Written by: Dallas Walsh

"I have an announcement to make this morning," Stacey Rockwell announces to her family as they sit around the breakfast table in the Rockwell Mansion.

This causes her parents, Mac and Lydia Rockwell, as well as her siblings, Cole and Lexington Rockwell, to stop eating and drinking coffee and look over at Stacey, curious about what she has to tell them.

"What is going on, darling?" Mac asks her before he takes a sip of his coffee.

"It is about Kent and Vivian," she begins to tell her family. "They got married yesterday in the hospital," she reveals as her family gasps in surprise, as she thinks about how she told her lover, Kent Blackmore, to marry his ex-wife, Vivian Blackmore, as she continues to fight for her life in the hospital after her car accident. The doctors have continued to say that Vivian only has until the end of the week to live, and Stacey wanted Vivian to die being Kent's wife since she has always loved him.

"I heard about that the marriage was going to happen when I saw Kent at the hospital," Lydia tells her quickly. "You suggesting that to Kent was incredibly selfless, considering your feelings for Kent."

"How are you holding up, Stace?" Lex asks her quickly.

Stacey shrugs back to him. "I think it was the right thing to do but still hurts seeing the man you love marry another woman."

"At least you know that Vivian will die a happy woman," Cole tells her. "I've had my share of entanglements with her over the years but deep down, she always loved Kent. He is the love of her life."

"That's why I suggested that they marry before she dies," Stacey informs the family. "I just hope I did the right thing. I really hope that this was the right thing to do."

***

A short time later, Stacey moves closer towards Vivian's hospital room. She is eager to hear if there has been any change on her; part of her wondered if marrying Kent would improve her condition.

"Morning Stacey," Houston Blackmore says as he comes up to her. "How was your night?"

"Pretty restless," she replies to him quickly. "But I was able to see the children and that was nice. Drake misses you, you should stop by and see him soon."

"I'd love to see Drake and Poppy," Houston tells her. "I just haven't wanted to leave my Mom's side yet."

"I get it," Stacey replies to him. "How is she? Any change?"

"Not that I know of," Houston informs her. "We are waiting to hear from the doctors. How are you though? I know that yesterday, seeing my Dad marry my Mom, it couldn't have been easy for you."

Stacey looks back at him and immediately remembers that Cole told her that he saw Houston in bed with Celeste Baldwin. The thought of them together makes her sick to her stomach, especially since he has been giving her a tough time for being with Kent.

"Do me a favor Houston," Stacey looks back at him. "Don't worry about me; maybe just focus on Vivian and Celeste."

"Celeste? What does Celeste have to do with anything?"

"I know Houston," Stacey looks into his eyes. "I know that you and Celeste slept together."

***

Celeste Baldwin sits at the bar in the country club with her mind racing over the fact that the previous day she realized that Cole was at her suite the day she and Houston made love; she can't help but wonder if that is why Cole is pushing her away. Did he see her with Houston?

She takes a sip of her of her mimosa before she sighs to herself. "That would explain why Cole has been ice cold to me," she tells herself. "What are the odds of that though? That he would have seen me with Houston?"

She turns her head and sees Cole moving into the country club. Without thinking twice, she stands up and moves closer to him. "Cole, we need to talk, and I am not taking no for an answer."

Cole looks back at his former lover with intent. "What is it, Celeste? I have a busy day planned."

"Did you see me with Houston?" she asks him quickly. "Is that why you are pushing me away?"

Cole chuckles back to her. "You finally figured it out," he nods back to her. "You claim you want me back, but you fall into the first man's bed that is available when things are tense between us, Celeste."

"That's not fair," Celeste shakes her head quickly. "You…you were pushing me away! That doesn't mean that I don't love you. And what about you? Are you back with Madison now that she's in town?"

"That's none of your business," Cole looks back at her, as he thinks about how close he has been with Madison Stewart since she has been in town because of Vivian Blackmore's accident. "All I did was tell my sister about you and Houston."

"Stacey knows?" Celeste rolls her eyes back to him. "Great, that means she will likely hold this against Houston. You couldn't have just come to me and asked me what happened with Houston? It wasn't an affair, it was a onetime thing!"

"I don't care," Cole shrugs back to her. "You can do whatever you want, because you and I, we are over, for good."

***

Helena Grant steps off the elevators at Rockwell Mining and starts to move towards the main office at the company. She recalls how the previous day she got a phone call from Nathan Lockhart asking her to come to the company as he required her help with something. She has no idea what Nathan could want, but she was curious and agreed to come by first thing this morning.

