Unknown Location.

Johnathan waits with fingers tapping on his jeans, lazily kicking stones away from his path as he paces. His gaze flits to the path down the narrow street for the fifth time of the night but all that meets him is silence. Not even a car passes by and with the moon a mile away, glow hardly brightens the spot where he stands in front of an abandoned manor. The stars are missing tonight, leaving the sky a pitch dark sheet, so dark it's as if the world may end tonight. The moon and the stars looks to be mourning what has happened and what will happen. Jonathan fears it too but he has long past the age when he used to fear anything and everything. Besides, he has nothing to fear. His father is already dead, what more could he want? He can't think of anything else.

He jerks around when he hears footsteps, a smile forming on his face as she appears in sight, looking back over her shoulder as if she's expecting someone to materialize behind her any moment. But no one comes here; that's why he'd specifically chosen this place. The previous meeting place had become suspicious even to his gang members and with the fear she'll be punished if discovered, he'd searched hard and long until he found the abandoned manor in a deserted area people hardly visit. She has no reason to fear. "Renee," he rushes to catch her before she can stumble over a large block she doesn't see it's in her way, draping an arm around her waist and holding her tight.

She giggles, a sweet sound which takes him back to the day they met. Back then, her giggle wasn't for him but things are different now. Her head falls onto his chest, her hand gripping his green shirt in a death grip as she laughs into his shoulder. "Let me fall once sometime," she breathes against his neck, "so I'll know how it feels to fall and get back up on my own."

"Never," he vows to her, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "You've fallen enough times as it is. I won't let you fall when I'm here."

Her eyes twinkle up at him, "Where you then, when I fell in love with you? You shouldn't have let me fall but you did. So selfish," she pecks him quickly on the cheek and untangles herself from him. She carefully walks over to sit on one of the crumbled walls of the manor, jumping over the wall with practiced ease. It's a demonstration for him; he knows this fact quite well but no matter what she tells him, no matter how much she whines about how she can take care of herself, he'll never cease to protect her.

Jonathan jumps over to sit beside her on the wall, an arm draped around her shoulders as the other reaches down to retrieve a plastic bag from the ground. "I brought food for you," he shoves the plastic bag into her hands before she can open her mouth to protest.

She stares at the plastic bag in her hands before looking up at him with a smile that says more than words can. "You didn't have to."

"It's just sandwich and coke. Nothing expensive. Thought you might be hungry. Eat up."

"Hmm, lots of cheese, just the way I like it. Thank you." Renee says with a smile and bites into the sandwich, moaning at the taste of it in her mouth. Jon chuckles and watches as she eats greedily. He brushes away a small bit of bread sticking to the side of her mouth. He knows she's lying whenever she says she isn't hungry. She always is, but that's going to change. Things has to. "The boys cooked tonight if you care to know and I ate a bit of everything that was served thanks to Paige," she assures him, noticing his pained expression. "Alberto likes her so she's able to use her charms to get us something from time to time."

Jonathan scoffs, "But it wasn't enough, was it? It never is. Those boys eat like pigs." She nods her head in agreement with a light laugh, finishing off the last bit of her sandwich. "Here, let me." He swiftly opens the bottle of coke and hands it back to her, tossing the plastic bag among the rubble lying at his left.

"Once AJ comes back from Ireland, things will go back to normal. Randy will no longer have any control in the warehouse or force some of the girls to attend to clients under his own authority."

"And you think AJ can do something about Randy after the massive trust he has now gained from your boss?" Jonathan has never had the amount of faith Renee has on AJ. Although she assures him every time he worries about her that AJ won't let anything bad happen to her, he still worries. For all the good things and the kindness Renee claim he has showered on her and the rest of the girls, AJ's power over the warehouse is waning and due to the fact that he failed to kill his father, Jaguar has lost all the trust and faith he used to place on him. Randy rather accomplished the deed. How he killed his father and managed to make it look like suicide, he doesn't know. He doesn't care. What he cares about is Renee; the longer she stays there, the higher the possibility of her death becomes. He just hope he'll be able to convince her tonight. If things go well, both of them will be free.

