December 16, 1999
Scene 1: Towers
(Danny and some guy--who has something to do with Ms. Lockhart, maybe her boss--walk off the elevator.)
Danny: So you have no idea where she went? She never mentioned her family, where she's from? Nothing?
Guy: I swear, Mr. Santos. Ruth never even told me she was leaving.
Danny: What about her final check? Where's her final check being sent?
Guy: She didn't gie me a forwarding address. She--
Danny: (Cutting him off.) Look, I promise you if I find out there's something you're not telling me...
Guy: I told you and the police everything I know. (Walks away. Danny sighs and starts talking to someone, but we don't see who he is talking to.)
Danny: Oh, you know what? I really--I don't want to talk to you. (Camera shows Teresa and Danny starts to leave.)
Teresa: Wait, Danny, please wait. Please wait.
Danny: What? What?
Teresa: I've been meaning to call you.
Danny: Alright, will you say what you have to say? Please?
Teresa: I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry for everything that happened between us. I've been to afraid to call you because I didn't know if you could forgive me. (Of course he can forgive you. Hell, he's forgiven his spawn of Satan mother enough times. Why not forgive you, too?)
Danny: You know, Teresa, I have more important things to worry about than you.
Teresa: Look, I--I heard about Ben's murder, and Michelle...
Danny: What about it?
Teresa: I know I tried to get Michelle out of your life, but it wasn't worth it because I hate seeing you like this.
Danny: You did, didn't you?
Teresa: What are you talking about?
Danny: It makes sense. I don't know why I didn't think of it before.
Teresa: I don't know what you're talking about.
Danny: You, Teresa. I'm talking about you. You're one of the few people who had a motive to kill Ben and frame Michelle for it. (And so the plot thickens...)
Scene 2: Jail
(Ray walks up to the desk, asking to see Michelle.)
Ray: Father Ray Santos to see Michelle Santos.
Guard: One moment, please. (We see a flashback to when Ray promised Pilar he wouldn't tell anyone about Carmen shooting Ben.) Father? Father?
Ray: Yes? I'm sorry.
Guard: Follow me. (Leads him to her cell and lets him in.)
Ray: Hey. How you doing?
Michelle: Hey. Hi. (They hug.) Good, well, I'm glad you're here.
Ray: I had to come. I had to see you.
Michelle: Thanks.
Ray: You've been in my prayers, you know?
Michelle: Thanks, but I don't think prayers or anything else is going to help me right now considering all the evidence they have against me.
Ray: The truth will come out. You have to believe that, Michelle.
Michelle: It's getting hearder to. The witness who said that she saw me leave Ben's apartment has disappeared. And hoping that, maybe, she would change her mind and come back and tell the truth was basically my last hope.
Ray: I don't want to see you giving up.
Michelle: My lawyer has.
Ray: What?
Michelle: Yeah, he's with the D.A. right now trying to make a deal, so I can make a plea bargain to murder two.
Ray: He wants you to plead guilty to something you're not guilty of?
Michelle: Ray, I'd be out in 10 years, max, plus time off for good behavior. If I go to trial, I could get life...or worse.
Ray: Michelle, what are you going to do?
Michelle: I'm considering it.
Ray: You can't! LIsten to me, you can't give up 10 years of your life for something you didn't do.
Michelle: Well, it looks like I did. And whoever set me up knew exactly what they were doing. And they did a damn good job of it. (Sitting down on the cot.) I just...I'm scared, you know, I can't even fathom living like this for the rest of my life. Not even really living. And Danny...I have no idea how I would even survive without him.
Ray: Then fight for that! Fight for your life!
Michelle: That's what I would lose! At least with this plea bargain...
Ray: You can't! Michelle, you're innocent. You can't plead guilty. You can't lie.
Michelle: Ray, I know that things might be pretty clean cut for you, but it's not so black and white for me.
Ray: Listen to me. Sometimes things for me aren't so black and white for me either, okay? Sometimes I'm faced with a terrible dilemma.
Michelle: What, what, what? What is going on with you? What is it?
Scene 3: Towers
Danny: No, Teresa, you said that you hated Ben for manipulating you into drugging me (Oh, yeah right! It was her choice!), and we both know you wanted Michelle out of my life.
Teresa: YOu know, I can't believe that you think that I would murder someone, that I would do that far--
Danny: You almost killed me, didn't you? You almost killed me. (Valid point.)
Teresa: It was an accident. (Yeah, giving him more of a drug was just an accident. Did the bottle just kind of tip over into his drink? I think not.)
