From: SQTP10A@prodigy.com (MRS DEBORAH J GRAHAM)

Tueday, in "the city"

Tony and Alex, at ther "office", are talking about stopping the 
Sydney Chase investigation. Alex thinks not. He thinks that she's 
trying to stop the investigation too much, there must be something to 
hide, and he wants to find it. He thinks she's running scared. 

Nick and Sydney met in the hall. 

At the baby shower, Ally toasts Steffi. Steffi says no, to the baby. 
Babies, Tess says, she thinks that they should get one of each since 
they put up the pink *and* blue streamers. They talk about carrying 
low means a boy. No, Angie says, that's just an old mid-wife's tale. 
Steffi says boy or girl, she doesn't care, as long as it's healthy. 
You like surprises? Yea. Good, Ally says, at the door, here's one. 
Steffi! Deborah says. Mom. You look like a beautiful baloon, Deborah 
says. They hug and Steffi looks uncomfortable. 

Deborah tells Steffi about the limo ride and seeing Robin Leech and 
Maralyn McCoo. Small world, Steffi says. Tess says she was hoping for 
the Chipendale dancers. Who invited her? Tess says. Ally said she 
invited her; she *is* Steffi's mother. Tess says she doesn't bring to 
mind apple pie. Angie tells her to knock it off. the doorbell rings. 
Tess says it's her time to answer the door. Azure's looking at the 
presents. Who's Ava? she says. Ally says her aunt; Alex's wife. 
Jocelyn is uncomfortable. 
At the door, is an elf, who throws confetti on Tess. She's bubbly and 
high-pitched with a poem:
        From the North Pole to You, 
        From Santa's Claus' crew, 
        I'm the elf they call Molly, 
        and I'm quite golly.
Who are you? I'm the elf they call Molly, the bobbly one says. She's 
here for the party, she wispers to Tess. Tess invites her in, and 
tries to close the door. There are more presents...and a suitcase. 
Deborah tells Briggs to bring them in. Deborah says she saved the 
best for last....she's staying until the baby is born. Steffi looks 
very uncomfortable, but she smiles. Ally smiles, Jocelyn tries not to 
laugh. She keeps looking down, when she looks up, you can tell she's 
gonna burst out laughing.

Hi there, Nick says. Only Hi, there? Sydney tells Nick to ride with 
her, she has a proposition for him. They go to the elevator.

Molly the elf is sneezing. She's trying to read a poem.        Twas 
the night before labor, 
       and all thrugh the loft, 
       not a creature was stirring, 
       'til the mom-to-be coughed. 
Sneeze sneeze. I thought I hired an elf, not Sneezy, Deb says. The 
baby kicks and Steffi gets Azure to feel. Azure thinks that's neat. 
She says she doesn't have many friends. Steffi looks around and says 
she does now. She thanks Steffi. Steffi tells her to save the thanks 
for after the 20th time shes conned her into changing the diapers, 
cause she will con her into it. The eld resumes the poem: 
       Some quarters were tucked 
       in her purse with her comb, 
       for making those calls 
       from the wating room phone, 
       when under the sheets 
       there come a wet clatter, 
       and she knew all at once 
       that she'd broken her water. 
Sneeze sneeze. Sorry, Molly the elf says. Steffi says no, she was 
great. They applaude. Sneeze. Steffi sends her to the upstairs 
bathroom. Tess, looking at a photo Deborah showed her, says this is 
your boyfriend? He looks like Clay, Deborah says, but his name is 
Frank, and he loves me and he's all mine, Deborah says. Tess syas 
she's not looking for a man. She says Tess sounds jealous. Steffi 
points out the Casey ornament to Ally. Ally is unhappy at the memory. 
Steffi appologizes. Ally says she's happy that she's gonna name the 
baby after Casey. Deborah comes over to Steffi and wants to know 
where Anthony is. With Alex, Steffi says. In Florida? No, Alex is 
here. So it's true about him and Ava? Deborah asks. Ally looks 
unhappy. Jocelyn looks uncomfortable. Steffi tells her to to be quiet.
 Jocelyn makes excuses and leaves. Ally, a tthe present table, can't 
believe the clothes are so small. They grow so fast, Angie says. They 
talk about Frankie going off to  college, and Ally says that she's 
probably a little  
appy to get him out of the house.

