From: Marni Centor <marni@panix.com>

GUIDING LIGHT UPDATE -- THURSDAY, FEB. 22, 1996

                 WHO'S GUILTY NOW?
                         -or-
           SINGING THE MORNING-AFTER BLUES

Written by Ralph Wakefield & directed by Irene M. Pace

Highlights:
* Giddy Spauldings & Spauldings-to-be plan semi-traditional nuptials.
* Matt tells Vanessa about his unfortunate history with Amanda.
* Ross reconciles with Blake while Rick reconnoiters in the restroom.

8 AM, Nick & Susan's wedding day, Springfield USA...

SPAULDING MANSION: Alex obsesses over wedding details. Lucy & AM tell 
her to relax. Nick & Susan come downstairs in their bathrobes & Nick 
volunteers to cook pancakes for the whole bunch. The youngsters trot off 
happily to the kitchen, leaving Alex behind.

Amanda enters & Alex greets her scornfully, noting that Amanda didn't 
make it home last night & reminding her of the afternoon's impending 
wedding. Amanda says her whereabouts & doings are none of Alex's 
business, but Alex begs to differ, seeing as Matt is threatening to 
expose some dirty secret of Amanda's. Alex asks to hear all about it.

MATT & VAN'S BOUDOIR: Shirtless Matt contemplates his wedding photo. Van 
awakens & asks why Matt is looking so grim. "I was thinking of what my 
life was like before I met you," says Matt. Van guesses it must have 
been pretty bad. Matt says it was, always trying to get from one day to 
the next. But now, every moment makes a new memory & nothing can shake 
what they have together. Van wonders if something is wrong. "There's 
something you need to know," says Matt. "It's about Amanda."

MARLER BEDROOM: The alarm clock goes off & Blake reaches out a bare arm 
from under the sheets to turn it off. She starts to say something to 
Ross, then stops, a look of realization crossing her face. "Oh no," she 
says. "Oh yes," replies Rick. "Oh boy," counters Blake. Rick grimaces 
with hangover. Rick tries to apologize for last night, but Blake says 
there's no need. She caught Ross with Amanda & felt like dirt. Rick made 
her feel like a person again. She has no regrets. Rick agrees that he 
wouldn't have made it through last night without her either. 

They start to settle back into bed, but are painfully disturbed by 
Dinah's loud knocking. She calls for Ross & says it's really important. 
Blake & Rick shrink as the doorknob starts to turn.

Luckily, the door is locked. Blake yells at Dinah to hold her horses, 
then tells Rick that everyone will know soon enough that her marriage is 
over & Dinah may as well be the first. Rick thinks Blake is nuts. "My 
husband left me for another woman -- why should I give a damn?" asks 
Blake. Rick is concerned for his own reputation & Blake apologizes for 
her self-centeredness. She realizes Rick doesn't need the aggravation. 
She tells Rick to stay put, slips into her robe, & slides out the door, 
closing it behind her. Immediately, she berates Dinah for barging in so 
early & leads her downstairs. Dinah asks where Ross is.

Blake tells Dinah that Ross isn't there & shows her the door. Dinah 
makes a crack about the state of Blake's marriage & decides not to leave 
just yet. Blake gives Dinah hell about her collusion with Amanda & calls 
them both "hateful, revengeful she-dogs." She blames the 2 of them for 
wrecking her marriage. Just as she's about to shove Dinah out the door, 
Ross comes home. Ignoring Dinah, he takes Blake aside & begs her 
forgiveness. Blake's mouth hangs open in shock, inviting unflattering 
comparisons to Annie, whose mouth hangs open for all occasions.

SPAULDING MANSION: Alex knows that Matt is holding something over Amanda 
& it concerns Blake. Amanda warns Alex about making accusations when 
she's clueless. Alex knows Amanda's been up to no good since her return 
to town, despite the way she's fooled the rest of the family. She calls 
Mandy a fake & a cheap fraud, not to mention a loser. Amanda remembers 
Ross saying: "You wouldn't know honesty if it jumped up & bit you." As 
Alex continues to insult Amanda, she hears echoes of similar accusations 
from Ross. "All you do is take, take, take," harangues Alex. "Take 
this!" yells Amanda, tossing a glass of water in Alex's face. Alan 
arrives in time to see & thinks Alex deserved it. He asks what started 
it & Alex refers him to Amanda, then stalks out of the room.

