Friday Update
August 30, 2002

PREVIOUSLY ON ALL MY CHILDREN

At their Penthouse, Greenlee tells Leo: "Whatever you don't want to tell me about tonight, I know that you have the best reasons, so I'm not going to bug you about it -- at least for now."

Outside the Chandler house, Anna twists David's arm, whipping him around, then slapping handcuffs on him and says: "You're under arrest."

In the Wildwind chapel, Edmund asks Brooke: "Where are they?" Brooke: "They were here. Maria and Maddie were right here."

Edmund: "Maria's gone, and she's taken my daughter."

At the park, Maria tells Aidan: "I just know that I need some distance and I need some help. Will you help us?"

DU PRES PENTHOUSE

Leo sits on the couch, staring glumly at his hands. Greenlee clops in and tells him she meant everything she said the night before, but if he feels like telling her what happened with Trey, she's there and she's ready. [Is it my imagination, or is Leo wearing just a little too much makeup?] Leo quietly tells her that he knows she was worried, considering everything that's happened up until now -- and she was right to be worried about everything that she knew about Trey. [Greenlee is DEFINITELY wearing eye makeup that's too DARK for her] What she DIDN'T know was that he is not just a con artist out to get Vanessa's money -- he's also her son -- and his BROTHER. Leo has the sickly smile of a condemned man. Greenlee stares.

[Why do they have those HUGE books on the coffee table? They must be about 4 inches thick EACH! I'm surprised the table isn't sagging in the middle from the weight of them.] Greenlee tries to grasp this new information. Leo tells her that Trey's real name is Ben Sheppard. [I KNOW the closed-captioning spelled it as Shepherd at least once last week, but now it's spelled Sheppard, so I'll go with that from now on.] Leo gets up to lean on the mantelpiece. She asks if he's okay. He says it's really weird, but he's actually ok with it. Now SHE gets up and questions that last part. They do a little recap of events to let new viewers and returning vacationers know that Trey was creepy, Leo investigated, and now it's been revealed that Trey took over someone else's identity. He says that when he found that out, all he wanted to do was put this guy away for fraud. Greenlee interrupts and says: "WANTED? Past tense?" Has he changed his mind about him? Leo stammers about Vanessa saying something. Greenlee scoffs at him buying into it because of something VANESSA said. He asks why Vanessa would lie about it. Greenlee not-so-tactfully says that maybe it's because it's something Vanessa has done her entire LIFE! Leo wobbles his head like Stevie Wonder and says it's seemed different this time -- it wasn't "Vanessa". Greenlee doesn't care if she calls herself Little Red Riding Hood -- if she's behind this, he did NOT get the truth!

CHANDLER HOUSE

Ben (whom I'll refer to as "Trey" for these scenes with Mia, since she doesn't know yet that he's Ben) rings the bell and Mia answers it. She's wearing that horrible 70s wrap dress and her hair is in a bun. [She's so pretty -- why do they doing whatever they possibly can to make her look less attractive? Oh dear -- is the generation gap rearing it's ugly head with me?] Ben is no longer wearing his glasses, and his hair is slicked over and back in a Hitlerish doo. He's wearing a suit, but it's not nearly as nice as his usual suits [if he only had nice suits, why would he suddenly change to an ordinary one, or even HAVE an ordinary one just because he's now copping to being plain old Ben?] His tie is quite loose. She looks him up and down and tells him that whatever he wants, she doesn't have time for IT or for HIM. She starts to shut the door, but he puts a hand on it and says that's just RUDE -- especially since he OWNS her. She stares defiantly at him. It's supposed to be morning, but all the lights are on in the Chandler house and it appears to be dark outside, although there ARE birds singing. [What time is it, 5am?]

