From: Marni Centor <marni@panix.com>

GUIDING LIGHT UPDATE -- THURSDAY, JAN 18, 1996

                         TRANSITIONS DAY
                               -or-
                    IT'S A LONG WAY FROM GOSHEN

Highlights:
* Michelle tries to impress J.
* Abby gets adventurous.
* Reva gets mixed reviews on her first visit with the kids.
* Jet gets to voice an opinion on Nola's son, for once.
* Alan confuses love and control yet again.

BAUER KITCHEN: Michelle digs through a suitcase, trying to find 
something wonderful to wear. Michelle explains to Abigail that she's 
trying to impress a new guy in town who is really "hot." Abby smiles 
with understanding. Michelle wants the guy to notice her, because right 
now he doesn't know she's alive. Rick enters & Abigail lights up.

BOARDINGHOUSE: J is hanging in the kitchen when Bridget enters, laden 
with canned goods. He's relieved to learn that his mom's not around 
right now & decides that Jet's the only person who understands him. "Oh 
boy," responds Jet. J asks her to sit down & talk to him.

COURTHOUSE: Reva's lawyer asks Alan why he hired her. To represent 
Reva's best interests, of course, says Alan. Ms. Templeton thinks this 
rather contradicts his earlier directive to sandbag Reva & lose her case 
if necessary. She asks whose best interests will be served by Reva 
losing her kids.

OUTSIDE THE LEWIS HOUSE: Reva leads Marah back to the house by the hand. 
Marah wants to leave, but Reva won't let her go. Josh & Annie come 
outside & Marah runs to Josh, whining that he promised she didn't have 
to see her mom if she didn't want to. "Don't make me, Daddy, please!"

Josh explains that Reva isn't there to scare or hurt Marah, just to talk 
to her & spend a little time with her. Josh reminds Marah about how it 
hurts to hold onto anger & that staying mad doesn't solve anything. He 
reminds her that she said she was scared & she didn't understand. Marah 
nods tearfully. Josh says Reva is there to help her understand, so she 
won't be scared anymore. Josh wants her to talk to Reva, but he won't 
force her. Marah asks Annie's opinion. Annie looks conflicted, then says 
Marah should do whatever will make her feel better. Marah turns to her 
mom & says it will only be for a little while. Reva whispers her relief. 
Josh tells Marah that he's proud of her & they all go inside.

Reva asks Marah about her earache & Annie pipes up that she adminstered 
antibiotics. Reva thanks Annie for taking care of Marah, but asks if 
Annie could leave them alone for awhile. Annie gets all righteous & 
starts making a scene, but Josh backs Reva up & asks Annie to leave the 
3 of them alone. Annie agrees, but she's on the verge of tears.

COURTHOUSE: Ms. Templeton asks if Alan is suggesting that Reva doesn't 
love her kids. No, Alan thinks Reva loves them too much. Her love for 
them causes confusion & chaos. He wants the lawyer to get Reva 
visitation rights, but not full custody. Ms. Templeton is sure Reva will 
never agree, but Alan says she will if the lawyer presents it the right 
way. Alan fills her in on the whole history & characterizes Reva's 
relationship with Josh as ugly & unhealthy. Ms. Templeton takes this to 
mean that the battle is more about Josh & Reva than the kids. Alan wants 
Reva to have as little to do with Josh as possible & he wants the lawyer 
to get it over with as quickly as possible. Exit Alan.

BOARDINGHOUSE: Jet sits with her back to J & smiles as he spins his yarn 
about missing Nola & feeling bad that she was all alone without her 
family. "What am I, chopped liver?" asks Jet. J wants to help his mom & 
says he could do that a lot better if he could use his car, but his 
insurance ran out. "I get it--no car, no dates, no fun," concludes Jet. 
J denies that this is his motivation. Jet says if he wants her help, he 
should cut the crap. He admits that without wheels he'll have the social 
life of a tree toad. "Do you want that on your conscience?" Jet relents 
& starts to go for her secret stash as she asks how much he needs. She 
freezes when he says $1400. Seeing the look on her face, he suggests 
that $700 will do it for 6 months, then drops to $300 for 3 months. Jet 
says it's a loan, not a gift. She takes down a cookie jar & hands J a 
wad of bills without counting. [Handy that she has exactly $300 rolled 
up in a rubber band, isn't it?] Nola arrives & demands to know what 
"Anthony James Chamberlain" just told Jet & what he has in his hand.

