The Lives we Live - Episode 29

Velez Mansion (Dining Room)

Miranda has possession of the black box that she found in Santa's toilet tank. Geovanna is trying to get it away from her, but is very unsuccessful. They are now on opposite sides of the dining room table, jockeying for position. Miranda is trying to get away from Geovanna, and Geovanna trying to catch Miranda.

"You listen to me, Miranda. I demand that you give me that box!" Geovanna yells as she bounces to the right and to the left, not giving Miranda a chance to get around the table.

"No! I'm not giving it to you! I need to put it back!" Miranda yells back, as she is also jumping to the left and right, trying to find the perfect opportunity to get past Geovanna.

"I'll fire you if you don't give me that thing right now!"

"Oh yeah? And what are you going to tell Santa? That you fired me because I wouldn't let you have a mysterious little box that I found in her toilet?"

Geovanna stops jumping back and forth with Miranda when she says this, and Miranda sees it as a perfect opportunity to get past Geovanna and back upstairs.

Miranda runs back out into the foyer but trips on the foot of a table. The box goes flying and lands on the floor under another table. Miranda begins to get up, but stops on her hands and knees when she sees two feet standing in front of her. She looks up to see the face of Santa. Geovanna looks worried as she peers out from behind the doorway of the dining room.

Santa folds her arms and remains staring down at a scared and nervous Miranda, who is biting her lip as she looks up at her with wide, obviously nervous, eyes. She slowly begins to stand to her feet. "Señora Velez." She says sheepishly as she fully stands up and begins to wipe the wrinkles from her uniform.

"Would you like to explain to me why you were running around this house in such a manner?" Santa demands.

"Well. Uh…you see I, uh, saw a spider in the dining room and I was running to get something to squash it with. I was so frightened that I ran out of the dining room to find something as fast as possible. That's when I tripped on that table over there. I'm so clumsy." Miranda explains, knowing that she's lying through her teeth.

Santa looks at her suspiciously, but turns and begins to walk up the stairs. "Carry on. Make sure to kill the spider." She yells back as she reaches the top of the stairs.
Miranda and Geovanna both let out a sigh of relief and Geovanna comes up behind Miranda. "That was super close."

"Yes, it was." Miranda agrees. "I wouldn't have if you would have let me put that box back into the toilet, where I found it!" She continues.

"The box." Geovanna whispers. She then runs over to the table where it landed under and picks it up.

"Give it back, señora!" Miranda demands.

"No. We're going to find out what's in this mystery box, once and for all." She says as she walks up the stairs. Miranda quickly follows.

Forbes Homes (Kitchen)

Paul Forbes, the middle-aged man who has recently been looking quite a bit older then usual because of his depression, sits across from the young and beautiful, Lindsey Velez, who as well isn't looking quite normal. They are both quite distressed about the murder of Jason. Paul's son, and Lindsey's boyfriend. They have just received the news from the funeral director/undertaker, that Jason's body has been stolen.

Lindsey looks at Paul, who now has his face in his hands and seems to be silently weeping. "Don't worry, Mr. Forbes. I keep telling you that everything will turn out okay." Lindsey comforts.

"Things aren't looking up as of right now, Lindsey, now are they?" Paul snaps back.

"I think I should go." Lindsey says as she stands up and puts her purse onto her shoulder. Paul quickly stands and stops her from leaving.

"I'm sorry Lindsey. You can understand that I'm very tired and very upset about this whole thing, because I know you're hurting too."

"Yes, I know."

"I didn't mean to yell at you like that."

"It's fine. I understand what you're going through and that's fine. We all deal with things in our own way." She continues as she walks to the front door. "This is why it's probably best that I go home. We should both get to bed and have some sleep. We'll deal with this when our heads have been cleared, okay? Right now, we're both over tired and very aggravated."

"I guess you're right. So, I'll see you tomorrow morning? We'll do something about this?" He asks.

"Definitely. Have a good night rest, Mr. Forbes." She says politely as she opens the door and exits the tiny apartment.

Paul closes the door behind her. He whispers to himself: "You have a good night rest too, Lindsey. You'll need it. We'll both need it."

He sighs and walks towards his bedroom.

Richard's Home (Richard's Bedroom)

Richard and Katie lay next to each other, in the large and extremely comfortable bed on which they had just made love. They are both fast asleep, but Richard begins to wake up. He looks on his left and sees Katie. He jumps out of the bed and realizes that he is wearing nothing but his boxers.

