Episode 1

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Episode 1

Scene 1:

There was a soft knock on the door as Jamie Mason sat deep in thought. He and his family had been in Florida for six months now and the boys were finally fitting in at school. Even his wife, Michaela, seemed happy at last. Even he had found a modicum of happiness in last few months. His job as hospital administrator was fitting him nicely after a struggle. But his newfound happiness had been challenged with one phone call. A simple enough phone call from his mother had turned into a plea for help. And for the first times in months, he was considering it.

He hadn't told Micki yet. How could he? He hadn't even made the decision to do as his mother wished. She had asked the same thing of him once before and he had turned her down. But now was different. He had proven himself at the hospital and he could tackle her task if he felt the desire to. He turned his head and called softly, "Come in."

Michaela took another deep breath, which was getting harder to do as the baby inside her continued to grow. She was due within the month, and had forgotten how miserable the last month of pregnancy was. Then again, when she had been pregnant with her son Jesse, just about four years ago, she'd had other things on her mind, like finding a way off the streets. Now she worried about running the hospital's pediatric terminal illness center, as well as PTA meetings, baking cupcakes for the Cub Scout troops and everything else that went with being a wife and mother. It was the greatest job she'd ever had. What made it better was the fact that she got to work with her husband daily at the hospital. It was incredibly satisfying to work together with him on things such as that. Plus, she looked forward to "business meetings" more than she ever thought possible.

"Hey there," Michaela smiled, slipping into Jamie's office. "How's it going?"

Jamie smiled up at her, a troubled expression crossing his face briefly before it smoothed back to its normal adoring gaze. He did love her desperately, he thought as she walked in and towards him. He wrapped an arm around her as best he could considering her new size.

"Oh, fine," he said rubbing her belly gently. "And how are you two?"

"Tired of being joined at the hip... or umbilical cord, would you believe?" Michaela chuckled, kissing him and rolling her eyes. "And wishing that Nurse Evers would learn how to file a proper financial report." She tossed the report in question onto the conference table, and then wrapped her arms around her husband to kiss him properly. "What's on your mind? You look like the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Chris's teacher didn't call again while I was in that meeting, did she?" Michaela frowned.

Jamie shook his head absently, drumming his fingers on the table. "No, not his teacher," he replied looking up at her. "His grandmother." Now was as good a time to tell her as any, he decided. "Micki, she's asked me to come back to Virginia to run Mason Enterprises." He leaned back in his chair waiting for her reaction.

"She..." Michaela trailed off into silence, stepping back from her husband and considering this. "But we just got settled here..." Her hand reflexively went to her stomach as well as she chewed her lip. "The baby... the boys... moving them again?"

He put a hand up almost defensively. "I-I know. Dane's been running it," he added after a moment. You remember my cousin Dane from the wedding? Mother says he's ruining the company. I told her we couldn't move though."
Michaela rolled her eyes. "Isn't Dane the flirt? I remember him..." She left it at that, considering his next words. "What did she say to that?"

"She insisted that I was the only one who could save Father's business from financial ruin. You know how Mother is," he said slowly turning away from her. He couldn't face her for this next part. "I told her I would consider it, Michaela. I can't let Dane destroy everything my father worked so hard to build."

Michaela heaved a sigh, sinking into a chair to rest her aching back, wishing there was some peace for her aching head. "No, you can't. We can't..."

He turned to her then, kneeling in front of her. "Michaela. I have not said yes. Only that I would consider it. I wouldn't even consider it if I didn't think that Virginia might be the place for us, darling. I like Florida...but it isn't home. Not for me. Home is where you are and I am blessedly happy with you. But my heritage is in Virginia. I can't turn my back to it. If you say no, then I tell Mother no."

Michaela sighed. "I don't know, Jamie, I don't know. Part of me really wonders if this is the place for the boys, with all the crime and the general atmosphere," she trailed off. "I'd just hate to traumatize them again."