"You have a point," Renee admits, a somber look in her beautiful features. "Randy is confident. Too confident. It must be the alcohol that's making him brag so much these days but AJ failed, that's a fact. And with the way Jaguar," she takes a fearful breath in as her hand around the bottle of coke trembles. Jon used to wonder why she's so scared of Jaguar in the past but he knows now. He stopped trying to get Renee to remove the fear of him from her heart the moment he saw his face. A face his father once told him he'll never see again. How wrong his father had been. "With the way Jaguar reacted towards AJ, it's almost as if he knows the reason for AJ's failure. That it was because of me. Because I begged him not to kill your father, Jon."

"No," Jonathan objects vehemently. He hates to see her so worked up. "How can he? Nobody ever imagines you've any ties with me much less with my father. My. . . . I mean Jaguar is a short tempered man. I know how he gets when someone fails him. It's perfectly like him the way he reacted towards AJ. Moreover, he's in Australia. . . ."

"He's coming back next week. On Monday. He personally called Randy last night to inform him."

Jonathan's stomach feels like its been filled with lead. "It can't be. Father is already dead. Jaguar wanted revenge and he got it. There's no reason for him to return to the United States. It's too dangerous for him. The police are still searching for him. . . ."

"All the charges against him have been dismissed," Renee whispers, "his case has been closed. He has been broadening his reach to the United States. Word around the camp says he plans to take back the territory your father stole from him. He has been sending new girls to keep the clients happy, more shipments are being carried out here under the police's nose. And the checkpoints are filled with policemen and women who let us pass at just the mention of Jaguar's name. He has the police in the palm of his hands."

"That explains why business isn't going well in this sector," Jon mutters to himself, stepping down from the wall to pace. "Our clients no longer buy goods from us. They say they don't need them at this time but the truth is, Jaguar has been servicing them all these months. But how's that possible? He didn't have any money when he got out of jail. He couldn't have gotten back onto his feet all by himself in this short span of time. Someone must be helping him."

Renee downs almost half of the coke in one gulp before she wipes her mouth and the sweat beaded on her neck. Jonathan knows what talking about Jaguar does to her but he needs answers. Things have a drastic turn he wasn't expecting. "Exactly. Someone is definitely helping him. Someone powerful. Powerful enough to bribe the judges and the police who were handling his case. Someone wealthy enough to fund his operations here in America. This person never visits the warehouse. Not even Randy or AJ knows who this person is. It's a mystery. The most important thing is, Jaguar is coming back to stay permanently in the United States. He has a free pass now to do whatever he wants. He told Randy to prepare himself for he'll soon be paying someone a visit. That can only mean your family, Jon."

A cold dread washes over him, making him pace faster, "This doesn't make sense. Father is dead. What more can Jaguar want? Colby nor Holly has anything that belongs to him. Absolutely nothing at all."

"Perhaps, he doesn't want anything. Maybe he just wants your family to suffer for what your father did to him. He promised revenge and knowing Jaguar, killing your father isn't satisfactory enough for him."

This is the reason why he doesn't mourn his father's death. Why he didn't even attend his funeral ceremony even when he was in the area making rounds. Why he didn't pick up his brother's calls because he knows Colby will only pressurize and persuade him to come. And he can never deny his brother anything. Not even refuse to attend the funeral of the man who destroyed his life. The man who may very well be the reason Jaguar will destroy his brother's life as well. Even in his death, his father's sins continue to haunt him and cause him problems.

No. He won't allow his brother's life to be destroyed for something he knows nothing of. Colby knows nothing about whatever happened almost twenty years ago. The very cause for his father's death. His plans will have to wait. He stops pacing and turns to Renee who now looks at him with concern. His beloved Renee. All the plans he has made for her. Now even those plans will have to take a backseat. He can't abandon his brother. "When did he say Randy will make this visit?"

