Home Transcripts Snappies Fan Creations M & M Press Links Sacrifice by SueS Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Conclusion ********** PART 1 ********** PINE VALLEY AIRPORT - EVENING (Typical airport business. There are passengers sitting in the waiting area or walking around. David and Dixie are near the boarding gate. David hands Dixie a slip of paper.) DAVID: Now, I want you to promise me you'll call my friend the minute you land. DIXIE: Yes, I promise ... it's just that ... (Dixie stops and closes her eyes.) DAVID: Dixie, are you all right? Is anything wrong? DIXIE: I'm fine, David. Thank you, thank you so much. You have done so much for me, I don't know if I can ever be able to repay you. DAVID: Just take care of yourself. DIXIE: I will. DAVID: (David caresses her face.) You are an amazing women. DIXIE: And you, how come you never let anyone see this side of you? DAVID: You wouldn't want me to tarnish my reputation would you? (Dixie smiles and shakes her head.) ANNOUCER VOICE: Now boarding Flight 211. DIXIE: That's my flight. DAVID: You have everything? DIXIE: Yes. DAVID: You'll call my friend as soon as you land? DIXIE: Yes. David ... (Dixie embraces David. David holds her. He doesn't want to let her go. Finally he does. He wipes a tear from his eye.) DAVID: Well, you better get going before you miss your flight. DIXIE: Yeah, I guess I better. ... Good bye David. DAVID: Good bye Dixie. (David watches Dixie as she walks away, as she does you can see David mouth the words "I love you.") THE PIT - SAME EVENING ( Tad is sitting at a table in a dark corner by himself looking rather forlorn. He has a bottle of whiskey and a shot glass in front of him. Liza walks into the bar. She looks around and sees Tad. She walks over to his table.) LIZA: Come here often? TAD (sighs): Liza, I'm really not in the mood. LIZA: Mind if I join you? TAD: And if I say no? (Liza sits down.) LIZA: (reaches out to take Tad's hand) Tad, I know you are hurting and I just want you to know ... TAD: (pulls his hand away) What? That you're here for me? God, Liza you really are a piece of work. So, are you and the old man having marital problems again? LIZA: Fine! If that's the way you want to be about it , you go right ahead. You know, I came here as a friend. I knew how much you were hurting and I thought maybe you’d like someone to talk to, but I guess I was wrong. I guess you’d rather waste your life in the bottom of a bottle. (Liza fills up Tad's shot glass and places it in front of him.) Here, be a shining example to Jamie and to JR. You show them just how easy it is to waste your life just because things didn’t work out the way you planned. (Liza storms out of the bar. Tad lifts his glass in a toast towards Liza.) TAD: Good riddance. (He downs his drink.) CHANDLER PARLOR – MORNING (Adam and Colby are sitting on the sofa. They are joking and playing around. Colby is holding an envelope.) ADAM: Remember, this is our little secret. You can't say anything to mommy until ... shhh ... (Liza walks downstairs. She sits down on the sofa next to Colby.) LIZA: (Smiling) So, what are you two up to? (Colby looks at Adam. Adam smiles and nods.) ADAM: Go ahead. (Colby hands Liza the envelope.) COLBY: Surprise, mommy! (Liza takes the envelope and looks at it.) LIZA: What's this? COLBY: Open it! (Liza opens the envelope and pulls out some travel brochures. There is a familiar logo of a mouse on one of them.) LIZA: We're going to Disney World! COLBY: Yeah! (Colby hugs her mom. As she holds Colby, Liza looks over at Adam.) LIZA: (whispering) Thank you. (Adam smiles.) (Sound of a door opening. Marian walks in.) MARIAN: My this certainly is a happy scene. COLBY: Hi grandma. We're going to Disney World. MARIAN: You are? Well that is something to be happy about. (Stuart walks in.) COLBY: Hi grandpa. STUART: Hi Colby, are you ready to go to the zoo? COLBY: Yeah. STUART: I think we're going to have lots of fun at the zoo today. I even bought you some new crayons and some paper so you can draw pictures of the animals. Won't that be fun? (Stuart offers