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Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, obviously!
Michelle stood at the door of the Santos Estate, waiting for one of the servants to let her in. She had no idea why Carmen had summoned her, but she was sure it wasn't for social purposes. "Don't worry, Carmen," Michelle thought. "It won't be long until you'll never have to see my face again." She smiled as the thought of the cassette tape in her purse, and the ones that Drew and Meta were now guarding. They would ruin any remote possibility that Carmen could ever pull Danny back into that family.
Just then the door opened. To Michelle's surprise, Carmen herself let her in, not one of the servants.
�Michelle, thank you for arriving so quickly, especially on such short notice,� Carmen said.
�You said it was important, concerning Danny,� Michelle replied. Not that she believed a word that came out of Carmen�s mouth.
Carmen continued, �Let�s go into the study. It�s much more private there.�
�Is Danny here?� Michelle asked, still using the bitter, broken-hearted voice she�d used earlier.
�No, he is out. We�re alone.�
Michelle began to notice a sick feeling in her stomach. Where was Carmen going with all this?
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Danny walked into Millenium and sat down at the bar. He�d just returned from the airport, and still couldn�t figure out what had happened to the shipments of Pilar�s belongings. He was hoping he might see Michelle while he was here.
�Do you want to order a drink?� a familiar voice asked. Danny�s heart sank.
It was Drew. There was nothing wrong with Drew, it was just that every time he saw her or heard her name, he was reminded of the one thing he was most ashamed of � that night he slept with her. It had been a stupid mistake, borne out of his anguish over Michelle�s call to the FBI. Michelle had been gracious in her forgiveness of him. He would make it up to her. He would find a way to break free of his mother.
�No thanks,� Danny said to Drew. �I�m hoping to run into Michelle. Have you seen her?�
�Yeah, she was here earlier. She gave me this,� Drew said, as she handed him the small cassette tape, and an envelope addressed to him. �She said to give it to you, if you came in. She was trying to get you on your cell phone, and when she couldn�t she gave it to me for safe keeping.�
�Batteries are down on my phone. What�s on this tape?�
�I don�t know. She made me swear I wouldn�t listen to it. She was acting really weird. You can go up to the apartment and use the stereo to listen if you want. Max is at school, and Jesse�s out, so no one�s up there.�
�Thanks.�
Danny headed up the stairs to the apartment. �What could be so important that she�d give this to Drew for �safe keeping�?�
And then he saw it - the bed where he betrayed his love for Michelle. �Damn, I wish I could go back,� he thought to himself. But he didn�t have time for that. He had to find out what was on that tape. Carmen had been acting strange all morning, and now Michelle had delivered him this tape. �I�ve got to find out what all this is about.�
He opened the envelope, and found the note from Michelle. �Danny � I hope you know that everything I�ve done has been for you. It�s all been for you and our love. Michelle�
That was odd. What could she possibly be talking about? He put the cassette in the stereo and pushed play.
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Michelle was seated in an uncomfortable chair in the Santos study when Carmen played the tape of Michelle and Ben, talking in his office, listening to Carmen�s admission. Michelle was horrified.
�You bugged Ben�s office?� Michelle said, incredulously.
�You didn�t think I�d let you take away my only remaining son, did you? Stupid girl. I knew you were up to something, so I had to take action. I had to find out what your plan was. Now I know. You have the ammunition to ruin my relationship with my son, and I�ll never let that happen.�
�Danny has already heard the tape.� She lied.
�Shut up, you fool! As soon as Dietz reported to me what he heard from that bugging device, I sent Daniel out on an errand for Pilar. I know that you haven�t played that tape for him yet. You can�t honestly think I�m going to let you get away with this.� Carmen reached in her desk drawer and pulled out a gun. She gingerly laid it on the desktop. �Now, give me the tape.�
Michelle was glad that she�d been smart enough to make two copies of the tape. She reached in her purse and retrieved the copy . She handed it to Carmen.
Carmen took one look at the tape, and knew it was a copy. �Where is the original?� Carmen demanded.
�You can�t honestly thing I would let you get away with this,� Michelle said mockingly, as she used Carmen�s own words. Carmen�s had was on the gun. �I�m not as stupid as you think I am, and I�ll never give you the original.� Michelle knew that if anything happened to her, both Drew and Meta would deliver the tape to Danny and he would know the truth.
She was not afraid to face death to save Danny from his mother. Carmen�s threats only strengthened her resolve.
"Then you will pay with your life.� She pointed the gun at Michelle.
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Danny couldn�t believe his ears as her listened to his mother confessing to Michelle that she set up the �hit� to manipulate her children. He was even more astonished when Carmen admitted that she�d go to any lengths to keep Danny from Michelle. �His happiness is a moot point,� he heard his mother say. �The only important issue at hand is his position in the Santos family.�
Danny could not believe what he was hearing. The tape was not long, and when it was finished, he took the tape and ran down the stairs. He had to find Michelle. Maybe Drew knew where she was.
�Drew!� Danny yelled as he bounded down the stairs. �Where is Michelle now? Did she tell you where she was going when she left here?�
�She�s at your house.�
�My house?� He was screaming now.
�Calm down, Danny,� Drew said. �Dietz called her earlier. She told her to come straight over. I just figured it had something to with you. She wanted to find you first, and give you that tape, but she couldn�t. That�s why she gave it to me, before she left to go there.�
Oh God, Michelle. Mama must know about the tape. That�s why she sent me out! That�s why she called you. Oh God, I�ve got to get to you.
He ran out of Millenium and sped away in his car. He remembered the last time he�d driven like a wild man to save Michelle�s life. He�d crashed his car and wound up in the hospital. �Please God, don�t let that happen again. I�ve got to get there.�
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Michelle was still seated in the chair as Carmen strode slowly toward her, the gun pointing at her head the entire time. She knew there was no point in reasoning with Carmen, but she tried anyway.
�If you kill me Carmen, Danny will never forgive you,� she said. �Danny loves me.�
�You think you�re the only girl Danny can have?� Carmen scoffed. �There have been plenty of girls, and there will be plenty after you. Danny will bounce back, he is a Santos after all.�
She swung the butt of the gun and hit Michelle in the side of the head, knocking her out of the chair and onto the floor. Michelle was now kneeling in the floor, and although it hurt like hell, she wasn�t going to give Carmen the pleasure of flinching.
She knew that she was going to die. Carmen had tolerated her for longer than anyone anticipated. �If I�m going to die,� Michelle thought, �I�m not going to beg her for my life.�
Michelle spoke again, as she felt blood trickling down the side of her face. �You can take my life Carmen, but you can�t take this love from me, or from Danny.�
�Shut up! Shut up!� Carmen screamed. Michelle wanted to laugh out loud. She had hit a nerve. Oh well, if she was going to die, she was going to get in as many punches as she could.
�You can kill me, but you won�t kill my love for Danny, and you won�t kill Danny�s love for me. You�ll just make it stronger.�
�Enjoy your last breath Michelle,� Carmen spat, as she dug the barrel into Michelle�s forehead.
Michelle heard the click as Carmen cocked the gun.
She took a deep breath, and screamed at the top of her lungs, �DANNY!� Not so much out of fear, but because she wanted him to be her last thought, his name her last word.
Then she heard the gun shot�
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