Danny: Maybe Ben's murder wasn't. I know what kind of family you come from. Just like mine. And we know you're daddy's little girl, don't we?
Teresa: I did not do this.
Danny: Well, I don't expect you to confess to me. I'm sure you have a very tight alibi set up for yourself.
Teresa: Oh, an alibi? An alibi? Is that what you want? You want proof, huh?
Danny: I don't want anything from you.
Teresa: Oh, no, no, no. Don't go anywhere. (Reaches into her purse and pulls out a receipt and ticket stubs, etc.) Here, I have plenty of proof for you. Oh, look at this. Here's a hotel receipt, airline ticket stubs. (A hotel receipt? I thought she lived in LA...or maybe I'm just mistaken.) You know what? You want an eyewitness? Call Jimmy. I was in LA for the last 3 weeks. I can't believe I'm even explaining myself to you. Forget it. (Starts walking away. Danny pulls her back.)
Danny: Alright, alright. I'm sorry. I'm just going crazy trying to find who killed Ben and who's framing my wife. Michelle is rotting in jail, and I can't do anything to help her. I am frustrated. I'm going out of my mind.
Teresa: It's okay. It's okay. Look, what I did was unforgiveable--even if it did start with Ben--so maybe I deserve this.
Danny: You don't. You don't. I'm sorry. (No!!! Don't say that! I wouldn't put murder past her...)
Teresa: I never ever want to see you hurt. And as far as your accusation, I'll trade you my forgiveness for an ounce of yours.
Danny: Okay. It's alright. (He rubs her arm and they clasp hands. Drew and Jesse walk in.)
Jesse: What are you doing?
Danny: What? What are you doing?
Jesse: Your wife's in jail, and you're here with your ex-girlfriend (ex-fiancee, actually...) holding hands? (Ever the quick one.) She needs your help, man. Why don't you be a good husband and give it to her?
Scene 4: Jail
Michelle: Ray, I feel like you're trying to tell me something here. You know you can talk to me, right?
Ray: I wish I could, Michelle.
Michelle: You can. We're friends. We're family.
Ray: (Sighs.) Family...
Michelle: Ray, something is really bothering you. If this has something to do with me, please, please tell me.
Ray: You know, I feel like I've really gotten to know you over the past year. (Must've happened off-screen because I sure don't remember seeing them get to know each other.)
Michelle: You have. You're about the only person in Danny's family that I can talk to.
Ray: That's why this is so difficult for me.
Michelle: What? What is so difficult?
Ray: Seeing you like this, Michelle. Because I do know you. You didn't kill Ben. I need...I have faith that you'll be found innocent.
Michelle: Well, I wish that I had your faith, Ray. And I wish that I could believe that there was some higher power that was going to sort this all out, but I don't see that happening right now. And I'm having alot of trouble believing that there's a way out. I doubt that there is.
Ray: Don't. Don't, Michelle.
Michelle: How do you do this? (Well, I'm going to guess because he's getting paid to do this...I don't know--just a guess.) Don't you ever doubt your faith?
Ray: Yes! Every day. Every day, Michelle. It's work for me. I'm just a man. (Yes, but not THE MAN.) I'm just a man, no more, no less. And a Santos on top of that.
Michelle: But you're differnt than the rest of your family.
Ray: No, I'm not different! I'm just like them! Ask Danny what I was like before I took my vows. Ask him. I did some terrible things. I hurt alot of people.
Michelle: Okay. (Does anyone else think she sounded a bit scared when she said that?)
Ray: It's me. And then you find that life isn't always fair. That justice isn't always fair. Especially if you're a Santos. But you, you're innocent. You didn't hurt anybody. You gotta fight for that. Understand me? (Michelle nods.) Don't let go. Believe it. They want you to...they want you to give it up. You can't. I'm not going to let you. I'm not going to let you, Michelle.
Michelle: Ray, this is more than a feeling. Do you know something?
Scene 5: Towers
Jesse: This is just great. You know, you're a real class act.
Drew: Can we go sit down? Please?
Jesse: I have a good idea. Why don't you two (Danny and Teresa) go visit Michelle's jail cell and rub it in a little bit.
Danny: Why don't you take off? Why don't you take off, Jesse?
Jesse: Do you have a problem with me? Do you want to do something about it? I'm right here. (Really? I thought you were just an illusion.)
Danny: You have no idea what's going on so why don't you stay out of it?
Jesse: Not an option.
