2×02: Aftermath Part III
Previously on Liberty City:
Susan and Monica’s relationship continues to turn to the point of no return.
Derek wants to take the next step with Jamie.
Brenda decides to keep a secret from her family.
Alecia makes an offer to Cristina about LCH Shares.
Jamie’s life hangs in the balance.
Scene One: The Smithson Residence, 1423 Seneca Avenue, Liberty City, 01948.
The house maintains a feeling of sadness and heartbreak. Monica sits on the couch, which Derek in a chair. Both sit there quietly, pondering the news they’ve received. Dustin then walks in, holding a cup of tea and joins Monica saying, “Baby, here. Drink this, it will help calm you.” Monica pushes her hand against refusing the drink and says, “No. I don’t want it. Not until Jamie is found.”
Susan walks in from the kitchen with a cell phone in her hands and announces, “I just got off the phone with Jessica. She’s coming over and she’s bringing little Derrick with her. I didn’t tell them much, didn’t want them to worry on the car ride over.” “Good idea,” Dustin replies. Monica speaks out and says, “I think I’m going to go lay down.” “Okay, I’ll take you up”
As Dustin takes Monica upstairs to lay down, Susan looks over to Derek to see the pain in his eyes, realizing someone other than her son is in love with Jamie.
Scene Two: Dan/Leah’s Residence, 745 Brooklyn Road, Liberty City, 01948.
Dan opens the door to his bedroom to see Leah sitting in a chair looking through a photo album. As he begins to walk away to not interrupt Leah, she says, “She was such a happy sister. I loved playing with her. She was like my mini me. And now look at her, she’s taken away from me.”
Dan opens the door and says, “She wasn’t taken away. She’ll come home.” “Home? To what?” “To a loving sister and a daughter.” “Oh my God, Claire. What are we going to do? We were going to bring her home.”
Dan pulls Leah’s hand into his own and says, “And we still will, but not until you’re ready for that. I know it’s a big responsibility, especially given her condition.” “No, we have to. She needs to have a warm and comforting home. Claire has to come home to us.”
Scene Three: The Johnson Estate, 721 San Quentin Avenue, Liberty City, 01948.
Meredith leads Logan to the couch, and sits her down. “Oh honey, you don’t need to take care of me. Not yet, anyway. I’m not old and balding,” Logan says. “If I don’t take of you,” Meredith begins, “who will? Grandma? Jennifer?” “I can take care of myself. I’m a grown woman.” “Then why does it look like you haven’t eaten in weeks, and you’re dropping your precise teapots. And you’re arguing with Cristina and ignoring Theo.”
Logan takes a deep breath and goes, “Meredith, I appreciate you coming back into my life. I love you, you’re my daughter. But I don’t need you protecting me, I can take care of myself.” “Then, I guess I’ll go get settled into my room. It’s still where it is, correct?” Logan nods.
As Meredith begins to leave, a knock comes to the door. She opens it and is greeted by Donna who says, “Meredith, nice to see you.” “Hi Aunt Donna, how have you been. Please, come in,” Meredith says to her Aunt. “Thank you Meredith. Is your mother home?” “Yes, I am Donna. What do you want?” Logan says and asks. Donna walks into the home and says, “I want to talk to you and our sister about our mother.” “Our mother? What has she grown an actual heart lately?” “I’d like to wait until Jennifer can get here.”
“I’m here,” Jennifer says standing in the doorway.
Scene Four: The Smithson Residence, 1423 Seneca Avenue, Liberty City, 01948.
Susan walks herself over to Derek and says, “Derek you should go home and get some rest. I’ll call you if anything comes up.” Derek shakes his head, rubs his eyes and says, “No. I won’t go home without her, knowing she’s safe.” “You really do care about her, don’t you?” “Yes ma’am I do. I love her.” “Please Derek, call me Susan. Ma’am is too formal and makes me feel older than I should.”
Susan lays a hand on Derek’s shoulders and grasps it tight. She says, “We’ll find her Derek, I promise you. And if you break her little heart I’ll kill you, hear me?” With both letting out a little laugh in between their tears he says, “I do hear you.” As the two embrace each other in a hug, the door rushes open and Jessica, along with her brother Derrick rush in.
[THE ROLE OF JESSICA LANE SPENCER WILL NOW BE PORTRAYED BY ASHLEY BENSON.]
