From: Marni Centor <marni@panix.com>

                      GUIDING LIGHT UPDATE -- THURSDAY, JULY 31, 1997

                          DOUBLE-YOUR-INSULIN DAY

Highlights:
* Michelle teaches Jesse to read using the kiss-as-reward system.
* Vanessa bemoans her bad luck with cars.
* Alan & Annie get one step closer to Cassie.
* Nearly all the rest of Springfield helps Matt finish the house.

COURTHOUSE: Rick sees Michelle in the hall & asks what she's doing there. 
He worries that she's keeping things from him again & hopes she didn't get 
another parking ticket. Besides, Meta told him she was tutoring. Michelle 
says that's true. Rick wants to know the truth.

Jesse opens the door from the judge's chambers & sees Rick talking to 
Michelle. He backs up & closes the door, staying out of view.

VANESSA'S DREAM HOUSE: The women of Springfield decorate the living and 
dining rooms, which are now nearly finished & furnished. The men work on a 
less finished area of the house, painting & spackling. Matt says love built 
this house, not just his love for Vanessa, but everyone's love for friends 
& family. He goes for the beer. 

Ross tells Josh he's glad he & Blake returned in time to help out. Josh 
thinks they've both done pretty well in the dreams-come-true department. 
Ross says he & Blake have never been happier. Josh thinks it will be smooth 
sailing for him & Reva from now on. Ross muses on how one woman--Annie--
could cause so much damage. Josh says the important thing is that now they 
are free of her. Ross thinks Annie & Alan deserve each other. All osh cares 
about is that they leave him & Reva alone.

CHICAGO APARTMENT BUILDING: Annie rushes down the hallway, unable to 
contain her excitement at the impending meeting with Cassie Layne. Alan 
tries to temper her enthusiasm, but Annie's glee will not be extinguished. 
Alan instructs her never to overplay her hand. He knocks on a door & a 
young, short-haired brunette opens it, asking if she can help them. Alan 
hopes so.

The woman asks why they're staring at her. Alan asks if she's Cassie Layne. 
She says no, she is Danielle Dwyer. Cassie doesn't live there anymore. She 
starts to close the door, but Alan asks if Danielle might have a forwarding 
address for Cassie. "So the bill collectors could have an easier time 
finding her? I don't think so." Annie asks if she can at least tell them 
how long ago Cassie moved. Danielle says it was about a month ago. Annie 
asks if Cassie moved out because of a disagreement with Danielle. Danielle 
says she kicked Cassie out because she couldn't cover her half of the rent. 
Thanks to Cassie, Danielle now owes money to half the city. 

Alan says they may be able to help. They are trying to find Cassie because 
they have money for her, and there is also a finder's fee for anyone who 
can help them locate her. He claims that Cassie has inherited a tidy sum 
for her birth mother & if Danielle helps them find her, it could change her 
life in thousands of ways. Alan flashes some cash to illustrate his point. 
Danielle takes the wad & invites them in. 

COURTHOUSE: Michelle prevaricates as Jesse listens from behind the door. 
She says she's there to talk with the judge about the program. They are 
thinking of expanding it to teach inmates how to read. Rick isn't sure he 
likes the sound of this. Michelle says she would be tutoring at the local 
women's facility. Rick thinks this is OK, then, and is very proud of her. 
He says he'd like to spend more time with her before she goes off to 
college. She says she has a lot going on right now. Rick asks if this has 
anything to do with Jesse, and refers to him as a punk. Michelle doesn't 
want to hear this kind of talk. She's teaching someone how to read & she 
wishes Rick would just give her credit for that & stop harping on Jesse. 
Rick apologizes & says he trusts her. 

After explaining that he's at the courthouse to give a deposition, Rick 
says he's going up to Lake Geneva afterwards to help with the Reardon 
house. He asks Michelle to join him, but she has a tutoring session 
scheduled. Rick plays on her mom's connection to Vanessa & adds that 
there's going to be a big housewarming, so Michelle says she'll try to come 
by later. Rick heads off for his deposition & Jesse emerges from the 
judge's office.

Michelle apologizes for what Rick said. Jesse doesn't blame Rick for being 
concerned, & doesn't like that Michelle is lying to him. She says she just 
didn't tell him everything. Jesse doesn't like having to hide what they 
have going on. Michelle suggests they go somewhere where they can be alone 
& Jesse is all for it. He tries to take her hand, but she warns him away. 
They head out.

