From: Vicky Korosei <vkorosei@sinclair.edu>

Here is the update for Another World for Friday, December 19, 1997 (for
all those who didn't have time to watch because they didn't have their
shopping done yet!):

* Tyrone confronts Etta Mae about his suspicions, re: his parentage
* Cindy turns the tables on Grant
* Grant blackmails Lila into using her talents to help him get custody
* Jake and Vicky host *explosive* family Christmas dinner


I'VE GOT A SECRET

     Town Square - Chris and Toni share a walk through the deserted
streets.  As they stop to kiss, Toni seems eager to go back to Chris's
place - but suddenly she pulls away.  It's Christmas Eve, and she needs to
celebrate at home with her mother first.  Chris agrees, they can put in a
quick appearance at the Burrell house before they head back to his place
to spend the night, waking up together on Christmas morning. 

     Burrell house - Tyrone is shocked when Etta Mae enters and King calls
her Satin.  Etta Mae swears he's mixed her up with someone else, no one
ever called her Satin.  That's right, says King, only Artie Willis was
allowed to call you Satin - his Satin Doll!  E-M admits she remembers King
from their younger days at the Blue Parrot - she and Irene used to hang
out together, King probably just got them mixed up.  King takes the hint
and backs her up, he just got confused.  He wishes them well and exits.
Once he's gone, Ty confronts E-M.  She continues to deny being Satin, but
Ty is convinced she was his father Artie's lover [assuming Artie WAS his
father; the evidence is pretty circumstantial, counselor!].  Ty demands
the truth from E-M, but she clams up and insists he let the whole thing
drop, if your mama had wanted you to know, she would've told you herself
[good point].  Ty is upset that all he has are those letters Artie wrote
to Satin - apparently that's you.  As they argue, Chris and Toni enter and
sense the tension [being an investigative reporter and a police officer,
respectively].  E-M changes the subject and sweetly offers Chris some
cookies and cider in the other room, and they exit.  Ty tells Toni he and
E-M were just arguing about Artie, and then Toni reveals that Chris
tracked down Artie's sister in Dayton, Ohio.  Ty prays he'll finally get
to the truth, and he embraces Toni gratefully.  She pulls back, and goes
out to join Chris.  E-M invites them to midnight church services, but
Chris hints they have other plans - like, maybe, going to church in the
morning...after they wake up together...  Chris and Toni are prepared for
an argument, but E-M seems pleased to hear it.
     Later, while Toni is upstairs (packing an overnight bag), Ty thanks
Chris for helping find Artie's sister.  E-M is surprised at Chris's
involvement.  She looks uncomfortable when Ty pointedly predicts the truth
will finally come out.  He looks for Toni to sing a carol, and barely
hides his displeasure when Chris informs him she's packing some things to
take to his place to spend the night together.  Toni returns, and she and
Chris put on their coats, wish Ty and E-M a Merry Christmas, and exit.
Outside the door, they puzzle briefly over the strange vibes from Ty and
E-M, but hormones soon take over - after another kiss, they exit for
Chris's place.
     Back inside, E-M says it's been a long day, she's going to bed - but
Ty stops her.  Grabbing her by the shoulders, he demands she admit the
truth: that the baby was hers, and she's Ty's real mother! 



SPEAK INTO MY LAPEL

     Grant's place - After Grant and Cindy have marital relations [sorry,
it's hard for me to call it "love"], he gets a phone call from Big Al
Nikos, asking Grant for one last favor: Kill me.  [Presumably he means
"Make it LOOK like I'm dead" - but knowing Grant, he'd better spell it
out!] Grant says he can arrange it, but won't lift a finger until Nikos
buys him a judge to guarantee Grant gets custody of Kirk before the new
year [obviously eager to claim the extra deduction on his taxes].  I know
an expert forger who will make sure Vicky is proven to be an unfit mother,
Grant assures him.  He hangs up, but Cindy guesses the forger in question
is Lila [who else?].  Grant dresses to go out; Cindy urges him to stay
away from Lila, and they start kissing again.  In his ardor Grant sweeps
the phone off the desk - and as it falls, he sees an electronic bug fall
out of the receiver.  He suspects it was planted by Carlino to get
evidence tying Grant to Nikos [of course, Grant always talks to Nikos on
his cell phone].  I'll have to neutralize Carlino, muses Grant.  Cindy is
appalled that Grant is considering murder again, but Grant denies it.  She
thinks it's more likely the bug was planted by Nikos himself, but Grant
isn't convinced, and tells her not to worry.  He claims he has to go out
for a last-minute surprise for her [yeah, right].  Their bedroom
activities have left his face covered in soot [don't ask], and Cindy makes
sure he realizes it before he exits - when he goes to wash his face, Cindy
takes the opportunity to slip her bugged dragonfly pin into his jacket
pocket, so this time SHE can listen to HIM, she wants to know just what
he's up to with Joe - or Lila. 

