Daily Updates

Subject: Monday 11/20 Recap
Date: 95-11-20 17:22:46 EST
From: AEW54@aol.com

Brenda is working at the studio, and she thinks she hears Lois coming
in. "Please don't say you forgot my blueberry muffin," she calls out
without looking -- but it's Sonny. She feels awkward, so she starts to
get up to leave. "You're free to stay here," she says. "I'll get out of
your way." "The usual rules don't apply," Sonny says somberly. Brenda
starts to argue that they should stick with the plan they made -- "As
you said, we're dealing with enough." "Well, now there's more," he
says, looking directly at her. She pauses, then asks, "Stone?" He
shakes his head, "No, Robin" -- and panic sets in on her face.

Robin and Stone are sitting out on a porch, and she tucks him cozily
into a wicker chair. She wishes that everyone else could learn her bad
news by "osmosis." She hates to think about repeating it to everyone.
This reminds Stone to ask her why she didn't have Mac tell Brenda. "And
miss the chance of bringing Sonny and Brenda together?" she asks, and
smiles. Stone understands: "Why is it that sad things can cause happy
things to happen?" He tells Robin she's amazing. "Look who's talking.
I've been having lessons in amazing lately." He tells her that, even
dark and fuzzy, she's still the most beautiful thing he knows. She asks
him, "Is it crazy to feel that we're incredibly lucky?" Stone says, "No
argument here." Robin says that this moment of closeness is what she'll
remember. "Me, too," she says. She rests on his arm, and closes his
eyes; he looks pensive.

Laura's cooking eggs and humming. Lucky and Foster come in to the
kitchen, and Lucky breaks out in a big smile. "Wipe that grin off your
face, buster," she teases him. "I heard dad singing that same song in
the shower this morning!" -- another sign of his parents'
reconciliation. Luke joins them and says, "Let our No. 1 son draw his
own conclusions," and, looking down at the frying pan, "we all died and
went to cholesterol heaven. Lay that heart attack on me!" Laura is
bustling about, and says she has no time to mess around, she to work on
a psych paper. "Cook, scholar. and she doesn't even talk about her real
talents," Luke teases. Father and son tell her to settle down, she's
forgotten how to delegate. Luke feeds Lesley Lu, and even agrees to do
some laundry. "You'll have enough on your hand with that new job,"
Lucky says. "New job?" Luke asks.

Laura tells him she was invited to become the director of the Charles
Street Foundation, and that she was very flattered, but it's not gonna
happen. She's too busy with school, the Ward house, and Lesley Lu needs
her mommy. The men pipe up that Lulu has a daddy and big brother, too.
They assure her they can manage things around the house, and so can
Mary Mae do without her. When she says that Foundation needs her full
attention, Luke says that "a quarter of your attention is worth triple
overtime for anyone else." "Are you telling me what to do?" she asks,
mock incensed. "No, I'm telling you what you want to do." "Is that so?"
"Any more sausage," he asks, to defuse the tension.

Katherine turns over in bed and sees that Mac's not beside her. She
gets up, and finds him staring out the window, half-dressed. "How long
have you been up?" she asks. "A couple of hours." "You should have
woken me." "I had already kept you up half the night talking. . . . I
just can't let Robin see what this has been doing to me." Katherine
tries to encourage him: "You've been giving her tremendous
understanding and love." "Well," he says, "I've got to believe that she
has a lot of years left. She's always been incredibly healthy and all
kinds of people are working on this disease." Katherine nods: "They'll
find a cure." "But she's watching Stone die," Mac continues. "She's got
to be wondering if the same thing is gonna happen to her." "Remember,
Mac, three or four months ago you would have torn Stone limb from limb;
thank God you've made peace. She appreciates that, and she is gonna
need you more and more." "How?" Mac asks. "I feel useless." Kath says,
"She asked you to talk to Stone in a way that was loving and without
anger, and you did." "Maybe I needed absolution as much as he did."
"You shouldered his pain, and something wonderful came out of this --
you gave them both something to hang on to, and that is an incredible
gift."

"There's no easy way to say this," Sonny begins. "Robin's HIV postive."
Brenda's eyes start to well up, and she shakes her head again and
again. "No, she's not! No, she *is* not!" He puts his hands on her arms
then catches her as she starts to faint. "No, she's not!" she protests
again, and he hugs her close as she cries.