Trey walks on in and tells her that he needs her to go to Leo and tell him what a "prince" he is. She tells him that he's delusional. [It's been said by others, but I'll chime in and ask why they cut Mia's hair if she's only going to put it up anyway?] Mia is not exactly receptive. He says she needs to make him sound like a Boy Scout. She says she already told Leo what a JERK Trey is, and then Trey forced her to take it back, but she doubts Leo believed that part. Trey tells her to be more "persuasive". She tells him to get someone else to do his dirty work. Trey: "Like I did yours? Finding a home for the little boy you didn't WANT?" Mia protests that she did the best she could for William and asks the same question we are all asking: "How long are you going to hold this over me?" He says until SHE figures out that when he wants something done, she DOES it -- no arguments. Unless, of course, she wants him to go to Dr. Frank Hubbard and tell him that he's a daddy. Trey sneers. Mia looks stricken. She presses her lips together in frustrations, then stalks into the living room. She digs her cell phone out of her purse and tells him to go for it. [Uh, that's dramatic, but why didn't she just hand him the plain old telephone? It's not like it's a long distance call.] She says she's SICK of living like this! He tells her to think about what she's doing. She tells him that she's letting the truth come out, which is better than being scared of HIM all the time. She tells him to go ahead and make the call. Trey contemplates her new attitude and observes that she's grown a SPINE since living up on the hill. [No, she LOST her spine living up there, but seems to have found a little bit of it now that Adam is temporarily out of the house. Speaking of that, why hasn't Liza gone after Adam, if only to insinuate herself into the camping trip to keep an eye on him?] She says she just knows what she wants in her life -- and what she DOESN'T want -- which would be HIM. Trey needles her about not caring if her little boy loses his happy home. She crumples a little. He accuses her of not caring enough to stop it from happening. She says she would do ANYTHING for William! He yells that she handed him to STRANGERS from DAY ONE and never even TRIED to raise him by herself. She says she COULDN'T. Trey, obviously lost in his own pathos, accuses her of not giving a damn and never looking back. He was THERE, he SAW it. Trey: "It was the same for HIM as it was for ME!" THAT gets Mia's attention: "You?" Did his mother give HIM up, too? Trey turns and looks off into the past, hardening his face even more than usual.

After some commercials, some time has apparently passed, because Trey says: "... So when Trey drowned, I took his name. I'm really Ben Sheppard." She asks how long he's known about this (the Vanessa part). He says quite a while. Upon prompting, he says Vanessa is doing pretty much everything she can to erase any memory she might have had of him. Mia says NO mother could do that, TRUST her. He says Vanessa thought she'd never see him again once she gave him up -- it's funny how the little things can come back to haunt you. Mia shrewdly observes that that's why he comes down so hard on HER -- because he thinks she did the same thing to HER son. Ben [now that she knows] says: "Didn't you?" She asks how he could SAY that -- he was THERE. He SAW what giving up William cost her! He sighs with reluctant acknowledgement, then sits on the couch. He looks beseechingly at her, saying: "But you DID it." She says she'd have done ANYTHING to keep William if she could have -- she's not like Vanessa -- he KNOWS that. He admits that she DOES still ask about William. She says that's because she never stopped thinking about him or loving him. Ben looks haunted as he says: "And you worry and you want him to be happy, so, no, you're nothing like Vanessa. She pretends that I was never born." He looks very much like an abandoned little boy. Mia tells him that she's sorry. He tells her not to be. He survived. But if she HELPS him, maybe he can salvage something from this. Maybe he can finally feel what it's like to belong to a family. Maybe he can get to know his brother, Leo. Mia sighs in mute acceptance.

PV JAIL

David is escorted to a jail cell. [He must have a rap sheet to rival that of Snoop Doggy Dog at this point] Anna paces outside the cell. David, hands in pockets, quietly asks Anna if she HAD to do this. Anna says: "THIS being my JOB?" He says they COULD have worked this out at HOME. She reminds him that he DRUGGED one of her officers. Did he REALLY think he would get away with that? He says that's NOT what he thought. Anna says it must be NOTHING for a man who kept a woman away from her FAMILY for five years. He says there IS an explanation. She doesn't want to hear it. He raises his voice and says she's his WIFE and she OWES him the chance to explain. Anna: "I don't OWE you a damn thing! Not after all your lies -- our MARRIAGE being the biggest lie of ALL!" [Actually, in the grand scheme of all things David, it's a pretty small one.] She glares at him. He sighs slightly and looks a tiny bit dismayed.

