The Ewing Home....night
"And the other option?" Val asks.
"We take our chance in a jury trial, and run the risk of Bobby getting 25 years to life."
"Oh my God," Karen says.
"But a jury could also go the other way," says Mack. "Depending on how sympathetic they are to Bobby and to the frustration he was feelin' over all this guy Brandon Williams had done to him and to everyone he loves."
"Jason, what do you think Bobby should do?" Daniel asks.
"All I can tell you is what Bobby wants. He wants to take the plea."
"What?" Meg asks, standing from her seat.
"Bobby wants to take the plea the DA offered to him."
"That's the same as admitting his guilt," says Gary.
"Why would he do that?" Meg asks. "I know that Bobby did NOT kill Brandon."
"He wants to do it for you, Meg," replies Jason. "He doesn't wanna put you through the trauma of a trial, and you having to possibly testify about the rape."
"He loves you, Meg," Jason says. "And he wants to spare you anymore pain."
"Damn it, doesn't he realize that if he goes to prison just because he didn't wanna put me through anymore pain, then that's EXACTLY what he'd be doing? I couldn't stand to live knowing that Bobby took a plea bargain just so I wouldn't have to relive what Brandon did to me in court? No. No, Jason, you go back and you tell him not to take that plea. Not on my account."
"But if he doesn't take the plea," Betsy says. "If he goes through a jury trial, then, his sentence would be a lot worse. With the plea, he could only get 15 years."
"Betsy, you sound as though you want your brother to plead guilty, regardless of whether or not he's really guilty," says Gary.
"I don't want my brother to go to prison at all. But right now, unless the jury miraculously acquits him, the choice is between 15 years and 25 to life! And to me, 15 years is a hell of a lot better option." Betsy starts to cry. Daniel stands and walks over to his wife and embraces her.
"Well no matter how we all feel about what he should or shouldn't do, ultimately, the decision is Bobby's," Jason says.
Val reaches over and grabs Gary by the hand, while Karen walks over to Meg and embraces her.
Meanwhile....Knots Landing Police Station
Brian's apartment.....
"Brian, this is Scott," comes the voice of his half-brother. Brian can tell the young man's voice is shaky.
"Scott, what's up? Is everything okay?"
"I'm afraid not, man. I have some bad news. Dad's in the hospital. He had a seizure earlier this evening. The doctors don't think he has long left. Brian, I think you'd better call Olivia. If she's planning on seeing Dad before it's too late, she should get here as soon as possible."
Brian holds the phone in his hand, a look of both sadness and shock on his face as he tries to process the news of his father......the father he had just reconnected with after so many years......is probably going to die very soon.
Brian's apartment.....the next day
"Come on in and make yourselves at home," Brian says. "Matt, you can sleep in the third bedroom on the left. Sis, the second one is yours."
"Yeah it'll do for now," Brian says.
"I'm really sorry about you and Kate. Any chance the two of you could work things out?"
Brian sighs. "To be honest, sis, we have been getting along much better lately, since everything that's happened with Molly and Trevor. But, as far as us getting back together, I really don't know. Our problems have been going on for a long while now, and they run pretty deep."
"Well, I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed," says Olivia. "Unlike Mom, I always liked Kate and thought the two of your make a great couple."
"Thanks sis."
"Speaking of Mom, you know, Matt and I could go over and stay with her. She has that big house, and we don't wanna crowd you here in this apartment."
"Nothing doing," Brian says. "You just saw Mom last week when she visited you. Now it's my turn to have some time with my sister and nephew."
"I just can't believe our father is dying," Olivia says. "I also can't comprehend all that you told me. Our father has another son......our half-brother? And Cathy is his wife?"
"Yeah. Imagine my reaction when I saw Cathy the other day and she told me everything. But Olivia, remember, Cathy doesn't want Jeff or Scott to know anything about her past here. And, I don't see any point in telling Jeff that we knew her when we were kids."
"Don't worry, I won't say anything about her when I see him. But what exactly AM I gonna say to him? What do you say to a dying father you haven't seen since you were a kid?"
"It wasn't easy for me when I went to see him the other day," Brian says. "But once we started talking, it became less awkward."
"Thanks, honey," Olivia says.
Brian smiles at his nephew. "Olivia, I just can't get over how much this kid has grown up."
"Neither can I. He'll be 17 next month, and he's taller than his father. I think he grows a little more every day."
"Uncle Brian, how's Trevor doing?" Matt asks. "Last time I talked to him, he was having kind of a rough time."
"He's okay," Brian says. "His mother and I separating has been hard on him, and some other stuff happened this summer. But he seems to be coping. He's at school right now. They started back this week, so you can see him this evening. In the meantime, have you guys eaten lunch?"
"We stopped for breakfast, but after that we drove straight here," Olivia says.
"Well, come on, then. Let's go grab some lunch, and then head on over to the hospital to see Jeff."
Knots Landing High School....
Trevor makes his way down the crowded hallway of Knots Landing High School that afternoon and finds Dylan opening his locker and putting some books in. Trevor walks up to him.
"Hey, what's up, dude?" Trevor asks.
"Not much, bro. Just trying to figure out my schedule and keep all my classes straight. The school in San
"That sucks, man," Trevor says. "But, I'm real glad you're gonna be staying in town for a while and going to school here."
Dylan sighs. "Yeah, well, since my Dad needs to stay in town to handle Bobby's case and all, he figured he'd better get me enrolled in school. He doesn't know how long we're gonna be here."
"I hope your Dad will decide to stick around permanently," says Trevor. "I like having my best friend around."
"Yeah," Dylan says, closing his locker.
"I'm just worried about Bobby, man."
"Oh. How's he doing? Have you heard anything?"
"Yeah. I heard my Dad talking to Uncle Danny and Aunt Betsy. Bobby might get life, dude."
"Oh God," Trevor says as the school bell rings.
"We'd better get to class, bro," Dylan says. "You wanna meet up with Eric after school and hang out?"
"I can't today. My Aunt Olivia and my cousin Matt are coming to town, so I'm gonna go see them."
"Okay. See you in a little while?"
"Yeah, sure," Trevor says. Dylan turns and walks away down the crowded hallwayas Trevor thinks about what he had said about Bobby.
Good Samaritan Hospital....
"Brian," Scott says.
"Scott, how's he doing?"
"About the same. Not good."
"I'm really sorry, man. Scott, this is Olivia, and her son, Matthew."
Olivia smiles. "Hello, Scott. It's really nice to meet you."
"It's great to finally the half-sister I've heard about for the last few years. Matthew, how's it going?"
"Good man," Matt says, shaking his half-uncle's hand. "But.....call me Matt."
"Sure."
"Can we see him?" Brian asks.
"Yeah. Mom's in there now. Hold on a second." Scott turns and walks down the hall and into a room.
"So that's our baby brother," Olivia says. "Seems like a really nice boy."
"Scott's very nice," says Brian. "He and Trevor hit it off really well. I'm actually hoping that they'll get to know each other."
Scott comes out of the room down the hall, followed by Cathy. They make their way down the hall to meet the others. "Brian, Olivia, I'd like for you to meet my mother, Cathy Cunningham," Scott says, unaware that Cathy already knows his half-siblings.
"Hi," Cathy says. "It's nice to see you both."
"Nice to meet you, Cathy," Olivia says, extending her hand. "This is my son, Matt Clark."
"Hi, Matt."
"Hello," Matt says.
"Can we see Jeff?" Brian asks.
"Of course," Cathy replies. "He's not doing very at all. The seizure came on very suddenly last night right after we had dinner. When we got him here, he was unconscious and not responsive. We thought we were losing him then. But, the doctors managed to stabilize his condition."
"Cathy, what are the doctors saying?" Olivia asks. "How long do they think......"
"Come on," Scott says. "I'll take you guys in. You coming, Mom?"
"No, I think I'm gonna get some air."
"Olivia, you and Matt go on with Scott. I'll be right there," says Brian. After his siblings and nephew make their way down the hall and into Jeff's room, Brian turns to Cathy. "How're you holding up?"
"This is so hard for me," she answers, near tears. "Brian, I don't know what I'm gonna do without your father."
"You have Scott. He seems like a really great kid."
"He is."
