JOE AND PAULINA'S - HOUSEWARMING PARTY/ EVENING

JAKE and VICKY walk over to JOE and PAULINA

VICKY
Paulina, the house is beautiful.

PAULINA
Thanks. Are you having a good time?

VICKY
Yeah, a great time.

PAULINA
I'm so glad we're neighbors.

JOE
So, what are we the Flintstones?

PAULINA
You can be Fred, honey.

VICKY
Actually, I think he's more a Fred Mertz type.

JAKE
Yeah, careful there, Joe, you have the receeding hairline thing going.

Paulina and Vicky laugh.

VICKY
This conversation's taking an unusual turn.

JOE
What are you guys doing for dinner tomorrow?

VICKY
I don't think we have any plans. Jake?

JAKE
No, we're free.

JOE
Why don't you come over? We'll do pot luck.

VICKY
Yeah, that sounds great.

PAULINA
It's for all ages, so bring the kids.

VICKY
Well, Steven has a birthday party to go to tomorrow, and Sean's grounded.

PAULINA
Grounded? What did he do?

JAKE
Skipped classes with Alli.

JOE
Skipping classes? Nah, not YOUR nephew.

JAKE
At least I always got my work done.

JOE
Yeah, sure.

VICKY
Skipping classes isn't exaclty a sin, but Jake and I wanted him to know that we weren't going to tolerate it.

PAULINA
Does Amanda know Alli's been cutting too?

VICKY
I don't know. I haven't talked to her since the memorial service. How is she anyway?

PAULINA
Still heartbroken. Rachel said she's just getting worse. And I think she took off to New Orleans this week. Something about a lead on the killer.

VICKY
Poor thing. I'll give her a call next week.

PAULINA
I'm sure she'd like that.

JOE
In the meantime, this is a party! Let's mingle.

They all laugh and begin to walk towards the other guests.

CUT TO:

JOHN and SHARLENE are standing by the refreshment table with paper cups of soda. They are watching GREG, who is listening to an angry-looking Alli nearby.

SHARLENE
The angst of being a teenager. That's one thing I definitely would never want to go back to.

JOHN
Oh, I don't know...the teenage years weren't bad. First loves...parties with friends...

SHARLENE
Do you think Greg will find that now that school's started?

JOHN
I hope so. I know he's been a little lonely this summer, but he'll find things to do now that he's in school. He's back with all of his old friends at least.

They are interrupted by the arrival of FELICIA and SERGEI.

FELICIA
Hi, you two! Nice party, isn't it?

SHARLENE
Very nice. Joe and Paulina's new house is beautiful.

FELICIA
It really is. How are you enjoying being back in the farmhouse?

SHARLENE
Well, it's not exactly OUR farmhouse, but it IS like being home.

JOHN
How are things working out with Hayley, Felicia? Everything okay with that right now?

Felicia glances behind her, where HAYLEY, LORNA, JOSIE, GARY, and MATT are quietly talking.

FELICIA
Things are good with her. I think she's as bewildered by all of the events as we are. She never expected to get a family.

SHARLENE
What about you? You didn't expect to get an unknown stepdaughter.

FELICIA
No, I didn't. But now that she's here, we're all making the best of it. Hayley has some problems, but she's a good kid. And she's Luke's daughter.

SHARLENE
It must be difficult to find out that the man you loved kept a secret like this from you.

Felicia pauses for a moment and stares at Sharlene.

FELICIA
Well, it wasn't easy, if that's what you mean. But I understand Luke's motives.

SERGEI
And Hayley is nice girl. She is very good with Gabrielle, and she is good listener.

JOHN
And Sergei...what are you up to? Working on finding a new job?

SERGEI
(looking embarrassed)
I am still searching. I am looking for job, but is hard when English is not so good. So I write music, and I search. English does not have to be good to write music.

JOHN
(smiling kindly)
No, I guess not. We do have a few orderly positions open at the hospital. It's not exactly glamorous, but if you want to come in for an interview, I'll put in a good word for you.

SERGEI
Thank you, John. I will do that. I want for Felicia to be proud of me.

JOHN
Come by Monday and we'll see what we can do.

FELICIA
And if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go say hello to Carl and Rachel.

She moves off, Sergei following her. John and Sharlene look at one another.

SHARLENE
(sarcastically)
He's turning out to be quite the catch, isn't he?

JOHN
Well, it's not exactly what I would have pictured for Felicia, but she seems happy.

They move off towards Greg and Alli.