David questions her: "Our MARRIAGE?" She mutters that it's a FARCE. David sarcastically says that's just GREAT! She CAN'T mean that! Is she going to just TOSS them away just like that? She says he already DID that by lying to her over and over again. He again said that there was a REASON why he couldn't be honest with her about Maureen. "MARIA!" yells Anna. She says he KNOWS her name is Maria Santos Grey! He maintains that Maria was his PATIENT who has a RIGHT to confidentiality. She doesn't CARE about his precious confidentiality! He kept Maria away from her family for FIVE YEARS. David says he HAD to. She keeps yelling at him, and he keeps saying he HAD to -- he saved her LIFE! She continues on about Maria's two children and her husband and how David could have brought her BACK to them! He yells that he DID bring her back, and if it weren't for him, she wouldn't be WALKING on this planet right now! Anna: "Oh, right -- GOD. [I THINK she means that in the sense of David THINKING he's God.] Of course. Do you even BEGIN to understand the pain you've caused?" David huffs in frustration. He says that when he first found her, he didn't know she had a husband and children. She points out that even after he found out he STILL didn't do a damned thing! David starts raising his voice again, whining: "What kind of a MOTHER would she have been? What kind of a wife to her husband? She didn't know them, ok? I did what I thought --" Anna: "It's not for YOU to decide!" He says he needed to do it for HER. Anna throws up her hands and yells at him to just SHUT UP!!! David: "I was protecting her --" She tells him that if he finishes that sentence, she will walk out of there and he will NEVER see her again! Anna: "I don't know what the HELL you were doing, but it wasn't for HER! It was for YOU! For some reason, you were keeping this woman hidden away. I promise you I'm going to find out WHY!" She stalks away. David looks bummed and trapped [especially being in a cell and all].

WILDWIND

Edmund walks into the stable and calls out to Maddie. He calls out to Maria. He checks the tack room. Nothing. He remembers the first time they made love in the very same stable. He vows that he's NOT going to lose her again! He rushes out.

PINE CONE MOTEL

Maria rolls over in bed next to a sleeping Maddie. Still asleep, she puts her arm on Maddie, then gets agitated as she hears a baby crying and her own voice crying and babbling: "I am his mother, and I don't even know who Dr. Santos IS. She totally VANISHED when I held this baby for the first time and --" Maria suddenly wakes up, realizes where she is, then bolts up in bed as Aidan walks toward the bed with a towel or blanket. She emphatically says: "NO! No, you can't take her away from me!" Aidan looks like he's dealing with a cornered muskrat that might attack or bolt at any second. Maria looks truly frightened, but stalwart. She looks at Maddie again and breathes hard.

Aidan explains that he was just going to cover Maria up. He guesses she had a bad dream, and her body language tells him that he's right. He's willing to listen if she wants to talk about it. She says she can never remember her dreams. He seems vaguely alarmed that she's had them before. She says she doesn't have time to sit around analyzing dreams -- she shouldn't even have come back there the night before. (As usual, the blinds are rolled open enough for anyone to see in, especially since the slats are about 2" apart.) He says she needed to collect her thoughts. She asks how she knows if he hasn't "helped" her again by calling the cops. He again explains that he was just calling his aunt. She wonders if they are on their way over there right now. He assures her that he's on HER side. She asks what's in it for him. He again explains that he's made a lot of mistakes in his life, and that, somehow, helping her out helps HIM get over some of that. Maria: "So I'm your, what, personal community service project? After me, you've cleared your debt to society?" Aidan says it's more like he's ditched a little bit of guilt. She scoffs about how nice that is for HER. He says she has a second chance at going back and fixing her life. He never had that chance and doesn't want her to throw it away. She looks tearfully over at Maddie and quietly says that if he REALLY means that he'll help her get out of town with her daughter -- TODAY.