She knocks on the office door before she opens it and peers inside, where she sees Nathan sitting at the desk with his laptop open. "Good morning," Helena announces as Nathan looks over and gets a grin on his face.

"Helena, please come in," Nathan says as he stands up from the desk. "And thank you again for coming."

"Of course," Helena nods back to him. "I am curious as to what you need my help with?"

"Can I get you a drink?"

"No, thank you," Helena tells him as Nathan pours himself a brandy. "It is a touch early for me to have any alcohol."

"Alright," Nathan replies to her as he takes a sip of his brandy. "Let's get down to business, then, shall we?"

"Yes, please, I'd love to hear how you need my help."

"I am not sure if you are aware," Nathan moves closer to her. "But I have proposed to Sabine Andrews, and she has accepted."

"Congratulations," Helena replies to him with a grin on her face. "That is very exciting for you two. I am still not sure how I play into all of this."

Nathan chuckles back to her. "Well, I am going to design a wedding ring," he starts to explain to her. "And I am hoping that I can hire you to be security as the ring will be very expensive. I just want everything to go accordingly to plan."

"That is interesting."

"It will entail us working together later in the evenings because I don't want Sabine, or anyone, knowing what I am working on. What do you say, Helena? Can I count on you?"

"I'd love too," Helena nods back to him, excited by the idea of helping him with his creation. "You can count on me!"

***

Sabine Andrews moves into the living room of the Rockwell mansion and sees Mac about to pour himself a brandy. She clears her throat so he can know that he is no longer by himself.

"Sabine, hi," he turns and sees his former lover. "Can I get you a drink?"

"I'd love one," Sabine purses her lips together. "I just put Jumper down for his nap. My grandson is so adorable."

Mac passes her a brandy before he takes a sip of his drink. "I can't believe that we are at the age of being grandparents," he chuckles to her. "But I couldn't agree with you anymore, Jumper is a sweetheart."

"It finally feels like everything is settling into place," she looks back at him. "You and Nathan are working together at Rockwell Mining; you and Helena seem to be growing closer; the children are, for the most part, doing alright. And Nathan and I, well, we are in a good place."

"I am happy to hear that," Mac smiles back to her. "I know we have a history, Sabine, but all I have ever wanted was for you to be happy."

"I am happy Mac," Sabine replies to him. "Nathan has made me the happiest woman in the world."

"Let's drink to that," he raises his glass to her.

***

A short time later, Mac is sitting in the study of the mansion looking at some of his files that he is working on. He is still looking forward to reviewing Lex's next report as well, but his youngest son is still working on it.

He looks over his shoulder when he hears the door to the study open and he is surprised to see Casper Ross standing there.

"I hope I am not interrupting," Casper announces as he moves into the study. "The butler said that you were in here."

Mac stands up and arches his eyebrow back at the younger man. "Mr. Ross, this is a surprise. What can I help you with?"

"I have some questions for you, and I am hoping you'd be willing to answer them for me."

Mac uneasily nods back to him. "I am not sure what this is about, if I am honest with you."

"It is about Dane Ashby, your father. I have some questions about him," Casper reveals to him as Mac looks back at him in surprise. "Do you have a few moments?"

"I…uh…yes, I do," Mac replies to him quickly. "Ask me anything you want about my father."

***

Meanwhile, downstairs in the living room, Lydia moves inside and sees Lucinda looking at some of the pictures that rest on the fireplace mantel.

"So many memories captured in those picture frames," Lydia says as she puts her purse down on the sofa while Lucinda turns to her. "That picture of you and Mortimer with Mac and Nathan is one of my favorites."

"Yes, mine too," Lucinda replies to her. "That was taken before Mortimer started to get sick."

"It makes us realize that we all have to make the most of every day that we have on this earth," Lydia tells her. "We never know when our minds or bodies will start to betray us."

"I wish that Mortimer could get better but that is not the case," Lucinda says as she moves to the bar and pours herself a brandy. "So, you are right, we have to take each day as it is presented to us."

"Lucinda, I have to ask you something and I need you to be honest with me," Lydia says as they lock eyes with one another.

"What is it, Lydia?"

"Your engagement to Dane Ashby," Lydia starts to tell her. "Are you sure that is a good idea?"

