Lucas Roberts is at his house. He takes some papers out of his brief case.

He takes a sip of coffee.

LUCAS: Might have to be a late night.

The doorbell rings.

Lucas is thrilled to see his sister Jennifer Horton!

LUCAS: Jenn! Come on in.

JENNIFER: Hi Lucas

LUCAS: So good to see another familiar face. Two in one day. I saw Steve and Kayla earlier.

JENNIFER: Oh wow. It’s gonna be a Salem reunion. JJ is going to go to college here.

LUCAS: That is fantastic news!

The half siblings hug.

JENNIFER: Do you like it here?

LUCAS: I am loving it so far.

JENNIFER: I bet I know why. You are finally free of your mother.

LUCAS: That has been a breath of fresh air.

Lucas smiles

--

JJ is at his new apartment. He hands some money to some furniture moving guys.

JJ: Thank you guys so much.

He is in the hall when he sees a young girl arriving to the apartment next door.

The girl is Miranda Montgomery .

She and JJ flash smiles at each other.

MIRANDA: Are you moving in?

JJ: I am. You live next door?

MIRANDA: Yup, I am your neighbor. The names Miranda.

JJ: I’m JJ

The two shake hands.

--

Eliza Ryan is with her step mother Emily.

Eliza is sitting on the couch and sighs

Emily is at the coffee table drinking tea.

Eliza sighs again

EMILY: Are you going to keep sighing?

ELIZA: Probably

EMILY: What is wrong now?

ELIZA: I really just want to get an apartment of my own.

EMILY: And with what money are you going to get that?

ELIZA: It would be nice if you and my dad would help out.

EMILY: You know we have been struggling financial wise for awhile now.

ELIZA: I thought dad got a loan.

EMILY: Oh he did but he has other plans for all that money that doesn’t involve us.

--

Paul Ryan parks his car in a parking lot.

PAUL: I hope this meeting goes smoothly.

He gets out of the car with his briefcase.

PAUL: I also hope I am in the right place.

He walks along the side walk looking at addresses.

PAUL: This is where he wanted to meet.

He looks up to see that it is a strip club.

PAUL: Oh great. This won’t be good.

--

Jesse and Angie are home.

Jesse is still in shock from the events earlier.

ANGIE: I hope you are not still beating yourself up over this.

JESSE: Of course I am, Angie!

ANGIE: Well you shouldn’t be.

JESSE: I am just so angry and frustrated this happened.

ANGIE: Well I called Brot.

JESSE: I am glad you did that.

ANGIE: He is in shock too. I wish he and Natalia didn’t break up. It would be good for her if he was around during this.

JESSE: I just hope my baby can hang on.

ANGIE: I think she will eventually make a complete recovery.

JESSE: I hope you are right.

ANGIE: You have to stop beating yourself up tho. Please.

JESSE: I just should not have let her get into this line of work.

ANGIE: She just wanted to be like her dad.

They both are fighting back tears.

Angie hugs him tight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnwwnaIcRSU

Cut to Jennifer and Lucas

JENNIFER: I really want to move out of Salem. I would like to move here, to Paradise.

LUCAS: I think you should and hope that you do! But wait, I hope that doesn’t mean Daniel is going to be coming along with you.

JENNIFER: Actually, he probably would come with me.

LUCAS: Damn. I do not like the sound of that. I thought I finally escaped having to see his face on a regular basis.

JENNIFER: Hey, be nice.

LUCAS: Sorry, but you know how I will always feel about him. I don’t know what you see in him. He’s sure no Jack.

JENNIFER: I know he is no Jack. And I know you may think I moved on from Jack’s death too soon, but I still think about him on a daily basis. Daniel is not just some substitute. I love him.

LUCAS: I know that love is a crazy thing.

JENNIFER: I guess it is.

--

In the Halls of his new apartment, JJ is talking with his neighbor Miranda Montgomery.

JJ: Seems like I have a really nice neighbor.

MIRANDA: Oh I am just the nicest.

JJ: Well good.

MIRNADA: I hope you are too though.