“Grandma! Dad! Anywhere here?” Jessica exclaims as she enters the house. “Oh there you are. And Derek, you’re here too. Is everything alright?” Before either Susan and Derek can answer, Derrick comes running around from the corner and exclaims, “Nana!!” Derrick runs over to Susan who embraces him with the biggest hug and says, “Oh, my little nugget isn’t so little anymore. You still always give the bestest hugs though.” Derrick replies, “I know Nana, and you always have the nicest presents. Did you bring me one this time?” “Well, don’t you just cut right to the chase. Listen, there are some cookies and milk on the kitchen table. Why don’t you go in there and eat them while I talk to your sister, okay?” “Okay Nana,” Derrick says as he runs off into the kitchen.
When the ghost is clear of Derrick being in the kitchen, Jessica breaks the silence and says, “Okay obviously something is going on. You sent him into the kitchen, and Derek is here. Derek is never here, you hate Dad for what he did to Mom. Wait is everything okay with Mom?” Susan extends her arm to the couch and says, “You should sit down honey. We have some news to tell you.” “Grandma, you’re scaring me.”
As all three adults sit down, Susan takes Jessica’s hand into her own and begins, “There was an accident. There was a bus crash and your mom was on that bus coming home to us.” Jessica in a struggle of fighting back tears pleads, “Oh God no. Please tell me?” “She hasn’t been found, but they are continually looking. No one is going to give up until we can find her,” Derek says placing a hand on Jessica’s shoulder as a form as comfort.
Scene Five: Dan/Leah’s Residence, 745 Brooklyn Road, Liberty City, 01948.
Leah walks across the hall to the room that was supposed to be for Claire and begins to organize it to be perfect for the baby. Dan follows and questions, “Leah, what are you doing? It’s not like we’re bringing her home today.” Leah in an absent reply says, “Why can’t we? You said we wouldn’t until I was ready, and I’m clear as day ready to bring your daughter home with us.”
As Leah walks to go get blankets for the crib, Dan grabs her arms and holds her still and says, “Leah, I don’t doubt how ready you are for this. I just think you’re rushing this because Patricia took Cassandra and didn’t tell anyone. And that’s okay, but I really don’t think it’s a good time for either of us to have a baby around.” “So you’d keep her there and neglect her when she could have a safe, warm, comforting home with us? That’s not the Dan Smithson I fell in love with who would do anything to have his children around him at all times.”
As Leah pushes herself out of Dan’s grip, she walks out of the room and downstairs into the kitchen. As Dan stays behind, he picks up the photo album she was just looking through. Upon opening it, she realizes it’s not one from her childhood, it’s one for his own daughter. Seeing captions such as “Mommy and me,” “Mommy with Auntie,” etc. truly made him realize why she was so adamant about bringing Claire home.
Scene Six: The Johnson Estate, 721 San Quentin Avenue, Liberty City, 01948.
“What is it you seem to have the need to talk to us about concerning our mother Donna? Because I have a feeling this isn’t going to be brunch conversation,” Jennifer says placing her bag and coat down onto a chair in the parlor. “You both should sit,” Donna says in a concerning tone to her sisters.
As Logan and Jennifer begin to sit, Meredith says, “I’ll just be upstairs if anyone needs me.” “Thank you sweetie,” Logan says in a motherly tone. She then turns to Donna and says, “Now what is it you seem to concerned about? Is she dying?” “No, she isn’t, not yet anyway. But she is working her way towards that,” Donna begins to explain. “Donna just spit it out already,” Jennifer says in an annoyed tone. “Our mother has been battling alcohol addiction for years. And I’m afraid she’s fallen off the wagon again.”
Both Logan and Jennifer look at each other with a look of confusion. “Alcoholism? This is the big issue with our mother? Bitch Mother of the Year Award would be more concise,” Jennifer bluntly speaks. “That’s why we haven’t visited in years. The pain of Dad’s death totally destroyed her, and drove her into alcohol. That’s why she left to come live with me. Listen, if I knew you two would be not so concerned with our mother, I wouldn’t have told you. But I already dealt with this issue once, and thought I could…” Logan interrupts, “Did she seek treatment? How could you or she keep this from us?” “She didn’t want anyone to know. When I found out, I sent her immediately to the best rehab facility in the states that I felt was safe for her.” “Where? Was it here in New York?” “No, Pasadena Recovery Center.”
Jennifer speaks out, “How did you get her back into the country without telling us or alerting us?” Donna explains, “She wanted this to be extremely discreet. She was in and out of Pasadena Recovery for months. By the fifth visit, I didn’t think she’d ever recover. But then I threatened to reveal her secret to you guys and it caused her to get better.” “Or so you thought,” Logan says.
