Seaview Circle, Knots Landing......morning
"Morning," Mack calls to him.
Bobby walks over to him. "Morning, Mack."
"Howya doin'?"
"That's good," Mack says. "Especially with the holidays comin' up."
"Yeah. Well, I'll talk to you later." Bobby turns and starts to walk back next door.
"Meg's just fine," Mack says to him.
Bobby stops walking, pauses for a moment, then turns back to him. "Oh? Well, that's......that's good. I'm glad she's doing okay."
"You haven't even asked about her in weeks."
"She left me, Mack," Bobby says. "Just like she did last time. Things were going rough, so Meg just up and left town again."
"Things were goin' rough? Things were goin' ROUGH? Nah, things weren't just goin' rough, Bobby. Meg went through hell last summer when Brandon Williams came to this town. The monster raped her. He RAPED her, Bobby. Now you and me, we're men. We have no idea what a woman really goes through when she's raped, but having dealt with rape victims in my practice over the years, I can tell ya, it's not pretty. Meg was raped, and she blamed herself for everything that happened with that Creep. For all the trouble you got into, and for what happened to Dylan and Trevor. And it didn't help her that Brandon Williams's sister decided to stay in Knots Landing. Meg needed some time away from here, from all the memories, and the pain."
"And time away from me?" Bobby asks.
"Yeah," Mack replies. "Yeah, time away from you, too. And time away from me and her mother. Away from everything and everyone. In case you're interested, she's coming home for Thanksgiving." Without another word, Mack turns and walks back to his house. Bobby watches him as he goes in.
An apartment in Knots Landing....
"Morning," he says.
"Good morning."
"What time is it?" Scott asks.
"7:45."
"I'd better get up and get a shower. I have to be at work at 9."
"I'll fix breakfast," Molly says, getting out of bed.
"You don't have to."
Molly turns to him and smiles as she puts on her bathrobe. "I want to."
"Molly, can I ask you something?"
"Of course," she replies. "You can ask me anything."
"Scott, you know how I feel about that."
"I know. You feel angry, and hurt, but......"
"And betrayed," Molly says. "Scott, they lied to me. My mother, my father, or rather the man I THOUGHT was my father. And my real father, Gary Ewing. Everyone lied to me my whole life."
"So you're gonna punish them for the rest of theirs?"
Molly turns and looks at him. "What does that mean?"
Scott sits up in bed. "Molly, they made a mistake. Yes, it was totally wrong for them to keep the truth from you, and I get that. But they're human, Molly. People make mistakes. I've seen how sad Brian is. Molly, my brother thinks he's lost everything. Both of his kids. You turned against him when you found out the truth, and Trevor's been in that detention center for the last two months. His marriage ended. And what about your Mom? Same thing with her."
Molly takes a seat on the bed beside him. She fights back tears for a moment, and then looks at him.
"Molly, how do you figure that?" Scott asks.
"Brandon used this secret to blackmail my parents, and to hurt me. If he hadn't had that weapon, maybe......"
"Hey, hey.....shhhhh, don't," Scott says, pulling Molly into his arms and embracing her. "The guy was sick, Molly. Trevor and Dylan did what they did in self defense."
"But if I hadn't gotten involved with Brandon, they wouldn't have even been there that night, and they wouldn't be locked up."
"Molly don't do this to yourself. None of this was your fault. NONE of it."
She looks at him, her face wet with tears. "I'd better fix your breakfast while you take a shower. Don't wanna be late for work." Molly kisses him, then gets up and quickly walks out of the room. Scott sighs, worried about her.
Cunningham Enterprises....
"Hi, sweetheart," Abby says, walking over to her son.
"Mom, hi."
"Who was on the phone?"
"Don Wilder, we have a contract with his company, Wilder Shipping."
"I've heard the name. Pretty good outfit from what I hear."
"Yeah," Brian says. "What brings you by?"
Abby smiles. "Oh, Brian, that's wonderful. I'm so relieved."
"Me too, Mom. These last couple months have been pure hell with Trevor in that detention center. Knowing my son felt so threatened that he had to kill someone. How could I have failed him like that? He's my son, I'm his father. It's my job as a father to protect my kids, but along came this creep Brandon Williams, and I wasn't able to protect either of them."
"None of what happened was your fault," Abby says.
"Maybe, maybe not," Brian says. "But either way, Trevor's life and this family will never be the same. And I've lost Molly for good."
"Brian, why didn't you ever tell me that Molly was Gary's daughter?"
"We didn't want anymore people to know than had to know."
"Did Mack and Karen HAVE to know?" Abby asks.
"What does that mean?"
"They knew, but I didn't. Your own mother."
"Mom, come on, would you just drop it? Kate told Karen before she and I were ever even married. She told her when she first came back to Knots Landing. Right now, my main concern is Trevor. How he's gonna cope when he does come home, especially now that Kate and I are divorced. Sometimes I wonder how we got to this point, Mom. At the beginning of last summer, Trevor was a normal kid, worried about how he was gonna spend his summer vacation. But since then, his parents have divorced, he found out his sister is only his HALF-sister, and he's been locked up in a detention center for two months for killing someone. Hell of a year for a 17-year-old kid, isn't it?"