"Oh…my…God." He manages to whisper to himself. "Please let this be some sort of strange dream. I couldn't of made love to Katie, I couldn't of." He nudges Katie, hoping to wake her up. He succeeds and she looks up at him.

"Hi, honey. That was amazing. Are you ready for another round?" She laughs.

"It's true? We made love, again?" Richard asks, shocked.

"Of course, we made love. We'll never stop making love to each other. We love each other. You said so, earlier." She stops noticing that he's looking at her rather peculiarly. "Don't you remember any of this, Rich?"

"No! This can't be. I would never make love to you again! I love Mariah…not you! I love Mariah! I love Mariah! Get it through you're head! We'll never be together, Katie, never!" Richard yells at her as he then rushes out of the room.

Cup-A-Joe (Counter)

Mariah sits at the counter in the coffeehouse, across from her twin sister, Maria, who is standing behind the counter.

"Maria, are you sure that Richard won't believe what Katie tells him, and decide to be with her? She is beautiful…and…" Mariah is cut off by her sister, who is trying to make her feel better about Richard taking Katie's side the previous night.

"You stop it right now! You're beautiful too, plus you're nice, and talented, and you're a wonderful person, inside and out, you're too good for Richard to let you go. He won't let Katie win him over. You should know that more then I do, because you are his girlfriend. You should actually be ashamed of yourself for thinking otherwise." Maria continues, "I mean, honestly, Mariah, you're totally over reacting about this whole thing."

"I'm not so sure." Mariah says plainly.

"Girl, did you even hear a word that I just said?" Maria snaps.

"Yes. But, try and explain to me why Rich took Katie's side last night, when she miraculously come to after I hit her with my car. Only then to claim that I had done it on purpose."

"I'm sure he was feeling sorry for her, and that he either didn't mean it the way it sounded, or he was just frustrated and worried about Katie's condition." Maria reassures.

"You could be right. Do you think that I should go to him?" She continues, awkwardly. "Should I make the first move to reconcile?"

"Well, one of you has to do it." Maria states.

"Okay, then. I don't want this to go on any longer than it has too. I'm going straight to Richard's house to talk about last night, and find out where we stand with each other!"

"That's a good girl! Go Mariah!"

Mariah nods sort of like a soldier would to his captain, and quickly steps out of the coffeehouse.

Quinn Home (Living Room)

"Let me get this straight." Jennifer says seriously to her best friend, Dominique. "You had an affair with Carlos Velez, which produced Matt, who you've passed off as Kyle's son."

"That's right." Dominique says timidly as she stands across from her friend. "It wasn't an affair though. It's not as though it continued for a long time. We really only had sex once."

"Well, didn't you know that it only takes once to conceive a child?" Jennifer says sarcastically.

"Now isn't the time for jokes, Jennifer! I've just revealed my deepest and darkest secret to you."

"Who's joking, Dominique? I'm dead serious. Why weren't the two of you using protection? You must have had some type of strong motivation that made you want to sleep with him. The least you could have done was make sure that you were protected. Just to be sure that you wouldn't have his baby." She continues, "Hell, I'm surprised, he didn't force a birth control pill down your throat, knowing the trouble there'd be if he had an illegitimate child with a middle class, African-American woman."

"You're one-hundred percent correct, Jennifer. And, I'm so happy that I told you. I should have told you sooner. It would have been off my chest and I would have been confiding in you, as I always did before. You're the only person that I'm sure I can trust with this secret." Dominique says, trying to calm her friend.

"Now you're one-hundred-percent correct. You should have told me sooner. I can't believe that you didn't. I thought that we were best friends…that we told each other everything. To keep something like this from me is outrageous and I can't even believe that you did it! I can't believe how upset I am by this." She says, obviously serious and angry.

Dominique looks at her, speechless.

Velez Mansion (Geovanna's Bedroom)

Geovanna enters her bedroom, tightly holding the black box. Miranda enters after her and closes the door.

"Please, don't do it. Don't open that box, señora Geovanna." Miranda pleaded, with the hardheaded Geovanna.

Geovanna faces Miranda and walks up close to her. "Why not? Give me one good reason."

"I can give you a few good reasons." Miranda quickly responded. "But, if you only want one, then, try this on for size. It's not yours to open!"

Geovanna rolled her eyes. "I asked for a good reason, Miranda." She giggled lightly and then continued, "Do you think I care if this is mine to open or not? I'm perfectly aware of the fact that this belongs to the Evil Queen, but I need to know what's inside. It might help me to uncover one of her many closeted skeletons."

"I don't want to be a part of this." Miranda said as she turned and started for the door.

