"Thanks for stopping by," Jamie said offering his hand to Ryan. The lawyer shook his hand firmly and sat down in the chair Jamie motioned to. "I hope I haven't usurped all of your time for other clients."

"Not at all," Ryan replied carefully. Jamie didn't need to know that he was currently Ryan's only client having left Martin, Stiller & Prince recently. Ryan saw great potential in Jamie and the Masons. He wanted what they could give him, namely prestige and money. And if a powerful position were to come along with it, Ryan wouldn't turn it down.

"Good, good," Jamie muttered settling himself into the high backed leather chair that he had brought to the hospital with him from Mason Enterprises. "The reason I wanted to see you on such short notice..." He paused for a moment and drummed his fingers on the desk. "Have you dealt with my mother much?" He asked, changing gears.

"Mrs. Mason?" Ryan asked, surprised at the question. "Not really. Spoken with her a few times when I've met your sister for lunch at Four Winds."

"No business dealings then?"

"No," Ryan said, tilting his head curiously. "Forgive me for asking Jamie, but what does your mother have to do with our working relationship?"

"In a perfect world, nothing," Jamie replied easily. "But...my mother is...well, let's say she gets what she wants by whatever means she deems necessary."

"I see. And I fit into this where?"

Jamie sighed and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Actually, I need to know you're on my side. That's where you fit in. You see, my mother is bound and determined to alienate my wife. I don't know how far she'll go and I want to make sure that Michaela and Jesse can't be affected by her machinations."

"I don't see how I can help that," Ryan interrupted thoroughly intrigued. He'd never dealt much with Gwen but had heard a great deal about the woman from both Jamie and Ellen. He would have to remember to have a more lengthy conversation with her the next time he was at Four Winds. If she was everything they both claimed she was, perhaps, Ryan thought, he was wasting his time with Jamie. Perhaps the real power behind the Mason family wasn't the prodigal son but rather the matriarch.

"There are a number of things that I would like you to help me with actually," Jamie announced pulling out a file and sliding it across the table. "This is a complete listing of my assets. All properties and business ventures that are in my name...some I inherited from my father, some I acquired on my own. I'm going to change my will to start with, making Michaela the sole benefactor should something happen to me. If she should die first," Jamie muttered sounding horrified at the thought. "Then Chris, Jesse, and Lily all inherit equally with my brother holding it trust for them. Am I making myself clear?"

"Crystal," Ryan said taking the file and flipping it open. His eye traveled down the first page to the net worth of all properties owned by James Mason III, finding himself surprised at the actual total. Apparently there were a few things that neither his family nor his wife knew about.

"Good. In the event that my brother is unable to act as trustee then that responsibility should fall to my sister. She won't like it, but I imagine she'll do it."

Ryan's mouth twisted into a knowing smile. Ellen would indeed do it for her brother. "You know her well."

"As do you, it seems Ryan," Jamie replied with a guarded expression watching him for a moment before the wary look passed. "Once we get the will rewritten, I would like to add Michaela's name to all the properties that were not inherited from my father. That way, if something should happen, my mother won't be able to touch those..."

"Jamie, forgive me for interrupting, but are you sure your mother would do something like that? After all, Michaela is your wife and the mother of your children."

"Not only do I think she would do it, I know she's completely capable of it, Ryan. Michaela hasn't got the slightest idea that Mother is unhappy with her. She'll need any help she can get."

"All right, your call. Where is Michaela these days anyway?" Ryan asked curiously. Jamie's wife had been absent from almost all social gatherings this last year and the local gossip was not kind to her.

"She's in Toronto visiting her parents," Jamie answered absently. "She took Jesse and Lily to visit for a few weeks."

"And Chris?"

"Camp. He should be home next week." Jamie raised an eyebrow at Ryan. "Finished quizzing me?" Ryan flushed slightly and nodded. "Good. Now, after you add Michaela to those properties, I'll need you to create a separate corporation with Jude as titular head for Chris, Jesse, and Lily. I don't care what it's called as long as my children are the only benefactors."