"And you have us, Cathy. I spoke to Olivia, and she isn't gonna say anything to Jeff, or to Scott, about your past."
"Thank you for that. And thanks to Olivia."
"It's obvious you love my father very much," Brian says. "Olivia and I both feel that, there's no point in upsetting Jeff by telling him all that stuff now. But, Cathy, I do think you should tell Scott."
"I will. But later, after your father.........after your father is gone."
Brian nods, and gently touches her hand. He then turns and walks down the hall to his father's room as Cathy watches.
Knots Landing Police Station....
Meg waits in the visitation room at the police station later that afternoon. After she's waited for a few minutes, Bobby walks in.
"Bobby," Meg says.
"Hi, Meg. I'm glad you came. I wrote you a letter last night, or rather, I started writing you a letter, but, my mind was so jumbled with thoughts that I couldn't even finish it."
"Bobby, Jason told us last night that you wanna take that plea the DA's office offered."
"Yeah, well, I don't have a whole lot of choice here, Meg," Bobby says. "I can take 15 years, or gamble with my life and probably get 25 years or even life."
"Jason said that you wanted to take the plea because of me. To keep me from having to face a trial and the truth about the rape coming out in court."
"Meg, you've been hurt enough by the likes of Brandon Williams," Bobby says. "I won't let you be hurt anymore."
"So you what? Sacrifice your freedom and your life? Bobby, don't you realize that your going to prison for at least 15 years will hurt me far more than taking that stand and testifying that Brandon raped me? Bobby, I know you think you're trying to protect me, but is that really the reason you're doing this?"
Bobby looks at her for a moment. A tear falls from his face. "You were RAPED Meg, because you agreed to have dinner with that son of a bitch in exchange for him dropping the assault charge against me. That hurts me, Meg, for two reasons. First of all, because you wouldn't have been there for him to hurt if it hadn't been for my stupidity. And second, I'm hurt because you didn't tell me about this."
"It wasn't your fault I was raped," Meg says in tears. "This whole mess is MY fault because if it hadn't been for me, Brandon never would have come to Knots Landing in the first place. I brought all this trouble down on all of us......you, me, Molly, your parents."
"This was NOT your fault. The guy was sick and evil, Meg."
"Bobby, please don't do this. I know you didn't kill Brandon. I know you, Bobby, and I know you don't have it in you."
Bobby looks at her intently for a moment. "I would do ANYTHING for someone I care about. And I'm doing what I have to do, Meg. As much as I love you.......as much as I wanted to spend my life with you, if you wanna do anything to help me, then just forget about me, Meg. I'm about to be gone for a long, long time, whether I take that plea or face a jury. You'll find someone new. Someone who's a lot better for you than I've been. But I can guarantee you that you'll never find anyone else who loves you as much as I do." He stands to his feet and puts the phone back into its slot.
"Bobby?" Meg calls to him. "Bobby, wait!" She stands to face him through the glass as they gaze at one another, a pleading look on her face.
"Goodbye, Meg. I'll always love you."
"Bobby?" Meg again calls as he turns and walks out of the room. "BOBBY!!!? BOBBY???!!!" Meg screams. pounding her fist against the glass, but Bobby has already gone through the door and out of the little visitation room, and seemingly, out of Meg's life.
Brian's apartment.....night
"And I don't care where Brian went, he ALWAYS had that damned horn with him, and whenever someone spoke to him, instead of answering them with the mouth God gave him, he answered them with the horn."
Brian and Matt burst out laughing at the story, while Trevor only manages a slight smile. "The one thing I remember about that horn was that one day, Aunt Karen got so frustrated with me that she yanked it out of my hand and yelled at me."
"You must have been something else when you were a kid, Uncle Brian," Matt says.
"Oh, he was," Olivia says.
"Me? What about you? You were the one always running away or getting in trouble. Sometimes I wonder how we managed to make it to adulthood," Brian says.
"Me too. Hey, I didn't realize how late it was getting," says Olivia.
"Oh, yeah," Brian says. "Trev, you'd better get to sleep. It's a school night."
"Okay, Dad." Trevor stands from his seat. "Night, Aunt Olivia."
"Why, I don't have school tomorrow."
"Just.....get to bed."
Matt laughs. "Yes, mother," he says, standing. "Night, guys."
"Night," Brian says as the two boys leave the room. He smiles with pride as he watches them. "Just look at them, Olivia. Our sons."
"Trevor reminds me so much of you when you were a kid," Olivia says.
"And I see a lot of you in Matt. He's a spunky kid."
"He also has a lot of his father in him."
"And how is ol' Danny Clark?" Brian asks.
"Same as always," replies Olivia. "I'm afraid my ex-husband will never change."
"I can't believe you stayed with him as long as you did."
"Neither can I. Hey, you want some coffee? I'll make us a pot, and we can talk some more. Relive some more old memories."
Brian smiles. "I'd love some."
Meanwhile, in one of the guest bedrooms, Trevor and Matt are getting ready for bed.
"What?" Trevor asks, not paying attention to his cousin's question.
"I said....can you believe some of the things our parents did when they were kids."
"No."
"Trev, you okay? You've been awfully quiet tonight. Not like yourself at all. Usually we have a blast when we get together."
"I'm sorry, Matt. I'm just.......I just have a lot of
"You're parents splitting up?" Matt asks.
"Yeah, among other things."
"You wanna talk about it?"
"Not really. Most of it is stuff I gotta work out on my own. This has been the worst summer of my life, Matt. And I don't see things getting better any time soon."
Knots Landing Beach.....the next day
"So, Bobby decided not to take the plea," Val says.
"Mack told me."
"I don't know if he's making the right decision or not, Karen. It scares me what can happen."
"You don't believe Bobby is guilty, do you?" Karen asks.
"Of course not."
"None of us who know Bobby believe he's guilty. Brandon Williams was scum. He hurt so many people and ruined so many lives, even before he came here. Any number of people could have killed him. Bobby accepting that plea would be admitting guilt for something he didn't do."
"I know. But it scares me to death, my son facing a jury trial with the possibility of maybe spending the rest of his life in prison."
"I know, honey," Karen says. "But Jason is a wonderful attorney, and he'll fight for Bobby. With any luck, the jury will see how sadistic Brandon Williams was, and what a wonderful, caring young man Bobby is, and how much support he has in his family and friends."
"I hope you're right," says Val.
"So how's Gary?"
"He........well, he seems okay. Whether he really is or not, I'm not sure. He's been going to AA meetings every night since he fell off the wagon again. I've searched the house, searched his things, and I haven't found any alcohol."
"Well, good. Hopefully it was just a little slip."
"His drinking wasn't a little slip, Karen. With an alcoholic, especially an alcoholic like Gary, there's no such thing as a little slip.
"I know," Karen says. But, we both know how Gary is when he's drinking. If he's been drinking, I think you'd know."
"Yeah, I would know. Unless he's just gotten real good at hiding it from me," Val says as she and Karen continue walking.
Cunningham Enterprises....
"Your mother and sister are here, Mr. Cunningham."
"Send them in." Brian stands from his seat as Abby and Olivia walk in. "Well, hey, you two," he says.
"Hi, Brian," says Abby.
"Brian, you should've joined Mom and me for lunch," Olivia says. "It was wonderful."
Brian looks at Abby for a moment, a look of displeasure on his face. "Well, I had some work I had to get done here."
Olivia notices the angry look between her mother and brother. "Hey, is something going on between you two?"
"When ISN'T something going on where Mom is concerned?" Brian.
"Okay, Mom, what'd you do this time?" Olivia asks.
"Me? What makes you think that I've done something?"
Before anyone can say another word, Brian's cell phone rings on his desk. He picks the phone up and looks at it. "Hold on a second," he says. He answers the phone. "Hello? Yeah. When?"
Olivia and Abby listen closely to Brian's end of the conversation.
Brian continues: "Okay, we'll be there as soon as we can. Thanks for calling. Bye." He ends the call and puts the phone down.
"Brian, what is it?" Olivia asks. "Is it......Dad?"
"Yeah. That was Cathy. Jeff's had an aneurysm. They can't operate because of his condition. Cathy said they don't think he'll make it through the day."
"Oh my God," Olivia says. "We should get to the hospital."
