MEL 

Lindsay and Jenny were staying at the hotel while I tried to get Gus back. After I left Brad’s office I knew that I needed to talk to Ron. What we did with the adoption could get us both in trouble. Ron told me to meet him at home, because we didn't need anyone overhearing us.

“Mel, why is this coming up again? You told me Brian was never going to look into what we did.” He tells me. 

“I thought you managed to convince Brian his rights were revoked.” I tell him. 

“I thought I had, but out of nowhere he's firing me and I'm being questioned about why we didn't follow proper procedure. Mel, Brad Tanner isn't going to let this rest.” He tells me. 

“I can’t let them find out what Russo asked me to do.” I tell him. 

“Mel, what did you do?” He asks me. 

“Russo wanted me to provide information to the defense in a case.” I tell him. 

“Please don’t tell me he was presiding over the case?” He asks. 

“It was the case for Justin Taylor’s bashing.” I tell him. 

“Why would you agree to that? Don’t you realize you could be disbarred for helping him? Not to mention that I thought Justin was a friend of yours.” He tells me. 

“Russo was going to reverse the adoption, and tell Brian what we did.” I tell him. 

“I told you to let Brian see the kid. We wouldn’t be in this mess if you had listened to me.” He tells me. 

“I wanted Brian out of my life, and I thought you could keep him from doing anything.” I tell him. 

“All he wanted was contact with Gus, his son, he wasn’t asking for anything more than that. All you had to do was drop the kid off with him and leave, what was so hard about that?” He tells me.

“Everytime he showed up, Lindsay and I would start fighting over her wanting to spend time with Brian. I got tired of it, and wanted to keep him away from us.” I tell him.

“I hope keeping Lindsay from fighting with you is worth losing your career over, because Russo is going to make damn sure you take the fall for this.” He tells me.

“Russo is just as guilty as I am, for asking me to help the defense.” I tell him.

“You have to prove he asked you. When he finds out the adoption is being looked into, he isn’t going to take the blame for us.” He tells me.

“I taped the conversation with Russo and Chris’s family, I wanted to make sure they wouldn’t talk either.” I tell him.

“Great, so you now have evidence of your guilt, along with theirs. It’s not going to save you. If this gets taken any further, I plan to admit to what you asked me to do. I’m not losing my license for you. As it is I’ll probably face some sort of sanction for my part in this.” He tells me.

“Right now I have to tell Lindsay that Brian was given custody of Gus.” I tell him.

“How did that happen?” He asks me.

“Gus ran away. If Lindsay had bothered to keep up with Gus, it wouldn’t have taken almost a week for us to find out he was missing.” I tell him.

“This just keeps getting better and better. Why weren’t YOU keeping up with Gus, you're his mother too?” He asks me.

“I was working, and depended on her to take care of it.” I tell him.

“Like that excuse is going to fly with Child Services. You know if Jenny’s father finds out about this he could take Jenny away from you.” He tells me.

“That’s why I’m trying to get Gus home, I don’t need any more threats from Michael.” I tell him.

“Mel, you need to figure out what you’re going to do, because this is bigger than a couple of custody cases. I can’t be a part of something that is going to ruin my career. Please don’t contact me anymore, because I’m through putting my ass on the line for you and Lindsay.” He tells me.

DEB

Someone knocked on the door and Carl went to get it. When Carl opened the door Jenny leaned out of Lindsay’s arms towards Carl.

“What a nice surprise.” Carl tells Lindsay.

“I need to talk to you, Carl.” She smiles at me.

“Is everything all right?” Carl asks her.

“No, but I don’t know what to do about it.” She tells him.

“Where’s Gus?” I ask Lindsay.

“That’s part of what I wanted to talk to you about, Brian has Gus right now.” She tells us.

“So you two finally got your heads out of your asses and let Brian see Gus. I’m glad you see that, it wasn’t right what you two have been doing to Brian.” I tell her.

“Mommy didn’t let Gus see his daddy, Gus ran away to Justin.” Jenny announces.

“What do you mean Sweetie?” I asks her. 

“Gus said he wanted someone who would love him and he ran away. Mommy and Mama couldn’t find him, so I finally told them Gus left days ago. Daddy was mad at Mommy and Mama.” She tells me.

“You didn’t know Gus ran away?” I ask Lindsay, but Jenny answers me.

“Grammy, Gus told me to keep it a secret, but you know, if Gus had waited Daddy was going to bring him home and tell on Mommy and Mama.” Jenny tells me.

“What would your Daddy tell?” I ask, looking at Lindsay.

“He wanted Gus’s daddy to be happy that he made Mama and Mommy let him see Gus. Daddy thinks it will get Gus’s daddy to love him.” Jenny tells Ma.

“Please let me explain first.” Lindsay begs us.

“Jenny why don’t I get you some cookies while Grampa talks to your mommy.” I tell Jenny. 

I got Jenny settled with cookies and a coloring book and went back to the living room to find out what’s going on.

“Mel and I left yesterday to get here before Michael.” She tells us.

“Is there a reason you wanted to beat Michael here?” I ask her.

“Michael demanded that we let him bring Gus to Brian or he was going to take Jenny from us.” Lindsay tells us. 

“Why does Michael care about Gus seeing Brian?” I ask her.

“He seems to think Brian would be grateful enough that he would then want to be with him.” She tells me.

“You mean he still thinks Brian is going to want to be with him?” Carl asks.

“I guess, but it’s not the reason I’m here. Mel took off to try to force Gus to come home. I couldn’t sit in the hotel any longer. Carl, Mel did something that I can’t condone.” She tells us.

“What is it?” Carl asks her.

“She gave information to the defense attorney in Justin’s bashing case, but that isn’t all. Judge Russo is the one that told her to.” She tells us.

“Are you telling me that that bitch helped Chris?” I whisper.

“She told me herself that she did. I lied to her on the way here and told her that I wasn’t going say anything. I just needed her to trust me enough to leave so I could bring Jenny to you. I owe Brian and Justin the truth.” Lindsay tells us.

“Why now Lindsay?” I ask her.

“I love Gus enough to know that Brian would be a better parent for him. I’ve let Mel get away with so much and it hurt Gus. I never wanted to be that kind of mother to Gus.  I also won’t stay with someone who could help an attempted murderer go free. Justin didn’t deserve to be victimized again the way it happened at the trial.” Lindsay tells us, crying.

“Lindsay, if you think this is going to win Brian over, it won’t. You hurt him when you let Mel keep him away from Gus.” I tell her.

“At first I just wanted to stop fighting, it wasn’t about anyone but me.” She tells us.

“What’s different now?” I ask her.

“I want my son to be happy, even if it isn’t with me.” She tells us.

“Lindsay, Brian wouldn’t do to you, what you and Mel did to him.” I tell her.

“I know, because Brian would think of Gus first. I want to move back and hopefully share custody of Gus with Brian. I can’t be the mother he needs right now, if I had, my son wouldn’t have run away.” She tell us.

“You know you can stay with us.” I tell her.

“I need to make everything right for Gus and Brian. Which means I need to see Brian.” She tells us.

“I don’t know if he’s going to believe you Lindsay.” I tell her.

“Tell him to bring Brad with him, they might be interested in the conversation on this tape.” Lindsay tells us.

“What’s on that Lindsay?” Carl asks her.

“Judge Russo telling Mel to help the defense attorney and Chris’s family.” She tell us.

“We need to get that to the DA.” Carl tells Lindsay.

“That might be a problem.” Lindsay tells us.

“Why?” Carl asks her.

“He’s on here too. I guess everyone owed Russo favors.” Lindsay tells us.