MARINA MOTEL/EARLY EVENING

JAKE, AMANDA, and FRANK stand in the lobby of the hotel. Amanda is having a heated conversation with the motel CLERK.

AMANDA
I don't think you understand. You allowed two underage kids, one of whom happens to be my daughter, to check into this motel. You allowed them to use a credit card, MY credit card. You didn't check ID, you didn't check age, you didn't check a damn thing. Now, if you'd prefer to have charges pressed against you for this, I'd be happy to call the police right now. On the other hand, if you'd rather just tell us what room our children are in, I won't press charges.

CLERK
I can't just give you room information! That's against hotel privacy policy!

FRANK
Look, buddy, your policy is moot when it involves minors. We can get the police in here, but I don't think you want the negative publicity.

JAKE
Or we can knock on every single door until we find them, and disturb your other patrons.

CLERK
Okay, okay. I'll look them up. What's the last name?

AMANDA
(with a small sigh of relief)
Cory…it's probably under Amanda Cory.

CLERK
Here they are…they're in room 215. Out the door and hang a right, go up the stairs, and it's five doors to the left.

Amanda rushes out of the lobby, towards the room. Jake and Frank trail behind her. As they approach the door, she prepares to knock.

JAKE
(grabbing her hand)
Just remember, Amanda…we're happy to see them. We can yell at them later, but we don't want to scare them.

AMANDA
You deal with Sean your way, Jake, I'll deal with Alli mine.

She knocks on the door, loudly.

CUT TO:

INSIDE OF ROOM

ALLI gets up from one of the double beds, where she's filing her nails, looking bored. SEAN glances up from his laptop on the other bed.

SEAN
Check who it is first.

ALLI
It's probably just Housekeeping-

She glances through the peephole and whirls around to face Sean.

ALLI (cont'd)
Sean! It's my mother and Jake!

The knocking continues as Alli and Sean freeze.

SEAN
(whispering)
Just don't open it.

ALLI
We're busted, Sean. We might as well face it.

SEAN
Alli! They'll go away…just don't open the door.

ALLI
We're almost out of money, Sean. We just need to accept that we've been caught. But whatever happens, we're in this together, right?

SEAN
(Standing up, resigned)
Together.

ALLI
Here goes everything.

She opens the door to see Jake, Amanda, and Frank.

ALLI (cont'd)
Hi, Mom.

CUT TO:

JAKE AND VICKY'S/SAME EVENING

VICKY comes out of the kitchen. She places her hands on her back, rubbing it.

VICKY
Okay, girls, I know you're getting bored in there, but I have to ask one huge favor. Just don't come along until your daddy gets back with your cousin, Sean, okay? That's all I ask…if you do that for me, I'll buy you both cars on your sixteenth birthday.

STEVEN and KIRKLAND come running down the stairs.

STEVEN
Mom! Is Jake coming back soon?

VICKY
I hope so, sweetie. What are you two doing?

STEVEN
Jay and Tommy Geller invited us to spend the night. Can we?

VICKY
I thought Mr. And Mrs. Geller were going out to a party tonight.

STEVEN
They are…Tommy's sister is baby-sitting. She doesn't care if we're there.

VICKY
I don't know, Steven…

STEVEN
Please, Mom? You and Jake will be going to that party, too…you can call and check on us.

VICKY
(under her breath)
Well, at this rate, Jake and I might not be going anywhere.

STEVEN
What?

VICKY
Nothing. It's okay with me, honey. Just don't torture his sister, okay?

STEVEN
Okay, Mom-

He stops, as he sees Vicky bend over in pain.

STEVEN (cont'd)
Mom? Are you okay?

Vicky doesn't answer him for a moment. When she finally stands up, a panicked look is on her face.

VICKY
Steven…do me a favor. Take Kirkland over to the Gellers' and I'm going to call Nana.

STEVEN
Now?

VICKY
(pointedly)
Right now. Okay? When you take Kirkland over, I want you to come back for me, okay?

STEVEN
Okay, Mom. Come on, Kirk.

He leads Kirkland out of the house, glancing back at Vicky before the door shuts. Vicky grabs the phone and dials.

CUT TO:

BCUH/EVENING

DONNA is in the hallway outside of the lab with MARLEY. Her cell phone rings and she grabs it.

DONNA
Hello?

VICKY
Donna? Mom?

DONNA
Victoria? Hi, honey. Is everything okay?

VICKY
(in tears)
No…everything is NOT okay. Jake went to Seattle early this afternoon because he and Amanda had a lead on Alli and Sean. And I just went into labor.

DONNA
Victoria! Are you sure?

VICKY
(yelling in irritation)
I've done this twice before, Donna, I think I know what labor feels like!

DONNA
Okay, okay, honey. How far apart are your contractions?

VICKY
Well, I've only had one.

DONNA
Only one?

VICKY
Just one.

DONNA
Then I think you may have a ways to go yet, honey. I'm at the hospital right now, having a blood test done. As soon as I'm done, I'll come get you.

Steven runs back into the house, followed by Mrs. Geller.

STEVEN
Mom! I told Mrs. Geller that you're going to have the babies, and she came over to drive you to the hospital.

VICKY
(into the phone)
Just wait there for me, Donna. I'm on my way.

