapping. “I tapped your phones. I went through your trash."

“So you felt right at home,” Dylan shot out.

Kanis stood up and clocked him across the face with the gun. “Quiet!”

“Knock it off!” Brandon shouted.

Still standing, Kanis shouted, “It’s his own fault that he’s going to die here with you today, Brandon! He should have just stayed out of your problems and out of your personal affairs! Just like you shouldn’t have written that article about me. You should have left it the hell alone!” Kanis knocked the centerpiece from the table and stormed off, back into the living room.

They waited until he stopped pacing back and forth and sat down.

“We have to get out of here,” Dylan pointed out.

Brandon replied, “Soon.”

Carly

At Melrose Place

Carly walked into her house, and turned on the lights. Zach and Leah were playing a game and Carly smiled, surprised he was still up. "Zach, I told you 10:30."

"No school tomorrow."

Leah jumped to her feet. "I'm so sorry, that's my fault. I told him one more game of Scrabble since he keeps winning and we've been going since 10."

Carly smiled. "No problem. That's my boy," she said and patted his head. She paid Leah and said goodbye, after tucking Zach in and went in her room.

She opened the dresser draw next to her bed to put her necklace in it, and she saw the letter from Mark. She took it out and re-read it over and over. She cried for a few minutes and put it away. She sat there and thought about it, about everything; about the fun times she had with Mark, and the bad. She remembered how she felt and acted when he told her about him and Amy, and she remembered everything else. She turned around and began to cry when the phone rang. She leaned over and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hi, Carly."

It was Amy. "Goodbye." She hung up the phone and sobbed harder. The phone rang a second later. "Stop calling here," she answered yelling.

It was Mark. "Carly."

"Mark. You bastard! Don't call here, don't write, cause the fact is you just don't care!"

"Yes I do!" he yelled.

"I don't wanna hear your voice ever again. Ever!" she yelled causing Zach to wake up and run into her room. She turned around and saw him form a tear in his eye, knowing she was talking to Mark.

"Carly--stop. I know you don't mean this, I know you don't!"

"I have to go," she said softly. She hung up the phone and dialed Kelly's number. She needed time to think and she had to talk to Kelly.

Kelly

At Melrose Place

Kelly had just come home from the failed anniversery party. She sadly walked away from the answering machine after seeing that there were no messages. She couldn't imagine why Brandon hadn't called her yet.

Feelings of worry swept through her body. She was actually a little creeped out. It would be the first time she slept in Brandon's aparment alone. Maybe she should creep down to Brenda's apartment. No, she and Noah might be talking. She certaintly couldn't go to the Beach Apartment. She sighed and headed into the bedroom and began to undress.

As she started to take off her earings, the phone rang.

"Who could that be?" she said aloud, while walking over to the phone, "Hello?"

The caller sniffed a little before answering, "Kelly? It's Carly."

Kelly could hear the sadness in her voice, "Carly, what happened? What's wrong?"

"I don't know anymore. Amy called. Mark called. I'm a wreck. I can't take it anymore," Carly sobbed, her head pounding.

Kelly sighed. She felt so bad for her. "Listen, it's late. We had a long night. Why don't you go to sleep and tomorrow you and I can meet at the Peach Pit and talk?"

"Thanks. That'd be great. Kel, you don't know how much I appreciate this."

"Don't even mention it. So tomorrow, let's say one?"

"Perfect. Night, Kel."

"Night, Carly."

Lexi

At Whilshire Memorial

Lexi laid in her hospital bed asleep with tubes going throughout her body to give her oxygen while she was asleep. Her head was stitched, but still bleeding a little.

Meanwhile, Megan and Ryan were sitting down talking, waiting for Lexi to wake up from surgery.

Michael was worrying about Lexi, she still hadn't waken up and it has been three hours since her surgery. He decided to go check up on her. He walked into the intensive care unit. There she was...sound asleep. He knew she was safe but just in case he checked her pulse rate, and he plugged in the monitor. As soon as he turned it on it started going off like crazy, which meant Lexi had just slipped into a coma.

Jake

Jake got in his car a little while after the whole Clare incident and started driving, not knowing where he was going. He couldn't understand why Colleen would have ever come back. He knew he had to find her but he had no idea where to look.

He picked up his cell phone and started dialing peoples numbers.... Michael's, Lexi's, Jennifer's...anyone he could think of. No one picked up. He thought that was a little strange so he thought of going to the Peach Pit just to check. Then it hit him! He knew exactly where Colleen would be!

Jake immediately made a U-Turn and drove fast towards Melrose Place. He was sure Colleen would be there. Where else could she be?

He pulled into Melrose Place and just as he thought, Colleen was there.

Clare

At the Beverly Royale Hotel

It had been over two hours since Clare left the After Dark and Jake still hadn't called. Afterall, she told him not to.

Don't call, kept running through her head. She wanted to see what was going on right then. She wanted to know if Jake had found Colleen. She wanted Jake to call.

Lexi

At Whileshire Memorial

"Oh my god," Michael said beginning to get upset. "Paige, Paige get in here now," he yelled to his nurse. She came rushing into the room while putting her rubber gloves on.

"Lexi, she's in a coma."

"Hold on, I'll page Dr. Ames." She clicked a button across the room and said "Paging Dr. Ames."

Michael started to plug tubes into her to keep her pulse rate going, while the doctor entered. Michael sat down on the edge of the bed and held her hand. "It's okay baby, it's going to be ok." A tear started to roll down his cheek.

