Todd: I love you, too, Starr. I wish things were different. (Lays her down and tucks her in again. Looks in her eyes, smoothing her hair back.)
Starr: Not too different! Then I wouldn't have the same Daddy.
[Scene ends.]
[Scene: Rappaport house, later that night. House is dark, as if nobody is home.]
Will: (Lets himself in with his key, enters.) Dad? (Looks around, listening.) Dad? (Muttering to himself:) I bet he's with that damn Todd.
Sam: (Entering from the door to the rest of the house:) Finally, Will, hi. Got time to talk?
Will: Not really, but I guess we could. What about?
Sam: Lots of things.
Will: If this is about me and Jess --
Sam: What about you and Jess? I thought that was long over last fall.
Will: Maybe for her.
Sam: Oh. I see. Are you unhappy, Will?
Will: Some. There's a lot going on for me right now and I think I've been stressing out. I'm probably horrible company these days, and I should be happy to be starting a new life, you know?
Sam: Moving is stressful, even when it's something you want.
Will: Well, but, it's like I just got here to Llanview. I've barely gotten established and what I've done here I've mostly made a mess of. I think Viki, Mrs. Carpenter, I think she hates me these days.
Sam: Viki doesn't hate you. She sometimes finds you very annoying, but she certainly doesn't hate you.
Will: Well, since I'm leaving early, she won't have to put up with me much longer.
Sam: I think you're being unfair.
Will: I think you're being unfair! Everyone else comes first with you since you left Mom and since we all came here. Todd always comes first with you, even though you've always said me and Jen did. Then there'd be some crisis and you'd go to help him.
Sam: Did I ever miss a special event of yours or Jen's because of Todd, that you can remember?
Will: (Thinks a moment.) I guess not. He just seems to take up so much of your time now, I hate it.
Sam: Are you jealous of Todd?
Will: Umm....
Sam: You're jealous of Todd? That's what this is about?
Will: Part of it, yeah. I hate to say that some of it's Mattie, too.
Sam: He's just a tiny baby, Will. They take a lot of time and energy.
Will: Yeah, and he may not even be my brother after all.
Sam: Where did you hear that?
Will: How could I not have heard it around this family?
Sam: I'm sorry. Would you rather we had openly discussed this with you, or what?
Will: I'm not sure.
Sam: We don't know ourselves, we're waiting for the results now. This is torture.
Will: I'm sorry, Dad.
Sam: No need to be.
Will: No, I am. I'm making things worse for you, and I'm sorry.
Sam: Don't worry about it. Mattie is mine, I just know it. He has to be.
[Scene ends.]
[Scene: Street Newspaper vendor booth, camera shows display of newspapers and periodicals. In the early morning light a bundle of The Sun arrives, tossed off the truck. The headline reads: "Asa Buchanan: All Hat And No Cattle", above a partial view, which spans the fold, of a picture of what must be Asa in a cowboy hat facing the camera, only the hat being visible.]
[Scene: Prison halfway house. Hallway near the payphone. Morning.]
Rachel: (Into the phone:) Mom?
Nora: (At home, sitting at the desk in the livingroom.) Rachel! Is everything all right?
Rachel: Everything's ready. Are you coming to pick me up?
Nora: Yep. Your brother and I will be there to meet you. You'll finally get to see Matthew!
Rachel: Oh! Matthew! I'm really looking forward to finally seeing him. He must be so big now.
Nora: Growing like a weed. Just like you at this age.
Rachel. Are you sure it's ok with you for me to stay at your house?
Nora: Of course! You're my daughter. Even though he's so much younger I want you and Matthew to get to know each other, in fact that makes it more important.
Rachel: After Georgie --
Nora: This is not just any baby, this is your brother. There's a big difference. I thought we'd settled this?
Rachel: I guess we'll have to see.
Nora: It'll be ok. Are you ready?
Rachel: I guess as ready as I'll ever be.
Nora: We'll be there soon, we'll swing by for RJ, too. Dad knows?
Rachel: I just called him.
Nora: Ok. We'll be there soon.
Rachel: Ok.
(They hang up.)