BAUER KITCHEN: Rick asks Abigail what's up. Abby signs that Michelle has 
a date, but M says it's a "girl thing." Rick thinks it sounds like a guy 
thing. M tells him to butt out, but he says if it's a guy thing, it's 
his business, especially if it's a college guy, because they're too old 
for her. Rick tells Abby that it's better to go out with guys one's own 
age. College guys will just take advantage of them. Abby frowns. [This 
is weird. Abby is supposed to be either 18 or 21, so why is he talking 
to her like she's suddenly Michelle's age?] Michelle tells Rick to keep 
out of her social life. Rick leaves & M strips down to her undies right 
there in the kitchen. Abby turns her back as if she's embarrassed. While 
she waits, she plays with a bright red blouse. M gets her to turn around 
for her opinion of a tiny red skirt. She wants this guy to really notice 
her. Abby asks if she can do that too. Michelle promises to help.

BOARDINGHOUSE: J tucks the $ in his pocket & says they were having a 
private conversation. He takes the cans from Jet & goes to put them 
away. Nola asks Jet if she gave J money & Jet won't say. Nola knows Jet 
gave him $ because Jet is still holding the cookie jar. She thinks her 
son should earn the $, not have it handed to him. Jet says he'll repay 
it & it's her choice to lend it to him. She insists she wasn't conned & 
if it will make J more comfortable to be mobile in a new town, then 
that's a good thing. Nola says J never repays loans, but Jet insists 
he'll repay this one. "No," says Nola. "I won't let you give him that 
money. I won't let him take it. I won't let him turn into his father." 

LEWIS HOUSE: Reva tells Marah about Goshen & how she helped people there 
by using herbs & talking to them. "To make them feel better?" asks 
Marah. Reva says it was to help them feel stronger, so they could fight 
whatever was hurting them. She used to do that with Marah when she was 
small. Marah cradles her doll & looks sullen. Reva asks if Marah 
remembers when she would sing to her. Marah doesn't remember. Reva 
offers to help Marah's earache. She knows it's the left ear, because 
Marah's always had trouble with that ear. Marah looks at her dad 
questioningly. Josh shrugs as if to say that it's Marah's decision. 
Marah agrees reluctantly. Josh goes to get a washcloth & Reva asks him 
to mix some onion powder with soil & put that in the washcloth. He looks 
perplexed, but goes off to do her bidding. Reva suggests that Marah lay 
her head in her mom's lap. Marah looks really uncomfortable, but starts 
to oblige. She is saved by  knock at the door.

Reva talks to Alan outside. She asks him not to come in because she 
wants this time alone with Marah. Josh returns with the washcloth & Reva 
tells him she'll be right in. Alan says he'll wait outside. Reva returns 
to Marah & Marah lays her head in Reva's lap. She looks very 
uncomfortable. Reva holds the cloth to Marah's ear & sings to her.

CAROUSEL: Annie angrily conducts both ends of an imaginary conversation 
with Josh. She's ticked that he didn't want her to stay. She concludes 
that she's not really needed. Then she sees a box of champagne that 
never got drunk at their wedding. Alan walks in unobtrusively & Annie 
doesn't notice him. She continues talking to herself, saying that she's 
the children's mother now. "Why did you let Reva do this to me?" Alan 
says he knows exactly how she feels.

Alan apologizes for startling Annie. He stopped by to see how Reva's 
visit was going, but he didn't really find out. He tries to bond with 
Annie by suggesting that they are both angry, but Annie isn't 
interested. Alan says no one has thought of how hard this situation is 
on her & he is in the same boat. Annie refuses to be categorized in the 
same boat as Alan. "I love Reva. You love Josh. If I don't know how you 
feel, who does?" Annie says Alan has no idea what's going on inside her. 
But he does. When she sees Reva & Josh together, she wonders what's 
going to happen, what they're saying to each other. "Stop it," whispers 
Annie. Alan says it's killing both of them. "Watching them fight is like 
watching them make love. You pray that they will stay at each other's 
throats so they won't fall into each other's arms." The tears roll down 
Annie's face. "What do you want?" she asks.

