Recap by Kaydee B.

One Life to Live Recap for Thursday, January 31, 2002

The Docks:

David and Todd, totally unaware that were being spied upon by a desperate predator, continue their tug-of-war conversation at the docks.  David asks Todd if he brought the million dollars that was demanded of him, and Todd impishly hangs on to the briefcase and says matter-of-factly, “Well what do you think is in here?” David eagerly reaches for the case, but Todd executes an adult version of “Monkey-in-the-Middle”, keeping the briefcase always just a fingertip away from David’s grasp. Now furious, David impatiently screams out a demand for Todd to hand over the briefcase. As if to imply that David was a “party pooper”, Todd shoves the briefcase at David and says, “Okay, fine. If you want what’s in here, you’re gonna have to open it yourself.” (Cleverly non-committal statement, eh?) David greedily grabs the case, and instantaneously gets the feeling that Todd is up to something. He hesitates to open the case, and instead asks Todd what is in the briefcase. If something pops out at him, Todd can kiss his secret good-bye. Todd assures David that there is money in the case. David ceremoniously opens the briefcase and is even more infuriated when he is met with a neatly packed pile of shredded paper.

David, consumed by a lethal slew of rage and disbelief of Todd’s courage to test the waters even with his back against the wall, begins to reach threateningly for his cell phone to call Blair. Todd stops him, and David says, “Last chance, Todd. Where’s my money?” It’s nearby; Todd says coolly, much to David’s further fury. The verbal cat-and-mouse game continues as their unseen spectator strains to get a better listen of the exchange, and then Todd tosses David a bone. The money is in a backpack under the garbage in the receptacle behind him. Todd watches with satisfied amusement as David rummages through the trash like a hungry stray seeking out a scrap and finds yet another decoy. Todd then comes clean—David will not get one red cent until he gives Todd something in return for his trouble. Todd wants something from David as a guarantee that this million will be the last payout that Todd will have to give him. David sneers, “Would you like a blackmailer’s guarantee in a written contract?”  Todd says, yeah, put it in writing. David, chuckles at the ridiculous notion. Todd has got to be joking...or is he? He is a bit rattled by the look in Todd’s eyes, and realizes that he completely forgot that he was dealing with a Manning. He thinks quickly, and attempts to remind Todd just what he has over Todd’s head. Does he need to remind Todd that he’s going to call Blair and inform her of Baby Jack’s “adoption” caper? Or even mention that her husband is a baby snatcher? 

Gabrielle listens with peaked curiosity, on full alert now for what information is going to flow from the two men next, and she moves in closer. This is getting good! She has a front row seat to the best-mouth-boxing match of Llanview and the juiciest gossip, and the cherry on top of this luscious treat, viewers? A garment alarm tag caught on a protruding nail that’s pinning her to the very barrel she’s using for cover! She tries to wiggle herself free from the restriction, but she succeeds only in making a tin can fall from its perch on the barrel to the floor, capturing the men’s attention and fear. She sinks back into the corner, terrified that she’ll be discovered, and is relieved when an old alley cat jumps out screeching from a barrel providing Gabby with an unexpected but welcome distraction for the men.  The men hear the cats and accept that the cats had caused the noise, much to Gabrielle’s relief.

KERI/ANTONIO/RJ: ROADSIDE LOVE ASSISTANCE?

Keri recovers from the shock of seeing Antonio arrive and tells him that her car just stopped. Antonio manages to control his urge to hold her and heads over to her car.

I thought you were headed to Rodi’s to celebrate your victory with your friends? Keri comments. Antonio replies that he changed his mind. He commences to fix her car, but she tells him that he doesn’t have to do that, and besides, he’ll ruin his suit. “I’ll be careful,” he counters dismissively as he looks under her hood. Consider the gesture a “thank-you” for the part she played in his winning the award. She didn’t really do anything, she says, (and the waltz continues), Antonio was a good student, and she knows   that he’s a good cop--- the rest was easy. Antonio tells her that in addition to being a cop, he was formerly a resident of Angel Square, where you learned how to fix whatever was broken.