[Scene ends.]
[Scene: Buchanan Mansion, Asa's study/office. Morning.]
Asa: Nigel!
Nigel: Yes, sir?
Asa: You and me need to talk.
Nigel: What about, sir?
Asa: Did Miss Cramer come snoopin' around here some weeks back?
Nigel: Which one, Sir?
Asa: Don't get all coy with me, Nigel.
Nigel: Sir, there is more than one Miss Cramer.
Asa: Blair Cramer, Nigel.
Nigel: Hmmm. No, Sir, not that I can recall. Not in some time, Sir.
Asa: In how much time, Nigel?
Nigel: I'd have to think about that, Sir. If you will excuse me, Mrs. Buchanan is expecting me to prepare luncheon now.
Asa: Not so fast, Nigel!
Nigel: Sir? But Mrs. Buchanan --
Asa: Mrs. Buchanan can wait!
Renee: (Enters.) I can wait for what, Asa?
Asa: Nevermind, Renee. You can go, Nigel. (Nigel leaves, looking perplexed.)
Renee: Asa?
Asa: What?
Renee: What were you harassing Nigel about?
Asa: Nothing.
Renee: Not in that tone of voice. Was it Blair's article?
Asa: Yes.
Renee: You're still hunting down that leak?
Asa: With little headway.
Renee: I'm sure it wasn't Nigel. He's as loyal as the day is long.
Asa: He goes to bed early.
Renee: Very funny, darling. Nigel is loyal, he wouldn't tell your secrets.
[Scene ends.]
[Scene: Llanfair. That afternoon.]
Viki: Todd, hi. (Lets him in, ushers him to the livingroom, closes doors.)
Todd: You're not gonna grill me or anything? (Sits in chair opposite couch.)
Viki: No, at least I hope not. (Sits down on couch.)
Todd: What'd you need to say to me, then? How'd you like today's Sun?
Viki: Actually, I wanted to talk with you about that earlier article about Asa's business dealings.
Todd: It's not mine, and I really knew nothing about it.
Viki: I think you did, I think you knew all along that at least something was up, even if you didn't plant the seed. I know it was leaked anonymously to Blair. You're right about this one, by the way. All his cattle have finally left him but Renee and I think Nigel. None of us are talking to him.
Todd: Not even Jess?
Viki: Not even Jess.
Todd: Cool. Well, ok. This goes no further, ok, Sis?
Viki: Ok.
Todd: I got a confidential tip from someone who told me about the bid to buy The Sun being once again bankrolled by Asa, but this person had details about just how Asa wanted to hide his next takeover attempt. I couldn't check them out myself, so I had Charlie set up an email drop system so I could keep an eye on whoever got the assignment.
Viki: Why Blair?
Todd: She was the best one for this.
Viki: Why? Because of Starr?
Todd: No. That came later. It was an afterthought, Sis.
Viki: Was it?
Todd: Yes. When I realized she was the one for the job and that it could take her out of town I was glad because I realized it gave me more time with Shorty.
Viki: You didn't plan on bringing her home at all at that point, did you?
Todd: No. That night... (Anguish:) Viki, how could I leave my little girl there? She was terrified. She was angry. I thought they'd hurt her or something, you didn't hear her screaming on the phone behind Dorian! I expected blood, and-and bandages and-and ice bags and all that!
Viki: You didn't talk about this at all with me, I had no idea really. Starr hasn't talked about it with me, she just shrugs it off.
Todd: She doesn't want to talk about it.
Viki: Yes. When I asked her why she was living with you, she shrugged it off. Do you think Blair will fight for custody again?
Todd: I expect it once this begins to die down.
Viki: I'll do what I can to support you, ok? I don't want you and Tea to have to go through this with Starr yet again.
Todd: I don't know if this will ever end, this constant tug of war. I'm afraid of what it's doing to my kid.
Viki: She knows that you both love her enough to fight for her, but I agree that the constant fighting is a high price for her to be paying.
[Scene ends.]
[Scene: Nora's livingroom (at Bo's). Afternoon.]