"Yeah, we should. Let's go. I'll call Kate and ask her to pick Trevor up a little early from school and bring him over. We can swing by the apartment and pick Matt up."
"I'll come with you," Abby says.
Brian turns to her. "Do you REALLY think that's a good idea under the circumstances?"
"Brian, believe this or not, I do care about your father, and I want to be there."
"Okay, but I'm warning you, Mom. Do NOT cause a scene with Cathy, and not ONE word to her son about having known her years ago."
"I promise."
"Let's go, then."
Good Samaritan Hospital.....late afternoon
Dark storm clouds are gathering in the sky over Good Samaritan Hospital late that afternoon, and heavy rumbles of thunder can be heard in the distance.
The stormy, gloomy weather outside the hospital only adds to the somber mood inside the intensive care unit of Good Samaritan, as the Cunningham family - Cathy, Scott, Brian, Trevor, Olivia, her son Matt, Abby, and even Kate are gathered in a waiting room while doctors examine Jeff Cunningham, who appears to be in his final moments of life. As the family waits in somber silence, Cathy stands from her seat and walks to the window, looking out at the falling rain outside. Scott lowers his head as he begins silently praying for his father. Brian gets up, walks over and takes a seat beside his half-brother, putting a reassuring hand on the young man's shoulder. After what seems like hours, Jeff's doctor enters the room. The family gathers around the doctor.
"I'm very sorry," the doctor begins. "Mr. Cunningham's organs began to shut down and both lungs collapsed. There was nothing more we could do."
"Yes, Mrs. Cunningham. I'm very sorry."
"No," Scott cries as he breaks down in tears. Brian embraces his half-brother while Olivia and Cathy embrace and cry together.
Even cold hearted Abby wipes a tear from her eye upon hearing the news of the death of her first husband, the father of her children.
"Can I see him?" Cathy asks the doctor.
"Of course. Any of you may go in if you'd like."
"Scott?" Cathy says, reaching her hand out to her son. Scott takes his mother's hand and they head down the hall to Jeff's room together. Brian and Olivia follow, while Abby, Kate, Trevor, and Matt stay behind and quietly watch them go.
Cathy, Scott, Brian, and Olivia walk into Jeff's hospital room. Each look at him laying there on the bed, still. Cathy walks over to her husband's bed, leans down, and gently kisses him. Scott walks to the other side of his father's bedside, takes his hand, and cries. Olivia watches them, while Brian walks to the window and looks out at the rain falling against the pane....
A cemetery in Los Angeles......two days later
Cathy and Scott look on solemnly, both fighting back tears, as the minister begins: "Mrs. Cunningham asked that this farewell service for her husband be kept simple, as Jeffrey Cunningham was a simple and unpretentious man. Born in San Luis Obispo, California on February 18, 1946, Mr. Cunningham is survived by his beloved wife of |
"Cathy," Karen says, embracing her. "It's been so long. And when Brian told me that you were married to Jeff, I, I couldn't believe it."
"Cathy, we're so sorry for your loss," Mack says.
"Thank you, Mack."
"Are you gonna be staying in L.A. now?" Karen asks.
"Probably. I have a job that I like, and my son likes it here. I'd also like to be close to Brian and his family so that Scott can get to know them."
"Come over to the house sometime," Karen says. "Come over for dinner, and we can catch up."
"Alright, thank you."
"Hi," Molly says, awkwardly. "I'm very sorry about your father."
"Thank you. I'm very glad that you came. I was hoping we would have a chance to talk."
Molly looks at him for a moment. "I don't think so. I'm sorry, but, I'm still not ready to talk to your or Mom yet." Molly turns and walks away. Trevor follows her as Brian sadly watches the girl he raised as a daughter walk away from him.
"Hey, Molly," Trevor says, hurrying to catch up to his sister. "Was that really necessary, treating Dad that way today, at his father's funeral?"
"Trevor, I'm sorry. I came here today to support you and the rest of the family, but I'm not ready to deal with talking to Mom and Dad yet and listening to them try to explain away the last 21 years they kept the secret of who my real father was from me."
"Okay, okay," Trevor says. "Hey, come here, I want you to meet someone."
"Who?"
"Dad's half-brother." Trevor leads his sister over to where Scott is standing near Jeff's grave. "Scott," he says.
"Oh, hey Trevor."
"How ya doin', man?"
Scott sighs deeply. "Best I can. It's really hard for me, ya know."
"Hi, Scott," Molly says. "I'm so sorry about your father."
"STEP-daughter," Molly corrects. "Brian's not my biological father."
"Oh, really?" Scott asks with interest, a slight smile showing on his face.
Meanwhile, as Abby stands off by herself, she is surprised when Greg Sumner walks over to her. "Very touching gesture that you showed up to your first husband's funeral," he says.
"What the hell are YOU doing here? You didn't even know Jeff."
"I've been busy," Abby says.
"Well I suggest you make the time to meet with me SOON, blondie. We have some very important business to discuss, and I think you know what I mean. I spoke to George Franklin. You've woven quite a tangled web for yourself, but I got news for you, babe. You're goin' down alone on this one." Greg puts on his sunglasses, then walks casually away from Abby, leaving her with a worried and frustrated look.
An office downtown.....the next morning
"Ma'am," the secretary says to her. "You can't go in there."
"Oh yeah? Just watch me," says an angry Abby. She opens George's door and barges in as the secretary follows after her. Abby finds George at his desk.
"Mr. Franklin, I'm sorry," the secretary says.
"It's alright, Megan," George says. "Ms. Fairgate is quite short on manners. Please leave us alone."
"Yes, sir," Megan says, then walks out.
"Abby, to what do I owe the pleasure of this most.....unexpected visit?" George asks.
"You know DAMNED WELL what I'm doing here. You talked to Greg Sumner?"
"And what did you tell him?" Abby asks.
"I told him about your plan for me to use that dummy corporation to sell Harris Computers to your son's company to get rid of it. And about Meg MacKenzie's investigation into Harris." George stands and walks over to her.
"What the hell was I supposed to do, lie to the man? You know Sumner better than just about anybody and you know he's the last man on earth you should ever lie to. Greg Sumner ALWAYS manages to find the truth."
"You didn't......you didn't tell him about Brandon Williams, did you? Because if you did, I swear, I'll......"
"Abby, just relax," George says. "I didn't say a word about you being the one who brought Brandon Williams to Knots Landing to use as a distraction for Meg."
"YOU are the one who brought that psycho here, George. NOT me. All I did was ask you to find some way of keeping Meg MacKanzie distracted so that she would forget about Harris Computers, and what do you do? You dig up the biggest sociopath in the world and bring him here. That was all you, George, and I'll be damned if I'm gonna take the fall for that one."
"You're the one who wanted that crazy kid here, Abby. You're the one who paid Williams all that money to do the job of causing problems for Meg MacKenzie. And now.......Williams is dead."
"I suppose you're going to say that's my fault, too," says Abby.
"Maybe it is," George says. "Maybe you were afraid Williams was gonna spill the beans about you being the one who hired him to come here. Maybe you're the one who killed him."
"Or maybe it was YOU, George. I am NOT going to take the fall for this mess over Harris, and I am especially not gonna take the fall for that murder. There isn't a damned shred of evidence linking me to Harris Computers, or to Brandon Williams. And you, George, made a huge mistake in talking to Greg Sumner."
"Threatening me, Abby?" George asks.
"Consider it a final warning. And don't let me ever hear from you again, George. And don't talk to Greg Sumner again. If you're smart, you'll get out of town. As of now, our association is over." Without another word, Abby angrily storms out of the office.
"I don't think so, Abby," George says after she leaves. "Our association isn't over by a long shot."
Los Angeles County Courthouse.....two weeks later
"Bobby, try not to be nervous," Jason says.
"That's easy for you to say, Jason. You're not facing 25 years to life."
"You know, even though you as the defendant is entitled to a speedy trial, we could've had this postponed."
"No," Bobby says. "I just wanted to get this over with. If I'm gonna spend the rest of my life in prison, I may as well get started as soon as possible. I'm sick of sitting in that jail cell day after day, waiting, wondering. I'll go crazier doing that long before I will knowing what my fate's gonna be."