DU PRES PENTHOUSE

Greenlee throws up her hands and says she's not going to get into the whole Nessa/Vanessa thing with him. Leo says it's not just Nessa -- it's TREY -- he has PROOF. She points out that Trey has been there for months, but never said anything about it. Leo says that's because he's a CON and a con NEVER leads with the TRUTH. Leo: "We always work EVERY other angle first." Greenlee: "We?" She can't believe he's actually feeling SORRY for this freaking IMPOSTER! He says she didn't see the look on his FACE when he said that he was Leo's brother. She reminds him of how Mia wanted him to nail Trey -- maybe he should have another talk with her before he writes what's-his- name's name in the family bible. The phone rings. It's Mia. She wants to see him about Trey. Leo tells her that they are home and to come on over. Then he rudely hangs up on her. He gives a wheezy laugh and tells Greenlee that it must be ESP because that was Mia and she's coming over. Greenlee is glad -- maybe NOW they'll finally get some answers.

PINE CONE MOTEL

Maria and Aidan keep looking out the window. [I keep wondering what the HELL he's saying and have to keep referring to the closed- captioning.] He says that running with her daughter is probably the WORST thing that she can do. Maria says she can't stay in that motel room forever. He tells her that there is already a missing child report out on Maddie -- he saw it on the news last night. Maria is shocked. He says the last thing she wants to do is be put in jail for kidnapping. She seems stunned by the idea, since Maddie is her OWN child. He tells her that if she REALLY wants her back, she needs to stay there and FIGHT for her. Maria stares. In the meantime, Maddie fusses in her sleep. Maria rushes over, climbs on the bed, and leans over Maddie, giving a clear view down to the bottom band of her bra. She asks Maddie if she's okay or if she needs anything. Maddie instantly pops fully awake and says she misses her Daddy -- and Sammy. Maria asks who Sammy is. Maddie says he's her BROTHER, and he's going to be sad if she doesn't come home soon. Maria is confused. She asks if she's Sammy's mommy, too. Maddie says yes, then turns over and instantly goes back to sleep. Maria starts to cry. She gets up and walks back over to Aidan. She cries about not even remembering her own son and wonders how many OTHER people she doesn't know. He puts a hand on her shoulder and tells her to remain calm -- she can't lose it NOW. She asks how many other people she's going to have to get to know if she stays in this town. There's a knock at the door. It's Kendall, who knocks again and yells at Aidan to open up -- she KNOWS he's in there! She puts her ear to the door. Maria looks alarmed and very frightened. Aidan thinks about it, moving his lips like a kid learning to read.

PV JAIL

A few feet from David's cell, Anna asks an officer what Liza Chandler says about David being there. The officer says that, according to Liza, he was there doing business with Chandler Enterprises. She tells him that she's wrapping up here and to tell everyone she wants a full report when she gets back to her office. She paces over to David and says she wishes to hell she knew what he was holding over LIZA'S head. David starts mumbling something about it, but she tells him to knock it off -- she'll find out for herself. He asks when she's going to STOP this. She knows he LOVES her and he would never do anything-- She interrupts him and says Edmund loved MARIA -- and so did Sam and Maddie. He says he's trying to talk about THEM (he and Anna). She says she IS talking about them. If he CAN'T understand how horrible it was to keep a mother away from her own children, how can he POSSIBLY expect to be a father himself? He says that what happened with Maria has NOTHING to do with whether or not he'd be a good FATHER! She says it has EVERYTHING to do with that, and what is so pathetic is that he doesn't SEE that! He walks up to the bars and presses his face up against them. He says he knows how this LOOKS, but begs her not to believe the worst. She asks what else IS there. She's hitting rock bottom here. He says she STILL has feelings for him and she knows it -- she has to hold ON to them! Anna: "My feelings?" David: "Yes. Yes, because deep down, you still want to trust me, and you KNOW you CAN!" Anna: "Because you SAY so?" He says she has to let herself believe what she did about him when they got married -- when she first accepted the fact that she wanted to have his child. Remember? Anna looks off into the distance and says that was the worst decision she has ever made. She shakes her head in disgust and tells him he can ROT in this jail for all eternity before she ever lets him TOUCH her again! He keeps trying to brainwash her, saying she doesn't MEAN that. She DOES. He says she LOVES him and she KNOWS it. She denies it. He's starting to lose his cool now. Anna: "I HATE you for ruining my life and the life of m--" She catches herself just in time and, coincidentally, just as Jackson walks up behind her. She mutters: "Oh, God, I've got to get out of here." She looks at Jackson, then at David, then storms out. Jack looks at the floor so as to stay out of it momentarily, then up at David. He points at him and mimics pulling a trigger. Then he quietly walks out. David lets go of the bars, squints his eyes and turns heavenward, then rubs his face really hard. He looks around for something to throw, then yanks the bedding and mattress off the top bunk, throwing them a few feet and kicking the lightweight mattress. [See my earlier post about throwing things and how unsatisfying it is to throw a sponge.] He breathes hard and paces. He rubs his face again, walks over to the bars, then leans back against them. He is promptly put into a chokehold by Edmund. David looks quite panicked and tries to fight it off. [Is that a puddle I see on the floor?]