Abby puts a reassuring hand on her son's shoulder, then lovingly rubs his back, feeling extreme guilt for her own part in what happened to her grandson last summer, facts that no one still knows about. No one except Greg Sumner, the worst possible person.
County Juvenile Detention Center.....afternoon
"Hi, Dylan," Jason says.
"Dad," the boy says. He walks over and takes a seat at a table across from his father.
"Home?" Dylan asks.
"Yes, Dylan. Home. You don't seem very happy."
"What do you mean, Dylan?"
"You've been living here in L.A. for the last two and a half months, with Uncle Danny and Aunt Betsy. You know I can't go there."
"Why not, son?" Jason asks.
"That's not true. I've discussed this with both Daniel and Betsy. Dylan, what you did, it was in self defense and you were protecting Trevor. If you hadn't killed Brandon Williams, there's no telling what he would've done to both of you. Your Uncle and Aunt understand that. And they want you to know you always have a place in their home. Dylan, I'm not sure what we're gonna do just yet. I took an extended leave from my practice in San Diego to move here so I could be near you while you're in this place. When you're released, maybe we should stay here. In Knots Landing."
"Stay here?"
"Yeah. At least, we have family here, unlike in San Diego."
Dylan sighs. "Is that what you want?"
"Sure," the boy says, seemingly uninterested.
"Dylan, I know things have looked really dark the last few months. Really, for the last year. But it's gonna be okay. Things will get better as soon as you're out of here."
"I don't even know what better is, Dad," Dylan says. "Things have been bad for so long, I can't remember what it's like for them to be good."
Jason's heart breaks upon hearing his son's words. Deep inside, Jason feels responsible for everything his son has endured the last few months.
Knots Landing Public Library......mid-afternoon
"Mrs. Ewing?" The man asks. "Valene Ewing?"
Val turns around and looks at the young man. "Josh?" She says with a smile. "Josh McKinley?"
"Yes, it certainly has. What, four, five years?"
"Six years, to be exact. I'm surprised you still remember me after all this time."
"How could I possibly forget my best English student?" Val asks. "Just look at you, all grown up. What are you doing now?"
"I'm actually teaching a writing class at Knots Landing Community College."
Val smiles with pride. "Teaching? Really?"
"Yes, ma'am. This is my second year, and I love it."
"Josh, I'm so proud and happy to hear that."
"Well, I have you to thank for it, Mrs. Ewing," Josh says.
"Me?"
"Yes. I'll never forget my freshman year of college, sitting in your English classroom. You were the one who inspired me to wanna write, and to wanna teach. So here I am."
"I can't tell you how happy that makes me, Josh. You always were my best student."
"So, what are you doing now? I heard you had quit teaching."
"That's hard to believe, as good as you are at it. So, are you doing anything now?" Josh asks.
"As a matter of fact, I was here doing some research, and trying to make some notes for a new book I had planned, but, I wasn't having much luck getting anything done today."
"Well, you know it's funny I ran into you. It's almost like divine providence."
"Oh? Why is that, Josh?" Val asks.
"Would you be interested in a return to teaching?"
"A return to teaching?"
"Yes. Knots Landing Community College has an opening for a creative writing teacher, and you'd be absolutely perfect for the position."
"Well, Josh, I'm flattered, but, I don't know."
"Do you really have that much else going on? It's only for like three hours a day. Three one hour classes, Monday through Friday, so you'd have plenty of time for whatever else you have going on. The creative writing teacher we had, Mrs. Brannen, she took a bad fall a couple weeks ago, so, since then I've been filling in doing her job as well as teaching my own classes, and it's pretty rough. It would really help out."
"Well, of course I'd have to think about it," says Val. "And speak to my husband."
"Great," Josh says. He reaches into his pocket and takes out a card. "Here's my card with my cell number on it. Talk it over with Mr. Ewing, and get back to me as soon as you can. I really do hope you consider it, Mrs. Ewing. The kids at Community College mostly come from lower income families and they attend on grants and loans and other forms of financial aid. We have a lot of talented future writers, and they need nurturing, especially from a seasoned author like yourself. I hope your answer is yes."
"I'll let you know very soon. By Thanksgiving."
"That'll be fine," Josh says. "Take care, Mrs. Ewing."
"You take care, too, Josh, and it's great seeing you again."
"You, too," josh says.
Val smiles at the young man, then turns and walks out of the library.
Aventura Mall.....late afternoon
"Mr. Jordan," Molly says.
The manager and the young woman turn around, and Molly is stunned to learn that the young woman is none other than Bridgette Williams, sister of the late Brandon Williams.
"Well, Molly, I'm glad you're here," Mr. Jordan says. "I'd like to introduce you to Miss Williams. She's going to be working with you in your department."
"Hello, Molly," Bridgette says, somewhat coolly.
"Bridgette, you're working here?"
"The two of you know each other?" Jordan asks.
"Well, good. That makes it easy. Molly, today is Bridgette's first day with us, and I'm putting her in your very capable hands to train."
"You want ME to train her?" Molly asks.
"Yes. Is that going to be a problem?"
Molly hesitates a moment as she looks at Bridgette, uneasy at the prospect of working with the sister of the man who had destroyed her family a few months ago. "No," she tells Jordan. "No problem at all."
