September 23, 1999
Scene 1: Cedars
(Drew and Michelle are stepping off the elevator at Cedars. Michelle isn't wearing pink! Wow...)
Drew: You don't have to do this.
Michelle: Do what?
Drew: You're following me around, listening to all of my sob stories.
Michelle: Well, Drew, it's--believe me, it's better than thinking of my own. Look, I know you're worried about Selena, but you have something to look forward to here.
Drew: And you don't? You don't? Come on, you two will work this out.
Michelle: How? I--I--I dropped so many things when I got married to him. (Which time?) So many of my dreams and I--I have to have a life, you know? I have to. There's things that I just can't do in the Santos house.
Drew: That's fine. Do you tell him? Do you talk to him about it? Does he know?
Michelle: Yeah. Yeah, he knows. I've probably made him really sick of hearing about it because I'm sick of talking about it. But...right now he's at the party for the Santos family.
Drew: And you're not with him.
Michelle: No, I'm not. Because I am where I need to be and he is where he needs to be.
Scene 2: Casa Santos
(Danny's standing with two guys when his cell phone rings.)
Danny: Excuse me for a second. (Answers his phone.) Hello?
Phillip: Danny, it's Phillip. I can't talk long, I've got a dinner party going here. I just wanted to get you up to speed. I talked to Frank earlier. He's finished setting up to monitor the Spaulding computers. So we just have to wait to see if Ben takes the bait.
Danny: Well, I'll take care of that. He shouldn't be able to resist.
Phillip: Well, we'll see. I got to get back to the party. Let's talk later.
Danny: Okay. (Hangs up the phone.) It's just matter of time, Ben, and you are history. And I'm free. Free to leave, free to be with Michelle. (Camera shows Ben and Carmen talking with Danny watching them from a distance. Danny walks into the hall and Ben starts to leave when Danny stops him in the hall.) Ben, Ben. You're leaving so soon? I'm hurt.
Ben: Yes, I have busines.
Danny: Wait a minute. What's this? (Takes an envelope from Ben's hand.)
Ben: That's Sancorp business.
Danny: Oh, well, Santos business is my business. You, on the other hand, are not a part of this family. And as long as I'm alive, you never will be. (Danny smiles this oh-so-sexy smile after he says that! God, he looks good...)
Scene 3: Casa Santos
Ben: Can I have my envelope back please?
Danny: You know, Ben, Ben, Ben, you really should be more careful. You never know what life might serve up. What might be around the corner. (Ooh...that sounds like a threat to me! Watch your back, Ben!)
Ben: What are you talking about?
Danny: I'm talking about the randomness of it all. How you never know what might just happen. Here you go. (Hands the envelope to Ben.)
Ben: (Laughs.) Too true. (Leaves.)
Danny: See ya. (Carmen enters.)
Carmen: What was that all about, Danny? You weren't arguing with Ben, were you?
Danny: Oh, no, of course not. Not on a night like this.
Carmen: And where's Michelle? I thought she'd be here by now.
Danny: Michelle has decided to go back to school, so she's kind of swamped with her work and her brother's helping her out so she'll be spending some time at his house.
Carmen: She's at Rick Bauer's? (No, her other brother! Yes, Carmen, she's at Rick's house.)
Danny: Yeah, it will be alot easier for her to study there.
Carmen: Oh, well, what a shame. I mean, to miss this party? After all, I gave it for the both of you for your homecoming.
Danny: That's life, Mama. These things happen. I'm going to...I'm going to go talk to Grandma.
Carmen: Okay. (She calls Theresa a.k.a. Hoochie, to invite her to the party. Fortunately, she can't come! Thank God!)
Scene 4: Cedars
(Drew and Michelle are entering Selena's hospital room. Buzz and Ross are there, too.)
Drew: Is she asleep?
Selena: No, I'm not asleep, but you should be, and so should you, Michelle. What are you doing here? You've been here all this time?
Michelle: (To Ross.) Hi.
Ross: Hi, Michelle. Good to see you. (Gives her a kiss on the cheek.)
Drew: (Hugging Selena.) What are you going to do, ground me?
