JAKE AND VICKY'S

JAKE and VICKY walk over to the couch. Jake puts his hands over his face as they both sit down.

VICKY
Well, that went extremely well.

JAKE
He's angry.

VICKY
Do you think he really thinks I hate him?

JAKE
Of course not, Vick. He said a lot of things he didn't mean.

VICKY
What are we going to do now?

JAKE
Well, we're going to throw the pot out for starters. I think we have to know if he has anything else up there.

VICKY
You mean search his room?

JAKE
Yeah. I wish we could just believe him.

VICKY
I don't know, Jake. That really is an invasion of privacy.

JAKE
Vick, what if Steven hadn't been with Kirkland today? What if Kirk had found it and hadn't told us? We have two babies on the way. We don't need that stuff in the house.

VICKY
You're right.

JAKE
Our only option is to search his room to get rid of anything that's in there.

VICKY
Not behind his back, okay? Let's do it when he's there.

JAKE
Fine, we'll do it now.

VICKY
No. Let's let things cool off first. Please.

JAKE
Okay, we'll wait. We'll do it tomorrow.

VICKY
You know, you and I were no different than Sean. It is kind of hypocritical of us to yell at him for using pot when we did it all the time.

JAKE
That isn't the point, Vick. Back then, we didn't know everything we do now about it. Besides, how do we know he isn't doing anything harder?

VICKY
I know, I just mean smoking pot isn't exactly unheard of, even these days.

JAKE
It should be. Imagine what it's going to be like when the twins are teenagers.

VICKY
I don't even want to talk about it. It's difficult enough to raise a child these days, without having to worry about who or what is influencing them on the streets.

JAKE
Exactly. That's why we have to take a stand with Sean, before it goes any further.

They look at each other with wide eyes.

VICKY
We're adults.

JAKE
Scary thought, isn't it?

Vicky smiles at him and they lean back on the couch.

CUT TO:

JOE AND PAULINA'S/SAME EVENING

REMY is on the couch, staring off into space with tears in her eyes. PAULINA walks in.

PAULINA
Remy?

REMY
Hi.

PAULINA
What's the matter?

REMY
Oh, Paulina. I don't know what to do.

Paulina sits on the couch with her.

PAULINA
Sweetheart, what happened?

REMY
Nick and I had this big fight and he stormed out.

PAULINA
I'm sure he'll be back.

REMY
Not this time. It's really over.

PAULINA
What was the fight about?

REMY
Tito. He gave me a choice between him and Tito.

PAULINA
Remy, don't tell me you --

REMY
I chose Tito.

PAULINA
Remy!

REMY
Paulina, he can't choose my friends. I mean, what if Joe told you you couldn't be friends with Jake anymore?

PAULINA
As much as I hate Tito, you do have a point.

REMY
I can't let him control me like that.

PAULINA
Honey, he loves you.

REMY
Then he should respect me.

PAULINA
What are you going to do?

REMY
I don't know. I think I've lost him for good.

Remy begins to cry again as Paulina hugs her.

CUT TO:

CORY MANSION/SAME EVENING

CARL and AMANDA stare one another down. Rachel finally grows tired of their game.

RACHEL
Would someone like to inform me as to what's going on?

AMANDA
(tearing her glare away from Carl)
I'll tell you what's going on, Mom. Carl and Reginald had a partnership dealing black market art work, and now this somehow ties into Cameron and Toni's deaths, and we don't know how.

CHRIS
We don't know that, Amanda...

AMANDA
We DO know that, Chris! Why did we just spend all that time in New Orleans?

CARL
Amanda...if you push any further, it may cause more people to get hurt.

AMANDA
(tears running down her face)
Dammit, Carl, two people have been KILLED! Isn't that enough of a reason for you to come out of your stupid little world and give us a clue?

CHRIS
Come on, Carl...if you know something, why can't you tell us?

CARL
I can tell you this much. If it is Reginald, then he's back for revenge on me for something that happened long, long ago. It's something that I'm not responsible for, and something that he holds me very responsible for.

AMANDA
You may not want to tell us, but I WILL find out, Carl. I don't care if it takes me years. But if I find out that you're responsible for Cameron's death in any way...there will be hell to pay. Serious hell.

She leaves the room, and they hear the front door slam. Carl glances at Rachel, then looks at Chris.

CARL
If I could tell you without risking the lives of my loved ones, Chris, you would know all that there is to know. I hope you believe that.

CHRIS
Carl, all I know is that my fiance is dead due to this. I want to find the person who killed her and stop them before they hurt someone else.

CARL
I know you do. And I'm sorry. I'll help you as much as I can...but as far as my past goes...it's off limits.

CHRIS
I just hope Amanda doesn't end up getting in over her head.

As he sits with Carl and Rachel, we:

FADE OUT