2×14 My Dirty Little Secret, Part I
Previously on Liberty City:
Monica goes into labor.
Jamie has flashbacks to the accident.
Everyone celebrates Thanksgiving in Liberty City.
Scene One: The Smithson Residence, 1423 Seneca Avenue, Liberty City, 01948.
Susan and Keith help each other hang a banner that reads WELCOME HOME BABY. “Can you believe it,” Keith says. “A brand-new grandbaby in our lives.” Susan smiles and replies, “Yeah, Keith. A brand-new grandbaby. But why are you here Keith?” “What do you mean Susan? Why wouldn’t I be here?” “Because, when I last talked to you, you had no intentions of coming here or being with me.”
Keith lets out a sigh, and hugs Susan and says, “Susie-Q, I could never give up on you. I love you. I guess it just took us being apart for a while for the love to grow.” “You better say that Smith, or I’ll bust a cap up under your ass,” Susan jokes back, kissing her husband.
“Ew, that’s nasty grandma,” Little D says to Susan. “You know what’s gross? Little boys who don’t take their baths. Now get your behind upstairs and take a bath,” Susan replies. As Little D stomps his way upstairs, Monica and Dustin walk in with their baby. “What’s his issue,” Dustin asks. Susan and Keith rush over to their son and brand-new baby grandchild. “Mom, dad, we want you to meet Isaac Peter Smithson,” Dustin says.
Scene Two: The Spencer Residence, 12 Mohegan Avenue, Liberty City, 01948.
Clothes strung across the floor; underwear, shirts, pants, messy sheets. Derek and Jamie lay in bed together, their first time being together since the accident. “I never thought we’d get here Jamie, I really never did,” Derek says out loud. “I didn’t either. I felt so lost like I was trapped in this maze and kept getting thrown back to the beginning,” Jamie replies, cuddling into Derek’s naked chest. As the two go in for a kiss, the doorbell goes off. Startled, the pair get out of bed and put on their retrospective robes.
As Jamie goes and opens the door, she’s greeted by her sister Sophie. “Jamie, I didn’t expect to see you here,” Sophie says. Jamie, shocked to see her sister, replies, “Neither did I. But I guess things happen in life.” The two sisters embrace and Jamie whispers into Sophie’s ear, “I’m sorry Soph. I had no idea.” “All is forgiven.”
“So what are you doing here,” Jamie asks her sister. “I came to say goodbye to Derek. Was planning on going to Jennifer’s too to say it to you,” Sophie replied. “Goodbye? What do you mean goodbye?” “I mean, I’m going home. I miss my husband and my son. I’ve been away from them for far too long.”
“I’m sure going to miss you,” Jamie says. “Me too Jam. I’m just so sorry we couldn’t have visited more.” “We’ll get together soon, and there will be no bus rides.” As the two girls share a laugh, they both receive a text. Both realize it’s from Monica and it says: “Baby Isaac Peter Smithson brought into this world. Would love to see his aunties.” Both the sisters look at each other, not really wanted to go see their new nephew.
Scene Three: The Smithson Home, 745 Brooklyn Road, Liberty City, 01948.
Leah sleeps soundly in her bed, and turns her body over only to find no one sleeping next to her. As she makes her way to Claire’s room, she discovers her missing, too. Frantic, Leah hurries her way downstairs. She is then relieved to see Dan and Claire playing together on the living room floor. “Ooh! Claire! Look who’s finally up,” Dan overly exclaims in excitement to Claire.
Overjoyed that nothing was wrong, Leah smiles and joins Dan and Claire on the floor. As the three of them play together, the doorbell rings. Leah then rushes herself up to answer the door. “Hello Leah, may I come in,” Cassandra says to her sister upon letting herself in without warrant. Leah, clearly unpleased by her sister’s unexpected arrival, replies, “Cassandra what don’t you get out. I mean, no one wants a spoiled little girl here.” “Then, why are you here then,” Cassandra snarls back to her sister. “Hi Claire, you remember me? I’m your mommy!”
Leah, worried about her sister’s presence tells Dan, “Dan, mind taking Claire upstairs. There are some things Cassandra and I need to discuss without her here.” As Dan picks up Claire, he walks upstairs, leaving Cassandra and Leah alone to stare intently at each other, as if a tigress were about to go after her prey.
“Now, Cassandra, what the hell are you doing here?” Leah asks her sister. Giving a devilish grin, Cassandra replies, “I’m here for my daughter. And you can’t stop me, and if you try, I’ll take you out.” “You can’t take Claire, you have no parental right. Those belong to me and Dan, her parents.” “No Leah, I’m here for my daughter. She’s mine and forever will be.”