LAKE GENEVA: Matt brings in a bucket of beer for the guys. Reva calls out 
to them, demanding a break for the ladies, too. Matt says he was just about 
to bring them some iced tea. The women tease him mercilessly & grab their 
share of the beer. Abby takes a swig & burps [ROTFL, I am not making this 
up!], looking slightly surprised & embarrassed. Nola says they're going to 
whip Matt into shape so Vanessa doesn't have to. Dinah says they should 
make sure they have enough beer, because Van really prefers it to 
champagne. Matt thanks everyone for helping to get the house almost 
finished. Everyone toasts to Matt & Vanessa. Matt reminds them to all 
return to the housewarming party tonight.

Josh & Reva beg off the party because they have other plans for the 
evening. Buzz & Jenna show up to help, having left Coop out front to play 
with the Lewis kids. Jenna tells Matt how happy she is about Vanessa. Matt 
says she's out there somewhere & he knows she's coming back.

OFF ROAD: A backwoods hick takes a gander under the hood of Vanessa's car & 
doesn't seem to know jack about all them little parts. Van is a mite testy, 
& he suggests she chill out with another drink. She insists she was not 
drinking, but went off the road when she swerved to avoid something. The 
hick asks if it was a possum, because they make a mighty good stew. Van 
says it wasn't a possum; it was her conscience. Never mind, she says. Just 
fix the car.

LAKE GENEVA: Having taken the tour, Jenna & Buzz tell Matt that the house 
is wonderful. Buzz is sure that when Van gets back, she & Matt will be as 
happy as he & Jenna.

Blake & Ross try to find out what plans Josh & Reva have for later on, but 
Josh says he's sworn to secrecy. Reva says they'll let them know when they 
return.

Rick arrives & Matt offers him a beer, but Abby says he can have hers, 
because (hiccup) it's very filling. She sits on the couch, looking just the 
slightest bit tipsy. Rick asks since when does she drink beer. Since she 
was moving furniture today, she replies. Somehow, popping open a brewski 
just seemed like the thing to do. She grabs the bottle from him & takes 
another swig. Rick warns her to be careful, or she'll be whistling at men 
she doesn't even know. "Not after seeing you in your swimsuit, I won't," 
she replies. "Besides, I've only had two." Rick seems taken aback. 

Abby asks where Michelle is & Rick says she'll be by later, after she 
finishes tutoring. He tells her all about the reading program. Abby thinks 
it's great, especially since Rick thought Michelle was going to spend all 
her time with Jesse. "Jesse, Jesse, Jesse," she babbles. Rick takes the 
beer from her hand & puts it down on the table (no doubt leaving a ring on 
the brand-new table). Rick says he didn't give Michelle enough credit. Abby 
picks up the beer & says Michelle is doing a wonderful, selfless thing. 
Rick says it's better than spending her time with a guy who can't keep his 
paws off her. "That's you," laughs Abby. Rick shushes her & gives her a 
kiss. They erupt in giggles.

PARK: Michelle & Jesse look for a secluded spot & settle on one in front of 
a backdrop that is so flat & fake-looking, it's scary. Jesse doesn't want 
Michelle to get into trouble for being seen with him. She figures they're 
pretty even on that score. Besides, she says the park will give them plenty 
of privacy. Jesse suggests they get started... with the reading. Michelle 
picks up a newspaper & asks if he can read the headline. He's too busy 
playing with her hair. She wants to see how much Jesse can already read. 
Jesse takes a look & manages to sound out "Family waits for..." He switches 
some letters (maybe he's dyslexic?) and with much help from Michelle, 
interspersed with sweet (I'm going diabetic here) comments from Jesse, he 
finally manages to master "Family waits for missing socialite." He knows 
what a socialite is, showing that his vocabulary is a lot better than his 
reading skills. Michelle decides that this accomplishment merits a kiss. 
Talk about reinforcement. Michelle says all Jesse needs is lots of 
practice. And the occasional reward, adds Jesse.

Michelle doesn't understand why Jesse never learned to read properly. He 
says he missed a lot of school growing up & instead of catching him up on 
his work, the teachers just passed him along to the next grade. Michelle 
thinks this is terrible. Jesse says it happens to a lot of kids. Michelle 
asks why he missed so much school. He says he was sick a lot. [Gee, do you 
think he had a heart problem? And if Jesse has Maureen's heart, would that 
make sleeping with him a form of incest?]

