Recap by Kaydee B.

One Life to Live Recap for Thursday, April 11, 2002

          THE PEOPLE VS. TODD & BLAIR MANNING:

TODD MANNING REPRESENTING THE DEFENSE!

Okay, folks. This was definitely a session you had to see! Todd and Blair sit in the defendants’ bench, (without a lawyer), and await the judge. Enter Ms. Major, a.k.a. Lillith Crane to take her place on the opposing side. Todd, who never seems to learn his lesson, begins to mouth off about how no one was going to take his family away from him. Enter Judge Lee, and calls out their names. First Blair, then Todd.

“What do you want?” Todd hisses, and the judge, while annoyed, lets Todd’s rude response pass and says that the hearing is about to begin. Todd continues to bicker with the judge, Ms. Major, and despite all of the judge’s warnings, he’s going a mile a minute.

The judge manages to get a word in to Todd; a question as to his attorney’s whereabouts.

Mr. Daly is not able to attend, Todd impatiently informs the judge, because he’s off on another case with a Greta Van somebody, and Judge Lee can check that out for himself if he so chooses, because the case is going to be televised.

Judge Lee tells him that won’t be necessary, but since Todd knew that his attorney wasn’t going to be present for the hearing, why didn’t he seek an immediate postponement? Todd confidently tells the judge that he didn’t think a postponement was necessary because he and Blair weren’t going to accept being separated from their children any longer.

Blair is panicking at Todd’s outright disrespect for the judge, but Todd isn’t letting up. He jumps on Miss Major. Do you have kids, Miss Major? No, of course you don’t; because if you did, you wouldn’t be making a point of trying to take other people’s kids away form them. Ms. Major jumps up indignantly and yells out that she resents Todd’s accusation. Todd is not listening, or not interested. (YOU be the judge! No pun intended. 

He flips the script and puts the judge on trial. Do you have kids? He asked the completely shocked judge. He doesn’t give Judge Lee an opportunity to reply, because he’s off on a tangent in his and Blair’s defense. The judge battles for speaking time, telling Todd that all children have to follow rules, and if Todd behaves this way at home, it’s no wonder that his daughter feels free to slip off in taxis in the middle of the night and finds herself coming into contact with poisonous spiders.

Todd is even more outraged, and he tells the judge: I’m not a nice person, I admit that. I have been to prison, and I have probably hurt more people or put more people in prison that didn’t deserve it. I don’t follow rules, although my wife..she tries to follow rules, but RULES DON’T WORK! I know, I’ve been there. All we want for Starr and Jack is to have something better than we did, and maybe we don’t do things the way that other people do them, but does that make us bad parents? No! Now you and Ms. Major want to come along and snatch my family away. I’m NOT going to let that happen!

Sam walks in at this point and takes his place beside a terrified Blair. Although Todd’s behavior would have normally ruined his case, Sam saw something happening in the judge’s eyes beyond his anger and frustration. Todd was getting through to him. Sam steps up as Todd is waving Mr. Daly’s celebrity power in the judge’s face, and the judge says,

I didn’t know you were representing the Mannings. Todd says, He’s not. Sam concurs, telling His Honor that he’s there as a friend of the court and the family. He adds that he has been has been a frequent visitor of the Manning household on more than just a few occasions, and he’s there to vouch for the wonderful care that the Mannings give their children. He also throws some legal jargon in the mix.

He reminds the judge that the court had already ruled in the Mannings favor until the subject of Jack’s adoption had been uncovered. Since that seems to be the sticking point in this whole case, and it’s the ONLY reason why a second hearing was called, then may Sam humbly remind the judge that there is a one-year waiting period for an adoption to become final?

The judge agrees with Sam and makes an order to return the children with regular supervisory visits by the agency. He dismisses the case, but not before he tells Todd that Todd using Mr. Daly as a weapon does not intimidate him. In fact, if Todd was interested in meeting someone who’s beaten Mr. Daly, several times, he might want to talk to Mr. Rappaport. Todd glances at Sam in surprise, and Sam smugly grins. Case concluded, the judge says.

(Frankly, folks, I think the judge just wanted to get Todd the heck out of his face!)

Outside of the courtroom, Blair thanks Sam for taking the time out to be there, especially knowing that Jen is getting married. She slips off somewhere and Sam and Todd face-off.