“Being a mother conceives of a love you could never possess,” Leah says leaning in close to Cassandra. Cassandra, not threatened, leans into Leah and replies, “Blood runs thicker than water Leah. I have that connection to Dan that you have yet to be given. I have the child, not you.”
Scene Four: The Smithson Residence, 1423 Seneca Avenue, Liberty City, 01948.
Sitting on the couch, Dustin connects to his parents as Sophie puts baby Isaac down for a nap. “So son,” Keith begins. “How does it feel to be a daddy again?” Dustin smiles and replies, “Feels good. To have that little responsibility and someone to lean on you. It’s special.”
“Well son, being a granddaddy again feels good, too. But calm it down. Between you and your brother, I’m getting tons of grandbabies,” Keith jokes with his son. “I’ll try dad. Having three kids is enough for right now.”
Susan interrupts and says, “I think I should go check on Little D and see how that bath is working out for him.” “Thanks ma.”
Upstairs, Susan quickly checks on Little D, who’s in his bedroom getting dressed. “Hey little man, didn’t think you’d be all dressed and set,” Susan says. “Yeah I’m a big boy now. I got a little brother to take care of,” Little D replies with a big smile. “Yes you do, but you get some sleep. See you in a little bit.” “Ok grandma, good night.” Susan snuggles Little D into bed and kisses him on the forehead. She turns out his light and leaves the door open a crack.
As she prepares to go downstairs, Susan hears Monica talking to Isaac in his nursery.
“You, my son, are going to have everything that I never ever had. A dad that loves you and a mommy, a mommy that knows how to protect her son. And nobody will have to know. No they won’t, no they won’t,” Monica says to Isaac. Susan, heightened by Monica’s revelations, picks back up her suspicions that Isaac is not fathered by Dustin at all.
Scene Five: The Spencer Residence, 12 Mohegan Avenue, Liberty City, 01948.
Jamie and Sophie sit on the couch, pondering the text they’ve just gotten. “Do we go to her?” Sophie asks. “See who may I ask,” Derek interrupts, making his entrance. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Jamie smiles, grabs Derek’s hand and says, “No, it’s fine. You didn’t interrupt anything important.” “What did I interrupt then?” “Just a text from Monica. She had her baby,” Sophie replies.
Derek smiles and goes, “Well, that’s a fun thing. New life is always beautiful.” Jamie laughs and says, “Yeah, new life is. But I wouldn’t call hers beautiful. I’d call it desperate.” Derek and Sophie both look at each other and say, “She’s back.” “You’re damn right I’m back. And I’m picking up where I left off, and that’s regaining my Independence and my children.”
Sophie laughs and replies, “You never lost your Independence. You’ll always be tough and strong and resilient. You’re the strongest person I know.” Jamie pouts and says, “Oh, I don’t want you to leave.” Derek, confused says, “Leaving? What do you mean you’re leaving?” Sophie explains, “My husband and my son have been without me for a long time. I want to see them. And with Jamie becoming more Independent with her memory back, I’m not needed.”
“You’re always needed,” Jamie pouts while hugging her sister. Sophie and Derek exchange looks, both sad that she would be leaving town, without plans of coming back.
Scene Six: The Smithson Home, 745 Brooklyn Road, Liberty City, 01948.
“Blood running thicker than water? If that’s your attempt to be philosophical, you’ve failed,” Leah notes to Cassandra. Cassandra hands a folded piece of paper to Leah, who asks, “What’s this?” Cassandra smiles and replies, “Legal documentation, saying that I can and will be taking Claire with me when I leave in a matter of moments.” “You can’t do this Cassandra. Are you not aware of the fragile state she’s in?”
Cassandra holds a questionable look on her face and replies, “Yes I am. A fragile state that she would not be in had you not pushed me into a glass table.” “You were strangling me, what was I meant to do? Let you kill me?” “Would’ve done this world some good.”
Leah, clearly pissed, says, “Cassandra I have done nothing but clean up your messes since mom couldn’t tell the difference between a bottle and a bed. I am not giving up that precious little star upstairs because you feel you’re entitled to some damn rights.” “Cleaning up my messes? You’re the one who slept with Dan. I hardly call that cleaning up a mess. I call that making one.” “Can’t blame the man for choosing a woman over an easy slut.” “Looks who’s talking now. You’re the one who slept with him! You’re the easy one!”