JJ: I try.

MIRANDA: Are you excited for any of your upcoming classes?

JJ: Not really. I’m no scholar. The only classes I am looking forward to are my classes that involve music.

MIRANDA: No Way! I love my music classes too. I’m sure we will have some of the same classes together.

JJ: Wow. Awesome!

--

Cut to an upset Eliza

ELIZA: It is really no fair that I cannot get my own place!

EMILY: You cannot rely on me and your dad for that. You live here for free.

ELIZA: You guys can give me some of that loan he got.

EMILY: I probably won’t even see any of that loan he got.

ELIZA: Sure. Such a liar.

EMILY: Eliza, if you want to move out so bad why don’t you get a damn job? There is an idea.

ELIZA: This house is so annoying. All I do here is hear you and my dad fight. Maybe I should go visit my REAL mom!

EMILY: Yeah, good luck there. Gonna be hard getting money from a psyche ward!

ELIZA: I cannot believe you just went there.

Eliza storms out of the house and slams the door so hard a picture falls off the wall!

Emily sighs

--

Paul is inside of the Strip club.

He meets with Katsu Itami

They shake hands.

PAUL: Thrilled to finally meet you Katsu. It is a pleasure.

KATSU: Good to know. We are in the house of pleasure.

Katsu pulls out a seat.

KATSU: Please sit down. Have a drink.

PAUL: Thank for these, um…Lovely arrangements.

KATSU: Yes, yes but business before pleasure. And I want to finish our business before the next dancer comes to the stage (chuckles)

PAUL: That is like five minutes away.

KATSU: Well let’s get this show on the road then shall we. I am not a hard sell.

PAUL: Good to know.

KATSU: Let me just put it like this. If you want a business partner, I am your man.

--

MIRANDA: I have enjoyed meeting you, new neighbor, but I do have to get to a night class.

JJ: I am glad that you are my neighbor. You have made me feel very welcome.

MIRANDA: Aw goody.

JJ: Hope your class goes well.

MIRANDA: It will. I’ll catch you later new neighbor.

JJ: Please call me JJ.

MIRANDA: Catch you later JJ

JJ: Later, Miranda.

She exits and JJ smiles

--

Cut to Jenn and Lucas

JENNIFER:I better get going.

LUCAS: Okay sis. I hope I didn’t push any buttons too bad.

JENNIFER: Don’t worry you didn’t. I've learned your ways.

LUCAS: Well good. Don’t be a stranger.

She exits and goes to her car.

She sits inside and takes a picture out. It is a picture of her and Jack with her kids JJ and Abby when they were younger.

JENNIFER: I miss you Jack, but you would be so proud of us all. Your family. I am moving forward with life and plan to have a great future in a new town. Abby has a great job and a great future there. JJ is going to a great college and has a good future. I think our family has finally made it over the hump.

She kisses the picture but then her phone rings. The phone says Daniel is calling.

She puts the picture back in her purse and answers the phone.

JENNIFER: Hello honey...what's wrong?

--

Jesse and Angie are laying down in bed together.

Jesse is staring at the ceiling.

JESSE: I was hoping this would be a much better day.

ANGIE: I really am sorry about what happened.

JESSE: I just keep playing it over in my mind.

ANGIE: I hope you can get some rest tonight.

JESSE: Don’t count on it.

Angie starts to rub his back.

ANGIE: It is all goin' to be okay.

JESSE: I hope so, Angie. I hope so.

The two kiss.

--

At the strip club:

KATSU: So we have a deal Mr. Ryan?

PAUL: We do.

KATSU: Very good.

The two shake hands.

KATSU: You have made the right call. I am the go to guy for business around here. I will have BRO up and running in no time for you.

PAUL: I just have the feeling that you mean every word you say.

KATSU: I do…but now for the pleasure!

The next stripper comes on stage.

Katsu and Paul clink glasses

The stripper is dancing in the background and Paul looks on a bit nervous.

PAUL: To my future..

The camera slowly zooms out

FADE TO BLACK

Credits roll

*I do not own any non original characters no any pictures.