REARDON BOUDOIR: Van tells Matt not to worry about Amanda. There's 
nothing they can do about her meddling in Ross & Blake's marriage. Matt 
joins Van on the bed & gives her a big kiss. They exchange vows of love. 
Van reflects that sometimes people make mistakes, but they deal. Matt 
says sometimes things from a long time ago come back to test you. Van 
says that's exactly what happened with Ross & Amanda. Matt was talking 
about his own life. He admits to knowing Amanda a few years ago in LA.

CEDARS: Abby catches up with Ed in the lounge & tells him that Rick 
missed his ASL class. She's trying to find him, but Ed doesn't know 
where he is, since he's not scheduled to work at the hospital today. He 
asks if he should give Rick a message from Abby, but she shakes her head 
no. Ed deduces that Abby cares about Rick. She insists that they're just 
friends, but Ed says sometimes friendship can turn into something more. 
Rick is a wonderful guy & Abby wouldn't be the first guy to fall for 
him. Abby signs that she has to go & Ed shakes his head over the 
increasing complications in Rick's life.

MARLER HOUSE: In the bedroom, Rick hurriedly pulls on his clothes & 
wonders how he got himself into this mess. 

Downstairs, Dinah whines at Ross about the divorce, but Ross tells her 
it's not a good time & tries to send her on her way. Alex barges in & 
says she has to talk to Blake privately, perhaps in the bedroom. Alex 
heads upstairs, with Blake chasing after her & yelling that she can't go 
up there. "Daddy, something weird is going on here," comments Dinah.

Upstairs, Rick hears Blake telling Alex not to go in the bedroom & 
quickly hides in the bathroom. Alex thinks Blake is embarrassed about 
her unmade bed & doesn't give a hoot. She's eager to tell Blake about a 
conversation she overheard between Matt & Amanda. Rick listens from the 
closet. It appears that Matt's threatening to expose Amanda's sordid 
past. Blake replies loudly (for Rick's benefit) that Ross just came home 
& they have important matters to discuss. Alex is very anxious to find 
out what Matt has on Amanda, but Blake hasn't the foggiest. She shows 
Alex to the door just as Ross & Dinah appear. 

Alex tries her luck with Ross, who says it'll have to wait. He tells 
Dinah to drive her little blue sports car home. Not mine, says Dinah. 
Whatever, just leave, begs Ross. He closes the door on both Dinah & 
Alex, sighing with relief. Blake suggests they talk in the living room, 
but Ross is gung-ho to dispose of Blake's diaphragm. He crashes into the 
bathroom & finds Rick there, grinning nervously.

Blake starts to talk & Rick helps her out. Together, they tell about 
Blake going out & having too much to drink. Rick brought her home. They 
sat up talking & drinking, & then Blake insisted he couldn't drive home 
so he slept on the couch. "That's a nice couch, Ross. It's comfy," 
offers Rick. Ross realizes that the car outside is Rick's. Blake 
explains that Rick was in the bathroom when everyone showed up. Rick 
admits he was too embarrassed to come out what with all the hoo-ha going 
on. Ross shrugs it off & thanks Rick for taking care of Blake. It's a 
good thing she ran into Rick & not some sleazo, considering her 
impulsiveness. From the doorway, Dinah listens with interest.

Ross sends his regards to Rick, who is heading for the door. Ross stops 
him & asks confidentially, "She really moves, doesn't she? I mean, isn't 
she hot?" Rick is taken aback, until Ross explains that he's asking 
about the sports car. Rick offers to let him drive it anytime, then 
leaves. Ross asks Dinah why she's still there. She forgot her purse. 
Blake tells her to go away & Dinah finally does. Ross starts to talk, 
but Blake tells him to hold his breath. She knows about Amanda.

