Episode 11 - Auld Acquaintences Be Remembered

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SCENE ONE - Stacy & Leo's Home
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As we ended our last episode, Cassandra Whitmore, the woman whom Leo has been seen with while the two were serving our country in the Middle East, and who claims to be the mother of Leo's child Christopher, has arrived at what she thinks is just Leo's house for a surprise visit (and shocks the hell out of Leo's wife, Stacy, in the process), but as you're about to witness, the surprise is on her. Read on....

"Excuse me?", Stacy says, still reeling from the bombshell Cassandra just dealt to her

"What part of my previous statement did you not understand?", Cassandra asks, wondering who the woman in front of her thinks she is

"Leo, the father of your child?", Stacy asks "Ohh no....You are sadly mistaken lady", she adds before Cassandra can respond. "Who the fuck are you?", she asks, again before Cassandra could get a word in edgewise and thinking she must be a con artist (if not a complete wacko).

"I told you my name is Cassandra Whitmore", Cassandra responds. "Who the fuck are you?", she returns

"I'm his wife" Stacy snaps in response.

Cassandra now looks as though she has been punched in the gut.

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SCENE TWO - The FonDu Lac Restaurant
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Trish is seen sitting at the bar when she realizes she sees an old acquaintance sitting not far from her. After spending several minutes debating with herself as to whether the man is or isn't her long lost lover Michael Carlotti, who left town after divorcing his wife Diane instead of going back to Trish nearly three years ago, Trish gingerly, yet almost excitedly walks up to the man whom she thinks is her long lost lover.

"Michael? Michael Carlotti?" she asks in an attempt to get the man's attention

"Trish?", the man asks with a shocked and surprised look on his face. Trish responds by smiling and showing him a ring that she's wearing which the man now recalls giving to her before.

"Oh my gosh", Michael says, still reeling from the surprise "I don't believe it", he said

Trish nods in a positive manner as she smiles. The two exchange hugs.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?", Trish asks

"Not a thing", Michael said "Sit down. Have a seat", he adds "I would've though you would've ditched that ring and gotten married by now", he continues, noticing she still has the ring he gave her, which is part of the symbol of their love.

"Whoa....Ditch the ring which you, the one man I almost married (not to mention the one man who made me like the happiest woman on earth) gave to me?", Trish asks "I don't think so", she adds. "Too many fond and happy memories", she continues as she looks at the ring.

"Well....For what it's worth, I still have mine", Michael says, showing his hand to her.

Trish and Michael look into each other's eyes and they skiddishly and nervously put the two rings together side by side as they remember the love they had for each other.

"The two rings still form the symbol of our love", Michael adds.

"I remember when you gave this to me", Trish said "You said no matter where we were, we'd still be together as long as we wore the ring", she adds, trying to fight back tears of joy and happiness "I suppose that's why I never got married", she adds. "You were my guardian angel", she says, filled with emotion and still fighting off tears of joy and happiness.

A waiter stops by, but can obviously tell Michael isn't ready to order. He then moves on.

Meanwhile, at the front door, Rob & Michelle look over at the obvious conversation Trish and Michael are having at his table.

"Who's that guy with Trish", Rob asks out of suspicion

"Dunno", Michelle said "But whoever he is, Trish spotted him as she was sitting over at the bar", she adds

"Think he might be hitting on her?", Rob asks, still suspicious of what's going on at his table

"The two of them seemed to be in a rather intense and emotional conversation when I stopped to take their order", said the waiter who was at Michael's table a few moments earlier

"Maybe we ought to ask him to leave then", Rob cluelessly says

"Whoa....Wait a minute cowboy!", Michelle exclaims "Suppose she and him are having a happy conversation", she hypothetically adds. "Moreover, suppose they're business partners discussing business", she again hypothetically adds. "Do you really want to be the one to tell him he has to leave?", she continues, thinking Rob really wouldn't be stupid enough to put himself in that position.

"No", Rob said. "But people usually aren't around here this late discussing business though", he adds

"Well then you my dear handsome prince, haven't been noticing some of the activity that usually goes on around here", Michelle says with a tone of experience in her voice as she walks away.

