From: Karen Highum <highum@u.washington.edu>

             MARLER'S

Dinah is talking on the phone to Roger, while Blake listens.  Dinah tells 
Roger that Vanessa is handing over the trust fund.  She thanks him for 
his suggestions-- Mindy brought up the trust fund and told Vanessa that 
Dinah should have it so that she'll stay in Springfield.  Dinah wants to 
meet Roger to celebrate, but he has business.  After they hang up, Blake 
says:  "Daddy!  How could you!"

             WSPR

Roger watches/listens to a woman making a call and claiming to be from 
Weller, Weller, & James (a law firm?).  She says she is representing 
Julia Stoddard (the grandmother of Ben Stoddard Reed), who is concerned 
about his welfare.  She will come over and assess the situation.

Fletcher hangs up the phone,  "Nobody is going to mess with my son."

             DINER

Buzz, Lucy, Stavros & Eleni are talking about the fund raising event when 
A-M arrives.  Lucy hides behind the counter, while he asks for her 
because she called in sick.  He wants to give her back her scarf.

             MARLER'S

Vanessa arrives to take Dinah to lunch, but Dinah wants to go shopping 
instead.  Vanessa agrees.  While Dinah is changing her clothes, Blake 
comes upstairs (from the basement where she was listening to the phone 
call) and tells Vanessa that she's been looking for vermin.  Before Dinah 
gets back Blake leaves the house.

             FLETCHER'S

When Nick comes home, Fletch tells him that Ben's grandmother has "raised 
her head from the primordial ooze.  She's sending over her hachet 
person."  Nick thinks she's just concerned about him & wants to talk 
about plans for college.  Fletch doesn't believe that and wonders why 
she's interested now.  They start cleaning the kitchen, when Ben walks in 
covered with mud-- he & Bill won a mud-wrestling match.

             DINER

A-M tells Eleni that he's been making bonehead moves & asks if she thinks 
he's a clone of his father:  stubborn, bull-headed, so determined to get 
what he wants that he's willing to cut someone off at the knees to get it 
and if he doesn't get what he wants, he's willing to go to the ends of 
the earth to see that they don't get it either.  Lucy told him those 
things.  He said something stupid, but he cares about her as an office 
manager & as a friend.  He asks Eleni to tell Lucy that he'd like to 
straighten it out.

             WSPR

Blake arrives & asks Roger if he's feeling all right-- he's been through 
a lot losing Holly.  "Your life is hell and your brain takes a 
vacation."  Roger doesn't understand, he sees exactly what happened, he's 
accepted it.  It's for the best & life goes on.  Blake doesn't believe 
him.  She's trying to understand something & if Holly didn't cause it, he 
must be going through a mid-life crisis.  How could he fall for a 
blatent, obvious phony-- DINAH.

             SHOPPING SPREE

Dinah is trying on a ball gown, she's so excited to be shopping with her 
mother & had dreamt about it.  So has Vanessa, but they have something to 
talk about.  Just then a salesperson hands Vanessa a box with with the 
same dress that Dinah has on, but in Vanessa's size & color.

             FLETCHER'S

Fletch is dressed, Ben has changed, & Nick has cleaned the kitchen in 
preparation for the lawyer.  Ben doesn't know why they are worried, 
because his grandmother is "ok"-- stiff, but has lots of neat stuff 
(stables, swimming pool).  Ben doesn't think she'd want a kid around, so 
Fletch tells him about the custody battle when his mother died.  He came 
so close to losing Ben.

Doorbell.  It's the fake lawyer.  Fletch introduces her to Nick & Ben.  
She says that Ben will be visiting his grandmother & needs Fletcher's 
signature on some papers before she can book the flight.

             WSPR

Roger doesn't understand why Blake is asking what's going on "between me 
and the 20ish daughter of my son-in-law".  He says it was an accidental 
meeting & nothing more.  Blake wonders why Ross is acting like a "sap" 
about Dinah.  Rogers says he does the same with her.  He tells her that life 
will return to normal when Dinah finds another interest.  He thinks that 
if Dinah gets her trust fund, she'll get out of their hair.  Blake thanks 
him for listening and leaves.

             SHOPPING

Vanessa wants to go home and talk, but Dinah wants to know what she's 
talking about.  Vanessa tells Dinah that she's not ready for the trust 
fund, because she's so young.  Vanessa doesn't know her well enough to 
know if she can handle it & she has to protect her daughter.  Dinah wants 
to go home, her home with Daddy, the only home she's known.