CHICAGO: Danielle says she & Cassie used to work together, and they started 
rooming together after Cassie's ex got sent to jail for dealing drugs. The 
marriage didn't work out, just like the rest of Cassie's life. Alan asks if 
Danielle can help them find Cassie. Annie makes a snide comment & Danielle 
gets pissy. Alan apologizes for Annie, saying she's quite obsessed with 
finding Cassie. Annie adds that she's trying to right an injustice and make 
sure that everyone gets what they deserve. Alan says if they don't find 
Cassie, her inheritance will revert to another family member.

Alan takes out some more cash. Annie takes it from him & waves it in front 
of Danielle, saying this would be the perfect time for her to tell them 
where to find Cassie. Danielle says she knows where they can find her.

LAKE GENEVA: Michael & Rick clean up together as Rick mentions that he 
talked to his chief of staff about Michael's situation & how he helped 
Vanessa. Dr. Grant can't reinstate Michael as a physician, but there is a 
physical therapy job available if Michael wants it. Michael is very 
thankful.

Hart & Roger work together. Hart hopes this all turns out the way Matt 
wants. Rog says stranger things have happened. Hart agrees; look at how 
things worked out for him & Dinah. He realizes this probably doesn't please 
Roger too much, but Rog says he's fine with it & just wants Hart's 
happiness. Hart thinks maybe the house does have some magic.

Amanda tries to find out what Reva's plans are, but she's not telling. 
Amanda recalls from her LTA days that Josh can be pretty romantic. Reva 
says he makes her toes curl, and she intends to hold onto him this time. 
Blake & Nola pester her about her plans, but she's not telling. Even the 
kids don't know. But everyone will know soon enough. The important thing is 
that they're happy. Blake says she & Ross are so happy too. And Dinah is 
happy with Hart. And Jenna is happy with Buzz, as annoying as he can be. 
Everyone is so happy, I think I'm going to puke.

Abby mentions that Rick "kind of" asked her to marry him again. Reva asks 
what she means by "kind of." Abby says she was wearing a bikini at the time 
& he might have had ulterior motives. Reva says he's a man, not a saint. 
Nola hopes all their happiness is contagious.

Abby thinks that since they all have such wonderful relationships, it's 
fitting that they help Matt finish the house so his soulmate can return to 
him. Reva says if Van is as connected to Matt as he is to her, she'll be 
back before they know it. Amanda hopes that none of Annie's bad vibes 
interfere with all their good vibes. Reva doesn't even want to say her name 
out loud. Nola asks if anyone's heard about her lately. Reva is worried 
because it's been "too quiet." Jenna thinks "this Annie character" can't be 
as bad as they're all making her out to be. "She's worse," replies Reva, 
and heads upstairs.

CHICAGO: Danielle hopes that Alan & Annie are on the level, because Cassie 
doesn't want anyone to know where she or her kid are. Cassie's little girl 
is 6. Her father is the drug-dealing scum of an ex-husband. When he was 
arrested, he lied that Cassie was also involved & the child was put in 
foster care. Cassie is trying to save up for her court case to win back 
custody of her daughter. Alan says the money Cassie has inherited will more 
than pay the bills. Annie adds that if they find Cassie, they will help her 
get her daughter back.

Danielle adds that Cassie was raised in foster care, and it didn't go well 
for her. That's one reason she's so intent on getting her daughter back. 
She always said that family was the most important thing. "I have a good 
friend who says the exact same thing," smiles Annie.

LAKE GENEVA: Ross comments to Matt on how beautiful the day is. Matt says 
only one thing could make it more perfect. Ross tries to caution Matt about 
his hopes for Vanessa, but Matt won't hear any negativity. He knows Van 
will come back when the house is finished. Ross isn't sure, but admits that 
miracles do happen. Matt thinks it's pretty miraculous the way everyone has 
pitched in & worked side by side on the house, including Amanda & Roger. 
"It's the beer," comments Buzz.

Matt says he knows that they don't all believe that building the house will 
bring Vanessa back, but the miracle is that they're all there anyway. But 
every little piece of the house is his belief that Vanessa will be back. He 
won't lose faith. Vanessa will sense what's going on & she will come back.

