Taylor arrived to leave Macy her waistcoat back. She knocked at the door and went in. Macy was in there talking to Nathan about the budget.
Taylor: Oh, I´m sorry for interrupting.
Macy: It´s OK.
Taylor: I just wanted to return this.
She handed Macy the waistcoat.
Macy: Oh, thank you. I wasn´t sure where I had left it.
Taylor: Now you do.
Macy: I want to thank you for last night. It was fun.
Taylor: We should do it again.
Macy: Definitely.
Macy looked back at Nathan and realized she hadn´t introduced them.
Macy: Oh where´s my manners. Taylor, this is Nathan Bennett, our new designer. Nathan, this is Taylor Forrester, a friend of mine.
Nathan: It´s nice to meet you, Ms Forreter.
Taylor: Nice to see you too, Mr. Bennett.
Nathan: Call me Nathan.
Taylor: Ok, if you call me Taylor.
They smiled at each other.
Taylor: I have to get going. Stephanie´s funeral is today.
Macy: Yes. I have to get ready myself.
Taylor: So you are going.
Macy: Yes. Of course. If I´m invited that is...
Taylor: Of course you are. You´re family.
Macy: Guess I am.
Taylor: See you then.
Macy: Bye bye.
Taylor left.
Nathan: Family?
Macy: She´s my ex-sister-in-law.
Nathan: Married?
Macy: Yes, she is. Why? Intrested?
Nathan: She was stunning, he admitted.
The family and the Richards had gathered in the livingroom. Angela, Devin and Emma was also there. Emma had decided to stay another day for the funeral. Kristen and Felicia felt uneasy to have them there but didn´t say anything about it. This wasn´t the day to pick a fight with them, or anyone else for that matter.
Eric came down the stairs, wearing a black suit as the rest of the males. Thorne walked up to him.
Thorne: How are you holding up?
Eric: I don´t know, he answered sincerly.
Thorne gave his father a hug.
Kristen: I think we´d better go now.
Gregory went to get Trey and everyone left for the church.
It was a beautiful day. Sunny and not a cloud on the sky. The Forresters, Angela and her family, Sally, Macy, Clarke, Amber, Ricky, Brooke, The Richards and other of Stephanie´s friends, reporters and a few others had gathered for her funeral. No one wondered who the Cades were since they didn´t sit with the Forresters. Everyone assumed that they were friends. In the front to the beautiful church was a urn. The firemen had found bones inside the burnd down house after the explosion which were assumed as Stephanie´s. By the urn was a photograph of Stephanie. The ceremony was just about to start. The closest family was sitting on the front row while the rest at the third and futher back.
Brooke: Can´t anyone get those reporters out of here?
Macy: Clarke...
Clarke got up from his seat and went back to the reporters and paparazzis. He angrily told them to back off and leave them alone since this were a funeral and not a scoop for some cheap gossip magazine and nosey readers. They stepped a bit back but not much. Clarke went back to his seat. The ceremony began.
Each and every one of the Forresters went up and said good-bye to Stephanie and gave a speech about his and hers good times with Stephanie and how much she meant to that person.
A doctor came into a room where a nurse was taking a bloodtest on the patient lying in the bed.
Doctor: Any information about Jane Doe?
Nurse: No. Not yet.
Doctor: My guess is that we won´t know who she is until she wakes up, if she wakes up.
Nurse: She only got here last night, give her some time.
Doctor: I just got the results from last night. It doesn´t look good.
Nurse: Let me see.
She took the note of admission from the doctor´s hand and went through the results. They were indeed bad. Almost everything was lower than normal. And she was extremely undernourished and week. She had cuts and bruises all over and had bandages that covered most of her body. You couldn´t see her face. Suddenly the heartmonitor went to code blue. After a few seconds the doctor and the nurse got the eqipment to begin CPR. After a few tries they got her back. Her heart started beating again.
The doctor: I´ll write out some medication. And start immediate with them. She won´t stand a chance without them. He wrote down a quick list of medication for the nurse who went to get them from the medicineroom. The doctor took a last look at the patient and shook his head and left.
They all sang a hymn together, then Eric walked up to say a few words about his wife.