But what if it can’t be fixed, she asks painfully. Antonio sidesteps the true aspect of her question and tells her that if it’s under the hood of her car, he can fix it. He delegates some instructions after asking her a few simple questions about what happened to her car, then asks if she has a wire hanger available. (Incidentally, she has her dry cleaning hanging up in her car. He tells her he’s going to get a flashlight from his car, but she tells him she has one in hers. She welcomes the opportunity to momentarily escape the awkward tension between them as she fishes out her flashlight. He cautiously takes her hand and guides the flashlight to the spot he needs to see. The sparks are flying, but they’re both too afraid to make the next move.

After a few moments of inefficient assistance to Antonio, he tells her that he can’t work without light, and she blurts out that she can’t do it. He asks her what it is she can’t do.

“I can’t do any of this. We made a mistake.” She tells him why should they care what their parents have to say about their relationship. If their parents had a problem, they should be the ones to slug it out, not her and Antonio. Antonio sadly admits that it still would be their problem, especially now that he was promoted. Keri quickly insists that RJ is legitimate now, but Antonio tells her that even if that were true, there would still be issues outstanding that he is still investigating concerning RJ.

Before she can say anything further, RJ drives up and asks what is going on as he takes in the sight of his child and Antonio. Antonio angrily retorts that he and Keri are adults who don’t have to explain themselves to anyone. Before the two enemies can draw their swords, Antonio’s cell phone rings and he’s summoned down to the station. He hangs up and tells Keri that he’ll follow her home for safety and then he’ll head off to work. RJ chimes in, telling Keri that he’ll take on that responsibility. He’ll drop Keri off at Nora’s to gather her belongings and move them into his house as they previously discussed. Antonio stops dead in his tracks and turns to face her in angry shock. Keri is going to move in with RJ? It’s déjà vu all over again for Keri as she rushes to launch an explanation to Antonio for her decision. It’s getting too crowded at Nora’s and she had no immediate place to go…

 Antonio angrily cuts off her rambling and says he can understand her situation, but moving in with RJ was allowing RJ to interfere with their relationship. Keri says they’ll work it out, and as Antonio’s cell phone rings for a second time, he tells her he doesn’t think they can work it out.

VIKI/NATALIE/BEN: LLANFAIR FAMILY MATTERS!

Viki sits at the desk studying the picture of a newborn baby whose inscription on the back said: “Jessica—one day old.” She uses White-Out and writes in Natalie’s name before setting the picture in a frame.

Out in the hall, Natalie quickly slips inside and sets to head upstairs, but Ben catches her at the foot of the stairs and intercepts her escape plan. She’s not going anywhere until she explains why she stole the art piece from Lindsay’s Gallery and tried to frame Seth. Natalie adamantly denies it, but Ben’s not buying it. He knows that Natalie did it, but he also knows why she did it. In an attempt to reach out to Natalie, he shares a few important details of his own painful experiences as a child who missed out on getting to know and be raised by his natural birth mother, Renee. Renee is a wonderful person, but someone else dictated his life and he, too, missed out on a different lifestyle. He also understands that she’s still very hurt by what happened between her and Seth, but she needs to stop lashing out and accept the other great loves that’s in her life. She continues to deny her part in the heist, but Ben, too, stands firm. He ignores her strong warning that if he goes to Viki with his accusations he’ll risk hurting her for no reason and tells her that Viki wants to be her mother. Natalie needs to let go of her anger with the past and make a choice. His cell phone rings and Natalie attempts to escape again, but Ben stops her with a simple but authoritative, “We’re not finished,” and answers the phone.

DR. LARRY WOLEK: MEDICINE MAN

 PsychoPals Roxy and Allison look on victoriously as Larry plays out  his role in their plan perfectly. They listen as Larry relates the few planted details of Roxanne’s ER history to Ben on the phone. When he hangs up, Allison tells Roxy that their plan is working out perfectly. Roxanne says, great, there’s a bottle of wine with her name on it waiting for her. Allison sarcastically asks if her wine is called “Light Lush”. Roxanne socks her with a dismissive “Very funny” and heads off to dance with her beloved liquor.

