Episode 51, originally published 04-Jul-97

Fire Works

Tony is with Grace at "home". It's early evening. "How's Cassie?" Grace asks. "Asleep. She had a rough day on the horses at the Newman ranch--you know, Grace, you really gotta tell her that's her own house." "Will you hush, Tony? Do you want her to hear?" "Maybe it would be better if she did hear, Grace." "Tony, I don't have time for this--it's almost time for me to go to work!" "Oh, and that's another thing, Grace. It's about time I got paid for all this baby-sitting I've been doing." He moves closer and tries to kiss her. "Will you get away, Tony? You disgust me." He draws back, angry. "What is the matter with you? Ever since that night you stayed at the Newman house, you've been rejecting my advances. Let me tell you something, Grace--either you start to show a little more affection here, or you can find yourself another nursemaid for your little girl." "Oh, Tony, can't you just--" "No, Grace, I can't..." he says, and holds her by the scruff of the neck, kissing her, and throwing her back on the bed.

Jill arrives at the Colonnade Room to find Megan formally dressed, waiting to be seated. [Author's Note: See Episode 50 for recent context, but this thread started with Episode 48 and if you haven't been following along, you should start there or you'll be spoiled.] "Jill," Meg says, "what are you doing here?" "What am I doing here?" Jill says in amazement. "Young lady, I could ask you the same question--except I already know the answer." "You do?" "Well, not completely. But you've obviously arranged to meet Victor--how and why I can only imagine." "It's personal, Jill." Jill looks at Meg's outfit. "Personal? Megan, you're not even eighteen years old--" "I'll be eighteen next week." "And you're certainly not old enough to drink--and you look like you're here for a romantic encounter." "Look, you're letting Trish get away with seeing Ryan." "Oh, don't start with that, Meg, I--" "How do you think Dad would feel if I tell him you're letting Trish date Ryan behind his back?" "I am not LETTING them date, they are PALS." "Oh, yeah, right. Well, Victor and I are just PALS then, too. Pen Pals."

Danny has arrived to visit Katherine at her house. She has been listening to Danny rant about what has gone on with Phyllis, and he looks to her as if she might have the answer for him. "I don't know why you're coming to me about this, Danny," Katherine says. "You love Little Daniel. He thinks you are his father and he loves you. What more is there?" "But I have to know the truth!" Danny says. "The truth? There is no more truth than that. Life is what you believe it is. I don't know why you're letting your ex-wife confuse you on this point." "But Katherine, don't you think it's important that I find out--so I can make my decision based on what really happened?" "And what? Are you prepared to break that little boy's heart in case you find out an unpleasant truth?" "I don't know, Katherine, I just don't know."

At the Crimson Lights, Jay comes over to Grace, who is moping. "Things seem to have lightened up a little," he says. "Take a break and relax with me." He walks back into a back room and she follows. "Sit down," he motions to a chair at his private desk. She sits and he puts his hands on her shoulders and starts to give her a massage. "Jay, I--" she starts to protest but he pushes her hands away and goes back to the massage. "Come on now, Grace. Don't bite the hand that feeds you. I've been very lenient with you coming and going at odd hours. It's about time you started to show a little ... gratitude, don't you think?"

Jill glares at Meg. "Have you even met Victor?" "No... but I know what he looks like. He's quite a hunk for his age--I bet he's good in bed, too." "Megan!!" "He's in the paper all the time--I even found an article in the microfiche at the library that suggests you and he--" "Bite your tongue. Victor and I never--well, I mean, we--oh, you'd never understand." "Aha! I'm right. Any advice for a new... comer?" Jill glares at her. "Young lady, if I were your mother..." "But you're not, and you're not going to be unless we daughters consent. So you'd better back down and be nice. Besides, I think you're just jealous. And I don't think Dad would like that at all--you're supposed to have eyes only for him, aren't you?" "Jealous? Jealous of a seventeen year old--? Victor doesn't know you--he's probably got no idea of who he's coming here to meet. How could I be jealous of that?" "Well, he may not know WHO he's going to meet, but he IS interested, I can tell you that!" "Now listen--you can make all the threats you want, but..."