Leah rips up the notification, goes to the door and says in a firm toned voice, “Get out!” “Not without my daughter,” Cassandra says heading upstairs. Leah grabs Cassandra’s arm, pulling her back. As the two women glare into each other’s eyes, Cassandra yanks her arm away and goes to exit the home. At the door she says, “You’ve been prepared. I will be back Leah, and next time, I won’t be leaving until Claire is in my possession.”
Leah slams the door, and goes upstairs to join Dan and Claire in the bedroom where both are seen sleeping together. Leah joins them, cuddling up next to Claire.
Scene Six: The Spencer Residence, 12 Mohegan Avenue, Liberty City, 01948.
After hugging, Sophie and Jamie pull apart wiping the tears from their eyes. “Wow, look at us, we’re a bunch of messes,” Sophie says. Jamie laughs in agreement.
Derek interrupts and says, “I’m going to go into the other room to give you two time to say goodbye.” Derek and Sophie hug goodbye, with Sophie saying, “Take good care of you. You hear me? She’s my sister, don’t ever hurt her.” Derek laughs and agrees. Sophie laughs and says, “He’s a keeper.” Jamie laughs and agrees, “Yeah, he is. He’s not bad to look at either.”
The two girls share a laugh, almost forgetting that Sophie was about leave to return home. “I’m gonna miss you,” Jamie quietly says. Sophie lets out a said smile and says, “I’m going to miss you too Jam.” The two share a final hug, and as they pull away, Sophie says, “I’ll come back. I just need to be with my husband.” Jamie nods and says, “I know. I get it. I need to be with my man, too.”
At the door, Jamie tells her sister, “Drive carefully.” Sophie smiles and replies, “I will. I’ll call you when I get home.” Jamie nods in agreement and watches her sister walk off.
Derek walks up behind Jamie and holds her from behind. “You okay?” he asks her. “With you,” Jamie says, turning around. “I’ll be fine.” The two close the door and the two proceed back upstairs to finish what they had started earlier in the day.
Scene Eight: The Smithson Residence, 1423 Seneca Avenue, Liberty City, 01948.
Monica comes downstairs, to only see Dustin sitting on the couch. “Where’s Susan and Keith?” she asks. Dustin replies, “Mom is in the kitchen and dad went out. And we need to talk.”
Confused, Monica replies, “About what?” “About who fathered your baby,” Susan says appearing from behind Monica. “Susan, you startled me.” “Did I Monica? Is that what this is about?”
“I’m not doing this you two,” Monica says storming off. Stopped by Dustin, he says, “Yes are you Monica. I’m tired of being pushed around.” “You’re feeding into your mother’s obsession? You can’t trust me? You’re wife?” Susan, clearly irked, replies, “Yes, the wife that left for several months and came home miraculously pregnant. And we both know you two weren’t having sex, so who’s the daddy?” “You’re believing your mother?”
Dustin calmly replies, “I knew Monica. My mother shared her suspicions with me a while back and I made her toss them away. Until she heard you talking upstairs.” “You eavesdropped on me and my son Susan? How desperate are you?” Susan chuckles and replies, “Not as desperate as the wannabe housewife in front of me. Who is the father of Isaac, Monica? Just tell us, and end this charade.”
Dustin grabs Monica by her shoulders and asks, “Monica, am I the father of Isaac?” Monica swiftly replies, “Yes.” “You’re lying to me Monica, now tell me, am I the father of Isaac?” Dustin asks again, this time in a firmer tone. “Yes,” Monica says walking off.
Susan, not putting up with Monica’s antics anymore, grabs her by the arm and says, “You may be able to fool my son, but you don’t fool me Monica. It’s up. Your charade is up. Enough hiding behind the belly, it’s not there anymore. Come clean.” “About what? I’ve been faithful to Dustin,” Monica says, facing away from both Susan and Dustin.
“Monica,” Dustin says in his firmest tone yet. “Turn around.” With no response, Dustin grabs Monica’s arm and forcefully turns her around and says, “I said turn around. Look me in the eyes, is Isaac my son.”
Looking directly into Dustin’s eyes, Monica’s emotions gain the best of her and with tears building in her eyes, she replies quietly, “No.” “Who is,” Dustin demands. “Monica, if I’m not the father of that baby upstairs, who is,” Dustin exclaims in rage.
“I am,” says a male at the front door. As everyone turns to the door, Susan and Dustin’s face grow in horror as Keith stands at the door, staring at his wife and son.
TO BE CONTINUED…