Heart & Soul

Episode 61

Long Way To Happy

By Allan Craig

 

Standing at the bottom of what looked like a never ending set of steps leading up to the courthouse, Carrie took a deep breath, doing her best to calm the rapidly tightening knots in her stomach. She gazed up at the imposing courthouse, its grey columns almost looking like a prison cell from where she stood, and tried not to be intimidated, although given the nature of her current situation, it was hard to be positive.

 

“Are you ready?” Carrie’s father, Eric, interrupted her daze, holding out his hand as he tried to support his daughter. He couldn’t say everything would be fine, because he didn’t know himself how things would turn out, but he knew there was no use in prolonging the agony.

 

Carrie wiped a single tear from her eye; she knew what was coming, she just couldn’t face up to the possibility of losing her son, “As I’ll ever be.”

 

“Just stay calm,” Valerie advised her daughter, placing one hand on her shoulder as her calming voice went straight over Carrie, who was still clearly distraught, “Keep taking deep breaths and concentrate on keeping Adam.”

 

“I’m not going to be able to compete with whatever hotshot lawyer Greg’s got fighting his corner, though, am I?” Carrie hated to be negative, but she just couldn’t allow herself to get her hopes up in case they were crushed by the judge’s verdict.

 

“You never know,” Eric climbed the first step of what looked like hundreds, turning to see if his daughter was following him, “Stranger things have happened. Come on, we need to go inside.”

 

Carrie took one more deep breath, doing her best to gather her thoughts, but they were still swirling around inside her head. She smoothed down her charcoal coloured suit jacket and took the first step of the stairs, unable to imagine what would happen next for her.

 

                                                                        ---

 

Inside the courthouse, Greg sat on a bench tapping his foot impatiently; he just wanted to get today over and done with. He looked over as Carrie entered the courthouse before quickly turning to face Megan. He couldn’t be bothered speaking to Carrie, and knew it probably wasn’t wise.

 

“How are you feeling?” Megan asked her older brother. She knew he would say fine, he’d always say fine, even if he was falling apart inside. A simple half smile from her brother gave Megan all the information she needed.

 

Greg tapped his fingers on his lap, gazing up at the clock and watching as the second hand crept around at an agonizingly slow pace, “It’s the waiting I can’t stand. I just want to know whether I’ve got Adam or not.”

 

“Even if you don’t get full custody, Carrie will realize not to mess with you anymore when it comes to Adam. She’ll know you’re serious about letting Adam be a part of our family, whether she likes it or not.”

 

“I don’t know what that stupid little girl was playing at thinking she could keep Adam away from his family,” came Diane’s voice as she emerged through the crowd, followed by Joseph, “She was happy enough to cash your cheques every month, wasn’t she?”

 

“The money isn’t the issue, mother,” Greg insisted, his stomach churning with nerves, “I just want to be a proper part of my son’s life, and Carrie seems to think she gets a say in that. Well she doesn’t. I don’t want Adam anywhere near that thug she calls her fiancé.”

 

“Well from what I hear things are hardly rosy between them, if that helps,” Megan added, knowing it wasn’t any comfort to anyone, but at least she was trying. She flipped her long blonde hair behind her shoulders and looked away from her mother, clearing her throat. No matter what was going on, she still couldn’t get Kimberley’s disappearance from her mind. It had been months since she’d spoken to her sister, and not through lack of trying; phone calls, text messages and emails had all gone unanswered, and despite her family’s reassurance that this was just another of Kimberley’s spur of the moment vacations, Megan couldn’t help but worry.

 

“Where’s that lawyer of yours, Greg? I want to ask her a few things about the case,” Diane asked, unable to help herself from butting in even when she wasn’t needed.

 

Greg rolled his eyes; he’d told his mother umpteen times to let the professionals do their jobs and stop interfering, but it had fallen on deaf ears, “Madison will be here any minute, but don’t be pestering her, she’s worked hard for this case.”

 

“I wont be pestering her, I’ll simply be making sure she’s gotten everything correct,” Diane insisted.

 

“I think it’s a little late for that, Diane,” Joseph did his best to set his fiancée straight, “After all, we’re only here for the judge’s verdict.”

 

“I’m so sorry I’m late,” Madison Chase explained as she approached the Sterlings, “You wouldn’t believe the morning I’ve had.”

