Friday Update
April 6, 2001

PREVIOUSLY ON ALL MY CHILDREN

Laura, on the phone with the phantom Dimitri: "Ryan and Gillian are planning to elope tomorrow, and we've got to stop them."

Ryan to Gillian: "Promise me that after tomorrow, we will never spend a night apart." Gillian: "Not for the rest of our lives."

David, through the bars, to Leo: "My life means NOTHING without Dixie! If she buys Tad's word over mine, I have LOST her!"

Tad to Dixie as they watch the tape of David spiking the punch with Libidozone: "You finally know what Hayward has done."

Dixie to Tad after viewing the tape: "I just need to be alone."

WILDWIND

Wedding preparations are in full swing as a strange man ushers delivery people in. A helpful announcer informs us: "In Michael Nader's absence, the part of Dimitri will be played by Anthony Adabbo." Laura arrives and she and Alex exchange frantic whispers about the preparations. They hear Gillian and Eugenia come downstairs. Laura skedaddles and Alex and Dimitri dive for the couch and chair, instantly looking nonchalant. Apparently Eugenia is working on delaying Gillian, who is supposed to meet Ryan for a pre-wedding breakfast. Gillian tries to leave, but Dimitri and Alex stop her, telling her that leaving is out of the question.

VALLEY INN FORMAL DINING ROOM

Ryan, dressed in a gray suit, orders a sumptuous breakfast from a waiter as they both conveniently stand right behind Jake who is seated at a table reading the paper. He orders flowers and announces to the waiter that he is getting married today and his fiance will be there soon. Only then does he turn his head a fraction of an inch to notice that he's practically standing on top of a grimacing Jake. Ryan stops to apologize to Jake for not seeing him and having him find out about the wedding that way. Jake is barely gracious, but manages. Greenlee trots in and sits herself down at Jake's table, asking what Ryan wanted. Jake: "Just to bring me up-to-date. The princess is marrying the con man today." [But Jake's not bitter]. Greenlee: "AGAIN? Let's hope this one sticks." Jake glances over at Ryan and grimaces again. Jake doesn't appear to be in a particularly good mood. Greenlee tells him to order anything he wants, apologizing for "being a little sassy" to his date last night. He says that's a CROCK! Greenlee: "What, Ryan and Gillian?" He tells her to cut to the chase -- she didn't invite him there to make up for ANYTHING -- she WANTS something, so just get to it! Greenlee: "Man, you are in a mood. Did HE put a crab in your shorts or did *I*?" He growls at her to take a good look at him for about 1.5 seconds and tell HIM! She marvels that he's still upset about Ryan and Gillian. He says she's as subtle as a battering ram. She flirts, saying that she's just trying to get him to lighten up -- perhaps another massage? He spies Leo walking in and tells her to never mind -- NOW he gets it. Greenlee blandly says: "Get what?" Jake: "YOU. Your MOTIVE for the day." She appears to be mildly, but genuinely puzzled. For the rest of the episode, Greenlee is disconcertingly honest and somber, almost like a person.

Leo sits down with Rayon--er--Ryan. Stavros had informed him that Ryan and Gillian were meeting for breakfast before the wedding, so he hightailed it over to wish them well before they tie the knot. Ryan stares at him disapprovingly before showing him the morning paper. As Erica sits down nearby, she overhears Ryan saying he guesses Leo's brother finally got nailed for drugging the guests at his party. Leo glumly says he knows. Ryan accusingly asks if the videotape that they found just happens to be the same one that disappeared from the Fidelity. Erica stares, unsettled. Leo hems and haws a little.

Back at Jake's table, Greenlee says she had no idea that Leo was going to show up. Jake thrusts his finger at him and says he doesn't believe her. Greenlee: "Oh -- come on, Jake. What do you want from me?" Jake: "I want nothing from you. But I got a suggestion for you -- why don't you try being honest with Leo? If you don't DIE from the shock, you might be surprised at how much more fulfilling your life is with a little INTEGRITY." Greenlee looks bewildered and shocked as she says" "HEEEY!" He says he doesn't have time for this, gets up and leaves. Greenlee looks perplexed.

