As Adam drove his Trans Am up the road to the old church camp, he spotted Alyssa sitting on the front porch reading a book. She looked quizzical at her boyfriend and then broke out into a big smile. Adam approached her and leaned over to give her a kiss and a hug.

"How are you?" Adam asked, sitting down beside her on the swing.

"Fine, they put me on a different exercise schedule and I go once a week to have my muscles exercised for awhile," Alyssa said, brushing her long hair out of her face with her hands. "I just can't believe you. Playing Rocky and getting kicked out of school!"

"I wasn't kicked out, I was just asked to leave for a little bit. I just wanted to make sure that you were doing okay," Adam said, looking back at Alyssa. She was definitely beautiful in her red and white sundress and her long hair blowing in the wind.

"What is going on? You said that you had something else to tell me," Alyssa asked in a worried tone. "You haven't had anymore complications?"

"No, still fumbling things around. I really don't have time to tell you in person, but I did bring something that I want for you to read that will explain everything. I have to meet with a lawyer in thirty minutes and I promised Jason that I would not be late," Adam said, standing up.

"You remembered without a note!" Alyssa said, noticing that Adam did recall information that would have been in his short-term memory. She hoped that someday Adam would improve to beyond his old self.

"I have it written on my hand with red permanent marker," Adam sheepishly admitted and held his hand up to reveal the reminder. "Jason insisted."

Alyssa had to chuckle. She knew as much as Adam that sometimes you just have to accept your short-comings and live with the humorous side of things. "I guess I will have to use your arms since your brother has claimed your hands for his message board," She added as Adam leaned over and gently kissed her good-bye. "Call me."

"I will as soon as I can. You just keep good care of that notebook and don't let anything happen to it," Adam said as he walked down the sidewalk.

"By the way, it looks great Adam! I knew you could finish it!" Alyssa said, noticing the car as the one that Adam had been working on.

"You will be the first woman to ride in it as soon as I take care of a few things," Adam said, stopping beside the door of the steel blue car. He was proud of his work and looked forward to dates without having to share the van with Jason.

"I had better be the only one!" Alyssa said with a laugh and a girlish grin. As Adam waved and drove back down the drive, she began to read the notebook that Adam had entrusted to her. She was very quiet as she read through the pages. At times she had to pause and pray for the Kramer family for she knew what it was like to have a haunting family secret.

Adam and Jason met with the lawyer at Chuck's house. The lawyer was very excited about the new development in the case and planned to keep Adam's testimony secret.

"I just wish Maria would join us," Mr. Lansing said to the boys. He was a short man of about forty. He was very delighted with Adam's decision to go against his uncle, but did show concern about the family relations. "It will be hard because all we have is testimony since the victims waited too long. The more the better, but Maria would be very hard to beat."

"I tried, but she just wants to be left alone and I will abide by her wishes," Adam said without a hesitation.

"You will be the last witness called and you can not let them get you choked up. You need to maintain yourself and your anger," Mr. Lansing added about the upcoming trial. "I will be staying at this hotel in LA. If anything changes between now and tomorrow, please call me." He handed Jason the card.

"We will. How are the girls doing?" Jason asked, putting the card in his wallet.

"They are very nervous about facing him again, but they will be fine. I think that they just want this all to be over with so they can go on," the lawyer replied. "They were very happy to hear about Adam and they are looking forward to meeting him."

After shaking hands and parting ways, the brothers felt relieved that it was set. Then they had to make the trip home, not letting the word get out of their plan for the trial. Adam was not looking forward to meeting with his father, but when the brothers arrived home, his father just greeted him warmly.

"I know things have been rough for you since the accident, but you have got to start using your head. Just promise me that son," Mr. Kramer said to his youngest son.

"I promise Dad. I am sorry for worrying you," Adam said returning the hug. He did love his father dearly, but he wondered how he would feel in a couple of days after the trial.

Bill was in the living room watching television when the boys made their way into the house. Adam just went upstairs and put his things in the bedroom and went outside to the beach. Jason decided to stay in the house to make things seem more normal. After about two hours, he thought he would go out and see what Adam was into on the beach.

When he arrived at the ocean shore, he saw his brother digging a hole in the sand. He was making a dribble castle, a sure sign that he was in deep thought.

"I thought you quit making castles a lot time ago," Jason said as he walked up to his brother. He knew that things were still going to be stressful for him, but he thought that he needed to remain a positive influence in Adam's life at this time.