"Bobby, I meant what I said to you. I'm gonna fight for you with everything I have."
At that moment, the jury files in. Once they are all seated, a bailiff steps to the front of the courtroom. "All rise," he says. "Court is now in session. Case number 03-0979, the People of the State Of California Vs. Bobby Ewing is now in session. The Honorable Judge Michael E. Pastor presiding."
Judge Pastor walks in and takes his seat on the bench. "Please be seated," he says. "All parties are present. Ms. Foster, is the state ready to present its case?"
A short time later....
"Bridgette Caroline Williams."
"What was your relationship to the victim in this case?"
"Brandon was my brother."
"Were you and your brother close?" Jasmine asks.
"Yes."
"Miss Williams, would you please describe for this court the kind of person your brother was?"
"Objection, Your Honor," Jason says, standing.
"Objection sustained."
"Let me rephrase the question," Jasmine says. "Would you please describe your relationship with your brother."
Bridgette looks out at the crowd staring at her from the courtroom, then at the twelve jurors. She lets out a deep breath and braces herself for her testimony describing her brother. "When we were growing up, Brandon was the best big brother I could have asked for. He was my hero. There were so many times he was there for me, helping me with homework or projects. Sticking up for me and protecting me when the big kids picked on me. He always encouraged me to do my best in everything. Brandon was the one person I could always go to when I needed something, or just needed someone to talk to."
"You believe your brother was a good person?"
"Yes."
"Did your brother ever get into trouble as a child or as a teenager?" Jasmine asks.
"Your Honor, I am merely trying to establish the character of the victim in this case and make the jurors see that Brandon Williams was a human being, a young man with a family who loved him, and friends."
"Yes, Your Honor," Jasmine says.
Sitting in the back of the courtroom, Molly, unable to listen to anymore of Bridgette's testimony, gets up and quickly walks out. Seeing her leave, Gary gets up from his seat and goes after her.
"Molly," he says, walking up behind her in the hallway outside the courtroom.
"Look, honey, I know how upset you are with all of us right now. You probably even hate me, but Molly, what we did, all of us, me, your mother, Brian, we all did it because we love you."
"You lie to someone you love all their lives?"
"We did what we thought was best," Gary says. "Kate was about to marry Brian, and we didn't want things to be confusing or complicated for you when you were growing up. You were already attached to Brian and thought of him as your father. "Molly, look. Please, just give us all a chance. We all love you."
Molly looks at him for a moment. "If you loved me........you would have acknowledged me at some point." The elevator opens at that moment, and Molly steps inside. She and Gary look at each other as the elevator doors close. Once inside the elevator, Molly takes out her cell phone and dials a number. On the second ring, someone answers. "Hey, it's Molly. Umm, are you free later? I kinda need someone to talk to."
The MacKenzie Home....that night
"What are you workin' on?"
"Have you ever heard of Harris Computers?" Meg asks.
"No, can't say as I have," Mack says. "Why?"
"Not long after I came home from law school at the beginning of summer, Brian asked me to do some checking on a company he was thinking about buying. Harris Computers. He asked me to keep this confidential, so I didn't mention it to anyone, not even you. I checked, and on the surface, I didn't find anything out of the ordinary, so that's what I told Brian. But I had this weird feeling. Something just didn't sit right. So, I went back over some of the records of the company, and I found something. Harris was a subsidiary of a company called Miller Electronics, but, on checking further, I couldn't find much info on that company. Except that Harris was once a subsidiary of The Sumner Group."
"Really? So, Brian basically bought back a company that HIS company once owned?" Mack asks.
"Yeah. That made no sense to me."
"Did you talk to Brian about this?"
"No. Brandon showed up in town, and with everything that was happening, plus I had a couple cases I was working on, so I just kind of forgot about it until I started doing some more research last night. But take a look at this." Meg picks up a piece of paper and hands it to her father.
Mack looks at it for a moment. "Harris was in severe financial difficulties a few years ago, and Sumner sold it at the same time he sold a lot of his other assets just before turning the Sumner Group over to Brian."
"But I can't find anything on who bought Harris when Greg sold it," Meg says.
"That's strange. Well, if you're really interested in finding out who bought the company from Sumner, there's only one source to go to."
"Greg himself," Meg says.
"Exactly. But why is this so important to you?"
"Like I said, I need a distraction right now. And, I guess I'm a lot like you. Whenever I start something, I wanna finish it. I'd probably already have the answers I was looking for if Brandon's coming to town hadn't made me forget all about this until now."
"You sure you're up for this?" Mack asks.
"Daddy, I need something to keep my mind busy right now. If I don't have that, I swear I'll go crazy. And this, I think, will keep me busy. Anyway, I think I'll go to bed. Tomorrow, I'll drive out and see Greg and ask him about this company." Meg stands and gathers her papers.
"Goodnight, sweetheart."
"Night, Dad. Mom in bed already?"
"Yeah, she was exhausted so she's been knocked out for the past half hour."
"I'll see you in the morning." Meg kisses her father, then heads through the living room and up the stairs.
Molly's new apartment....
Molly smiles. "Go on and say it. The dinner SUCKED. I'm sorry, I'm not that great a cook, okay?"
"It's all good. I just enjoyed the company."
"So did I. I just moved into this apartment last week, and before that I stayed at my great-uncle Greg's ranch after I moved out of my parents' home. It gets kinda lonely here by myself. But at the same time I do enjoy some alone time."
"Yeah, we all need that from time to time," Scott says.
"So are you and your Mom gonna be staying in L.A.?" Molly asks.
"Yeah, we are. I actually love it here, and my Mom likes it, too. Ya know, Molly, the last couple weeks that we've been hanging out have been really great."
"I've enjoyed it too, Scott. And you've really helped me a lot tonight, just listening to me vent about Brandon and the whole situation involving my father."
"Molly, I have something to confess," Scott says with a smile.
"Oh? What's that?" Molly asks.
"At my Dad's funeral, when you told me that Brian isn't your biological father, I was happy about that."
"You were?"
"Yeah. Maybe that sounds crazy, but, I had just met this incredibly gorgeous girl who seemed every bit as sweet as she was pretty, and, I felt something. Instant attraction. Now, imagine how dirty I felt until you said that Brian isn't your father. Once I found out you weren't my niece, I didn't feel so bad for having that attraction to you."
"Well, this is probably gonna sound even crazier, but, for the first time since I found out Brian wasn't my real father, it didn't bother me. And now, I'm actually glad that I'm not really a Cunningham."
"You are?" Scott asks.
"Yeah, because if Brian were my father, then you'd be my uncle, and, well, I'd much rather have you as a........ friend than a blood relative."
Scott laughs. "It's umm, it's getting kinda late. I really should be getting home."
"I suppose I'd better get to bed myself," Molly says. "I have to work tomorrow."
"Okay," Scott says, standing to his feet. Molly stands beside him. "I had a really great time, Molly."
"So did I. And thanks again, for listening to me."
"Anytime. And I mean that. Goodnight."
"Night, Scott."
Molly is taken by surprise when Scott leans over and gives her a quick kiss. He smiles at her, then leaves. After he's gone, Molly smiles.
In the hallway, Scott leans against Molly's door and smiles himself. He is definitely feeling something for this young woman who shares his last name, but not his bloodline.
The Cunningham Home.....
The Sumner Ranch.....the next day
"Meg," he says with a smile.
"Hi, Greg," she says as he kisses her on the cheek.
"How ya doin'? I've been keeping up with Bobby Ewing's legal troubles. Are you okay?"
"It's been a rough time. But, I'm holding up."'
"Well I'll do my best. Questions about what?"
"About a company you sold several years ago when you were getting rid of some of your assets before you gave control of The Sumner Group to Brian Cunningham."
"I sold a number of smaller companies back then, I can't be expected to remember every one."
"I know, but I'm hoping you'll remember this one. Harris Computers?
"Harris Computers," Greg says. "Why are you interested in that lemon of a company?"
"Brian asked me to look into it for him a while back, before all this trouble with Brandon started. Greg, when you sold Harris Computers back in 2008, who bought it?"
"Meg, I have NO idea. I didn't handle any of that stuff myself, I had people doing it for me."
"Well, what about records? Surely you kept record?"
