3×02: Never Be The Same Again
Previously on Liberty City:
Keith and Monica’s divorces are finalized as they make a decision concerning their futures.
Jamie reveals her choice of fiancé, Derek, at the opening of The City Art Gallery.
Garrett and Jennifer have an early evening dinner.
Susan see’s Jason in a new light.
Scene One: The Smithson Home
745 Brooklyn Road
Liberty City, New York, 01948.
Dan tosses and turns in his bed, clearly having disturbing dreams. As he snaps out of the dream, he awakens in a sweat. As he turns to his left, he notices the other side of his bed is empty and neatly made. He ask himself out loud, “Cassandra?” As he gets out a bed, he makes his way down the hallway and peaks into Claire’s room and notices her crib to be empty, with the mobile still playing. He exclaims out loud, “Claire!”
As he rushes downstairs, he quickly searches the whole house. As he enters into the kitchen, he’s nonchalantly greeted by Cassandra, who is cooking breakfast for the pair while Claire sits in her highchair and eats some Cheerios. “Good morning sleepy pants,” she greets her husband. She continues, “Did you sleep well?” After breathing a sigh of relief, he responds, “I’m fine. I just woke up and you nor Claire were there. I got a little freaked out.”
As Dan notices Claire, he questions, “Why is she eating Cheerios? She’s not supposed to be.” “I figured they’d be okay. I had them when I was her age,” Cassandra responds. “No. She can’t Cassandra. She needs something more than that. Her condition requires it.” As he un-straps Claire from her highchair, he mutters, “Leah wouldn’t have screwed up.”
As Dan brings Claire back upstairs, Cassandra stands over the sink staring off into the distance, as blood pours out of her hand, which has grasped and shattered a glass.
Scene Two: The Buzz Café
10 Windmill Street
Liberty City, New York, 01948.
Jessica walks into The Buzz Café and at the counter orders a black coffee. As she receives her coffee, she goes over to the side bar and begins to add sugar and cream to her coffee. Before she stirs it up, she pulls out a small caplet from her purse. As she cracks open the caplet, she pours the inside materials into the coffee. Making sure no one is looking, she throws the caplet out. As she begins to stir the substance into her coffee, a surprising voice says, “Hello Jessica.”
As she turns around, she sees Jason Spencer standing behind her. Dumbfounded and hoping she hasn’t been caught, she stands still. He says again, “It’s common courtesy to usually say ‘Hello’ back to remain civil you know.” Snapping out of her daze she says, “Oh yes, hi. I’m sorry, you startled me. I wasn’t expecting you to come up behind me.” “Oh. I’m sorry, I just wanted to say hi and see how you were doing,” Jason apologizes. “It’s fine Jason. Don’t worry about it. How are you doing?”
Jason smiles and replies, “I’m doing fine. Hospital has been a bit frantic since there’s been a sudden blast of incoming staff. A lot of us are afraid our jobs are at risk.” “Oh, Jason. I’m so sorry to hear that. That’s terrifying.” Jason asks, “Do you want to maybe sit down over a cup of coffee and catch up?” “I don’t know. I do have things to do,” Jessica says trying to get out of it. “Come on Jess, it’s only a cup of coffee. It’s no harm, no foul.”
Jessica nods in agreement as the two go to grab a table. Jessica turns around to the lanai, obviously worried about what or who may appear at the café.
Scene Three: Town House Nº2
1250 Oakland Road
Liberty City, New York, 01948.
Diane sits at her dining room table, rummaging through paperwork that she has finally caught up on. Realizing she had been up all night, she removes her glasses, leans back and closes her eyes for just a moment. Adam then creeps up behind her and behinds giving her a neck massage.
“Good morning,” he whispers into her ear. Impressed, Diane responds, “Good morning. How are you?” “I’m doing alright. I at least slept through the night.” “You were tossing and turning, so I got up to do some work. Luckily I’m mostly caught up. Law cases are slowing down. Tax season is here, so I’m going to be getting that going.”
“You should open your own firm and stop doing all the work by yourself,” Adam remarks. She gives him a look and responds, “And you should call your daughter.” “I’ve tried. She won’t pick up.” “Still? Why isn’t she answering?” “I don’t know. Madison must have gotten to her. Ava was only the classic Daddy’s Little Girl until daddy became the big bad wolf and wouldn’t let her make the decisions she wanted to make.”
