Carmen drank her cup of coffee in silence as Benji munched on cereal. She had called Ben the night before telling that Benji had fallen asleep and asked if it would be ok to have him sleep over. Ben had agreed. He asked where Maria was. All Carmen managed to say was that she was helping Ricardo with something. Ben sensed something was wrong but he didn't press her. Carmen was staring blankly at the wall, not having slept a wink the night before. The images of her son on the floor, devastated, had made it impossible for her to sleep. She paced and watched Benji sleep the majority of the night. What had she done? She had hurt her son as well. By keeping that tape, she had assisted in torturing him. She couldn't bear that. Watching Benji eat his breakfast, she thought back to when Ricardo was his age, how genuinely sweet and warm, he had been. The same qualities he possessed as a child remained as he became a man. There was only one trait he no longer possessed and Carmen had helped in destroying that in him. His trust was gone. The unconditional trust he had always offered had been robbed by Antonio, Gabi, and herself. For taking that away, she would never forgive herself. Carmen quickly got up from the table, and walked over to the window to stare out onto the beach. She had been wrong and there was nothing she could do to remedy that…….

Maria had fallen asleep at the loft. She had held and comforted Ricardo all night long. He had not asked any questions really. He just kept repeating "why" the entire time and Maria had not known what to say. He finally fell asleep out of pure emotional exhaustion. She had not wanted to leave him so she sat by her brother all night and eventually fell asleep herself. Now the next morning, as Maria drank coffee, she reread the note Ricardo had left her. He had awakened way before her and notified her that he was going to the station. That was all he had said. She knew Ricardo would try to continue working to further bury himself from having to think and above all, feel anything. She began to tidy up a little before going to pick up Benji and wondered what would happen now. How would Ricardo handle the knowing what Antonio and Gabi had done? Little did she know that Ricardo already had plans on what he was going to do…..

Ricardo reached the station and immediately went to find Spence. His face was impassive and he walked with determintion, focused on his destination. He was numb right now. He felt nothing. He couldn't allow himself to feel anything. If he did, he would crack and he couldn't go through that again. But he needed to know where Gabi was. He had to see her and confront her. His brother he didn't even want to think about. The pain and hurt was slowly turning into pure anger. Seeing Antonio now, would only propel him into doing something he would later regret. He had to stay away from him for now. Right now, he needed to see Gabi. Only her. As he turned the corner, lost in thought, he bumped right into Spence. That startled him. He had been so pensive that running into Spence brought him out the fog he had been in.

"Ricardo, you alright? I'm sorry, I didn't see you coming around." Spence said, looking a little worried at his bosses condition. Ricardo looked awful. Spence could see he had not slept well. He had huge bags under his eyes and his hair was unruly and unbrushed. His shirt was untucked and one side of his collar was turned up. Spence could sense he had had a bad night.

"That's ok Spence." Ricardo sighed and lifted his fingers to the bridge of his nose. He had a terrible headache. "Listen, I need you to use whatever resources you and this department has to find out where Gabi is. I don't care what you're working on, make this your top priority." Ricardo was breathing hard as he finished. He was looking all over the place, he couldn't seem to focus on one given spot.

Spence was observing him with worry and without saying anything, grabbed his boss and sat him down on a chair. He then went to retrieve a cup of water and made Ricardo drink it before allowing him to continue on. "Look, drink this and calm down a bit. I'm not gonna try to pry but, you look awful, man. Take it easy, catch your breath and I'll tell you what I already know."

At this last comment, Ricardo stares intently at Spence. " You know something about Gabi's whereabouts." Spence began to become uncomfortable at the way Ricardo was looking at him. " Spence!! Do you know where she is? Tell me dammit!!"

"Yeah, Antonio asked me to do a favor for him. It was information you'd have found eventually so I gave it to him. I checked into her credit cards and-----."

Spence was unable to finish. As soon as Ricardo heard him say that Antonio had gotten a jump on Gabi's wherabouts, Ricardo flew into a fury and literally jumped out of his seat and grabbed Spence by the collar, pushing him up against the wall. The ruckus was so loud, that other officers came running to see what the commotion was. "TELL ME, WHERE IS SHE!! WHERE IS SHE!!!!."