Colby his hand, she takes it and they start to walk towards the door.) LIZA: Wait a minute, I'll walk out with you. Are you coming mother? MARIAN: Umm, you go ahead, I'll be there in a minute. (Marian eyes Adam suspiciously. Liza eyes Marian, and then Adam suspiciously. Liza, Colby and Stuart walk to the front door.) MARIAN: Ok Adam, what big secret are you trying to hide from Liza now? ADAM: What do you mean? MARIAN: You know what I mean. Whenever you want to keep Liza from finding out something you try to ship her out of town. ADAM: I just want to take my family on a little vacation. Is that a crime? I'm not hiding anything. (Liza returns. It's unclear how much she has heard.) LIZA: I should've known. ADAM: Liza, I thought you had left. LIZA: I knew this was too good to be true. (Marian looks smugly at Adam.) LIZA: Can't the two of you be civil towards each other for at least one day? (Liza turns towards Marian.) Mother, Adam has nothing up his sleeve. (Marian's demeanor changes quickly. Adam smiles.) MARIAN: But Liza ... LIZA: No buts mother. Adam and I have both been working very hard to make this marriage work. We realized that sometimes you have to fight for what you believe in. We saw what happened to Tad and Dixie. We made a promise to each other that we were not going to let that happen to us. MARIAN: Are you sure Liza? How many times has your heart been broken after you've told me things were better between you and Adam? LIZA: Mother, trust me, this time they are better. You want me to be happy, right? MARIAN: Yes, you know I do darling. LIZA: Well, you have nothing to worry about then, Adam, Colby and I are very happy. MARIAN: (hesitantly) Well ... if you say so. (Sound of car horn.) LIZA: Sounds like Stuart and Colby are getting impatient. MARIAN: Yes ... well ... I guess I better get going. LIZA: If it gets cold make sure Colby puts her sweater on. MARIAN: I will darling. We'll see you tonight. (Marian leaves. Liza turns towards Adam and gives him a look.) ADAM: So, is this where I get the fifth degree? LIZA: (Shakes her head) There's no fifth degree, Adam. I meant every word I said. You have been amazing these last few weeks. I've been watching you with JR and I've seen how loving but firm you've been. His life is completely turned around and I believe with all my heart that it's because of you. ADAM: You don't know how glad I am to hear you say that. LIZA: Yeah, well before we get all mushy here, I need to get moving or else I'm going to be late for my production meeting. ADAM: OK, party-pooper. (Liza picks up her briefcase and walks towards the door.) ADAM: How about a nice romantic evening together? LIZA: Sounds intriguing. What's the plan? ADAM: You leave that to me. ********** PART 2 ********** WRCW, LIZA'S OFFICE – LATER, SAME DAY (Liza is working at her desk. Tad walks in. Liza looks up.) LIZA: Well, look who's back among the living. TAD: Mind if I come in? LIZA: And if I say no? TAD: Very funny. Look, I want to apologize for the way I behaved the other night. I was being a real jerk. LIZA: No, if anyone needs to apologize it's me. I should've been more sensitive. I should've realized that you probably needed some time to yourself. You didn't need anyone hovering over you. TAD: Yeah, that's what I thought. But you know, when you left I just felt real empty inside. LIZA: More than when ... TAD: Yeah ... no ... I mean, it was different. Here I was sitting in this bar, staring into this shot glass, and all I could think about was what you said about being a shining example to Jamie and JR. I knew I didn't want them to remember me like that. LIZA: So, what did you do? TAD: Well, I walked around town for awhile. Then I went home and played video games. (Liza smiles) LIZA: Video games? Well, that certainly is setting a better example . TAD: (smiling back) Hey, cut me some slack will ya? LIZA: I am. I'm just glad you took my advice to heart. TAD: I did. So what have you been up to? LIZA: Well ... We're going to Disney World? TAD: You are? Wow, that's ... LIZA: Yeah, Adam bought us tickets. We're going next