"Does anyone know why Mac asked us to meet him here this morning?" Stacey Rockwell asks Celeste Rockwell and Lex Rockwell, who also stand in the CEO's office of the Rockwell Mining building. This was Mac's office for years, but when Lydia Rockwell took over the company recently, she also took over the office. The fact that Mac Rockwell has asked his children and his wife to meet him at the office has raised everyone's curiosity.

"I am not sure," Lex replies to her as he pours himself a cup of coffee. "I know he was going to visit Lydia last night. Maybe it has something to do with that? Has he mentioned anything to you, Celeste?"

"Not a thing," Celeste shakes her head back to him. "Whatever it is, he was in a very good mood this morning."

"I assumed that was because you and he were back together," Stacey purses her lips together. "He loves you very much."

"And, I love him. I made the right decision."

Before anyone can say anything else, the office door opens and Mac comes into the office, still carrying a huge grin on his face.

"Good morning everyone," he announces to his family.

"Good morning darling," Celeste moves up to her husband kisses him on the cheek. "We've all been waiting here for you. What is going on that you wanted to see us?"

Mac continues to move until he is behind the large desk. "I have wonderful news that I have to share with you all," he announces to them. "I'm back in control of Rockwell Mining. I've got my company back!"

Celeste, Lex and Stacey all start to celebrate with him. "How did you manage this, Daddy?" Stacey asks him as she hugs him.

"It was Lex's idea," Mac reveals as he looks over at his son. "He drew up a declaration that I got Lydia to sign."

"But why would she agree to give you the company back?" Celeste asks him.

"Because, while she's in jail the stocks have been falling quickly," Lex reveals to them. "The last thing Lydia would actually want to do is for the companies to suffer because she's in jail."

"And, so she signed me over full control of Rockwell Mining. The proxy's that you children have signed have become null and void. Kent Blackmore has full control of Blackmore Ltd again as well."

"I can't believe this," Celeste smiles back to him. "Working with her was certainly challenging."

"I can imagine," Mac nods back to her. "And, don't worry. One of the few decisions that Lydia made around here that I approve of, was the launch of the design division. I was looking over some of the designs last night, and they are very, very good."

"Thank you," Celeste replies to him. "Stacey and I are making a very good team, aren't we Stacey?"

Before Stacey can reply, there is another knock on the office door. "Come in," Mac announces, as the door opens and Marat Kafelnikov emerges into the office.

"Oh, Marat," Mac welcomes him into the office, as he moves around to shake his hand. "I'm glad you could stop by."

"Why are you here Mr. Rockwell? I thought Mrs. Rockwell had taken over?"

"Yes, she had," Mac explains to him. "But, I'm back in charge of my company. And the first thing I want to do as CEO is undo the damage that Lydia caused in the short time she was CEO. And that means, I'm giving you back the 5% profits. She shouldn't have taken that away from you in the first place."

Marat gets a huge smile on his face. "This is why I liked working with you, Mac. You're a good, honest man. My father will be most pleased by this."

"That's how I like to do business," Mac shakes Marat's hand again. "If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll run down to legal and grab the contract. We can sign them again this morning."

"I'll wait here," Marat replies to him. As soon as Mac leaves the office, Marat walks up to Stacey. "Seems like good things come to those who wait."

Stacey smiles back to him, knowing that Marat still wants to have lunch with her. She quickly looks over at Celeste, as she recalls Celeste telling her not to waste this potential opportunity. "I suppose that's true," Stacey smiles back to him.

"I've already had a great morning, but you know what would make this day even better?" he winks back to her. "You finally saying yes to having dinner with me. What do you say?"

Stacey blushes a little before she looks into his eyes. "Yes, I'll have dinner with you."

"You will?" he asks almost shocked by her response. "I mean, this is great news. I'm looking forward to it."

***

"Are you ignoring my phone calls on purpose?" Kent Blackmore asks Lex as he comes into Lex's office at Rockwell Mining.