As Adams goes towards the kitchen, Diane remarks, “In other words, she became a teenager.” “I suppose you’re right. I just wish she would let me back in.” Diane embraces Adam into a hug, comforting him in his obvious hurt.
Scene Four: Loft Nº1 (The Johnson Loft)
1219 Bunker Hill Avenue
Liberty City, New York, 01948.
Theo opens up the fridge and grabs a bottle of beer. He cranks the bottle cap off of the granite countertop and chugs down a huge gulp. As he heads for the couch, a friendly knock is heard at the door. As he hears the knock, he begins to flash in and out of reality, thinking back to a dark room where knocks become increasingly louder and louder.
“Theo,” a voice says. As he is shaken, he’s snapped fully back into reality to see his aunt Donna in front of him. She asks, “Are you okay? I was knocking on the door for a while and you didn’t answer.” “I’m sorry, I zoned out and I couldn’t snap out,” Theo says. “Are you sure you’re okay?” “Yes, I am fine. What are you doing here?”
Donna sits herself on the couch with Theo and explains, “Cristina wasn’t sure she wanted to leave. I promised her I’d move in and look after you for her.” “Well wasn’t that caring of her and yourself to do. So glad you could finally start supporting a family member other than your own family,” Theo retorts in a snide attitude.
“Theo, I’m here to support you. The woman your mother described as vindictive is not who I am anymore. I’m grown, I’ve matured,” Donna pleads. Theo responds, “You may be all that then or you may be all that now. No matter what that’s who you are. You weren’t here when father died. No support then. Why now? What makes this time different? When will I finally be left alone?”
As Theo storms off, Donna thinks to herself, as she sits back down onto the couch.
Scene Five: Liberty City Hotel, Room 534
300 Earp Street
Liberty City, New York, 01948.
Patricia opens the door to her hotel room and is greeted by a darkened room. As she closes the door and turns on the light, she is startled by the vision of Leah standing in front of her in a dead standstill. She asks, “Leah? What are you doing standing in the darkness?” “I stand here waiting for you Patricia,” Leah responds without emotion. “How dare you address me so informally? I raised you better than that Leah.” “You didn’t even raise me. I raised myself.”
Patricia drops her bags and nonchalantly removes her coat and hangs it over the chair sitting in front of the desk. She ask, “So what are you doing here?” “I was kicked out,” Leah responded. “Kicked out? Daniel kicked you out?” “No. Cassandra did.” Shocked, Patricia turns around and asks, “Cassandra? How could she?”
“Oh mother don’t act surprised. You know what she did and why she did it,” Leah says. Patricia, stunned, responds “What do you mean? What did she do?” “She married Daniel. And took Claire. And they’re living happily ever after, my happily ever after.” “Stop being selfish Leah. Why can’t you be happy for your sister and niece? They both have the family they deserve.”
Leah exclaims, “No! It is the family I deserve that I never got.” “What do you mean? I gave you a family,” Patricia explains. “No you didn’t. You gave inconsistency and no ground to stand on. It was like some days you were there and some days you weren’t. You were beyond an absentee parent. I was the parent.”
As Patricia closes her eyes to calm herself, a sudden charge and immediately heads towards Leah and slaps her straight across the face. She says, “Don’t you ever disrespect me like that again. I am your mother.” Leah turns her head back, seemingly turned on by the idea of finally having it out with someone who was willing to play on equally playing ground.
Scene Six: The Smithson Home
745 Brooklyn Road
Liberty City, New York, 01948.
As Dan sits on the couch, looking over police reports, he is startled by Cassandra’s appearance. She says, “I heard what you said in the kitchen.” “Excuse me,” Dan says. “You said Leah wouldn’t have screwed it up.” “Well, she wouldn’t have.” “Because Leah’s perfect, she was there from the beginning, I wasn’t. I was robbed of my time with my daughter. Everyone treats me as if I’m the martyr of the story, but no one is giving me a chance to rectify myself or my past.”
Dan grabs Cassandra’s hand and says, “I didn’t know you felt that way. I apologize.” “I just want the chance to show that I am capable of being a mother. I love that little girl up there,” Cassandra pleads. “Maybe we need to change that. Maybe we need to show people how serious you and I are about being a family.”
Cassandra smiles and gets up to head back upstairs. She pauses at the bottom stair and questions, “Dan. Did you marry me because you wanted to or because you wanted Claire?” Dan freezes, turns around and replies, “I married you because I wanted to. So if you’re asking if I regret my decision, I don’t.” Cassandra smiles and continues on back upstairs.