"I know. But it isn't as if they were going to a strange city. They'd be going to a home they knew and loved. Mother's home has always been open to them. They love Four Winds."

"This is true," Michaela pondered. "And school is out for the summer next week, too. How about we talk to them about it tonight? They're old enough to have some input. If they handle the idea well, then I'm all for it. But if we do, we should do it soon." She patted her belly for emphasis.

"Michaela, I love you," Jamie said smiling broadly as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Love you too," she replied, returning the kiss. "Now about that nurse…”

Scene 2:

"Four Winds has been in the Mason family since the late 1780's when it was first built by Frederick Joshua Mason. He was the first Mason to settle in America after the family left England," Gwendolyn Fontaine Mason told the reporter from Architecture Digest. Gwen was a self assured woman of 60 who wore her age with an elegance and grace that most women her age would never know. She had married into the family she talked so lovingly of but felt more kinship with the old Virginia clan than her own hard scrabble family from Pennsylvania.

Her father had been born into a poor family in northern Pennsylvania. Douglas Fontaine wasn't one to rest on his laurels though and as soon as he was able he began working and saving money to provide an education for himself. What he didn't earn to pay for college, he worked for at odd jobs throughout his university years until finally earning himself a degree in law. Of course, he was never satisfied with just a law degree. Douglas Fontaine wanted to be something more than what he was and at the first chance he could get, he ran for Congress.

Within a few years he was a congressman and then a Senator. He flourished in the powerful world of politics and it was during his time in Congress that he met and married Gwen's mother, Leonora Grace. They had three children, Gwen being the middle child. Gwen was a willful, sweet child who more likely than not found a way to get what she wanted.

Her childhood was a sheltered life. A voice was never raised when she was in the room. Anything she wanted she was given. There were critics to the way she was raised, most of them calling the Fontaine children terribly spoiled. But Gwen would not have traded her wonderful kind mother whose voice was like honey for the world. Nor would she have traded her father whose demeanor was gruff and businesslike most of the time but who would come to any tea party she or her sister Eleanor had with their dolls. She was a princess and she would have it no other way.

Even when she met and married Jimmy Mason, she was still a princess. Only, she was a princess with money to do as she pleased. She and Jimmy were royalty as far as everyone around them were concerned. And when his father died and he inherited Mason Enterprises, she and Jimmy were the King and Queen of society. It was a title she had never relinquished. Not when Jamie was born. Not when Ellen was born.

Not even when Jimmy had passed away last year. She was still a Queen. But she missed her husband dreadfully. More so lately without even her children nearby. Yes, her nephew Jude was close and there was always Jimmy's niece and nephew. But they weren't hers. She wanted Jamie and his family. She would have even taken Ellen...if Ellen would have her. But Ellen hadn't spoken to her in years and it was unlikely that would change.

Jamie though...he was a different matter altogether. She could get Jamie to Virginia. It would mean a change at ME. But it could be done. The wheels were in motion already. All it would take is a yes from Jamie's wife and he would be here soon. The very thought of Jamie living at home again pleased her. Having grandchildren nearby playing and laughing would bring life to Jimmy's old family home again. Please, she thought as she led the reporter through the library, let Michaela say yes.

Scene 3:

Jamie dropped his briefcase on the table next to the door and waited for the pounding feet of his sons to tear through the house to greet him. It had become a ritual since moving to Florida, one he hoped would continue if they moved to Virginia. He'd thought it over all day and could come to only one conclusion; it was time to take over Mason Enterprises. He had been raised to and he'd only been avoiding it. It was time.

"Dad!" He heard Chris' voice call through the house before he saw them running for him.

"Hey guys," he said as Jesse threw himself on his leg. "It's about time you two got here! I was beginning to get worried!"

"We were talking to Mommy! We're gonna go to see Nana's house for a long long time!" Jesse raved.

"No, dummy! We're gonna move there!" Chris rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, that too!" Jesse chirped as Michaela walked in.