"Wonderful," Jordan says with a smile. "Well, then, I'll leave you girls to it. Bridgette, if you have any problems or if you need anything, just let either Molly or myself know."
"Thank you, Mr. Jordan," says Bridgette.
Jordan smiles at the two young women, then turns and walks away from them.
After their boss is gone, Bridgette turns to Molly. "I didn't know you worked here," she says. "Otherwise, I never would have....."
"And I didn't know you were still in town," says Molly, interrupting her.
"Yeah. I went home for a while after the trial. And it was hard, for both me and for my parents."
"So why did you decide to come back here to Knots Landing? Especially after what happened to your brother here."
Bridgette sighs. "I honestly don't know. Maybe I just felt the need to be here. Here, in this place where my brother spent the last couple months of his life. Look, Molly, if this makes you uncomfortable to work with me, then I'll just quit. Mr. Jordan never needs to know our history."
Molly pauses for a moment as she thinks. "No," she says. "You don't have to quit. So......welcome. I'm sure you'll like it here as much as I do. Come on. I'll show you how to run the register." Molly walks past Bridgette and to a nearby cash register.
"Molly?" Bridgette says.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
Molly looks at her for a moment, then nods.
The MacKenzie Home.....that night
"Hey, ya know what I'd really love to have for Thanksgiving?" Mack asks from the bathroom.
"What?" Karen asks.
"A homemade pumpkin pie," Mack replies, coming out of the bathroom and switching off the light behind him. "You haven't made one of those in years."
"Not sure I'd remember how now, but, I'll ask Val. Maybe she has a recipe."
"Good," Mack says, crawling into bed.
"There's really only ONE thing I want for Thanksgiving this year," Karen says, getting into bed next to him.
"Oh yeah? What's that?"
"Meg to come home again," Karen replies sadly.
Mack takes in a deep breath. "Yeah, well, she's comin' home, sweetheart. She told us so."
"I just hope she and Bobby can work things out. Those two love each other and they've been through so much. They deserve happiness."
Mackk turns over in bed to face his wife. "Look, Karen, everything's gonna be okay. Meg's coming home, she and Bobby are gonna work through all the crap that happened last summer, Trevor and Dylan are gonna get to come home for a visit, and we're all gonna have a great Thanksgiving."
Karen looks at him and smiles. "When did you become such an optimist?"
"I dunno. Good question. I think I started to become an optimist the day I married you. And then, after you beat cancer last summer..........well, that really helped my sunny outlook on life, and now, I know everything is gonna be okay. Especially once Meg gets home again. And this time, we're gonna do our best to keep her here."
Karen kisses him. "Oh, did you talk to Paige?"
"Yeah, I talked to her today."
"Is she gonna be able to come for Thanksgiving?"
"Said she'd let me know tomorrow. Now, let's get some sleep."
"I hope she can come. I hope Diana and the kids can come. Then we'll have the whole family here for Thanksgiving." Karen kisses Mack again, then reaches over and turns off the light beside her bed.
The Avery Home.....the next morning
"Morning," Jason says, out of breath from his early morning jog.
"Morning," says Betsy.
"You know, I never realized how out of shape I was until I started jogging again after so long. Or, could be I'm just getting old."
"You sure seem in better spirits this morning."
"I do feel better after seeing Dylan yesterday. And after talking to the judge."
"I'm really glad that Dylan is gonna get to come home for Thanksgiving," Betsy says.
"Me too. Betsy, I'd like to talk to you about that."
"Sure. What's on your mind?"
"I have to know........does it bother you, Dylan coming back here when he's out for Thanksgiving?"
Betsy looks at him and smiles. "Jason, of course not. Why would you even ask that?"
"Because of the kids, and, what Dylan did. He was worried about that. That you and Danny might feel uncomfortable with him being here, and being around the kids."
"Jason, Dylan did what he did to protect Trevor Cunningham. Anyone would have done the same thing under those circumstances. Of course I'm not worried about Dylan being around DJ and Laura. You and Dylan are family, and this is your home for as long as you want it. That goes for both of you."
"How about some breakfast?"
Jason smiles. "Sure," he says, then he and Betsy head into the house.
Scott Cunningham's apartment....
"Scott, don't," she complains, wiggling from his grasp. "You're still wet."
"That usually doesn't bother you," Scott says with a smile.
"I'm usually not dressed for work," Molly says.
"You okay, Molly? Since you came home from work last night, I get the feeling something's bothering you."
"There is."
"You wanna talk about it?" Scott asks.
"What kind of surprise?"
"Bridgette Williams, Brandon's sister."
"What?" Scott asks. "She came to see you at your work?"
"Worse than that. She started working there today."
"She.....she works at the same store as you?"
"Yep. And the worse part is, I had to train her. Talk about awkward."
"What's she doing back in town, anyway?" Scott asks. "I thought she went back home after the trial."
"She did. But, she claims she feels like she needs to be here, whatever that means."
"I'm sorry," Scott says, walking over and gently touching her face. "I can't imagine how that must've made you feel. Why don't you go to your boss? Explain the situation, and maybe he can move her to another department?"