Nora: Ok, Rachel, we can go and buy you more clothes tomorrow morning, ok? (Setting Matthew down in his playpen and making faces and noises at him.)
Rachel: How can I ever make this up to you, Mom?
Nora: You don't have to, you're my daughter.
Rachel: I owe you so much, Mom.
Nora: You know what you do owe me? What I want for you?
Rachel: What?
Nora: Your survival. No, your thriving. I want what I always wanted for you: I want you to thrive. That's all, Rachel.
Rachel: Thank you, Mom.
Nora: I want nothing less for Matthew.
Rachel: Matthew's so lucky.
Nora: Yes, he is.
Rachel: He's got the best Mom in the world: mine.
Nora: Oh, Rachel. (Smiles at her.) And he's got the best big sister in the world.
Rachel: I want to be, Mom. I want him to be able to look up to me when he's older. I want all of you to be proud of me again.
Nora: We already are. You're already being a good sister. Trust me, I know from sisters.
Rachel: Have you heard from Aunt Suzy lately? Or are you still not speaking?
Nora: Not speaking. Your grandmother sends me these bulletins: Suzy's doing this, Suzy's doing that, Suzy's traveling to this conference, and so on. Suzy hasn't given me grandkids. Ugh. You'd think you two would be enough, you know?
Rachel: I should get in touch with Aunt Suzy sometime soon then.
Nora: Grandma has the address.
Rachel: Ok.
[Knock at the door. Bo has arrived.]
Nora: (Answering the door.) Bo! Hi, you still have your key, you could've used it. You just missed Hank.
Bo: I came to see Rachel, actually. I can catch Hank at the station, I'm sure he'll fill me in on the trip. How does it feel to finally be home, Rachel?
Rachel: I'm not sure yet. It does feel good to be out, I know that. It's great to be with my baby brother! He's so sweet.
Bo: May I? (Indicating the playpen across the room.)
Rachel: Oh. Yes. He's been so quiet all day. (She and Nora follow Bo.)
Bo: He's a doll. He's always so calm, you know? (Crossing to look in on Matthew, who is quietly playing with some toys. Rachel and Nora quietly look on.) Heeeey, slugger. Watcha' doin', huh? (Picks up a soft toy, a frog that makes a crinkly noise if squeezed and has a bell that rings inside it when it's shaken, and starts to squeeze it and shake it at Matthew. Matthew coos, and Bo seems to light up.) You like that, huh? That's a frog, Matthew, yeah. Can you say "frog" yet, Matthew?
Matthew: (Soaks up the attention, wide-eyed and smiling, as he grabs the frog from Bo and chews on the frog.)
Nora: (Deadpan:) I think he's a little young for the Gettysburg Address, Bo.
Bo: (Grinning:) You think?
Rachel: I've heard him. He's mastered "gaga" and "mamamamamama" (Matthew watches this intently, Rachel notices and looks down at him, making faces to him.) Yeah, Matthew, you're learning to babble. (Her eyes don't leave Matthew's.)
Bo: Have you made any plans, Rachel?
Nora: She's registered at a local outreach program.
Rachel: We'll be going there Monday morning.
Bo: Sounds good.
Rachel: Mom and I are going to go buy me a whole new wardrobe between now and then. (Makes more faces at her brother.)
Nora: Are you still the same size?
Rachel: (Looks at Nora.) I hope so, despite prison food. Exercise was about the only thing to do other than reading and counseling the other prisoners. It's not like the other prisoners and I went walking when I was counseling them. Total desk job stuff. Ugh. (Looks back at Matthew.) It was a bit better at the halfway house. We got to go jogging sometimes.
Nora: I still have your stuff in the attic, maybe some things will still fit.
Rachel: They're all last year's trends, but we'll see. (Shrugs.)
Bo: This is starting to sound like a girlie thing, maybe I should go. (Rachel looks at Bo.)
Nora: No, no. I'll go get a few boxes and bring them down here. You don't have to go, Bo.
Rachel: Stay, Bo. I'm sure Mom will bring down something embarassing from our past for you to gawk over that isn't clothing related.
Bo: (Laughs.) Probably, but I should go. How about you and I have lunch sometime soon?
