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(EXT: The Capwell Hotel)

---Kelly, Julia, and Pamela stand awestruck, looking at Mason & Mary. Kelly breaks the ice.

"Mary, Oh my God, is....is that really you? I....I....can't believe it"

"Yes Kelly, it's me." She walks up and hugs her. "It's so good to see you. My, you look so different from when I last saw you."

( )

"Well it's been ages......what happened? Where have you been?"

"It's a long story."

Mason introduces Mary to Pamela. Julia, feeling uneasy about the entire situation, heads off to the ladies room. Mary notices this and excuses herself from the group. She follows Julia to the ladies room and finds her in there crying. Mary apologizes to her, saying that she didn't intend for this to happen. Julia tells her that she's not to blame, but Mary feels otherwise.

"I should have told you I was coming back.....I didn't intend to, I really didn't, but after all that had happened....I thought about what you said and I knew that you were going to tell Mason, that the cat was going to be out of the bag no matter what I did. Knowing that, I couldn't just.....abandon him in the state I knew he was sure to be in. I had to face him myself. You should have never had that burden to begin with and for that, I'm forever sorry for. I hope you can forgive me."

"Will you stop?"

"Stop what?" Mary looks at her, dumbfounded.

"Why do you have to be so damn good? It would be a whole lot easier if I could hate you, you know. I should hate you. I spent Christmas worried sick about my husband and the whole time he was with you, doing God knows what, not even bothering to call me or his own daughter...."

"I didn't know that.....really, I didn't."

"Could you just leave me alone please? I'd like to cry in peace."

"Sure." She turns to exit and stops. "We didn't make love Julia. He loves you. You're his wife." She exits.

"He loves you Mary." Julia breaks down, her voice cracking. "He loves you."

(EXT: The Ramirez House)

---Adriana pulls up to the Ramirez driveway, with a wrapped gift on her passenger seat. She knocks on the door to the small home, looking around at the surroundings. Carla answers the door and asks who she is. Adriana politely tells Carla her name and asks if Marta is in. Carla says that she is, though she isn't sure that Marta would want to see her. Adriana understands and offers to leave the gift she brought with Carla. Marta emerges, seeing Adriana and her mother talking.

"It's okay mama. I'll talk to her."

Carla invites Adriana in and leaves the two girls alone.

"What are you doing here?" Marta asks her.

Adriana explains that she knows everything that went on between their fathers. She tells her that she overheard her parents talking about Angel having to go back to jail for Christmas. Marta asks Adriana what she cares, since they weren't exactly friends in High School.

"I know that and I understand why. I don't know what I would have done having to grow up without my dad. I can't even imagine what that's been like for you."

"No you can't. Are you gettin to the point princess? Cuz my patience is wearin..."

Adriana offers her the gift. Marta is hesitant to take it, saying that she doesn't need anything from the Castillos. Adriana insists that she keep it, telling her she can open it after she leaves or even throw it out or give it away. Marta grudgingly opens it up and sees it's a phone.

"Thanks, but I got a phone."

"It's a video phone. So you can take videos & pictures with your dad, now that he's home with you...."

"I hope you're not expecting a thank you. This doesn't exactly even the score. A video phone doesn't bring back 20 years of missed graduations, school dances, holidays, report cards, dinner with me and mama...."

"It doesn't you're right. I guess it was a stupid thing to do. I'll get out of here......." She walks toward the door. "Merry Christmas."

She exits and begins walking to her car. Marta opens the front door.

"Adriana?!?"

"Yeah?"

".......thanks"

(EXT: The Capwell Hotel)

---Kelly asks Mason why she didn't get to see him for Christmas. Mason remarks that it's been a rough week, not to mention he had no idea she'd be in for the holiday. Kelly admits she wasn't sure that she was going to come, that it all kind of happened at the last minute. Pamela interrupts them, telling Mason that she has to leave to meet with an old friend. She tells him to call her and he promises he will. He asks her when she plans on going back to London and she vaguely tells him sometime in 2007. She walks off as Eden is arriving. Pamela says 'hello' as she passes and Eden ignores her. Eden walks briskly toward Mason & Kelly.

"Mason, where the hell have you been? Julia's been worried sick about you. Why wouldn't you call at least on Chris...."

Eden stops when she sees Mary approaching from the ladies room. She now realizes what's happened.

"Hello Eden."

"Oh, Mary, it's so good to see you...." The two women hug.

"That's it?" Mason asks "No jaw drop? No "I can't believe your alive Mary"?............Oh my God, you knew..."

"Yes, but only for a short time- Julia confided in me and I told her to come clean with you. By the looks of things....she has"

Mason concurs and Mary tells him that Julia is awfully upset. She suggests that he wait for her while she goes to the clinic. Mason is hesitant but Mary insists that his wife needs him. Mason asks if he'll see her later and she tells him she'll call. He tells her that he'll be at the Hotel waiting, but Mary tells him she thinks he ought to be at home with his wife and daughter. She kisses him on the cheek good-bye. After she leaves, Mason starts to exit, though Eden tries to stop him. Mason claims he has to get to his office and stop by Capwell, and he'll talk to Julia later. Eden admonishes her brother, saying that Julia deserves better.