Ryan had to admire the man. He was certainly covering his bases. "Okay, I can do that as well. Shouldn't Jude know about this though?"

"He will. I intend to tell him later today. And once Jude agrees, then I'll tell Mother." A small satisfied smile crept across Jamie's face almost as if he was going to relish telling Gwen Mason she had been outfoxed. "Until then, this stays between you and me. Understood?" Jamie asked rising from his chair.

Ryan stood and tucked the file into his briefcase. "Understood, Jamie. You can rely on me."


Scene 2:

"Hey...are you all right?"

Dinah shrugged staring out across the skyline. "I guess so...I was just thinking."

"About?" Tyler asked leaning forward against the edge of the roof. Dinah smiled wanly turning her gaze to him. "Unless you don't want to tell me."

"No, it isn't that. I was just thinking about what you said...about sending me back to my parents." Tyler looked away at her comment. He should feel bad about it, Dinah thought watching him. He had to know that she didn't want to go back to their house ever again. "I was thinking that I wouldn't go back regardless of what happens with your brother."

"Come on, Dinah. We've been through this."

"You're right, we have. But you aren't listening to me, Tyler. For the last couple of months, my parents have ridiculed my choices. They've made decisions about who I can and can't see and basically treated me like I was ten again. I suppose I should be grateful they acknowledged my presence since I'm not my sister. But they don't deserve to have me back under their roof."

Thankfully, Tyler nodded foregoing any argument with her. Noah would have told her to suck it up or try to "talk it out." And Dinah wasn't ready, willing, or able to do that.

"So, what will you do then?"

"I'd like to stick with you, actually," Dinah replied meekly. She'd thought about this for a while. It had been on her mind since he had said he would send her back to Virginia. She couldn't go back there. Not for anything. Sure, she missed Noah and Liza and Mia. She'd even admit to missing Piper a little. But her parents were another story altogether. She was tired of being treated as if she didn't exist one minute and as if she single-handedly caused World War 3 the next. A little respect was all she had ever wanted from them. Okay, a little respect and a small showing of affection too. Nothing wrong with wanting to be loved.

And while she was on the subject, a little trust didn't hurt either. Tyler barely knew her, yet he trusted her. He trusted her with the biggest secret he had; he trusted her with his life. Could her parents trust her for once? No. They had simply assumed she was being immature and not behaving responsibly, then acted accordingly. If they had just trusted her in the first place, then she and Tyler might not have had to disappear in the blink of an eye and turn to a man with questionable ethics and morals.

"Dinah, you know I won't put you in any more danger..."

"Wait a minute. Who said we were in any danger?" Dinah demanded feeling the color rise in her cheeks. "The last time I checked, we were safely hidden in your sister's house waiting for your brother to come and sort this mess out. Where's the danger?"

"My brother's life is dangerous. If I let him take care of the mess I'm in, than I've just accepted his help and I'm involved in his dangerous life. I don't want you to have to do that too," Tyler argued.

"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself...I think I've done a decent job so far."

"Well, you're not coming with me. I've made my decision."

"Your decision sucks," Dinah returned, scowling darkly. "But if that's the way you feel about it, then I'll just make my own way."

"And how are you going to do that? Where would you go?"

"Who says I would have to go anywhere? I like New Orleans. Maybe I'll just stay here for a while," she replied turning back to the view. She stared down at the street below watching as a long limousine made it's way down the narrow street towards Lina Tejera's home.

"Dinah, just go back to your parents. They'll take you back and you can finish college and be a doctor like you want to. Don't waste your time on me or running away," Tyler replied.

"I'm not going to talk about it anymore," Dinah interrupted. She pointed to the limo as it stopped in front of the house. "Your brother is here and we have more pressing matters to discuss."