Lex looks up from his desk to see his biological father standing in front of him. "No, but I don't know what else we would have to say to one another. I don't care what you say or what some damn blood test says, Mac will always be my father."

"I wish you'd understand," Kent admits to him as he closes the door to Lex's office. "I never meant to keep the truth from you. I wanted to have a relationship with you. I did this for Lydia, for your mother."

Lex stands up and moves to the bar and pours himself a scotch. "You wanted to have a relationship with me? As in, past tense?"

"I still do, Lexington."

"Why?" Lex questions him. "Because Houston is dead? Now you want to get to know me and have me in your life?"

"I know your secret," Kent reveals to Lex, who quickly turns around to face him. "I know that you're married to a man. I know that you're a homosexual."

Lex chuckles back to him. "And, let me guess? I'm a huge let down for you? Houston would never have been gay, right? But the son you wanted to desperately in your life, is a letdown because he is attracted to men."

"I guess I just I'm just trying to get my head around this."

"Oh come on, Kent," Lex continues to lay into him. "Are you telling me that not one of your employees at Blackmore Ltd is gay? You have had zero interaction with gay people in your life?"

"It's not the same when they are your children!" he yells back to him, finally showing his true feelings about him being gay.

"But I'm not your child," Lex spits at him, refusing to accept Kent as his father. "Now, get out of my office. And Kent, don't come back."

***

The following day, the Rockwell's stand in the living room of the Rockwell mansion waiting for Lex to arrive. Lex has called the family together in the morning to make an announcement, however, no one actually knows what he is about to announce.

"Does anyone have any idea what this meeting is about?" Stacey asks the family, as she takes a sip of her coffee.

"Not a clue," Mac replies to his daughter. "But, Lex should be here anytime so we can find out."

Cole looks over at Celeste and then thinks about the previous day when he slept with Vivian Blackmore. Cole needed to release some tension that he felt after Celeste choose Mac over him and Vivian was the perfect distraction. "I'm sure it's nothing," he finally says to everyone, even though his mond is still on Vivian.

"Thank you all for being here," Lex announces as he comes into the living room and Jarek Williams follows him into the room. "I won't keep you long, because I know you're all busy."

"Who is your friend?" Celeste asks him, smiling to Jarek for a moment.

"This is why I wanted you all to be here," Lex tells them, trying to keep himself calm. He never thought he would be so nervous coming out, but he doesn't want to upset his family, the same way Kent was upset. "This is Jarek Williams."

"Hi everyone," Jarek waves to the crowd.

"Lex? Is everything okay?" Mac asks him. "You're looking pale."

"I'm fine," Lex reassures him. "Jarek, isn't just my friend," he continues to tell everyone as he moves next to Jarek and grabs his hand. "He's my husband. We got married in Las Vegas the other day. I'm gay, and I'm very happy. I just thought you should all know. It was time you knew."

"You're married?" Stacey asks her brother as she rushes up to him and hugs Lex. "Congratulations, brother."

Cole comes up behind Stacey and shakes Lex's hand. "Yea, congrats, bro. Jarek, welcome to the family."

"Thank you," Jarek smiles back, as he gets hugs from Lex's siblings, trying to hid his shock from everyone being so welcoming.

"I can't believe you did this," Mac comes up to his son. "I can't believe that you would get married and not tell any of us."

"You're not upset that I'm gay?" Lex asks Mac back. For so long, Lex feared that his sexuality would be an issue with his family. He's rather surprised that everyone is so accepting.

Mac puts his hand on Lex's shoulder. "Son, I don't care about your sexuality in the least. All I care about is your happiness. If this young man makes you happy, then I am happy. I just wish we could have wished you well and been there to celebrate with you two."

Lex pulls Mac into a hug. "Thank you for saying that to me," he tells Mac. "There just never seemed to be a good time to tell you all this."

"You're a member of this family," Mac replies to him. "We love you, and this doesn't change anything. I hope you know that."