 

“Frankly I couldn’t care what sort of morning you’ve had. My son’s been through hell waiting for you to arrive, which we paid you to do fifteen minutes ago by the way,” Diane snapped, she’d despised Madison ever since Joseph employed her a few years ago, and that hadn’t changed this time around, even though Madison had done everything within her power to fight a winning battle for Greg.

 

Madison turned to face Greg, turning her back on Diane in the process, “Again, Greg, I’m sorry. I’m totally confident that you’ll have your son by the end of the day, if all goes to plan.”

 

“You’d better hope so,” Diane snapped again, further infuriated by the fact Madison had ignored her.

 

“This isn’t helping anyone, mother,” Megan rolled her eyes at Diane’s attitude, wishing more than anything that her mother wasn’t present at such a crucial time.

 

“Thanks, Madison, you’ve done a great job on the case,” Greg did his best to stay positive despite the current situation, although all he could think about was the distinct possibility that he was about to lose his son.

 

Shane Baldwin’s Private Jet

 

Totally refreshed, Kendall Sterling dropped herself down on one of the leather armchairs in Shane’s luxurious private jet. His suggestion of a little rest and relaxation in Palm Springs following some business meetings in Los Angeles had been just what Kendall needed, and the long weekend had really charged her batteries up.

 

“Well that was absolutely amazing,” Kendall smiled as Shane, wearing a white t-shirt that highlighted his golden skin, entered the cabin.

 

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Shane agreed as he handed Kendall a glass of champagne before sitting down next to her, “Sometimes you need to just get away from it all or you’ll drive yourself crazy with all the business talk. A long weekend of just relaxing does wonders for your stress levels.”

 

“You certainly do go through champagne like it’s water, don’t you?” Kendall giggled as she took a sip.

 

“Well if you can afford it, why not treat yourself?” Shane winked, he had always been used to the finer things in life, “What’s the point in having money if you don’t spend it?”

 

“So you’re where Leo gets that from,” Kendall placed her glass on the side table as she turned to face Shane.

 

“How is Leo, anyway? Has he forgiven you for bringing his wicked father back into his life yet?”

 

“He’s still pretty much giving me the silent treatment, but I’ve not really had a chance to talk to him about anything, between me working so much and him seeing Grace, we’ve barely seen each other for more than five minutes at a time.”

 

“And how’s fatherhood treating him?” Shane wished he could just ask Leo these questions himself, but with Leo’s ability to hold a grudge he knew it would be a while before they could even be civilized to each other, “I hope Grace isn’t running him too ragged.”

 

“Like that would happen. He’s still partying every other night but I think having Grace around has calmed him down a little; I mean I don’t know the ins and outs of the situation with Natalie but I think they’re getting on a little better now that Grace is born than when she was pregnant.”

 

“Well I guess that’s something…” Shane allowed himself to drift off a little, still totally chilled out from his relaxing weekend with Kendall, “You know, when Nadine was pregnant with Lucy we were fighting all the time, but I guess that was more down to her mood swings more than anything.”

 

“How is Lucy these days? I’ve not seen her since she was a baby,” Kendall had only ever met Shane’s daughter once or twice, but she always wondered why Leo stopped all contact with his other sister when he stopped talking to Shane.

 

“She’s her mother’s daughter, to say the least. You don’t want to be there when Nadine and Lucy have a fight,” Shane shuddered, “But she’s a good kid. It’s a shame she’s never really known Leo. Sometimes I wish I’d been around more when he was growing up.”

 

“Well you didn’t exactly get given much of a choice, did you?” Kendall reminded Shane.

 

“But I could have fought harder…stuck around,” Shane paused, he hated ‘what if’s, but when it came to Leo it was quite hard to put them to the back of his mind.

 

“Well maybe you sticking around now will be all that matters.” Kendall was hoping more than anything that Leo and Shane could begin to build bridges, but she knew it was going to be far from a smooth ride to reconciliation for the pair.

 

The Bungalow

 

Standing behind the bar of the deserted restaurant, Kristen punched some numbers into her calculator with one hand as she jotted down figures with the other. She had decided to avoid the custody hearing, knowing that no matter how strained her relationship with Carrie was, she’d have to stay with her family and leave Greg with his, and that was a situation she didn’t want to put herself in. She picked up her BlackBerry off of the countertop and typed in a text message to Greg.