Sam tells Todd that they both know the adoption papers were forged, and he isn’t sure what Todd is up to, but he’s determined to get to the bottom of things. Todd tells him to keep his nose out of their business, because he’s not even their lawyer.

Ah, but that’s where he’s wrong, Sam says. Blair wants him there, and he’s not going to stop until he tracks down the birth mother and gets the adoption legalized. He walks away confidently, and Todd says to his retreating back, Good luck finding Nellie. You know I’ll never let that happen!

(Yes, Todd, we do!)

 LLANFAIR: THE HEAT IS ON!

Niki stands over the baby in a panic as Ben stands watching her from the doorway. She’s not sure if he’s heard her screaming at the baby. He hadn’t. He informs her that Starr had left for school and he was free to help her with Jack.

She abruptly rejects that idea, much to Ben’s further confusion, and she offers a shaky smile to soften the brutal blow. Jack’s no problem, she says in her best Viki persona, why doesn’t he go to Jen’s wedding? No way, Ben says, he’s not going to the wedding alone. She’s your niece, he should go. Believe me, Viki, no one is going to miss me there. Niki doesn’t want Ben’s company, and they go back and forth until Jack’s very irritated cry interrupts. Ben asks Niki if he’s okay, because he doesn’t sound too happy. He moves toward the baby, but Niki stops him, telling him that Jack is fine, and she’ll take of him. Why doesn’t Ben just go to the wedding? Ben is suspicious, (but as in any soap, he’s not investigative enough just yet to try and add up the pieces. Get with the program, son!)

Niki thinks quickly on her feet and figures out a way to keep Ben at bay. She goes off on a tangent about how the only thing Ben wants to do is keep an eye on the way she’s caring for Jack because he knows she’s a terrible mother. He asks her what the hell she’s talking about, and where is this rambling coming from? She continues to act crazy and offended, saying that it’s true. He contradicts that and she says if it’s not true than how could she hate Natalie the way that she does.

LOONVIEW TEEN BEAT: POST-RESCUE STRESS DISORDER!!

Out in the hall, Cris and Natalie are engrossed in a very emotional conversation about the events of the rescue mission. Cris is trying to motivate Natalie in the healing process. She has to accept Seth and Jessica's relationship. The sooner she does that, the sooner she can heal. Natalie replies to Cris’ advice with an incoherent bunch of words. How could this have happened? She pulled every trick in the book! (Uh-oh! Boo-boo!)

What tricks did she pull? She stays silent for a few seconds, long enough for her mind to haunt her with the image of her telling Al that he either help her break up Seth and Jess, or she’ll blab to Jen that he can walk. She snaps out of her flashback and tells Cris that she had made Jessica think Seth had spent the night with her when the truth is that he was passed out drunk. She set him up.

(Good thing she’s done so many tricks she can pull out one to cover another, eh?)

Cris gets the feeling that there is more to the story, and he presses her for more. She tells him that she doesn’t want to talk about Seth and Jessica anymore; she just wants to go in and see her mother. She does, just in time to hear what Niki said to Ben. She swallows her pain and tells them the details about the rescue mission. She tells them that Jessica was heading to the hospital with Seth to get checked out. Then she leaves, ignoring the attempts the adults were making to clean up the statement Niki made.

Natalie darts back into the hall, and Cris is alarmed when he sees her about to burst into tears. She tells him that she’s a rotten person, because even her own mother hates her. Cris tells her that she must have misheard, because he’s known Mrs. Davidson since he was a child and..

Natalie tells him, “Quote: ‘I hate Natalie’. End quote”. Cris’ heart breaks for her. She tells him that she deserved everything bad that happened to her, and Cris objects. She’s a good person; she didn’t deserve to have those things happen to her. She said, yes, she does. She’s done a lot of terrible things that affected a lot of people. Jessica, Viki, and even him. He’s on alert now. She tells him that she’s the reason he’s so hurt right now. There’s something she didn’t tell him…about Al.

Back in the living room, Niki turns her back to Ben and stares disinterestedly at the door that just slammed behind Natalie. She takes a deep breath as she prepares to assume the role of Viki once again. She dons a heartbroken expression and turns to Ben, asking him in her best-broken voice: “How could I have said that with her standing right there?’