"How was work, honey?" she asked as the boys thundered off again. Jamie watched them go shaking his head. Only a year ago, they had been worried about Chris' health but he was as normal as any almost seven year old would be.

"Work...well, I didn't get much done after Mother's phone call. She has a way of distracting me. How are you?" He asked kissing her lightly.

Michaela laughed. "Fending off these two. I mentioned the idea to them, just to see what they thought, and they've kind of run with it."

"I guess. Well I guess it's settled then." He raised his eyebrows at her with a questioning gaze. "How about you? Are you and the baby ready to run with it?"

Michaela took as deep a breath as possible, considering the baby -- which was due in a matter of weeks -- made it difficult to do almost anything. "We're as ready as we'll ever be... but we'd better do it quick, or else we'll have to wait for the baby to grow a little before we can move after it's born."

"Okay...well, I've been thinking about it," he replied loosening his tie. "Mother can send someone to fill in at the hospital until they find a new administrator. Me getting there isn't the problem. It's who will fill your shoes that is. Any ideas?"

Michaela thought for a few moments. "Well, I think there are a few people I could interview for the job," she said slowly. "I'd have to get started tomorrow though."

He nodded. "What do you think? A week? Mother will be thrilled. Though I wish I could say the same for Dane. Though knowing him, he'll probably be relieved. Dane always was more play than work anyway." He sat on the couch and patted the seat next to his. "I think this is the right thing for us to do. I...I hate this town," he told her quite frankly.

"You do?" Michaela was taken aback. She didn't mind it, although to her anywhere that wasn't a big city was paradise. She'd seen too many horrors in the city. "I think a week would be all right. I'll start making phone calls after dinner."

"Yes, I do," he answered firmly. "I don't know what it is or why, but I feel completely out of control here...like someone else is calling all the shots. I just don't like it."

Michaela sighed. She knew too well that feeling, and how she resented it. Standing, she held her hands out to her husband to lead him to the dinner table, where their sons were waiting. "Well, let's prove that wrong, and take charge of our own lives again."

Scene 4:

Gwen settled herself into her office at Four Winds. She hadn't heard from Jamie yet, but she was confident he would call with good news. He wouldn't disappoint her. Jamie was never the one to disappoint, that was Ellen's department. Jamie was the perfect son. And as soon as he called to say he would take over Mason Foundation for her, she could get on with making plans for their arrival.

It would be good to have children running about the estate again, she thought smiling to herself. Chris was the next Mason heir and it was time he was raised as such. Of course there was Michaela's son Jesse who was as darling as they came. And the new baby. Her smile broadened at the thought of the new child taking its first steps at Four Winds as Jamie and Ellen had both done. All three would learn how to ride horses and swim, she would see to that. Having Jamie's family back was what she needed to pull herself and the family out of the doldrums it had fallen into since James' death.

A soft knock at her door pulled her out of her reverie as her assistant, Maggie, leaned into the office.

"Your son is on the phone," she said quickly.

"Thank you Maggie," Gwen replied picking up the receiver. "Gwendolyn Mason," she said, unconsciously holding her breath.

"Hello Mother," Jamie replied. "Please don't act surprised that I am calling. You know better than that," he teased.

"Jamie, I really am relieved that you called. I hope you have an answer for me. And I hope it's an answer that will make me happy," she added. Jamie's laugh rang through the line.

"Mother, really. Okay, you want an answer? Well, the answer is yes. Chris and I will be in the Glen by the end of the week. Michaela and Jesse are staying in Florida to sell the house and tie up a few loose ends."

"Jamie that is the best news I've had all day! Now, go pack! I have so much to do before you get here," she replied with enthusiasm. "I'll have to have the house cleaned from top to bottom and I'll have to get the nursery ready for the new baby..."

"Mother, don't go to all that trouble."

"I insist, Jamie. I'm hanging up. I am so glad you are coming home," she added before replacing the receiver. She went to the door and called for Maggie. "Maggie," she said as the breathless girl arrived at the door. "We've got work to do. My son is coming home."