Scene 3:

Maura waited in her car until she saw Jillie's pull into a parking spot just in front of the apartment building she lived in now that she was on her own. Maura envied Jillie's freedom a little, but she was needed at home, she told herself constantly. Kevin needed her at Connie's to run the diner and he needed her at home to make sure the house ran smoothly as well. There were some things she wouldn't give up easily no matter who Kevin brought into their lives.

She waited until Jillie was out of her car and heading towards the door before climbing out of her car and calling after her. "Jillie! Hey wait up! I need to talk to you!"

The voice almost made Jillie stop cold in her tracks, but instead, she kept walking. "What did I do this time?" she asked in resignation, pausing only as she reached the stoop. Flipping through her keys, she found the right one and pulled open the door, hazarding a brief glance over her shoulder towards her older sister. "I can't wait to hear this one."

"Nothing. I just wanted..." She stopped trying to think of something that would put Jillie at ease. Nothing came to mind so she settled on telling the truth for a change. "Actually, I need your help, Jillie."

"Help?" Taking the stairs two at a time, she unlocked the apartment door, listening to try and tell if Georgia was around. "Like I said, I can't wait to hear this one."

"I...I was hoping you could give me some advice on how to get Jude back," Maura said in a rush before her courage faded away. The last thing she wanted was Jillie laughing at her but she knew it was a distinct possibility.

Jillie dropped her keys on the coffee table in the living room, assuming Maura would close the door behind herself and follow. "Jude," she murmured, kicking off her shoes on the way to the kitchen. "So you can walk out on them, but you haven't yet mastered the fine art of getting them to crawl back for more? Well, I suppose you came to the right place. What exactly do you want to know?"

Maura shifted uncomfortably in place, chewing her lip uncertainly. She wasn't used to being in this position and she didn't much care for Jillie's flippant attitude or her biting comments. "I know he loves me but he doesn't want to be near me much right now. But I want to be with him. How do I get him to change his mind? I mean, how do you always get men to change their minds about you?"

"What's to change?" Jillie asked as she walked back into the living room, carrying two bottles. She offered one to her sister, setting it down on the coffee table before she fell into an overstuffed armchair. Swinging her legs over the arm, she took a sip of her ice-cold beer and seemed to contemplate the questions Maura had.

"First things first, I don't feel the need to change anyone's mind about me. Men can think what they want about me, it doesn't change the fact that my appeal hits them at a much...baser level...than their mind. I have what they want. It's all about power." Sitting up a little straighter, Jillie gazed at her sister, shaking her head ruefully. "Right know, you're handing Jude the power on a silver platter. Enough of the passive-aggressive shit, Maura."

"All right, fair enough. Stop being passive-aggressive," Maura conceded with a roll of her eyes. "I think you might have to help me with that one though." She dropped to the couch and picked up the beer, trying a small taste. She had never seen the draw to beer. Always a little too bitter for her tastes. She grimaced slightly but swallowed the bitter liquid. "Being passive-aggressive isn't something I do on purpose, Jillie. You'll have to tell me what it is I do that makes me passive-aggressive."

"Oh, please. You breathe and it's practically a sigh of martyrdom. Stop acting like a victim. Why doesn't Jude want to be around you?"

Maura frowned at Jillie's description of her. "I don't act like a victim. I made a few bad decisions that I regret. Doesn't make me a victim," she replied frostily. "As for why Jude doesn't want to be around me...he says I hurt him. Which I did. And I can understand that. If I were in his shoes, I would feel the same way."

"Then I'm rather surprised you're willing to push the situation. But as long as you are, you need to take the power back. So he says he doesn't want to be around you right now. So what? Those are the words of a sullen little boy who didn't get his way. Is he afraid you're going to hurt him again?" Jillie almost laughed. "Prove him wrong. Just...don't give him a choice in the matter. Pursue him. Keep it up long enough and he'll think it's because you can't stand to be without him. Which in your case is the truth, I guess. Guys tend to like that. It inflates their egos. Makes them feel special. You don't even have to be blatant about it."