DU PRES PENTHOUSE

Mia arrives and apologizes for bothering them. Surprisingly, Greenlee does not seem to even notice how truly horrid that dress looks on Mia. She says she can't stay long. She tells Leo that she's been talking to Trey. She hems and haws and eventually says that she's known him for some years now, and she's never seen him like this before -- that's why she came. Greenlee folds her arms and says her timing is excellent because they've been talking and have a few questions. Mia says that no matter what he did or they THINK he did, she's sure he had a good reason. Leo and Greenlee nod expectantly. Leo: "And you're telling us this because ...?" Mia says Trey is one of the good guys. Leo and Greenlee both nod in an oh-THAT-explains-EVERYTHING way, then both look off to their right in unison with their disbelief. Greenlee says that's very touching. Mia actually says: "He CARES about people. He puts other people in front of himself all the time, like he did for me a couple of years ago when I -- he helped me get my baby adopted." [A COUPLE of years ago? NOW who has multiple personalities? She seems to have blacked out for 4 or five years]. Leo bends down in shock and actually looks at her belly as he says: "Uh ... WHAT baby?" Greenlee looks sober. Mia looks ashamed and says Trey handled everything -- he was terrific and found this wonderful family ... and that's why she didn't want to tell Leo that before. Leo: "And Trey was OKAY with that?" Mia: "He was AMAZING. He was amazing. I don't know what I would have done without him." Leo and Greenlee nod in unison [okay, we GET it -- they are married now and think as a single unit]. Greenlee: "REALLY?" Leo puts his hands together behind his neck and asks her what happened. Mia looks confused. Leo asks her when she became such a big Trey Kenyon fan. And WHY? Mia looks uncomfortable.

Mia sighs and looks away as she explains that when she shut down on Leo before, it was about HER, not Trey. She didn't want to talk about the baby -- it was a bad time and she just didn't want to do it. Leo nods and asks if she didn't want to talk about it because Trey was a part of it. She says he was a HUGE part. And seeing him today, how SCARED he is, she just thought Leo should know GOOD things about him. Greenlee is skeptical and asks if she's there just to "share". Mia says he put his professional reputation on the line for her. Leo nods, then shakes his head, saying: "For an ADOPTION?" How?" Greenlee interjects: "Actually, he risked the reputation of a person who happens to be DEAD. Or were you aware of the little shell game that he's been playing" Mia says she just found out today that he's not Trey Kenyon. Greenlee: "And you're still saying he's a PRINCE?" Mia bites her lips and says that he was there for HER. He was there for her when nobody else WAS. Greenlee: "So you're just going to IGNORE the fact that he's an IMPOSTER, a CON, a THIEF? The whole Trey/Ben Sheppard thing doesn't bother you?" Mia says it was a mistake. She's not saying that what he did was RIGHT, but she's BEEN where he is -- and she bets THEY have too. Leo nods and frowns like Silvio on THE SOPRANOS. Mia says that maybe they can just cut him a little slack. Leo keeps frowning and nodding. Greenlee's expression doesn't change. Mia leaves. She walks into the hallway and Ben walks up to her. She tells him that she did the best she could, so now it's up to him. He walks up to the door and she wishes him good luck. He takes a breath and gears himself up to face the du Pres's.