Danny is still with Katherine. "Danny, I'm going to tell you something--something I've known for a long time but something that I've never told anyone." "About my son?" "No, not about your son. Just about life. Something I never had reason or occasion to repeat, but perhaps something I should finally share because it will help you make your decision." "All right..." She sits on the couch and Danny sits beside her. She takes a sip of coffee as if to steel herself. "Danny, Rex was not your father." "What? What are you talking about?" "Around the time of your birth, your mother was a bit restless and... she had an indiscretion. She became pregnant--and in those days one did not just have an abortion at the drop of the hat, as seems to be the fashion now. Rex learned of the deception only much later and was faced with a choice--did he deny you as his child, or did he just continue to raise you as his own." Danny is stunned. "He never told me." "No, he never did. Because he never felt it mattered. What mattered to him was that he loved you, and that you loved him. And that, dear Danny, is reality. It is the reality that Rex--that your FATHER--took to his grave with him. Now, you're married to a woman you say you love. You have a son you love and who loves you. What will YOU do?"

Victor walks up with Andre, interrupting Jill and Meg. "Well, well, well," he says amiably, maintaining a complete poker face. "Victor," Jill says taking the lead. "I'm so glad you accepted my invitation." "Your--" Megan says, but realizes there is nothing more to be said. "Oh, I'm sorry," Jill says, turning to Megan. "Victor, this is Megan, the SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD daughter of our colleague Keith Dennison." "How very nice to meet you," Victor says. "You look quite beautiful," he adds. "Are you expecting someone?" "Not any more," she says, somewhat dejected. "Well, that's very much a shame, now, isn't it? I'm sure there's some man who's going to be quite disappointed for having left you alone this evening." "Oh, quite-- quite disappointed, I'm sure he will be," Megan says, underscoring each word. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I really must be getting back to my house--it was very nice meeting you, Victor. Perhaps I'll see you again another time--my eighteenth birthday is next week--it's going to be quite a celebration. I really hope you'll come." "Well, thank you for the gracious invitation. I'll have to check my social calendar, but in any case I hope the day brings you everything you expect." Meg leaves, and Andre shows Victor and Jill into the Private Dining Room.

Danny arrives home and on the table is the result of the paternity test from the lab. (By some miracle, it arrived while Phyllis was out at the diner talking to Michael and it has not yet been burned.) Danny picks it up and ponders whether or not to open it. Finally, he decides he cannot resist. He tears it open and reads:

  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

  FROM: FAMILY VALUES LABORATORIES

  TO:   Mr. Daniel Romalatti Senior

  SUBJ: Paternity Test
         CHILD: Daniel Romalatti Junior
         ADULT: Daniel Romalatti Senior

  Dear Mr. Romalatti,

  Normally you would receive a form letter but I am writing
  to you personally because this is not a normal situation.
  Please read this letter in its entirety and call me if you
  have questions.
  
  First, you are NOT the father of Daniel Romalatti Junior.

  However, before you jump to a conclusion, let me say that
  this is apparently NOT the ordinary situation we encounter
  in which a woman has deceived her husband into believing
  another person's baby is really his.

  In this case, it appears that Daniel Romalatti Junior is
  in fact your clone.  (We used to describe this by saying
  that you were both his mother and his father, but that led
  to some confusions.  We now prefer to simply identify him
  as an exact copy of you.)

  After an exhaustive DNA study, also we have determined
  that you are sterile.  As nearly as we can reconstruct,
  your wife probably realized this fact and had some DNA
  taken from you and implanted in an egg, and then injected
  into her to carry to term.  This is a new procedure which
  we know is sometimes done but has never been formally
  written up.  We are pleased to see that the child is
  surviving normally--in some cases we have heard about on
  the grapevine, this has led to severe cases of meningitis
  and a tragically early death.

  Our best wishes to you and your family.  You are a lucky
  man.

