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Date: 04 Jul 1997 15:55:29 -0400
From: pitman@anotherwayout.com (Kent M Pitman)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.soaps.cbs
Subject: Y&R: AWO#51: "Fire Works"
Message-ID: <sfwk9j6siby.fsf@world.std.com>
INSIDE... * In asking for a second paternity test,
is Danny placing himself in the line of fire?
* At the Private Dining Room tonight,
will there be more fireworks between Jill and Meg,
Meg and Victor, or Jill and Victor?
* When push comes to shove, will Grace risk getting fired
to avoid a sticky situation?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANOTHER WAY OUT, Episode 51, 04-Jul-97 by Kent Pitman (kmp@harlequin.com)
"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.] "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 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!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 1997 Kent M. Pitman. All Rights Reserved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Another Way Out" takes plotline state at time of publication and shows that
there are interesting places right around the corner. The goal, besides
having some fun with good-natured parody, is to challenge the notion that we
must be mired in certain tired plotlines for months just to have a good time.
There is always another way out...
Archives of this and older episodes of "Another Way Out"
as well as the more serious "morals" that underly them,
can be found at: http://world.std.com/~pitman/awo/index.html
Don't forget to try the "character index" and "ratings index"!