"Dr. Mancini, we can't give her anything, she just had surgery."

"What the hell are you talking about? We have to! The closest person in the world to me is dying."

Dr. Ames glared at him and ran out of the room. A few seconds later another doctor came in with him. "Dr. Mancini, I need you to leave," Dr. Bell said.

"What?" Michael said, being pulled out.

"We have to preform another procedure." Michael was being pulled out of the intensive care unit by Dr. Ames. He ran towards the waiting area to tell Megan and Ryan what was going on.

Jake

At Melrose Place

Jake pulled into the parking space next to Colleen, who was getting out her own car. Jake got out and walked towards her. It had been a while since he had seen her and she looked beautiful to him.

"Colleen," Jake said simply

"Jake!" she said turning around and giving him a big hug.

"What are you doing here, Colleen?"

"I came down to see you....and to tell you that I still love you.... I know you had a good reason for leaving us but I think that we can work through whatever it was...." Colleen said sort of rambling now.

"Colleen," Jake said cutting her off, "You can't do this."

"Do what, Jake? Do what?" she said, acting all sweet and innocent.

"You can just come down and tell me this! That's not going to make this work."

"I love you Jake, THAT should be enough."

"Sometimes love isn't enough!"

"How can you say that?! You have a SON with me Jake! If you won't try to work this out for me, do it for him!" she said trying to get him to answer her. She saw that that didn't work so she continued. "Come back to Hawaii, Jake. You have nothing for you here, you have no one," she said leaning in and kissing him.

"I love you," Colleen said in between kisses.

Jake pulled away after a couple seconds and pushed her back.

"You're wrong Colleen."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I DID find someone. Her name is Clare."

Colleen didn't know what to say. "Do you love her?"

"Yeah.....I do."

Lexi

At Whilshire Memorial

Megan flipped through a magazine and put it down on the desk and sighed. She checked her watch. It was half past one. She looked over her left shoulder and saw Ryan falling asleep. She smiled and began to get upset about Lexi.

Michael hadn't been there to update them in a half hour and she wasn't awake yet. She started to cry, when Michael came running towards her. Ryan abruptly sat up in his chair and Megan stood up. "What's going on?" she said jumping to her feet.

"Lexi, she's in a coma," A tear came down his cheek.

"Oh my god!" Megan hugged Michael as she saw him start to cry. "Is she ok? Is she gonna live?"

"I don't know to be honest," he said sobbing. "They kicked me out, and Paige said it was because I was too emotional about the patient. They thought I wasn't in the right state of mind to operate on her."

Ryan sat there and was speechless and just for a second he thought of everything that had happened. He slept with her on the business trip. She played tricks on him and Megan when they were engaged, calling his old fiances up and telling them to fly to California. He began to think what it would be without her. That was Lexi, and that's how she was. She was a part of him, a part of Megan, and a big part of Michael.

Brenda

At Melrose Place

Brenda had fallen fast asleep in Noah's bed. Noah, on the other hand, laid awake for a long time. He didn't know what to think of Brenda'a sudden re-interest. She still hadn't told him anything. He rolled over to watch her sleep for a few minutes. She looked peaceful. Noah rolled back over and fell into a light sleep.

Brenda was dreaming about London and Matthew. They had been in love almost from the moment they met. At first drawn together because they were both Americans.

In her dream they were both on the stage doing a scene from Love Story, the audience was on their feet giving them a standing ovation. Brenda turned to Matthew to smile at him and he was gone.

Brenda left the stage to look for him and the audience began yelling and booing at her. She kept going, out into the parking lot and down the street, just looking and searching.

Finally she reached the site of the accident. She knew it was Matthew's car, she had helped him pick it out. She remembered laughing at him as he tried to figure out how to drive in London. Brenda hadn't even tried. The whole front end of the car was demolished. Everyone from the audience was now standing around the accident saying that no one could have lived through that.

Once again, Brenda was helpless but she walked over to the car and opened the door. This time is wasn't Matthew's bloody face she saw, it was Dylan's.

Brenda sat straight up in bed and screamed. Noah grabbed her, "What is it?"

Brenda was shaking as she grabbed the phone, "Something's wrong with Dylan!"

"What do you mean?"

Brenda tried to dial Kelly's number, "Somethings wrong! I know it."

Noah climbed out of the bed and walked into the bathroom. Brenda finally got Kelly on the line.

"Kelly, did I wake you?"

Kelly yawned, "Actually no, I've been lying here trying to sleep. Whats wrong?"

"Have you heard from Brandon or Dylan? I think something's wrong, Kelly."

Kelly sat up, "No, I haven't heard from them. What do you think is wrong?"

Brenda shook her head and tears came to her eyes, "I don't know, but something is."

Carly

At California University

Carly was at her morning class at CU. She had her first major exam in two weeks, and he was telling her the material. "I love this class," someone whispered from next to her.

She turned around and noticed it was the girl from the coffee shop. "Hey. Me too."

"I'm sorry for putting you down the other week, I was just so sorry I didn't make the cut at first. But it's all about working harder right?"

"Yeah of course," Carly whispered.

"Ms. Reynolds?" Proffessor Dain said eyeing her.

"Yes, Professor Dain?"

"Would you like to do a term paper on the origin of manners? I'd say about five pages on not talking during a college class."

She glared at him. "Mr. Dain, I'm sick and tired of you pressuring me. If I want to say a few words to a friend, then I will."

Mr. Dain sat there speechless. "So be it," he said beginning to write something down.

