From: Kristen.K.Patterson@dartmouth.edu (Kristen K. Patterson)

Thursday, December 14, 1995 in The City:

It's the morning after in the City: the morning after Tony and
Alex told Angie and Jacob that Kayla's mom is dead, and after
Nick's *ahem* performance at the bar.

Angie looks at the picture of Kayla's mom, saying how much she
looks like Kayla, and wonders how she's going to tell Kayla her
mom is dead.  Kayla runs in all dressed up and asks to see her
mommy.  Jacob and Angie try to give her a dinosaur toy, but
Kayla gets mad and says they promised she could see her mom.
Angie explains how even though the dinosaurs died a long time
ago, they still know things about them, so it's kind of like they
are alive because they are remembered.  She says that's part
of the miracle of life; even after someone dies, a part of them
is remembered and stays behind.  Angie tells her her mommy
died, and she's so sorry.  Jacob says maybe they should leave
her alone.  Kayla appears to be having no outward reaction at all.

A photographer is taking pics of Azure with fog special effects.
He chastises her for being awkward, and orders 5 to be taken.
Bernardo comments that he could use some manners.  Ally says
he's the best in the business.   Bernardo is watching the photo
session, looking irritated.  The photographer tries to get Azure
to show some energy, he just wants one good shot, and try to
relax, she looks like plaster.  She asks what she did; he says
nothing, you've done absolutely nothing all morning.  Bernardo
tells him to be nicer to the lady, she's having a tough time with
the lights and the smoke.  The photographer asks who the hell
this is.  Bernardo says your worst nightmare, if you don't show
her some respect.  Azure witnesses this exchange.  Later, Be-
rnardo brings her some tea.  Azure thinks he's sweet, and says
things have been going better since he talked to the photographer. 
Bernardo gives her a greeting card he made, and she says they're
great.  The photo session starts up again.

Ally tells Steffi she invited Azure to her shower.  She sees the
letter Steffi wrote to Cooper but didn't send.  Ally says she
thought Steffi wanted Cooper out of her life.Steffi says the
letter is just telling Cooper about the baby and Tony and every-
thing.  Ally says she figured that out, but wonders why Steffi
didn't send it.  Ally says she has feelings for Cooper, but Steffi
denies it; she was going to mail the letter, but she just couldn't
put it in the box, because it seemed so final.  Ally reiterates
Cooper's faults, and says Tony is wonderful, but Steffi doesn't
want Cooper to find out about the baby this way, it doesn't feel
right.  Ally asks what does feel right?  Steffi says Tony.  Ally
thanks God Steffi recognizes what she has, a guy that loves her
and the baby.  Ally says then why are you still carrying around
a farewell letter to Cooper?  Steffi says she's right; who could
ask for anything more than Tony.  Ally agrees he's a saint.  Steffi
says Cooper's history, and she thanks Ally for reminding her of
this.  Steffi goes to mail the letter, and runs into the postman
(from the promos).  He thinks the baby is going to be a girl, and
says their zip code is due for one.  He offers to take the letter,
and Steffi gives it to him.  She gets into the elevator, and says
"au revoir, Cooper."

Tess boots Nick out of her bed, and tells him to hit the road.  Nick
tells her it's too early to shout, he wants another hour, he feels
like he got hit by a truck.  Tess says it was Buck, and he was only
the first in the line that was forming.  Tess yells that she told him
not to go to the bar, that something bad would happen, and boy did
it ever.  Nick says he'll make it up to her friends.  Tess says don't
bother, but it was almost worth it to see him smack Sydney Chase
right in the chops.  Nick looks shocked at that revelation, and says
no way.  Tess says yep, Richard got it coast-to-coast on HotLine;
she taped it, and watches it over and over.  Nick is worried that he
hurt or bruised Sydney; he meant to hit Buck.  He wants to go talk
to her.  First, Tess says, you have to talk to me; tell me every-
thing that happened between you two.  She thinks she's entitled,
since he used her place as his flophouse and screwed over her
friends.

