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Episode
81 Scene 1: Piper chunked her school bag on the floor. "I hate college," she mumbled. School wasn't for Piper, never had been. She hadn't even graduated in the top 25%. Noah had always been the type to excel in a school environment. Noah picked up the phone and dialed the number to Pizza Hut. "Maybe you hate it because you're living at home," he offered as he waited for them to pick up at Pizza Hut. "Living in the dorm is part of the experience. I hated it, but you might enjoy it." Piper cringed. "Jewel, Allison, and Evan all share an apartment. Jewel wants me to move in. I've been thinking about it...Dad would have a cow, don't you think? I don't think he would mind if I lived in the dorm, but I am not sharing a bathroom and shower room with fifty other girls." She grinned at Noah, sitting down on a bar stool and spinning herself around on it. "If you do move into an apartment, make sure it's better than this rat's nest hello, yes, I'd like to place a delivery order..." He ordered a large pizza and got off the phone as quickly as he could. "25 minutes," he said, dropping onto the sofa. "Must be a slow night." "Oh, it's in a better part of town, but with four of us living there, it doesn't cost as much. I've already figured out the costs...I just haven't been able to mention it to Dad." Piper dropped down on the couch next to Noah. "I mean, he likes Jewel and Allison, though living with a guy he might flip...of course, if I say, Dad, it's okay, Evan only likes boys...I'm not sure how he will react to that either." She turned a wry grin on Noah. "I would think he would be okay with it," Noah replied. "I mean with Jory being...well, you know." "Gay," Piper offered with a small smile. She had no problem saying it, maybe because she was use to Evan's openness. "Evan and I watch Will and Grace every Thursday, believe me, I'm comfortable with it. Sometimes I think Dad's in denial about that though..." "Maybe," Noah added thoughtfully. "Maybe he won't care if you move out. You should do it. I mean, otherwise, you'll have to live with Maura and Jillie for the rest of your life." He draped his arm on the back of the couch casually. "How is Maura by the way? Someone said she and Jude broke up." "Oh, that's good motivation. Move out or be stuck with Maura and Jillie for the rest of your life." She turned towards Noah. "I don't know how Maura is. I came home the other night to hear her and Jillie yelling at each other...not that's that unusual. Why are you always so concerned about Maura anyway?" She playfully poked him in the side. "She'll make it, she always does, yadda, yadda, yadda." "Hey, I like Maura. Besides," he added grabbing her hand to keep her from tickling him. "She gave me a job when I needed one and let me be a part of her family. If she hadn't, I wouldn't have met you," he added seriously. Piper looked away from Noah at his seriousness. "Yeah, I was always so jealous of how you held her and Jillie in such high esteem," she admitted. "Jillie? She's a flirt that's all. Maura is like a sister to me. But, out of the three of you, I'd take you over the other two any day," he told her, turning her face back to his. "You shouldn't be jealous of your sisters anyway. Those two have issues." Piper rolled her eyes, "and you just now figured this out? Everyone thinks Maura is so noble and Jillie is so gorgeous, blah, blah, blah. I guess that's why I chose acting." "No, I've always known about them. But it did take me a while to figure you out." He dropped his hand form her chin and stood, walking into the kitchen. "I always thought you were...well, pretty cool. I mean, you're beautiful, Piper. And completely different. I always thought you didn't give yourself enough credit." He pulled the fridge open and pulled out a bottle of water. "Want one?" He asked waving it at her. "Um, no thanks," Piper replied. "What do you mean figure me out?" He shrugged and twisted the cap off. "When I first started working at Connie's, you wouldn't even look at me!" He said, taking a drink. "And when you did, that was when I started to get to know you. And I liked you." "I'm not good when I first meet people...especially handsome ones," she admitted, squirming. He set the water on the counter and went back to where she sat, kneeling in front of her. "Piper, I need to tell you something. I made a huge mistake last fall. Dinah wasn't the one I wanted to be with. It was you...I was just afraid I might ruin something that was already pretty good." Piper looked away, feeling tears pool in her eyes. Drawing in a shaky breath, Piper said between pauses as she tried to keep her voice from breaking, "I was so mad at Dinah and I'm no better than her now. I've only been dating Chase because