month. (Tad's demeanor changes slightly.) TAD: That's, umm, that's really great. I .... I'm really happy for you Liza. LIZA: Oh no! Not you too? TAD: What? Me? What? LIZA: I swear, you and mother are both alike. You think Adam has something up his sleeve don't you? TAD: Did I say that? LIZA: No, but I know how you think. TAD: Well, you have to admit Adam certainly has a track record. LIZA: Adam is not hiding anything. (Liza's phone rings. She answers it.) LIZA: Hello? (A look of fear comes across Liza's face as she listens to the person on the other end.) LIZA: Oh my God, when? (Liza looks at her watch.) Yes ... No ... I'll be right there. (Liza hangs up the phone.) TAD: Liza what's wrong? LIZA: There's been an accident? TAD: Adam? Liza: No. (Tears well up in her eyes as she shakes her head) Colby. I umm, I ... I have to go. I have to be with her. TAD: OK, but I'm driving. (Tad and Liza rush out of the office together.) PV HOSPITAL ER EXAMINING ROOM (There is a flurry of activity. Colby lays on the gurney. She is unconscious. Several medical personnel are working on her. Jake rushes in.) JAKE: What do we have here? EMT: Head injury. Little girl was thrown from a car. (Jake stops in his tracks when he sees Colby.) JAKE: (in a state of shock.) Colby. (He gets his bearings back) OK! Are there any other injuries? Any broken bones? Nurse 1: No doctor. JAKE: How are her vitals? Nurse 2: Respiration is shallow, pulse ... (An alarm goes off on one of the monitors connected to Colby.) ER WAITING ROOM (Stuart and Marian are sitting together. Marian is crying and Stuart is trying to comfort her.) MARIAN: Oh, Stuart, this is all my fault. I don't know what I'll do if something happens to Colby. Liza is going to hate me. STUART: No, no it's not your fault. It was an accident. Liza isn't going to hate you. MARIAN: No, you don't understand ... (Tad and Liza rush in. Liza spots her mother and makes a beeline for her.) LIZA: Momma? MARIAN: Oh, Liza. (Marian and Liza hug. Jake enters the waiting room. Liza sees Jake. Liza does not like the look on his face.) LIZA: No ... please ... no. (Jake gently guides Liza over to a chair.) JAKE: Liza, Colby has suffered a very serious head injury. (There are tears streaming down Liza's face.) LIZA: No, no ... don't say it. Please don't say it. JAKE: Liza! Listen to me. Colby is alive, but she is in very critical condition. We need to operate right now. (Liza starts to wipe her tears and tries to smile.) LIZA: She's alive? Then it's going to be okay. Everything is going to be all right then. You're going to fix her, right? JAKE: I'm going to try. (Colby's gurney is wheeled out from the ER.) LIZA: Wait, can I see her for just a moment. JAKE: Yes, but only a moment. (Liza gently kisses Colby on the forehead.) LIZA: Don't worry baby, Mommy will be right beside you when you wake up. (As Colby is taken to the operating room, Adam rushes in.) ADAM: Where's Colby? LIZA: Jake is taking her to surgery. ADAM: Surgery? What the h*ll happened? ********** PART 3 ********** ER WAITING ROOM (cont’d) ADAM: I want some answers. What's Jake Martin doing operating on my daughter? Is that the best this hospital has to offer? LIZA: Adam, we don't need to do this. Right now, I think we should just go to the chapel and say a prayer. ADAM: But I want some answers. Stuart? Marian? You were with her? How did this happen? LIZA: Adam, Adam, please. Please, will you come with me? I want to go to the chapel and say a prayer. Can we? Can we go? Please? (Liza takes Adam's arm and they walk off to the hospital chapel.) TAD: Stuart, how did this happen? STUART: I'm not exactly sure. We went to the zoo in the morning. You should've seen Colby. She was having so much fun making faces at the monkeys. When we got home, we decided we were going to have pizza for dinner. Marian said she'd pick it up and Colby wanted to go along for the ride. They were only a block away when it happened. Some car ran the stop sign at the corner. MARIAN: It's all my fault. If I had only ... STUART: No, don't say that. It wasn't your fault. It was an accident. I