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SCENE THREE - Gen. Breyton's Office - Baghdad, Iraq
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"As such, I think you should tell your wife the truth", Gen. Breyton says, continuing his earlier comment from our last episode

"Sir, I can't", Leo says

"Can't or won't", Gen. Breyton responds

"Sir, do you have any clue what you're asking me to do", Leo asks, almost crying

"I'm saying you should come clean and tell the truth", Gen. Breyton said.

"I may as well tell her that I'm divorcing her because that's exactly what she'll do", Leo insistently says

"Then that's what she does", Gen. Breyton said "You'll just have to deal with it", he adds "But I will not have a man under my command who's pre-occupied with his own personal war to fight the one we were sent here for", Gen. Breyton adamantly says.

"As such, I am ordering you to head over to the Communications Center where you will call your wife and tell her the truth", Gen. Breyton continues

"But sir", Leo says "I can't", he adds.

"Can't or won't, Lieutenant?", Gen. Breyton asks

Leo is at a loss for words as he looks as though he's begging for sympathy from Gen. Breyton, who is offering no such thing.

"I almost find it amazing that this is the same man who just a couple of months ago stood up to gunfire, mortal shells and even grenades, to rescue three of his own buddies in a military rescue operation which earned him three purple hearts I might add. But when it comes to dealing with his own wife, his ducks, cringes, and cries like a baby.

"I've even heard you have a reputation of being a real Johnnie Appleseed around here", Gen. Breyton continued "Didn't really put much stock in it till now", he adds. "But when it came down to that reputation being tested - YOU FAILED", ge. Breyton adds, rubbing salt into Leo's situational wound

"Sir....Is there anything else?", Leo asks, wanting to end this otherwise one-way conversation

"I used to be like you myself", Ge. Breyton said "Looking back on my own experience, I was just as brash, bold, brazen, and Johnnie Appleseedish as are you are - or at least were", Gen. Breyton recalls "But then I got married all that changed", Gen. Breyton continues "Except for the Johnnie Appleseed part", he continues with his lecture

"Then one time while in Vietnam, I too had an affair with another woman while serving my country", he continues "It came back to haunt me", Gen. Breyton said

Leo suddenly becomes more relaxed now that he knows he's not alone

"I didn't tell my wife till after I came back home in '75", Gen. Breyton recalls

"What happened?", Leo asks

"By the time I got back from 'Nam, my wife not only divorced me ex-parte', she also took my kids and my home", Gen. Breyton said. "Had to live on base till I could find a more suitable place to live", he recalls. "On top of that, my C/O at the time had found out about my marital situation since it affected my wages as a military officer, and you know what he told me?", Gen. Breyton asked

"No, what?", Leo responded

"He told me he tried to get me on the next transport plane out", Gen. Breyton said "You see, I too learned of the pregnancy of the woman who I'd been having an affair with while in the middle of a warzone", Gen. Breyton said "And, like you, I quickly became pre-occupied, even obsessed with the situation", Gen. Breyton continues "And I was waging war with myself too".

As a result of the whole thing, I told myself if I ever got someone under my command like that, I'd do exactly what my C/O tried to do.

Leo's mouth instantly turns into a runway for flies at the sound of those words as the thought of being sent home on a transport plane from Iraq sends shivers up and down his spine.

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SCENE FOUR - Stacy & Leo's Home
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"No....No.....That can't be", Cassandra said "Leo told me he wasn't married", she adds

"Well obviously your intel is wrong as I have the ring and the certificate to prove it", Stacy said

"Look....I don't who the fuck you think you are, but I want to see Leo NOW", Cassandra adamantly says "I DEMAND that you to let me see him", Cassandra demands.

"Well first of all, my husband is in the Middle East serving his country", Stacy responds "And secondly, last time I checked, this is still MY property", she adds "so you are in NO POSITION WHATSOVER  to be telling me to do shit, Miss Goody Two Shoes", Stacy continues

"So you can take your Miss High-And-Mighty attitude and SHOVE IT UP YOUR FUCKIN' ASS along with your claim of my husband being the father of your child. You are UNAMERICAN, you fuckin' bitch", Stacy responds "Now, if you don't mind, I have a friend stopping by. You know, someone I'm supposed to know. So GET THE FUCK OFF MY PROPERTY YOU FUCKIN' BITCH", she adds as she sees Brad into the driveway and feeling stressed out and the baby kicking inside her.