 

Good luck today, hope it works out for the best. K xxx

 

After pushing send, Kristen poured herself another coffee and returned her attention to the staff rota for next week, although her mind was far from committed to the task, in fact all she wanted to do was to see Greg. She couldn’t wait for the custody hearing to be over, if only because at least then she and Greg could meet up and spend some time together without talk of the impending trial. Kristen knew Carrie had been treating Greg horridly when it came to Adam, but at the same time she couldn’t bear to see her sister lose custody of her son.

 

Oakridge General Hospital

 

Natalie smiled as she folded a piece of paper and slid it into her handbag, picking up her baby daughter and lifting her into her pushchair. The appointment with Dr. Stafford had gone as expected, and now she was looking forward to nothing more than dropping Grace off at Leo’s and having a long awaited nap.

 

“So I’ll see you again in a few weeks, and don’t hesitate to call me,” Dr. Melissa Stafford smiled, jotting down some notes on her clipboard, “I know what it’s like bringing up a child on your own and if you’re unsure about anything, anything at all, you have my number.”

 

“Thanks, Dr. Stafford.” The words ‘on your own’ were the last thing Natalie wanted to hear; while she knew she wasn’t on her own; she had Josh, who was only too happy to look after his first niece, and Leo, who was keen to play daddy when it suited him; things were still far from perfect between her and Kyle. While they had made some progress over the last few months, she knew Kyle couldn’t get over Leo’s presence in their lives and she knew it was going to be a struggle to rebuild their relationship again.

 

“Please, call me Melissa,” one thing she hated was the formality that so many doctors imposed upon their patients, so Melissa had always tried to take on more of a friendly approach with her patients.

 

“Well I better get this little lady dropped off at her daddy’s house.” Natalie rolled her eyes, she still hadn’t forgiven Leo for pretending to call Kyle when she was in labour with Grace, especially after she’d just begun to trust him again. “I wonder what pointless designer baby gadget he’ll have bought for her this time.”

 

“At least he’s taking an interest.”

 

“Yeah well sometimes I’d rather he didn’t.” Natalie winced; she wouldn’t wish growing up without a father on anyone after the pain she felt when her father died when she was young, but she knew Leo not being around would make things a whole lot easier. “I’m sorry; that was a horrible thing to say, I just wish that…”

 

“You don’t have to say a word.” Melissa knew of many girls in Natalie’s situation, she’d been there herself at one point, so she’d heard far worse than what Natalie had said. “Just make sure he doesn’t mess you around. It’s important to establish a routine for your baby as early as possible. Have you been feeling okay since Grace was born?”

 

“Well, just more tired than usual I guess.” Needing her full eight hours of sleep a night, Natalie had found night feeds more challenging than she had initially thought. “I guess it’s just a question of getting used to it. I really better get going now, but I’ll see you in a few weeks for Grace’s next check up.”

 

Natalie smiled as she left Melissa’s office, but her stomach was filled with dread over seeing Leo, and more importantly, seeing Kyle.

 

Oakridge Courthouse

 

Sitting with her parents, Carrie waited impatiently to be called into the courtroom. Just watching Greg sitting down the hall with his family was making her sick to the stomach; her fears over being able to compete with the pricey lawyer the Sterlings had employed were increasing by the second.

 

She looked up to see Nate entering the courthouse, dressed unusually smart in a sharp suit, shirt and tie. Carrie smiled; whilst things with Nate hadn’t exactly been perfect between her and Nate over the last few months…they were living together but living pretty much separate lives, it was a comfort to see that he was there for her when she needed him. She stood up and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him and closing her eyes.

 

“Thanks for coming; this means so much to me,” Carrie’s arms tightened around Nate’s broad frame, “I know things aren’t exactly great between us right now, but…”

 

“That doesn’t matter.” Nate knew it mattered, but this wasn’t the time and place to dissect their strained relationship. “All that matters right now is that you’re okay.”

 

“I will be as soon as all of this is over.”

 

The court clerk emerged through the doors and called them all into the courtroom. As their families shuffled in through the huge double doors leading inside, Carrie and Greg’s eyes met and they paused, standing face to face but not speaking a single word. Their split second encounter over, both entered the courtroom as the doors closed behind them.