"I can't do that. She hasn't done anything to me. In fact, I feel really sorry for the poor girl. She lost her brother. A brother she had always looked up to as some kind of hero. And then she had to sit in that courtroom and listen to the testimony about his last few moments on earth. She had to find out in the worst way possible what kind of person Brandon really was. She's still hurting."
Scott looks at Molly and smiles as he continues to touch her face, then stroke her silky brown hair. "You are so amazing. After everything that guy Brandon did to you, here you are, feeling sorry for his sister and wanting to take her under your wing. THIS is why I love you so much."
"I love you, too, Scott."
He kisses her, but their kiss is interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. "Damn it," Scott complains.
"Expecting company this early? Or is it one of your other girlfriends?" Molly asks, smiling.
"Yeah, it's probably Suzy," Scott jokes, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "Or maybe Ashley. Or....... hey, it could be that sexy Jennifer."
The doorbell rings a second time. "You'd better get that," Molly says. "I'll just stay in here, since no one knows about us yet."
"I'll hurry whoever it is out because I know you've gotta get to work soon." Scott slips on a pair of gym shorts and walks out of the bedroom. He passes through the living room and opens the door. He's surprised when he sees Brian standing before him. "Brian," Scott says. "What in the world are you doing here?"
"I was on my way to the office, and I wanted to catch you before you went to work," says Brian.
"Come in," Scott says.
Brian walks into the apartment and looks around.
"So, what can I do for you?" Scott asks.
"Well, I wanted to talk to you about Thanksgiving."
"What about it?"
"Do you and your Mom have plans?" Asks Brian.
"I was hoping maybe you'd join me and some of my family for Thanksgiving. After all, in a way, they're your family, too. We're going over to my Aunt Karen's house. There'll be lots of people there, and of course lots of food, so I wanted to invite you and Cathy to join us."
"You think it'll be okay?"
"It'll be fine. After all, Mack and Karen and some other people there have known your mother for a long time, and I'd like for everyone to get to know you, too."
"Thanks, Brian. I really appreciate that, man. Means a lot."
"Well, I'm glad you and Cathy decided to stay in town, Scott," says Brian.
"Other than Mom, you and Olivia are the only family I've got, Brian."
"I'd better be getting to the office so you can go to work. Listen, Scott, my offer still stands. Any time you want a job at Cunningham Enterprises, it's there for you."
"Thanks, Brian."
"Give me a call tonight and let me know if you and Cathy can make it over to Aunt Karen's."
"I will."
"Bye."
"Bye, Brian," Scott says as Brian walks out of the apartment. Scott closes the door behind him and Molly comes out of the bedroom. She pauses in the doorway and Scott looks at her. "You heard?"
"I heard," she says. "You're actually going to Aunt Karen's for Thanksgiving?"
Scott sighs. "Brian invited me. I'm sure Mom will wanna go."
"And where exactly does that leave me?" Molly asks.
He walks over to her. "Hopefully, WITH me, at the MacKenzies' on Thanksgiving Day."
"Scott you know how I feel about this. I don't wanna be there. Not with my Mom, and my........with Brian, and the Ewings."
"Molly, you can't keep avoiding these people forever. Especially not now with the holidays. And, I think this will be a good time for us to go public with our relationship."
"Scott....."
"Molly, I love you. And I want the whole world to know. Especially my family, and your family." He grabs Molly and pulls her into a kiss.
The Ewing Home......later
"I'm in here, Karen!" Val yells out from the kitchen.
Karen walks in and finds Val taking a pan of cornbread from the oven. "Hi."
"Hi, Karen."
"So you're already cooking, huh?" Karen asks.
"Just the cornbread and biscuits for the dressing," replies Val.
"i'm gonna put the turkey in tonight. Are you good on the ham?"
"Oh yeah, I'm gonna make up the dressing first, and then cook the ham tonight. I already have a pecan pie in the fridge."
"What?" Val asks, confused by Karen's statement.
"Mack wants a pumpkin pie for tomorrow, and I was wondering if you had a recipe."
"Oh, sure, I do. Umm, look in that top drawer over there, right under the can opener."
Karen walks over and opens the drawer. Rummaging through a few recipes randomly thrown in, until she finds the pumpkin pie recipe. "Ah, here it is," she says, taking it out and closing the drawer. "Thanks, I'll give this back to you tomorrow."
"It's fine. I know that recipe like the back of my hand by now." Val dumps the cornbread she has just made from the frying pan into a plate on the counter. "Karen, I've got somethin' to tell you."
"Well I sure hope it's good news," says Karen.
"It is. At least, I think so."
"Well come on, tell me."
"Yesterday I went to the library, to try and do some research for a new book I'm plannin' to write. While I was there, I ran into a young man named Josh McKinley. He was a student of mine back when I taught those English classes at the college a few years ago."
"Oh, really? Well, I bet that was a surprise after so long."
"It was," says Val. "But what was even more of a surprise than seeing him was that, he told me about a job opportunity. An opening for a creative writing teacher at the Community College. I told him I'd give him my answer today."
"Val, that's terrific. What did Gary say when you told him?"
"He thinks it's a great idea. I just hope I can do it."
"Hope you can do it?" Karen asks. "Val, you'll make a wonderful creative writing teacher. After all, you taught English for a couple years, and who better to teach creative writing than someone who's had a couple of best sellers published."