"They're all stored in a warehouse downtown," says Greg. "It'd take weeks to go through all that stuff."
Meg sighs. "I see."
"I'm sorry I couldn't help you."
"Thanks anyway. I'd better be going."
"Wouldn't you like a cup of coffee or something?"
"Next time," Meg says. "I have a few things to take care of, and then I wanna get to court for Bobby's trial."
"Okay, I'll see ya later."
"I'll visit again real soon," Meg says, kissing him on the cheek. "Bye."
"Bye," Greg says as she walks out. After he's sure Meg is gone, Greg walks over to the coffee table and picks up his phone. He dials Abby's number and waits for an answer. "Hello, may I speak to Ms. Fairgate, please?" He asks after the maid answers. "I really don't give a damn if Ms. Fairgate is available or not you TELL HER TO CALL GREGORY SUMNER ASAP, AND IF SHE DOESN'T I'M GONNA MAKE DAMNED SURE SHE WISHES SHE'D HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO TALK TO ME!!" Greg angrily hangs up the phone. After a moment's pauses, he dials another number. After the first ring, someone answers. "George Franklin, please," he says. Greg waits impatiently for a moment until George comes on the line. "George, Greg Sumner here. Listen, we really need to talk as soon as possible."
Knots Landing High School....
"Hey, Avery, congrats on making the swim team," one boy says as he passes Dylan in the crowded hallway.
"Thanks, Tim," Dylan says. He spots Trevor down the hall and hurries to catch up to him. "Hey, Trev," Dylan says, reaching his friends.
"What's up man?" Trevor asks.
"I got great news. I made the swim team," Dylan says, not seeming as happy as he should for such an accomplishment.
"Oh, congratulations," Trevor says, showing no emotion.
Dylan notices his friend's unkept appearance. "Dude, you look terrible. Still not sleeping?"
"Same one?"
"Yeah. About that day Brandon came to my house."
Dylan stops walking and turns to him. "Look, bro, you need to just try and put that guy out of your mind. He's gone. He can't hurt you anymore, or anyone else."
"I just can't get that day out of my mind, dude," Trevor says, near tears.
"Trev, listen to me. Just try and chill, okay? Look, tonight, why don't you come over to my Uncle's house? We'll chill, maybe you can spend the night. I know it's a school night and everything but, maybe our folks will let us. I think maybe it'll help you to spend a night away from your house and the memory of that day."
"Yeah, okay. I'll ask my Mom right after school."
"Good," Dylan says as another bell rings. "I have to get to English class, and you'd better get to class, too. See you after school."
"Yeah," Trevor says, turning and walking away.
Los Angeles County Courthouse.....afternoon
"Your Honor, the People call Dr. Phillip Martinez to the stand," says assistant D.A. Jasmine Foster.
Dr. Martinez, a man of short stature and Hispanic ethnicity, walks to the front of the courtroom and places his hand on the Bible held by the bailiff. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
"I swear," Martinez replies, then takes the stand.
Jasmine Foster approaches her witness. "Dr. Martinez, you are the chief medical examiner who was in charge of conducting the autopsy on the body of the victim in this case, Brandon Christopher Williams?"
"Yes, I was."
"And what was the cause of death of the victim, in your professional judgement?"
"Were there signs of a struggle? Or any other evidence of violence on the victim's body?"
"There were some small scratches on the right side of the victim's face, but none significant enough to be used as evidence. Other than that, the blow to the head which caused the victim's death was the only sign of any physical violence."
"And the murder weapon?"
"The weapon was not found," Dr. Martinez replies.
"The weapon used to murder Brandon Williams was not found, meaning it was REMOVED from the scene of the crime, most likely by the killer. Doctor, in your opinion, what would you say the weapon used to kill Mr. Williams was?"
"It's hard to say. Could have been any heavy object. A small statuette is possible, given the nature of the blow, which shattered a portion of the base of the skull." Dr. Martinez points to the back of his own head to indicate the area he was talking about.
Sitting in the courtroom, Bridgette Williams closes her eyes and fights back tears as she listens to the gruesome details of her brother's death. Seated two rows behind Gary and Val in the courtroom, Molly also cringes as the medical examiner testifies.
"Dr. Martinez," Jasmine continues. "You testified that there were NO other signs of a struggle on the victim's body, other than the small scratches on his face? So in your opinion, doctor, Brandon Williams was caught totally unaware by his killer, and struck violently over the head while his back was turned?"
"Yes, that is my professional opinion."
Audible gasps erupt in the courtroom.
LATER....
"Bobby, I have something to tell you," Jason says. "And you're not gonna like it."
Bobby sighs. "Okay. Let me have whatever bad news it is."
"The next witness this afternoon is gonna be Detective Randall, Knots Landing PD. She'll be questioned about the evidence regarding Meg's rape. And the next witness the prosecution will call after that is...... Meg herself."
"Jasmine Foster is probably gonna question Meg about your relationship, and about the rape, to make it look as if you killed Williams in retaliation for what he did to Meg."
"Jason, you can't let that happen! That's the whole reason I wanted to avoid a jury trial in the first place, to spare Meg the humiliation of having to testify to what that monster did to her. Jason, you have to stop her!"
"Bobby, you know I can't do that," Jason says. "The prosecution has a right to call any witness it so chooses, just as we do. But Meg being called by the prosecution to testify about the rape is the least of it. It gets worse."
"How much worse can it get?" Bobby asks.
"As your attorney, when I cross examine Meg, I'm not gonna be able to go easy on her."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean that, it's my job as your attorney to make you look innocent, and sometimes that means by trying to make someone else look guilty."
"What? Meg? But, Meg is your sister."
"And you are my client, Bobby. My job is to get you out of this mess."
"By sacrificing your own SISTER?" Bobby asks. "No. No, I won't let you. You're MY lawyer, Jason, which means you work for ME. So I won't allow you to cross examine Meg. I will spend the rest of my life in prison to protect Meg or anyone else I care about." Bobby turns, walks over to the defendant's chair, and takes a seat.
"You know what makes a lawyer's job harder than just about anything else, Danny? His client being just plain stubborn. I think I need to ask the judge for a recess until tomorrow morning so I can have some time to try to talk some sense into your wife's brother."
As Jason walks away from him, Daniel looks over at Bobby with a worried expression.
The Cunningham Home....late afternoon
"Trev?" Dylans voice calls from outside, breaking Trevor's train of thought. "Hey, bro, you out here?"
"I'm in here, Dylan," Trevor answers him.
Dylan walks into the little house and sees Trevor. "You never texted me after school, dude. So can you come spend the night with me?"
"Yeah," Trevor replies. "My Mom said it was okay."
"What are you doing up there?"
"Nothing, man. Just thinking."
Trevor remains silent, seeming to stare at nothing.
"Trev, bro......are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay," Trevor says quietly. He climbs down the ladder. "I just gotta get some clothes together for school tomorrow. You asked your Dad and Aunt and Uncle, right?"
"Yeah, I did, and my Dad said it was cool with him as long as we didn't stay up late."
"Good. Okay, let's go." Trevor walks past Dylan and out of the storage house.
The MacKenzie Home....that night
"Come in," replies Meg's shaky voice.
Karen walks into the room and finds her daughter on her bed, crying. "Sweety, are you......okay?" Karen asks, walking over and taking a seat on the bed.
"Oh, sweetheart," Karen says, lovingly rubbing her daughter's back. "I wish there were some way I could take this all away from you. You know, when you were little and life threatened your happiness, I could protect you. I could stand between you and whatever threatened you. That job gets a lot harder when your kids grow up."
"There's nothing you can do for this, Mom. I created this mess all by myself, and I have to live with the consequences."
"Meg, you are NOT to blame for any of this."
"I'm the one who was stupid enough to get involved with Brandon Williams in the first place. When I first met Brandon, Mom, he was the guy that his sister described on that stand the other day. He was a good, kind, caring person. If I had known then that he'd been accused of rape when he was in college, believe me I would've turned tail and ran."
"You had no way of knowing."
"I should have. Somehow. My God, Mom, what kind of world is this when you never really know someone? What are you supposed to do to stay safe in this world? Do a background check on everyone you meet?"