Spence was frightened. He had never seen Ricardo act violently like this before. The look on his face was of shear terror madness. Ricardo's eyes were bulging and his mouth was creased in a thin line and his nostrils were flaring, ready to explode at any given minute. Spence noticed that people were coming around ready to intervene and he motioned them away with a look sternness. He grabbed Ricardo's hands, trying to get them of his collar. He merely looked at Ricardo to try and calm him down. Ricardo caught himself and began to relax. He dropped his head as his breathing began to regulate once again. He let go of Spence and sat back down on the chair, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

"Ok it's over, go back to what you were doing." Spence tells everyone. He kneels beside his boss and friend and puts his hands on Ricardo's shoulders. "Like I said, I'm not gonna pry, but you need to regain your composure before you find her. You hear me? You're on edge man. This isn't you, will you promise to go home, take shower, change your clothes, and think about what you're gonna do and say before you try and find her? Will you promise me that?"

Ricardo, almost at the point of falling apart again, looks at Spence. He is truly sorry for what he just did. He had never been so angry before in his life. He was ashamed for having done what he did. "I promise." He begins to tear again and Spence simply pats him on the shoulder. "Spence, I'm sorry man, I didn't mean to do….I-I I don't Know what got into me just now, I'm sorry….." Ricardo's cracked voice fades as he is unable to continue.

"Don't' worry about it….listen….I've got the printout at my desk. Take it and go find her. Just remember, be rational and things will work out better……"

Sitting in a restaurant having breakfast, Antonio continues to try and convince Gabi to return to Sunset Beach. He has been unsuccessful in trying to get her to go back.

"Gabi, what are you going to here? Huh? You're life is in Sunset Beach, your life is with Ricardo. Don't throw that away. It would be stupid to do so."

"I can't. I've told you a thousand times, your mother will not allow that. I can't go through this again. She'll tell him, she'll ruin your life."

"I've already told you I'm leaving the priesthood. I haven't changed my mind about that." And he hadn't. Even though Gabi had made it clear that she was in love with Ricardo, Antonio could not go back to being a priest. It was not in him anymore. He was making the right decision by leaving. He had contemplated for a moment after Gabi's rejection on returning but then he realized it would not be right. Antonio was not meant to be a priest and that was ok. He would not be a failure for quitting. He had other things he could do. Right now, his main motivation was to get Gabi back to Sunset Beach. Looking at her, sitting across from him, he felt an overwhelming love for her. It was going to take a long time to get over feeling this way for her. He had to accept the fact that he might never be able to stop loving her but he had to try. He had to try for his brother's sake, as well as his own. He looks away from her as he contemplates these these thoughts.

"Antonio?" Gabi looks at him, a little uncomfortably.

He looks back at her and smiles. She really is a wonderful woman. He grabs her hands with his and sighs before he begins. "Listen, my mother has nothing on you anymore. I will deal with her. I have a lot of things I have inside that I need to say to her. I'm angry at her for what she did to you. She had no right to blackmail you. That was wrong. But I can't be completely angry with her either. I betrayed her in a way too. I betrayed her son and I have to resolve things with her as well. Gabi, trust me. My mother is of no threat to you now. The only thing standing in the way of your happiness with my brother is the truth. We can't lie to him anymore. We have to tell him. Otherwise, we'll be lying our whole lives and how can we do anything right from here on in if we don't start by remedying what we've done. You know I'm right. Come back with me and let's finally begin to make things right. No more lying. Let's get our lives back." Antonio surprises himself by the words he has spoken. He REALLY does want to regain a life of honesty and trust again. His brother might disown him but at least he can live with himself knowing he is no longer running from the truth. He had to take the chance. He only hoped Gabi would take the leap with him too.

Gabi wanted to. But she was so afraid of losing even more. She felt she still had Ricardo's love, even if it had to be from afar. If she told him the truth, she would lose that. She couldn't bear the thought of him no longer loving her. That seemed a fate worse than death. She couldn't risk it. She didn't want to risk it. She missed him so much but she couldn't take that chance. Antonio sensed her apprehension and looked down on her hands. They were so soft and delicate. Then he noticed the ring again. With a small smile on his face and without looking at her, he gently removed the ring from her right hand index finger and placed it on her left hand index finger. He then looked up at her. "Will you Gabriella Martinez, take Ricardo Torres to be your lawfully wedded husband. To have and to hold, to trust and to honor, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?"

Gabi began to cry as Antonio's words finally hit home. If Antonio had faith in her, then she should have faith in herself. She hoped Ricardo would have the same faith in her as well. With tears in her eyes, feeling a new sense of hope, Gabi answered Antonio's question. She knew what she had to do. It was what she always had had to do.

Gabi's answer was "Yes"....