"It's been YEARS since I've had anything published, and everything's probably a lot different now than it was then."
"Well, sure things are different, but the basic premise of creative writing never changes," says Karen. "Now stop worrying and tell that guy......Josh, was it?........that you'll take the job. It's about time you got back into the saddle again."
"You're right," Val says, looking at Karen and smiling. "Thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?" Karen asks.
"Oh, for helping me make up my mind. Just like you always do."
Karen smiles. "Always happy to help. Now, I'd better get to the grocery store and pick up these things I'm gonna need for the pumpkin pie."
"How about you make one and I'll get Betsy to make another, along with her sweet potato?" Val asks.
"Sounds like a perfect plan. Do you need anything from the market?" Karen asks, walking to the door.
"Ummm, could you pick me up some sage? I forgot it when I went to the store yesterday." Val asks.
"You got it. Talk to you later, honey."
"Bye, Karen," Val says as Karen walks out.
County Juvenile Detention Center.....afternoon
"Hey, Trev, where ya headed?" The other boy asks.
"Just down to the library," Trevor replies. "Thought I might read some tonight. I'll be back soon." Trevor walks down the hall as the other boy, his roommate, walks into their room. A couple of minutes later, he comes to two double doors at the end of the hallway. He holds up a photo I.D. to a correctional officer sitting in a booth. The officer presses a button and the two double doors unlock. Trevor walks through the doors into a large room lined with shelves of books. There are other youths in the room, sitting around tables reading. After looking around for s few seconds, Trevor makes his way over to a shelf on the far side of the room and begins looking for a book to read.
As Trevor browses the shelf, Dylan walks into the library. When he spots Trevor, he stops and looks at him for a moment. Trevor's back is to him, so he is unaware. Dylan walks over to him.
"Trevor?" Dylan says.
Trevor stops and hesitates a moment before turning to face him. Bracing himself, he turns around. "Oh, hey Dylan."
"What's up, man?"
"Oh, nothing, I just came to look for a book to read tonight and over the weekend."
"Yeah, me too. It's great that we're both gonna be able to go home for Thanksgiving, huh?"
"Yeah," Trevor says quietly.
"How do you think? I'm stuck in jail, same as you," Trevor snaps at him, then immediately feels bad for his tone. "I'm sorry, man."
"It's okay. You got a minute to sit down and chill?"
"Oh, okay, well, then, I'll see you at Thanksgiving tomorrow. You're coming to the MacKenzies'. right?" Dylan asks.
"Yeah. See you," Trevor says, a tone of disinterest in his voice. Without saying another word, he walks past Dylan and out of the library. Dylan watches his friend walk away from him, wondering why Trevor was acting so coldly toward him now considering all they had been through together.
The MacKenzie Home....that night
"What's the grin for?" Mack asks.
"Just taking in that smell," replies Michael. "Brings back a lot of good memories of growing up. Mom in the kitchen cooking for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Good times."
"Yeah. Real good times. But these are good times, too, and tomorrow, we're gonna have the whole family here, and then some."
"Well, almost the whole family," says Michael. "Minus my son."
In the kitchen, Karen and Diana are busy preparing for the big Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. Karen finishes marinating the large turkey which sits in a big roasting pan. "Okay, turkey's ready for the oven," Karen says as Mack and Michael walk in.
"Everything smells absolutely delicious," Mack says, kissing his wife on the cheek. "This is gonna be the best Thanksgiving ever."
"I hope so. Turkey's ready to go in the oven, could one of you big, strong men put it in for me?"
"I will, Mom," Michael says.
"Where are my kids?" Diana asks.
"Sidney is outside somewhere, and Abigail's upstairs," Mack replies.
"It's a shame Eric couldn't be here for Thanksgiving with the family," Diana says.
"Yeah," Michael says, placing the large roasting pan containing the turkey in the oven. "But, Thanksgiving is his mother's turn. I get him for Christmas."
"Yeah, it's hard on kids having to split the time between parents during holidays. But, at least Eric chose to live with you instead of Lori."
"That is true."
"And it's been great having them both living here with us," says Karen.
"Yeah, Mom won't even let me look for a place of my own."
"Because this house would be so empty without you and my grandson if you moved out, especially since Meg........well, since she took this extended vacation away from home."
Diana looks at her mother with worry as Karen speaks of Meg. "Mom, Meg will be fine. What she went through this past summer was horrible, but she's a very strong and resilient young woman."
"I know," Karen says with a smile.
The doorbell rings at that moment. "I'll get it," says Michael. He walks out of the kitchen, through the living room, and opens the front door to find Mack's daughter, Paige, standing there. "Paige!" He says excitedly.
"Michael! Oh my God," Paige says, hugging her stepbrother. "Look at you, you look GREAT!"
"Thanks, so do you. It's great to see you."
"Great to see you, too. Oh, Michael, you've never met my son, have you?" Paige asks. "This is Patrick. Patrick, your step-uncle, Michael Fairgate."
"Patrick, how ya doin'?" Michael asks, shaking the teenager's hand.
"Hey, who's at the door?" Mack asks, walking into the living room. He pauses in the doorway when he sees his daughter and grandson. "Paige? Oh, wow," he says with a smile. "Paige."