"I do know that now," Lex says back to his father, as a tear falls down her cheek.

***

"I always suspected that Lex was gay," Stacey tells Cole, Celeste and Jarek as they stand in the foyer, waiting for Lex and Mac to finish their conversation in the living room. "I think it's great that he has finally told everyone."

"Yea, I always knew it too," Cole agrees with his sister. "I remember growing up and I'd ask him if he thought girls were hot and he wouldn't really answer."

"That was the first sign," Jarek laughs back with them. "Look, Cole and Stacey, I have to thank you for welcoming me into the family. I'm sure it comes a surprise to learn your brother is gay but also married."

"Just make sure you don't hurt him," Cole warns Jarek. "Because, you don't want to get on the bad side of the Rockwell's."

Jarek uneasily nods back to him, thinking about his plan to get some of the Rockwell fortune. He knows that being married to Lex, he can get his hands on some of the money, he just isn't sure if Lex can get any money from the Rockwell's because Kent Blackmore is really his father.

"I have no intensions of hurting my husband," Jarek winks back to him. "Speaking of, I wonder what's keeping him. Excuse me for a moment."

Jarek quickly walks over to the door of the living room and is about to enter when he can hear Mac and Lex still talking. He tries to listen to what they are saying, but he can barely make out the words because the men are talking softly. All he can hear is Mac say no to writing a cheque. He hates to admit it, but now he believes that Odette was right about what he has to do. Mac won't give him any money, so that means, that he has to take control himself.

"So," Jarek whispers to himself. "Mac isn't giving Lex any money. Which means, I have to change my plan. Mother was right, I have to drug Lex. Then he will die, and I will get all the money that this family has already given him."

"Did you say something Jarek?" Cole asks his brother in law as he comes up to Jarek.

Jarek turns and feels his cheeks flush. "I was just telling myself that Mac and Lex are still talking and I didn't want to interrupt them."

"Ah," Cole nods back to him. "I'm sure they'll be done soon. Then you can have your husband all to yourself."

"That's all I want," Jarek smirks back to him, as the wheels in his head start spinning.

***

Cole knocks on the room door that is upstairs at the country club. After he spent the morning at home with his family, he needed an escape from it all. It's not that he isn't happy for Lex but the fact that Lex is now married and happy, and Cole is still alone, he can't help but feel jealous. So, he came to the one place, he knew he wouldn't be alone.

The door finally opens and Cole sees Vivian Blackmore standing there in black lingerie. "Hello Cole," she purrs to her younger lover. "I was wondering when I'd see you again."

"Wow, you look amazing," he says, his eyes practically popping out of his head.

"You like?" she asks him as she grabs his hand and pulls him into her bedroom. "Because, I've been thinking about you all night long. The other day was amazing."

"Yes, it was," he admits as he leans in and kisses her. "I couldn't stay away, can't you tell?"

"Don't talk," she whispers into his ear. "Just make me feel the most desirable woman in the world."

"I'll make you feel everything I've got," he groans as he kisses her neck passionately.

***

"Thank you, again, Marat, for a lovely dinner," Stacey says as they leave the country club and move outside. The warm air caresses her skin on her bare shoulders as they start to walk towards Marat's vehicle.

"It was my pleasure, Stacey," he smiles back to her. "I am glad that you finally gave me chance."

"You know why I was apprehensive," she admits to him. "I did just lose Houston and part of me will always love and miss him."

"Yes, and he will always be in your heart," Marat replies to her. "I will never pressure you into doing something that you don't feel comfortable doing."

"I appreciate that," Stacey tells him. "And, for the record, I had a really good time with you tonight."

"Does that mean that you'd be willing to have another dinner date with me?" Marat asks as they stop and look into one another's eyes. "Because, I certainly would be interested in taking you out again."

Stacey smiles back to him. "I would like that," she admits to him. "I haven't felt this way in a very long time."

"That means that I did my job tonight then," he smiles back to her. "It's getting late, I can take you home."