Inside, Greenlee tells Leo that that was a masterful spin, but he CAN'T buy into what Mia SAID! Leo looks sad. He asks why Mia would come there and SAY it if it wasn't the truth. The doorbell rings and Greenlee clops over to answer it. Ben walks past her and into the room. He walks up to Leo and says he can't live like this anymore. He's turning himself in, so Leo can just pick up the phone and start making the calls. Leo stares searchingly at him, then holds out his hand to shake. Ben tentatively shakes his hand, then Leo then yanks him into a hug. Greenlee stares in disbelief. Ben looks VERY confused as Leo embraces him.

PV JAIL

Jackson walks into Anna's office. He tells someone to hold all his calls [who's calling him THERE?] and the Chief's calls. He shuts the door. Anna sits in her chair and broods. He asks if she's okay. She gets up and paces, asking why wouldn't she be okay -- a felon that's been preying on this community is finally behind bars. Isn't that what he was waiting for? Jackson bobs and swings his head about 110 degrees to indicate that this is not an I-told-you-so. She says the whole TOWN has been waiting for her to do her job, hasn't it? [YES] He says she did what she HAD to do. Anna: "Finally. I got past my feelings and I put that BASTARD--" [Oh yeah, she's past her feelings] She tells Jackson to do HIS job now and lock up his cage for good. [So far as I know, David has only been charged with drugging the officer guarding his room. While that's pretty bad, it was not for the purpose of killing her, but to escape, so he will probably not be sentenced to much time for it [knowing David, he won't be sentenced at ALL. What LEGAL crime has he committed by not sharing what he knew about Maureen/Maria?]. Jackson assures her that justice will be done, but he wants her to know that he's NOT being vindictive. Anna: "Why NOT? What's WRONG with you? Go and get justice for the people that he's WRONGED! Think of all the LIVES that he's TRASHED with his games and his charm and his FILTHY lies!" He tells her to calm down. She asks HOW. She doesn't even know how to BREATHE when she adds up all the things that he's done! Jack agrees that he's done PLENTY. She yells that David cheated Edmund of his wife and those two little children of their MOTHER! She tears up and says: "He did that to two innocent little children, to two little babies!" She puts her head in her hand and starts to cry in earnest. Jack walks up behind her and puts his hands on her biceps, rubbing them.

Down in the holding cell, Edmund is similarly rubbing David's throat -- with a VENGEANCE, choking the life out of him! He demands to know where Maddie is. David swears that he doesn't know where she is and he'd tell him if he knew. Edmund lets go with a masterful flourish. David falls to the floor, then jumps up, coughing and demanding to know where the guard is. Edmund calmly says that if anything happens to his little girl or Maria, he swears ... David rubs his face and tries to size up the situation. Is Edmund telling him that his daughter is now with Maria? Edmund testily orders him not to say his wife's NAME. David swears that he didn't know who she was. Edmund yells that everybody in TOWN knows who she is! David says that when he found her, he-- Edmund asks how long ago he found her. David admits that it was five years ago. Edmund blinks in shock, then asks how many times David has been at his house. How many times has he been to the Crystal Ball? How many times did he look at Maria's picture, KNOWING she was alive -- KNOWING he could have brought her home? HOW MANY TIMES, DAMN IT? David says he could NOT have brought her back to him -- it wasn't in his power -- only MARIA could have done that. Edmund asks what that means. David says it means that she could have done it on her own. He thinks maybe it's best that Edmund accept the fact that maybe she didn't WANT to. Edmund stares [I would STRONGLY advise David not to venture anywhere NEAR the bars in the near future]

Edmund calls David a sick, sadistic BASTARD [that's TWO "bastards" directed toward the same person in one day]. He says Maria didn't have a CHOICE. David chuckles and says it's not like he locked her AWAY -- Maria created this hole in the world all by herself -- if she wanted to come back to Edmund, she WOULD have. Edmund says she didn't KNOW who she WAS! And David didn't TELL her! If she had -- David: "What? WHAT? What, she would have come BACK to you, she would have remembered you and the children, huh? You would have lived your perfect life before the plane went down? Is that it?" Edmund: "YES, Hayward. YES! We would have had a CHANCE!" [And Edmund wouldn't have had to deal with That Kit Fisher Person and her sock puppets.] David tells him to GET REAL -- he might want to do that before he sees her again -- IF he ever sees her again. David puts a hand on his face in a nasty, Steve Feldman kind of way [not NASTY nasty -- just BASTARD nasty] and says: "By the way, she's really not the same person that you lost all those years ago. Just thought you should know that." Edmund stares at him for a few moments, then lunges at him [David is, once again, WAY too close to the bars]. David manages to jump back just enough so Edmund can't reach him. Edmund: "Here's a new reality -- you're going to regret you kept Maria from her family!" David sneers: "Is that supposed to SCARE me? Huh?" Edmund: "Remember THIS Hayward -- you're going to know what it feels to lose EVERYTHING and EVERYONE you love!" Edmund stomps out in anger and disgust. David leans up against the bars and snorts.