"Hi, Mack," Paige says, walking over and greeting her father with a hug.
"You look wonderful. And this can't really be my grandson, can it?"
"It can, and it is."
"Pat, ya look every bit as great as your mother."
"Patrick, Grandpa."
"What?"
"Your grandson likes to be called Patrick. He HATES Pat."
"Oh, yeah," Mack says. "Patrick. Well, whatever, I am SO glad you're both here. Karen and Diana are in the kitchen, Diana's kids are around someplace, so Pat......I mean PATRICK......you'll have your stepcousins to hang out with all weekend."
"Awesome," the boy says.
Mack turns and looks at his daughter with a smile. "I can't believe you're really here," he says. "Gosh, it's been a long time."
The MacKenzie Home.....the next day, Thanksgiving....
Gary and Val leave their house with Betsy, each of them carrying covered dishes in their hands. "Bobby, could you grab that coconut cake off the kitchen table and bring it over?" Val calls to her son she, Gary, and Betsy walk next door to the MacKenzie home and go in.
"Sure, Mom," Bobby says.
"Karen, we're here!" Val yells as she, Gary, and Betsy walk into the house.
"Here, let me take that, Val," Michael says, meeting them in the living room. He takes the dish from Val, while Mack takes Betsy's dish.
"How's the game going?" Gary asks Mack. "Who's winning so far?"
"Tied up right now," replies Mack. "Come join me, Ewing."
Meanwhile, Val and Betsy walk into the kitchen, where they are greeted by Paige and Diana.
"Paige, I'm so happy to see you," Val says, hugging her.
"Val, it's been such a long time. How are you, and how's Gary?"
"And Betsy, just look at you," Paige says. "All grown up, and Mack tells me you're married to Laura's youngest son, Daniel."
Betsy smiles. "That's right. Daniel's a neurosurgeon, and we live just across the street."
"Well, congratulations, I'm happy for you."
"How about you, Paige?" Val asks. "Did you ever remarry after you left Knots Landing?"
The smile disappears from Paige's face. "Excuse me," she says. "I'm gonna go say hello to Gary" Paige flashes a quick, insincere smile, then leaves the kitchen.
"Did I say somethin' wrong?" Val asks Karen.
"I don't know," Karen replies.
Meanwhile, Paige walks into the living room, where she greets Gary with a hug. "Paige, you look as pretty as always," Gary says.
"Thank you, Gary. It's really wonderful to see you again."
"You, too, are you gonna join us for the game?"
"Sure, in a little while."
"Gary, would you excuse us, I'd like to have a word with my daughter," Mack says.
"Sure, Mack," Gary says as the doorbell rings.
"I got it," Michael yells, walking to the door. He opens the door to Brian, Kate, Trevor, Brian's sister Olivia, Olivia's son Matt Clark, and Abby. "Hey, guys, come in. Trevor, how are you?"
"I'm okay, Michael," the boy replies, somewhat timidly.
"I brought a casserole," Kate says.
"Great, you can just take it into the kitchen."
"Thanks," Kate says, walking past him.
Michael puts his hand on Brian's shoulder. "Hey, I'm kinda surprised to see you here with Kate. It's nice, though that the two of you can still be friends after the divorce, unlike Lori and I."
"Well, we're here today mainly for Trevor," says Brian. "Kate and I decided to put our differences aside and spend today as a family since Trevor was able to be with us."
Michael smiles. "Well, I'm glad you guys are here."
Meanwhile, Mack and Paige walk onto the front porch. "I'm glad I finally get a moment to talk to you alone," Mack says.
Paige looks around at the group of guys, including her son, playing football on the street in front of the house. "Well, we're HARDLY alone, Mack."
"Yeah, well, this is about as alone as we're gonna get today."
"So what did you wanna talk about?"
"Do I need a reason to wanna have a moment alone with my daughter who I haven't seen in, what, two years?"
Paige smiles. "No. I'm sorry."
"Actually, I do wanna talk to you about somethin'."
"I knew it," Paige says. "What's up, Pop?"
Mack looks out at his grandson playing football with the others. "I can't help but notice that the older that kid gets, the more he looks like......"
"Mack, don't," Paige interrupts. "Just.......don't say it."
"Paige, come on, I'm your father. You know there's nothin' you can't tell me."
"There's nothing to tell."
"Well, maybe I ought to tell YOU somethin'. He's gonna be here today."
Paige looks at him, her mouth open in shock. "What? You invited him here for Thanksgiving? Since when did the two of you become such good friends?"
"We're NOT good friends. Or friends, period. I just felt sorry for the guy. He's all alone."
"That was HIS choice, Mack. He didn't have to be alone."
"Is it gonna be awkward for you today?" Mack asks. "Him bein' here? I mean, I invited him before I knew you'd be coming. I can just call him and tell him he's uninvited."
"No, of course not," says Paige. "I can't ask you to do that. Yes, it'll be awkward, but I'll survive."
At that moment, Jason Avery's car pulls up and comes to a stop in front of the house. Jason and Dylan get out of the car and walk up to the house.
"Ay, Jason," Mack greets. "And Dylan, hey, great to see ya, kid."
"Thanks Mack."
"Jason?" Paige asks. "Jason Avery?"