SPAULDING MANSION: Amanda & Alan compare notes on Alex's faults & Alan 
promises that he won't let Alex harass Amanda anymore. He assures Amanda 
that she means the world to him. He loves & respects her very much. 
Amanda hugs her dad with relief.

The crowd emerges from breakfast, chatting about how untraditional the 
upcoming wedding will be. The only traditional thing they can think of 
is that the groom is male & the bride is female. They're going to make 
their own traditions, starting by spending the whole day together. Nick 
says he's throwing out his past & starting a new life with Susan. This 
wins applause from AM & Lucy. Alan smiles indulgently. Amanda looks 
grim. Nick says they're going to live every hour to its fullest. AM 
pronounces them man & wife & the party adjourns. Alan notes how happy 
they seem. "Looks like it could last forever," comments Amanda.

REARDON BEDROOM: Matt, now wearing a shirt, says he's not proud of how 
he knew Amanda. Van wonders if they fell into the same crowd. Matt says 
he knew her for about 6 months & Van sighs, figuring they had a 
relationship. Matt says no, but he did work for Amanda. "Were you in the 
entertainment business?" asks Van for a smile. Matt explains that Amanda 
ran an exclusive escort service & paid him to sleep with women. Van's 
eyes widen & her mouth gapes slightly in a poor imitation of Annie.

SPAULDING MANSION: Nick & Susan return, now dressed in daywear, & Alan 
hopes they won't refuse the traditional Spaulding wedding gift. Nick 
wonders what it is. "Cash, large amounts," says AM. Nick thinks they'll 
go along with that & Alan takes Susan by the arm, leading the crowd into 
the study. Only Amanda remains behind.

Alex returns & gives Fifi more grief. AM suggests that Alex has better 
things to do. Alex runs on about Matt & Amanda's secret. AM tells her to 
get off Fifi's case & worry about the wedding. Fifi's been a great help 
& very loyal. She hasn't taken advantage, despite her chances to do so. 
Alan also comes to Fifi's defense, & Fifi excuses herself. Alan berates 
Alex & calls his daughter a "true Spaulding."

REARDON BEDROOM: Van smiles disbelievingly at Matt. She can't imagine 
Amanda as a madam. Matt says she called herself a fantasy-maker, fantasy 
being very big in LA. She supplied young, beautiful girls to rich, 
powerful men. While these guys were out getting their jollies, their 
wives were home bored. Van starts to look horrified. "My job was to make 
them feel young, beautiful, desirable." Van hugs Matt & asks him to tell 
her it isn't true. Matt says it's not true for them--what he feels for 
her is real. Van starts to break down. Matt says he did it for the 
bucks. But he got sick of it & stopped before long. He didn't tell her 
because he was ashamed. Van realizes this is what Matt told Ross. Matt 
says he couldn't stand by & watch Amanda take advantage of Ross & Blake. 
Van doesn't know what to say. Matt insists that he loves Van & it 
doesn't change anything between them. At a loss, Van walks out of the 
room & closes the door behind her.

MARLER BEDROOM: Ross says he knows what Blake saw, but it wasn't what it 
looked like. Blake says she saw a kiss & it meant something. Ross calls 
himself dense for ever doubting Blake. Blake is angry because Ross 
thought she was crazy. Ross wonders how they went "from bliss to this." 
Ross couldn't admit that Amanda still had some kind of hold on him. But 
when Matt told him the truth, he realized what an idiot he'd been. He 
swears that it didn't go beyond the kiss. Blake believes him, but only 
because Matt stopped it. She asks him to admit that if Matt hadn't shown 
up, "you would have taken that creature to bed." 

Ross says he was confused. But he turned Amanda down. He couldn't betray 
Blake. He was trying to get rid of her when Matt arrived. And when Matt 
told him the whole story, he was so angry, he would have locked Mandy in 
a construction shack himself if one had been handy. Blake is somewhat 
distraught to hear this, most likely reflecting on her own actions of 
the past night. Ross asks Blake to forgive him & she does. "I will 
always love you," she says, hugging him. He picks her up & swings her 
around in a big hug. He wants to make love to her right now. Maybe even 
make a baby. He runs into the bathroom & grabs her diaphragm, tossing it 
into the garbage. Blake gets upset & says she can't do it right now. She 
had too much to drink last night. She has to take a shower. 