Back in Anna's office, Jackson is still pawing her arms. He says he knows this isn't going to mean much coming from him, but he DOES know how tough this must be for her and how she must hurt right now, just finding out what they've all known [oh no, he's not I-told-you-so- ing]. She says she KNEW it too. Jackson: "And you're still in LOVE with this guy?" Anna whispers: "Yeah. I -- I knew. I -- I'm not blind. I knew what he was capable of. I saw it over and over again." Jack says she certainly wouldn't be the first person to ignore what they couldn't face. She wipes away tears and says she can't even claim THAT because she knew what he was and decided to take her chance. She made the fatal mistake of thinking she could reform him. Jackson bobs and says that if you start handing out whippings for that, half of the adult population would be standing in line waiting for one, including himself. Anna ruefully says she likes to think she's SMARTER than that. Jack: "Don't we all? Listen to me, you're not in that deep with this guy. All that's connecting the two of you at this point is a marriage license. It's a piece of paper." She nods and glumly says he's right. He suggests they take a breather to check on the status of Maria. He walks away. Anna plops down in a chair and tearfully mutters: "GOD! There's SO much more than a little piece of paper connecting us!" She chews on her finger.

PINE CONE MOTEL

Kendall waits for the door to open. Aidan finally opens the door and she asks what took him so long. He asks what she wants. She says she was on her way to the front desk and thought she'd stop by and say hello. [The front desk? Is she STAYING there again after the new owner tried to RAPE her?] Aidan: "Great. Hi and goodbye." He starts to shut the door but she stops him, saying that if she didn't know any better, she'd think he was trying to rid of her. But why would he want to do THAT [I can think of about a million reasons]? Aidan: "Maybe someday I'll give you a list." She yanks him back and guesses he and his mystery lady are celebrating. He tells her to stay out of his personal business. She asks what's the big secret -- it's not like he's hiding that fugitive woman that everyone is looking for -- the one they all thought was dead. [Kendall LIVED at Wildwind (albeit in the hunting lodge) at the same time Edmund was married to Maria. Kendall (and the writers) seem to forget that little fact.] He asks if she doesn't have somewhere else to be. She pretends to think about it and says that, come to think of it, the description of that fugitive DOES match the description of his new little needy friend. He closes his eyes and sighs, then says HE has somewhere else to be. She says she remembers him in the park describing his friend Maureen -- she sounds like a dead ringer for this chick on the run. Aidan doubts that. Kendall: "You wouldn't happen to know her, would you? Her name is Maria Santos Grey. No, I mean, how could you? I mean, the woman supposedly died five years ago and you haven't been in town that long." He grits his teeth and says he has to get to work. He starts back into the room again and she yanks him back again. She smiles and says wouldn't it be funny if the woman he happened to be hiding was Maria? Aidan: "Who says I was HIDING anyone?" She says that, in that case, he won't mind if she takes a look around. She barges in. Aidan, big strong, vaguely secret agent type that he is, is unable to stop her. Kendall slowly walks the room and, surprised, says that there's no one in there! Aidan: "Well how about THAT?" She was so SURE someone else was in there. Aidan says that maybe she doesn't know him as well as she THINKS she does. She apologizes. He says no harm done. She asks if she can freshen up in the bathroom before she leaves. She whirls to go for it, but he yanks her back, then spins her out the door, saying she's had her look around -- now GO! Kendall pouts. She mutters that if he thinks she's finished with him, he is HIGHLY mistaken -- she is nowhere NEAR finished with him. He watches her go through pried-apart blinds. He tells Maria and Maddie they can come out now, the coast is clear. Maddie wants to go home now. Maria says that if that's what she wants to do, that's EXACTLY what they WILL do. She tells Maddie to go wash her face and get ready. Maria walks over past Aidan. She says Maddie may be going back to Wildwind, but SHE'S not. The sooner she gets out of town the better.