"What about what I deserved Eden? Like the truth? Complete honesty from my wife?"

"She was afraid, Mason."

"That's no excuse, especially keeping something of this magnitude from me. Tell Julia I'll talk with her later."

"Tell her yourself" Eden tells him.

Mason starts to leave when Kelly stops him, asking if she can ride with him to Capwell. He agrees, saying it will give them time to catch up. They exit and Eden heads for the ladies room.

(EXT: Capwell Enterprises)

---Ted sits in his office, typing up reports. Someone knocks on the door and he tells them to come in. He's pleasantly surprised to see Laken Lockridge walk in.

"Why, Miss Lockridge, how long has it been?"

"Too long" she replies.

Ted stands up and embraces her, telling her that he'd heard through the grapevine that she was in town.

"You heard right."

Ted asks her how things are in New York and she tells him she's very happy there, working in ad sales for Vogue Magazine. He asks about her love life and she claims she was seeing someone for a while, but it didn't work out. Ted remarks that she's a wonderful girl and will find everything that she's looking for in a man. She thanks him, saying that he's always been good for her ego.

"What about you? I hear through the grapevine that you got hitched....."

"You heard right," Angela says, entering the office and showing her ring. "And who might this be Ted?"

Ted realizes they've never met. Laken apologizes and introduces herself to Angela. Angela immediately realizes who she is- Lionel & Augusta's daughter and Ted's former flame. Angela tells Laken that she's heard a lot about her.

"Don't believe any of it. Especially if it comes from him...." she says, pointing at Ted.

Ted and Laken chuckle at the remark, which Angela doesn't find as affable as they seem to. Laken excuses herself, saying she just wanted to stop by to say hi to her old friend. She tells Ted it was good to see him and he says the same.

"Nice to meet you." Laken says to Angela as she leaves, closing the door behind her.

"Wish I could say the same." Angela then remarks

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy in your tone?"

"Of her? Please....Give me a little more credit than that. You married me, not Lily, remember?"

Ted smirks, deadpanning that he'd forgotten. He says that maybe she could remind him and she walks up close to him, her face practically against his. He leans in to kiss her and she backs off.

"If you can remember your way home, maybe I'll remind you then. If you're good."

She leaves, leaving Ted hot, bothered and frustrated. He bites his lower lip and sits back down at his desk, redirecting the pent up energy toward his work.

(EXT: The Capwell Hotel)

---Eden enters the ladies room, where she sees Julia pulling herself together. She tells her that she saw Mason & Mary in the lobby, so she understands why she's upset. Julia asks if they're gone and Eden nods that they are. Eden asks if she wants to talk about it, which Julia doesn't. Eden says she won't force her but she can tell she's in pain and wants to help.

"There's nothing you can do Eden, really. I make my own choices, as do Mason and Mary. We're the ones that have to live with them."

"That doesn't make it easy. We all make mistakes, Julia- there's things we all look back on and wish we'd done differently. But all you can do is move forward."

"I'm not sure what forward is right now."

"Mason loves you. That hasn't changed."

"I know that, but Eden, I see the way he looks at her. I saw how they were together walking in the lobby. She was the love of his life. And who wouldn't love her? Hell, I'm in awe of her myself. She's perfect."

"Nobody's perfect Julia."

"She comes damn close. She was a nun, then a nurse, now a doctor for God's sake. All noble professions. And his wife? Oh, I'm a lawyer, as morally ambiguous and unscrupulous as the next guy."

Julia lets out a painful laugh, the kind of laugh caused by frustration. Eden ends up laughing with her and suggests they go shopping, maybe have some cocktails after.

"Is stiff gin a cocktail?"

Eden smiles and smacks her friend on the arm and Julia smacks her back. They smile and walk out, Eden putting her arm around her as they walk through the lobby.

(EXT: Santa Barbara Medical Center)

---Edmund sits in his office, going over Sophia's chart. Pamela pops in and asks how things are going. Edmund informs her that he's got a brand new patient. Pamela smiles and hugs him. She asks what exactly happened and Edmund tells her that Sophia has decided to go through with the treatment. He tells her that he's already given her first booster shot and she'll be coming later in the day for the next one. Pamela asks if he prescribed the drugs he'd told her about and he smiles that he did. He offers to check in the computer system to see if Sophia has picked them up. He punches it up on the computer as Pamela watches over his shoulder. Both are elated when all six prescriptions show up received.

"It's done. You're genius" Pamela tells him.

"I could have never come up with this without you, give yourself credit dear. And I haven't even told you the best part- Sophia has insisted that I not breathe a word of it to her family. And I wouldn't want to break doctor-patient confidentiality....."

"Perfect" Pamela laughs "It's almost too perfect. How long will it be before the drugs take effect?"

"Not long. Could be anywhere from 24-48 hours." He smiles at her. She smiles right back.

"She won't know what hit her" she says.

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

Episode 31 (New Year's Eve) will be posted tomorrow, as will next week's schedule. Things should be back to normal!