Janet

At Casa Walsh

Janet and Steve were rushing to get ready for their interview with Ms. Taint. Steve had forgot to set the alarm last night after he returned home from dropping off the baby-sitter.

"Steve, hurry up!!!!!!! She'll be here any minute!!!!!"

"Alright, alright. I'm going as fast as I can!" Steve said while brushing his teeth in the bathroom.

All of sudden, Maddy started hysterically crying. No matter what Janet did, she couldn't get her to stop.

Steve walked out of the bathroom, "Uh oh. Don't tell me she's starting. Get her a bottle or something."

"Steve," Janet said angrily while picking Maddy up, "I just can't give her a bottle or something."

"Well just keep her quiet! Is that too much to ask?!?" Steve slammed his dresser draw closed.

"Steve, don't talk to me that way."

"I'm sorry, honey. I'm just nervous, that's all."

"We've been over this..."

"I know, I know."

"Go downstairs and make sure everything is straightened up in the living room. I'm going to see if I can get her to go to sleep," Janet said and left the room with Maddy in her arms.

Valerie

At the Beach Apartment

It was late morning and Val had just checked out of the Belage and was on her way home. When she arrived at the beach apartment, she could not believe who was there awaiting her arrival.

"Noah what are you doing here?"

"Uh, can I come in?" he asked.

"Actually no. I have things to do today. Why don't you just tell me why you came by and get it over with," she rudely said.

"Okay, have it your way. I wanted to talk about last night."

"Listen, last night was no big deal--"

"No, when I see one of my friends crying, to me it is a big deal!" Noah exclaimed. " I came by to let you know that I understand. I know how you're feeling. It's okay to feel alone--"

"NO! You understand nothing. I don't feel alone. I feel very fulfilled. I have friends who I rely on."

"Really? Because it doesn't seem that way to me, or anyone else for that matter. Val, you know as well as I do that Jenn Mancini is no friend."

"Don't judge someone you don't know," she shot back.

"Valerie, I don't want to argue with you. God knows we've done enough of that," Noah grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes, "I know how it is when the world suddenly turns on you. But most of all, I know that this isn't you Valerie. I know this isn't how you want to be. Believe me, I know," he finished.

At first Valerie was in awe of what had just taken place. Every reason why she loved him came into her mind just then. But then she came back to reality.

"Very touching. Are we done here?" she asked sarcastically.

Noah sighed in defeat. "For now we are, Valerie. But this isn't the last of me. I will get through to you. I promise that," he said walking away.

"Joy," Valerie mumbled as she walked into her apartment, slamming the door.

Steve

At Casa Walsh

Moments before Ms. Taint arrived, Maddy, who had been sound asleep for only fifteen minutes, started crying again.

"What are we going to do now?" Steve asked Janet as she walked into the living room.

"I'm sure she'll stop. Don't worry about it. It'll be fine," Janet said while wiping down the coffee table.

"Right, and that's why you're cleaning the coffee table for the fiftieth time!" Steve said back.

Janet couldn't help but laugh. She was cut off though by the doorbell. Steve and Janet's smiles disappeared as serious looks came over their faces. The doorbell rang again. Janet got up and headed to the door while Steve followed behind her, ignoring the fact that Maddy was still crying, though she wasn't as loud as before. Janet took a deep breath before opening the door.

"Goodmorning," the lady said, "I'm Ms. Taint."

"Won't you please come in?" Janet asked, opening the door a little more, "I'm Janet, and this is my husband, Steve."

"How do you do?" she asked while shaking Steve's hand.

"Fine, thanks, and you?" he replied. She nodded with a smile.

Janet directed her arm to the living room, "Shall we sit down?"

They all got settled in the living room, Steve and Janet on the couch and Ms. Taint on the love seat.

"I have gathered information from your references, however, there is still some stuff I'd like to know."

Steve and Janet nodded, waiting for Ms. Taint to throw them a fireball.

"Janet, you met Steve when you started working for his publication. I was told that, at first, you two quarreled quite often. Do you still?"

"Well," Steve began, "every couple quarrels..."

"What Steve means," Janet continued, "is that we do quarrel. Sometimes. But it's normal, which I'm sure you know."

Ms. Taint nodded as she wrote things down on a pad she had with her.

Maddy's crying all of sudden, once again, got louder, causing Ms.Taint to look up.

"Is that your daughter?" she asked.

"Yes," Janet replied. "She didn't get a good night's sleep."

"Why is that?" Ms. Taint asked, taking notes.

Janet was surprised at her abruptness, "Well, we were out last night and she was home with the baby-sitter. Apparently, the sitter had trouble getting her to sleep."

"Uh-huh," Ms. Taint said and then looked up at Steve and Janet while still writing, "And how often does that happen?"

"That the baby-sitter can't get her to sleep or that we go out?" Steve asked, confused.

"Both."

Janet looked at Steve before answering, "We sometimes go out with our friends to a nearby diner/club place."

"Well, which is it? A diner or a club?"

"Well, they are connected to each other. One of our friends is the owner," Janet continued, "And it's not often that the baby-sitter can't get Maddy to sleep."

"I see."

A whistle started blowing from the kitchen.

"Oh, that must be the tea," Janet said while getting up from the couch, "Excuse me."

Janet walked out of the living room, leaving an awkward silence between Steve and Ms. Taint.

Brandon

At Dylan's Place

It was now almost noon and Brandon and Dylan were extremely tired. Neither of them dared to fall asleep during the night, fearing what Kanis might do. He didn't sleep either, fearing what Dylan and Brandon would do.