“What’s that supposed to mean Logan?” Donna questions. “It means that maybe she didn’t get better, and faked her way through rehab and being sober all these years. I mean there has to be some reason why she picked up drinking again.” Jennifer has a light bulb go off in her head and says, “The meeting at The Lounge in the hotel. That should’ve been the big tip off. Donna, you kept looking at Mom’s drink the whole time we were there. And then I got called out by Logan, and when I was leaving, I turned around to go back to the table to give you something and you and her were fighting.” Donna gives Jennifer and guilty look and says, “We were fighting, because I insisted she wasn’t drinking but I knew she was. And Logan, I think the death of Tim is was is sending her over the edge.” Logan looks at Donna with a look of upset and says, “How dare you.” “How dare I?” “Yes how dare you! How dare you come into my home, and make it seem like the death of my son has sent his absent drunk of a grandmother back to the bottle. I’m surprised it hasn’t sent me to the bottle.”
“Okay Donna, I think it’s time for you to go,” Jennifer says escorting her to the door. As Donna prepares to leave Jennifer whispers in her ear, “I’ll get her to come around. Don’t worry.” Jennifer then turns to Logan and says, “Logan, I don’t think Donna meant harm, and I do believe Mom does have a problem with alcohol and I-” Logan interrupts, “Listen if you’re going to defend Donna then do it outside of my house. My daughter in here and I’d love to spend some time with her in peace before the services.”
“Show yourself out,” Logan says as she walks upstairs to see her daughter. Jennifer turns and looks at a picture of her, her sisters and their mother and then turns and grabs her bag and coat, and leaves the estate.
Scene Seven: The Smithson Residence, 1423 Seneca Avenue, Liberty City, 01948.
As Susan embraces Jessica in her time of hurt, Dustin comes down the stairs. Jessica quickly notices him, runs over to hug him and pleads, “Dad please tell me it isn’t true. Please don’t. Please tell me Mom is okay.” “She’s going to be fine Jessica. Your mom is the strongest woman I know, after your grandmother over there.” Dustin then turns to Susan and asks, “Where’s Derrick?” “In the kitchen eating some cookies,” Susan replies pointing to the kitchen. “Okay, I’m going to go talk to him. I’m sure by now he’s starting to wonder what’s going on.” “Dad,” Jessica says pointing behind him, and as the whole household turns around they see little Derrick standing there with tears in his eyes.
Dustin walks over, bends down and says, “Buddy, how much did you hear?” “I heard Nana mention that Mom was in an accident, then everyone started to cry,” Derrick says in broken pieces. Dustin sighs and hugs Derrick, picking him up and holding on. He assures, “Your mommy is going to be okay. She’s the glue to this family so there’s no way she won’t come back to us.”
At the moment, Derek receives a phone call which everyone reacts to. “It’s Jamie, they found her. Alive,” Derek says. “I’m on my way to the hospital.” “I’ll come with you. Mom, watch the kids,” Dustin says joining along Derek. “Of course,” Susan says, holding Derrick and comforting Jessica.
Scene Eight: Dan/Leah’s Residence, 745 Brooklyn Road, Liberty City, 01948.
Leah stands in the kitchen fixing up the cabinets and organizing things to make room for the babies things. Dan then slowly walks in. “We can bring her home,” Dan says. Leah turns around and smiles, “Really? You mean it?” “Of course I do. What kind of parent would I be if I didn’t want to bring my baby home to us.”
Leah runs over and hugs Dan. “Why?” she asks of him. “Because I understand why you want her here.” “You do?” “Yes. It’s because you want Cassandra near you again, and plus you’d make one hell of a good aunt. And a good mother.” “A good mother?” “Yes, a good mother. Who else is going to help me take care of this child? My mother? Aha, yeah right. It’s you Leah Brighton. Which is why I-” Dan is then interrupted by his phone ringing. “You better get that, it may be important,” Leah tells him.
He picks up the phone and begins to speak to an unknown person on the other end. Then his hand slowly moves away from his face, and hangs up the phone. “Baby,” Leah begins, “What’s wrong? Who was that?” Dan replies, “Mom. There’s been an accident.”
Both Leah and Dan look at each other with looks of surprise and disbelief.
Scene Nine: Liberty City Memorial, 1280 Bunker Hill Avenue, Liberty City, 01948.
Both Derek and Dustin rush into the Emergency Room, where Jamie has just been rushed in. As the guys catch up to her Derek grabs her hand and says, “Baby, I’m here don’t you worry.” Jamie in a delusionary state of unconscious says in a low, shuttered tone, “D-D-D-D-us-Dustin?”
In an earth shattering state of disappointment, Derek let’s go of Jamie’s hand as she gets wheeled into a room where she is to be immediately examined. He walks back towards Dustin in a dumbfounded state. “What did she say?” Dustin asks.
Derek replies in a cold toned answer, “Dustin.”