"No, of course not," Karen says. "Honey, unfortunately, there are a lot of bad people out there. But you can't run and hide because of them. All we can do is use our best judgement where people are concerned, and hope they turn out to be good and decent."
"I'm scared, Mom," says Meg. "I'm so scared of the future."
"I know, baby. Sometimes, the future can look like a very scary place. A very dark and uncertain place. It's the same for everyone. It was for me when I found out I had cancer, but I overcame that. Just like you'll overcome this.......tragedy."
Meg looks at her mother. "Mom, can I ask a favor?"
"Anything," Karen says, stroking her daughter's red hair.
"This may sound stupid since I'm 28-years-old, but, could you please sit with me? Just sit with me until I fall asleep. The way you use to when I was a little girl and I was scared?"
Meg lays her head down and Karen lays down beside her daughter.
The Avery Home......later that night
"Just wanted to let you know......I got your little Facebook message about my little.....
problem in Columbus. And you telling me that if I don't get outta town you'll tell
everyone I raped five college girls. I don't like that one bit, Trevor. Not one bit."
Trevor's sleep is also haunted by visions of Brandon. "No," Trevor cries out again.
Meanwhile.....Abby's home
"Lady," Brandon said to Abby. "You're making a big mistake if you don't give me what I want. Now you paid me to come here to cause as much trouble for Meg as possible. I'm holding up my end of the bargain. I expect you to do the same."
"Your end of the bargain," said Abby. "I have kept up my end. Our agreement when George Franklin brought you here was for you to do this job for ten thousand dollars. You've got that."
"I want ten thousand more," Brandon said. "Or I spill the beans and blow you and that George guy right out of the water. How do you think your son will feel if he knows you tricked him into buying a company you used for years to launder money? I'm sure poor Brian would be just devastated at what Mommy Dearest was really up to."
Brandon laughed. "You know, that's funny. Listen to me, Abby. You've got too many secrets to be so bold with your words. Too many secrets I know about. And if I don't get that money by first thing Saturday morning, those secrets just might find their way into the wrong hands."
The Avery Home.....morning
"Yeah," Daniel says. "September 11."
"Yep. 14 years ago today, I lost Josh, my best friend from college when he was working in the World Trade Center."
"Nah. I already asked for a continuance yesterday afternoon. I seriously doubt the judge will go for it again."
"Well, if it's any consolation, Betsy and I'll be there in court supporting you."
Meanwhile.....upstairs
"You......remembered?" Asks a nervous Dylan.
Trevor begins to cry. "I finally remember what happened that night."
Dylan looks at his friend, his lower lip beginning to tremble.
Brandon's former apartment....
"Thank you, Mr. Horton," Bridgette says as they walk into the apartment.
"I'm sure glad the cops finally gave you the all-clear to get your brother's stuff together, Miss Williams," the landlord, a man of about sixty, says.
"So am I. As soon as this trial is over and I see the guy who killed my brother sent to prison, I'm anxious to get out of L.A. and back home, so my parents and I can try to start rebuilding our lives."
"I sure am sorry about your brother," Mr. Horton says. "It's still hard for me to believe that actually happened here in my building. He was a real boy, from what I knew of him in the short time he lived here."
"Thank you."
"Well, let me know when you're ready to start loading your brother's things and I'll come carry 'em down for you."
"I appreciate that," Bridgette says. "I'll let you know."
"Okay." Horton smiles at the young woman, then turns and leaves.
After he's gone, Bridgette looks around the apartment. Her eye moves to the chalk outline on the floor where Brandon had lay, and the pool of dried blood where his head had lain. She chokes back tears looking at the place where her brother's life had ended a month ago. She turns away and walks into Brandon's bedroom. There, she sees his laptop, still on the bed where he had left it the night he died. Bridgette walks over, plugs the laptop in, and turns it on. She smiles when the machine comes on and
After a moment, Bridgette turns away from the computer and walks over to her brother's dresser. She opens the top drawer and begins taking out Brandon's clothes. Once she has cleared out the top drawer, she moves to the second. She takes out several pairs of boxer shorts, then, underneath, she sees a notebook. Taking the notebook out, she opens it and looks inside. Flipping through the notebook, she sees an entry written in her brother's own hand. She smiles. Then, looking in the drawer again, she sees a bankbook. She picks it up and opens it. The first entry catches her eye - a deposit Brandon made to his account in the amount of ten thousand dollars almost three months ago, right around the time he first arrived in California. A look of confusion comes over the young woman's face. "Ten thousand dollars? Brandon, where would you get that kind of money?" Then, she notices that beside the entry is a small note written in Brandon's own hand, a note that contains two names, one of them the name of the person who paid Brandon the ten thousand.......
The Avery Home....
"Trev, I got you a drink man," Dylan says. "Dude, you need to calm down." He walks into the bedroom and finds Trevor gone. "Trev?" He calls. "Hey, bro, you in the bathroom?" Dylan walks across the hall to the bathroom but finds no Trevor. Then he hears the sound of a car starting outside. Putting the cokes down, Dylan runs down the stairs and out the front door as Trevor is about to leave. Dylan runs over to Trevor's car. "Dude, where are you going?"
"Dylan, I remembered everything that happened that night," Trevor says. "Bobby didn't kill Brandon. And I have to get to court and tell your Dad what happened. I can't let Bobby go to prison for something he didn't do."
Dylan opens the passenger door of the car and gets in. The boys then speed away, headed to the courthouse....
Meanwhile.....Los Angeles County Courthouse.....
Molly turns to her. "Oh, Bridgette, hello."
"Molly, I need to talk to you."
"Okaaay. What about?"
"How did your grandmother happen to know my brother before the two of you started dating?" Bridgette asks.
"My.......grandmother?" Molly asks.
"Yes. Abby Fairgate is your grandmother, right?"
"Yes. My stepgrandmother, anyway. Why?"
"How did she know Brandon before you and he started dating each other?" Bridgette asks.
"She didn't. In fact, she only met Brandon once while we were dating. Bridgette, why are you asking me about my grandmother?"
"That's this?" Molly asks.
"My brother's bank book. Just look inside, by the first entry."
Molly takes the book and opens it. "Ten thousand dollars?"
"Look at what Brandon wrote beside the entry. Your grandmother's name, along with someone named George Franklin. Now if Abby Fairgate didn't know my brother, then why does it say in there in his own handwriting that she paid him ten thousand dollars?"
"What did you just say?" Comes Greg's voice from behind Molly.
"Uncle Greg," says a startled Molly. "Here, take a look." Molly shows Greg the bank book.
"What does this mean?" Greg asks.
"I think it means that Abby Fairgate paid my brother ten thousand dollars to come to Knots Landing," says Bridgette.
"But why?" Molly asks.
Meanwhile....
"George......Greg Sumner here."
"Mr. Sumner, what can I do for you?" George asks.
"Well, George, I hate to break it to ya, but the jig is up. You and Ms. Fairgate are in some pretty hot water."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," George says nervously.
"Cut the crap, George. Maybe the name Brandon Williams will refresh your memory. I know all about that ten grand either your or Abby paid that kid to come to Knots Landing, and I wanna know why. You were always a lot more cooperative than Abby, so I decided I could get the answers from you easier than from her. I'm coming over to your office in ten minutes, George. BE there, and be ready with some answers for me." Greg ends the call, leaving George shaking with fear that his crimes are about to be exposed.
Back at the courthouse....
After a brief hesitation, Meg stands and slowly makes her way to the front of the courtroom. She places her hand on the Bible held by the bailiff.
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"
"I do," Meg replies. She takes her seat on the stand.
Jasmine approaches her. "Please state your full name for the court."
"Marguerite Catherine MacKenzie."
"May I call you Meg?"
"Of course."
"Fine," Jasmine says with a smile. "Meg, what is your relationship to the defendant, Bobby Ewing?"
"He......Bobby and I have had a relationship," Meg replies.
"A romantic relationship?"
"Yes."
"How long have you known each other?"
"I've known bobby my entire life."
"So......28 years?"
"Yes."
"And were you not also involved in a relationship at one time with the victim in this case, Brandon Williams?"
"I was."
"For how long?"
"For about two years."
"And what ended that relationship?" Jasmine asks.