Selena: Maybe, you bad girl.
Buzz: (To Ross.) I want to talk to you. Right out there. (They leave.)
Drew: Oh, good, good. Now that the guys are gone, you need some picker-upper.
Selena: Now that the guys are gone? Great.
Scene 5: Cedars
Drew: Everything is going to be fine. (Directs it to Michelle this next time.) Everything is going to be fine. We're all going to see.
Selena: It doesn't matter. However anything turns out, it's going to be fine with me. But I'm really, really tired of talking about myself, so what's going on with you guys? What's going on with you, Michelle? What's new?
Michelle: Nothing. Nothing...much. Nothing.
Drew: The Santos are throwing a big coming home party for Danny, and Michelle's supposed to be there as we speak.
Michelle: Yeah, well, I don't want to go back to that house.
Selena: Well, forget about the house. How do you feel about your husband?
Michelle: I love him, of course. I...
Selena: Well, then, what are you doing here? Go and fight for him, alright? Go get your man, girlfriend. Don't let other people run your life for you. (For Christ's sake, Michelle, just listen to what she's saying! Please!)
Michelle: Selena, if I go back into that house, without having any of my problems solved, it's not going to change anything. I'm just going to...nothing's going to change. I can't live like that.
Selena: You're not solving any of your problems here, are you?
Michelle: (Hesitantly.) No.
Selena: Right.
Michelle: Okay. Maybe I'm going about this all wrong.
Selena: So what are you still doing here? Go on, get out of here. (Deja vu! Wasn't Danny just telling her that yesterday?)
Michelle: Okay. Thank you. (Kisses Selena bye.)
Selena: Michelle, wait. (Wipes some lipstick off her cheek.) Hurry up. Get him.
Michelle: Okay, I'm going. Bye. Thanks. (To herself.) Okay...
Scene 6: Casa Santos
(Danny is talking to his grandma. Turns out that Carmen let her out of the attic! Yippee! It's about damn time...)
Grandma Santos: And where is Michelle?
Danny: Well, Michelle--she's had to go back to school. She's got alot of work to do. She's got alot of courses, alot of catching up, but she'll try to get here later on tonight. Don't worry.
Grandma Santos: There is sadness in your eyes.
Danny: What?
Grandma Santos: And in your heart.
Danny: What are you talking about? No, there isn't. (Danny, Danny, Danny...don't argue with your grandmother...)
Grandma Santos: Yes. There's something more about Michelle that you aren't telling me. (Carmen walks up.)
Carmen: I'm afraid Michelle won't be coming, Mama. (Hey, that's Mama-in-law to you...)
Grandma Santos: Oh, you are wrong. (Carmen and Danny turn to where Grandma Santos is facing and Michelle--who is wearing a black dress, yes BLACK--is standing there, looking absolutely stunning with her new haircut. She mouths "hi" and Danny mouths something that looks like "home." His smile right here is so big that it literally is from ear-to-ear.)
Scene 7: Casa Santos
Danny: (To Grandma.) See? What'd I tell you? She'd be here and she is.
Grandma Santos: Yes.
Danny: Excuse me. Excuse me. (To some guest.) Hey, how are you?
PodRay: (To Michelle.) How many times have I seen you since the wedding? Twice? Maybe three times?
Michelle: I--yeah, I guess.
PodRay: You need to take some time off from your married bliss. (Touches her chin. Which by the way, I totally hated. I don't think they're close enough for him to do that...or maybe I just don't like this new guy. Who knows?) Or maybe you already have?
Michelle: (Very distracted.) What?
Danny: Hey, honey, hi. I'm glad you could make it? How are you? (To PodRay.) Michelle's been really busy studying for the MCAT to go to Med School and her brother's helping her out, so we weren't sure she'd make it.
PodRay: That's great.
Michelle: Yeah.
PodRay: Good for you.
Michelle: Yeah, it's really one of the hardest thing I've ever had to do, but, you know, I've had to stick by it.
Danny: And I think it's great. I totally support it. It's very important to pursue your dreams, right, Ray?
PodRay: Absolutely. (Points to Grandma Santos.) I--I think you're being summoned.