Dan smiles back and turns back around to his paper. And reveals that underneath the page he was looking at was an old photograph of him, Leah and Claire.
Scene Seven: The Buzz Café
10 Windmill Street
Liberty City, New York, 01948.
Jason and Jessica take a seat at a table inside of the café and begin to catch up. Jason asks Jessica, “So, how have you been? Keeping busy?” “Yeah. I’m just doing my own thing, you know. I’m living my life and dealing with the drama of my parents,” she replies. “Yeah, I heard about your father and Monica. That’s insane.” “Yeah, cheating runs in the family marriage line more than I thought.”
“Hey,” Jason remarks. “Don’t go there.” “Why not? My father cheated on my mother, my aunt cheated on my father and you cheated on me. It’s a continuous cycle,” she responds. “Jessica, this isn’t why I wanted to talk.” “And I didn’t want to talk at all.”
Jessica grabs her jacket and purse and heads for the side exit. Outside, she opens up two more caplets and instead of mixing them in her drink, she downs them both into her system. As she chugs back the rest of her coffee, she throws out the cup and walks off; Jason looks on, seemingly worried about that antics his ex-wife is now up to.
Scene Eight: Loft Nº1 (The Johnson Loft)
1219 Bunker Hill Avenue
Liberty City, New York, 01948.
Donna talks on the phone with her niece, Meredith: “Well, I need to speak to Logan. I’m happy she’s doing good, but she’s need here as much as it pains me to admit that. Well, tell her I called Meredith. Okay, love you too girl.”
As Donna hangs up, Theo interrupts saying, “Why did you call for my mother?” “Because Theo, I’m concerned about you and the hotel needs her,” she responds. “We don’t need her. I don’t need her. Your concerns for me is fine, but keep it to yourself Aunt Donna. Please. I can take care of myself.”
As Donna tries to comfort Theo by placing her hand on his arm, Theo, in a fit of sudden rage pushes the hand off of him, throwing her into a side-table. Stunned, Donna looks at Theo with a look of freight. Frightened by his own actions, Theo runs for his bedroom and locks the door.
Scene Nine: Liberty City Hotel, Room 534
300 Earp Street
Liberty City, New York, 01948.
“You were no parent to me mother. You were barely there,” Leah pleads in anger. She replies, “I was there every single day until you left of your own free will.” “No. I left because I couldn’t depend on you to be there for me. Why do you think Cassandra left and I had to be there for her as well?” “Because, you took her in.”
“No,” Leah begins to rant. “She came to me in tears. She didn’t feel safe mother. She said you’d go from loving and caring to bitchy and heartless in the next moment. There’s something seriously wrong with you, whether it’s alcohol or drugs. You need help, help I am not willing to give you.”
Fed up with her mother, she grabs her bags and her belongings and immediately leaves the hotel room, leaving Patricia to stand in front of a mirror image of herself. Disgusted, she closes her eyes and immediately re-opens them and bursts into tears.
Scene Ten: Town House Nº2
1250 Oakland Road
Liberty City, New York, 01948.
As Diane sits back at her dining room table, in a new change of clothing, she heads back into her work. As she divulges fully into her work, a knock is heard at the door. As she heads for the door, expecting to see Adam, she opens it to find Jason. “Jason,” she says. “What are you doing here?” He responds, “Is anyone here?” “No, why? What’s going on? You’re shaking.”
“I think there’s reason to believe that Jessica is on something. Something illegal,” Jason responds. Both shocked, they head into Jessica’s room. As the two of them tear the room apart, Jason stumbles on a drawer with a box in it. As he opens the box, he sees pills upon pills. Ecstasy, opiates and other illegal drugs were found inside of the box, shocking both Diane and himself. Underneath them lay photographs and he and Natalie involved in their torrid affairs together.
Dumbfounded, he takes the box. “Go. I promise I’ll keep her out of her room,” Diane promises him. “Thank you,” he responds before taking off with the drugs and belongings. As he leaves, Jessica looks on from a distance down the hallway, un-denounced to Diane nor Jason.
On the Next Liberty City:
Jamie confesses to Dustin that she does not love him.
Monica and Keith break the news of their elopement to loved ones.
Garrett finally comes face to face with Tori.
A new face comes into town.