From: Susan Richmond <susan@webspan.net>

Hi everyone,

I have to admit I did feel sorry for Carla today, for about 10 minutes.
She did the poor, friendless orphan routine very well, but she showed
her true colors in the end.  Other than that, today was pretty much a
set up for the arrival of Tracy Quartermaine and Sydney's departure.
Here we go.....



                              THE CITY UPDATE
                         Thursday, October 10, 1996


CARLA'S NOT A HAPPY CAMPER
Location: Tony and Danny's apartment

*Tony's pouring himself a cup of coffee in the kitchen, when Carla comes
downstairs in her robe and walks past him, not looking very happy. Tony
asks her how she slept, would she like some fresh juice, but Carla
ignores him completely, picks up the newspaper and sits down on the
couch.  Carla's not speaking to him because of what he said last night?
Tony catches on fast, Carla says, looking at the paper rather than at
Tony.  Tony apolgizes for what he said. "To what things do you refer,
dearest? The fact that I'm going to wind up alone, that nobody could
ever possibly love me, not even my father, who's going to cut me out of
his life for some other woman?" Tony tells her she's acting like a baby
and goes to answer the door. It's Uncle Gino, he came to visit his
beautiful daughter, Carla. Carla doesn't get up from the couch or say
hello. "I have got a daughter here, haven't I?", Gino asks. "I was
beginning to wonder the same thing", replies Carla.

*What does that mean, asks Gino.  Never mind, what are you doing here,
Carla wants to know.  He was doing some business in the neighborhood and
decided to stop by and see if they were still going to dinner tonight.
They're still going, Carla assures him.  Uncle Gino made reservations at
a few restaurants, he's still not sure where they're going to go.
"Well, we can have a course at each one and hopefully your lady friend
will approve of at least one", Carla suggests.  His lady friend isn't
that way, she's easy to please.  Then why all the reservations? Gino
wants to find the right place, quiet, relaxed, where they can really
talk. Carla really doesn't have too much to say(that would be a first).
Gino asks her to try, it's very important to him that Carla and his
friend get along.  Carla agrees to try, "just tell us when and we'll be
there". Gino suddenly remembers he has to get flowers, Sarah loves
flowers. Uncle Gino leaves and Tony tells Carla to cheer up. "I'm the
original happy camper", Carla replies.  Carla's upset that Gino didn't
kiss her goodbye, he always kisses her goodbye.  Why can't Carla share
Uncle Gino for one night?  Because she won't be sharing him, Carla says,
she'll be losing him.

*Tony tells her she's acting like a two year old.  Carla says he doesn't
understand, he came from a big family.  When Carla was growing up, there
was only her father, her mother and her.  Since her mother died, Gino's
all she had, they meant everything to each other.  But she's all grown
up now, there are other people in the world, Tony tells her.  Carla
starts to mention what Tony said about her being all alone.  Tony says
he only said that to hurt her.  Tony might not be that far off. "If you
haven't noticed, I'm not the warmest person in the world."  She knows
that she's smart, that she's come a long way from the poor little orphan
girl her parents adopted, but there's a price to pay.  You don't trust
anyone, you develop this shell to protect yourself, but it also keeps
people out.  She doesn't have any friends and if she loses her father,
she'll have no one.  Her father's running around like a schoolboy with a
crush, he can't keep his head on straight, and now they're going to
dinner with this Mrs. Howard tonight. Carla's not looking forward to it.
Tony says that maybe it doesn't have to be so bad. Tony picks up the
phone to make a call.

*Tony called Uncle Gino and invited him to bring his lady friend over to
Tony's apartment for dinner at 8:00.  This is Tony's big idea, Carla
asks, after Tony hangs up the phone.  Tony thought she'd be more
comfortable in her own place. "I'll be comfortable when Sarah Howard is
out of town."  Tony says that Sarah is probably some nice middle age
lady that knits.  Carla is driving Tony crazy. She thought she already
did that. "Well you're driving me nutzier!" Carla cracks a smile, Tony
can't believe it, Carla was actually laughing. "Watch out, the ceiling's
going to fall", he jokes.  Carla thanks him for trying to make the
evening easier.  Carla's thanking him?? Now he knows the ceiling's going
to fall, where's his football helmet.  She gives him a hug and he hugs
her back, just as Ally opens the door(of course). Ally backs out and
closes the door before anyone sees her.  Tony lets Carla go and says
he's going to start making dinner.  Carla goes into the other room and
makes a call to Mrs. Howard.  She tells her that she's an acquaintance
of Gino's and she understands Mrs. Howard has been seeing him.  She
tells Mrs. Howard that Gino's married and has three children and is in
the mob.  Mrs. Howard(who we don't actually see) hangs up the phone
abruptly and Carla smiles.