Over at the dude table, we see the headline of the Pine Valley Bulletin, which says: "PINE VALLEY DOG ARRESTED USING SEX DRUG ON..." [Oh wait, the third word is "DOC", not "DOG", but I think I prefer MY version] Leo says Ryan has it all wrong. Ryan angrily jerks the paper, saying the tape was on HIS yacht! Leo chuckles weakly and says it's ADAM's yacht. Ryan continues to bring new viewers up-to-date, telling us that Hayley came looking for it and they found it, but it turned out to be some space movie. What was THAT? The real tape disappeared and Leo just HAPPENED to be on the yacht that day. Leo and I both state the obvious, i.e., he's on the yacht EVERY day. Ryan starts making Mateo-like lip motions as Erica watches the two of them. He tells Leo not to do that (try and weasel out of it) -- it makes him look like an idiot [I could say the same about those weird faces Ryan is making]. Erica thinks hard as Ryan rages at Leo, and Leo sputters and dodges. Ryan says his reputation has been dragged through the mud for WEEKS [try 4 MONTHS] and his company still hasn't recovered. Leo stops trying to evade it and says: "I know." Ryan: "You KNOW? Do you know that marriages ended because of this? Do you know that? Do you know that Laura English almost DIED because of that?" Erica's eyes get huge. She jumps up and rushes out. Leo: "This is a lot more complicated than YOU even know." Ryan demands to know how much David paid Leo and if it was worth it. Leo gets up without a word and stands facing Ryan, arms spread out in crucifixion, and says "Good luck with your wedding today." Ryan: "Hey Leo! You're FIRED!" Leo looks up, accepts his fate, and strides out. Greenlee watches, then rushes out after him. [The Valley Inn must be trying to figure out if something smells bad, or the crumpets are moldy, what with all these people getting up and rushing out] A waiter walks across the now-empty dining room to Ryan and asks when he expects his bride. He says that's a good question, she's late. The waiter says they are read when he is.

WILDWIND

Gillian tells Dimitri that his concern is adorable, but she's late to meet with Ryan. Dimitri says that they want to spend TIME with her this morning. Alex and Eugenia, both oddly coo: "That's RIGHT!" Gillian stares at her addle-pated relatives and slowly and loudly tells them that she told them all last night that she was G-E-T-T-I-N-G M-A-R-R-I-E-D T-O-D-A-Y. Do they remember that? Alex looks like she's searching her memory, shakes her head in uncertainty and says: "Vaguely." Gillian: "WHAT?" Eugenia, looking FABULOUS, says they just want to say a PROPER goodbye. Gillian shrills that she's just getting married, not leaving the country! Dimitri: "But we haven't spent NEARLY enough time with you." [I LIKE the new Dimitri ... so far. I never DID like Michael Nader as Dimitri, but that's because he always reminded me of someone who treated me very badly] Gillian: "What, this morning?" Alex: "Ever." Gillian dances like she's about to pee her pants and shrieks: "WHAT is going ON with all of you!" She asks if they have a problem with Ryan. The phone rings and Alex answers it. On the other end, Ryan asks if Gillian is there. Alex says that she is and Gillian says: "See? That's Ryan calling to see where I am because I'm so late!" Alex calmly and carefully hangs up the phone. Ryan calls out an exploratory "Hello" and then looks at his cell phone. Gillian asks Alex if she just hung up on Ryan. Alex smugly says: "Yes. That should do it." Gillian: "That should do WHAT? Huh? Have you all gone MAD?" Eugenia: "Well, you see, when Ryan calls again, there won't be any answer, so he'll have to come over here." Gillian: "And THEN what?" Alex: "You'll see." [Now, maybe it's just me, but this doesn't seem like a surprise so much as hostility. What's so NICE and LOVING about playing such games with her? It's one thing to bring someone somewhere on a pretext or even jump out and give them a heart attack, but this is just mean, IMO]

PINE VALLEY JAIL

David sits on something [I'm guessing it's the toilet, since it's next to the sink] and stares. [I just LOVE seeing him behind bars!] Vanessa walks up to his cage and he jumps up, stalks across the cell and frowns fiercely at the wall. The eternal grafitti is STILL on the other wall of the cell. Vanessa gently orders him to look at her. He does not. She has an attorney, Thomas O'Neal, with her. David was SUPPOSED to call him the night before, but did not. His arraignment is this morning, so she brought the lawyer to him. David says he's fine. She says he's NOT fine -- he needs HELP and legal representation. He explodes, leaps to the bars like a crazed monkey and spits out that what he NEEDS is DIXIE -- that's ALL! [I hope they have that tranquilizer dart handy] Amazingly enough, David's hair is still beautifully coiffed, with only parts of his bangs hanging in his face, which is about as good as you can expect with HIS hair.