I wanted to have someone. Chase was a Dinah type of guy and he was there for me when my best friend betrayed me. And I was so mad...and I don't have any reason to be any more. I know how Chase is...I really do..." "Chase is...he's violent Piper. He started that fight," Noah said taking her hand. "I don't want you anywhere near him." "No, no, he's never hit me...he's temperamental...but, he's never hit me. He'll be back in town tomorrow...I plan to break it off...," Piper said, spooning up next to Noah. She immediately felt comfort and security from the closeness of Noah. "And I'll tell Dinah...I think she knows anyway," Noah replied, relieved that Chase would be out of Piper's life. "Then?" Piper asked. She knew the answer, but she had to hear it from Noah. "And then," Noah said, pushing Piper's hair from her face. "Then, I suppose I should take you out on a real date." Piper smiled softly. "I've never been to keen on those so-called real dates. They're not all they're cracked up to be. Bowling is much better," she assured him, arching her neck to look up at him. "I think I can afford bowling," Noah responded, bending to her. He pressed his lips against hers gently for a brief second. "I could get used to this." Piper's lips curved into a smile. She remembered all those times Chase had kissed her and she had only returned them because she had to. She wanted to with Noah. When he kissed her, she felt it everywhere, straight from her lips to her toes, delightful electric shocks of sweetness. "Mmmm, yeah it's kinda nice," she agreed, daring to drape her arms around his neck and pull him closer. She could definitely get use to this. Scene 2: Room 528. Dinah stood in the hallway staring at the number on the door. Tyler Harrison Jones, her first patient, she thought. And he made it. She pushed the door open just a bit and peered into the room. He lay sleeping peacefully with an IV and oxygen tubes attached. A purple bruise covered one side of his face and stitches ran the length of the other. He looked terrible. Inching forward a little, she caught at the door to keep it from banging closed behind her. He might look bad, she reminded herself, but at least he was alive. She looked around the room. No flowers, no sign that any one else had been there. Should have brought him something, she thought distractedly, pulling a chair close to the bed. The scraping noise of the chair woke him and his eyes fluttered open, focusing on the ceiling. Dinah's breath caught for a moment before she relaxed and smiled. "It's nice to see you awake," she said. He turned his head to her, meeting her eyes. "How are you feeling?" She continued, sounding ridiculously happy. "Who-," he croaked. He motioned for the glass of water next to his bed. Dinah picked it up, holding it so he could sip some water with the straw. "Who are you?" He asked after he'd had enough water. His voice sounded raw still, but it was better. "I'm Dinah," she answered. "You crashed your bike in front of my house. I hope you don't mind that I came to visit you. No one would tell me how you were doing...well, except the nurse down in ICU but she only told me because I told her you were a good friend of mine." "Are you...," he paused for a second as a shudder of pain went through him. His eyes closed briefly and his skin blanched to an alarming shade of grey. "Tyler?" His eyes opened at the use of his name, so casually used. "No one calls me that," he muttered. "It's just Ty. Are you the girl that saved my life?" Dinah smiled, pleased that he would know about her effort to keep him alive. "Yes, that was me." "You should have let me die." Dinah pulled back in surprise. "What did you just say?" She asked, sure she had only misunderstood him. "Nothing, go away...no one asked you to stay," he muttered turning his head away from her. He was mad, she realized, pushing the chair back suddenly. Mad about being alive? It was crazy. "What's the matter?" She stood, looking down at him. "You're acting as if you want to..." Of course he did! If she were a cartoon character, a light bulb would have appeared over her head when she realized he had been trying to kill himself. "Nothing is as bad as all that," she said, her tone softening. "What would you know? What was your name again?" "Dinah...Dinah Stafford." "Dinah...what would you know about it?" He shifted slightly in the bed and reached for the call button. "Get out. Don't bother to come back either, I don't know you and I don't want to." Dinah backed away from him, reaching for the door as she went. She had thought he would be grateful to her. The idea that he wouldn't want to live had never occurred to her. Someone should know about that. She would tell...who could she tell? She backed into a something solid and turned, catching