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(EXT: Cruz & Eden's Beach House)

---Cruz wakes up alone in bed. He throws on a shirt and heads downstairs, where he finds Eden, dressed for the day. He wishes her 'good morning' but she lays the silent treatment on thick. He persists, claiming he should be the one mad at her, since she followed him.

"YOU! That's rich, Cruz, real rich. Tell me, if I hadn't followed you, when would you have gotten around to telling me that......that psychopath is back on the loose?"

"Baby, it was all very top secret, I couldn't tell you.....I still can't"

"Then we have nothing to talk about."

"Don't be that way darlin"

"Don't tell me how I should be. That man terrorized us, tried to kill us both, Mason too...... And I see you laughing together, greeting his family? What do you expect?"

Cruz insists that she not worry and that Angel is reformed. Eden isn't so quick to believe him. Evenso, she says, why on earth would Cruz trust him on any level? Cruz tells her that she's just going to have to trust him. Eden remarks she's not so sure she can, and Cruz insists she stay out of it. He tells her that it's a very dangerous situation and he doesn't want her in harms way.

"So it is dangerous....That scares me, Cruz. I don't understand why you would bring Angel into something like this... You know, YOU KNOW when it comes down to it, Angel looks out for only Angel."

"Baby, you're just gonna have to trust me. I know what I'm doin here and if you'd just let me do my job, you'd see that...... I know you worry and I know you wanna help but I can't run an investigation with you interfering. ESPECIALLY in this. Promise, me Eden, promise me you won't pull any more stunts like you pulled on Thanksgiving."

She reluctantly gives in and he kisses her good-bye before leaving for the station. After he leaves, Eden looks through her purse for a business card, finds it, and heads out.

(EXT: Mason & Julia's House)

---Mason & Julia lie in bed sleeping, Mason tossing & turning. Mason mutters "no" and "Mary" as he tosses. Flashes of Mary and the masked Dr. Beckman permeate his dream. He also has flashes of the "C" sign falling on top of her years before, as well as the seeing her when he woke up in the clinic. Mason wakes up, calling her name. Julia awakens and asks Mason if everything is alright. Mason claims everything to be fine, but she knows better. Mason gets out of bed and into the shower, as Julia sits up, looking guilty and worried.

(EXT: Wayne, INC building in LA)

---Elizabeth arrives to her office, asking her secretary if there have been any messages. The secretary informs her there are none but that she has a visitor. At that point Pamela stands up, and Elizabeth advises her secretary to show her the door. Pamela protests, telling Elizabeth she has some information she may find interesting. Though she's annoyed, Elizabeth agrees to give her 5 minutes of her time.

"Thank you so much dear. You won't be sorry. Did you have a nice holiday Elizabeth?"

"Save the pleasantries Pamela. I said you have 5 minutes and I meant it, so if you could........get on with it"

"No need to be rude- I'm actually hoping to help you."

Pamela tells Elizabeth that she knows for a fact that Capwell is looking for a merger, desperate even. Elizabeth is disbeliving, saying CC would never allow someone else any influence over it. Pamela admits to be just as surprised, but insists she's telling the truth and heard it directly from CC himself. Elizabeth doesn't understand what this has to do with her.

"Don't be coy with me. You know damn well what I'm getting at- it would be perfect. CC would have to answer to you, not to mention he'd be forever grateful.......I'm telling you, he's desperate Elizabeth, you could make any stipulations you want."

"I'm not interested, Pamela. As I told you, that part of my life is over with- I have no interest in re-connecting with CC in any form, business or otherwise....."

"And your sister......"

"NO, Pamela, I don't want to see her. I don't want revenge on them, I don't want anything from them. Frankly, I don't appreciate you popping up and trying to dredge it all up. Now GET OUT OF HERE!"

"I'm going to leave this- it's a file with the quarterly projections, as well as an analysis of the current crisis. Who knows? You could change your mind. I'll be in touch."

Pamela leaves and Elizabeth is visibly frustrated and becomes a little emotional. She looks down at the file and opens it up. Before she knows it, she's attentively reading through the information.

----Mason comes downstairs and is quiet as he & Julia have breakfast. Julia finally breaks the ice, asking him what's going on with him. He says it's nothing to worry about but Julia disagrees. When he's silent again, Julia mentions that he said Mary's name. She asks him if he's been thinking of her lately, but he remains quiet.

"Mason, please....Let me in. I know you loved her. I can handle whatever you say- what I can't handle is not knowing what's going on in your head. Please. Just say it."

"I....I......saw her?"