"I don't know. Alberto didn't tell Paige all of it." She jumps down to stand beside him, setting a hand softly on his shoulder. Her mere touch calms him in ways she'll never understand. She's all he ever needs. "Hey, stop being so bitter about your father. He's dead and gone. At least respect his memory. Wherever he is, let him have a little bit of peace."

Peace is the last thing Jonathan wishes for his father but arguing with Renee is pointless. It's amazing how after everything she has been through, she doesn't harbour any bitter feelings towards the parents who sold her off to Jaguar when she was a child or towards the man who physically abused her when she was only twelve years old. He'll never be able to understand it. She knows all the things his father forced him through, the hard choices he had to make but despite all that, she always joke about how he should thank his father for it weren't for him, they would've never met. By now, he will be the wrestler he always wanted to be while she. . . . she would've been dead a year ago.

He saved her life and in turn, she gave a new meaning and an additional purpose to his own. He started saving money for her, to get her out of the hellhole she's in, to have his brother officiate their wedding and live a life together, a life filled with all the joy and happiness she deserves. But once again, things have taken a turn for the worse. "I'm going to take care of things here but you should leave Renee."

"No," she cries, jerking away from him. "I'm not leaving you alone here. No way."

He cups her face in both hands, making sure she's looking directly into his gray eyes, "You've to leave. If Jaguar comes back and discovers you have ties with me, neither AJ nor I are going to be able to help you. Jaguar won't think twice about killing you. You have to get out of here to somewhere safe. I've some savings tucked away. I'll give them to you and you'll go far away from here."

Her eyes are as hard as steel when she speaks again, "Johnathan Good, if you think I'm going to agree to leave you here when things are this difficult, when you don't even know what Jaguar wants from your family, then you don't know me at all."

"But Renee. . . ."

She shushes him with a finger to his lips, "Jaguar doesn't care about me anymore and that's good. He has a new set of girls he's more interested in now. Gone are the days when I was his favorite. He won't care I'm there. I can gather more information for you. We can work together to keep your family safe. Think Jon. What is it that Jaguar wants from your family if not to make them suffer? Think about that right now, not me."

"I don't know," he says in frustration, beginning to pace again. "It can't be about money. Before he went to jail, we were already losing money. Father assumed Jaguar was stealing from him but that wasn't the case. You must be right; Jaguar just wants to torture us. Unless. . . . ." then he remembered.

Three Days Later.

Lopez's House. Los Angeles, California.

"Sorry."

"It's fine." Colby smiles at her, jumping as the third metal, a saucepan this time, hits the floor with a loud clank. From inside her bedroom, Holly yells for Mercedes to be careful, following it up with a bubbly laugh that reaches inside the living area where Colby is sitting, files upon files scattered on the table before him. He turns his attention back to the files, assessing each and every one carefully and thoroughly, his brown eyes missing nothing. He's grateful to his stars for his immense dedication to mathematics in school. Without it, the tricky numbers in the files will be confusing and agonizingly blurry. He adds and subtracts, sighing in relief each time an amount matches the total number listed in the file before he sets aside the reviewed one from the rest.

He's been doing this all day without rest and the strain of sitting for long hours on the couch is starting to take its toll on him, his shoulders and back aching painfully. But he doesn't take a break. He plans to review each and every single file at home and at his father's shop to prevent any unexpected surprises in the future. So far, he hasn't found anything in the dozen files he had reviewed that hint of a debt. The bank loans have been settled months ago according to the bank statements and if it weren't for the files he's rummaging through now, he would've never known the house has once been mortgaged. He was quite shocked when he found out but breathed a sigh of relief later once he came across a file that said the mortgage has been lifted from the house a year ago.