Eric: I want to thank all of you for coming here today. It means a lot to me and I know that it means a lot to Stephanie, he started. As he continued, he got more and more tears in his eyes and talked with a stuttering vioce.
I first met Stephanie in collage. She was so beautiful and I fell in love with her. We married and she gave me the most precious gift a woman can give a man, children. Stephanie gave me five wonderful children. (Eric looked over at them, including Angela.) We also founded our familycompany together. Stephanie stood for all expensives while I stood for the designs. Forrester creations wouldn´t be what it is today if it weren´t for Stephanie´s belief in me, and for that I am very thankful. We had a wonderful life. But as in every relationships there was many ups and downs. (Thorne looked back at Brooke.) We had our share of it. And those downs was too hard for me and I gave up. I started seeking for less complicated relationships. But I never once found one that could campare to my love for Stephanie in the end. I realized this very late. (Ridge looked over at Taylor.) All the ups and downs and every struggle and success is part of what is so divine. The words ‘for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health’ is something we should all think about every now and then. (Gregory and Olivia took each others hands.) There are so many things I wanted to tell Stephanie. But I never had the chance. You all have that chance, to tell the person in your heart just how much he or she means to you. Don´t waist that chance. I love you Stephanie.
Eric went to his seat again. Kristen layed her hand on his shoulder for comfort. The priest continued. Sean turned his head back when he heard a child starting to cry. He saw the person holding him - It was Tiffany!
Another nurse and the same doctor came into the room of the Jane Doe patient. It was time to change bandages. The nurse hadn´t been working the day before so she didn´t know of any Jane Doe. The doctor started examing her. No change. The nurse took over and took off the bandages from her face.
Nurse: Oh God! I know this woman!
The ceremony was over. The family was over at Stephanies gravestone. Sean took the chance and went over to Tiffany.
Sean: Long time no see.
Amber looked up. She couldn´t believe it.
Amber: My God! Sean! What are you doing here?
Sean: Same as you. The memorial service.
Amber: How have you been?
Sean: I´m OK. You? He looked down at Ricky.
Amber: I´m Ok. And no, this isn´t my child. Not biological that is. I´m taking care of him.
Sean: For how long?
Amber: For ever. His mother is dead. She was my cousin and his father is god knows where.
Sean: So you came to L.A...
Amber: Not at first. I went back home and later moved here. How do you know the Forresters?
Sean: We live with them ever since the quake. They are friends of our family.
Amber: I see.
Sean: You?
Amber: I was married to a Forrester. He died in the quake.
Sean: Horrible. My girlfrind and Caitlin and Cole also died.
Amber: Caitlin and Cole! Sean, I´m so sorry!
Sean: Listen, I have to go back to my parents. We´re leaving now. Can I call you?
Amber: Sure, I´d like that.
Amber took up a pen and a note-it from her purse and wrote down her number.
Amber: I don´t need your number. I already know it...
She handed Sean the paper. Sean looked at it a little confused.
Sean: Amber?
Amber: Yeah... You know me as Tiffany, I know. I´m sorry. My name is Amber Moore. Not Tiffany Thorne. I´ll tell you about it later.
Gregory: Sean! Are you ready to go now, he asked.
Gregory didn´t seem to recall Amber. She was glad. He hadn´t been so kind to her. And he had a point. She had been using him for a while, before she began having feelings for him. But Olivia and Gregory had bribed her out of Sunset beach and Sean´s life. She had been forced to leave and go back to Furnace Creek. She had been mugged by a streetgang. They took the money Olivia had given to her as a bribe. She had no choise but to return to her mother Tawny.
Olivia and Gregory had stepped out with Trey and Sean was up in his room when the Forresters returned. Helen, the maid, came out of the kitchen.
Helen: Good you´re home. A doctor Bjorn called from Ceders hospital. He had some important news for you and wanted you to come over to the hospital immidiately.
Eric: OK. The testresults are here.
Ridge: That went quick!
Kristen: I´ll call Angela.
Felicia: Let´s go.
The family headed out.
The Forresters came to the ward. The doctor who handled the DNA test just walked out of her office and saw the family.