“Where’s your gun?” Brandon asked.

Dylan gave him a reluctant look. “Toni told me to get rid of it.”

“Well so did I,” Brandon noted. “But you didn’t.”

Dylan just gave him the same look.

“You did. Didn’t you?”

“It’s at the bottom of the ocean,” he said, clearing up all questions and putting yet another escape plan to rest.

“Cell phone?”

“Packed,”Dylan said. “Yours?”

“Home.”

“He’s been drinking a lot,” Dylan pointed out. “Can we use that?”

“Maybe. He doesn’t seem to like it when you speak.”

“What I should talk him to death?” Dylan joked. “I’m a relatively quiet guy. I don’t have a lot to say. What if I talk to him when he tries to go to the bathroom?”

“Make him wet himself and when he’s in shock from that rush him?” Brandon asked, trying his best to keep an open mind and entertain any idea that comes along. “No, no I don’t think that would work. Keep thinking."

A fair amount of time had gone by and they still came up with nothing. Kanis caught them talking once and threw a chair through a window.

Both Dylan and Brandon noticed that his temper was starting to get the better of him. Kanis was pacing more, talking less. He was sweating badly now. He was starting to crack. He knew he needed to get a grip. He was used to killing women for pleasure. Now he was killing these two men for revenge.

Kanis was starting to feel like he was losing himself, losing direction. He didn’t know where to go from here. Should he kill them now? Drag it out? What was he supposed do? He was getting confused and that was the edge that Dylan and Brandon needed.

Carly

At the Peach Pit

Carly was working a slow day at the Peach Pit. She was about to sit down and take a break when Kyle and a little girl walked in. She recognized Kyle but, didn't know who the other girl was. "Hey there," she said. "What can I get you?"

"Uh...two megaburgers to go please."

"Who's the little one?"

"I'm Sarah," she said.

"She's Megan and Ryan's little girl. I'm watching her while they're at the hospital."

"Hey Sarah. Are they ok?" Carly took a concerned tone.

"Yeah, but Lexi isn't. She got hurt, bad," he said looking at Sarah knowing he couldn't say the rest. "I have to go now, thanks," he said taking his megaburger from Nadine. "Bye."

"Well, wish Lexi my best. Bye."

"I will." He walked out of the room and Carly started to get back to work when Kelly walked in. She sighed and walked over to Nat. "Hey Nat, can I take like a 20 minute break or so?"

"Sure, Carly."

"Ok." She walked over to the front stools and sat down and motioned Kelly over to her.

"Good morning," Kelly said as they begun their talk.

Valerie

At the Peach Pit

After the little episode between Noah and her, Val decided she had to get out.

She walked along the almost empty beach and as the wind blew through her hair, she felt for the first time in a long time, free. No one was there to point out her faults, nor was anyone there to drag her from party to party, guy to guy. She was perfectly happy and content being by herself, away from the rest of the world.

But something inside her still wasn't right. And she knew why. Noah.

Everything he had said earlier was exactly right. How she didn't want to be like this, how she did often feel alone. She missed a perfectly good opportunity to let him and the rest of them, back into her life. But no, she did what she does best; hide her feelings, lie, hurt. And that was something she hated about herself, but at the same time, was too scared to let go.

After she had finally cleared her head, she decided it was time to go home and see what trouble was still to come.

Kelly

At the Peach Pit

Kelly and Carly had just received their food that they had ordered moments before. So far they talked about David and Donna's not showing up last night, Clare's run out, Janet and Steve taking in a child, but not about Carly's midnight call. Kelly didn't want to bring it up and step on any toes. Carly would talk about when she was ready. And she did.

"Zach didn't talk to me at all this morning. He gave me the silent treatment. Didn't even kiss me goodbye before he left when Daniel and his mom came to pick him up," Carly said.

Kel was confused, "Why won't he talk to you?"

Carly remembered that she hadn't mentioned Zach waking up, "Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you," she said uneasily while squirming in her seat, "When I was on the phone with Mark, Zach woke up. He came in and heard me yelling. He started to cry and ran off." Carly had tears in her eyes, "Gosh, I've got to remember to remove that lock from the inside of his door," she let out a slight smile, "I just feel so bad, ya know."

Kelly nodded, not wanting to say anything, seeing that Carly was finally letting it all out just as it came to her.

"The only two father figures he had in his life were Steve and Mark. Zach never got along with Darrl, which was why I was so happy that he did with Mark. He liked the guy. He really liked him. And I ruined that," Carly said looking down at her hands.

"No. Carly, look at me. Don't say that. You didn't ruin it. Mark did, the minute he gave Amy one thought. Don't blame yourself."

"I just can't help thinking maybe if I didn't have a child, or if I were a little prettier or..."

"Or what? If you were a little thinner? A little smarter? There was nothing you could do that would of stopped Amy's seduction. Sooner or later it would of happened. Amy wouldn't have given up. Especially when you've been raised with a cousin like Lexi."

"But--" Carly started to say.

"But what? There is no 'but'. Carly, you can't go on like this. You have to get over him and move on. He's not worthy of your love."

"Even if it's unconditional?"

"Even if it's unconditional. You don't want a man like that. And if it wasn't Amy, who's to say it wouldn't have been someone else?"

"I know you're right. I mean, my head knows it. But my heart doesn't," Carly gave another half-smile.

"What some people don't realize it is that it takes time. Healing is a process. Your heart will realize it. And you'll stop feeling this way. But you've got to give it a rest. You need to stop thinking about it. And I'm going to do everything I can to help you."