     Lila's place - Lila and Shane are starting to get intimate on the
couch, when he suddenly pulls away.  It's not fair to her for him to act
like they're still married, he says.  She just wants to share whatever
time he has left, she answers.  He doesn't know how long that might be,
and he leaps to the phone to call Dr. Baxley to get some time frame for
his demise.  Knowing Baxley had reported that Shane's treatment was
working and Shane was no longer at death's door, Lila stops him from
making the call - Dr. Baxley is in Brazil, she reminds him, and she wants
to spend at least one evening together without focusing on death.  She
promises they'll go visit his sister the nun tomorrow, and they sit and
enjoy the decorations on the tree.  She remembers their first romantic
Christmas together, in an effort to distract him from his fever (and maybe
to rekindle some romantic memories).  He soon reports that the witch hazel
and medication have kicked in, and he's less feverish and much more
comfortable.  They reminisce over their old tree, a banana tree decorated
with her costume jewelry, it was all they had.  Lila exits and returns
with a string of beads she'd kept from a long-ago Mardi Gras.  He drapes
them around her neck, and she silently prays for him to kiss her, to make
love with her - if she only had his baby, it would bring them back
together they way they were meant to be.  He starts to kiss her, but
they're interrupted by insistent knocking at the door.  Lila reluctantly
answers it - it's Grant, whom Lila tries to shove back into the hallway so
Shane won't spot him.  Grant says he needs her special talents to help him
with a special task.  She tells Shane it's a neighbor lady, and steps out
in the hallway w/ Grant to try to get rid of him.  Cindy listens in on
their conversation via the concealed dragonfly pin.  Grant threatens to
tell Shane about the letter she forged in Vicky's handwriting professing
"Vicky's" love for him and begging him to come back to her - all Lila has
to do for Grant is forge another love letter from Vicky to Shane.  Lila
wants nothing to do with the slime and refuses to help reunite Vicky and
Shane, but Grant says that's not his goal.  He hands her the text of the
letter he wants forged - think it over, you don't want the mayor as an
enemy.  He exits, and Lila stuffs the letter in her bosom and returns to
Shane.  She tells him the neighbor lady wanted help decorating the top of
the tree - Lila didn't ask Shane to help because the old lady would have
pestered Shane for free medical advice.  Shane thanks her for protecting
him, and for bringing him back so he doesn't have to die alone.  Lila vows
to stay with him, she's sure he wants her.  They start to kiss again, but
once again Shane pulls away.  He admits he wants her, but he doesn't want
to lead her on, he's still in love with Vicky.  And I don't want to be
second best, Lila mutters as an aside.

     Having eavesdropped on Grant's next stop to the jewelry store, Cindy
tracks down his limo parked outside, and surprises him by popping in
beside him.  She eyes the presents he's accumulated.  He hands her a
bottle of fine liqueur he wants her to give to Paulina.  Cindy's
suspicious, but lets it go for now.  She spots another gift, wondering if
it's for Lila.  No, he smirks, it's for Vicky - from "Shane!" [see below]
     Cindy returns home while Grant continues his mischievous rounds.  She
checks the audio receiver to see what he's up to, and hears his voice
booming "We wish you a Merry Christmas..."  Pavarotti you ain't, she
snorts, turning off the sound.  Then she opens the bottle to test
Paulina's gift - a sniff, then she dips in her finger and takes a taste.
Doctored, she observes, her suspicions confirmed - I don't THINK so!  She
sets the bottle aside.

     Meanwhile, back at Lila's, Shane has dozed off on the couch, and Lila
is cradling his head on her lap and stroking his brow tenderly.  Vicky, he
murmurs in his sleep.  Heartsick, she slides out from under him, angrily
pulls out Grant's blackmail text, and retrieves her handy-dandy sample of
Vicky's writing.  Sitting at the table, eager to hurt Vicky any way she
can, she begins to construct the phony note. 



YES, VIRGINIA, THERE *IS* A CHARLIE!