Doctor: What are you doing here again? Did you have a question or?
Eric: The testresults.
Doctor: They are not ready yet. I´ll call when I get them. It could take several days.
Thorne: But a doctor called earlier.
Doctor: No one from the genetics did.
Eric: Yes, a Doctor Bjorn called.
Doctor: Doctor Bjorn? He doesn´t work here. If you´re talking about Henry Bjorn, he works at the ICU.
Ridge: ICU?
Doctor: Yes.
The Forresters came to the ICU. Angela, Thorne and Felicia had decided not to go there. Eric, Ridge and Kristen went to the ICU unit. Eric asked after Dr. Bjorn in the reception. They were told to sit down and wait for a while since he was with a patient at the moment.
Ridge: What do you think this is all about?
Eric: No idea.
Kristen: Could he hurry up?
After a short while, Dr. Bjorn walked up to them.
Doctor: You´re the Forrester family?
Kristen: Yes we are. What is this all about?
Doctor: I know that what I have to say will come as a chock to you...
Ridge: What will?
Doctor: We have a patient here. A Jane Doe.
Ridge: We don´t know any Jane Doe.
Kristen looked at Ridge who just then realized that Jane Doe was an unknown female.
Eric: Continue.
Doctor: We have reasons to believe that she is Stephanie Forrester...
Reese: Hi, honey. I got your message about meeting here.
Quentin: Yeah, I thought it would be better to get out instead of just sitting in a hotel room.
Reese: You’re probably right. Quentin, I went to see Megan today.
Quentin nodded slowly.
Quentin: What did she say?
Reese: She’s very angry with me.
Quentin: Why?
Reese tried to avoid answering.
Reese: I invited her to dinner.
Quentin: And…?
Reese: She said she’d think about it. You do want to see your sister, don’t you?
Quentin: I don’t know, maybe or maybe not. Look, I don’t know why she left in the first place, but… that’s not important anymore. We’re so close to her now. I want to see her because it’s been so long. I’m just afraid I’ll be disappointed if she has become another person.
Reese: I understand, honey. You two were always close.
Quentin: Yes, but not as close as she and Julian were. Does he know about you meeting her?
Reese: No, but I’ll tell him later today.
Quentin looked at his mother and realized how exhausted she looked.
Quentin: Are you OK, mum?
Reese: I’m fine. A little tired maybe. Meeting Megan after so many years, it… it was strange.
Paula: You work at Forrester?
Megan: Yes, I work here. Surprising, isn’t it? That I, Megan Conley, the poor little girl, is actually working for a giant fashion company.
Paula: No, I don’t think it’s surprising. You have always been bright.
Megan: I don’t know about that. But, I always did know the meaning of right and wrong.
Paula knew what she was talking about.
Paula: I’m sorry, Megan.
Megan: “Sorry” doesn’t cut it, Paula. It didn’t back in Sunset Beach and it still doesn’t. We were best friends. – her voice was low and had a sad tone in it.
Paula: I know.
Megan: I loved you like a sister, I thought that we were true friends. That our friendship, it was something out of the ordinary. You used to comfort me when I couldn’t get a date and say that someday the man of my dreams would come into my life, that all the other guys were just stupid.
Tears built up in Paula’s eyes.
Megan: I did find the man of my dreams. I was so sure he was the one for me. And you, you even said so yourself. You had “seen something new in my eyes”, isn’t that what you said, Paula?
Paula nodded.
Megan: I started to wonder why my “best friend” would say that and still not like my boyfriend. You acted as though he was garbage. But, that was not what you thought. Not at all. It was just a charade. Because the truth was, you couldn’t wait to get your hands on him.
Paula: No. No, that is not true. I promise, Megan. It’s not true.
Megan: You still don’t get it do you, Paula? I don’t care how you feel about yourself or about what you did… It’s history.
Paula: You mean you can forgive me?
Paula sounded hopeful.
Antonio had already shown Teresa pictures of Bette, Ricardo and Sean. Those were people he hadn’t really expected her to recognize, and neither had she. But he had some hope since she had smiled at the picture of Bette saying “I bet she’s really nice”. He had avoided getting a picture of AJ in case she’d remember the shooting.