LLANFAIR FAMILY MATTERS:--PT. 2:

Enter Viki, who is confused by what little she overheard between her husband and her daughter, but eager to give Natalie a little piece of down-home Buchanan history of her own. She shows Natalie the newborn picture, and Natalie is touched. She heads into the living room, photo clutched tightly in her hand, and Viki confronts her husband about what had transpired between them before she’d arrived. Ben covers for Natalie, telling Viki he was just having a little heart-to-heart with Natalie. They head inside to find a tearful Natalie, still studying her picture. She tells them she has something to say to both of them. She repents her previous actions and apologizes to them for all things mean and nasty, promising them an improved Natalie from that moment forward. She’s just about to confess to the art theft caper, but Ben cuts her off, signaling for her to keep the confession to herself and chalk it up to a well-learned lesson. She again reaffirms her promise to be better and scurried off to her room.

LLANVIEW “ ER”: THE TEENS:

Al, sitting in his wheelchair, once again fantasizes about getting better for Jen so that they can start their romantic venture as a real couple. He desperately attempts to ease his hunch that she isn’t coming back because she’s with Cris.

Outside in the hall, Seth and Jessica are on their way in to see him. They find him in his worried state and Jessica asks him if everything is okay. He says yes, but she knows differently. The three of them start talking about Al’s future prognosis, and he tells them the basics. Dr. Wolek says he may be able to leave the hospital tomorrow, he can do rehab on an out-patient basis…but there is the problem of where he’ll live. He can’t possibly return to Asa’s, or Max, and living with Gabrielle at Bo’s is out of the question. His best option is the college dorm, which Jessica adamantly objects to. She insistently suggests that Al reside in the Llanfair carriage house, and after some minimal persuasion tactics, Jessica and Seth head home to get it ready.

Jen is outside Al’s door, getting ready to tell him the plans for their future together. Cris quickly stops her, pleading with her not to tell Al that she and Cris are through. Jen once again airs her sense of guilt and obligation to Al. They argue for a good while about the pros and cons of choosing to take Jen’s approach to resolve the situation. When Jen finalizes her decision to stand by Al until he gets better, Cris, desperate to dissuade her from following through on her intentions, grabs her and kisses her. A few seconds later, Jessica and Seth come out. They exchange polite greetings and small talk, then Jessica tells Seth that they need to get moving on their preparation of the carriage house. Why? Jen asks. Jess tells her of Al’s plan, and Jen heads inside. Jessica stops her to briefly commend her for all that she’s done for Al. Jen refuses to accept any praise, but Jessica pours it on anyway, telling her how Al has been progressing so well because of her. Jen slips inside , leaving a devastated Cris alone with the couple. He dodges a long conversation with the couple, and as they leave, Larry runs into him. Larry tells Cris that he’s really glad to see how all of Al’s friends have come out to show their support. Cris asks Larry if al will ever be able to walk again and Larry says it’s too early to make that call. He also tells Cris that only time will tell, because there have been plenty of times when patients were supposed to be doing well took a turn for the worst and vice versa. In Al’s case there’s apparently something he found in his friends that made him stronger.

In the room, Jen tells Al that she wants to talk to him about their future. She meant what she said about staying by Al, but he must know how things are between her and Cris. Just as she’s about to tell him the truth about her feelings, Cris bursts in and tells al that he and Jen are through.

P.A. LAW:--THE DRESS SHOP HEIST!

Bo enters the Silver Moon shop to see Hank supervising the investigation. Hank fills Bo in on the details. Bo asks Hank what was the extent of the missing inventory, hank replies: One party dress. Bo is agitated that he was called down to the dress shop to investigate the theft of one dress. Hank tells him it’s not the theft that Hank called him down for, it’s the woman who stole the dress that Bo will be interested in.

“Well, who was it?” Hank replies that he doesn’t have a name, but they have solid, undisputable proof as to her identity by the evidence she left behind. Bo wants to know how can clothes be someone’s proof of identity? Hank tells Bo to take a look to his right. Bo complies and sees the “Gabrielle” mannequin. Hank tries to suppress his laughter as Bo raises his hands to his temples to stop an oncoming migraine. 

THE DOCKS: FINAL FACE-OFF!

David demands that Todd give him the money once again, and when Todd tells him once again that he wants a guarantee that David won’t bother him after this pay-off, David angrily reaches for his cell phone and begins to dial Blair. He doesn’t get to dial the first digit, as two armed police officers speaking French arrive and place him under arrest. Shock turns into pure rage as David is dragged away in handcuffs, the sound of Todd’s demonic laughter ringing in his ear. Todd leaves the docks a few seconds later, and Gabby, the Lone Dress Shoplifting Crusader, finally makes her escape.

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