She hangs up the phone, turning to Katherine Geller.

VICKY(cont'd)
Thank you…can we go now?

KATHERINE
(with a smile)
Come on, Vicky…it'll be the first time I've ever delivered twins…well, to the hospital at least.

She leads Vicky out of the house, shutting the door behind them.

CUT TO:

CORY MANSION/SAME EVENING

CARL seems to be searching for an answer to LILA'S question. Finally, he speaks.

CARL
I didn't know from the beginning. But eventually, I put two and two together.

LILA
That's why you offered your apartment to me.

CARL
It's one of the reasons, yes.

LILA
I always wondered why you did that. When most everyone else in Bay City was turning against me, you were kind enough to provide me with shelter. You did it because of my mother.

CARL
I wanted to make it up to her. I wanted her daughter to be safe.

LILA
I never thanked you for that.

CARL
Thanks isn't necessary.

LILA
My mother's death…you couldn't have known. It wasn't your fault, Carl.

CARL
Even so, I still shouldered the guilt. I knew that a young girl had been left motherless because of a dealing of mine. But no matter what Reginald believes, any involvement I had was accidental.

LILA
I don't care what he believes. I don't hold you responsible, Carl.

CARL
I appreciate that, Lila. Of course, the matter still remains that you ARE Reginald's daughter.

LILA
It doesn't matter.

CARL
It does. You are entitled to your family. I think Reginald will be put away for a good, long time, but there is still Donna. Not to mention Victoria and Marley.

LILA
Donna and I spent some time together on Christmas.

CARL
Well, that's lovely…at least both of you are making an effort.

LILA
It's just strange. I know that Vicky won't accept me until we have some sort of proof.

CARL
A blood test?

LILA
A blood test. I don't know if I want to know the truth, though.

CARL
My dear, you need to know the truth, not only for your own sake, but for the sake of your child. If she has cousins, aunts, uncles…you can't deprive her of her family.

LILA
Maybe we're better off-

CARL
I can't agree, Lila. If you ask me, you'd be best off to go get the blood test done as soon as possible.

LILA
Soon…

CARL
Why don't you go now? That way, you can begin the new millennium knowing who you are. Who you really are.

LILA
(giving in)
All right. If I don't, you'll just keep telling me to go, won't you?

CARL
(laughing)
I won't give up on you, Lila Winthrop.

LILA
(standing up)
I'll go now, Carl. But remember, the new millennium doesn't really start until 2001. So technically, you just gave me a year.

CARL
Semantics.

Carl stands up and walks her out. He kisses her on the forehead.

CARL (cont'd)
You have a journey ahead of you, Lila. Face it with strength.

Lila smiles at him, then leaves.

CUT TO:

CARLINO’S/SAME NIGHT

TITO stares after HAYLEY, who’s just fled from the restaurant. Then he turns to GARY and JOSIE.

TITO
It’s still hard for her—

GARY
We know that, Tito. And we know it’s difficult on you, too. We’re sorry. Really sorry. Neither of us wants to make this any more difficult than it already is.

TITO
I don’t think anyone can change how hard it’s going to be…and I just want to know when it will get easier.

He runs his hands over his face.

TITO
I have to get out of here, okay?

Without waiting for Josie and Gary’s response, he leaves the restaurant quickly. Josie glances at Gary.

JOSIE
I didn’t realize this would still be so tough on them.

GARY
We overestimated their reactions, hon. They’re still kids. No matter what Tito's done, he's still a kid.

JOSIE
I don't know how to get around this, though. We're GOING to see them.

GARY
We just take it as it comes. That's all that we can do.

He bends down and places a kiss on CJ's forehead.

GARY (cont'd)
And I know this little guy isn't ready for eggplant parmigiana, but I am. Why don't we order?

He and Josie have a seat.

CUT TO:

OUTSIDE OF CARLINO'S

HAYLEY sits on a bench, hunched over, sobs wracking her shoulders. TITO comes out of Carlino's, sits next to her wordlessly, placing the lasagna on the bench, and puts his arms around her. She leans into him, crying.

HAYLEY
That was so hard, Tito! All I wanted to do...all I could think was that I wanted to hold him...I wanted to take him and tell him that I love him...and I wanted him back to be ours!

TITO
I know...I felt the same way.

Hayley lifts her head up and looks at him. She notices that he's about to break down.

HAYLEY
I'm sorry...in this whole month, I haven't even considered how hard this might be on you.

TITO
I'm secondary. I'm worried about you, though. You carried him for months. Then you let him go.

HAYLEY
Do you think about what might have happened if we'd gotten married...tried to raise him together...?

TITO
I don't know. I keep having this image of the two of us with him...our son, Wesley--

HAYLEY
--Wesley?

TITO
(sheepishly)
I thought we'd name him Wesley. Anyway, I had this image...us taking him to the park...watching him walk for the first time...all of the things parents do. But then I thought about us...how we never really were supposed to be together...and if we'd fight...I don't want to put him through that. We did the right thing.

HAYLEY
Can we get out of here and just go home? I don't want to be here in case they come out.

TITO
Yeah... (they stand up)...Let's go.

He guides her away from Carlino's.

FADE OUT