He held up a picture of Caitlin.
Teresa watched it and got a strange look in her face.
Teresa: Oh Antonio… I’m sorry if this person is really close to you, but I get a strange feeling.
Antonio: What feeling?
Teresa: I don’t know, I don’t like her.
Antonio saw this too as a step in the right direction. He was a little nervous though, that when and if she’d remember she’d go back to being Francesca Vargas instead of Teresa Cole.
Benjy was sitting on the sofa looking at a picture of Maria and Annie standing on the table. Maria watched him from the kitchen.
He picked up the picture standing beside. It was one of Ben and Benjy.
Benjy: He’s MY daddy, Annie.
Maria was shocked by the tone of his voice.
Kimberly: Hi, you’re back here already?
Quentin: Yeah, I just saw my mum here.
Kimberly: Oh, well I’ve been helping out waiting tables. My sister’s at a funeral.
Quentin: I’m sorry. We’re you close with…?
Kimberly: No. But she was my boyfriend’s step-mother.
Quentin nodded slowly.
Kimberly: Listen, I have had a really long day here.
Quentin: I understand.
Kimberly: I could really need a cup of coffee. Would you like to join me?
Quentin: Sure!
Kimberly: Great.
She told the other waitress she was taking a break and sat down.
Maria walked into the living room and sat down in the sofa next to Benjy.
Maria: Benjy, honey, I need to talk to you about something.
Benjy: What is it, mommie?
Maria thought about dropping it, he was such a sweet little boy. But he had been raised by Tess and she couldn’t let him hate Annie this way. Hatred had already ruined so much in their lives.
Maria: It’s about Annie.
Benjy sighed.
Maria: You don’t like her do you?
Benjy: No.
Maria: Well, I do, sweetheart. She’s my best friend. And I know she likes you.
Benjy: No, she doesn’t like me, mommie. I know she doesn’t.
Maria: Benjy, do you think you’d like her more if I was the one living with your daddy and not Annie?
Benjy got quiet.
Maria: I love your daddy. I love him very much. But he loves Annie. You want your daddy to be happy don’t you, Benjy?
Benjy: Yes.
Maria: I want that too. Give Annie a chance, for your daddy’s sake. Just think about it.
Benjy: But what about you, mommie? I want you to be happy too.
Maria: I will be happy Benjy. I will make sure of that.
Quentin: Venice, wow, that sounds wonderful.
Kimberly: It was. That’s where Rick and I got each other.
Quentin: You really loved him, didn’t you?
Kimberly: Yes. But I have gotten this feeling lately.
Quentin: What feeling?
Kimberly: It’s like I’ve been getting signals from Rick. He wants me to move on with my life. And I think I will.
Quentin smiled, thinking she might mean him. They had really hit it off. But Kimberly only saw Quentin as someone who could be her friend. Jason was just something else…
Paula: Can you Megan? Can you forgive me?
Megan: How can you even ask me that?
Silence.
Megan: I will never forgive you. You are a back-stabbing bitch who will never change.
Paula: What?
Megan: I see it in your eyes, your need to get your hands on somebody else’s man. You have one of your own, but I saw the way you were looking at Giovanni just now. He has a girlfriend. Leave him alone. You hear me? Leave him alone. Just leave LA. Please, just leave!
Paula gave her ex-best friend a sad look and then ran out of the room.
Teresa: I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to remember anything, Antonio.
Antonio: Don’t be. It will come soon, I’m sure of it. We’re close now. Some of the feelings you had about these people were right.
Teresa: Yeah, whatever…
It sounded like she had given up.
Antonio: Listen, why don’t you just relax with a movie and have some time alone to think.
Teresa: Sure.
He reached to get the pictures.
Teresa: Actually, why don’t you leave them here.
Antonio: OK, if that’s what you want.
He left the room. Teresa got up to look for a movie. She put one in the VCR and sat down.
The question kept coming back in her head. On the table was a picture of a young woman who she just knew was Gabi and in the VCR was the movie “The Thorn Birds”…
Teresa: Oh, oh my God… I remember!