     Vicky's cottage - Jake and Vicky have been making love in front of
the fireplace.  As they bask in the afterglow, they hear Donna and Company
coming up the sidewalk, and scramble to find their clothing before letting
in their guests.  As Cass and Donna enter, they realize they've
interrupted something; Steven, Kirkland, and little Charlie [apparently
home from summer camp for the holidays] follow shortly [no pun intended]
and note that Vicky's jacket is inside-out and Jake's shirt is buttoned
funny.  The "adults" [and I use the term loosely] make up some lame story
about a holiday tradition, then Steven and Kirk take Charlie to the
basement to show her a giant spider they'd found, and Jake and Vicky exit
to change for the party.  Donna tells Cass she's happy to see that Jake
and Vicky are still in honeymoon mode, but she keeps expecting Shane to
come knocking at the door.  There's a knock at the door, and Donna asks
Cass to answer it - if it's Shane, get rid of him.  It's Michael, loaded
down with gifts.  He's irritated as heck to see Cass intruding on their
family holiday, and accuses Donna of bringing Cass just to annoy him.
Cass offers to take Charlie and go home if this is awkward [IF??? Duh!],
but Donna insists they can suffer through the evening together.
     Later, Jake has left to run some errands, and Vicky and Donna sit on
the couch and watch Cass and Michael eye each other warily from either end
of the coffee table like surly bookends, while the kids play games over by
the tree.  Donna mentions reading Nick's story about his trial in the
Herald, and Mike is miffed at how it made Cass sound like a real hero
[especially considering he lost the case...!].  Donna sends Vicky to check
on the turkey, and Mike follows her to the kitchen.  They agree the turkey
is brown but not juicy yet, it's not cooking fast enough.  Mike wonders
what's the deal with Cass and Donna, Donna's vulnerable right now.  Vicky
reminds him Cass is still grieving the loss of Frankie [not so's you'd
notice, eh?], they're both lonely, just let them try something new -
unless you have something more to offer?  Mike is sure Donna will love the
gift he got for her, and he rushes out to give it to her now.  Before she
can open it, they all hear sleigh bells outside, and the kids rush to open
the door - it's Santa!  Even Kirkland soon unmasks Santa as Jake.  Jake
spins a thinly veiled story of Mrs. Claus: while Santa is flying all over
the world, Mrs. Claus makes gifts for the elves.  Her sleigh is smaller,
with only two reindeer - one is a frisky girl reindeer named Donnita.
Mrs. Claus can't decide who the other reindeer should be - Cassio, or
Michaelo, so she leaves the decision to Donnita.  As everyone squirms, the
oven timer rings and Vicky goes to check the turkey.  Frantic at the slow
progress, she takes it out, dumps it on a platter, sticks it in the
microwave and sets the timer.
     Still waiting for dinner, Donna and Mike sit on the couch with Steven
and Kirk at their knees.  Mike insists Donna open her gift from him - it's
a paperweight, which she notes is just like the one he gave her last year.
[Mike: "I thought you collected them."  Donna: "Apparently I do, now."]
Charlie hands her Cass's gift to open next - Cass tries to stop her, but
she opens it anyway.  It's an identical paperweight.  A matched set, Jake
snickers, and Mike cackles with glee.  The timer rings again, and Vicky
goes to the kitchen, taking Donna with her.  Are we having fun yet? jokes
Jake.  Loads, quips Cass, I love feeling foolish.  He asks quietly about
Jake's plan to surprise Vicky with a 10 a.m. flight to England tomorrow. 
She has no idea, Jake smiles. 
     Just in the kitchen doorway, Donna and Vicky discuss the surprise
they have for Jake - a 10 a.m. visit to their very home by Mick Jagger and
the Rolling Stones, live and in person.  Jake will freak, Vicky predicts
excitedly.  Suddenly there's a loud pop from the kitchen.  They rush in
and find that the turkey has exploded.  Donna [in her most domestic feat
ever] finds the wrapper - the turkey was pre-cooked, and now you've killed
it! she wails to Vicky. 
     As the kids scamper through the room, the shadowy figure of Grant
skulks by the window, unnoticed.

     Dinner finally over (Jake calls it Turkey Jerky), Vicky apologizes
for the disastrous entree and vows to stick with what she knows.  Pizza,
everyone cries out in unison.  Mike offers to drop Donna at home if Cass
wants to get sleepy Charlie home to bed, but Cass says it's on his way,
thanks anyway.  Cass, Charlie and Donna exit.  Jake apologizes to Mike for
not telling him Cass would be here, but Mike [with uncharacteristic but
appealing maturity] says that's o.k., what can ya do - I had a good time
anyway, the turkey was, uh, wonderful.  He wishes them a happy holiday and
exits.  Vicky takes the boys upstairs to change for bed.  Meanwhile, once
the coast is clear, Grant sneaks up onto the porch and leaves a gift at
Vicky's front door.  Jake spots him through the window, and rushes out to
give chase.  Vicky comes back down and finds Jake gone and the front door
open.  She goes to the door and spots the gift at her feet.  Jake, she
guesses with a fond smile, picking up the present.  FADE TO BLACK


That's all for now - happy holidays!

Vicky (vkorosei@sinclair.edu)
mff1 - Never Forget/Frankie in '98!]