Danny: Come here. I want to talk to you. Be right back. (Danny and Jesse walk away from the girls.) Look, I know you're helping Michelle by not saying anything about her alibi.
Jesse: Yeah, well, it's the least I could do. She's facing life in prison. But you, you could be doing alot more. Or alot less.
Danny: Don't ever question my loyalty to my wife.
Jesse: I'm not questioning your loyalty to her. I'm questioning your common sense. (And you're a fine one to do that.) I'm here trying to keep Drew together, and I walk in here and see you and Teresa.
Danny: Good, you keep working on Drew and keeping her together, and I will take care of Michelle. It's not for you to worry about.
Jesse: Well, I do worry about it, Danny. No offense, but ever since she married you, she's got alot stacked up against her. And this isn't the place for you to share the family ties with everyone. (Walks over and sits down by Drew. Cut to Danny and Teresa.)
Teresa: Look, I'm really sorry about that, okay? I don't want to cause anymore problems. (And we're supposed to believe this because...?)
Danny: Forget about it. He's just...he's frustrated.
Teresa: No he was out of line. You're doing everything you can for Michelle.
Danny: (Throws his head back and does this little roll thing.) Yeah, sure I am. Except changing who I am.
Teresa: What do you mean, changing who you are?
Danny: Teresa, we both know that being married to me is only hurting Michelle.
Teresa: Come on, you cannot blame yourself for this. Don't do that.
Danny: I'm the one who has enemies. I'm the one who associates with people who are capable of framing someone for murder. (Like your mother?)
Teresa: What? You think that Ben's killer came from one of the other families?
Danny: Well, they didn't come from Michelle's life. Someone obviously is trying to hurt me. (For example--your mother.) It's the only thing that makes sense.
Teresa: I can't see it coming from the other families. I really can't, Danny. But you know what? If you want, I'll ask around.
Danny: No, I don't want--
Teresa: No, okay, listen. Maybe they'll be more open to me than to you. Will you let me help you?
Danny: You want to help me save Michelle?
Teresa: Yes. I would like that, if you let me.
Scene 6: Jail
Ray: My vows...there are times I can't speak of what's in my heart to say. Just know that, seeing you suffer like this, knowing in my heart that you're innocent.
Michelle: Ray, please, if you know something, please tell me.
Ray: Michelle, Michelle.
Michelle: (Choked up.) Please, please, please, Ray!
Michelle: Michelle, I can't. I wish I could, but I can't. I can't help you. Just listen to me. Believe in God. Believe in Him with all your heart, everything inside you. And pray. And believe in the truth. Okay?
Michelle: Okay. Thank you. Thank you.
Ray: (Makes a cross on her forehead.) Yo tengo dio...Yo nomine padre...El hijo, espiritu santco. Amen. (They hug and then Ray walks over to the door.) Guard! (Guard lets him out. He leans up against a wall just as Danny is coming around the corner.)
Danny: Hey. You see Michelle?
Ray: Yeah.
Danny: Thank you. (Hug.) Hey, thank you so much for coming by to see her. Thanks.
Ray: Listen, you take care of her, alright?
Danny: Yeah.
Ray: You do that.
Danny: I am. I am. (Stop hugging, and Ray starts walking away.)
Ray: I'll talk to you soon.
Danny: Okay, I'll call you. (Walks over to her cell.) Hey, baby, hi.
Michelle: Hi.
Danny: How you doing? (They clasp hands through the bars.)
Michelle: Okay, hi.
Danny: Hi. (Quick, little kiss.) How'd things go with Grant? You okay?
Michelle: He wants me to, uhmm, make a plea bargain.
Danny: What? That's crazy. That's nuts.
Michelle: He thinks I don't stand a chance in tiral. He thinks that the the jury is going to believe I'm capable of murder.
Danny: Wha--why? Why? Why does he think that?
Michelle: Because of this incident, and the one at Company, and...my lifestyle. (Okay, I was so totally expecting her to say "because of Mick.")
Danny: Because you're married to me. Because everything that has happened...everything that has happened, has happened since you've been a part of my family.
Michelle: You know what? I don't care about that. I don't care. I didn't kill Ben. And I have to follow the truth. I have to find the truth somewhere in this. (I think she spent too long with Ray...she's starting to sound like him, now.) I have to trust that it's going to come out. And I'm not going to plead guilty to something I didn't do. I'm not going to do that. I want to fight this.
Danny: Okay. (He gives her little kisses on her face and then he kind of nuzzles her face. It's kinda cute. :) )
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