Lucinda takes a sip of her of her brandy which allows her to flash her new, large diamond ring in the air. "I want to be happy, Lydia. I want to spend the rest of my life with a companion. Is that so bad?"

"Of course not," Lydia quickly tells her. "But the fact is, we don't know that much about Dane. I…I don't want to see you get hurt by rushing into this marriage, Lucinda."

"I know everything that I need too about Dane," Lucinda takes another sip of her brandy. "He is a wonderful man and we have been drawn together for years. This engagement, it is a good thing. You're just going to have to trust me on that, Lydia."

***

"You're going to meet with Quinn later today, right?" Dyhannah Cooper asks Chase Cooper as they sit across from one another at a table in the country club. Dyhannah recalls how the previous day Chase agreed to be Quinn Cunningham's lawyer in her custody suit with Marat Kafelinkov as they are going to purposely try to make her lose her son. In Dyhannah's mind, this is the perfect way to get revenge on Quinn for lying that her son, Deacon Cooper, was the father of baby Jumper.

"I am indeed," Chase takes a bite of his salad before he looks back at his fiancé. "And don't worry, I remember the plan."

"Good, this will all work out perfectly," Dyhannah smiles back to him.

"While I am working on this," Chase replies to her quickly. "Why don't you start making some wedding plans? You know that I want to marry you as soon as possible."

Dyhannah purses her lips together. "I want that as well, and I already have many ideas about the wedding."

Chase chuckles back to her. "I am sure that you do," he says. "How about you start with the guest list? You know, you could ask your family to come to the wedding?"

"No," Dyhannah firmly replies to him. "I don't want my family anywhere near our wedding day," she says as Chase looks back at her in surprise by her response.

***

Stacey takes a sip of the coffee that she just poured in the cafeteria of the hospital and immediately makes a sour face as the coffee is not very good.

"I take it that the coffee is awful today?" a voice asks her.

Stacey turns around and sees Kent moving closer to her. "It's horrible," she replies to him. "And, I suppose congratulations are in order. You're a married man again."

Kent uneasily nods back to her. "I wouldn't be had it not been for you and your idea for Vivian and I to marry before she…"

"You don't have to say it," Stacey tells him. "I just hope that this brings her some joy, maybe even an improvement in her condition."

"We are supposed to see the doctor later today for an update," Kent sighs back to her. "I hope you know that I still love you, Stacey. This marriage, it is just for Vivian's sake. You still have my heart."

Stacey feels her eyes swell with water as she listens to him. "Right now, Kent, all that matters is Vivian. So please, put all of your energy into her. Everything else, will fall into place when it is supposed too."

***

"I still can't believe that your Dad married Mom," Madi tells Houston as they sit next to Vivian in her hospital room. "I know that she would have wanted this marriage, despite her and Kent being divorced for so many years."

"What is more surprising is that this was Stacey's idea," Houston replies to his half-sister. "Especially considering her relationship with Kent."

"Do you think that Mom knows that she is married to Kent again? Do you think she can hear us?" Madi asks him next.

"I hope so," Houston looks back at his mother. "Because if she can hear us, then she can hear us tell her how much we love her and need her."

Madi nods back to him as she grabs Vivian's hand. "It's true, Mom," Madi tells her. "We love you and we want you to come back to us. So please, keep fighting."

Suddenly, Vivian's hand squeezes Madi's back, causing her to gasp. "Houston! My God," Madi says as a tear falls down her cheek. "Mom, she…she squeezed my hand! Mom! Can you hear me? Mom!"

***

"I had an interesting visitor earlier this morning," Mac says as he moves into the living room of the Rockwell mansion and he sees Lydia pouring herself a brandy.

"Is that so?" Lydia asks him. "Care for a drink?"

"I'd love one," Mac tells her before she passes him a brandy. "Thank you."

"Of course," Lydia replies to him. "So, are you going to tell me who your visitor was?"

"Casper Ross," Mac reveals to her as she takes a sip of her brandy, as he tries to not act surprised by his revelation. "And he was asking me questions about Dane."

"Was he now?" Lydia asks him as she takes another sip of her brandy. "That's…interesting."

Mac looks at her with intent. "You wouldn't have any idea as to why he would be asking me questions about my father, would you?"

"I don't have the faintest of ideas," Lydia smirks back to him. "Now, why don't you finish your brandy so I can pour you a second one?"

Meanwhile, at the entry way of the living room, Lex stands in surprise as he overheard Mac reveal that Casper was asking him questions about Dane.