"Oh wow, Paige," says Jason.
"Oh, my God, I can't believe it," Paige says. "All these people I knew when they were little kids are all grown up now."
"Paige, this is my son, Dylan."
"Hello, Dylan."
"Hi."
"You two go on in," says Mack.
Jason smiles, then he and Dylan walk into the now crowded MacKenzie living room. Dylan spots Trevor across the room and walks over to him.
"Hey, man," Dylan says.
"Oh, hey." Trevor says, feeling uncomfortable.
"Lot of people here, huh?"
"Yeah. I think I'm gonna go out and get some air."
"Trevor....."
"Excuse me, man," Trevor says, quickly walking away from Dylan and out the patio doors off the dining room. Again, Dylan wonders why Trevor has been treating him as if he has the plague.
While Abby chats with Michael and Olivia, Brian is standing alone in the middle of the living room looking around. Kate walks over to him.
"What's wrong?" She asks.
"I don't see Trevor."
"I saw him go out onto the patio just a few minutes ago."
"Oh."
"Brian, stop worrying. Trevor is gonna be fine."
"He doesn't seem fine to me, Kate," Brian says. "He seems......distant."
"Maybe we shouldn't have come here. We should've just spent a quiet Thanksgiving at the house with him."
"No. I think he needs this. He needs to be surrounded by his family and people who love and support him. And all those people are right here today."
At that moment, Mack and Paige walk into the house, followed by Scott and Molly.
"Oh my God," Brian says to Kate. "Molly. She's here."
Kate looks over and sees her daughter. She and Brian walk over to them. "Molly," Kate says. "I'm so glad you're here, sweetheart."
"Hi, Mom. Brian."
"Hello, Molly," Brian says. "Scott, glad you could make it. Is Cathy with you?"
"Yes, she's outside, talking to......I think their names are Jason and Daniel?"
"Yeah, Jason and Daniel Avery. Your Mom knew them when they were kids. So, did the two of you run into each other outside?"
Scott and Molly exchange awkward looks. "No, we came together," Molly replies.
"Really?" Kate asks. "How'd that happen?"
"Well, I......I actually talked Molly into coming," says Scott.
"Well, Scott, thank you," says Brian. "We weren't sure Molly was gonna make it. But we're glad you did, sweetheart. Your brother is here, too."
"Good. I can't wait to see him. I see my OTHER father is here, too," Molly says, looking over at Gary. "Just one big, happy family, right, guys?"
"So, umm, you two have gotten to know each other a little the last couple months, then?" Brian asks.
Brian's and Kate's mouths fall open in shock. "You're...... you two are LIVING together?" Brian asks.
"Yeah, Brian, we are," Scott replies.
"I don't believe this. My brother and my........"
"Former stepdaughter?" Molly interrupts. "That's all I am to you, isn't it?"
"Brian RAISED you, Molly," Kate says.
"Yes. Yes, he did. But he's NOT my father, is he? Which means that Scott and I are not related by blood, so there's no problem with us seeing each other and having sex. Excuse me." Molly quickly walks away, leaving her parents in shock and leaving Scott embarrassed.
Brian looks at his half-brother. "You and I need to have a serious talk, little brother."
Before Scott can say anything, Karen, Diana, Val, and Betsy come in from the kitchen. "Everyone!" Karen yells over the noise of the crowd. "Everyone, may I have your attention, please? HEY!"
The crowd continues to be noisy, unable to hear her. "HEY! EVERYONE!" Mack yells loudly, finally getting everyone quiet. "The lady of the house requires your attention."
"Thank you," Karen says. "Dinner is ready. Would someone please get everyone in from outside and tell them to wash up because we're all hungry and we'll be ready to eat in five minutes."
Hearing Karen's announcement, Dylan walks onto the patio, where he finds Trevor sitting alone by the pool. "Hey, dude," Dylan says. "Your Aunt Karen says we're about to eat in five minutes."
"Okay. Thanks," Trevor says, uninterested.
"I was hoping Eric would be here," says Dylan. "His Dad said he's spending Thanksgiving with his Mom."
"Yeah, so I heard." Trevor stands to his feet. "Well, better get washed up." He starts toward the house, but Dylan steps in front of him.
"Dude, what's going on?" Dylan asks.
"What do you mean?"
"I haven't been avoiding you."
"The hell you haven't. Ever since that day in court. The whole time we've been in juvy together, you haven't come near me. And here today, you've avoided me like like flu or something. Dude, we're friends. You're my best friend, so what gives?"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Dylan asks.
"Dude, look how being friends with me has messed up your life. Four, five months ago you were just a normal teenage kid. You played video games, watched too much TV, went surfing. All the things that kids our age do. But then, you became friends with me, and what happens? You end up killing someone to protect me, and going to jail for that. Your life is ruined because of ME, Dylan!" Trevor starts to cry.
Dylan moves closer to him. "That's not true. You didn't mess up my life. Trevor, I did what I did to protect you, yes, but that Brandon.......he was evil, man. He'd hurt so many people that you and I care about. I wasn't about to let him hurt you."
"You wouldn't have been there that night if it wasn't for me, man," Trevor says through his tears. "And then, I was so messed up I blocked it out of my mind and let Bobby take the blame for killing Brandon."