DANNY THE LOSER
Location: Sydney's new offices(old Agency)

*Danny is packing files and things into a cardboard box. Ally comes in
looking for Danny and sits down behind the desk.  Things are slow at the
agency(were they ever busy?) and Ally may need to find a new job. Does
Danny need a free-lance photographer for his magazine, Ally asks.
"Sure, if I had a magazine", Danny replies bitterly. Ally's surprised,
she thought he'd charmed his way back in with Sydney.  Nope, he charmed
himself out on his butt.

*Jocelyn warned him this would happen, but he didn't listen.  Danny
played right into it, telling Sydney how he was always a loser and he
wanted to change his life around. Syd told him he was great, he had what
it takes, all to get him to kill her husband.  What about when Danny got
out of jail and Syd put him in charge of the magazine, she didn't need
anything then. "A resident stud, maybe", Danny says.  Even if that's
true, why would Syd set him up, just to knock him down again? "Because
she can, that's why. Because she gets off on it. I was just the game of
the moment, that's what people are to Syd, they're games."

*Danny says it takes a special talent for him to get involved with a
shark like Syd and a lunatic like Molly, both at the same time.  Ally
protests that he could have know about Molly, or about Syd either. Danny
tells her that he's not a good person, but he's not a bad enough person
either as Syd pointed out to him. "Tell me that's not a loser, I can't
even be bad right".  So Danny had some rotten luck, is his life over
now?  And where's the silver lining in Ally's life, Danny questions her.
Her boyfriend is married to another woman and Ally and Tony can't even
be seen in the same room together. Life's a bed of roses, isn't it?",
Danny says.

*Danny apologizes for what he said.  Ally says that it's OK to talk
about Tony and Carla, she won't fall apart.  She and Tony will stay
apart as long as they have to.  But it will be easier on Tony than on
her, Danny says, because at least Tony has some company.  "Carla may be
a real pain in the butt, but she's someone to talk to."  And she's a
beautiful woman too, isn't that what Danny's trying to say, Ally
accuses.  Danny doesn't want to fight with Ally. He doesn't have a lot
of friends and he doesn't want to lose her.  Ally wants to be his friend
too, and she's sorry about everything that happened with Syd. "And
remember, nice guys don't always finish last", she tells him before she
leaves.

*Ally's climbing up the stairs from Syd's office, where she left Danny,
to her apartment.  She briefly glances towards Tony's apartment, then
notices a small box propped up against her front door. She opens the
box.

BREAKFAST AT BUCK'S
Location: Buck and Nick's apartment

*Buck, Nick and Lorraine are sitting at the table eating breakfast and
Tess is in the kitchen area when the phone rings.  Buck asks Tess to get
it. It's Sydney, she'd like Tess to come up to the penthouse for a
minute.  Tess tells Syd she doesn't have a minute, but maybe they can do
lunch sometime, and hangs up the phone. "Yeah me!", she says to herself
and walks over to the table. Buck asks who it was.  It was Sydney Chase
requesting an audience, but Tess told her to "stuff it".  "Good for
you", says Buck.  On second thought, Syd really made her curious, she's
going to go up there and see what Syd has to say. Tess gets up from the
table and leaves the apartment.

*Lorraine wonders what's taking Tess so long.  Nick jokes that they'll
probably never see her again. Lorraine doesn't find that funny. Buck
wonders what Syd wants with Tess. Nick says that Syd works in mysterious
ways.  Lorraine says she's surprised Syd didn't tear Nick apart when she
saw how he wrecked her paintings.  Nick says maybe it would have been
better, saved the doctors a lot of work.  Lorraine doesn't find that
funny either.  She goes to make some tea.  Nick says to Buck that he
wishes Lorraine wouldn't worry so much.  What does Nick expect, Lorraine
loves him, she doesn't want to lose him.  Lorraine is looking through
the kitchen cabinets looking for tea when she spots a few bottles of
liquor. She takes one down.  Back at the table, Nick says it would be
easier on Lorraine if she didn't care so much.  "What a stupid thing to
say", Buck tells him, you're lucky she cares so much.  Nick laughs,
realizing how stupid he sounds and says he's selfish enough to be glad
she does care.  He leaves the table to go take some pills.  Buck goes
over to the kitchen and sees Lorraine with the liquor bottle in her
hand, putting it back on the shelf.