an angry glare from her father. "Dad!" "You had better have a good reason for being in here, Dinah," John Stafford said, folding his arms over his chest. Scene 3: Maura emerged from her room, dressed for dinner. This night out wasn't her idea and she certainly had no reason to go, but Rick had caught her in a weak moment and she had agreed. Still reeling from the split with Jude, Maura had found herself at odds with herself over Rick. On the one hand, she knew there was still some unfinished business with and feelings for him. Yet on the other, she had turned a corner when she met Jude and she liked it. Jude, unlike Rick, wanted nothing to do with her now. That left Rick. "Wow, Maura you look nice," Jory said coming out of the bathroom. "Where you off to?" "Dinner," she replied, pausing in front of a mirror to straighten her hair. "Tell Jude I said hello." Maura's face froze at Jory's off hand comment. Of course he wouldn't have known. She hadn't told anyone, though she was sure Jillie had. "What's the matter?" "I'm not having dinner with Jude," she replied tossing her hair back. "Jude...we aren't seeing each other anymore." "Oh no Maura...I liked Jude," Jory said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "What happened?" "He..." She stopped and stared at herself in the mirror. He had discovered something she had done and assumed it was the worst possible decision she could have ever made, she thought. He never even gave her an opportunity to explain. Jude had automatically assumed she was just like Gwen, giving up her child for her own selfish reasons. Some of it had been selfish. But the real reason, the one thing she kept telling herself, at 22, she was ill prepared to be a mother. And there were others who were. "You don't have to talk about it, Mo," Jory was saying. She shook her head, snapping herself back to reality. "No, it's okay. He just never really gave me a chance," she replied with a sad smile. "I'm sorry. God, first Jillie, now you," he muttered shaking his head. "You know Jillie's boyfriend broke up with her too?" Maura nodded, "Yes, I gathered as much." "She says it doesn't bother her, but I know Jillie..." He stopped, meeting her gaze. Smiling, he gave her a brief hug. "Anyway, you look terrific and whoever this new man is, he is very lucky." "Thanks Jory," she replied, grateful that he hadn't asked any more questions. She turned towards the stairs, pausing to pull her coat on at the top of the staircase. "Oh hey Mo!" Jory called behind her. She turned and gave him a questioning gaze. "I forgot to tell you but there's a package for you downstairs in the front hall on the mail table. Came today, special delivery." "Thanks," she called back. She continued down the steps and into the hallway, stopping at the table to pick up her package. She didn't recognize the return address but turned it over, inspecting it carefully before tearing the paper off the plain box. She opened that and removed a small velvet box. There was still no note though. Her breath caught as she opened the box and her eyes fell on a small crystal rose, a cream colored envelope lay tucked underneath it. Hands shaking, she set the rose down and pulled the note out, recognizing Jude's handwriting almost immediately. "Dear Maura, I hope that when you get this it will be Valentines Day. It is a few days before Christmas right now and I am ordering this special gift for you now so that it arrives on time," the note began. "I wanted to get you something that would make you realize how special and precious you are to me. When I saw this rose, I knew immediately that I had to give this to you. You're my strength in this difficult time and you may never know how much I appreciate it. And with any luck, I'll be standing next to you as you read this. Seeing your face when you open this is enough gift for me on this day for lovers. Jude." Maura's heart sank as she read it. She had certainly let Jude down, she thought, tucking the note away. She picked up the rose, holding it carefully. She had let him down by not telling him the truth. She hadn't told Rick the truth either. They both deserved it too. She couldn't do anything but explain to Jude, but she could tell Rick what had really happened ten years ago. His reaction was anyone's guess, but at least it would be out there. The doorbell startled her out of her thoughts. She set the rose on the table and answered it, meeting Rick's gaze. It was now or never. |
On the next Episode of Secret Horizons... |
"No, but you can tell me now. We can start over with a clean slate. Tell me why you left," he pleaded ignoring the gaping looks of the other diners. Maura swallowed hard and stared at him, her lips parting as she prepared to say what he had wanted to hear for ten years. |