             FLETCHER'S

Fletch asks what's in the papers.  It says that he legally consigns his 
son to her care, so she can take him to Mrs. Stoddard.  He tells her that 
Ben can't leave in the middle of a school year.  Mrs. Stoddard has 
arranged tutors for Ben.  Fletch won't let him go.  Mrs. Stoddard is 
concerned with the immediate welfare of her grandson.  Fletch & Nick tell 
the fake lawyer that Ben is a straight-A student & involved in 
extra-curricular activities.  

She says the grandmother has had reports of 
other factors affecting Ben's well-being:  Fletch's recent erratic 
behavior, his trouble at the journal, he's been drinking at his desk & 
yelling at co-workers.  Nick tells her that Fletch has been yelling at 
him the most and he doesn't care--everyone yells at the journal.  She 
tells them that her client has weighed all the reports and has serious 
doubts about Fletch's mental health.  And that Ben is in a home with two 
men who have little experience raising children & who project no interest 
in learning the needs of a growing child.  Fletcher tells her to leave.  
She says Mrs Stoddard has a fleet of lawyers to back her up, so give Ben 
to her or she'll slap a court order on Fletch.

             DINER

Lucy asks Eleni why A-M won't leave her alone & tells her about the kiss 
with Brent in the storeroom.  Lucy doesn't know how she can go back to 
work with A-M.

Buzz & Eleni talk about the fund-raising event and Buzz finding a new 
woman.  Just then two of the ladies from SAR come in to talk to Buzz 
about making plans for the event.  (and start flirting with him).

             MARLER'S

Vanessa wants to know how Dinah feels.  Dinah will get the trust fund 
when Vanessa knows she can handle such a large sum of money, when she 
sees her handle a smaller sum-- a salary from a job.  Dinah tells Vanessa 
that she's had lots of jobs, even with the money sent to her, since Pris 
is so expensive.  Vanessa thinks a job would prove that Dinah could 
handle the money.  Dinah wonders why she has to prove she's worthy.  
Can't she have it just because she's her daughter or does she have to 
earn Vannesa's love.

             FLETCHER'S

Fletch tells her that they are going after an underpaid, single working 
dad, so throw a thousand lawyers at him.  She says that Mrs. Stoddard 
only wants what's best for Ben.  Fletch tells her it's him.  He won't 
sign anything and wants to talk face-to-face with Julia.  She says that's 
impossible because he's explosive & dangerous  and Mrs. Stoddard is 
staying in an undisclosed location.  She will not hesitate to re-open the 
custody case and fight for her grandson and this time she will win.  
Fletch tears up the papers & she suggests discussing joint custody.  He 
wants to talk to Mrs. Stoddard.  She leaves.  

Ben thinks it was fun.  Fletch wonders what he thinks of a miltary academy 
because that's where his grandmother would put him.  Nick smiles and says he 
thinks he knows where Mrs. Stoddard is (he looked in the woman's briefcase).

            MARLER'S

Vanessa tells Dinah she doesn't have to earn her love, she needs to learn 
money management.  Dinah wonders what happened to change her mind.  Vanessa 
spoke to Ross and heard about the cab fare and the phone bill.  Dinah 
storms out of the room.  Blake (who heard the argument while standing 
outside) comes in and tells Vanessa that someone finally has some sense.  
Blake is glad Dinah got a dose of reality and tells Vanessa that Dinah 
will try to soften her up by crying if Vanessa goes upstairs.  Vanessa 
agrees and decides to leave.

             SPAULDING YACHT

A-M is taking a break from working to have dinner, when Lucy arrives & 
tells him thanks for bringing her scarf to the diner.  He apologizes and 
says he was rude to her.  He asks her to forgive him.  She wants to talk 
and clear the air.

             FLETCHER'S

Fletch:  "Julia was ging to send Ben to Portugal?"
Nick tells him to write her a letter.  Fletch says she wouldn't get a 
letter, so he has to go to Portugal, storm the battlement, get her 
face-to-face & tell her to knock it off.  He tells Ben he can't go, but 
will spend the time at Vanessa's with Bill.

             WSPR

Roger congratulates the woman.  She explains that she left her briefcase 
open so that Nick would snoop and get the address.  She thinks it's so far 
away for a wild goose-chase.

Roger:  "Now for phase two.  Getting Holly back." 


           That's all for today.  Karen  