*Lorraine turns and sees Buck standing there.  He didn't think she was
going to take a shot, did he? Buck wasn't sure. Lorraine admits that
she's come close lately.  Buck tells Lorraine that both of them have the
right to be worried about Nick, and he'll tell her a secret, Nick likes
that she cares enough to worry about him.  There's a knock at the door
and Buck answers it.  It's a messenger looking for Buck. He hands Buck a
package identical to the one Sydney gave Tess upstairs (see below).
Nick comes out of the bedroom while Buck's signing for the package.
Lorraine asks where he was and he tells her he was taking a medicine
break.  All of a sudden, Buck says "Hot Damn!". He's opened the box that
was delivered and is reading the paper that was inside.


SYDNEY'S GIFTS
Location: Sydney's penthouse

*Sydney is upstairs packing when the phone rings and she yells for Maria
to get the phone please.  Maria answers the phone, it's Tracy
Quartermaine. She tells Tracy that Sydney is not home right now and
hangs up.  Tracy certainly is persistant, Maria's already told her
Sydney's not home five times.  So this will make six, Sydney shrugs,
unconcerned. Maria asks if Sydney is playing games with Tracy. "Moi?",
Sydney says, smiling.  She tells Maria that she doesn't need any help,
she's got everything almost done.  Syd picks up the phone and calls
Tess, who's down in Buck and Nick's apartment. (See above)

*Sydney lets Tess in. What made Tess change her mind? Tess couldn't
leave without saying Bon Voyage.  Syd sarcastically asks if this means
she's going to get a party.  Tess tells her they'll have a party, when
Syd is safely out of the country.  Tess remembers the last party that
Syd had for everyone about a year ago, when they got evicition notices
in Tiffany boxes.  But Syd didn't get them out of the building, they're
still there.  Syd underestimated them, especially Tess. She claims she's
come to admire Tess.  To prove it, she's got a little going away present
for Tess.

*Sydney comes back with Tess's present, it's Jared's urn.  Why is Syd
giving it to Tess? "Just think of it as a trophy. Not too many people
get the best of me, you're one of the few." Tess thanks her for the
gift, "it will be a great doorstop.  Sydney has one other little thing
to give Tess.  Sydney opens the urn, which Tess is holding, and pulls
out a small box with a ribbon on it. "From me to you", Sydney tells
Tess, "much more useful than a doorstop." Tess takes the box hesitantly.

*Tess reads the letter in the box and thinks it's a joke. "Well if it
is, it's an expensive one", says Sydney.  Sydney's giving Tess a share
in the building? Not just Tess, also Angie, Jacob, Buck, just about
everyone in the building.  Tess wants to know what the catch is.  If
Tess doesn't want it, Syd will take it back. "No, no, I'll keep it, it's
something phony to remember you by."  Sydney says she can take the
papers to a lawyer, everything's legal. But why? Syd tells her not to
look a gift horse in the mouth.  Tess doesn't know quite what to say.
Syd holds out her hand, "Goodbye, it's been nice knowing you, at least
it's been interesting". "To say the very least", says Tess as she shakes
Sydney's hand.  "See ya, Syd", Tess says on her way out.  The phone
rings and Maria answers it.  It's Tracy Quartermaine, and Maria tells
her that Sydney is still not in. "This Tracy Quartermaine is the most
persistant woman I have ever seen", Syd says.  At first Syd tells Maria
to keep telling Tracy she's not home, but then she changes her mind.
She tells Maria that if Tracy calls again, Maria should tell Tracy that
Syd does have something for Tracy and she'll send it by mail,
"everything she asked for, and a little more".

*Tracy Quartermaine(they don't actually show much more than her hand,
but there is no mistaking the voice if you know her) puts down the phone
and picks up her purse. "Using the servants now, eh Sydney? Well, I
think it's time we do our little dance cheek to cheek."

That's it for today. See you next Thursday!

--
Susan