Ben moves to console the woman he thinks is his wife and she secretly cringes. She accepts his embrace with distaste and accepts his embrace with disdain. He tells her that she couldn’t have known that Natalie was in the doorway, but she can deal with Natalie later. He’ll take care of Jack while she’s gone. Gone where? Niki says, then immediately realizes he’s referring to Jessica. She over dramatizes her terror and concern and is relieved for the chance to escape the family scene. She hurries out.

Later, as she impatiently tries to find her way to the ER, (obviously not aware that Viki would have known exactly where that was), her evil mind starts churning. How on earth is she going to get out of this? That’s when she concludes that she has to eliminate Ben. (Hmmm).

KERI/ANTONIO/SHAWNA:VEGA P.I.!!

Talk about good police work! Or even better, good private eye work!! Antonio gave the all-time SUPER COP performance of the day!!

The hearing was at a stalemate, and the panel was about to rule. Antonio bursts in and says that he has plenty to add before they do. Dean Baker tells him that he has no right to interrupt the hearing, but Antonio shoots him down with an angry remark. He’s not allowed to have a say, but a liar is? Rae and the other panelist agree with him. If he has evidence relevant to the hearing, they want to hear it.

Antonio produces a file about ten pages thick, and the action begins. In the case of the witnesses for the plaintiff: he presents Exhibits A through D.

Witness A: Jonathan- A transfer student who arrived at the University in late January.

The panel is shocked; because the timing of the student’s arrival is after the time he claims to have seen Keri engaged in inappropriate behavior.

Witness B:  Marsha—Now this particular student wasn’t even in the University until the second semester. Why? Well, she was busy becoming drug-free in a rehab facility for six months.

Witness C:  Jake—Oh, he’s a winner!! He has an arrest record the size of Loonview. The charges? Drugs, Drugs, Petty Theft, Possible Date Rape, and . you guessed it, people, more drugs!! (He was probably too stoned to know if what he claims to have seen was a hallucination or not!)

Oh, and there’s an added bonus…His own father calls him a pathological liar!

Finally there’s Witness D: Irene—Irene is a practiced teacher slanderer. Don’t try to deny it, kid, it’s in your school records. It started in seventh grade and has continued ever since. Irene flatly admits that Shawna paid her fifty bucks to lie.

Shawna asks the panel if they’re really going to believe anything Antonio has to say. After all, he’s Professor Reynolds’…

“Shawna, you’ve had your say. Now shut your mouth!” Guess who said that? RAE! You go, girl!

Antonio, Keri, Carlotta and Hank smile, but RJ stands in a corner brooding. (Gee, I wonder why?)

Antonio’s not done yet. He has some final evidence that he needs top present. Just in case the background checks on the fraudulent witnesses weren’t enough to convince them that Keri is nothing more than an outstanding, ethical professor, he produces the four copies of his term paper and shows the panel.

The first three drafts, which Keri had rejected with a big fat UNACCEPTABLE written across the top, and then the final copy, which landed him the A and the award. He confesses to the panel that it was he who pursued her, many times, only to be rejected by her many times as she quoted the school policy.

The panel naturally dismisses the charges, adding profuse apologies to boot. She leaves the hearing with her excellent reputation still intact. Shawna and the Convicts leave the room while Keri excitedly revels in her relief with her uncle, Antonio and Carlotta. RJ slips out of the room, but not without Antonio noticing the suspicious exit. He excuses himself and follows RJ outside, finding him and Shawna in a mysterious tête-à-tête.

RJ tells Shawna that they have something to discuss. He tells Shawna to drop any future plans against Keri and keep her mouth shut about their arrangement. Shawna, treading on dangerous grounds, decides to challenge RJ’s warning and tells him that she just may expose his role in the whole set-up.

RJ ominously warns her that she doesn’t ever want to cross him; because she’ll find herself so deep in quicksand she’ll never what hit her. (I’m paraphrasing here.) Her face takes on a look of terror that doesn’t go unnoticed by their observer.

LOONVIEW TEEN BEAT: PRE-WEDDING JITTERS???

Well, let’s see if we can call this chaos jitters.

We’ll start first with Al and Jen in the library. After having dodged yet another fake paralysis exposed bullet, he and Jen share a hug. (I don’t know about you, but the slurping sounds coming from Al lapping up that hug are echoing in my ears!!)