Vanessa calmly tells David to calm down and says she knows he's not thinking clearly. David pouts hard enough to rival any two- year-old and says she doesn't know anything about him. She tries to impress upon him that he's facing VERY SERIOUS charges and Mr. O'Neal can help him, no matter how dire things seem. O'Neal finally ventures to get a word in edgewise and says that he's there to help David if he's willing to work with him. O'Neal: "Your mother has explained to me that there are some personal issues at stake here for you, but you must realize you need --" David again says: "What I ***NEED*** is DIXIE." Vanessa gasps in frustration and says Dixie is the reason he's in there in the first place and she warned him OVER and OVER! He says that the REASON she kept warning him was because SHE didn't want to jeopardize her MEAL TICKET! In his usual condescending manner, he says even DIXIE was able to call it [well, okay, he has a right to be condescending when it comes to Dixie's intelligence or lack thereof] He says she didn't want him near Dixie because PALMER didn't want him near his niece. She had NO concern for David! She vehemently denies it. For the 2nd time in the same day, a character (David), says: "What a CROCK! You want to be a billionaire's wife, and it doesn't look good for you if the billionaire's niece runs off with ME, now, does it? Palmer LIKES a wife who knows the meaning of 'let my will be done!'" Vanessa fumes, but tries to stay the course, begging him not to do this to himself. She says no woman in the world is worth this, ESPECIALLY not Dixie Martin! She gets shrill as she says he won't be going ANYWHERE with ANYONE if he doesn't get some legal representation and she is TRULY frightened for him. He scoffs: "Oh, please. There are only two things in the world that frighten you, Vanessa -- watching your bank account get seized and seeing your two sons HAPPY!" She starts to respond, but David once again leaps at the bars, yelling: "You can't STAND seeing somebody actually love me, can you? You spent your entire life trying to make me as shallow and as superficial as you! If somebody actually loves me, it spoils your PERFECT record, doesn't it?" Vanessa grits her teeth, mashes her lips together, then coldly lays it on the line, interspersed with frightening little twitchy smiles: "All right, David. You listen to me. If you won't allow me to help you now, if you won't allow Mr. O'Neal to represent you, you're going to be locked away for YEARS, darling, cut off from everyone -- and ESPECIALLY the one person you say you need more than anything in this world. Now, you go ahead and you stand there and you be defiant and you cut me out of your life. But you remember that I offered you the help you say you needed most and you turned me down flat!" David bobbles his head in indecision, then looks down, gulping, nodding and deciding as she apologizes to Mr. O'Neal for wasting his time and then calls the guard. David swallows and forces himself to humbly ask O'Neal if he can really get him out of there. O'Neal says there are no guarantees, but he's damn good at his job. David tells the guard to let him into his cell.

David asks O'Neal what he thinks he can do. O'Neal says he thinks he can discredit the state's only real witnesses. Leslie is clearly unstable -- she kidnapped a kid! Gordon is a gold- digging turncoat. There's no direct evidence. David (and everyone else watching) says: "What about the tape?" A cocky O'Neal says even that could be shredded to pieces. We see Erica's suit flash by the entrance to the cell area. She comes in and overhears O'Neal saying: "So, you see, there's no real proof that you gave that drug to anyone, David." Erica: "I wouldn't count on THAT." David stares at her like a dog trying to figure out why the cat is washing the dishes.

THE MARTIN, SR., HOUSE

Tad picks up some keys from a desk, notices someone is at the door, and opens it to see Dixie, who gives a sickly smile and hugs herself against the cold.

Dixie, arms crossed, walks in, making faces and turning heavenward for the strength to face Tad. She turns and feebly attempts humor, saying last night was one of the worst nights of her life. Tad says it was the same for him. He's not happy. He had a hard time understanding how she turned her back on them, he STILL doesn't understand. Dixie nods and, trying for conciliation says she knows. She keeps trying to talk, but he keeps blurting out his frustration: "I don't even believe this is happening -- I had proof -- the truth -- that EVERYTHING I said about Hayward was right for MONTHS, and you turn your back on ME without even telling me what you were thinking?" [Ah, THERE'S the mistake, Tad -- Dixie DOESN'T think] She says she was up all night thinking about it and came to see him as soon as she could. Tad: "WHY? So you could tell me I was WRONG? Wrong about David, even after everything that has happened?" She tells him to stop as he angrily walks past her into the living room. Tad: "Fine. I'll stop. If that's the case, I really don't know why you came to see me because, believe me, I got your message LOUD and clear last --" Dixie, her voice strained, says: "I WAS WRONG, OK? I was totally and COMPLETELY wrong. I'm so sorry!" [About damn time!]