"Oh, my God, not Robin!" "We'll take care of it," he tries to
interject. "No, not Robin," she repeats as her tears flow. Sonny
doesn't know what to say to console her. They sit opposite each other
quietly for a while, and she says, "I'm sorry if I'm making this
difficult for you." "It's not about me, Brenda." She thanks him for
coming and telling her himself. "It would have been so much worse
coming from somebody else." "I guess that's what Robin figured," he
says. She shudders, and he says, "No, don't start imagining things. It
doesn't have to be like it was for Stone." Brenda leans forward, as if
she's nauseous, and he leans over and kisses her on the top of her
head. He tells her "Robin believes she'll live a long time. She said
that there are people who've lived with HIV as long as she's been
alive. If she can hang on to that thought, so can we." Brenda nods.

Robin and Stone are holding hands and snoozing. He wakes up. "Did I
fade out again? I'm sleeping too much." "No, sleep is good." "I don't
want to waste any of the time we have together." She asks him if there
is anything he'd like to do -- anything on his list, but he says that
he only wants her. He feels bad that she's been so cooped up, but she
promises him there's no where she'd rather be. He asks her if she's
scared "About being HIV positive? No, maybe later." "But I won't be
around to help . . ." "You'll always be around," she asserts, "just as
my energy is with you." He says, "I can feel it, like a positive
charge. She assures him that the energy goes both ways. "But my
battery's low," he says. (continued . . . )

Robin walks to the window and describes the fog lifting, and the view
that makes the buildings of the city look like toys in a sandbox. They
remember that they never got to see dolphins. "Another lifetime," Stone
suggests. It occurs to him that he might not be around for Christmas.
"I wanted to share that with you." She comes over to him, kneels down
by the bed, ad smiles. "Do you know what day this is? Today just
happens to be Christmas eve -- no kidding." He knows she's only
kidding, but he laughs, ready to play along.

Laura's afraid of spreading herself too thin, but Luke asks her if her
heart flutters when she imagines directing the foundation. She admits
that it does. And doesn't she want to get in Damian's face? Yeah.
"Well, the foundation wants you, and Justus wants you -- unless you're
thinking this is only a trial reunion. If you can trust this, we can do
anything." Laura assures him this is what she wants, and she hopes it's
what he wants too. Lucky pipes up, "I'm o.k. with this if that counts."
"Of course it counts," his mom responds. "I'll do my part - I'll come
home from school and take care of Lesley Lu and do the shopping." Luke
adds that Mike can take care of the club during the day -- "plus I have
a lot of catching up to do with my daughter." The men promise to take
care of the house and the cooking: "Basic hygiene will prevail." Laura
wonders when she'll every get to see her husband if she says yes.
"Sounds like you already did (say yes) -- to more than the job. We can
do it, baby, we can do it," he says, and they hug. (continued . . . )

Mac is putting on his shirt while Katherine sits, still in her white
negligee, on her canopied bed. Mac wonders what it would be like to
really know with accuracy when you would die. "Humans would always hope
for a reprieve," Katherine supposes. Mac tells her how Stone had said
quite calmly that he didn't think he had much longer, and Mac had
nothing to say. "He wasn't looking for false hope; it was a statement
of fact." Mac asks Katherine if she's ever seen anyone die, and she
reveals that she watched her mother die of breast cancer. "Oh,
Katherine I'm sorry. Was it slow and painful?" She nods. They wonder
where people find the courage. For all the deaths he's seen, some
violent, Mac doesn't think he's ever been so affected as with Stone . .
. and now Robin. "It makes me angry, it makes me profoundly sad, i just
feel helpless." "That's because you're a man of action," she says.

Mac wishes he could turn the world on its axis to give Robin more time.
Katherine says, "She has a life to lead and intends to make the most of
it, and you need to help her stay in the present -- like she's done for
Stone. They're amazing -- countering fear with unconditional love to
make it bearable, and in the process they've reached out and touched a
lot of people. Stone is truly loved, and by our loving him it helps us
as much as it helps him. My mother wouldn't let herself be loved -- she
died angry and alone, and I was right there in the room with her. I
couldn't even cry. Experiencing this different kind of death with Stone
is helping me heal, and I think it's helping you heal, too -- all the
feelings you didn't allow yourself to have when your parents were
killed." She's embarrassed for speaking so boldly, but he tells her
it's probably true. She says she wouldn't have understood any of this a
few months ago, but Mac has shown her the way. "Yeah, that's me, Mr.
Compassion." Katherine says, "I finally realized that I felt safe with
you like I never have before, and you haven't either, I'll bet. I want
you to feel safe with me." They kiss and cuddle.