"Thanks, Kelly. I needed to hear that," Carly finally let out a full smile, wiping away her tears.

"That's what friends are for," Kelly smiled back.

Janet

At Casa Walsh

"Mmmm, these crumpets are delicious," Ms. Taint said while wiping her mouth.

"Thanks," Janet smiled, pleased that Ms. Taint approved, "I baked them myself."

"Janet's a wonderful cook," Steve added.

"Shall we continue?" Ms. Taint asked. Steve and Janet both nodded.

Just as Ms. Taint started to open her mouth to ask a question, Maddy's crying started once again. It got louder and louder and Ms. Taint tried to talk over it, but it was useless.

"Excuse us," Janet said, leading Steve out of the living room.

Steve whispered to Janet, "Do something!!!!! This isn't going to look good!"

"Steve, what can I possibly do? Go up there and hold her for two hours?"

"Just go up there!!" he whispered sternly. Janet did what he said and went upstairs and Steve smiled fakely at Ms.Taint. A minute or so later Janet returned and whispered to Steve, "I just took her temperature, she's got a fever."

"Great," Steve said sarcastically, "Now what?"

Ms. Taint sat uneasily on the couch. She stood up when Steve and Janet walked back into the living room.

"Turns out Madeline has a fever. Is it possible that we can reschedule?" Steve asked.

"No. That won't be necessessary," Ms. Taint replied.

"I'm so sorry," Janet said.

Steve looked at Janet and then back at Ms. Taint, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure. It was a pleasure meeting you," she said as Steve opened the front door and shook her hand, "Goodday," she said before exiting.

Janet looked at Steve with the thought 'Don't even start!' written all over her face.

Clare

At the Beverly Royale Hotel

Clare was sitting down on the couch with the TV on and the phone next to her. She wasn't really watching the TV; she was watching the telephone in hopes that it would ring soon. She couldn't believe Jake hadn't called the night before. Clare had been up waiting for his call that never came.

She picked up the remote and started changing the channels. Nothing good was on so she just muted it and laid down.

She laid there thinking about a lot of things. She knew Jake wouldn't do anything intentionally to hurt her yet still had a very uneasy feeling; after all, it is his ex-girlfriend, at least that's what she assume. He must of said wife by mistake. After a few minutes, Clare drifted to sleep...with the telephone sitting right next to her.

Kelly

At KTPR

Kelly was in her office, kind of lonely. She had gotten so used to Megan being there. She felt really bad for her though. Her best friend was in the hospital!

Bad things happen to good people. And when bad things happen to bad people, you still can't help but feel bad. The painful memories from when she had gotten raped rushed into her mind when she first heard what happened. She quickly shook them from her mind, refusing to go down that path again.

As she was going over files of the few clients she had, she decided to call Mr. Lemme's office and leave him a message.

"Hi, Mr. Lemme," Kelly said into the phone, "I was just calling because I haven't heard from you. I wanted to know if you had made up your mind. I've decided that if you don't want me to go ahead with the research, I won't. Hopefully you'll reconsider hiring me. Well, you know where to reach me." She hung up the phone.

Was she really willing to go ahead with the publicity for his drug without reasearching it first? She made a solemn promise to herself that she would always research before taking on case. She wasn't going to help a company or fight for something that was wrong or immoral or unhealthy. She'd wait til she got a response from Mr. Lemme before making her final decision about the research.

Jake

At the Beverly Royale Hotel

Clare was awakened by a knock on her door. She got up and opened the door. She immediately remembered what had been going on when she saw Jake standing there.

She felt her heart skip a beat when she saw him but she wasn't about to let Jake see that she was happy to see him.

"Can I come in?"

"How dare you come back after all that happened?!"

"I'm sorry, Clare. I didn't know that she would just show up like this..."

"Stop it! I dont wanna hear it, Jake!"

"You gotta let me explain! You can't just jump to conclusions without knowing everything!"

"What's there to know, Jake?

"How about the truth?!"

"What truth Jake?!"

"The one...I haven't told you."

Clare got silent all of a sudden and was struck with curiosity of what Jake was talking about. "Excuse me??" Clare said still confused.

"I didn't exactly tell you everything about me Clare."

"What part did you forget to tell me exactly?!" Clare said starting to get mad again.

"The part about Colleen."

"What about Colleen..she's an ex-girlfriend, right?"

"The truth is, Clare, Colleen was more than an ex-girlfriend."

"How much more? Stop beating around the bush Jake! You mumbled something about a wife last night..."

"Colleen is my wife."

"What?!"

"I'm sorry..." Jake said trying to explain.

"Get out!" Clare said opening the door to the hotel room.

"Clare, please."

"GET OUT!"

Carly

At Melrose Place

Carly pulled up into her parking space and walked into her apartment. She felt uncomfortable without Zach there. She wanted to spend some quality time with him, so she decided she would take him out to dinner somewhere nice. She was unaware of anywhere nice so she called up Clare.

"Clare, hey."

"Hey Carly. How are you? How have you been since Mark?" Clare said, clearly avoiding the topic of Jake and what had happened only moments before.

"I'm fine. But, what I was really calling for is, do you know any nice restaurants where I can take Zach?"

"Umm...with an arcade or no?"

"No. I want to spend quality time with him, someplace really nice," Carly responded.

"How about the Moonlight Cafe?" Clare said, and there was a silence while Carly waited for her to elaborate. "It's really fancy but that's what you want, right?"

"Yeah, thanks Clare. I'm so sorry to call like this when Jake was there."