"Okay," she says.

"Would it be too forward if I…" he begins to say.

"If you, what?" she asks him.

He leans in and kisses her on the lips. They part for a moment and look into each other's eyes again for a moment before she pulls him back in for another kiss, enjoying the young man in front of her.

***

The following morning, Kent Blackmore moves into the visitor's room of the jail house and awaits for Lydia to arrive. He has good news for Lydia today, which is exactly what they need because they can't take any further bad news for a while. While he waits, he keeps replaying his conversation with Lex over and over in his head. His son hates him and he doesn't know if Lex will ever come around to wanting him in his life. Him telling the truth certainly has not gone the way he wanted it to go.

"Oh Kent, darling," Lydia rushes into his arms when she arrives in the room.

"No touching," the police guard reminds them as they exit their embrace.

"I'm so glad you're here," Lydia tells him. "How are you? How is everything going?"

"Well," Kent replies to her. "You're going to get out of here. You're coming home."

"What? How is this possible?"

"Has Mr. Blackmore told you the good news yet?" the district attorney, Jenna Atwall asks as she comes into the visiting room.

"No," Lydia replies looking at the DA before back at Kent. "What is going on?"

"The charges against you have been dropped, Mrs. Rockwell. The situation that you were arrested for happened so long ago, our team has not been able to find any concrete evidence. For that reason, we have decided that it is best if we do not proceed with this court case."

"I can't believe this," Lydia says, crying tears of joy from her face. "I get to go home! I really get to go home!"

"Yes," Jenna tells her. "But, I would be very careful, Mrs. Rockwell. If we hear of anything like this happening again…"

"Don't worry," Lydia cuts her off. "You never will. Oh Kent, darling, let's go home!"

***

After making love to Kent, showering and having a bottle of champagne, Lydia Rockwell feels like a new woman. She is out of jail and determined to make everything right in her life again. The last 72 hours have been the worst of her life and now, she is vowing to turn over a new leaf.

"That's why I have to start with my children," Lydia says to herself as she looks in the mirror and fixes her hair a little before she hears the doorbell. "That must be them now."

She scurries over to the front door and smiles when she sees Cole, Stacey and Lex on the other side. "Oh my goodness," she can't hide her delight. "You are all sights for sore eyes. Please come in. There is champagne and caviar, help yourself."

"What are we celebrating?" Stacey asks her as she pours a glass of champagne.

"What do you mean, what are we celebrating? I'm a free woman!" Lydia practically squeals in delight. "Those ludicrous charges were dropped, just like I knew they would be."

"This has to be the biggest injustice in the world," Lex spits at her. "You drugged me to take over Mac's company. You lied to me for years about who my father is, and what? You want me to come here and be happy that you're a free woman? Like I told you at the jail house, I will never forgive you, Lydia."

"Lex," she comes up to him. "We have to start putting the past behind us. We have to start moving forward!"

"Don't you touch me! I will never forgive you," he whispers to her. "Not now, not ever!"

"I'm agree with Lex," Cole admits to Lydia. "You caused Celeste's miscarriage, Lydia. You've done horrible things. You can't just expect everything to be forgotten now that you're out of jail. The world doesn't work like that."

"But, I love you! You are my children! We are supposed to love and protect one another!"

"You haven't done much of that lately," Stacey agrees with her brothers. "Sorry, Mom. But you have to work to earn forgiveness. You have to prove that you've changed."

Lydia lets a tear fall down her cheek. "I can't believe this," she whispers as she watches her children leave just as quickly as they arrived. "My babies, they all hate me!"

***

"I was expecting to come home and see a celebration going on with your children," Kent announces a few hours later to Lydia as he comes into the living room of the penthouse and sees Lydia drinking alone.

She doesn't move from the sofa, rather she takes another large sip of her scotch. "They left," she whispers to him after she swallows the liquid down. "They told me that can't forgive me because I've done too many horrible things. Can you believe that? I'm their mother and they are throwing me away like common trash."

