BCUH-VICKY'S ROOM/DAY

VICKY is standing in her hospital room, dressed. JAKE is closing her suitcase on the bureau.

JAKE
All right…one suitcase, a thousand bouquets of flowers…are we forgetting anything?

VICKY
(smiling wryly at him)
Just our girls, Jake.

JAKE
Ah-ha! I knew we were forgetting something. Where are the twin terrors?

VICKY
They're not even old enough to smile, and you're calling them terrors already?

JAKE
They're my kids, Vick…what else would they be?

She grins at him, then reaches for her coat, putting it on. As she does, the door opens, and DR. DOYLE enters, both of the babies in her arms. A NURSE follows with a wheelchair.

JAKE(cont'd)
There they are…does this mean we can leave?

DR. DOYLE
This definitely means you can leave. You can take these two beautiful girls and head home.

VICKY
Good…no offense, Dr. Doyle, but the hospital cooking is worse than mine.

JAKE
(behind Vicky, shaking his head)
No, it's not.

Vicky reaches back and smacks him on the arm.

VICKY
Watch it, McKinnon.

DR. DOYLE
The wheelchair is for you, Vicky…we want our new mothers to leave in style.

Vicky settles herself into the wheelchair. After she does, DR. DOYLE leans down and places BRIDGET in her arms.

DR. DOYLE
Do you have someone to help you out? You've got a lot of stuff for just the two of you.

MARLEY enters the room to overhear Dr. Doyle.

MARLEY
Aunt Marley to the rescue. I'll help them get everything to the car.

DR. DOYLE
Great. Well, Vicky, I'll see you soon for a postnatal checkup. Take good care of those little ones, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to call.

VICKY
(smiling at her)
I will. Thanks, Dr. Doyle.

Dr. Doyle hands JOURNEY to Marley, and leaves with the nurse.

JAKE
Let's head on out of here. I want to get our girls home. Their brothers are dying to play with them.

MARLEY
Let's stop down the hall first, okay? There's someone who hasn't seen the girls yet who'd really like to meet them.

VICKY
Who?

MARLEY
You'll see.

She leads them out of the room.

CUT TO:

BCUH HALLWAY/SAME DAY

LILA and DONNA are still in the hallway, stunned. CASS is surprised.

CASS
You two knew what the outcome would most likely be. I don't know why you're so shocked.

LILA
I guess it's just the matter of having it in writing…it's concrete evidence.

DONNA
We're linked by blood…

As they fall into silence, Vicky, Jake, and Marley approach with the twins.

MARLEY
(To Vicky)
It's true.

Vicky turns around, craning her head to glance up at her sister.

VICKY
It's true?

Marley nods. They make their way to Donna, Lila, and Cass.

CASS
(leaning down to kiss Vicky on the cheek)
Congratulations, Vicky…and Jake…they're beautiful.

VICKY
(smiling)
Thank you, Cass. We thought you and Lila might like to meet them…since they ARE your great-nieces.

LILA
Jasmine isn't much older than they are! I'm not old enough to have a great niece, much less two of them!

JAKE
Get used to it, great-Auntie Lila. (He grins at her) Vicky told me what you did for her when she was in labor. Thank you.

LILA
If only I had a video camera right now…

VICKY
Don't worry, we'll make him say it again, and get it on camera later. We thought you might like to know their names.

LILA
Donna told me that you wanted to tell me personally.

VICKY
You had a hand in naming one of them.

LILA
(surprised)
I did?

VICKY
You did.

She peels back the blanket on Bridget's face.

VICKY
This is Bridget Celeste…named of course, for Bridget. And up there in Marley's arms…is Journey Michaela. You gave me that name.

LILA
Journey…it's unusual…but I like it, Vicky. I can't take the credit, though…you should be thanking Carl.

VICKY
You're the one who brought it to me. So I'm thanking you.

The two women smile at one another.

JAKE
Look, I hate to break up this little bonding moment, but I'd really like to get my girls home.

VICKY
Yeah, I could go for seeing my house again. Mom, Marley, you're both coming for dinner tonight, right?

DONNA
You're not cooking, Victoria…

VICKY
Takeout. Have you ever known me to cook when I don't have to?

JAKE
And I'll be doing all the work. All Vicky has to do is bask in the glow of new motherhood.

VICKY
Cass, Lila…why don't you come over, and bring Charlie? I want my girls' first family dinner to be with ALL of their family…and from what I understand, that includes you.

Cass and Lila glance at each other, then Cass speaks before Lila can.

CASS
We'd love to, Vicky. We'll definitely be there.

VICKY
(smiling)
Good. Six-thirty. We'll see you tonight.

She and Jake leave, followed by Marley.

CUT TO:

CORY MANSION/SAME DAY

ALLI is still engaged in conversation with CARL and MATT. AMANDA stands by the patio doors with RACHEL, watching them.

AMANDA
I never knew I could be so infuriated with her and so happy to see her at the same time.

RACHEL
Now you know how I feel about you half the time.

AMANDA
I AM infuriating sometimes, aren't I?

RACHEL
(grinning)
Yes, you are. But I do still love you very much. And I'm glad to see you smiling.

AMANDA
I haven't smiled in awhile…have I?

RACHEL
If you want to know the truth…I don't think I've seen you smile and mean it since before Cameron died.

AMANDA
I know…but it's been six months…it's time for me to get on with my life, and start concentrating on my daughter's life a little more. Cameron wouldn't want me to mope over him for the rest of my life.