"You know....For someone who's obviously about to become a mother herself, you seem to be rather liberal with the potty mouth", Cassandra sarcastically says "I don't appreciate people using that kind of language around my child", she adds "Might I offer you a bar of soap", Cassandra asks as she convienently whips out a bar of soap and offers it to Stacy as if Stacy was accepting charity

"You are UNAMERICAN", Stacy says, now seething with anger, her eyes bulging and shooting fire from their sockets and with a look of K I L L on her face, but she stops short of doing anything or saying anything else as Brad walks up, disturbed by what he heard as he was getting out of the car (and now seeing Stacy in the state she's in) and notices Cassandra, whom he knows is a total stranger to him and Stacy.

"You okay Stace", Brad asks as Stacy looks at Cassandra as if she's daring her to do or say anything else. Brad notices this and looks at Cassandra.

"Who are you?", Brad asks, not knowing Cassandra from a hole in the ground

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SCENE FIVE - Just outside The FonDuLac Restaurant
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Trish & Michael have just had dinner and are taking a stroll outside as they prepare to leave.

"You know, in a fit of rage, I almost took the ring off when I heard you left town after divorcing Diane", Trish confesses

"There was a point where I thought I'd never see you again either", Michael responded "And I almost took it off myself", he admitted

"You and I have such wonderful memories, lierally growing up together", Trish said

"I know", Michael said "How I wish things would've worked out differently", he adds

"They still can", Trish affectionately says "Remember.....As long as we still have the rings, the symbol of our love, we will always be together", she reminds him.

"Yeah....You're right", Michael admitted "Hate it when you are", he adds with a chuckle

Trish responds with a soft giggle

"It's not like I'm married", Michael adds "And even if I were, our love is stronger than any marriage", he adds

"It sure is", Trish says

Michael smiles

"You know, with all the commotion, you never said why you came back to Cedarville", Trish recalls "So, old friend and dearest lover, what brought you back to town", she curiously asks

"Business I'm afraid", Michael responds "Have a business conference to attend this week", he adds

"Ohh...", Trish says.

"Last time I recall, you said you were going into business yourself", Michael recalls

"Yep", Trish responds. "Real Estate Investor & Interior Decorator", she adds

"Two professions rolled into one, eh?", Michael asked

"Yeah", Trish responds

"Must keep you busy", Michael said

"Sometimes", Trish said.

The two continue their stroll.....

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SCENE SIX - Gen. Breyton's Office - Baghdad, Iraq
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"You're going to put me on a transport plane back to the states?", Leo asks

"Damn straight I am", Gen. Breyton responds

"But....But.....But sir, I....I....I can keep this in check", Leo said, pleading his case

"McFadden, what part of my story did you not understand?", Gen. Breyton asks

"B...B....But sir....", Leo says

"No buts McFadden. It's done", Gen. Breyton said

"I don't understand", Leo said

"McFadden....With you getting those purple hearts, the people back in Cedarville think of you as a hero", Gen. Breyton said "I even hear the mayor is planning to have a parade upon your return", he adds "How do you think most people will react if they learn that you committed adultery while over here?", he asks "You better think about that", he continues

"Sir....With all due respect, I will not board that plane", Leo said

"Oh yes you will", Gen. Breyton said "You'll be on that plane even if I have to throw you on there myself", he adds

"Now you haul your ass over to the Communications Center and you get on the horn with your wife", Gen. Breyton said "Dismissed Lieutenant", he added.

"Under extreme duress....Sir, yes sir", Leo said

Leo walks out of Gen. Breyton's office.

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On THE NEXT Edition Of AGAINST THE STORM
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* Leo calls Stacy as per orders from General Breyton. What will he say to her when asked about Cassandra?

* Trish & Michael ponder the idea of getting back together again, but has time finally caught up with them? Has Trish really forgiven him for the events that lead to his departure nearly three years ago?

* Will Brad rethink his position on Jennifer? We he try to help her regain her memory?

* Greg & Courtney have another meeting, but this time with lawyers in tow. What will happen?

Don't miss the next exciting episode.

See you all next time. :-)

This time is Copyright 2005 Pat Cook & Jeeper One Media - All Rights Reserved