"Oh, it's no problem."

"Okay. Well, I'll talk to you later."

"Bye."

"Bye." Carly hung up the phone and took out a pen and pad and wrote down "The Moonlight Cafe" and looked it up in the phone book.

Dylan

At Dylan's Place

Dylan had the gun pointed at Kanis, who was below him, lying on the floor. “The keys!” Dylan demanded.

Kanis fumbled around for them and finally handed them to Brandon, who quickly unlocked the two. He just unhitched Dylan. He didn’t get a chance. “The police are on their way, Kanis. It’s over,” Brandon said.

“Stand up,” Dylan told him.

Kanis got to his knees and with a two fisted hit he knocked the gun away from Dylan's hand out the broken window. Kanis got up running. Brandon took off after him. He tackled him on the ground and his first instinct was to use what was available to him. Brandon latched the open end of the handcuffs around Kanis’s hand.

The two started to swing and fight. Dylan had jumped out the window to look for the gun.

They could hear the sirens coming fast. Brandon was doing his best to hold off Kanis and Kanis was reaching for anything he could hit, or beat Brandon with. He ended up putting his feet on Brandon’s body, holding the cuffs and pulling at Brandon’s arm.

The door busted open. It was Dylan followed by the police. He dropped to his knees and kicked on Kanis, getting him to let go of Brandon’s body with his feet.

It didn’t go much farther once the police stepped in and took the handcuffs off of Brandon. It was over now. And maybe Kanis would stay locked up this time around.

Lexi

At Whilshire Memorial

Michael paced nervously as Dr. Bell approached him. They shook hands. "Dr. Bell, how is she?" he asked trying to take a professional tone.

He looked down. "Not well."

He started to get angry. "Well I kind of figured that," he said sarcastically. "Now give me the damn update."

"I'm afraid she may have brain damage," he said bluntly. Michael was silent. Dr. Bell paused. "I'm sorry Dr. Mancini."

"How can you say that so calmly? My best friend is dying." He laughed fakely. "It's incredible. I have to get away from you idiots." He grabbed his coat from the nearby rack and ran down the hall to tell Megan and Ryan.

Donna

At Now Wear This

Donna was closing up the store when Kelly called Donna's cell..

"Have you heard about Lexi?" Kelly asked.

"No, what?" Donna asked, as she began locking the door to the store behind her.

"Carly told me that she was in some kind of accident and is hurt pretty bad," Kelly explained.

Donna was shocked, "Oh my god, Michael!"

"Michael?" Kelly asked, confused.

"Kelly, I have to go. I need to go to the hospital." Donna hung up the phone and headed to Whilshire Memorial.

When she got there, she spotted Megan and Ryan right away. They were surprised to see her and updated her on what had happened and Lexi's current condition. Donna sat down to wait with them.

Eventually Michael came walking down the hallway toward them. He looked so tired. His eyes got big when he saw Donna there. He quickly filled them in, there had been no change in Lexi's condition. He then grabbed Donna's hand and pulled her after him.

They walked down the hospital corridor and entered an empty exam room. Michael collasped against the wall.

"She's my best friend, Donna, and I let this happen to her," he explained, upset and blaming himself.

Donna tried to comfort him, "I'm sorry, she'll be okay."

Michael tried to smile. "Yea, she's definitely a fighter."

"Is there anything left that you can do tonight?" Donna asked.

"Not really."

Donna gave him a warm smile, "Then let's go somewhere where we can talk. I think you could use that."

Michael agreed and then explained, "What I could really use is a stiff drink."

David

At Now Wear This

David and Steve were looking over the layout for David's article while Janet sorted through some negatives across the room.

Jennifer walked in wearing a very short leather dress. Steve's eyes got big until he noticed Janet giving him a warning look from across the room.

He laughed nervously to himself, "Uum, excuse me. I'll just be over here with my beautiful wife." He walked over to Janet and tried to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't even try it, Steve," Janet told him.

David laughed and then greeted Jennifer, "Hey. What are you doing here?"

Jennifer pouted, "I need a date."

David eyed her up and down, "Well, I'm sure you could find several with that dress."

Jennifer reached out and hit him on the arm, "David! C'mon, I want to go do something fun. Are you busy?"

"Nah, we're just about done here. Can you give me a few minutes?" David asked.

Jennifer smiled up at him, "Sure. I'll just sit right here and not bother anyone." She climbed up on his desk and sat down next to his computer and crossed her long bare legs.

David shook his head and tried to ignore the scene before him. It was going to be hard to work with her sitting there. "Steve, can you help me finish this?"

"Certainly," Steve replied and started to walk over. Janet grabbed him by the back of the collar and pulled him back.

"You guys can work at my desk," Janet told them in no uncertain terms.

Carly

At the Moonlight Cafe

Carly and Zach were eating at the resturant. They had their own private table in an enclosed corner. The place was beautiful with white flowers hanging from the white banisters on the ceiling. The window reflected the moon, and there were a few quizzes on astronomy on the kids menus that Zach was doing.

"So, how is school going?"

"Good. I have another new friend."

"Oh really?" Carly asked and smiled. "You must be pretty popular, what's his name?"

"Robert. Can he come over tomorrow?"

"Zach, you know I don't like when you ask me this stuff the day before. Tomorrow we have the brunch at the Peach Pit, remember?"

He sighed. "Fine." He began to start doing the quizzes again.

"You can ask him to come to brunch with us if you want."

Zach jumped up and hugged her. "Thanks, mom!" He paused. "But I'd rather spend time with our family."