RACHEL
That's true. Are you ready to get back to Cory? I mean, really get back to Cory?

AMANDA
I think so. Did you have a special project in mind?

RACHEL
We'll talk about it later.

AMANDA
I need to have Alli call Sam. He's probably waiting for her to call.

RACHEL
Good idea.

She watches as Amanda goes to Alli, speaking quietly to her. Alli nods, then stands up and walks over to the phone, dialing and waiting.

ALLI
Dad? Hi…it's Alli…yeah, I'm home with Mom. I know, she's already grounded me…no, it won't happen again, I promise…I'm sorry…yeah, she's here…okay…I love you, too…bye…

She hands the phone to Amanda, who begins talking to Sam.

Matt stands up from the couch and walks over to Rachel.

RACHEL
Matthew…I don't want to pry…

MATT
…but you know there's something wrong between me and Lorna.

RACHEL
She sounded very upset when she called here earlier. And all you've told me is that you don't want to talk to her. What happened at the New Year's party the other night?

MATT
Jasmine's sitter beeped me…and I went off to call her. And I missed the countdown.

RACHEL
You missed the countdown? Was Lorna angry with you?

MATT
I don't know if she was angry or not. When I came back, a few seconds after midnight…she was kissing Sergei. And it wasn't a friendly little kiss, either.

RACHEL
Oh, Matt…she wasn't…

MATT
Mom, she had her arms around his neck, and it looked like you couldn't pry the two of them apart with a crowbar!

RACHEL
Did you talk to her about it?

MATT
No. I just left. Why should I have stayed? So she could humiliate me a little more?

RACHEL
It seems a bit selfish to leave without hearing her side of the story.

MATT
You didn't see the kiss, Mom. It was self-explanatory.

RACHEL
And there are always two sides to every story. Go talk to her, Matthew. Don't leave her hanging like this.

MATT
You forget, Mom. I KNOW Lorna, probably better than almost anyone else. I know exactly what she's been capable of in the past-

RACHEL
--And she's since suffered the loss of the man she loved, she's had a child…Lorna has grown up since her early days in Bay City, Matthew. You can't go by the Lorna you once knew. I mean it…go talk to her or you might regret it.

MATT
(Sighing)
All right. I'll go talk to her. You won't let me rest until I do, will you?

RACHEL
(smiling)
No. Now go.

Matt gives her a quick kiss on the cheek, then grabs his jacket and leaves.

CUT TO:

LORNA'S HOUSE/SAME DAY

Before JENNA can say a word, she holds up a hand to FELICIA.

JENNA
I don't want to get into this.

FELICIA
(setting Gabrielle on the floor)
Are you and Dean having problems?

JENNA
(through clenched teeth)
I REALLY don't want to get into this, Mom.

FELICIA
I know you don't. But I do. I want you to explain to me what that phone call was about.

JENNA
Do not push me.

FELICIA
Is this what's happened this week? Why you're taking your anger out on Hayley? I'm asking you again, are you and Dean having problems?

JENNA
Yes, all right? Dean and I are about to end our relationship! Are you happy now?

FELICIA
Sweetheart…what happened? You and Dean have been so happy together-

JENNA
We WERE happy together. We were happy until I found out that he was involved with one of his backup singers on the last tour. The one I didn't go on.

FELICIA
(shocked)
Dean?

JENNA
Yes, Dean. Don't look so surprised, Mother. It was bound to happen eventually.

FELICIA
But…Dean…Dean would never cheat on you!

JENNA
I guess we both had impossible perceptions of him then, didn't we?

FELICIA
Oh, sweetheart-

Jenna moves away from her open arms.

JENNA
No…I'M fine. Dean's the one who refuses to come here and talk it out with me. If he were willing to do that, MAYBE I'd be able to work it out with him. But if he can't even take three days out of his busy schedule to save our relationship, then I'm not going to exert any effort.

FELICIA
I just don't understand…

JENNA
(picking up Gabrielle and hugging her tightly)
I don't, either. Maybe the fire just went out…we've been together since I was seventeen years old, Mom. That's a long time when you're my age.

FELICIA
(softly)
Yes, it is…and you've never really experienced being a single adult.

JENNA
(wryly)
I'm experiencing it right now.

FELICIA
What about Dean? Does he want this to end?

JENNA
Who knows? He keeps begging to come home and work it out, but I can't go back there. Not right now. If he were to come here…maybe…

FELICIA
What happened? You two have always been so happy together…

JENNA
Something happened to him, Mom…when Frankie died. He changed, and it wasn't for the better.

FELICIA
I know that was tough for him-

JENNA
Something broke inside of him…you should have seen his eyes, Mother. They were dead.

FELICIA
He didn't come back for Frankie's funeral-

JENNA
He couldn't. I tried so hard to convince him to come back, for Charlie's sake, for Cass, for himself…but he wouldn't. He said he couldn't handle it. And no amount of coercing would get him to go. He didn't give himself closure…and he started pulling away from me.

FELICIA
Have the two of you gone to counseling?

JENNA
No. I keep thinking that if we need counseling NOW, before we're even married, how will it be when we're married? And I'm ready…I'm ready for marriage, I'm ready to start my family.

FELICIA
And Dean's not?

JENNA
(bitterly)
Dean's not ready for adulthood.

Suddenly, her face crumples and she sets Gabrielle down on the floor, turning to Felicia, tearfully.

JENNA (cont'd)
I'm losing him…and I don't know how to get him back, Mom!

She goes into Felicia's arms, and Felicia holds her tightly.

FADE OUT