ROADSIDE: The hick slides out from under the car & gives Vanessa the bad 
news: she's busted an axle, a shock absorber, a muffler & a passel of other 
doohickeys. She needs a truckload of parts. The hick says it's going to be 
expensive. Van doesn't care about the cost; she just wants to know how long 
it will take. The hick says they have to tow the car back to the shop & 
order a heapload of parts... probably 1 or 2 weeks. Van says she can't 
possibly wait that long. She curses & says she's never had so much trouble 
getting out of a place in her life.

CHICAGO: Danielle is counting her cash & Annie has to snap her fingers in 
front of the woman's face to get her attention. Annie wants to make sure 
they are going after the correct Cassie Layne. Annie pulls out her cameo & 
asks if Cassie has something similar. Not to Danielle's knowledge. Annie & 
Alan explain that the real Cassie was given a similar cameo by her birth 
mother & if she still has it, it would help prove she's the right person. 
Danielle says if Cassie had anything like it, she never wore it. It's not 
exactly her style.

Alan says the cameo isn't essential to proving Cassie's identity. If they 
can just get her address, they can check her out & see if she's the right 
person. Danielle gives them a matchbook from a place called "Teasers" & 
says Cassie was tending bar at this place the last she knew. Alan says 
working at a place like that won't help Cassie get custody of her daughter. 
Danielle says the pay is good & that's Cassie's first priority. Annie 
thinks it's admirable. She just wants to find Cassie so they can get on 
with their plan. "What plan?" asks Danielle suspiciously. Annie covers by 
saying it's their plan to get Cassie started on a new life. Alan hands 
Annie his cell phone & suggests that she try calling Cassie now.

PARK: Michelle asks Jesse what was wrong with him growing up. "Stuff," he 
answers helpfully. She asks for details. Jesse says he had all kinds of 
problems because he was born prematurely. He had trouble breathing & 
eating. And when he was in school, the kids made fun of him because he 
couldn't play with him. Michelle can't imagine him as a sickly kid, since 
he's so buff now. He says he started working out when he was 15 to make up 
for lost time. No big deal, he says. "Tell that to your mirror," says 
Michelle. Jesse thinks Michelle has the lucky mirror. He would love to see 
her first thing in the morning & last thing at night. 

Michelle suggests getting back to the reading. She hands him a brochure & 
he reads "Hetsons College." Michelle notices that he keeps getting the 
letters backwards. She tells him she's going to Stephens College in the 
fall. It's where her mom went, in Columbia, Missouri. Jesse says that's a 
long way from Springfield. She didn't really think so when she decided to 
go. Jesse senses that maybe she's changed her mind. She doesn't want to 
think about it right now; she's more interested in enjoying her summer. She 
leans into him for a kiss, but he backs off, saying he has a lot of work to 
do. She wants to stay longer, but Jesse reminds her about the judge's 
warning. He knows he's been coming on to her, but he can't be with her like 
this because it's hard. ;-) They kiss passionately to the creak of Jesse's 
leather jacket.

Finally, Michelle pulls away & apologizes for getting them started. She has 
to get to the housewarming party & wishes she could bring Jesse with her. 
He says the others don't see him the way she does. Finally, at long last, 
they part. Michelle walks off & Jesse sits on a bench.

LAKE GENEVA: Josh & Reva get ready to leave. Their lips are still sealed 
about their plans, despite Blake's best efforts. The only hint they will 
give is that they will be on dry land, but water is involved. At last, they 
escape.

Dinah brings in a vse full of flowers & says the place looks great. Vanessa 
will love it.

ROADSIDE: Vanessa says she can't wait 2 weeks. Mr. Hick says he can get her 
a rental car first thing in the morning. Van says she can't wait until 
morning. She grabs her suitcase & decides to walk.

LAKE GENEVA: Reva looks into the house & comments on Matt's unshakable 
faith. Josh says Reva has plenty of faith. That's because she can look into 
his eyes & know. But Matt doesn't have that. It's like Reva thinking about 
her sister. Josh says they will find her sister. What's to stop them now 
that Annie has stopped meddling? They exchange "I love yous" & kiss.

CHICAGO: Annie flips open the cell phone while Danielle goes to put her 
windfall in a safe place. Annie is almost too excited to dial. She hopes 
Cassie will answer the phone & answer her prayers.

The phone rings in a sleazy strip joint. A woman in a black bikini does a 
bump & grind on stage. A guy answers the phone. Annie asks for Cassie. The 
guy says he doesn't see her, but she must be around because her sweater is 
there. Close up on the sweater, fastened by a cameo pin, as the screen 
fades to black.

--Marni (marni@panix.com)