"I don't think I can do this," Maura muttered. She swept a jealous gaze over Jillie wishing that she had the nerve to behave like Jillie did where men were concerned.

"Then why are you even here?" she asked. "You know what your problem is, Maura? You're afraid. You always have to be Ms. Perfect. You've got to be the one people rely on. That's what really gives your life meaning, isn't it? Being needed? Well, being needed and being wanted are two different things. And I know how to make a man want me."

"And I'm not like you, Jillie. You're right, I do have to be the reliable one. Because no one else is...and don't tell me that you're reliable. Or Luke or Jory or Piper. Because none of you are." She didn't wait to see if Jillie would argue back. "And as for why I'm here...I don't even know myself. Do you think it was easy for me to come to you? I don't think like you and I don't know what made me think I could act like you," she sighed miserably. "And what gets me is that you're right. And I know you're right. I am afraid. It's been years since I had any kind of relationship with a man and look where that one got me."

"Don't blame it on your relationship, Maura. It's your nature. You were afraid that Rick wouldn't want your child. You were afraid of the way he'd respond, of the way your life would turn out. Honestly, leaving him was probably the best decision you ever made in your life."

"Thank you Dr. Phil." Maura stood and paced the length of the room. Fear was a motivator all right. And right now, she was afraid that Jude would never get over what she had done to him. What she needed to do was show Jude that she was confident he would stop hurting even if she didn't believe it herself. She paused and turned back to her sister. "All right, I think I get it. Thank you," she added meekly.

"No, you don't get it," Jillie snapped. "See, the difference between us - well, one of the major ones, anyway - is that you're always concentrating on what's going to make everyone else happy. Nice? Sure, if you want to feel like an indentured servant for the rest of your life. I, on the other hand, like to focus on what makes me happy. Not like I don't know you think I'm a selfish bitch. Excuse me," she paused with a smile, "an unreliable selfish bitch. But at least I'm comfortable with who I am and what I do. When you left Rick, you were thinking of yourself. I'm sure you thought you were thinking of him too, but admit it. You didn't like what you saw when you thought of a future with him. At least you know what you want now. You want Jude. But one last little piece of advice? If you're gonna go after him, be ready. Don't do a half-assed job, and don't wimp out if you find a few obstacles. If you want something bad enough, you've got to be willing to fight for it."

"You know I didn't come here to insult you or to be insulted. I came here because I thought you could help me and that maybe you would help me to be nice. But instead of wasting your barbs on me, why don't you find someone else to cut down? Oh I forgot, I'm your favorite target aren't I? Just because I'm so fundamentally different from you. God Jillie, wake up. I'm not the enemy," Maura snapped back, her defenses up. "You want a real enemy? Why don't you take a minute out of your precious life to visit Dad? You could meet the woman who is horning in on his life. She can be your enemy, because frankly, I'm tired of it. Then you can take the blame when she turns Dad's life upside down and breaks his heart."

"Do you think I like it? If anyone has a vested interest in this not working out, it's me. You just don't want her to take your place. I don't want her to take Mom's." Standing up, Jillie shook her head, motioning to the door. "You know what? Just go. I didn't ask you to come here. I gave you what you wanted, now you can take it or leave it. Either way, just...leave." She turned her back to Maura, her spine ramrod straight. She wasn't going to breakdown in front of her sister. Or anyone else, for that matter. They'd both lost their mother, but Maura hadn't lost her best friend, her confidante, her champion and source of unconditional love. Maura still had Kevin. At least, she had until Gina Corelli had come into the picture. Well, what her sister didn't know, wouldn't hurt her, Jillie decided. But there was no way she was going to let that woman take Maeve Conlan's place. No way in hell.