Rachel: Really?
Bo: Really. I'd take you to lunch tomorrow, but that's pretty soon.
Rachel: If I wait until I'm ready I'll become a recluse. How about next friday for lunch?
Bo: Sounds good. You can tell me about your first week.
Rachel: Unless it's a total disaster.
Nora: (Hovers over Matthew.)
Rachel: I guess I should play it by ear, then.
Bo: Makes sense. Call me if you need to change things?
Rachel: Yes.
Bo: Oh, have you seen Tea, yet?
Rachel: Not yet. We just got back and I'm not so sure I'm ready to face Todd just yet.
Nora: Nobody ever is.
Bo: Ok. I'll pick you up here, then?
Rachel: Unless it's at a temp job or something.
Bo: Ok. Just because your Mom and I are having problems doesn't mean I don't want to see you.
Rachel: You sound like my Dad, Bo.
Bo: Do I? I guess that would. Sorry.
Rachel: That's ok. You're sort of my second Dad, anyway.
Bo: I guess I am at that. Ok. I'll see you friday, then. (Hugs Rachel and leaves.)
Rachel: I can't believe she's involved again with that toad.
Nora: None of us can, except Viki, it seems. How about those clothes?
Rachel: Ok.
Nora: Ok. (Leaves the room and heads upstairs.)
Rachel: (Looks after Matthew.)
[Scene ends.]
[Scene: Country Club Dining Room. That evening.]
Viki: (Sitting at a table.) I'm glad you could come, Todd. I know how uncomfortable this place has been for you at times.
Todd: (Sitting in one of the chairs at the table.) You don't know the half of it, Sis.
Viki: I think I do. I was here at the wedding, and here with you when the Board withdrew your membership.
Todd: You mean your family.
Tea: Todd...
Viki: You're my family, Todd. Both of you. You're my only sibling here, and I love you.
Todd: If you get any more mushy I'm leaving.
Tea: Todd... Viki's trying to be supportive.
Todd: (To Viki:) Well, it's not working.
Viki: Sorry. Let's try something else. Have you decided what you want for dinner?
Todd: No, I've been distracted by my sister.
Viki: (Laughs.) All right.
Todd: (Peruses the menu.) Ok. (Sets his menu down on his plate, closed.) Hurry up, before I decide to leave anyway.
Tea: (Makes her selection, closes her menu, as Viki closes her own.) Ok.
Viki: We're all decided, then?
Todd: Yes. I hope it doesn't take forever. I've never been much for this eating thing.
Viki: Yes, we know, Todd.
Asa: (Approaching their table:) Hello, Viki. I see you're out with the bottom of the barrel again.
Viki: (Sharply, a warning tone:) Asa!
Asa: Why is it that women are so attracted to this slime, Viki? I should think you'd know better, but then he is your brother so I guess you feel obligated to waste your time on him.
Todd: (Standing, growls:) That's enough outta you, old man...
Viki: (Standing between them, her back to Todd, icily:) Asa, I suggest you leave now, or I will have you escorted out.
Asa: Nice try, Viki, but I'm a member of the Board, remember?
Viki: I'm a founding member of the Board, Asa, and if I ask you to leave you are obligated to do so. I'd like to avoid a scene, but as you can see, everyone's already staring at us.
Todd: (As Tea speaks: He makes a face at some very prim woman who is staring directly at him, to the side and not quite behind Asa. She is flustered and quickly attempts to cover her rudeness by turning away in an embarassed huff. He grins and turns back towards Asa, arms folded across his chest, face blank again, watchful.)
Tea: Asa, as a lawyer I could have you up on harassment charges quite quickly if you don't leave now. An argument could easily be made that you followed us here with the express purpose of harassment. It's not like you haven't done this before.
Asa: Go ahead, lady lawyer. Do your best, but it won't make any difference.
Tea: It wouldn't take much to make the charges stick, Asa.
Asa: It wouldn't take much to make libel charges stick to your husband.
Viki: Asa, I will ask you politely again to leave. If you do not, I will have you removed.