 

The Abbot House

Lounge

 

Sitting alone in his dark, untidy living room, Wesley Abbot raised an empty scotch bottle to his lips and tossed his head back, hoping that another drop would pour out from the glass neck, but when nothing came out, he tossed the bottle onto the floor. He lifted up a photograph and tore it apart, watching the pieces fall onto the floor. He looked down at the remains on the floor, making out Alex’s face from the pieces as he felt his blood boil, her presence had lead to him losing everything he valued the most, and he was going to make her pay.

 

The Sterling Mansion

 

Upon hearing the doorbell echoing through the empty mansion, Leo strolled down the hallway and opened the front door, to see Natalie standing on the front porch with her daughter in her pushchair.

 

“Well if it isn’t my favourite little girl,” Leo smiled at his daughter before looking up at Natalie, “Come in. How’s she doing?”

 

“She’s fine,” Natalie stated abruptly, still fuming at Leo for pretending to call Kyle when she was in labour, “I’ve made up more than enough bottles, just heat them up when you need them. I’ll be back to pick her up tomorrow morning.”

 

“Do you want to stick around for a while? I was thinking of taking Grace to the park,” Leo did his best to work his charm on Natalie, but he could tell she was in no mood to be talking to him.

 

“Save it, Leo,” Natalie snarled, “Because of your lies, I could lose Kyle.”

 

“And that would be a bad thing?”

 

“You’re unbelievable, do you know that?”

 

“Natalie…I…” Leo was trying his hardest to keep things civil with Natalie, but he could tell she was in no mood to talk to him. Natalie bent down over the pushchair and kissed baby Grace before leaving the mansion, and a confused Leo standing with his daughter.

 

Alexandra’s Apartment

 

The smell of fresh paint wafted through Alex’s cosy new apartment, the walls a warm shade of cream whilst chocolate brown sofas and walnut coloured furniture were arranged tastefully in the spacious living room. Alex sat down on the sofa with a much deserved glass of white wine and the book she had been engrossed in for the last few weeks. Will entered the apartment carrying a brown cardboard box and smiled at his mother, closing the door behind him.

 

“Hey mom, this is the last of your stuff. Where will I put it?” Will couldn’t be happier for his mother, she was finally getting on with her life after everything that happened with Wesley, but he couldn’t help but feel a little worried that this was all an act and Alex was ready to crack at any second.

 

“Um, in the spare bedroom, thanks sweetheart.” Alex smiled as she looked up from her book.

 

“This place is looking pretty neat, mom.” Will yelled from the bedroom. “I might have to get you to redecorate my place.”

 

“I think this place was stressful enough, thanks.” Alex laughed as Will re-entered the living room and took a seat on the sofa opposite his mother. “How are you settling in over there anyway?”

 

“Yeah it’s great, I mean it’s great to have somewhere that’s just mine, you know?” Will had been given the apartment as a gift from John, which was part of Sterling Enterprises’ new property development, The Fairways, overlooking the golf course and country club.

 

Alex laughed, knowing all too well how great it was having somewhere to call her own after being back in Oakridge for well over two years. “So have you heard anything from Greg about the hearing?”

 

“Nope, nothing as yet. I was going to go down there but I didn’t think it was really my place.” Will still hadn’t fully adjusted to being a Sterling; and still couldn’t help but feel like an outsider, no matter how welcoming Greg and Megan had been to him. “I think they’re in a mess, though, between Kimberley’s disappearance and the whole custody hearing springing up faster than anyone had expected.”

 

“Well then, go be supportive.” Alex was eager for her son to fully embrace his new found family, after all, he’d been kept from them for well over twenty years, which was one of Alex’s biggest regrets, especially after seeing Wesley’s true colours. “You are their brother, after all.”

 

Oakridge Courthouse

 

The doors to the courthouse opened and the Sterlings and Masters’ made their respective ways outside. Carrie’s hand was gripped tightly with Nate’s, a disheartened look on her face. All she wanted to do was to get home and see her son. Behind her, Eric and Valerie looked at each other, faced with a look of defeat; this verdict was the last thing they wanted.

 

“Joint custody.” Eric muttered. “What the hell kind of routine is that for a child?”

 

“Just leave it, Eric,” Valerie urged her husband, hating to see him angry. “There’s nothing we can do about it now.”

 

“We’ll see about that.” Eric looked at his daughter, clearly shaken up at the whole thing. He wasn’t about to let Greg Sterling take her son away from her.