Scene 4:

New Orleans. What the hell did Angelina find so intriguing about this town, Nicolas wondered as his limo drove him from the airport towards the French Quarter. He thought the town singularly boring and ugly. The one redeeming factor about New Orleans, he decided was the boundless business opportunities in the Quarter. He stared across the seat from him at Garcia who stared raptly at the passing scenery.

"Are you sure Butterfly is safe?" Nicolas asked. "I don't want her bothered until I have a chance to speak with her."

"Yep," Garcia answered. "Sent Carson to watch over her personally."

"Good," Nicolas muttered falling silent again. Her presence complicated matters. And the fact that she was, in reality, Dinah Stafford's sister made it that much worse. She knew who he was and she knew who Tyler Jones was. No wonder Dinah's parents were sure of who Dinah had skipped town with.

"You don't think Butterfly is in danger do you?" Garcia asked breaking into Nicky's thoughts.

"No," he replied honestly. "No more than the rest of us. I just want her watched in case her sister calls or shows up again." Garcia nodded and, thankfully, fell silent. They rode in silence to Angelina's townhouse, stopping at the curb and climbing out. "Stay here. Keep an eye out for anything or anyone out of the ordinary," Nicolas ordered stepping up to the door. The door opened revealing Angelina before he had a chance to press the doorbell. He smiled affectionately at his attractive sister. Angelina got all the looks, he thought with bemusement as she stepped aside and allowed him into her home.

"You look well, Angelina," he said as she closed the door. "I suppose New Orleans suits you quite well."

"Better than a couple of other places I could think of off the top of my head," Lina admitted, leaning back against the door before she motioned him further into the spacious townhouse. "I won't pretend I don't know why you're here. So instead, I'll just ask you...how are you?" She paused for a moment, stopping in the living room to give her oldest brother a close look. "What's going on, Nicky?"

"I'm all right. Business as usual. As for what is going on...he's gotten himself into a mess," Nicky replied with a shrug. "For once though, he didn't go looking for the trouble. It found him...on purpose." He lowered his voice. "I talked to the girl. You'd be amazed at what she had to say about the whole thing."

"I don't care about the girl," Angelina told him, her dark eyes flashing. "He's been running from you too, Nicky. What's that about?"

Nicolas pulled back surprised by her outburst. "He's running from me? I had no idea, Lina. Believe me. Why would he do that? I'm his brother. I was the one who introduced him to that hacker in California," Nicolas said, his hands raising in front of himself defensively. "I've never done anything to him."

"I know that," she sighed, raising her hands placating. "It's just...he thinks...." Shaking her head, Angelina shrugged. "He's scared, and I don't blame him. Even if he won't admit it. And by the way, thanks for letting me know my little brother had gone and found himself an alias. Talk about life's little surprises." She rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest. "I think he's afraid of you, Nicky. From what he's said...he thinks you had something to do with Rey's disappearance." It wasn't a question, but she couldn't quite mask the curiosity in her gaze.

"As much as I would love to take credit for..." He bit back the insulting adjectives he would have liked to use. Angelina for some reason, actually liked their brother Rey and he was in her home. "As much as I would like to take credit for that, I had nothing to do with it. Wasn't he with some woman? Perhaps it was her fault that he never resurfaced. Honestly, I had nothing to do with it. And I don't know where Tomas would have heard that I did."

Angelina unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. "I told him I didn't think you would have...." She smiled slightly, letting her sentence drop. There had never been much love lost between Rey and Nicky, and she didn't figure there was much use in extolling Nicky's virtues at the moment. Especially when she wasn't entirely certain her brothers wouldn't have killed each other if they could have managed it. "You should probably talk to Tomas...Tyler...yourself."

Nicolas nodded in agreement, looking up in time to see his brother descend the staircase followed by a younger version of Butterfly. He saw Angelina slip out of the room quietly, leaving Nicolas to face them alone.