Brenda and Sonny are standing, and Brenda repeats the news, still in
shock. "Robin is HIV positive. This is the worst possible time for this
to happen, because she wanted more than anything for Stone to die
thinking she was gonna be O.K. Does he have to know?" "She said there's
never been a lie between them, and she doesn't want to start now." "She
just keeps getting stronger and braver." "And the children shall lead
them," Sonny quotes, with a wry smile. Brenda wonders if Robin asked
Sonny to tell her because she doesn't want to see Brenda. "No, I don't
think that's the reason," he says (but she doesn't think it through).
"I've just got to get my head together. Robin is O.K. today, she'll be
O.K. tomorrow, right? Right? That's as much as anyone can guarantee,
right?" "Yeah." "She's not gonna look any different, she's beautiful,
and she's so strong (Brenda stumbles over the words), a lot stronger
than I am." She covers her face with her hands and they moves closer to
each other, then hold on for dear life -- as Ned and Lois walk in,
wondering what's going on.

By the next scene, Brenda has filled the couple in. Lois sits beside
her on the couch. "Oh, my God," Lois says. "Robin? No, I don't want to
accept this. No, I can't. It's not supposed to be this way. It's not
fair. She's good and decent and full of love and did everything right
except miscalculate the risk of unprotected sex." Ned asks, "You said
HIV positive, not AIDS, right? She still has lots of time. We can help
her make the most of it." Ned hugs Brenda, and Lois hugs Sonny (a week
of strange, touching embraces!) Sonny says, "Robin doesn't want Stone
to blame himself," and Lois agrees, "This can't be about blame." Sonny
heads off to check in at the club. "You guys got each other. Help each
other." "You, too," Lois says to her ex-Brooklyn crony. "I'm hanging in
there. You do the same." He exits. Brenda and Lois embrace. Lois says,
"Robin has more fight in her than most of us, and I'm sure she'll give
it her best shot -- for Stone's sake as well as her own." Ned says
there's still the making of a real tragedy, if Brenda should
misinterpret Sonny's compassion as a fundamental change in the man. She
responds angrily, "Back off, Ned!"

Why not? Robin asks. Christmas is more than a historical date; it's a
celebration of love. The two of them plot all the holiday fixings
they'll need. Neither knows what sugar plums are, but Stone says they
definitely need lots and lots of carols and a great big tree, and a
Santa ("Sonny's been doing that for months," says Stone), and they'll
string cranberries and popcorn. Robin says she'll get Christmas
decorations from home, but Stone wants to be the boss, directing where
everything should go. That's fine with her. "Yeah, you'll just sit with
your eggnog and direct the show." They put together a list of the
people they want to invite -- small, like family: Sonny and Mac and
Katherine ("Mac would like that," Robin says) and Lily and Brenda and
Lois and Ned and the Spencers. Stone suddenly realizes, "It seems like
half my friends aren't speaking to the other half!" "Tough," says
Robin, "it's Christmas. Peace on earth, good will toward men, and all
that."

Luke and Laura are smooching at the kitchen table when Lucky bounds in
"We're gona have Christmas together!" He's thrilled. Laura tells him
not to miss his bus. He wishes her good luck with the psych paper,
punches his dad lightly on the shoulder, and says, "keep it up dad."
"How long have you been talking like a parent?" "I took your place for
a while, dad, but you can have it back," Lucky says and exits. Laura
says, "He's so happy! So am I." "Don't rush to judgement now," Luke
warns. "Oh, I think I took my sweet time getting here, don't you think?
Why does it seem so easy now?" "No comment," he says, as he kisses his
wife's lips, neck, forehead, etc.

"What do you mean, no comment?" The couple start to banter, and he says
he might have to demonstrate his youthful stamina, but she pushes him
away before he puts another hickey on her neck ("That would be hard to
explain in psych class.). "Just rest up til I get home," she says, and
rushes off. "Nice to be taken for granted again," Luke says to the air.
"Nice to be home, Foster." The dog barks in agreement.