 

…

 

“We’re so happy for you.” Megan smiled as she gave Greg a hug, ecstatic that her brother was finally being allowed to have some sort of say in the upbringing of his son.

 

Greg couldn’t hide his joy in the decision for joint custody, but he couldn’t help but feel a little nervous at the same time. “I just hope Carrie’s going to be alright.”

 

“Why waste your time caring about that little tramp?” Diane insisted, already planning her grandson’s college career now that Greg had achieved joint custody. “She kept you from your son for nearly a year.”

 

“She’s still the mother of my child, mother.” Greg knew that Diane’s involvement was going to complicate things a lot more than he wanted, so he was at least keen to keep her attitude at bay.

 

“Well, we better be going.” Megan turned to face Marc before checking her watch again. “I’ll call dad on the way to the airport to let him know the good news.”

 

“Alright for some, swanning off to Las Vegas when the mood takes your fancy.” Despite her eagerness to rebuild her relationship with Megan, Diane couldn’t stop herself making sly remarks whenever the opportunity arose. “Especially when your brother has just got custody of his son.”

 

“Joint custody.” Joseph reminded Diane.

 

“We’ll see about that.” Diane brushed past the details and turned back to her daughter. “Have you heard from that sister of yours lately? Or has she really done a disappearing act this time.”

 

“That’s why we’re going to Vegas.” Marc interrupted before Megan had the chance to get worked up over Kimberley’s disappearance. “I thought Megan could use a little break, so this is my treat. But we really better get going. Congratulations, again, Greg. You really deserved it.”

 

“Thanks man.” Greg smiled as Marc took Megan’s hand and the pair began to walk down the courthouse steps.

 

“Could you believe my mother?” Megan muttered as they approached the bottom of the stairs. “She cant help herself, can she?”

 

“Just let her have her little remarks.” Marc put his arm around his girlfriend and kissed her on the cheek. “She’s not got much else, does she?”

 

“I guess. But she has got a point. Maybe we shouldn’t be going off to Las Vegas when Kimberley is still missing. It does seem kinda wrong, doesn’t it?” Megan hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Kimberley since she found the note her sister left her. Sure, Kimberley had went walkabout before, but she’d never left a note, which was why Megan couldn’t stop thinking about it…something just didn’t feel right about it this time.

 

“Kimberley’s a big girl, she can take care of herself.” Marc insisted. “All we’re going to do this weekend is relax. No Greg, no Diane, and no Kimberley.”

 

The Bellagio Hotel

Las Vegas, Nevada

 

Sat atop a ridiculously large bed, Kimberley turned the volume up on her iPod to try and block out the sound of her Sidekick ringing out. Ever since she had taken off, Megan hadn’t stopped phoning her. The ringing stopped, making it the tenth missed call from Megan that day, but right away it started up again. Kimberley picked it up, noticing that it wasn’t her sister calling this time.

 

“Hello…okay, I’ll be as fast as I can…okay, half an hour…bye.”

 

Kimberley hung up the phone and tossed it on the bed, her heart rate increasing as the colour drained from her face, she didn’t have a clue what was about to happen, but she was terrified.

 

Josh’s Apartment

 

Shattered, Natalie closed the door to her brother’s apartment and sat down on the sofa. She ran her hands through her thick brown hair before flipping open her cell phone to check for any missed calls or texts. Nothing. She knew deep down there was nothing, but she couldn’t stop hoping for some sort of word from Kyle.

 

She got up following a knock at the door and walked across the room, opening the door to see Kyle standing in front of her.

 

“Hey,” Natalie smiled; her voice full of hope over seeing Kyle. Since Grace was born, they hadn’t seen much of each other, “Come in.”

 

“I thought I should stop by. We’ve got a lot to talk about and I guess there’s no use in prolonging things.” Kyle sat down on the sofa as Natalie closed the door.

 

“Can I get you a drink or anything?”

 

“I’m fine, thanks. How’s Grace?” Kyle scanned the apartment for any trace of Natalie’s daughter.

 

“She’s at Leo’s,” Natalie looked down, the very mention of Leo was something she wanted to avoid, and it was practically the first thing to come up in their conversation, “So what was it you wanted to talk about?”