They both sit on the couch and Dixie launches into a heartfelt apology, which I'm quoting in full since we've waited SO LONG for it: "Listen, I was up all night trying to make sense out of the last couple of months. It wasn't easy to look at all of my lapses in judgment and all of the pain and the heart -- but I forced myself to because I owe that to you, Tad, and I suppose I owe it to myself." Tad asks why she ran out of the room after seeing the tape. Dixie in a deep voice, barely keeping back the tears, says: "There was just so much to process! I mean, it was -- it was all there -- the tape, the lab tech's confession, and David's reaction to everything. I just couldn't take it all in!" Her face contorts as she tries to contain her emotion and tears. [I notice she's wearing that light blue, exceptionally snug blouse again] Dixie: "I guess I just couldn't handle the truth." Tad: "About David?" Dixie, eyes fluttering madly, says: "About who he is. I just felt like everything I believe got whipped around on me, you know, everything I built up for myself just got yanked out from underneath me, you know? Everything I thought since I started working for him." Tad: "What does that mean?" Dixie: "I -- it was obvious who he was. When I first started working for him, I knew that. But I blocked it out because I wanted to fix him." Tad: "And you couldn't?" Dixie: "No. If I'd just accepted it, I -- I wouldn't have -- I wouldn't have hung around him. I -- I wouldn't have paid any attention to him, and none of this would have happened!" Tad: "I don't want you blaming yourself for things -- for the things that he's done. You were manipulated." Dixie: "No, Tad, I let him. I let him manipulate me because I needed him --" Tad: "To? Go on, say it." Dixie: "I needed somebody who I could hold on to! I needed somebody to convince me that I mattered!" Tad looks very hurt and appears to blame himself for it.

Tad quietly tells Dixie: "Well, I'm sorry if you really think -- thought -- that you didn't matter because you do. You matter to your children. You matter to your family and your friends. Most of all, you matter to me more than anything because I love you more than I can possibly say." Dixie gulps and looks EXTREMELY ashamed. Dixie: "I never doubted that, Tad. Ok? Let me just get this out, ok? It started when you went to work at Chandler. Your job was important. You were important. Your focus just sort of shifted -- and that's not a judgment. Please, that's not a judgment. That's just a fact. It's just the way it WAS." Her eyelids flutter so fast that looks like they are going to take off and fly to San Francisco without her. Dixie: "And Junior started high school and he started pulling away. And I know this sounds lame and weak, but that's the way it felt. It just felt like you guys didn't need me anymore." She breaks down crying, looking quite pitiful. Tad closes his eyes in pain. Dixie, her voice getting higher and higher, says: "So the job just became really important with David, you know, and I think from the beginning it was important to him, too. And I just thought if I could save this man from himself, then maybe I could save me, too. I know it doesn't work that way. I -- I know -- I know that that was wrong." Tad: "What are you going to do now?" Dixie laughing hysterically and wiping her nose, says: "Well, telling you this was the first priority." Giggling, she rolls her eyes and says: "And then I thought I would go to David's arraignment. And then I don't know! Hahahahaha!" Tad ignores her wild, brittle jocularity and says: "Why? Why do you have to be there?" Dixie: "Well, I have to make sure that -- I have to see how he's going to try and get out of this." Tad: "He can't. He can't get out of this one, Dixie." Dixie: "Honey, you don't know him as well as I do. You don't know the level of deceit that lives inside of him. [Oh NOW she has the GALL to say THAT?] He's never going to stop trying to lie his way out of this one, and I have to be there to make sure that he doesn't get that chance. Ok? Is that ok with you?" Tad holds out his hand to her: "Let's go together." Dixie whispers: "Thank you!" They leave.