LEWIS HOUSE: Reva & Marah are sitting side by side again & Reva asks how 
Marah's ear is. A little better, Marah admits. She thanks her mother 
grudgingly. Shayne runs downstairs & asks what "she" is doing there. 
Josh explains that Reva is his mom & she came by for a little visit. 
Shayne asks where Annie is. Josh says she didn't go away, but Reva is 
his mom, too. "No, Annie is," says Shayne. Josh says Reva is his first 
mom & she just wants to visit & say hi. He has Shayne pull out his 
picture of Reva & compare it to Reva on the couch. He points out how 
she's holding baby Shayne in the photo & how much she loved him. Reva 
smiles, listening to this. Josh says Reva just wants to talk to him, 
like she just talked to Marah. Marah looks slightly less upset. Josh 
tells Shayne not to be scared & encourages him to say hi. 

"Hello, Shayne," says Reva. "I don't remember you," challenges Shayne. 
Reva remembers him. Josh mentions that Shayne knows the story about the 
Snugli. Reva laughs at the thought that Josh told him that story. She 
repeats her own version of it & they all finish up together, "Goodness, 
gracious me, that lady has 2 heads!" Shayne smiles & Reva asks Marah if 
she remembers that story. Marah nods. Reva asks if she remembers what 
her favorite place was when she was little. Reva reminds her about a 
place they used to go where the stars & planets were all embedded into 
the sidewalk. Marah used to say they shouldn't step on the stars & asked 
if they could wish on them. Marah gets teary-eyed & her chin trembles as 
she listens. Reva suggests that sometime soon they could all go for a 
walk in the park. Shayne nods sunnily & Marah nods tearfully. Josh looks 
all choked up. "That would be a wish come true," says Reva.

BOARDINGHOUSE: Nola explains about Quint. She never realized how spoiled 
& overindulged he was. "Responsibility meant other people were 
responsible to him. To give him what he wanted, when he wanted, no 
matter what it cost them." Jet says Nola shouldn't make J pay for it. 
Nola doesn't want him to get things the easy way. Jet doesn't think it 
has been easy for J. Nola doesn't want Jet's advice on her son, but Jet 
says turnabout is fair play. "Touche," admits Nola. Nola doesn't want 
Jet to make the same mistakes she did. Jet thinks Nola hasn't made any 
bad mistakes. Nola wants her son to be a great man & says there is no 
shortcut to that. He's got to work his way to it & all she can do is 
give him little shoves in the right direction. Jet says she was trying 
to help. She urges Nola to let J keep the money. Nola says no. It's hard 
to say no to your own kid, but she has to do it. Peter calls from 
upstairs & Jet goes to him, giving Nola an encouraging pat on the back. 

BAUER KITCHEN: Michelle looks at herself in a skimpy red dress & worries 
that it isn't sexy enough, or maybe it makes her look too trampy. She 
tells Abby that guys react to a girl's looks first & get to their brains 
later. Abby worries about her own clothes. Michelle offers something of 
hers. Abby thinks it's too short, but Michelle says Abby has great legs. 
Abby shakes her head. Michelle apologizes for possibly offending Abby. 
She knows Abby's way of life is important to her. Having exceeded her 
empathy quota for the day, Michelle grabs her jacket & runs off to make 
her impression. After she's gone, Abby looks at herself in the mirror. 
She hikes her dress up a little & nods with approval. She grabs some of 
Michelle's clothing & leaves the kitchen.