 

Natalie knew exactly what Kyle wanted to talk about. It had been playing on her mind for weeks now, but she didn’t have a clue what to say.

 

“I just thought that we should get a few things out in the open,” Kyle explained, “We need to talk about us, and where we go from here, because I can’t keep playing second fiddle whenever Leo’s in the equation. I’m not in a relationship with him, Nat, I’m in a relationship with you.”

 

“I know, but you know it’s a complicated situation,” Natalie sat back down on the sofa next to Kyle, “I cant undo what happened between me and Leo, and to be honest, I wouldn’t want to even if I could, because then I wouldn’t have Grace. Leo’s just someone we have to put up with; and I don’t like him any more than you do right now. What he did when I was in labour was unforgivable.”

 

“Tell me about it. Look, I’m not saying that you have to totally block him out, but just once in a while I’d like my feelings to be considered. I want to be there for you, and Grace, but if I’m just going to constantly be forgotten about then there’s not much point, is there?”

 

“So are you saying you want to break up with me?”

 

“No, not even close Natalie, I love you and I want to be with you,” Kyle insisted, feeling that he’d already had this conversation with Natalie and knowing that he’d probably have it a million times over again, but he just couldn’t walk away from Natalie, not now, “I just need to know that I’m not going to be a chore for you. You either want to be with me or you don’t.”

 

“Of course I want to be with you Kyle,” Natalie took Kyle’s strong hand and gazed deep into his eyes, “More than anything.”

 

“Well then,” Kyle leaned in closer to Natalie, “What are you waiting for?”

 

Natalie smiled, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders as her lips touched Kyle’s. She closed her eyes as they began to kiss passionately, Kyle’s hands wandered through Natalie’s flowing locks as their lips parted for not more than a second before resuming their kiss again.

 

Rex & Jessica’s Apartment

 

“Okay, well, thanks for calling, Nate. Tell Carrie I’ll be over later.” Jessica hung up her cell phone and turned to Rex, her face overcome with a look of sadness. “The judge awarded Greg joint custody.”

 

Rex sighed, not knowing what to say. He knew that Carrie would never get full custody when going up against whatever pricey lawyer the Sterlings would hire, but that didn’t make the news any easier to digest. “Well that’s not exactly a surprise, is it? How’s Carrie taking the news?”

 

“Nate said she’s not too good. Not that you can blame her or anything.”

 

“And her and Nate…are they okay?”

“I doubt it. But I guess all this stuff with the custody case has been all they’ve been thinking about, rather than their future together. The state of their relationship is the last thing Carrie needs to be dealing with.”

 

“So are you going over there?”

 

“Later. I thought maybe we could go get something to eat. I’m so not in the mood to be cooking tonight.”

 

“I’d love to.” Rex kissed Jessica on the cheek. “But I’ve gotta jet to the station. I’m swamped in paperwork. Some other time?”

 

“I guess so.” Jessica managed a smile, disguising the fact that she was beginning to feel more and more neglected by Rex as his work took up more and more of his time, meaning less time for them to spend together. The only thing Jessica knew is that she wasn’t about to put up with that for too long.

 

Shane Baldwin’s Penthouse

 

“Well, I have to say, I’m impressed.” Kendall smiled as she glanced around Shane’s cavernous new home. An ultra modern, metal and glass spiral staircase illuminated the high ceilings, whilst tall windows gave breathtaking views of the city. Kendall couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable around the entirely white penthouse, scared in case she left a mark on the pristine décor.

 

“You should be for what I paid for this place.” Shane joked as he took a seat on the white leather sofa. “I just hope I have a reason to stay here. Things with Leo aren’t exactly great right now, but I want to see my granddaughter.”

 

Kendall still couldn’t believe that someone as youthful as Shane could be a grandfather, especially when he was barely scraping forty. “I’m sure Leo will come around, just give him time to cool off. Besides, he’s probably madder at me than he is at you.”

 

“I wouldn’t count on it.” Shane knew his son despised him, although he never quite understood why. Sure, they’d had their ups and downs in the past, but Shane didn’t understand why Leo suddenly cut him out of his life. “But I’m not going anywhere. I’m not about to give up on Leo so easily.”

 

Kristen’s Apartment

 

Kristen opened the door to see Greg standing in the hallway. Hardly a surprise, she had been eagerly anticipating his visit for hours. She smiled as he made his way inside, closing the door as Greg took off his jacket.