CUT TO:

Hayley, Josie, Gary, Lorna, and Matt across the yard. Lorna is holding a squirming Gabrielle.

LORNA
Okay, kid, is this a hint that you're getting too big to be carried around everywhere?

GABRIELLE
(fighting her way out of Lorna's arms)
Down, Mama! Put me down!

HAYLEY
Here, let me have her. I'll take her over to play with the other kids.

Lorna hands Gabrielle to her.

LORNA
Be careful, Hay.

HAYLEY
I will.

She takes Gabrielle over to the swingset, where the younger children, Cory, Elizabeth, and Dante, are playing.

Lorna turns back to Josie, Gary, and Matt. Matt rests a hand on her back.

JOSIE
So...you two look pretty cozy.

Lorna and Matt share a shy smile.

MATT
We're getting to know each other again.

GARY
How's Jasmine, Matt?

MATT
She's great. Getting bigger every day. Lila and I are getting this whole joint custody thing worked out pretty well. What about you two? Ready to become parents?

JOSIE
We've been ready for two years. (She turns to Lorna.) It's so strange. You didn't know about Hayley your entire life, and then when she comes to town, she manages to make an impression on all of us. She's very special, Lorna.

LORNA
I know that, Josie. I just have a favor to ask of you, both of you.

GARY
About Hayley?

LORNA
(nodding)
I want her to stay here, in Bay City, after the baby is born. I don't want to lose her. I need to know that you guys will help with the adjustment after she gives the baby to you.

JOSIE
Do you think that's such a good idea? I mean, if she stays here...in town.

LORNA
She's going to have given up her child, Josie. She can't give up her only family at the same time. I'm going to help her as much as I can, but I need you to promise to be understanding with her.

JOSIE
Of course we will, Lorna.

GARY
That's not a question. She's giving us a huge gift. We can exercise a little understanding with her.

LORNA
(softly)
I just hope it won't call for more than a little.

MATT
Come on, guys, this is a party. Let's go party.

He pulls Lorna away, as she laughs. Josie and Gary follow them.

CUT TO:

GALATOIRE'S RESTAURANT, 209 BOURBON STREET, NEW ORLEANS/EVENING

The restaurant is very elegant, women in cocktail dresses and men in coats and ties. AMANDA and CHRIS have been seated at a small, out of the way table near a running fountain.

AMANDA
This is a beautiful restaurant, Chris. How did you know about it?

CHRIS
Toni and I had talked about coming to New Orleans for our honeymoon. This restaurant was one of the places she'd mentioned she'd like to go for dinner.

AMANDA
Oh, Chris...

CHRIS
No, really, I'm fine. I thought it seemed like a nice place to eat and after the investigating we've done today, we deserved a gourmet dinner.

AMANDA
You're right about that. Can I see the file?

CHRIS
I thought we weren't going to look at it until after dinner?

AMANDA
(smiling)
I'm impatient.

Chris sighs and hands her the small file. She opens it and begins to look through it.

AMANDA (cont'd)
I'd like to send some flowers or something to Mrs. Thayer. She didn't help us a whole lot, but she was nice enough to provide us with all she knew.

CHRIS
I'll order a bouquet to be sent over tomorrow.

AMANDA
So...she has all of this documented information from Carl's days as a bad guy. If I didn't know he'd changed, I'd be horrified by this.

CHRIS
You've still been pretty hard on him, though.

AMANDA
(setting the file down)
I know I have. I just needed someone to blame, you know? And Carl was the easiest one until we found the real killer.

CHRIS
If that file doesn't give us a clue, Amanda, we're back to square one. Why not just ask Carl the name of his partner?

AMANDA
He won't tell me. I know he won't, and I know he's only doing that to protect me. He doesn't understand that I won't feel protected until I know who did this.

CHRIS
Then we've got to look through that file closely for any kind of information.

Amanda doesn't answer him, just stares at a page in the file.

CHRIS
Amanda? Did you find something?

AMANDA
(in a low voice)
Oh, my God, Chris...I think I just found out who R.L. is and who Carl's partner was.

CHRIS
Do you know him? Do you know who he is?

AMANDA
(looking up with terror in her eyes)
I know exactly who he is, Chris. His name is right here.

CHRIS
Who, Amanda?

AMANDA
It's Reginald Love. Oh, God, it's Donna's father!

As Chris stares at her in puzzlement, Amanda looks down at the file, her hands shaking.

FREEZE FRAME

END EPISODE EIGHT