"Well, here we all are," Nicolas said slowly letting his eyes rake over Tyler and Dinah Stafford. She was a smaller version of her sister with broader features and a naiveté that Kelly lacked. She was attractive though and a physical relationship between the two wouldn't have been too much of a stretch of the imagination. He would have to find out just how deep this relationship ran between them. "You two have been quite troublesome for the last couple of months I understand."

"Cut the act, Nicky," Tyler said with a roll of his eyes. "Why not act natural. Go ahead, I've warned Dinah already."

"Why don't you and I talk alone before we bring her into this?" Nicolas returned pointedly.

"Fine with me." He turned to Dinah and gave her an apologetic gaze. "Just for a little while. We have some things to say to each other that maybe you shouldn't hear."

"Oh really? Wonderful. You sound like my parents now," Dinah shot back in frustration. She shook her head and brushed past Tyler pausing just in front of Nicolas, her arms crossed defiantly over her chest. "It took a lot for Tyler to let you find him. You better be able to help," she added before edging past him and out of the room.

"Quite a mouth on that one," Nicolas commented after the door had closed behind Dinah.

"Leave her alone, Nicky. She saved my life...more than once," Tyler replied, his voice edgy and defensive. "Let's just get this over with."

"Get what over with? Jesus Christ, Tomas!" Nicolas exploded angrily. "I've thought about your disappearance every day for the last year...do you know how much Mama worried about you? Of course not, because you didn't have the decency to call her and let her know you were all right."

"She wouldn't have even known it was me from what Laurie told me," Tyler muttered sullenly.

"She lost Papa and Rey and then you. She was...is...grief stricken, Tomas..."

"Don't call me that!" Tyler snapped angrily.

"Fine, Tyler. Let's get this over with like you said. Why don't you tell me exactly what is going on. I've had several conversations with a nosey little police detective and if it's all the same to you, I'd like to be a little more informed the next time she corners me."

"What do you want me to tell you? I met this girl and slept with her once. Her dad caught us and she cried rape," Tyler replied. He folded his arms over his chest and paced the room like a caged animal.

"So you took it upon yourself to run? Why? Why not face the cops? You wouldn't have been connected to me if that's what you were so worried about."

"They would have..."

"How?" Nicolas pressed.

Tyler stopped and dropped onto the couch burying his face in his hands. "I kept all my old stuff. Pictures of Mama and Papa...my birth certificate...I thought I might need them. It was a stupid thing to do."

"You're right about that. All right, so you would have been connected to me. That is such a big deal? Tyler, I'm not the head of a crime family...I got out of that after that business with Larry Lewis ended," Nicky said referring to the man Nicolas had worked for during his time in organized crime. "All they would have found out is that you were the brother of a man with a shady past."

"You got out?" Tyler asked skeptically raising his head. "Then why did you make Rey disappear?"

"Whoa!" Nicolas held up his hand defensively. "I did not make him disappear. Rey went out on a boat with some woman and didn't come back. I cannot be blamed for that. And just for the record, why would you think I had anything to do with that?"

"Emilio told me you ordered someone to make the boat disappear," Tyler began.

"Emilio? Emilio Vega?" Nicolas frowned. What the hell? He wasn't supposed to start shit like that.

"Yeah, Emilio Vega. He told me last fall."

"Well, he's lying, Tyler. I don't know why, but he lied. I had nothing to do with Rey's disappearance. Rey was a fool for taking off with that woman, whoever she was. If I had to guess, I would say she did him in."
Tyler's expression was wary but he nodded grudgingly. "Don't believe me, fine. But I swear I had nothing to do with it. The whole reason I am here is to help you and get you out of the trouble you've gotten yourself into."

"Really? There's nothing in it for you?"

"Of course there is," Nicolas snapped. "There is always something in it for me. And that something is making sure you aren't charged with a crime you didn't commit. And why you of all people would be targeted. I have something you should hear." He pulled a small recorder out of his pocket and set it on the table. "You'll be quite surprised at the contents of this tape," he added pressing play.
 

On the next Episode of Secret Horizons...

Episode 125