Sydney is on the phone with some reporter, telling her she can
print whatever she wants, but HotLine got it wrong; Nick didn't
really hit her on purpose.  Richard, in the background, is com-
menting that he didn't get it wrong, and it was a blow nonetheless.
Sydney gets off the phone and tells Richard she can't believe he
did this.  Richard sarcastically asks her how the jaw is.  Sydney
says he's thisclose to finding out. Richard says he can't believe he
hit her, it must have hurt.  Sydney doesn't believe he cares; if he
did, he would have put down the mike and helped her.  Richard says
he was working.  Sydney says he made her look like a fool.
Richard says he just taped it. Sydney says too bad the ratings
sucked.  Richard says that's because the real story is here; the
Nick and Sydney Story.  Sydney says she's late for work.  Richard
presses for the true story of what went on between them.
Richard says that if she doesn't give him the real story, he might
have to speculate.  Sydney says there's no story.  Richard chalks
up the facts he knows: a very beautiful woman, married to the most
reclusive man since Howard Hughes, who's fine until one day a
scruffy musician shows up who seems to have a past with her.
Sydney tries to interrupt him, but he continues; the lady is so
desperate to get him out of town, she buys an entire Eagles concert,
either to get rid of him, or to help him get back to the bigtime, but
it backfires when he shows up at her posh party completely naked.
Sydney asks if he's through.  Richard continues that one would
assume the lady would be angry, but instead the lady goes to the
bar where he was supposed to sing, and ends up with tears in her
eyes when she realizes how pathetic this singing lush really is.
Sydney is on the verge of tears, and asks Richard if he's enjoying
this.  Richard says he's not; because he realizes that this lady
happens to be his mother, and is a complete stranger to him.  The
lady adopts him and gives him everything a kid could want, except
what he really wanted; to be let in to her life.  Sydney says he
never seemed very interested.  Richard says give him a shot.

[This next part is intercut between Nick telling Tess, and Sydney
telling Richard their story.  To sum up:]
When they first met, Sydney was barely making the rent, and Nick
was way up the charts, making a bunch of money.  Nick was playing
at a  place called the Bitter End, and one of Sydney's friends talked
her into going.  He was cute, if a bit cocky.  He had a bunch of women
all over him, but Sydney was different, very sure of herself.  Sydney
fell in love with him right away; she was in school and working for
Jared, and they started going out.  He wanted her to quit school and
go on tour with him.  But she was ambitious.  Nick wanted her to go
out on the road, but she wanted to be somebody, not somebody's
girlfriend.  Then Jared proposed, and she married him instead.  The
rest is history.

Sydney says she had to choose; she cared for Jared, more later
than at that time, and she wanted the opportunity to be a player,
not to just be someone's wife.  Richard asks if she has any regrets.
Sydney says she doesn't look back.  Richard says sometimes the
past comes back to haunt you.  He thinks she was in love with the
guy.  She thinks it's about time she went to work.  Richard wonders
why she's so against the dreaded "L" word.  Sydney says she saves
it for certain occasions.  Richard says he must have missed out on
those.  He says it's a really nice story, and he's glad she has a
happy ending.  Richard leaves.  Sydney's upset.

Nick says it was just great sex.  Tess thinks he's lying.  Tess says
he was head over heels; she heard the song he sang at the rehearsal.
Nick admits it, and that he's tried lots of women since, but what they
had was special.  Tess wonders what it would have been like if she
had gone with him.  Nick says he's played the movie in his head over
and over, and he could tell her exactly what they would have done,
he knows it so well he could believe it happened.  He says it reminds
him of a song, maybe he should write it someday, if he could think of
a last verse.  Nick starts to leave; Tess tells him to take better care
of himself.  He says anything for you, but then falls down her stairs.

Stair-hanger!

That's it for this week; I'll be out of town next Thursday 12/21, so
I'd appreciate it if someone could do the update for me.  First taker
gets it... I'll see you 12/28!  Happy Holidays to everyone!

-Kristy