Brenda defends Sonny to Ned. "Robin asked Sonny to come over and give
me the test result." "This is not about Robin," says Ned. "This is *all
about Robin and Stone, and if you can't muster compassion for Sonny,
then keep your opinions to yourself. One of my oldest, closest friends
is walking around with a potentially deadly virus in her system, and
Sonny knew that too, and all you can think about is Sonny might be
scheming against you -- he's got bigger things on his mind. He deserves
some common, decent sympathy. Can you agree?" she asks him. "Yes, and I
am sorry about Stone and about Robin." "Then let's leave it there."
Brenda starts to leave: "I am going to see Robin, and, yes, Sonny will
be there, so Ned, just get over it." She slams door.

Ned knows he blew that one, but his wife doesn't agree with him either.
"Look what he's done for Robin and Stone." "Yeah, but he also almost
got Brenda shot up in her shower!" Lois says Sonny has real feelings,
and Ned says they're feelings of paranoia, and they make him
dangerous." He's worried that Lois and Brenda are being sucked back in
by Sonny's enigmatic charm." "It's not his charm," Lois says. "He's a
complicated man. Look, what can I say? Once you love Sonny Corinthos,
you just don't stop loving him." (continued . . .)

Katherine and Mac are having breakfast -- eggs and toast and coffee
from a fancy silver pot. "Do you think people can really change?" she
asks, in a philosophical mode. Mac says sometimes they can, when things
get shaken up." "That was certainly true with Robin and Stone, and
Robin did the shaking. Mac, I want to let you influence me the same
way; I want you to save me." "Saint Mac I'm not; try religion."
"Really," she says, "I feel like I'm at a crossroads, and I need a
map." "No, you don't," he says, "just follow the stars, and if it gets
cloudy, camp out on the side of the trail and wait it out." "Like in
the bush," she says. Katherine says that she relishes complications,
because they reveal people's weaknesses, and she can use those -- just
like Damian does. Mac asks her why she doesn't look to people's
strengths. She's afraid they'll be stronger than she is, and hurt her.
Mac says, "I will never hurt you intentionally, Kath." She says, "I am
really starting to realize you can build a life out of love and trust
and not fear, but I am afraid I'll wake up one day and be back in
Damian's world." "No, that's not gonna happen." "There's only one way
to guarantee that," she says.

"You mean kill him?" Mac asks. "No," Kath says, "Somethiing more
subtle, surely. But just as permanent." "If you buy into his threats,
he'll own you," Mac warns. "We hold all the aces, but we can't play
them without implicating me," she argues. "So, we don't play them.
Somebody else takes the information to the police." "And who would want
to take that risk? Somebody who wants to see Damian fall and who could
logically come up with this evidence on his own." "Have you got
somebody in mind?" she asks. "I sure do," he says, and smiles.

Luke (uh-huh) walks into the club, and says to Sonny, "I see the joint
is still standing. How goes it?" "Not good." "Stone?" he asks. "He's
slipping away," says Sonny wistfully. "But welcome back, buddy, how're
you doing? I heard the kids are home." Luke tells him it's a long
story, but he fills him in that he's moving back home, and Sonny's
delighted. "It's about time." Luke looks at his partner and says, "You
look all out of gas, man." "Yeah, I am. I hate to bring you down, but
there's something you need to hear from me before you hear it from
anyone else. Stone made Robin get tested again, so he would know, and
she's HIV positive, man." Luke closes his eyes.

Robin and Stone are in bed, singing Christmas carols, oblivious to all
their friends' grieving. Robin says that Santa better bring his pitch
pipe because they're really out of tune. Stone says they forgot to put
Santa on the list. "You don't have to invite Santa," Robin says. "But
what if the reindeers aren't in gear yet?" Stone jokes. "Oh, Santa
probably has a pink cadillac like Luke's," Robin suggests. She's gonna
lend Stone a Christmas stocking, and tells him to rest while she goes
to call Mac. He stops her and asks if she's ready to face everybody.
"I'm sure they will all know by then (the party), and they'll
understand I don't want anything to spoil our Christmas." She lies back
in his arms, Stone starts to sing "Jingle Bells," and she joins in.