They share another short discussion about the ceremony, and Jen rushes off to get ready. When she’s gone, Al calls for Tony to come out of hiding. The janitor emerges and Al thanks him for not blowing his cover. He pulls out a few bills and hands it to Tony. That’s it? The janitor scoffs. Al pulls out the last of his wallet’s financial contents and tells the janitor that that’s all he has.

Tony tells Al that the amount is rather skimpy, considering that Tony has a hunch that the teen is running some sort of scam. Al shakes the money at him and tells him that he has to take it and please don’t tell anyone what he knows.

Okaaayy, now we go over to Asa and Blabby, (Oops, I’m sorry, Gabby). In yesterday’s recap I forgot to mention that Asa overheard Gabby and Bo discussing their going to the wedding as dates. He later observed Bo canceling that arrangement because duty called him to Los Angeles on a joint case he’d been working on. As Gabby gracefully accepted her disappointment and headed into the living room to await the start of the ceremony, Asa grabs her by the arm and tells her that she’s not going anywhere until they have a little talk. And now, we continue.

Gabrielle puts her hand into a cat’s paw and warns the elder man that she has a manicure that can rip the skin off of an elephant, or something to that effect.

Asa asks her if that’s how she got her hooks into his boy. He warns her that she won’t do to Bo what she did to him, and despite all of her shocked replies, he reiterates the threat.

She tells him that although the concept of two members of the opposite sex being platonic friends may be a foreign one to Asa, that’s exactly what she and Bo are. Asa, to enforce that reality, tells her that Bo knows all about how her twisted little mind works, and he’s also aware, (as is the whole damned town), that Gabby is always trying to sink her claws into a man.

Bo can’t stand the sight of her, and he only asked Gabby to move in with her so he could get back at Asa. The only man she ever even liked was Max Holden.

Gabrielle tells Asa that she’s fully aware that when Bo looks at her, he only sees an ex-convict who manipulates and schemes whenever she gets the chance. Asa comically adds, “Or whenever it damned well suits her”.

She tells him that he has nothing to worry about, because she knows her place.

Max comes bearing cakes, asking where Renee is so she can direct him to the proper place to put the cakes. Gabby grabs the cakes from him, saying that it’s her job to place the cakes, and she rushes off.

Frowning in confusion at what he’d just witnessed, Max asks Asa what he just missed. Asa dismissively tells Max that Gabby is just working up a fit because she can’t get her way with Bo. Max shakes his head and says that she never learns.

He asks Asa where Al is, and Asa directs him to the library, where he walks in to witness Al paying off the janitor to keep quiet about something. Max asks him what’s going on, and he’s not buying the line of trash that Al feeds him either. (Way to go, Holden!) Tony manages to make a hasty escape, leaving Al to his own defenses against his suspicious papa.

Max keeps pressing for answers, and Al is getting agitated. So agitated, in fact, that Max immediately notices the fervent trembling of his son’s legs. When he mentions this to Al, his son snaps, shouting,

Fine! You want to know the truth? I can walk! I have been able to walk for quite some time now! There, ya happy?

Max is overwhelmed by all that was revealed, and finally manages to ask Al why he’s keeping up the paralysis. Al says because he’s making sure that he marries Jen. If Jen thinks he’s still paralyzed, the wedding will happen, and if not, she might go back to Cris.

Oh, boy! Max is NOT happy! He tells his son that what he’s doing is WRONG, and he can’t keep his son’s secret. He’s lying to get something he wants; doesn’t he see the harm that will cause to everyone involved? No, Al replies he doesn’t. He’s already covered his tracks to make it look like a miracle when they get to Switzerland, and all Max has to do is act as if he’s surprised when Al breaks the news.

I’m not going to do that, Max says, I can’t let you do that.

Oh, you can’t let me do this? You? The man who’s done every dirty trick in the book to get what he wants?

That’s right, Al. And I can’t let you turn out to be like me. 

You can’t stop me, Al replies defiantly.

Oh, yes I can, “ Max says, “right now.” He turns and races off. Al furiously screams out DAD! What are you going to do?

He turns that wheelchair into a vehicle for the Olympics and rush-races after Max, screaming repeatedly.

DAD! DAD! DAD!

He catches up with Max, running right into the entire group of guests who stare at the two Holden men in confusion. What’s going on?

Well, son, Max says, do you want to tell them? Or should I?

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Recap written by Kimberley Barnett, © Copyright by Katherine Thurston & 2002.