Geovanna put the box down on her bed and grabbed Miranda's arm.

"You wait one second. You said that you'd help me. Now, you're just going to turn your back on me, leave me to do this on my own?" Geovanna asked in a half-angry, half-disheartened tone.

"Please let me go, señora." Miranda says patiently. Geovanna begins to loosen her grip. "I've had it with being your little accomplice or minion, whatever you'd like to call it. I just want to work here as a maid, go home, and live my life as I used to." She pauses and sighs, as she turns to face her superior. "It's just that…it seems as though I haven't done anything but help you find missing pearls, and try to find out dirt on señora Velez. Nothing has come of it, and I don't think anything will. I'm through with all of this, señora Geovanna."

"Please, Miranda." Geovanna says gently. "You can't turn your back on me now. I feel like we're right there. Like, we're so close to uncovering one of Santa's secrets. Maybe even finding my mother's pearls."

Miranda says nothing as she thinks about what to do. Geovanna goes to her bed and picks up the box again. She approaches Miranda with it. "Now, will you please help me? Will you open this box with me?"

Richard's Home (Bedroom)

Katie now sits alone on Richard's bed, where they had just made love. Richard had run out of the room after yelling at her, accusing her of seducing him and telling her that he'll never love her, and that he only loves Mariah. She thinks of all this and cries into her hands. Her pain is the only thing that breaks the silence in the room.

"I can't believe this." Katie says to herself as she continues to sob. "He told me that Mariah was going to be out of our lives for good. He said that he loved me." She stands up and begins to pace around the room. "I love him so much…he's my only love. I can't live without him, and if he doesn't want me, then I don't have any reason to live."

She walks over the set of windows at the head of the room. She opens one and looks down at the pavement. She steps out onto the ledge. She let's herself fall face first towards the cemented sidewalk. However, she continues to fall, and fall, for what seems like forever, without screaming. Finally, she screams, but she is now waking up from a horrible nightmare.

She realizes that it was only a dream. She breathes heavily and looks to see if Richard is there, but he's not.

"Oh my God. What if it did happen, and I was only reliving it in a dream?" She pauses and continues to breathe heavily. "No…no. This can't be right. Everything is fine. Richard and I love each other. I have to find him." She gets out of bed and runs out of the room.

Quinn Home (Living Room)

"Jennifer, I am very sorry for not telling you." Dominique pauses, before she continues to explain herself to her friend. "It's just that, I wasn't ready to talk to anybody about it. You do understand, don't you?"

"No, Dominique. I don't. You tell me everything, as soon as it happens. This has taken you almost ten years, and I feel like it made a hole in our friendship. I feel like you don't trust me, or didn't think that you could trust me. That hurts." Jennifer says, in a voice that has obviously in pain and distress.

"I do trust you, Jenny, and you know that. I just need you to see it from my point of view. I need you to understand what I was feeling, and what I've been feeling. If you can do that, then you'll be able to understand why I didn't tell you before today." Dominique pleads, trying to calm Jennifer and make her see the light.

"Dominique, just leave. Leave here with all of your secrets, and just stay gone. I can't be your friend anymore." Jennifer says. She then turns and walks into her kitchen, leaving a stunned Dominique sitting on the sofa, alone and confused.

Richard's Home (Living Room)

Richard is sitting on the sofa in his living room, wearing only pajama pants. The doorbell rings and he goes to answer it. He walks to the white door that has black tarp covering the space where the large window used to be. Richard opens the door to find Mariah standing on the other side. He is surprised and happy to see her.

"What are you doing here, Mariah? I didn't think I'd see you for a while." Richard says.

Mariah misreads this and says, "Oh. Well, I'll go then. I'm sorry to have bothered you."

"No. Come in." Richard says, motioning her into the house.

She walks into the house. For the first time during the time that she's known Richard, she feels awkward standing in his apartment.

"So." Richard says quietly, also feeling slightly awkward. "How are you doing?" He continues.

"Good…I'm good." Mariah says as she folds her arms across her chest. "How about you?" She speaks up.

"Oh…um…I'm all right." He says as she steps around Mariah to get to his shirt that is lying on the sofa. He puts it on. "So…uh…what brings you by here?"

"Just thought I'd check in on you and Katie. How is she, by the way?" Mariah says out of courtesy that Katie is Richard's friend.

"She's a little better. I can't say that I've seen that much of her since last night though."

"Oh. Well, it looks as though you've been in the house all day. You're still in your pajamas." Mariah notices.

"Yeah. I didn't have to go to the hospital today. I thought I'd make this a day of leisure."