"I found out that Brandon had been cheating on me, so I broke up with him."
"How long ago?"
"About seven months ago."
"And when was the next time you saw Mr. Williams?"
"This summer," Meg answers. "When he showed up in Knots Landing."
"Why did Mr. Williams move to Knots Landing from back east?"
"Objection, Your Honor, this calls for a conclusion."
"Objection sustained."
At that moment, Trevor and Dylan walk into the courtroom. The boys look around, and see Meg on the stand. They quietly take seats in back.
"I'll rephrase the question," says Jasmine. "Miss MacKenzie, why did Mr. Williams tell you he was in town?"
"To be near me. To try and win me back, and to make up for the way he'd hurt me."
"Did you welcome him with open arms?"
"Not at all."
"Why not?"
"Because I was still angry with him, and hurt."
"And by that time you were already back involved in a relationship with Bobby Ewing, is that correct?"
"It is."
"And what of the relationship between Bobby Ewing and Brandon Williams? Were the two men friendly?"
"No."
"Meg, is it not true that shortly after Brandon Williams arrived in Knots Landing, the defendant in this case, your boyfriend, Bobby Ewing, assaulted Mr. Williams in his own apartment?"
"Objection, Your Honor," Jason says. "No charges were filed against my client in that incident."
"But, Mr. Avery, you are admitting that there was an incident between your client and the victim, prior to the incident where charges WERE filed against Bobby Ewing for assaulting Brandon Williams."
"Objection overruled," says Judge Pastor.
"Thank you, Your Honor. This can only lead to one conclusion. The defendant in this case, Bobby Ewing, has a violent temper and a history of violent altercations with the victim, Brandon Williams."
"Brandon made a lot of enemies in the short time he was here," Meg says.
"But only one of those enemies killed Mr. Williams, and we believe that man is sitting in this courtroom on trial today for that very act."
"Objection!" Jason says angrily as audible whispers can be heard from the courtroom.
"STOP IT!!" Trevor yells from the back of the courtroom as he stands to his feet. "Please, just stop it," the boy cries. Everyone in the courtroom turns and looks at him. Molly is shocked to see her brother there.
"Order! Order in this courtroom!" The judge says, banging his gavel. "Young man, how dare you interrupt these proceedings."
"I'm sorry, Judge, but I can't let this go on," Trevor says, walking slowly forward.
"Young man, if you don't sit down, I will have to have you removed from this courtroom."
"Please, I have to say what I came here to say. Bobby Ewing didn't kill Brandon Williams."
The courtroom erupts in stunned gasps.
"Trevor, no. Don't," Bobby says.
"Order!" The judge says, losing patience as he again bangs his gavel.
"Your Honor, may I call a recess?" Jason asks.
"No, Mr. Avery," Trevor. "Just let me say it."
"Trevor, no!" Bobby says.
"Bobby, I remembered what happened. I'm not gonna let you or anyone else go to prison for something that's my fault."
"Young man, who are you?" Judge Pastor asks.
"My name is Trevor Cunningham. I was there the night Brandon Williams died. Bobby didn't kill him. I....."
"NO!" Dylan yells, standing to his feet in back of the courtroom. "I did it," he says in tears as everyone turns to look at him. "I'm sorry. Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I killed Brandon."
"Dylan, dear God, what are you saying?" Jason asks.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to do it. Please, Judge, please, let me tell what happened."
"Your Honor, under the circumstances, I think we should hear him out," Jasmine says.
"Alright, I'll allow it. But just stick to the facts. State your name."
"Dylan Avery. Jason Avery's son."
"Dylan, don't....." Bobby says.
Dylan walks to the front of the courtroom. "I was worried about Trevor, my best friend. "Brandon Williams had attacked him, and threatened him. That night, I called Trevor, and I couldn't get him, so I called his cousin, Eric, and Eric was at Trevor's house. He said that Trevor was gone and he didn't know
"Well, well," said Brandon. "More unexpected company. Get the hell in here." Brandon grabbed Dylan and pulled him into the apartment. "What the hell are you two doing here?"
"I came here to kill you," Trevor said, pulling Brian's gun from his pocket.
Brandon laughed. "You're gonna kill ME? You don't have it in you, kid." Brandon moved closer to Trevor, who started backing away.
"Don't come any closer," said Trevor, pointing the gun at Brandon's chest.
"Apparently, you didn't listen to my little warning I gave you earlier, you little punk. Now you come here to MY apartment with that toy gun, interrupt my shower, and you bring your friend here? What's goin' on between you two boys, anyway? A little......umm, funny business?"
"Trevor, dude, let's get out of here," Dylan begged.
"Pay? You're the one who's gonna pay," said Brandon. "You and your lover boy here. Couldn't leave well enough alone, could you, Trev-man?"
As Trevor tried to pull the trigger, Brandon reached out and grabbed the hand gun away from him, then shoved Trevor to the floor. Brandon stood over him and laughed.
"I told you that you were just a little boy playing a grown up game," said Brandon. "Now you're gonna find out just how grown up a game you tried to play."
"Leave him alone!" Dylan yelled.
"You SHUT THE HELL UP, LOVERBOY!" Brandon said, pointing the gun at Dylan. "You know I could kill both you punks right here, right now, and the law would be on MY side because you two boys are trespassing. Or maybe I'll just beat the hell out of you and make you remember this night for the rest of your young lives. Starting with you." Brandon pointed the gun down at Trevor, who, still on the floor, began backing away from him.
"No....no," Trevor cried. As Dylan started toward Brandon, he again pointed the gun at him.
"Take one more step, and you're dead," Brandon said. "It makes no difference to me that you're just a couple of kids, you two invaded MY home, and I have every right to defend my home against two teenage thugs."
"Look, dude, we'll just leave, okay?" Dylan asked. "Just let Trevor up and we'll go."
"Nah, it's too late for that. Besides, your loverboy here, Trevor......he doesn't listen very well because I've already warned him not to mess with me a couple times before, and yet he keeps on comin' at me. But I'm gonna make damned sure he remembers my warning this time." Brandon grabbed Trevor by the shirt collar and drew back his hand holding the gun. As Brandon was about to strike Trevor in the face with the gun, Dylan picked up a small statuette on Brandon's bookshelf and in an instant struck Brandon across the back of the head with it. Brandon dropped Trevor to the floor and stood upright. He dropped the gun to the floor. As the two frightened boys watched, Brandon staggered backward, then fell to the floor on his back.
RETURN TO THE PRESENT, AND THE STUNNED COURTROOM:
"I didn't mean to do it!" Dylan cries. "I didn't mean to kill him. I only wanted to hurt him and make him leave Trevor alone. After he fell, we saw the blood. I couldn't believe what I had done. I had killed someone. Trevor, he was so messed up all he could do was sit there and stare and cry. Then Bobby came. We didn't even know the door wasn't completely closed. Bobby walked in and he saw us. He felt for Brandon's pulse, but he was dead. Bobby told us he would take care of everything. Trevor was.....he was so messed up. He was just crying. And later, he couldn't remember anything about what happened.
FLASHBACK TO THE NIGHT BRANDON DIED:
"Bobby, I didn't mean to....."
"I know, Dylan. I know you didn't. Just get out of here. Take the back stairs and don't let anybody see you. And Dylan, whatever you do, do NOT say a word about this to ANYONE, do you understand me? Do you?"
"Yes. I understand."
"Good. Now get out. Just let me take care of this."
RETURN TO THE PRESENT, AND THE COURTROOM:
"Bobby told me that, no matter what happened, not to tell anyone what really happened that night. I picked up Trevor's Dad's gun and put it in my pocket. Trevor and me, we were so scared, and we never......I never imagined Bobby would be arrested. Even then he told me not to say anything. Bobby just wanted to protect me and Trevor. To keep us out of trouble. This morning, Trevor remembered what happened that night, but he didn't remember everything. He was gonna take the blame for killing Brandon."
"If it hadn't been for me, Dylan wouldn't have even been there," Trevor cries. "It was all my fault. If I hadn't gone there that night......none of this would be happening."
"But there was no evidence," Jason says. "No fingerprints, or any evidence that the two of you were there."
"I wiped the place down good," Bobby said. "Anything that might've had the boys fingerprints. I even disposed of the little statuette Dylan hit Williams with."