Alex is on the phone. He wants the guy to widen the search. 
Especially about Samuel. How does a guy in jail for murder one walk 
for a lesser charge? Fax him anything that he should look at. Alex 
hangs up the phone. Tony says still at it? This guy is great, Alex 
says. He must have a few axes to grind against Sydney. Tony says 
that's good, but he's going on to better things. Must be nice to have 
a life, Alex says. Tony shows him the ring. It's a family heirloom. 
He's gonna crash the party, Tony says, he can't wait to see the look 
on her face. She's gonna love it, Akex says. Things will work out for 
him, too, Tony says. Alex is depressed. He forgot the flowers! tony 
heads for the kitchen.

Jocelyn approaches a door. Alex, she says to herself, be there. 
Someone asks her where 5F is. It's across the hall. Thanks. She paces,
 walks up the stairs, paces, waits. She's nervous. She eats jelly 
bans, sitting on the steps.

Sydney and Nick go into her apartment. She offers him coffee. It's 
less drafty up here with clothes on, Nick says. Since they were 
chased in the elevator, he assumes that she doesn't want to get naked?
 She wants to know why he came back to NY. The truth, she says. Can 
they sit down so he can be comfortable, if he has to tell the truth? 
Okay. Syd, there was a time when he had the world, and she was a part.
 She's uncomfortable. Come on, she wanted the truth. His life was 
right, he continues. Then they broke up, but he was on a roll. If he 
burned a bridge it was okay, there was another bridge. But, he ran 
out of places to run to. So he came back to square one. And what 
happened when he came back to the same building he started at, the 
same club? He finds her.

Steffi unwraps another potty chair. They talk about what will Tony 
and Steffi will do after the baby is born. Will she says yes if Tony 
asks her to marry her? someone asks. Of course she'll say yes, 
Deborah says. He's the best thing that even happened to her...not 
like that no good...help me cut the cake! Ally interrupts. Deborah 
says she'd never ruin the party by mentioning that cretin's name...
COOPER? Steffi looks up and Cooper is at the door.

Who's the baby shower for? Cooper asks. Steffi stands up and Cooper 
gets a look at her. 

Alex is eating (popcorn) the same throw it up and catch it that 
Jocelyn was doing on the stairs with her jelly beans. Tony asks if he 
wants some advice. No, Alex says, knowing hes about to get some 
anyway. Shut off the brain and let the heart work. You sound like 
Oprah, Alex says. He's out of here, Tony says, headign for the door. 
Oprah? Alex calls. Yeah, Regie? Ha, Alex laughs, good luck he tells 
Tony. 

Nick says that he would give up the music, that's not the lightening 
he wants, he wants her. And he thinks if they could get past the 
games, she'd want him too. She does, she admits. But, her life has 
not been empty since they split up. She has built a life, and her 
business. She's passionate about that. He feels sorry for her. She 
doesn't want his pity, she wants to know what it will take to get him 
out of her life, forever. (ed. note: I reread this and it doesn't 
cony the pain that Sydney shows, or the desperation in her voice that 
is evident that is Nick stays, she won't be able to resist him. She 
doesn want that passion, but she realizes that she could give up 
everything for him, and she might have to.)

A fax comes in, unnoticed by Alex. Jocelyn knocks on the door. She 
stammers. She's uncomfortable. She turns to leave. Alex asks her to 
stay. They kiss, pasionately. Alex knocks the fax on to the floor.

Angie is on the phone with her mother. She hasn't talked to her in a 
while. Angie finally gets to the reason for the call. She wants to 
know about being a Foster parent. What if there was a child she 
wanted, she loved. What does she have to do?

What is this? Cooper asks. What does it look like, Tony says, from 
the doorway, holding the flowers.

gee-so-many-uncomfortable-people-hanger

deb
(djg@city.hq.ileaf.com or SQTP10A@prodigy.com