After his death, nobody in the neighbourhood has come forth to claim his father owns them money. Considering what a proud man his father was when he was alive, it doesn't surprise Colby in the least. His father would rather watch them die of starvation before he even thinks of asking help because for him, it'll be a sign of embarrassment to borrow anything from anyone. But life is full of surprises, Colby may never know when the unexpected happens so he's taking extra precautions. He really hopes they aren't in debt. Making ends meet is already hard, not to mention the bills around the house and after the funeral expenses he covered, there's not much of what's left of his savings in the bank. To add a debt to the list will be too much.

He plans on looking for a job once he succeeds in selling off the shop but with his father committing suicide there, he's uncertain whether anyone will want it. Not that he blames them. He would've been skeptical too if he were in their shoes but he prays to his stars someone will take interest and buy it anyway. The shop is situated at a reasonable location enough to make a booming business whichever way the buyer will plan to use it and the money which he'll get from it will greatly help around the house.

"Tea," Mercedes announces beside him, placing a cup of hot ginger tea on the table. "This will help calm your nerves," her smile is soft as she lightly squeezes his shoulder. "You're fretting too much Colby. It's not healthy for you."

He's afraid shifting will hurt her feelings so he stays put. "I'll be okay," he reassures, "Thanks for the tea." He's been showering words of gratitude on her ever since he arrived. The mere thought of it makes him uncomfortable around her now. She still looks same as the last time he saw her six months ago; with the same lithe figure, narrow face and blue eyes but with her previously blue hair dyed to stark black. The hair changes her appearance somewhat but apart from that, she's still Mercedes, the woman he fell in love with.

Except that now, her behavior and attitude has made a drastic change. Not that she wouldn't have supported him in the past if his father died before their breakup. Even though his father has been nothing but unkind to her. But after all, death is death, and no matter how bad a person was in their walking life, they're still mourned for when they die. But her support would've been accompanied with complaints about how his father never cared about him up till the day he died. Their relationship may not be what it was, but Mercedes has never been a person who is shy or afraid to speak out but all she has ever done is give him a space.

On top of that, she's been working nonstop; tidying up and cleaning the house after the guests left with Pamela. She'd even stayed the night to cook food for them the next morning. When he wasn't capable of consoling his mother any longer, she'd done it in his stead and as always his mother quickly warmed up to her, taking note to remind him how lucky he is to have such a girlfriend in his life, to which Mercedes shyly told Holly she's the lucky one to have him in his life. Mercedes has changed, he doesn't doubt it. She's now the woman he always dreamed she'll be and the fact that she's doing everything humanly possible to get him back confuses him in more ways than one. He isn't sure he should like this new Mercedes or hate it. Either way, he's starting to rethink his decision to leave her for good.

"So," she bends down to peer at the files, "are there any debts we should be worrying about?"

We. He doesn't miss the tone with which she says it; so firm, so confident, so supportive. As if they're a couple who are planning their future together. He recalls her offering to help him cover the funeral expenses two days ago and how he'd been completely dumbfounded at her offer to pay everything as a loan to him. But he declined. It didn't feel right to take money from her but the simple gesture warmed his heart greatly. "I haven't found anything yet. I'm still checking," he blows air on his ginger tea and takes a sip. He shouldn't be surprised anymore at how good it is. "This is delicious." She has been doing so much. It's only fair he lets her know her efforts aren't going by unnoticed.

"Thank you," she blushes as she straightens to her full length, fingers nervously picking at nothing on her skirt. "Holly was making some for herself this morning and I learnt a bit from her. Speaking of which, I've to take dinner to her. Do you want yours served right now?"

He'd been scared of her food the first night she cooked for them but it wasn't as bad as he imagined it to be in the end. The second night was an improvement. And the third night was simply marvelous. Rebecca was right. One should never judge too quickly. "I'll serve myself a plate of food, don't worry about me. Just do whatever you have to do."