WILDWIND

Edmund walks back into the stable. We hear a horse whinny. Edmund looks around, then sits on a bale of hay, breathing hard and gulping. He remembers David saying Maria is NOT the same person she was all those years ago. Edmund says she's still MARIA -- she CAN'T have changed THAT much. [I haven't seen Edmund this animated and interesting in YEARS -- FIVE years, to be exact.]

PINE CONE MOTEL

Aidan asks Maria if she wants to leave WITHOUT her daughter. She says NONE of this is what she WANTS. She has two kids and she can't take them BOTH with her -- and it's not fair to just take ONE. He asks if she's just going to LEAVE them. She says she thinks that would be better than dragging them away from the only home they've known to be with a complete stranger, which is what she IS to them. Aidan: "Right, and what about YOU? Don't you deserve to have a life with your KIDS?" She shrugs. She doesn't know -- she doesn't feel like a mother to them. She doesn't remember giving BIRTH to them or HOLDING them! He says she may not REMEMBER, but he knows that there is SOMETHING there between her and that little girl. He knows that because he's SEEN it. She stubbornly says Maddie will forget. He doubts that either one of them will EVER forget her, no matter HOW far away she runs. She says he doesn't KNOW that. He says it's not fair for that little girl to lose her mother all over again -- it's not fair to either ONE of her children! Maria emotionally looks down. Just then Maddie bounces out of the bathroom. She happily tells Maria that she just brushed her hair as hard as she could -- can they go home now? Maria dispassionately says yes. She bends down and hugs Maddie hard, then smiles up at Aidan. Aidan says he'll go get the car and to get their stuff ready. Aidan walks out to the parking lot past Kendall, who is squatting in the bushes [no, she's not PEEING, just SQUATTING]. Kendall tiptoes over to the room, then looks in the window. [It's about TIME someone looked through he obviously open blinds!] She sees Maria petting Maddie's hair and talking to her. Kendall is shocked -- it IS Maria!

PV JAIL

David sinks to the floor with his back to the bars [this guy NEVER learns, does he?] He rubs his forehead and sighs. He looks very, VERY unhappy. He remembers his earlier conversation with Anna and her comment about him rotting in eternity before she ever lets him touch her again. He starts to cry. He remembers Edmund telling him that he's going to know what it's like to lose EVERYTHING and EVERYONE that he loves. David turns and grips the bars, still on his knees, and, anguished, yells at the top of his lungs: "ANNNNNAAAAAAA!!!!"

Up in Anna's office, Jackson walks back in and says he doesn't know that it MATTERS to her, but her husband is "asking" for her. She says it DOESN'T matter -- she's more interested in finding Maria Santos and her daughter. Jackson is interested too -- how the hell did he manage to hide Maria Santos for five years, and WHY. An officer bursts in and tells Jackson that there is a call for him, saying it's very urgent. Jackson takes the call there. It's Kendall at the motel. She says she has information on Maria Santos Grey. She breathes hard and sounds like she's about to have great sex as she says: "I FOUND her!" [She couldn't call 911 to tell them that? I'm guessing there is a reward involved.]

ON THE NEXT AMC

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Erica asks an exceptionally gray-haired Chris: "You know who burned down my house?"

Leo tells Ben: "We did come from the same mother. I just thought that maybe -- maybe we had the same father, too." Greenlee buries her face in her hand in dismay.

At Wildwind, Mateo asks Edmund: "Why did you ask us to come over here?" Edmund: "You better sit down." [He didn't tell Mateo or Isabella the night BEFORE?]

At the Pine Cone Motel, an officer points a gun at Maria and Aidan and says: "Stop right there!" They back up some, but are surrounded. She tells someone: "We got them!"

Irreverently submitted,