"You saw her? What do you mean you saw her?"

Mason finally tells Julia about the "vision" he had of Mary at the clinic and Julia informs him that Eden had already told her about it. He explains further that he felt her presence so strongly at the hospital and he insisted Samantha stay there because of it. Julia begins to get emotional, hearing him speak of Mary. Mason then says he met Dr. Beckman and tells her how remarkable she was. He explains that she had her surgeon's mask on, hair stuffed into a cap, but he could see her eyes.

"They sparkled, and the color they were......They reminded me so much of Mary, and I can't shake it. I looked into this woman's eyes and....it was like I could see into her soul.....It sounds crazy, I know...."

"It doesn't."

"But it does. It wasn't her, I know it wasn't her.....but the feeling just won't go away...."

Julia looks at her husband, racked with guilt. She begins to tell him that his intuition is dead on, but is interrupted when Augusta comes barging in, claiming she urgently needs to speak with her sister. Though Julia tells her that they can talk later, she's insistant that it's very important. Mason tells them that he has to head to Capwell anyway. Augusta admonishes Julia for even entertaining the idea of telling Mason what's going on, putting him through the ringer and such when she herself doesn't even have the full story. Augusta offers the possibility that it wasn't Mary at all, perhaps a con artist, but Julia shoots those theories down- she's the real deal. Julia wonders what the emergency is and Augusta tells her of Pamela's flirting with Warren at Thanksgiving. Julia laughs at the very notion of Warren getting involved with Pamela. Augusta doesn't see things that way, and isn't willing to take the chance. She tells Julia she doesn't want Pamela having any contact with Warren while she's in town and that Julia has to help her.

"What is going on Augusta? Why are you so paranoid about Pamela and Warren? It makes no sense- why would you be hell-bent on them not even so much as saying 'boo' to one another."

"Boo is fine. She can say 'boo' all she wants. But that's as far as it goes. Maybe a friendly hello. But no more. I don't want my son anywhere near that woman, there's no telling what she might do or say at any given time...."

(EXT: Bradford, Private Investigating)

---Pearl is delighted when Eden stops by to see him. Pearl asks her if she's there on a social call and Eden replies it's anything but.

"Lemme guess: Angel Ramirez"

Eden hits his chest and asks how he knew that . Pearl responds that he's a P.I.- he has his sources. Eden tells him that he's involved with the SBPD in some way and seems to be working directly with Cruz. She asks Pearl if he has any idea what Angel would be doing for them, but Pearl claims to not have any idea.

Eden laments that she's very worried for Cruz and doesn't trust Angel one bit. Pearl agrees, saying he doesn't see why Cruz would trust him either.

"Then we're on the same page."

"Depends. What are you proposing?"

She looks at him, annoyed he's making her verbalize what he already knows. She lays it out for him, telling him she wants him to find out exactly what they're doing and how Angel is involved. She also tells him that she'd like Angel followed, to make sure he's not doing anything shady that might endanger Cruz. Pearl tells her that Cruz wouldn't like it.

"Well, Cruz isn't going to know about it. At least, not from me. Can I count on you Pearl?"

She looks at him, wide-eyed with a hint of desperation. "Stop, Stop it. You know I can't resist that face."

"Then you'll do it!"

"Yeah, I'll do it. You can count on me."

Eden smiles and they shake on it. Eden gives him some information on Angel, including his current address, to help him get started. She thanks him again and leaves.

(EXT: Santa Barbara Police Station)

---Cruz arrives at the station and Vic informs him that Angel is in, waiting for him. Cruz greets him and they begin going over the case. Angel is concerned for his family's safety and Cruz assures him they'll be protected. Angel claims he'd never forgive himself or Cruz if anything happened to his wife or daughter because of what he's doing. Cruz again reiterates they'll be watched after. Cruz goes over what Angel's to do as far as the first deal goes, re-establishing himself with his old friends. Angel reminds him it may not be so easy to get to the top guy. Cruz tells him they're pretty sure it's Carlos Esteban, an old acquaintance of Angel's, which should make it easier for him to penetrate. Angel responds that he's just showing back up on the street after 20 years, relationships change, and trust goes away. Cruz tells him he'll just have to earn it back. Angel asks Cruz why he's trusting him and Cruz admits to not being sure, but that he believes in the power of change and is hopeful that Angel is in fact a changed man. Cruz tells him to get wired up & he'll be back to talk with him before he leaves. Alone, Angel smiles.

"For now, we play by your rules Castillo. For now."

Angel wires up and prepares himself for his sting.

THE END.................for today