Kent comes up to her and sits beside her. "I'm sorry the homecoming didn't go over as well as you'd like."

Lydia shrugs. "I have you," she tells him. "That's all I really need."

"How did it go with Lex?" Kent asks her.

"He was the most upset with me," she reveals to him. "He knows how I got him to sign that proxy. There is no proof, but he knows that I drugged him. I can't say that I blame him for that."

"Did he say anything else?"

"There was nothing else to say," she replies to him quickly.

"Ah, but there is," Kent stands up and moves to the bar to pour himself a scotch. "Our son is a homosexual. He's married to a man. Jarek Williams, do you know him?"

"Lex is married?" Lydia gasps as she stands up and looks at Kent.

"Did you hear the rest of what I told you?" Kent asks her.

"Of course I did," Lydia replies to him quickly. "I've honestly known for some time. Every mother knows her son. I knew he was gay. That doesn't bother me at all."

"It doesn't huh?" Kent asks her as he takes a sip of his scotch. "Well, it sure bothers me. How could this happen?"
"Oh Kent," Lydia snaps at him. "Get control of yourself. This has nothing to do with you. Nothing at all."

"Like hell it doesn't!" Kent says back to her, his temper starting to flare. "No son of mine will be a homosexual!"

"Why because Houston wasn't gay? Lexington is who he is, Kent. And, if you want a relationship with your son, you better get used to that!"

"I'm beginning to think that you were right all along," he sighs back to her. "I shouldn't have said anything to Mac or Lex."

"We can't change that now," Lydia informs him of the obvious. "You made your decision, and now we all have to life with it."

"I just thought that…"

"I know what you thought!" Lydia cuts him off. "But, Kent, darling, Houston is gone, and he's never coming back. And you simply cannot replace Houston with Lexington."

Kent looks back at her and suddenly feels overcome with emotion with the fact that Houston is gone and he doesn't have his son anymore.

"Oh Kent," Lydia comes up to him and holds him. "It's okay, darling. I'm here. I'm home. Let it all out. I'm here for you."

***

"Things really seem to be moving in the right direction," Celeste smiles as she lays in bed with Mac, fresh from making love to her husband.

"I couldn't agree more," Mac smiles before he kisses her forehead. "You and I are back on good terms. I have Rockwell Mining back. You have the design division that is doing exceptionally well. Cole will find happiness. Lex is married. Stacey seems to be moving on with Marat. I don't know what else could go our way."

"I wish Lydia would have stayed in jail longer," she says looking into his eyes. "But that is a small detail that I can overlook."

" You look so beautiful in this light," he whispers to her. "I don't know how I got so lucky."

"I'm the lucky one," she tells him. "And, I feel that way even more so since you have forgiven me for everything that I did."

"That is in the past," he replies to her. "You and I, we are going to move forward."

"I hope you mean that," she nods to him. "Because I've been thinking about something."

"What is on your beautiful mind?"

"A baby," she reveals to him as his eyes light up. "I know I lost my last baby but being pregnant made me realize how much I want to be a mother. And, I can't imagine a better father than you. What do you say? Do you want to have a baby with me?"

Mac moves in and kisses her passionately. "I'd love to have a baby with you," he says in between kisses. "Especially if we can to try right now."

***

The next morning, Mac sits at his desk at the Rockwell Mining building and reviews some files that are in front of him.

He pauses for a moment and moves over to pour himself a cup of coffee. He hears a knock on the door. "Come in," he says before he takes a sip of the coffee.

"Good morning," Odette Williams smiles as she comes into his office. "Oh, I'd love a cup of coffee."

"Odette, what on earth are you doing here? I thought we agreed that we wouldn't see one another again."

"We did," Odette nods back to him. "But I had to see you. And I'm not leaving here until I get everything that I want from you."

"What does that mean?" Mac asks her with intent, noticing her tone of voice.

Odette purses her lips together. "I thought you'd never ask," she says as a wicked grin comes across her face.