PINE VALLEY COURTHOUSE

Leo walks in and stares at the empty room and judge's chair. Greenlee follows. [Something about her wavy hairdo, the empire waist ribbon and her coat makes her look really wide, even though she is not -- must be the camera angle] She asks if he's okay. He doesn't answer. He continues to frown sadly at the courtroom. After a few moments, without turning, he flatly says he'd like to be alone. She says she's not leaving him. He turns and stares. She says he's there for his brother's arraignment, right, and he wants to be there for him. Leo says right -- that way he can remind David that he's charged with half-a-dozen crimes because of HIM. She tells him that he is NOT responsible for what his brother did. Leo agrees, but says he got CAUGHT because of him. He says he blackmailed David for $100K to suppress evidence. She says she thinks Leo would have kept the tape even if he HADN'T been given the cash because he's his brother and he loves him. Leo asks how she could know something like that. Greenlee: "Because I know you. And you want your family to be normal, and they're a freaking DISASTER area. And I know that because I have the same problem." He says her family is a day at the beach next to HIS. Greenlee shrugs: "Whatever. We both come from the same warped mentality -- it's hard to shake." He says he WANTS to shake it -- he wants OUT of this MESS! Greenlee: "So do I. Do you want to escape? Together?" He stares.

WILDWIND

Dimitri escorts Ryan into the room and Alex walks in from the other side, looking sheepish. Ryan asks if she just hung up on him. She says she did. He says he tried to call back, but got a busy signal. She says that's because the phone is off the hook. They can't tell him why, though, because they don't think Gillian would want them to just yet. Ryan demands to know where Gillian is and why they are acting like that. Alex says Gillian is gone. Dimitri: "It's not as bad as it sounds. I mean, she did leave word for you before she took off." Ryan: "Took off? What are you talking about? What did she say?" Alex: "Gillian said that she wouldn't be able to marry you today at the town hall."

Ryan stares at them with his usual Charles Manson, non-blinking eyes and says he doesn't believe them. He thinks Gillian is right there and he's going to go look himself. He runs out of the room and Alex and Dimitri fall into each other's arms laughing. Dimitri asks if they are being too cruel to the poor kid [YES]. She laughs that she's not sure, but it's working well. [Finola Hughes looks a LOT happier with THIS Dimitri] She asks if he's going to go get into his birthday suit. He asks if she meant his "monkey suit". Alex: "I know what I said." She grins and spins away while he smiles lovingly at her ass as she leaves the room.

PINE VALLEY JAIL

O'Neal leaves and Erica tells David it's quite a mess he's gotten himself into this time. He shuffles up to her [why does he ALWAYS walk like he has chains on his ankles?] and asks why she's there. Erica: "You really don't know?" David: "Well, I know what I heard you almost say in front of my attorney and the guard just now. You think you know some way to connect me to a Libidozone drugging?" Erica softly sings: "It's the wrong time and the wrong place ..." David: "What is that supposed -- oh, no!" Erica: "Good. Good. A bell went off!" Once again, it's catch-up day as Erica goes over the finer points of the day she inadvertently gulped down a coke meant for Tad. Erica: "So you DO remember the night that I suddenly pulled a Michelle Pfeiffer in the Valley Inn dining room, singing on the piano, coming on to everything in PANTS!" David: "Just hold on for a minute, ok?" Erica: "And how you whisked me away to your hotel suite and took advantage. You took complete advantage of my unintentional altered state -- unintentional for ME, right, but not for you, David." David: "I -- I really never intended to take advantage of you, Erica. Not for a second!" Erica: "You had me right where you wanted me, David -- high on an aphrodisiac and alone with you in your hotel suite. And even after we made love, I knew that something wasn't right. I TOLD you I felt DRUGGED. I -- I left you. Then you obviously made a bigger mistake." David: "What? What was that?" Erica: "Turning to Dixie Martin! I feel in some way responsible for that ... You loved me, David, and I broke up with you. But I had no IDEA that you were going to completely LOSE YOUR MIND like this! You poor thing! I mean, I certainly can't help but feel somewhat responsible." David stares, the light dawning on him.

TAN: I FF'd through commercials at this point, stopping just before the program continued. An announcer intoned: "BEFORE BRAVEHEART! BEFORE GLADIATOR!" I pressed the button to skip 10 seconds forward and Erica's face filled the screen -- BWAHAHAHAA! It was PERFECT timing!