  Sincerely,

  Dr. Steve Lattimer
  Family Values Laboratories

  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

It's later in the evening at the Private Dining Room. Victor and Jill are just finishing dinner. "Well, I guess it's true what they say about computers," Victor says to Jill. "What's that?" Jill says. "That it brings out a different side of a person's personality." Jill laughs. "Well, they sure bring out the worst in me, that's all I can say--I can barely figure out how to get my reports done." "I was thinking more about that chat program--" "Oh, right! The chat program. Very convenient for making dinner reservations--I'm glad you were available on such short notice." Victor gives her a puzzled look, then mumbles, "A different side of the personality indeed." "What was that Victor?" Jill asks. "Nothing, nothing--I was just thinking about something. So how is everything with Keith Dennison?" Jill shakes her head in a cheerful way like she doesn't know what he might be fishing for, "Just great--things are much better now that I'm moved out of John's house, thank you for asking. And you--how are you and..." she fumbles to remember the name of Victor's latest conquest. "I suspect you're trying to ask about that picture of me and Diane Jenkins in the paper recently? Well, don't believe everything you read in the papers, Jill," he says with suitable ambiguity.

Still later, Victor has returned to his office. As he finishes up writing something on a tablet, he looks over at his console. On it is the lingering image of his conversation with Dark_Lady arranging dinner. Suddenly some new text appears, and he types and in response:

  Dark_Lady: I'm sorry I was such disappointing conversation
             tonight.
  * Did I say I was disappointed?
  Dark_Lady: No, but you wouldn't.  I could just tell.
  * You certainly didn't say anything to indicate
  Dark_Lady: I wasn't myself tonight for reasons I can't 
             explain now.
  * And you are yourself now?
  Dark_Lady: Oh yes.  Now I am.  And so hungry.
  * But you had that large dinner.
  Dark_Lady: I wanted dessert.  A long, slow, luscious dessert.
  * But you said you had to get back home.  So you left hungry?
  Dark_Lady: Yes, didn't you?
  * I had a fine meal.
  Dark_Lady: That's not what I meant. I left you wanting,
             didn't I?
  * In a sense... perhaps.
  Dark_Lady: Don't worry.  It won't happen again.
             But I have to go now.
  * When will I see you, then?
  Dark_Lady: This weekend is for family.  But next week...
  * Next week?
  User "Dark_Lady" has quit.

[Author's Note: This is the end of the Dark_Lady thread for AWO for now. See the morals for more notes about this plotline.]

At the Crimson Lights, Sharon sit at a table. She walks up and forces a more or less cheery, "Hi, Share. Can I take your order?" "What's up Grace?" she says. "You're looking a little down." "Oh, it's nothing, I'm just feeling the pressures of working I guess..." "Pressures? Seems like you've got it pretty good... A great job here. A wonderful guy at home taking care of Cassie..." Grace snaps. "Ohhh! I wish everybody would stop trying to tell me what I should find acceptable and what I shouldn't. I just can't take it, ok? Your life isn't so perfect either, Sharon." "What do you mean, of course it is, Grace. I have a practically idyllic life with my Nicholas." "Idyllic? Are you kidding me?? Your life is no better than mine, Sharon. What happens when Nicholas finds out that Cassie is your kid, huh?" "Cassie? What?" "Yeah, yours, Sharon. I'm tired of trying to earn enough to support her--it's your turn to take her back. You explain her to your precious Nicholas." "Cassie is my long lost daughter?" "That's right. But Nicholas may not understand that, will he? Well, that's ok. When he gets upset, just ask him if he's boinked any interesting women lately." "Grace, you're not making any sense." "Sense? Sense? I'm making sense for the first time in weeks! I'm outta here Sharon. I'll drop Cassie off later at the house and she can be your responsibility from now on, 'cuz I've had it, ok? And as for Nicholas--well, you just ask him! Ask him, and see what he has to say!"

That's all for this episode. Hope you learned something. Don't miss Episode 52!
If you missed any older episodes, see the index.

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