Our family? She thought about that and smiled. They were her family. "And who would that be?"

"Brandon, Kelly, Clare, Donna, Steve, and everyone else."

"Well, if that's what you want, we will."

"Yeah it is."

David

At Now Wear This

"Have you ever done body shots?" Jennifer asked David. They were sitting at the bar at the After Dark drinking shots of Tequila.

"Not lately," David said with a nervous laugh. He had noticed Noah giving him dirty looks from across the bar. That didn't stop him from selling them a lot of Tequila.

"Maybe we should go somewhere more private," he said to Jen, "and try those body shots you were talking about."

Jen reached over and gave him a long kiss, "Fine by me. Let's go."

They both got up from the bar and headed toward the parking lot. David stopped. "Whats the matter, sugar?" Jen asked him.

David handed her the keys, "Go on out to the car...I'll be just a minute. Do NOT drive the car! Just sit there and wait for me."

Jen giggled and walked out. David walked back over to the bar. He got Noah's attention, "Do you have a problem with me?"

Noah sighed and walked over to where David was, "No, no problem."

"I didn't think so," David said before turning and walking away.

"I was just thinking...that when you said 'till death do us part' that I guess what you really meant was 'til some little slut in black leather comes my way', right David?"

David stopped and turned around. "This is none of your business, Hunter!"

Noah nodded, "You're right, its not. But just how long do you think Donna is going to sit home waiting for you to wisen up?"

"I said to shut up!" David told him and walked out of the bar.

Valerie

At the Beach Apartment

She returned home and grabbed a quick bite to eat. The salty air had made her tired but she wasn't in the mood to sleep. She stood outside, leaning over the railing and watching the sunset.

Suddenly she heard loud footsteps trudging up the stairs. She prayed it would be Noah. She vowed to herself that if it was, she would tell him exactly how she felt. She turned around and couldn't believe who was standing right before.

"SURPRISE!" Ginger, her best friend from Buffalo, yelled as she ran and gave Val a hug.

"Ginger! You came! It's so great to see you!" Val exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, I got your message and hopped a plane and hear I am. It sounded like you needed your best friend, so here I am."

"Well come on inside, I've got a lot to tell you..." Val said helping Ginger with her bags and leading her into the apartment.

"Feels good to be back," she replied as she closed the door behind her.

Donna

Donna and Michael had spent the remainder of the evening at a quiet little restaurant not far from Melrose. They had talked and talked and drank and drank.

Donna was feeling a little light headed when they got up to leave. Michael was feeling the effects even more so. He had had a stressful day and it felt good to just unwind and relax. He didn't even mention her standing him up the previous night. He had found that Donna was such a good listener. She reminded him a little of his first wife. Jane.

"Maybe we should take a taxi home," Michael suggested, standing in the parking lot. Donna had to agree. She pulled out her cell phone and called for a cab.

"They said it will be fifteen minutes," Donna told him with a giggle.

They stood outside, waiting, looking at the moon. Michael noticed when Donna shivered from the cool night air. He removed his jacket and put it around her shoulders.

"Thanks," Donna said as she cuddled up. She looked over to see Michael staring at her.

"What?" she whispered.

"I want to kiss you. I've wanted to kiss you from the moment I saw you blush in the store when I was buying the lingerie," Michael explained.

"Well, kiss me then," Donna was surprised at her own forwardness and supposed it was the wine talking. Not that she didn't want Michael to kiss her!

Michael leaned over and gave her a long kiss. It was wonderful. They still stood like that, kissing softly when the taxi pulled up and tapped its horn.

They broke apart and Michael pulled her into the vehicle. "Come home with me, please?"

Donna just nodded and leaned in to be kissed by him again.

David

At Melrose Place

Donna and Michael stood together outside his door at Melrose. They had barely stopped kissing long enough to make it from the taxi to the doorstep.

Michael fumbled for his keys, his hands all over Donna's body. Finally, he found them and turned the key in the lock. The door swumg open and they walked in. Michael reached to the wall and snapped the light on.

The couple on the couch froze in various states of undress when the lights hit them.

"Jennifer?" Michael yelled in shock.

"Michael?" Jennifer said, nervously.

"Donna?" David said with surprise.

"David?" Donna replied, with tears in her eyes.

"This is your David?" Michael turned to look at Donna.

"Yea, I'm David. Who the hell are you?"

"That's Michael, my brother," Jennifer explained.

"I know who it is! But what is he doing with my wife!" David said.

"Probably the same thing you were about to do with my sister!" Michael yelled at him.

David got up and ran at Michael, knocking him down. "The hell you are!"

"David!" Donna screamed as David began to hit Michael. "Stop it!"

Michael pushed David off of him. "Calm down!" he ordered.

David continued to lunge at him until Michael punched him in the jaw. David went down and Donna ran over to him. "Honey, are you okay?"

"Get off me!" he yelled at her. He got up quickly, rubbing his jaw. "You can all just go to hell!" he said before walking out the door and slamming it behind him.

Donna looked at Michael, "I'm sorry but I have to go make sure he's okay."

Michael nodded and watched her walk out the door. He walked over to the couch and sat down before he looked at Jennifer. "Now do you understand why I don't want you bringing guys here?" Jennifer took the seat next to him on the couch and nodded understandably.

Donna

At Melrose Place

Donna ran across the courtyard of Melrose, follow ing closely behind David. He disappeared into Brandon's apartment.

Donna went to the door and knocked. Kelly opened the door. Brenda and Noah were sitting in the room with her.