Danny: Okay, yeah. I'll be right back. (Walks over to Grandma Santos.) Grandma, what's up? What can I get for you?
Grandma Santos: Nothing. No, nothing. I just want you to talk to me. Tell me, what is really going on between you and Michelle?
Scene 8: Casa Santos
(Throughout this scene, it switches from Michelle and Ray to Grandma and Danny, but I'm just going to squeeze it into one whole scene.)
Grandma Santos: Daniel?
Danny: Hmmm?
Grandma Santos: Please tell me what it is. There's clearly a problem. Your mother?
Danny: No.
Grandma Santos: Then what? Your mother, she told me she called Theresa, your old girlfriend.
Danny: She did?
Grandma Santos: She's trying to create trouble.
Danny: Grandma, it's not a big deal. Theresa's not--she's not a problem. She's a friend.
Grandma Santos: Yeah, but I hate to see what she's doing to this young girl.
PodRay: Talk to me.
Michelle: Hi, Ray. Uhmm, I'm just really frustrated right now. You know, I love Danny alot and all I want is to be with him and uhmm, there is no getting away from what this family does. How do you do that? I mean, you're a priest. I--I don't understand.
PodRay: Well, there is good here, and there's bad, as in all of life. My focus: try to bring out the good.
Danny: So, I don't know what to do. I mean, I'm not about to let Ben Warren destroy everything that Papa built. I'm not.
Grandma Santos: But what about Michelle?
Danny: I dont know. Look, I love her, she's my wife, and I'm trying to do everything I can to keep her happy and in my life, but...
Grandma Santos: But--but what?
Danny: I just--I think I might be losing her.
PodRay: I've known Danny a long time, Michelle. He's not perfect. (Yes, he is! First, Ben says that he's not Mr. Perfect, and now Ray--not just Ray, but PodRay--is saying that he's not perfect! When will they all learn?) But I do know he loves you.
Michelle: I know. I know he loves me. It just seems like it's not really enough right now. Ray, I cannot lose myself here. I can't go back to the way that things were.
PodRay: This is your marriage, Michelle. You have to fight to make it work. Look, I know sometimes you can talk and talk and sometimes it does no good. You have to do. (Danny walks over to them.)
Danny: Hey, hey, hey. (To PodRay.) Do you mind?
PodRay: No, not at all. Take care of yourself.
Danny: Thanks.
Michelle: Hi.
Danny: You look beautiful. (Yes, she most definitely does.)
Michelle: Thanks.
Danny: I missed you so much.
Michelle: I missed you, too.
Scene 9: Casa Santos
Danny: Thank you for coming. I know this is the last place on Earth that you want to be right now, but, well, it really means alot to my grandmother. (And it means alot to you, right???) She's been grilling me all night about where you are.
Michelle: (Chuckles.) Well, I was at the hospital with Selena and Drew. I just felt like I needed to do that. We're going to get through this, okay? We're going to make it past this. I just really need to do things my way right now.
Danny: I know. I know. I know. (Leans closer to Michelle, to where his mouth is right next to her ear. He says this next thing in a very sexy and very sultry voice.) I just want to take you upstairs and make love to you.
Michelle: Unfortunately, I don't think that would solve all of our problems. (My God, Michelle! The most gorgeous man in the world just told you he wanted to make love to you and you declined?!?!?! What the...?!)
Danny: Well, I know, but I'm just--I'm going crazy not being with you.
Scene 10: Casa Santos
Grandma Santos: This music reminds me of your wedding day when you danced so beautifully.
Michelle: Oh, yeah, I remember that, Grandma.
Grandma Santos: I want you...to ask you to please dance for me.
Danny: I don't think we have much of a choice.
Michelle: I don't think so, either.
Danny: What Grandma wants, Grandma gets.
Michelle: Okay.
Grandma Santos: It would please me so much.
Michelle: Absolutely.
Danny: (Kisses his grandmother.) Shall we?
Michelle: We shall. (Danny takes her hand and leads her over to dance. The scene ends with Carmen watching them dance with a disgusted/disappointed look on her face. All in all, a GREAT Manny day.)
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