Episode Twenty Three

The Harris House

Jamie pulled a box off a shelf and set it on an old chair to lok through it. Inside were some clothing and photos, but not what Jamie was looking for. "Damn it," he muttered. He had come into the house looking for a few thigns in general, and two things specifically. He had found most of the general stuff, the belongings of his mom's that his dad hadn't thrown out, but he couldn't find the two specific items: his dad's gold watch (A gift from Jamie's Gramma Isa), and a jewelry box full of his mom's jewelry. Jamie sighed and grabbed the two boxes he had found and left the atic, heading back downstairs. He ran into Rebecca at the door to the attic.

"What are you doing?" Rebecca asked.

"My mom's things," Jamie replied tensely. "I was just getting them out of the attic to take over to my apartment. Except her jewelry is missing, and I looked in my dad's dresser for his good gold watch and it's missing. Do you know where they are?"

"Why?"

"Because I want those things?"

"You're not getting them."

"Excuse me? I have a right to all my mom's things, and that watch was from my Gramma, I have a right to it."

"No, you don't."

"I can't believe this," Jamie said, setting down the boxes. "God, Rebecca, I'm sorry my dad was so out of it from blood loss that all he could remember is the person right in front of him. I'm sorry I got to watch my dad die instead of you. Most of all I'm sorry you're being a royal bitch. But I have a right to those things."

"Mike and I were married, his things are my things now."

"I know for a fact his will leaves some stuff to me. Including the watch. Where ever it is, and where ever my mom's jewelry is, get it now."

"Or what? It's not like you can afford a lawyer. You have nothing."

"He mgiht not have much right now but his family does," Laurence said as he walked up the stairs with Gee.

"Uncle Gee?" Jamie said, confused.

"Laurence called me, I flew in as soon as possible," Gee replied. "And as for you," he said, turning to Rebecca. "All it will take is a single phone call and the Valles family lawyer will be here to take you to court over with holding Jamie's rightful inheritances from him. And I WILL make that call if my sister's jewelry and my brother-in-law's watch aren't in Jamie's hands within 5 minutes."

Rebecca opened her mouth to reply, then closed it again. After a minute she called out, "David! Get the watch I gave you!"

"You gave him my dad's watch?!" Jamie yelled.

Rebecca didn't reply, but turned and limped towards her room. A moment later, just as David left his room with the watch in his hand, Rebecca exited the room with the large jewelry box.

Jamie grabbed the jewlery box and held out his hand for the watch. "Don't piss me off, David," he warned.

David slammed the watch into Jamie's hand and stalked back into his room, slamming the door.

"Happy?" Rebecca asked.

"Very," Jamie replied. "Now I don't really have a reason to set foot in this house again." Gee and Laurence each picked up one of the boxes, and the three men started down the stairs, stopping when Rebecca called down to them.

"But you might want to find somewhere else to live, Jamie. This house is fully mine now, and I don't want you on my property."

Jamies mouth fell open in surprise, then he closed it and continued down stairs and out the door, followed by his uncles. Jamie walked straight to the garage apartment and opened the door. He walked into the bedroom and carefully set the jewelry box and watch down on his bed before walking back to the living room just as his uncles entered. Jamie hesitated a minute, looking around the room, then grabbed a lamp from next to the couch and threw it across the room, watching as it smashed into the wall and broke. After a second he grabbed the lamp from his desk and did the same. "How dare she?!" he screamed angrily. "It's not fair! Doesn't she get it? Dad was all I had! And he's gone! I had to watch him die just like I watched mama die! I couldn't do anything! It's not fair!" he raged, slamming his hand against the wall, then sinking to the floor and pulling his knees to his chest, crying. "It's not fair," he repeated.

Gee set down his box and walked over to his nephew. He sat down and put an arm around Jamie's shoulder. "I know, you're right. It's not fair. Mike was a good man, he didn't deserve to die so young. And you didn't deserve to lose him anymore than you deserved to lose your mother," he said. "It's allright, JD, it'll be fine," he added.

"No it's not! I don't have anywhere to live!" Jamie replied.

"You know you csn stay with us," Laurence said.

"Yeah, great, in a house where David'll probably be over all the time making out with my cousin," Jamie said. "No way in hell."

"Believe me, he's not allowed in the house after this," Laurence said.

"Oh, even better, now if I move in, Laura will hate me for her boyfriend not being able to come over!"

"JD, listen to me," Gee said. "There's other places you can live..."

"I won't leave Heaven Falls," Jamie said. "I won't move to Chicago."

"I wasn't going to suggest that," Gee said. "All right, I was, but I understand why you refuse to."

"Then where? I won't take handouts form Gramma or you. I will not live someplace where you pay the rent."

"I wasn't going to suggest that. There's.. you have other family in town. Besides Laurence."

"Gianni," Laurence said warningly. "Mike didn't want to..."

"I don't care," Gee replied. "Jamie has a right to know, and my sister wanted him to know when he was old enough to really understand."

"Know what?" Jamie asked. "What family?"

"Your mother's father lives in town," Gee said. "And you know him."

"Who?" Jamie asked, sitting up straighter. "Who is he?"

"Gianni, don't," Laurence repeated. "Mike didn't think Jamie should know yet."

"You expect me to just not tell him now?" Gee replied irritated. "Jamie..." he paused. After amoment he stood and walked over to the box he had carried. He opened it and pulled out a photo album. Gee walked back over to Jamie and sat down with the album in his lap. He opened it and flipped through the pages before stopping near the back. He passed the album to Jamie, his finger resting on a photo on the last page.

Jamie looked at the picture, studying it for a minute. Finally, his eyes widened in shock "You mean....?" he said, trailing off as he stared at the photo.

"Yeah," Gee replied. "That's your grandfather."

Jamie peeled the cover off the page and pulled out the photo to look closer. After a second he got to his feet and walked to the door, grabbing his jacket as he went.

"Where are you going?" Laurence asked.

"I have no idea," Jamie replied as he ran down the stairs, the photo clenched in his fist as he pulled on his jacket, ignoring the rain that had started to fall.

Brady House

Summer was sitting at her desk doing her homework and hoping the rain woudl stop by morning. She jumped when she heard a tapping on her window and walked over, peeking out the curtains before throwing open the window. "Jamie? What's wrong?" she asked, pulling him inside. "You're soaked," she added, pulling his dripping jacket off of him. "Jamie, say something," Summer said as she pushed his hair off his face.

Jamie held out the photo he still had in his hand. "My mother, her father, her stepmother, and 3 of her half siblings," he said, his voice hoarse.

Summer took the photo and gasped in surprsie. "Oh my God. How? What?"

"I don't know. Dad and Mom never told me... Uncle Gee told me," Jamie said in a pained voice. "How could no one tell me? I know those people. I've been in their home. And they never told me."

"Their idiots," Summer replied, still looking at the picture. "Total idiots."

Jamie reached out and took the photo back, looking down at it again. He closed his eyes and dropped it, sinking down to sit on the edge of Summer's bed as he cried. Summer sat next to him, wrapping an arm around him and trying to comfort him.

And sitting on the floor by itself, comepletely unaware of the trouble and pain it had caused, was the photo of the late Elizabeth Valles with the half of her family Jamie didn't know about. Otherwise known as the Grant family.

End Of Episode Twenty Three