"Hi guys..." Donna began, trying to think up some explanation.

"He's in his room," Kelly interrupted, pointing in the direction. Donna flashed her a grateful smile and headed down the hall. Kelly sat back down on the couch and looked worriedly at Brenda. Noah had told them about David's scene at the After Dark so they were curious as to what was happening.

Brenda tried to start back up some conversation so it wouldn't appear that they were eavesdropping.

Donna entered David's room and saw him throwing things into his suitcase. He looked up at her angrily, "What do you want?"

"David, we need to talk. Where are you going? Why are you packing?" Donna asked, watching him grab things out of the closet.

"I'm getting out of here and away from you. Everywhere I go, there you are. All of my friends are your friends, they are always asking me about you. I need a fresh start somewhere," he explained.

"But where will you go?" Donna tried to ask reasonably.

"I don't know, maybe to stay with my mom for a while."

Donna tried to surpress a smile. David was always so dramatic. "David, I'm going to get some ice for your jaw, okay?"

"I don't need any ice!" David told her but she was already out the door.

The three in the living room tried to act like they hadn't been listening when they heard her walk in the room. "I need some ice."

Kelly jumped up to help her. "What happened?"

"Michael hit him," Donna explained, forgetting that they had no idea about Michael.

"Michael?" Kelly asked for the second time that day.

Donna reached out and hugged her, "Kelly, it's complicated but I promise that I will explain it all to you later. I need to be with David right now."

Kelly nodded and handed her the ice pack. Donna returned to the room to find David laying down on his bed. She approached him slowly and sat down on the bed next to him. She touched the ice to his face and he grimaced with pain.

"Your boyfriend packs quite a punch," David commented.

"He's not my boyfriend. And don't even get me started on your 'girlfriend'," Donna told him.

David smiled, "Where did we go wrong Donna?"

Donna shook her head, "I made a mistake, a big mistake, but can't you ever forgive me?"

"I don't know," David said honestly. "I've tried, ya know." It was Donna's turn to nod her agreement.

David closed his eyes, "I'm tired. Will you stay with me tonight? I just want to sleep next to you," he muttered softly, already half asleep.

Donna leaned over and touched his face, "Of course I will. She got up and pushed the suitcase off the bed and then went and removed David's shoes. She covered him up with a blanket and then crawled in next to him. He pulled her in close to him and they both fell asleep.

Brenda

At Melrose Place

Brenda was still worried. No one had yet to hear from Dylan or Brandon. Her conversation with Kelly had helped to calm her down. Kelly was right, Dylan was fine, Brandon was fine. They were just busy, thats why they hadn't called anyone.

Noan and Brenda went back to Noah's apartment and prepared for bed. Noah joined her in the bedroom and sat down next to her. "Can we talk about last night...about your dream?"

Brenda nodded, "I just had a nightmare, I guess. I mean, it's a dream I have a lot but this time it was different."

Noah understood, he had had his share of nightmares as well. "Want to talk about it?'

Brenda looked up at him into his caring eyes. "Yes I do."

"I'm listening."

"I don't really know where to begin. You know that I left Beverly Hills to go to London to the Academy?" Noah nodded.

"When I left, I really expected to be gone only a summer. I guess I was still in love with Dylan and thought that I would come back for him if nothing else. I never expected to meet someone in London but I did. His name was Matthew. He was from Oregon and he was wonderful. We fell in love almost at first sight. When it came time to go home in the fall, there was no way that I could leave him. We moved in together and were happy for almost a year," Brenda paused and glanced at Noah.

"And then what happened?" Noah asked, encouraging her to go on.

"We were acting together, we had both gotten the lead roles in the first London production of Love Story. Opening night was a dream, the theater was filled and we both got standing ovations. Everything was perfect. About a week later, I was getting ready to do the Saturday matinee when he never showed up. I had to do the play with the understudy. It wasn't like Matthew to not show up, I was worried the entire time. I knew the audience could sense it. When the curtain went down for the final time, I walked off the stage and was met by two police officers. We went to my dressing room and they told me that Matthew had been killed in a car accident," Brenda began crying softly and Noah reached over to hold her.

"It's okay, it's good for you to talk about this."

Brenda nodded through her tears and started talking again, "I haven't acted since. I can't face the stage and thats why I couldn't see Love Story with you that night. I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you all this before, Noah."

"It's okay, baby. I understand that you needed time. You know, I really do understand. I don't think that I've told you about Beth," Noah began.

"Beth?" Brenda asked, confused.

Noah told Brenda the story of his fiance's death caused by his drinking and driving. By the time he was finished, they were both in tears.

Brandon

At Dylan's Place

After the police took their reports, Brandon and Dylan didn’t pick up the house right away. They just let the house stay a mess for the time being.

They took a bottle, glasses, and some chairs out to the backyard and just watched the night's sky. They didn’t bother with the glasses, Dylan took a drink from the bottle and passed it to Brandon. He passed it back and Dylan put the cold bottle up to his head where Kanis hit him with the gun.

“We’ve done some pretty amazing things, Brandon. But nothing will ever top this on my list of things never to do again.”

“We should call Kelly and Gina. Let them know what happened.”

Eyes still closed from when he put the bottle to his head, Dylan replied, “Later. I kind of want to enjoy right now.”

They sat in silence a little longer. Until Brandon said, “Think the airline will give us our money back for the unused plane tickets?”

Dylan gave him a look and the two just laughed. After what they had just been through, they thought they earned it.