"Dad, I'm so sorry," the boy cries. "I'm so sorry, Dad."
Jason grabs his son and pulls him into a tight embrace as everyone in the courtroom looks on, completely shocked by the morning's events and Dylan's confession. Not a dry eye remains in the courtroom after what has happened. Even the prosecutor and judge are emotional over the turmoil the two boys have gone through. Bridgette Williams gets up and flees from the courtroom in tears after learning what kind of person her older brother truly was....
George Franklin's office....
"Yes, but I'll announce you."
"Don't bother, he's GONNA see me," Greg says.
"Wait, you can't just barge into Mr. Franklin's office."
"Yeah? Watch me." As Greg starts to go into the office, he finds George's door locked. He bangs on the door. "Hey, George, it's me, Sumner. I told you I wanna see you now let me in!" Greg receives no reply. "Let me in, Franklin, or I go to the cops about your connection to that Williams kid."
Suddenly, there is the loud sound of a single gunshot. George's secretary gasps as she and Greg exchanged looks. Greg then begins attempting to break the door in, ramming against it with his shoulder. He finally manages to get the door open, breaking the lock. He and the secretary run in and are greeted by the horrific sight of George sitting in his chair, his head back, blood splattered all over the window behind his chair, a pistol still clutched in his left hand. The secretary screams at the sight. George Franklin, rather than face his crimes being exposed, has blown his brains out!
Molly's apartment.....that night
"Molly, are you home? It's Scott," comes the voice from the other side of the door.
Molly gets up, walks to the door, and opens it. "Scott," she says in tears.
"Hey," he says, walking in and embracing her. "Molly, I heard about what happened in court today. About Trevor. My God, I can't believe it. I'm so sorry."
"Scott, you're the only person in the world I'd wanna see tonight."
"How is Trevor?" Scott asks.
"I really don't know. They took him and Dylan into custody. Jason Avery, Dylan's Dad, is gonna do all he can, and I think even the assistant DA said she would see what she could do about getting some kind of reduced charge or something for the boys."
"I am so sorry."
"It's literally been the day from hell. Not only did my little brother and his best friend confess to the death of Brandon Williams, but, I also found out that my grandmother.....or rather, my STEPgrandmother, Abby, was probably the person responsible for bringing Brandon here in the first place. Although I haven't spoken to her and I have no idea why she would do that."
"Abby?" Scott asks. "Hah. Figures."
"What do you mean?" Molly asks.
"Are you serious?" Molly asks.
"Yeah."
"Oh my God. What kind of woman does that? I thought that I knew her. But now I see I never really did."
"Molly, I am so sorry," Scott says, embracing her again. "I wish I could do something to help. To make you feel better."
"Would you stay with me?" Molly asks. "I don't wanna be alone tonight, Scott. I don't think I could stand to be."
"Yeah, I'll stay. I'll.....I'll sleep here on the couch."
Molly looks at him. "You don't have to. I really want to be held tonight."
Scott looks into her eyes for a moment, then kisses her. After several seconds, Brandon pulls out of the kiss. "You remember when I told you how glad I was when you told me Brian isn't your real father?"
"Yeah."
"I'm even happier about that right now than I was then," Scott says.
Molly begins kissing Scott again, this time even more passionately. Moments later, the two move into Molly's bedroom and begin undressing each other, still locked in the kiss. They move to Molly's bed, where Scott takes off his shirt and takes a seat on the bed. Molly sits on his lap and begins removing
"Oh? You wanna watch me?" Greg says as he continues. Reaching the top of the stairs, he goes down the hall to Abby's room.
"Mr. Sumner, I really MUST insist," the maid says.
Greg barges into Abby's bedroom and slams the door in the maid's face.
"I am REALLY in no mood for you tonight, after what happened to my grandson today," Abby says.
"I really don't care what mood you're in, Abby," Greg says. "You've REALLY done it this time, haven't you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"That has nothing to do with me," says Abby.
"George worked for you."
"Oh? Did you also call him and tell him to blow his brains out instead of talking to me?"
"Get out."
"I have in my possession this little book," Greg says, taking Brandon's bank book from his pocket. "This is a bankbook that belonged to a kid named Brandon Williams. Remember him? The kid that Gary and Val's son Bobby was on trial for murdering until your grandson and the Avery kid confessed? From the looks of this book, Brandon Williams was paid to move to Knots Landing by none other than Abby Fairgate and George Franklin. My guess is that you brought Williams here to cause problems for Meg, and since Meg is my biological daughter, that makes me VERY angry Abby."
"Are you finished?"
"No. I won't be finished until I find out the whole truth about what you paid the Williams kid to do. Was it to RAPE my daughter? Or destroy the lives of my daughter, my nieces, and my nephew? Kinda backfired, though, didn't it, babe? Never figured on your grandson getting so deeply involved in this."
"Get out of here!" Abby says in tears.
Greg walks to the door, then turns back to her. "I'm gonna destroy you, Abby. I'm gonna find out the truth, and you KNOW I will. And then I'm gonna make that truth known to Brian, and Olivia, and everyone else you love. And then.......then I'm really gonna destroy you once and for all for causing my family all this pain. You're gonna end up even more alone than you are already." Without another word, Greg turns and walks out, leaving Abby crying.
Gary and Val's home....
"Mom, that dinner was delicious," Bobby says.
Val smiles. "Well, you deserve it after spending a whole month in that awful jail. And after what you did for those boys."
"Yeah Bobby, that was prob'ly the bravest thing I've seen anyone do," Mack says. "You were willing to spend years and years in prison to protect those kids."
"Trevor and Dylan had both been through enough," Bobby says. "I couldn't let them be hurt any more by the likes of Brandon Williams."
"Mack, what do you think will happen to Dylan and Trevor?" Gary asks.
"They'll likely be charged with involuntary manslaughter. They won't get very harsh sentences under the circumstances."
"This whole summer seems like a long nightmare," Karen says.
"Yes it does," agrees Val. "Meg, sweety, you're awfully quiet tonight. Are you okay?"
"I just can't stop thinking about Jason. How devastated he was when Dylan confessed. It's gonna be a long time before either of them recovers from this. Trevor and his family, too."
"Jason is strong," Bobby says. "They'll recover in time. So will Trevor. You know, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Brandon's sister. I can't imagine how hard it was for her to hear what kinda person he really was after she'd had him on a pedestal her whole life. Meg, let's go for a walk."
"A walk?" Meg asks. "You must be exhausted. After what you went through, I thought you'd wanna go to bed early and sleep in your own bed."
"I do, but, I wanna go for a walk with you, and look up at the stars. This will be the first time in a month that I've seen them and I wanna share them with you."
Meg smiles, then she and Bobby gets up from the table and go outside.
"What about you, Gary?" Mack asks. "You okay?"
Val smiles as she reaches over and takes her husband's hand.
"Just look at us," says Karen. "The fab four. The four musketeers. All the things we four have been through over all these years, and we've survived it all."
"Yeah, well, I would say it's all smooth sailin' from here on," Mack says. "But, we all know better than that living in THIS cul-de-sac."
Karen, Gary, and Val all laugh at Mack's comment.
Meanwhile, Bobby and Meg walk outside and stand in the middle of the cul-de-sac. Bobby takes in a deep breath of the night air and looks up at the stars. "The sky is so clear tonight," he says.
"That's only because you haven't seen it for a month."
"Sure feels good to be home."
"You and your Dad seem to be on better terms," Meg says.
"He's trying. So am I. I'm still angry with him over Molly, but, one thing I learned sitting in that jail day after day was that, you can't hold on to resentments. Especially not where family is concerned."
"I wish I could feel that way. Because I still hate Brandon for what he did to me, and to all of us. I probably always will."
"That's normal, Meg," Bobby says.
"Bobby, I don't know how to say this, but, after what Brandon did to me, it's gonna be a while before I can......before I can....."
"Shhhhh, it's okay," Bobby says. "Meg, I understand. I'll wait as long as you need to. We survived everything Brandon Williams brought into our lives. I feel like we can survive anything now."
Bobby and Meg embrace in the middle of the cul-de-sac, then stare up at the stars together, ready to face whatever comes their way in the future....