Written by: Nick M.

 

At the college:

 

Miranda and JJ see each other in the hallway.

 

JJ yawns a tad over dramatically.

 

MIRANDA: Is that your way of saying you are tired?

JJ: I am pretty beat.

MIRANDA: I did not mean to keep you up last night. So sorry about my scream.

JJ: I thought you were under attack.

MIRANDA: I practically was by that rat!

 

JJ: Did you buy a trap yet?

MIRNADA: Haven’t gotten around to it.

JJ: You better or it might pop back out at you!

MIRANDA: Don’t say that!

 

--

 

At BRO:

 

Eliza is downing a cup of coffee.

 

Barbara walks up to her.

 

BARBARA: Slow down there Eliza

ELIZA: I need all the caffeine I can get.

BARBARA: You didn’t sleep good last night?

ELIZA: Last night? Grandma, I haven’t slept well since I started this job.

BARBARA: Honey, you cannot let this place stress you out.

 

ELIZA: Not just this place. My dad is a big part of it.

BARBARA: Paul is stressed out himself. We all are.

ELIZA: I just feel like I am always doing a jumbled bad job as my father’s secretary.

BARBARA: It will probably just take time to get the hang of it.

ELIZA: I just need a good pep talk.

BARBARA: I’m not the best coach, but get to those phones and kick some a**!

 

Eliza laughs

 

--

 

Brittany is with Marcino eating breakfast.

 

BRITTANY: You barely touched your food.

MARCINO: I know

BRITTANY: Are you not hungry? It is going to get cold.

MARCINO: I am just not in the mood for breakfast.

BRITTANY: You love breakfast, son.

MARCINO: I know. Just not today.

 

BRITTANY: Something must be wrong.

MARCINO: No. I’m fine.

BRITTANY: But are you sure?

MARCINO: Yes, I am fine!

BRITTANY: Sorry, but I don’t believe you. Something is obviously bothering you.

 

Marcino huffs and puffs

--

 

Steve is pleased when Terrance meets with him.

 

STEVE: I didn’t think you would actually meet me.

TERRANCE: Of course. We are partners.

STEVE: Well not anymore since I quit the ISA.

TERRANCE: Yeah, but we have come too far to stop working together now.

STEVE: That’s a true bud right there.

 

They shake hands.

 

TERRANCE: I plan on seeing this case through.

STEVE: So do I dude.

TERRANCE: What is the next step?

 

There is a knock at the door.

 

STEVE: That is the next step right there.

 

Steve opens the door and it is Hope

 

HOPE: Hello

STEVE: Come on in. We need your help.

 

Hope enters.

 

 

 

AT BRO:

 

Barbara is still talking with her granddaughter.

 

ELIZA: I’m not improving though.

BARBARA: You are totally new to the job.

ELIZA: Totally new to working in general.

BARBARA: Give it time, Eliza! You’ll get the hang of it.

ELIZA: I’m losing hope.

 

Barbara’s office phone rings.

 

ELIZA: I bet that’s my dad.

 

Barbara answers it.

 

BARBARA: Hello. Yes…okay.

 

She hangs up.

 

BARBARA: That was Paul. He wants you at your desk ready to work.

ELIZA: Yay (rolls eyes)

BARBARA: good luck.

ELIZA: We need to have these talks more often.

BARBARA: Whenever, hon.

 

As Eliza exits Barbara’s office, Henry enters it.

 

BARBARA: Henry! Didn’t you get enough of me last night?

HENRY: I never get enough of you pudding pop.

 

Henry kisses her.

 

--

 

At the college:

 

JJ: So…Miranda…I have a question for you..

MIRANDA: What is it?

JJ: It is a little personal…

MIRANDA: Okaaay…

JJ: So I saw you and that guy that works at the coffee shop looking real chummy.

MIRANDA: Hunter?

 

JJ: Yeah, him.

MIRANDA: What about him?

JJ: You two dating or something?

MIRANDA: Um, No. We’re just friends getting to know each other.

JJ: Oh…

MIRANDA: Why do you ask?

JJ: Oh because he…just seems like a really good guy and all.

MIRANDA: Yeah he seems to be. So…you saw us? You were watching us?

 

--

 

BRITTANY: Please Marcino, open up to me son…

MARCINO: I wish you would take my word for it that I am fine.

BRITTANY: But you are obviously not.

 

Marcino takes a big bite of his breakfast.

 

MARCINO: There. See. I am fine.

BRITTANY: No need to be a smarta**

MARCINO: I just don’t want to talk about it and if you keep nagging me you will be bothering me.

 

Brittany is becoming frustrated.

 

BRITTANY: Is this all because School is about to begin?

MARCINO: Sure mom.

 

--

 

HOPE: What is it that you need me to do, Steve?

STEVE: We are going to trap Stefano.

TERRANCE: We are?

STEVE: Yes.

HOPE: How are we going to go about that?

 

STEVE: First, you must contact Greta. She is this key to this.

HOPE: Okay I will then.

TERRANCE: She is the one that may be Stefanos daughter? Will she help?

HOPE: She has no love loss with Stefano.

TERRANCE: They could be close now.

STEVE: I don’t think so. At least I hope not. Her help will be huge in trapping him.

 

--

 

At the college:

 

MIRANDA: I find it weird if you were watching me and Hunter.

JJ: Watching is not the right word. It is not like I was staring, I just happened to see you both having fun and thought..those are two good people…having fun…how cute.

MIRADA: Alrighty.

JJ: Sorry if it was a weird personal question.

MIRANDA: It is okay. I should get to class.

JJ: Okay. Good luck.

MIRANDA: I am starting to think all of our encounters are always going to be awkward..

 

She walks off.

 

JJ sighs.

 

--

 

Steve gets home and Kayla is there.

 

KAYLA: Any luck?

STEVE: I hope I am doing the right thing not using the ISAs help.

KAYLA: You will do the right thing.

STEVE: I hope this is not all for nothing. I hope Bo is really still alive and out there somewhere.

KAYLA: We all are hanging on to that.

STEVE: I feel like time is running out either way.

 

KAYLA: I believe my brother is still alive. Hope does too. You are not doing this for nothing.

STEVE: We’re about the take the next step. It will involve Stefano if all goes right.

KAYLA: You better be careful.

STEVE: You know I will, sweetness.

 

The two kiss and embrace.

 

--

 

Hope meanwhile makes a phone call.

 

HOPE: Let this go right.

 

HOPE: Hello…Greta

 

--

 

At BRO:

 

Eliza is at her desk hanging up a phone.

 

ELIZA: That one didn’t go so bad. Maybe Grandmas talk helped.

 

The phone rings again.

 

ELIZA: Please god, not another busy day.

 

She answers.

 

ELIZA: Hello this is the office of Paul Ryan.

 

The person on the other line has a deep voice.

 

“I need to set up a meeting with Paul Ryan.”

 

ELIZA: His schedule tomorrow is almost wide open. What time can you meet him?

 

“Perfect. The meeting is not for me. It is a meeting for him to meet with a Todd Manning.”

 

Eliza writes down Todd Manning onto her note pad.

 

FADE TO BLACK

 

*DON’T MISS OUT ON GREGS STORY AS WELL AS JUST WHAT TODD MANNING FINDS HIMSELF INVOLVED IN ON UNION CREEK*

 

*I do not own any non original characters nor any pics.