"Nah, you just make them bigger. Why are you out here?" Adam asked, still letting the sand dribble through his hand to finish the top of one of the castle's tower.

"Just checking on you. So did you tell Alyssa?" Jason asked, sitting down beside Adam on the sand.

"Well, kind of. I let her have the notebook so she could read it and it would not be in the house," Adam said. He had not told his brother that he took the notebook out of the van. "I attached a note that said that I was going to trial tomorrow."

"That is fine. I am sorry that I invaded your privacy by reading the notebook. You should know that I do not make a habit out of going through your things," Jason said in a very guilty tone. He did feel very bad about reading his brother's private thoughts.

"I know that Jas. I would have done the same thing if I were you. I guess I did act a little crazy," Adam said, still working almost unconsciously on the castle at this point.

"So are you ready for tomorrow?"

"I am as ready as I ever will be. I just hope Dad takes it well."

"Adam, when he finds out he is not going to be mad. You are his son. Just go up onto that stand and tell the truth," Jason said with determination.

"That is easier said than done," Adam said with a slight chuckle.

"How? You just say what happened," Jason said, a little annoyed by his brother's comment.

"Jason, I am going to have to say some things on that stand that I wish that I never even saw at my age now. I am not bothered by the fact that Bill mistreated me, it is what he did to Maria that disgusts me the most," Adam said, looking at his older brother. "It is very demeaning whether I am guilty or not. It will be the hardest thing that I have ever experienced, especially in front of my father. Not to mention that Mom will eventually find out. I don't want them to have that vision of what happened in their head when it is bad enough that I live with the memory every day."

"I will never pretend to fully understand Adam, but..." Jason responded and then hung his head. "I do feel really guilty myself for not noticing. You did not deserve to be beat on and Dad will be very angry with Bill when he hears about that. I do have one question though."

"Shoot it!" Adam said, letting Jason know that he was open to answering it.

"Was that the only secret that you have been hiding from me?" Jason asked looking out over the open Pacific Ocean. He wanted to be sure that Adam did not have anything more up his sleeve. "I think I have proven that I can handle the truth."

"Yes, I do have one more thing that I should just get off of my chest," Adam said in a very serious tone.

"What?" Jason asked, he was almost afraid to hear this one.

"I have secretly fathered a child that I named after you," Adam said, trying to still sound serious, but still laughing. Jason was quiet for a second and then he playfully hit his brother in the arm.

"Funny, and who was the desperate woman?" Jason asked playing along with the story.

"Daisy Duke!" Adam said quickly. Both brothers laughed at the memory of watching the Dukes of Hazzard on television and of Adam's crush on the beautiful female character. "Have you ever thought about how much we resemble the Duke Boys?"

"What? Have you totally lost it?" Jason said, still laughing from the last comment.

"Well, Bo was blonde like me and Luke was dark-haired like you, but a little shorter though," Adam said with a lot of thought.

Yeah and I seem to remember that Luke was the smart one and Bo had a lot to be desired," Jason said, recalling the two characters. "But they were cousins. They are not genetically linked like we are as brothers. I am forever going to have to claim you."

"Bo just applied his energies to other interests and you should consider yourself lucky to have my bloodlines," Adam said to Jason as he playfully threw sand on Jason's feet.

"Whatever. I just want you to know that everything will be fine tomorrow. You are going to go and set the facts straight. I really respect you for that," Jason said, starting a more serious conversation now. "To be honest, I have a new found respect for you since the accident."

Adam was taken back by the statement. "Hundreds of people are in accidents everyday. I honestly don't remember anything after the thing left the road so I am lucky for that. That was easy compared to this."

"Well, we had better get to bed. You want to be ready for the trial tomorrow," Jason said as he brushed the sand off of him.

"I will be along shortly," Adam said, lying back onto the beach. The stars were out in full and the moonlight danced off of the waves.

He was trying to clear his head to prepare for the trial, but nothing seemed to make him feel better. Usually the warm salt air and the sound of the ocean helped him clear his thoughts, but not tonight. He was hoping that he would have some peace because he was finally getting his chance to bring Bill down. He wondered about what Maria was thinking at that moment. He really wished that she would testify as well for the sake of the girls as well as for herself. But that was Maria's decision to make. Adam hoped that he would feel some peace that night on the beach, but peace did not come to Adam.

At least not on that night.