***

A short time later, Lex opens the door to Casper's office and moves inside. He looks at Casper and immediately thinks that he looks attractive, which makes him realize that he still needs to figure out what he wants to do with his future.

"Sorry to barge in again," Lex announces to Casper, who looks up from his computer. "But this is important."

"What is going on?" Casper asks him as he stands up from his desk. "Are you here to tell me that you've made some decisions on your future?"

"I wanted to know why you're asking questions about Dane Ashby?" Lex admits to him as crosses his arms over his muscular chest.

Casper uneasily chuckles back to him. "Where did you hear that from?"

"Mac was telling my mother about you asking him questions," Lex reveals to him. "I want to know why."

"I can't really tell you," Casper tells him quickly. "My work is private, Lex. What I do here, is between me and my client."

"Then at least tell me who your client is," Lex says back to him.

"I can't do that," Casper replies. "You're going to have to trust me when I tell you that I am asking these questions for a good cause, but that is all I can say."

***

"I just got a text message from my father," Deacon tells Quinn as they stand together in his suite of the country club. "He said he is running a little late to the meeting because he is with my mother and they are talking about the wedding."

Quinn rocks Jumper back and forth in her arms as he cries a little. "It's fine," she replies to him. "Jumper is a little fussy anyways. Come on buddy, you're fine."

Deacon watches with a grin on his face as Quinn gives Jumper his pacifier, which stops the baby from crying. She then places the baby in his stroller as he starts to fall asleep.

"You're so good with him," Deacon whispers back to her, as she stands up straight from placing the baby in the stroller.

She smiles back at Deacon. "Thank you," she tells him. "The funny thing about motherhood is that it becomes naturally, at least for me, I hope."

"You do look like a natural," Deacon says back to her. "Jumper is a lucky little boy to have you."

"I really appreciate you saying that," Quinn says as she feels her eyes swell with water. "That's what it is so important that I win this case. I can't, I won't, lose my son."

***

"And that's when she squeezed my hand," Madi tells Kent as they, together with Houston, stand outside of Vivian's hospital room. Madi and Houston just finished telling Kent about how Vivian reacted to them talking to her earlier in the day.

Kent sighs before he runs his hand through his hair. "I…I don't know what to say," he admits to them.

"Do you think that this means that Mom is coming out of her coma?" Houston asks his father and Madi with a glimmer of hope in his voice.

"I don't think we will know under the doctors have had a chance to exam her," Kent tells Vivian's children. "But I have to believe that this is a good sign, unless…"

"Unless? Unless what?" Madi asks him, hoping that this is still a good sign that Vivian might be coming out of her coma.

"Unless her hand twitching was involuntary," Kent says as he holds his breath. "I've had that can happen with people who are in comas."

"We are about to find out," Houston says as he looks over and sees the doctor coming up to them. "The doctor is coming, and we can get him to give us an update on Mom."

***

A short time later, Houston steps outside of the hospital and takes a deep breath. He has been in the hospital for so long that he decided to come and get some fresh air. His mind is still buzzing over the fact that Vivian squeezed Madi's hand; with the doctor with his mother now, and he can't wait to see if this is a sign that she will be out of her coma.

"Houston? What are you doing out here?" Stacey asks as she moves closer to him, as she is just arriving back at the hospital after she did a check-in on Drake and Poppy. "Has something happened to Vivian?"

"Yes, actually," he says with a smile on his face. "Madi and I were in with her, you know, just talking to her."

"And? What happened?"

"My Mom, she must have heard us because she squeezed Madi's hand," Houston reveals to her as Stacey gasps back to him. "We think that our mother is coming back to us."

"I don't believe this," Stacey tells him as she moves up and hugs him. "Vivian, she might be coming out of her coma?"

"I hope so," Houston continues to hold her. "I really hope so."

***

"I'm glad that you're here, we have to talk," Celeste says as she opens the door to the main office at Rockwell Mining and sees Cole sitting behind the desk. "I don't like how we left things earlier, not at all Cole."

Cole sighs as he stands up from the desk and moves over to the bar, where he pours himself a scotch. "Celeste, I don't know how many times I have to tell you that we are over, but if I have to do it again, I will."

"Cole," she moves up to him and grabs his arm, which spins him around so they can lock eyes. "You have to hear me out, okay? Please? After everything we've been through, can't you give me five minutes?"