Once he finishes downing his green tea and Mercedes takes a plate of food to his mother's room, he stands and stretches, groaning as his painful muscles snap and flex. The aroma of onions, fish and rice catches his nostrils as he nears the kitchen and once he sees what Mercedes has prepared--fish salad stuffed with rice--he smiles large and bright. He fills a plate for himself quickly. When he takes a bite, he realizes Rebecca's recipe is better than Mercedes.

Rebecca. God, how much he misses her. He misses the constant bickering she used to have with him, her smile and laugh, her green eyes and the way they shone after she kissed at the bus station. He'll always regret that day forever. Even thinking about all that transpired the following day after the amazing night they experienced together wipes the smile off his face. He wish he can go back in time to when he woke up that morning. He wish he hadn't made his desire for another round of sex too blatant and palpable. But when he woke up and she hadn't left, he thought she wouldn't mind if they've sex again. And then he saw the confusion and hesitancy in her eyes when he tried to kiss her and his heart skipped a beat. She started saying things he couldn't make sense of, asking questions he didn't have answers for because he never once thought beyond what will happen the next morning. Then he saw resignation, as if she was giving up on something and he wanted to know what it was.

So he stopped her at the bus station and asked what he feared she must be thinking of. He asked if she regrets the night they shared but she directed the question back to him. And in that moment, he had an answer.

He didn't regret anything. How can he? How can he regret the most magnificent encounter he's had in years? It just wasn't possible for him to think of it that way. All he knew was he doesn't want her to think of him and regret anything. To think of him as a mistake.

He certainly wasn't expecting the kiss which followed; a kiss filled with some sort of hope he couldn't understand she wanted from him in the morning but right then when she kissed him, he understood. She wants more. Something more. It had shined in her eyes when she pulled back a minute later to look at him and all he'd given her was uncertainty and silence. He still can't describe the emotions that riled up inside him after that kiss but all he could think of was her and when it was announced the bus to Los Angeles was leaving, the possibility of never seeing her again struck him so hard he couldn't breathe. And then he smiled at her for he finally realized he wanted something more too and if whatever path their relationship will take means he'll get to see her everyday of his life, then he'll willingly and with all his heart accept it. He was just about to tell her that when her family arrived.

The mother, a replica of her daughter was too hard to miss. Another thing he didn't miss was the face of the man among them; a face he has seen several times on magazines and newspapers. Fergal Devvit Quinn. The hottest bachelor in the city. Ranked second in Forbes richest men list last year. And then he recognized the mother, the woman who topped the list of Forbes richest women list last year; Annette Quinn. The blonde woman was unrecognizable at first but as Rebecca dragged him along, he recognized her face too. He'd seen her once on television on an advertisement for a cooking show; Elizabeth Ashley Fleir and he knew from how clumsy and funny she'd been on the cooking show--if it hadn't been for the cameras--that compared to the rest of Rebecca's family, she is the nicest.

But that was a small comfort for him. With the way Fergal looked at him, with such cool, blatant disregard, Colby just wanted to dig a hole at the bus station and crawl inside right there and then. He imagined himself among those rich people and he found, he wouldn't fit in at all. But he was still willing to wait when Rebecca, noticing his discomfort told him to wait behind while she sees to her family. He was willing to wait for her and face whatever may come up in the future but then Daniel rushed to him with a phone call from Pamela. A call informing him of his father's death.

As he eats his food, he ponders over the choices he had made in those seconds and he realize now that as much as he wishes to go back in time and inform Rebecca of the reason he had to leave, he was left with no other choice. Hearing his father had committed suicide rendered him in shock. Rebecca's mother was busy showering her with hugs while two bodyguards, Fergal and Ashley formed a protective circle around her. There was no way of getting through to talk to her and with the bus to Los Angeles leaving in minutes, he had to make a decision. He chose his family, like he has always done over everyone else. No matter how right the decision may be, he still regrets it. It pains him to think Rebecca must be imagining the worst about him but the chances of him making things right have slipped away from his fingertips. And perhaps, this is for the best. He'll never fit into her world.