"None of what happened was your fault, Trev. You confronted Brandon that night because you wanted to protect your sister. Something anyone would have done. Trevor, you didn't mess up my life, bro. Dude, don't you get it? I love you. I think of you more like my brother than as a friend."
"Hey, you, two," Jason says, walking onto the patio. "Better get in here. We're about to eat."
"Thanks, Dad," says Dylan.
"Is everything alright out here?"
"Everything's fine, Dad. Right, Trev?"
Trevor looks at his friend and nods. "Yeah," he says. "Everything's fine."
"Come on in, guys," Jason says.
Meanwhile, everyone begins to take their seats at the two large tables set up to accommodate the huge number of people.
Karen sighs with frustration as she takes her seat.
"What's wrong?" Mack asks her.
"I guess Meg isn't gonna make it after all," she replies as the doorbell rings.
"Pat.....excuse me, PATRICK, can you get that?" Mack asks his grandson, who is in the living room.
"Yeah, Grandpa," the boy says. He walks over and opens the door to Greg Sumner.
"Hello," Greg says.
"Hi. Who are you?" Patrick asks.
"Oh, come in, then."
"Thanks, kid," Greg says, walking into the house. "Looks like Mack and Karen have a house full."
"Oh, yeah, definitely."
"And, who might you be?" Greg asks.
"I'm Mack's grandson."
Greg looks at the boy with a puzzled expression. "Mack's grandson? I didn't know Mack had a grandson."
"Yeah, you know Paige? Mack's daughter? That's my Mom."
"Really?" Greg asks as Paige walks over to them.
"Well, well. Look who the cat dragged back after all these years. I was just chatting with your son here. Mack never mentioned you even had any kids. How old are you, kid?"
"I'm....."
"Patrick, go take your seat at the table. It's time to eat," Paige says, interrupting her son's answer.
The boy looks at Greg, then at his mother, and then walks into the dining room to sit down.
"Come on, Sumner," Paige says. "Hope you're as hungry as I am."
"How old is the boy, Paige? Seventeen? Eighteen?" Greg asks.
She turns and looks at him. "He just turned eighteen four days ago."
"Eighteen. That would make him born in November of.......1997. Is he mine?"
"You didn't want any more kids, remember?" Paige asks. "That's one of the last things you said to me before I left. Or was it THE last thing you said to me? I can't remember."
"Hey, you, two," Karen calls from the dining room. "Come on. Dinner's getting cold and this crowd is hungry."
Paige looks at Greg with a smirk, then turns and walks into the dining room to take her seat at the table. Greg pauses for a moment as he thinks about what Paige said......and about her son. Then he too joins the others at the dining room table.
"Everyone hold hands," Mack tells the assembled group. Everyone does as they are told, and Mack continues: "First of all, I wanna thank everyone for coming here today to share in our Thanksgiving feast. I think this is the largest crowd we've ever had for Thanksgiving, and there are quite a few faces here this year who haven't graced this house in many years, including Olivia and her handsome son Matthew, my daughter Paige and my awesome grandson Patrick, who's named after me, by the way. And Cathy and her son Scott. Welcome. I'm so happy and so thankful for each and everyone who's here this day, even Greg and Abby." (the assembled crowd laughs at Mack's remark, while Abby rolls her eyes). "Karen and I were really hopin' our youngest daughter Meg would be able to make it home today, but, I guess she had other plans, so, without any further delay, let's just count our many blessings, and say a prayer over this meal. A prayer of Thanksgiving. Everyone bow your heads, please. Dear Lord, we come humbly before you today to give thanks for all our many blessings. You've seen each and every one of us at these two tables through an awful lot in our lives, and an awful lot just this year. We thank you for bringing Michael and his son Eric home to us. We thank you for Karen, my beloved, surviving cancer this year. We thank you for Bobby, and for Dylan and Trevor. For guiding them and seeing them through the turmoil of this year. We thank you that, even though there are some of us in this room who've had many differences over the years, we can now come together on this Thanksgiving Day, 2015, and celebrate together. Thank you for our children. Bless them with your love and peace, protect them with your truth and strength, engage them with your hope and vision. Thank you for this food and the hands that prepared it. Bless this food, for it's in Your name we pray, Amen."
"Amen," the rest of the group echoes.
"Okay, now, let's eat," Mack says, retaking his seat at the head of the table.
As the group begins to eat, the front door slowly opens, and Meg walks in with a young man. They look around and see everyone in the dining room, and make their way over. "Hello, everyone," Meg says.
"Meg! Oh, Meg!" Karen says happily, getting up from her seat and rushing over to hug her daughter. Mack also gets up to greet Meg with a hug and a kiss.
Bobby looks at Meg, wanting to say something to her, but wondering who the young man is with her.
"Honey, we didn't think you were gonna make it," Karen says.
"Who's your friend?" Mack asks.
"Oh, yeah," says Meg. "Mom, Dad, everyone, I'd like for you all to meet Shawn. Shawn Kennedy. My husband."
"You're......your......husband?" Karen asks, stunned.
"Husband?" Mack asks.
Bobby looks at Meg and her new husband, an expression of both shock and anger on his face as he tries to process the news of Meg's marriage!