Ross is fine with this & slips out of his jacket while Blake slips into 
the bathroom. Ross sits on the edge of the bed & bends over to untie his 
shoes. On the floor, he finds a wallet. With resignation, he notes that 
it's Rick's. In the shower, Blake looks sick to her stomach. 

CEDARS: Rick, having changed into scrubs, realizes that his wallet is 
missing. Ed enters & tells Rick that Abby was looking for him. Rick 
doesn't want to talk about women. Ed didn't think Rick was on duty 
today. Rick says he wasn't but switched with another guy who was having 
emotional problems. "Good thing you're on, then," notes Ed wryly. Rick 
yells at his dad to lay off, then admits that he's in bad shape. He 
wants to die. He had a fight with Annie, went to a bar & took home a 
woman. Ed doesn't think this is so bad. "I slept with her," Rick 
explains. "You're a big boy," says Ed. "She's married," complains Rick. 
Ed asks if Rick knew. Yes. Then why? 

Rick explains that she was upset about her marriage, etc. And this 
morning the husband walked in the front door. "And you went out the back 
door?" asks Ed. Rick would have sold his soul for a back door, but the 
guy found him in the bathroom. And he was nice about it, thanking Rick. 
"He could never imagine Rick Bauer was low enough to bag his drunken 
wife," Rick says, almost complaining. Ed is surprised to hear that the 
guy knew Rick. Only slightly, amends Rick. 

Outside the room, Abby catches Dinah with her ear to the door & angrily 
pushes her into the room. She signs to Rick that Dinah was listening. 
Rick asks Dinah what she was listening for.

Ed excuses himself. Rick & Dinah chat about Blake & Ross. Rick signs a 
little so Abby can understand. He says Blake & Ross worked things out & 
he doesn't know what was upsetting them. Dinah smiles icily & thanks 
Rick for filling her in. "See you around," she says to Abby, pronouncing 
the words very clearly. Abby makes a nasty-looking sign at Dinah's back, 
which Rick amusedly translates as "Not if I see you first." 

Abby asks Rick why he missed class & he says he was too busy. Abby 
thinks something happened last night.

MARLER SHOWER: Ross interrupts Blake's guilt fest to join her in the 
shower. He hugs her & comments that she's very lucky that Rick found 
her. He mentions that Rick left his wallet & they should get it back to 
him right away before poor Rick goes crazy about it. Speaking of which, 
Ross is nuts about Blake. Blake's looking mighty uncomfortable with all 
this praise, but kisses Ross's shoulder anyway.

SPAULDING MANSION, EXTERIOR: Dinah meets Fifi as she's leaving the 
house. Something's definitely up between Ross & Blake, Dinah says 
gleefully. Fifi's not interested, but she perks up slightly when Dinah 
mentions Rick's presence. But she brushes off the enthusiastic Dinah & 
says the whole thing with Ross is just not going to work out. Dinah is 
awfully disappointed, but can see that Mandy is upset. She offers to 
help. Amanda says this isn't what she wants, but someone is giving her 
now choice. Dinah presses the point, but Amanda tells her quite 
emphatically to drop it, then rushes off. Dinah is bewildered. "Call 
me!" she requests.

AM & Nick arrive with trays of stone crabs. Alex sends them into the 
kitchen. Alan & Alex agree that nothing will spoil this day. "We are 
shooting for perfect," declares Alex.

REARDON HOUSE: Van stares at a wall of family photos, including one of 
her dad (sniff). Matt joins her & says they all have things in their 
past that they're not proud of. Van says that's where she tries to leave 
hers. She's upset because Matt never told her all this before. She feels 
like an idiot after bragging to Blake & Annie about how great their 
marriage was & how much she trusted him. The doorbell rings & Matt asks 
her not to get it. "Don't tell me what to do," she replies, going to the 
door. Through the glass panes, she sees the frightful face of Fifi in a 
freeze frame as the screen fades to black.


--Marni (marni@panix.com)