Asa: All right, Viki, for your sake I'll go. But I'm not done with this snake of a psycho brother of yours.
Todd: (Remains standing until Asa is out of sight.)
Viki: Todd?
Todd: (Doesn't look at Viki, watching the doorway:) Mmm?
Tea: Please sit down, Todd.
Todd: (Sits, eyes dart to Tea and Viki. He still looks tense, looking periodically towards where Asa left.)
[Scene ends.]
[Scene: Buchanan Mansion. Same evening.]
Asa: (Bursting into the house, as he crosses into his study/office, bellowing:) Nigel! Nigel! Get in here! Where the hell are you, Nigel?
Nigel: (Following him into the office. Long-suffering, tolerant:) You bellowed, sir?
Asa: Renee here?
Nigel: (Obsequious, but long-suffering:) No, Sir. Mrs. Buchanan is at the hotel, shall I telephone her for you?
Asa: No, Nigel. You and me need to talk. This time without her interference.
Nigel: (Resignedly:) Yes, Sir.
Asa: I know you know something, Nigel, and this time you're going to tell me.
Nigel: Sir, I do not appreciate your tone. I have been nothing but loyal to you, even during that insanity debacle that has now wound up in The Sun.
Asa: Did you tell that she-devil Blair about that?
Nigel: (Indignantly:) No, I did not.
Asa: Was she here asking you questions about it anytime in the past month or so?
Nigel: No.
Asa: Who was? Because unless this place was bugged, or Max told someone, nobody knew but us.
Nigel: Miss Cramer knew, if you recall. She overheard you and Mr. Holden that day.
Asa: You think it was Kelly Cramer?
Nigel: (Almost patronizingly:) Isn't she a reasonable guess, Sir?
Asa: (Deceptively calm, a tinge of iciness.) She did say something about feeling no longer tied to this family since Drew's murder.
Nigel: See, Sir? A logical explanation. If you will excuse me, Sir, I have work to do before I retire for the evening.
Asa: (Growling:) Not so fast, Nigel.
Nigel: (Long-suffering tone:) Sir?
Asa: If you told anyone.....
Nigel: Sir! Now, if you will excuse me.....
Asa: (To himself:) I'll get back to you, Nigel. I know you're holdin' out. You're gonna have your head handed to you when I'm done.
[Scene ends.]
[Scene: Park. Mid-morning next day.]
Rachel: (Leaning over Matthew to coo at and play with him.)
Woman: (Approaching Rachel and looking into Matthew's pram.) Oh, what a cute child. What's the baby's name?
Rachel: (A little wary:) Matthew.
Woman: Whose little boy is he? Who do you work for? I've been looking for a Nanny.
Rachel: (Quietly bristling, with effort:) I am not a Nanny. This is my
baby brother.
Woman: You're not serious? Your brother? Really.
Rachel: Yes. We share a mother.
Woman: (Coolly:) Really.
Rachel: (In an icy but even tone:) Is it somehow impossible that I might be telling the truth? Or do people like me simply not happen in your safe little cookie-cutter world?
Woman: (Huffy and hoity-toity:) How rude!
Rachel: (In the same tone as her previous speech:) Rude? Isn't
second-guessing what someone else tells you about themselves when you can
plainly see who they appear to be itself rude? Isn't assuming I am my
brother's Nanny rude? (Fusses with Matthew's blanket, tucking it in
around him almost protectively.) Excuse me, but I think the temperature of the microclimate around you just got too cold here for my brother's health and well-being. (Wheels Matthew away from the woman, who is left with her mouth gaping, with a look of utter incomprehension on her face.)
[Scene ends.]
[Scene: Bo and Nora's house (right now Nora and Matthew's house). Rachel
enters, wheeling Matthew in in his pram ahead of her.]
Rachel: (To Matthew:) I'm going to call Mom. (Picks up desk phone and
dials. It rings several times at the other end, and then Nora's office
answering machine picks up. Rachel listens for the beep.) Mom, rough day. Matthew's fine but something happened in the park and I'm rather upset. We're home. Call. (Hangs up. Leaning over her brother:) Now we wait for Mom, honey.
[Scene ends.]
