Penthouse-Ginger Sky Apartments

Peter walked into his apartment and something was wrong. The stereo was on but the CD it had been playing ended hours before. Two white wine glasses sat on one of the tables and there was clothing all over the place. He picked up a small peach top and recognized it as one Abigail wore, but what he was thinking couldn’t be.

Eddie’s bedroom door opened and he came out wearing just his boxer shorts. He stopped short when he saw Peter. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Was all Peter could say as he held the shirt in his hand, “I’m sorry I did that last night.”

“Don’t say a thing, I should’ve realized ages ago. It’s all cleared up.”

“How is that so?”

“Hey Eddie, forget the coffee--.” Abigail was saying as she came out in one of Eddie’s t-shirts, “Peter, Hi.”

Peter smiled, “Abigail, I thought that you were against Eddie.”

“Peter this really isn’t what it seems. Last night was just a one time thing. Right Eddie?”

“Yeah exactly.” Eddie nodded just as the door pushed open.

“Peter you left your wallet—,” Max came into the apartment and he saw Eddie. “Eddie?”

“Max? What is going on?”

Max looked over at Peter, “Peter left his wallet in my apartment this morning.” Max handed it to Peter and kissed his cheek.

“Oh boy.” Eddie leaned against the wall and blinked several times, “You mean you two are a, a couple?”

“Yeah, we are.” Peter announced.

“great, my best friend and my brother.”

“You’re brother?” Abigail and Peter asked at the same time.

“Yes, this is my older brother Max.”

“Eddie, I’m sorry, I tried to tell you on the phone a few weeks ago.”

“I need to be alone.” Eddie announced and he went back into his bedroom and slammed the door behind him.

“I need to get ready for Karen’s wedding, excuse me.”

”Are you sure about this Karen?” Alex asked his daughter as the entered the ballroom.

“Of course I am Daddy, I love Jonathan.” She said as she pulled her veil over her face.

“Alright then, I believe you.” He opened the door and the wedding march began to play.

Karen and Alex walked down the short aisle surrounded by the small gathering of family and friends, Peter sat with Carmen in the front while Carlotta and Bradley sat on the other side to fill in the grooms side. Karen looked around; part of her hoping Michael would finally have given her his blessing.

As Alex handed her off to Jonathan she smiled as she looked up at him, in a few minutes he would be her husband.

“We are gathered here today, to join together Karen and Jonathan in holy matrimony. This is a union not to be taken lightly, and therefore if anyone here has just cause as to why these two should not be married speak now or forever hold your peace.”

Alex was about to say something, “Don’t do it Alex.” Carmen warned as the door slammed open and Michael Ballantyne stormed in with three police officers.

“I have a wonderful reason why Karen shouldn’t marry him.” Michael announced as he passed off stacks of paper to each row of guests.

“Michael, stop this its ridiculous!” Karen argued.

“You told me you knew everything you needed to know about Jonathan. You were wrong Karen.” Michael said as he stood in front of a very panicked Jonathan.

“Michael, Karen has made her choice, you’re just jealous.” Jonathan looked around for a moment and then ran towards the door only to be stopped by two officers.

“Jonathan Claremont, you’re under arrest for the grand theft.” An officer said.

Karen stormed towards Michael, “What the hell are you doing?”

“Stopping you from marrying an international jewel theft. He’s wanted in all of Europe and five states in America.” Michael explained as he looked into Karen’s eyes, “He’s not a novelist Karen, he’s a crook. The most valuable thing he stole, was your heart.”

Paula collapsed into a deep sleep, the empty glass fell out of her hands. "Works like a dream," Legolas said, approaching Paula.

"She out yet?" Kate asked, walking up the stairs.

"Like a light, come help Legolas and I move her." Devon said.

Legolas, Devon and Kate picked up the seemingly lifeless Paula and placed her in an open casket. "Damn she's heavy," Kate exclaimed. After Paula was completely in the casket, Kate slammed it shut. "Off to Europe you go, bitch."

“Alright Sam, you’re turn, truth or dare?” Ricky asked he pointed the flash light on his roommate.

“Truth, I have nothing to hide.” He smiled.

Ricky looked at Jeff and smiled, “How old were you when you lost your virginity?”

Sam sighed, “I was seventeen, it was summer, she was a tourist from Florida. We hung out and yeah.”

“You’re turn Pam.” Jeff said, “Truth or Dare?”

“Truth.”

“How did you know that Sam was the man for you?”

Pam looked at Sam and he nodded, “Last summer, I was raped by my boyfriend. He knocked me out and raped me in the park. Sam’s the one who found me. Sam always knew that Kip was bad, when Kip and I got engaged Sam here threw a fit.”

“You and I made out earlier that day.” Sam reminded her.

“Yeah but I was torn I didn’t know what an evil bastard Kip is yet. Anyways, I wanted to start over and that’s when I came here. When I saw Sam on Valentines Night, I knew he was the one. No one could ever come between us.” She looked over at Jeff and he knew what she meant.

Karen sat in the middle of her living room, dressed in pair of gray sweat pants. She was staring out the window and saw Michael coming up the front walk. She went to the door and opened it. “Get the hell away from me.”

“Karen, I did this to help you. He’s no good for you. He’s a criminal!” Michael realized he was defending his actions and his feelings for her. “I am your best friend, forget that I have deeper feelings for you and remember that will you. I had to protect you. I’m sorry if your going to hate me but this is how it is.”

“You ruined my wedding.”

“Would you have preferred I let you marry him? For you an Assistant District Attorney to be married to a jewel thief?”

Karen stepped off her porch and stood in front of Michael, “It’s my decision to make not yours.”

“I was trying to protect you, can’t you see that?”

“It doesn’t matter because you must’ve set this up.”

Michael grabbed Karen’s hands, “Karen I love you, I know you hate that but its true and I couldn’t let you make the worst mistake in the world.”

A black-cad Legolas approached Hope, she turned to face him. "I don't have a good feeling about this," she shook her head and looked away, "I don't like any of this. I wish I never would have gotten myself into this."

He dug into his pocket, "well, my beautiful con artist, your job is over." He placed the large sum of money in her soft hands. "Now you can go back to wherever it was you came from and move on with your life. I must say, though, we wouldn't have been able to pull this off without. If I'm ever in trouble, I'll know who to call."

She placed the money in her pocket. "And I won't be answering."

He cocked his head to the side, "eh, suit yourself."

Hope watched him walk away and sighed, she sunk down onto the sand and tossed a shell out into the darkness.

"Hope," Julian stated, sitting beside her.

"Julian, wh-what are you doing here?"

"Hope, I need to tell you something, I think I'm falling in love with you."

Hope looked at him with wide eyes, “You just met me Julian, you can’t be falling in love with me. You don’t know me.”

Julian cupped her face in her hands, “You are an amazing woman, I see it in your eyes.”

“Really?”

“Yes.” Julian leaned down and kissed her softly.

"See you later guys!" Sam shouted out to the driveway, he closed the door and walked over to Pam, who was sitting on the couch, blankly staring ahead. "Pam?" He sat next to her.

"Yes?" She continued to stare ahead.

"What's wrong?" He touched her back and began rubbing it.

"Nothing." She said solemnly.

"Come on, tell me, you haven't been yourself lately. What's been bothering you?"

"Sam," she sighed and looked at him, "do you really think we're better off in Ginger Falls?"

"Yeah, for now at least. Sometimes we have to escape our past's to have a future."

Alex and Carmen walked up their driveway giggling. Carmen took in a deep breath, "I can't believe we're laughing at what happened today."

"There's not much more we can do." Alex chuckled, "Michael really went all out, didn't he?"