Suddenly Katie comes running down the stairs. "I've been listening to this entire conversation! Richard, tell Mariah the truth!" She is down the stairs and now standing between Mariah and Richard, with her arms folded.

"You've been in the house all day as well, huh, Katie?" Mariah also notices, when she sees that Katie is wearing a silky robe.

"Yes, we've been in the house all day. We were having a nice day until you showed up." Katie responds. "Now, tell Mariah to leave, Richard."

"I can't believe I came here for this." Mariah says aloud as she throws her arms up into the air.

"What do you mean?" Richard asks.

"I came here to tell you that I still love you." Mariah spits out. "That I know you weren't yelling at me yesterday because you're in love with Katie or anything. You just worried about her health and safety." She continues. "I shouldn't have gone off the way I did last night. I wanted to say that I'm sorry and that I still want to date you…that I still love you with all of my heart. I guess I was wrong in doing that, because, you've obviously moved on."

"That's right, Miss Mariah." Katie walks over the Richard and wraps her arm around him. " Richard loves me…not you. So, just leave!" She continues before Richard has a chance to say anything.

"No…that's not right!" Richard yells before Mariah turns and walks out of the house.

Katie looks at him in shock, and Mariah looks confused.

"I do still love you Mariah."

Mariah runs up to Richard and they hug and kiss. Katie screams, "No!" She falls to her knees and cries.

Quinn Home (Kitchen)

Jennifer stands at the kitchen sink and stares out the window in front of her. Dominique walks into the kitchen, via the hinged swinging door.

"Jennifer, we need to talk about this." She says timidly. Jennifer keeps her back to Dominique.

"There isn't anything to talk about." Jennifer replies, sternly. She continues, "Besides, I thought I asked you to leave."

Dominique sighs and gets closer to her friend. "I can't just leave, Jenny. I can't just leave knowing that you're mad at me. I would like you to understand my reasons for not telling you about Matt sooner. I don't want to loose our friendship."

"It's too late for that. We don't have a friendship anymore." Jennifer says, leaving her back to Dominique.

"So, I won't be able to change your mind?" Dominique asks.

"No. Just leave."

Without a word, but with a heavy heart, Dominique flees the house through the back door. Jennifer watches her leave the backyard, through the kitchen window.

Velez Mansion (Geovanna's Bedroom)

Geovanna stands across from Miranda, holding the black box, waiting for her to respond to the question of her helping to open the box.

"I don't want to be in trouble with Santa." Miranda says. "Why can't you just give the box back to me and I'll put it back into the toilet tank, where I found it?"

"Because Miranda," Geovanna yells, "I have to know what's in this box. Not only because the curiosity is killing me, but also because I believe that whatever is in this box will help me to destroy Santa. Now, are you going to help me or not?"

Miranda is pulled back by the way Geovanna has just spoken to her, and she says nothing.

"Fine!" Geovanna says. She goes over to her vanity and picks up a letter opener and begins to tear open the black plastic type of material that is covering the box. Miranda looks on in shock that Geovanna is actually going to open it.

"You don't want to help me? Well, I don't need your help. I'll open it on my own." Geovanna says as she pulls off the black plastic, revealing a small white box. She begins take the top off.

"Wait!" Miranda yells, forcing Geovanna to stop and not open the box.

"What is it now?" Geovanna asks, puzzled.

"I've just thought of something." She continues. "What if this is some kind of trick. Some kind of test that Santa is doing to see if her maids are really loyal?"

"Well, then, you've passed. You're certainly not the one opening this. You've made that quite clear."

"Or, what if it's a bomb that was planted by one of Santa's enemies that somehow got into the house?" Miranda muses, now obviously grasping at straws.

"Stop your nonsense, Miranda."

Geovanna opens the box and gasps for air. Look at this Miranda. It's not a bomb and it's not a test. She takes what's in the box and hold it up for Miranda to see.

"It's my mother's pearls." Geovanna says, holding the long strand of pearls in front of her face. Miranda notices that Geovanna's eyes are swelled with tears.

Velez Mansion (Lindsey's Bedroom)

Lindsey walks into her dimly lit bedroom, from her personal bathroom. She is holding a glass of water. She sets it down on her nightstand, and then takes a seat on her bed. She opens the drawer in the nightstand and takes out a large pill bottle. She opens the bottle and pours a bunch of small pills into the palm of her hand. She puts them all into her mouth and takes a big long drink of water. She then holds up the glass and says, "Goodnight world." She replaces the glass back on the nightstand and slips under the covers and goes into a deep sleep.