[Scene: Nora's office. Mid-morning, a little later, same day.]
Sam: (Urgently:) We have to discuss this, Nora!
Nora: Look, Sam, we have the results, ok? Matthew is Bo's. I haven't yet decided what to do about that, but at the very least I will retain sole custody of my son from you.
Sam: You what?! Does this mean you don't even want me anymore at all? This was all a prelude to a brush-off, a breakup?
Nora: Be happy we weren't married, Sam. This is going to be hard for all of us nonetheless, ok? Don't make this any messier than it already is. We've made a complete hash of our lives in the past year or so and I want this all to just end. I want Matthew to have at least one of his biological parents have custody of him.
Sam: You want to go back to Bo, that's it?
Nora: Not necessarily. We haven't even discussed that, we don't even think it's much of an option at this point. If I have to sue you for sole custody, I will, but I really don't want to put my kids through that. Rachel's been through one custody battle already, I want to avoid putting Matthew through one.
Sam: I won't lose him, Nora.
Nora: You've already lost him, Sam, and if you try to hang onto me as hard as you are right now in this conversation, you will lose even my long-standing friendship.
Sam: (In shock.) I'm sorry, Nora. I'm just too overwhelmed. This is too much too fast. I'll go. (Walks out, seems a little unsteady. At the elevator in the hall, he struggles hard not to burst into tears.)
[Wafting through the office is Rachel's phone message playing on Nora's
machine.]
Nora: (Looks up sharply at her answering machine, rewinding and playing the message over. She dials the phone.) RJ?! What're you doing there? Are my kids ok? Nevermind, I'll be home in a minute! (Hangs up. Runs out of her office towards the elevator, passing her returning Receptionist in the doorway.) Be back in a bit. Gotta check on my kids!
[Scene ends.]
[Scene: Nora's livingroom, moments later.]
Rachel: (On phone:) Yes, I'd like to leave a message for D.A. Hank Gannon. This is his daughter, I'd like him to come over to Mom's house. I need to speak with him today, and I have to watch my brother... he
only has one child, me... if you must know, he's the Police Commissioner's new baby boy... right... thank you. (hangs up.)
Dolt!Blockhead!
[Scene ends.]
[Scene: Nora arrives home in a flurry, 10 minutes later.]
Nora: (Opening door with her key, rushing in, stopping short on seeing RJ:) RJ! What're you doing here? Are my kids ok?
Rachel: (Appearing out of the kitchen with a bottle of formula for Matthew.) We're fine. My brother -- I love saying that! -- my brother was hungry after we got back. Took me a while, but I figured it out. He's changed, too.
Nora: You'll have to do it again after he eats.
Rachel: (Shrugs.) Whatever he needs.
Nora: RJ, what're you doing here?
RJ: I just got here, myself, Nora.
Rachel: I called him when I couldn't find you right away. I think I over reacted a little, but that woman really irritated me. Please tell me that in this town we've progressed past the "all Black folks is Domestics" stage?
RJ: Jeez, I hope so.
Nora: I thought we had, but now I'm not sure everyone in this town has. You did sound a little frantic.
Rachel: In a nutshell, we ran into some woman in the park who oo'd and ah'd about Matthew and was absolutely certain that not only was I his Nanny, but that he isn't my brother.
Nora: I see why you were upset, yeah.
Rachel: I'm more afraid of my anger at her than anything else that happened, Mom. I wanted to slap her. If she'd said too much more, I might have. That's a lousy example for my brother, though, so I didn't. Then I started to wonder if I'd done the right thing saying anything at all to her. Sometimes I feel like all those months Inside have erased any social graces I once had, or rendered them obsolete.
RJ: I know the feeling, but so far things haven't changed that fast etiquette-wise.
Nora: Well, that wouldn't've solved anything.
Rachel: You know, I think I'm going to call Tea and go see her. (Crosses to the stairs.)
Nora: Ok. As long as you're alright now.
Rachel: (From the stairs:) I'm fine, Mom.
RJ: Do you need a lift?
Rachel: I'll be fine, Uncle RJ.
[Scene ends.]