Meanwhile, back on the show:
David feigns bewilderment: "You think -- all right, wait a minute. I just want to make sure that I have this straight. You think that I drugged a BOATLOAD full of people because YOU dumped me, Erica?" Erica: "When you say it like that, you make it sound very silly, don't you? But I don't think the reality was very silly. What other explanation could there possibly be, David?" David: "Well --" Erica: "And don't think that this is a sympathy call, by the way." David: "You did just call me a 'poor thing' a minute ago." Erica: "You DRUGGED me, David, and you KNEW that I was in recovery. I work so hard every day to keep my sobriety, and you know that! But to think that you would go this far, to think that you would just jeopardize everything, that you would COMPROMISE me! He says he's sorry, but he never INTENDED to humiliate her or hurt her in any way. David: "It was a horrible mistake. And it was a serious lack of judgment on my part. But, look, I'll never forgive myself. So whatever you do or whatever you think of me, I know that I deserve it!" Erica: "I didn't see it coming. I mean, I knew that you MISSED me, but this, David -- this is TRAGIC!" The lawyer and guard come in to take David away for his arraignment, cuffing him first [odd, they don't usually cuff people there for ANYTHING before arraignment] Erica stares after him, watching the shackled man brought low because he was pining away and couldn't cope with losing her :-)

PINE VALLEY COURTHOUSE

Leo tells Greenlee he's been trying to escape his family since he was old enough to walk, but it doesn't work. It's like he gets a sick comfort from being close to his family while they all self- destruct. She tells him to stop beating himself up when there is no reason for it. Greenlee: "David has been the biggest screw- up in this town for a long time, and just because he wears a little lab coat and has the 'doctor' thing in front of his name doesn't mean that he gets a free pass. You can't lump yourself in with these people that you're related to, ok? You're BETTER than they are. You're HUMAN." Leo broods and asks if she knows his family code. She argues, but he doesn't let her. He holds up his hand as he takes an oath: "Whether we admit it or not, we all live day to day. No matter what we've done or what's to come, score where you can no matter what the cost. Oh, and run." Greenlee: "When WE found each other, we scored -- BIG." Leo: "And we wrecked it! We were doomed." She disagrees and says they just got stupid. He says they were doomed because they both knew they had to trust each other and they DIDN'T trust each other -- it's genetically impossible for either one of them to trust each other and she KNOWS it! She asks what he would say if she told him that she trusts him. She DOES trust him. He frets about it and then admits that he doesn't trust HIMSELF. Greenlee stares somberly at him.

The doors to the courtroom burst open and Vanessa steamrolls in, accompanied by the roar of frenzied reporters. She yells "Not NOW!" Their cries for dirt are suddenly silenced as the door shuts behind her. Vanessa hisses that she needs a word with Leo RIGHT NOW! He slips back into his glib mode and says: "What? No pleasantries mother? Must be serious." She frantically says his brother is just about to be arraigned. He tells Greenlee she doesn't want to watch this and leaves her there as he and Vanessa leave the room. He tells Vanessa to let the lecture begin and waves goodbye to Greenlee. Jake enters the courtroom at the same time. The reporters swarm around Leo and Vanessa, but he tells them to back off. In a purely soap moment, they actually do. Vanessa is FURIOUS and can barely spit the words out between gasps as she blasts him for being so careless with the incriminating videotape. After all, David is his BROTHER! Leo: "Come on! Who do you think you're talking to here? Remember me, the son you were going to send to prison for your little crime of passion?" Vanessa: "I would never have let it go -- will you ever let that go?" Leo: "Doubtful. And another thing -- you do know how bad you wear this mama lion thing, right? It's like COSTUME JEWELRY on a MONARCH!" She says he has no reason to be so uncivil to her right now when all she is trying to do is hold together the lives and the reputations of her sons! Leo: "Do you mind if I see your handbag for a second?" He takes it from her. Vanessa: "What?" Leo: "Your handbag. I'm suddenly feeling like I could barf!" Vanessa: "DON'T you DARE be glib with me at this moment!" Leo: "What, with a mother like you playing the scene of her life?" Vanessa: "What are you talking about, Leo?" Leo: "Mother, come on! Crisis brings out the DIVA in you, and this is the perfect excuse for you to play the aggrieved mother with the rotten sons who ruined your life and disappointed you at every turn, right?" She narrows her eyes at him, but keeps mum (so to speak). Leo: "Yeah. Frankly, it makes me SICK!" He stalks back into the courtroom. Vanessa gnashes her teeth, shakes her head and rushes in after him, apologizing to the once-again clamoring reporters. Leo sits near the back near Greenlee with his head in his hands. Vanessa joins him as a handcuffed and scowling David is ushered in.