 

“So how are you feeling?” Kristen asked as she sat down on the sofa next to Greg. “Today went well for you.”

 

“I couldn’t be happier.” Greg insisted. “I’m just so excited. I can’t wait to get Adam over to the mansion. I’ve got the nursery all decorated especially for him. Sure, it’s only joint custody for now, but…”

 

“For now?” Kristen couldn’t help but interrupt. She thought joint custody was what Greg wanted all along, surely he wouldn’t dream of taking Adam away from Carrie the way Carrie had done to him, would he?

 

Stacks Bar

Las Vegas, Nevada

 

Her platinum blonde hair covered up with a curly brunette wig, Kimberley Sterling removed her oversized black sunglasses and scanned the seedy bar. Spotting her target, Kimberley quickly walked across the floor, her boots sticking to the beer stained floor as she reached her destination.

 

“Well, well, I gotta say doll, brunette ain’t your colour.” a ruggedly handsome man quipped as Kimberley sat down opposite him.

 

“Whatever, I wont be taking hair advice from someone who uses Danny Zuko as his inspiration,” Kimberley retorted, scrunching her face up in disgust as she glanced around the bar.

 

“I’d watch that mouth of yours if I was you,” the man leaned in closer to Kimberley, “Especially when I could ruin your entire reputation with one move.”

 

“What do you want, Lorenzo?” Kimberley rolled her eyes, becoming tired of the constant cat and mouse game she’d been playing with him for months.

 

“We’ve been through this, I want my money,”  Lorenzo hissed.

 

“I’ve told you, I’ll get you it. These things just take time.”

 

“I’m not a patient man, Kimberley, time is money and you’re losing me more and more every second you hold out on me. Besides, for a girl with as much money as you, getting me a mil shouldn’t be hard.”

 

“I cant just get hold of that kind of money like that, Lorenzo,” Kimberley insisted, “I’ve told you I’ll get you it, and I will.”

 

“Well you better get me it soon, ‘cause if you don’t, then your little foray into porn will be in every back room of every video store from here to Singapore. And don’t even get me started on the internet. If I don’t get my money, then I’ll make this thing so big that Paris Hilton’s sex tape debacle will pale in comparison.”

 

Kimberley could feel the colour drain from her face as her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. She knew she had to play ball with Lorenzo or her life might as well be officially over. Sex tapes were one thing, but a porno…she didn’t know how she could face her family for that one. One way or another, she had to put a stop to Lorenzo’s games before he ruined her life.

 

Nate & Carrie’s House

 

Carrie closed her bedroom door and wiped a tear from her eye as she sat down on the edge of her bed. Losing Adam to Greg, even if only in joint custody, was the worst thing that could happen to her. She knew that as soon as the Sterlings, especially Diane, were given an inch where Adam was concerned, they would take a mile.

 

She could hear her parents fussing over Adam downstairs, showering him with affection so as to hide the fact that Carrie was falling apart over this. A gentle knock at the bedroom door was followed by Nate entering the room, closing the door behind him.

 

“I thought you could use this.” Nate smiled as he handed Carrie a glass of wine. He edged closer to the bed, unsure whether or not to sit down. Things were far from perfect between him and Carrie, but he wasn’t about to turn his back on her in her hour of need.

 

“Thanks.” Carrie smiled uneasily, her stomach was tied up in knots over her current predicament, but having Nate there for her was the only thing she needed, no matter how unsteady their relationship was at the time. Despite her attempts to remain calm and poised, Nate’s presence only helped to bring her real emotions out, as the single tear trickling down her face led to the flood gates opening, and Carrie began to weep. “Nate what am I going to do? They’re going to take my son away from me?”

 

Nate wrapped his arms tight around Carrie, as she began to cry into his shoulders. “Don’t worry. Everything is going to be okay.”

Carrie couldn’t help but feel terrified about the thought of joint custody. She knew all too well what Diane was capable of, and doing a runner with her son would certainly not be out of the question. “But what if they take him away from me permanently?”

 

“They wont.” Nate reassured his fiancée. “I’ll make sure of it.”

 

TO BE CONTINUED

 

Next time on Heart & Soul:

·         Kimberley battles against time.

·         Wesley snaps.

·         Kyle loses it with Leo.

·         And lots more.