"Fine, you have five minutes," Cole replies to her as he takes a sip of his scotch. "But I'm timing you."

"Alright," Celeste uneasily nods back to him. "I want you to know that being with Houston was a onetime thing and it was a mistake. He and I, we are just friends, nothing more."

"Celeste, I…"

"And Cole," she cuts him off. "I still love you. With everything in me, I am still madly, deeply in love with you, and I don't think that will ever change."

They continue to lock eyes with each other. She licks her lips before she continues. "Okay, that's what I had to say," she whispers back to him. "I don't expect any reaction or response from you, Cole. But you had to know what I was thinking and feeling. And now you do."

***

"I have to admit, Dyhannah," Chase says as they continue to sit at the table in the country club. He picks up his Manhattan and takes a sip of it. "I am surprised to hear that you don't want your family at our wedding. I was always under the impression that you were close to them."

"No, not at all," Dyhannah replies to him quickly. "I was adopted into a pretty wealthy family, and they loved me, but my God, were they hard on me."

"Hard on you? In what respect?"

"Every respect," Dyhannah sighs back to him before she takes a sip of her champagne cocktail. "They put so much pressure on me to always be the perfect child, the perfect daughter. That explains a lot about me and my personality, doesn't it?"

Chase reaches over and grabs her hand. "You never told me any of this, Dyhannah."

"I know," she replies to him. "It is a part of my life that I didn't want to think about or address. The truth is, since I've become so successful on my own, I have tried to keep my distance from my family. And inviting them to the wedding is the last thing I want to do."

***

Meanwhile, Deacon walks down the stairs of the country club and he moves towards the bar. Quinn is still waiting upstairs for her meeting with Chase to begin, but he came to get a bottle of wine for them to share while they wait.

As he moves up to the bar, he can't help but see Marat sitting alone with a cocktail in front of him. After seeing Quinn with Jumper earlier, Deacon has to admit that he is having second thoughts about going through with Dyhannah's plan to purposely help her lose Jumper.

"Marat," Deacon says as he arrives at the bar. "Have you heard the latest?"

"No, but I am sure you will tell me," Marat says with a chuckle as he takes a sip of his whiskey sour.

"My father has agreed to represent Quinn in the custody battle," Deacon says as Marat looks back at him in surprise.

"Really?" Marat asks him. "After everything that Quinn did to you and your family, why would your father represent her?"

Deacon chuckles back to him. "Because," he begins to explain to him. "We don't think that a mother should lose her child. So, you should prepare yourself for one hell of a fight."

Marat takes another sip of his drink. "Because we will do everything we can to help Quinn keep Jumper, and that is a promise."

***

Houston and Stacey exit their embrace as they continue to stand outside of the hospital. As they part, Houston looks deep into her eyes as he caresses her face.

"I know that you and my father are together," he whispers to her as he continues to look deep into her eyes. "But my God, Stacey, I still love you so much. And if my mother happens to survive, it will be thanks to you and letting Kent marry her."

"Houston," she replies to him as she removes his hand from her face. "We can't do this. Not after everything that has happened. You were with Celeste, of all people, for crying out loud!

"Celeste was a mistake," Houston replies to her quickly. "We were both lonely and needed someone, but it never meant anything, for either one of us. Celeste is in love with Cole, and I, well I am still head over heels in love with you, Stacey. I always have been."

"I am with your father. We have a child together."

"You and I have a child together," Houston looks into her eyes. "I think if you're honest with yourself, Stacey, you know that you still have feelings for me. You just have to admit it."

***

Kent opens the door to Vivian's room and moves inside. He walks up to her bedside and sits next to her, grabbing her hand in the process.

"It's me, Viv," he whispers to her. "It's Kent. We just spoke to the doctor, and he is going to run some tests to see what happened with your hand earlier."

He continues to look at her, while she sleeps. "Madi told me that you squeezed her hand," he continues to talk to her. "Do you think that you could try to do that with me now? Come on Vivian, squeeze my hand. Tell me that you can hear me? Tell me that you know that I am your husband."

Kent's eyes move down to look at his hand, which is still holding Vivian's. Nothing happens and there is no movement with Vivian's hand. He shuts his eyes in disappointment, but he opens them when he hears Vivian make a soft noise.

He looks up and gasps in shock as Vivian's eyes are open and she is looking around the room.

"Vivian?" he gasps. "You're awake? Oh my God, you've come back to us! Vivian, you're really awake!"