Jake walks up to David, whose cuffs are being removed. Jake tells him that since he's all tied up, HE'LL open the envelope he's holding, saying the contents sum it up pretty nicely. Vanessa jumps up and asks what's in it. David says it's his resignation, which basically means he's fired. She yells her horror at them convicting him before they even arraign him. He stoops to sign it with his now-free hands, telling her to forget it -- it's only the first surprise of the day. Who knows what's next? Dixie walks in and stares accusingly at him. He stares back. Tad walks in and stands with her. David breathes heavily, trying to read her expression [not difficult to do] and stares.

WILDWIND

Ryan yells at Dimitri from upstairs. He runs down and tells Dimitri's suited back that he can't find Gillian -- he can't find ANYBODY! Dimitri busies himself at his desk and doesn't speak or turn around. Ryan says that if this is some kind of joke, he's really not laughing. He loses what little patience he had and demands to know where his bride is. Dimitri turns around, holding up a blue garment bag to hand to Ryan. Ryan asks what it is and Dimitri says it's a tux, and he hopes it's the right size, blah, blah, blah. Ryan gets a tiny smile as the light dawns on him, even though he keeps questioning Dimitri. Dimitri tells him to hurry up and get ready, because Gillian is waiting for him. Ryan smiles.

PINE VALLEY COURTHOUSE

Tad and Dixie sit down and David stares uncomprehendingly at Dixie. Erica enters the courtroom and takes a seat. David goes over to his table and heaves a sigh as he starts to sit down. The bailiff stops him, though, saying "All Rise!" After some officious statements about the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, they all sit. The second David's butt hits the chair, the judge tells the defendant to rise and says: "Dr. David Hayward, you've been charged with -- all right -- 76 counts of simple assault, reckless endangerment, unlawful --" As the judge's voice fades in David's mind, we hear his thoughts loud and clear: "I'm not confused here. I've never been more sure of anything in my life, Dixie. I love you. I love you for who you are and what you are, for your willingness to let life get messy, for your unwillingness to take the easy way out." He keeps frowning, then turns to look at Dixie, who steadfastly refuses to look at him as she clamps her jaws together and her mouth is set in a grim line. David hears the judge ask about bail and David says: "No bail." His lawyer chides him and Vanessa yells at the top of her lungs: "Oh GOOD ***GOD***!" The judge pounds his gavel for order. Judge: "I'm sorry. You were going to say something, Dr. Hayward?" David: "Yes, your honor. I said no bail." Vanessa squirms futilely, working her jaw. Dixie finally watches David. Judge: "Counsel, have you advised your client that he is not to speak unless he is --" [Hello, you JUST *TOLD* him to speak!] David: "I'm guilty, your honor! I'm guilty of all charges, and I should not be set free -- not on bail. Not ever." The camera pans around the courtroom, focusing on the stunned faces of all the courtroom audience.

WILDWIND CHAPEL

A tuxedo'd Ryan keeps asking questions with a grin on his face, and Dimitri keeps deflecting them. He tells Ryan that all the answers are in the chapel and to go on in. Flowers are everywhere OUTSIDE the chapel and WAAAAY more are inside. Gillian stands at the altar in a stunning white skirted, pink bodiced wedding gown. There are elaborate silver beaded designs all over the skirt and even more elaborate, draped beades and jewels on the bodice. She's wearing a matching jeweled choker. The headpiece holding the veil is also jeweled. She's wearing white opera-length gloves and holding a bouquet of, um, some kind of white flower. She looks radiant, of course, as she smiles at him with tears glistening in her eyes. Ryan's eyes also glisten as he smiles back at her.

ON THE NEXT AMC:

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

In the courtroom, Leo rummages around, then holds out is hands as he tells Greenlee: "I've got to go to the wedding, Greenlee. I've got his rings!"

At the altar, Ryan says: "There's something that I haven't told Gillian." [she has spinach between her teeth?] Gillian looks frightened.

Erica gushes to Bianca: "Poor David! He's just -- he just lost his mind!"

David stands facing Dixie and tells her: "I want you to know everything that I did." Dixie's face looks like it's made of stone. Back in their seats, Jake leans back to a glaring Tad and jabs his finger at him, saying: "Get Dixie out of here!" David: "And I want you to know why I did it." Dixie looks like her face will crack open and hit the floor if she moves a muscle in it.

Irreverently submitted,

Robin "somehow I was expecting more emotion from Dixie" Coutellier