"Do you recall the time I burnt the scrambled eggs I was making for you at Pamela's house?" Mercedes asks with a laugh as she comes to stand beside him at the balcony. "I'm proud to inform you tonight, I officially know how to make scrambled eggs. Plus a lasagna."

"A lasagna? Nah, you must be kidding."

"I'm telling you the truth, Colby. One day, I'll make some for you and you're going to eat your words."

'Just like how Rebecca made me eat my words that day,' he thinks but quickly stops himself. Thinking of her only brings a yearning and longing he doesn't want to feel. Numerous times for the past three days, he'd searched about her family on web, trying to find out ways to contact her. He'd caught a glimpse of their wealth in the process and just like that, he had given up upon seeing it. She must still be happy without him, fighting to get her life back together. He really hopes she is. He hopes her family didn't scold her much over the suicide incident. He doesn't want to think about her crying in her room. He has seen her crying once. He neither wishes to imagine nor see her like that ever again. "When are you going back to work?"

"Tomorrow. I can't be gone for long. My students misses me. Pamela has offered to pass by here in the morning before she goes to the hospital. I'll come by in the evening when I am done."

"Mercedes, you don't have to. You've done more than enough already."

"Colby, let me do this for you," she insists. "You know aunt Holly is like a mother to me. At least let me do this for her."

"If you're doing this for some sort of atonement, you really don't have to. Whatever happened is forgotten."

She shuts her eyes and takes a deep breath, "Colby, I'm doing this for you because I want to show you I deserve your forgiveness and a second chance, I won't lie to you. But most importantly, we're friends. We were best friends before we became lovers. Even if we aren't in a relationship, I'll still support you in times like this. But you should know that," she draws closer to him, "I still love you Colby. I want you to know whatever happened that day was purely my fault. I don't deserve your forgiveness for hurting you like that. And yes, I won't lie. I gave up. I gave up on us and I thought to myself that this time, if you do come back and apologize to me, I'll never take you back. But then you went missing. Aunt Holly feared you were dead. In that sickening moment, I realized I can't live without you Colby. No matter what I tell myself I just can't. I made the mistake this time. Everything I have been doing ever since you arrived aren't for atonement but to make you see I'm still Mercedes; the woman you love. Perhaps, we can make things work again."

His mouth drops open. He has never seen her pour her heart out like this. He can see honesty written in every line on her face. He can't help but feel bad about whatever happened between them. But still. . . . "Mercedes, things are complicated right now. Father is gone. Our financial status isn't good at all. I've to find a job but I don't even know where I should start looking for one. Everything is a mess."

"Why didn't you tell me before," she says, gripping his arm. "The Sports Club opened up a new department for wrestling students last month. Trainers are scarce these days with the WWE having a Performance Center and Japan's wrestling booming like crazy. They're still looking for trainers as we speak. Just get all the requirements together and come with me tomorrow for the job interview. You might get the job. It doesn't hurt to try."

He sets his empty place on a table nearby before addressing Mercedes again, "Really? Are you sure I won't be wasting my time?"

She smiles assuredly at him, "You won't be. You're the best at what you do Colby. Don't mind what Vince says. The Sports Club will be lucky to have someone like you there."

He takes her hands in his excitedly, "Thank you. I really appreciate this Mercedes. I was so worried about the whole job thing but you've really given me hope now. Thank you."

"You're welcome. We can do this Colby. Just you and me. We can have the life you always dreamed for us. Love, marriage, children. We'll find the success and money later. Please, give our relationship another chance." She bats her eyelashes at him, flashing him a sweet smile. "Please."

"Alright," he concedes, nodding. "Let's start over then. We'll take things easy though."

"Yes, yes, yes," she peppers his face with kisses, finishing with a press of her lips on his before hugging him tight. "You won't regret this Colby," she says against his neck, hands firm in his hair, clutching him to her. "I promise you. I'll prove to you I still deserve your love Colby. You aren't making a mistake with me."

Something within him tells him he is.