BOARDINGHOUSE: Nola tells J that he'll earn his insurance money by doing 
work around the house. She'll make up a list of jobs & assign a dollar 
amount to each. When he's earned enough for the insurance payment, he 
can drive. Nola thinks this will build his character. Jet is happy that 
someone else is getting Nola's self-improvement lecture for once. Nola 
reminds J that she loves him & this is for his own good. J sits down at 
the table to sulk as Michelle breezes in. J checks out her legs & looks 
away with a shrug. Jet tells Michelle to put on some clothes.

CAROUSEL: Alan wants to stop things from continuing as they have been. 
But Reva is very determined. So is Josh, says Annie. Alan loves Reva & 
wants to make a life with her. "Then why did you bring her back to 
Springfield?" asks Annie. Not to hurt her, Josh or the kids, says Alan. 
He wants what's best for Reva, just like Annie wants what's best for 
Josh. Annie says she wants what's best for the kids & Reva is not it. 
Alan couldn't agree more. Annie smiles & laughs. Alan thinks Annie is a 
good mother & doesn't want to see Reva hurt the kids she loves so much. 
He wants it all over as quickly & painlessly as possible. He thinks they 
can "stop all this agony" if they work together.

LEWIS HOUSE: Reva thanks her kids for a lovely visit. She suggests that 
next time they can go to the park & maybe even have a picnic in the 
snow. While she goes to put on her coat, Josh suggests that Marah lie 
down on the couch. He covers her with a blanket & tucks her in. He then 
walks Reva to the door. She says the visit went much better than she had 
hoped. She tells Josh that he's a wonderful dad & has done a super job 
with the kids, & thanks him for making the visit easier for them all. 
Josh says it didn't go as well as she thinks.

Reva doesn't understand. Shayne isn't scared of it anymore & Marah seems 
to have accepted her. Josh says Marah hated every minute of it & kept 
looking at him to see what she should do. She only responded to Reva 
because she thought that was what Josh wanted. Reva accuses him of 
saying this just to upset her. He can't stand the fact that the kids 
don't hate her the way he does. Reva says her lawyer will be in touch 
with him to set up another visit. Josh says he has been with the kids 
for 5 years & he knows what they're like. "That wasn't Marah in there," 
he says, but Reva doesn't hear him because she has walked away. 

Inside, Marah sleeps fitfully. She dreams that Josh & Annie are leaving 
her. She begs them to come back, calling Annie "Mommy." Annie & Josh 
back up into the fog & Reva slinks in. Marah screams & awakens. Josh 
runs to her side & comforts her. 

BOARDINGHOUSE: Nola makes up a list for J while Michelle tries to 
impress him. She says she's traveled, just like he has. Nola guesses 
that Michelle bought her outfit in Paris because it's tres chic. J does 
not seem very interested. Michelle looks distressed. Nola says they'll 
be in the same school & J is a senior. Michelle asks how he likes being 
back in Springfield so far & he says he doesn't know because he hasn't 
been anywhere yet, because he has NO CAR. Michelle says she's allowed to 
borrow her dad's car whenever she wants & she'd be happy to show him 
around. "Cool!" says J, perking up. The two fauxteens rush out of the 
house. Nola looks after her son with a bit of concern.

REARDON KITCHEN: A pair of legs in black boots & tights walk into the 
kitchen. Pan up to see Abigail, in a black turtleneck & a black & white 
miniskirt, admiring herself in the mirror. She has lost her little white 
cap. She looks gorgeous. Rick walks in, calling to Michelle, but Abby 
has her back to him. She turns around with a smile & Rick eyes her with 
interest as he takes a bite from his apple.

ALAN'S ABODE: Reva enters, calling to Alan. He asks how the visit went. 
She says it went very well & she's looking forward to spending lots of 
time with her children.

LEWIS HOUSE: Marah tells Josh her dream was nothing, but Josh wants to 
hear about it. She says it was the same bad dream she had when she was 
little & she doesn't want to talk about it. Annie enters & asks what's 
going on. Josh explains about the nightmare & thinks it's because she's 
trying to do what she thinks everyone wants her to do. He says he's 
going to fight the visitation. "I don't care if it takes the rest of my 
life. I'm not going to let her win." Freeze frame on Annie's slightly 
gaping mouth as the screen fades to black.

--Marni (marni@panix.com)