know you would never do anything to harm Colby. TAD: Stuart's right Marian. It sounds like it was the other guy's fault. MARIAN: Listen, I know you two are only trying to help, but right now I need to get out of here. STUART: Do you want me to come with you? MARIAN: No, I think I want to be alone for awhile. TAD: What about Liza? Don't you want to be here for her? MARIAN: I don't think Liza will be wanting to see me. HOSPITAL CHAPEL - SEVERAL HOURS HAVE PAST (Liza is sitting. Adam is pacing. He looks at his watch.) ADAM: What are they doing? Do you know how long it's been since they took her into surgery? LIZA: Two hours and forty-seven minutes. ADAM: What is taking them so long? I swear, if Jake Martin does anything to harm my daughter, this hospital will be hit with a lawsuit so big, they won't be able to dispense band-aides by the time I'm through with them. LIZA: I trust Jake. He would never do anything to harm Colby. Let's talk about something else? Do you remember Colby's first word? (Adam pauses for a moment and thinks. A smile comes across his face.) ADAM: Yes, dada. LIZA: Dada? I seem to recall Mama being her first word. ADAM: No, I distinctly remember her saying dada. LIZA: Well, if you say so. (Liza takes a long pause.) I can still see her taking her first step. ADAM: Me too. LIZA: I don't see how you could ever forget that. You've watched that video so often the tape is just about worn out. ADAM: I have, haven't I? You know what my favorite video is? LIZA: What? ADAM: The one you took of her singing to her doll. LIZA: Yeah, I like that one too. (Dr. Joe Martin walks into the chapel.) JOE: Liza, Adam, I think we need to talk. LIZA: Is it Colby? JOE: Yes. LIZA: Is she OK? JOE: I think it would be best if we discussed this in my office. JOE'S OFFICE (Adam and Liza sit on chairs across from Joe's desk. They both have very worried looks on their faces. Joe sits down in his chair and grins his typical grin.) JOE: First, I want you to know, Colby came through the operation with flying colors, but she has a long road a head of her. We won't know if there will be any permanent brain damage until she wakes up. LIZA: When will that be? JOE: We're not sure. It could be tomorrow or it could be next week. Right now, all we can do is just take it one day at a time. But, there is one complication we didn't foresee. ADAM: What kind of complication? JOE: I don't know how to say this ... We're still trying to figure out how it happened ... in fact, we're running some more tests right now. ADAM: Joe, will you stop beating around the bush and tell me what's wrong with my daughter? JOE: That's just it, Adam. Colby is not your daughter. LIZA: What? ADAM: What do you mean she's not my daughter? That's ridiculous. We have the DNA tests, courtesy of your Dr. Hayward, that proves I'm Colby’s father. LIZA: Joe, I don't understand. How could Adam not be Colby's father? JOE: No, you don't seem to understand. Neither one of you are Colby's parents. ********** PART 4 ********** JOE'S OFFICE (cont'd) LIZA: But, I gave birth to her. JOE: You gave birth, but not to that little girl. LIZA: Joe, I think I would know my own daughter. JOE: Liza, what's Colby’s blood type? LIZA: B, just like me. Why? JOE: The little girl we just operated on - her blood type is A. LIZA: But that's not possible. JOE: I know. ADAM: What the h*ll kind of circus are you running here Joe? JOE: Adam, I want to get to the bottom of this as much as you do, but right now, I think we need to concentrate on Colby. There is a little girl who just came out of surgery and she needs her parents. LIZA: (looking rather shell-shocked) Yes ... Colby. Can we see her? JOE: Yes. (Liza and Joe start to leave. Adam pulls his cell phone out of his pocket.) LIZA: Adam, are you coming? ADAM: You go ahead. I have some phone calls to make. JOE: Adam, you know you can't use cell phones in the hospital. (Adam reluctantly put his phone back in his pocket and gestures towards the phone on Joe's desk.) ADAM: May I? JOE: (shrugs his shoulders)Be my guest. LIZA: Adam? ADAM: You go ahead, I have to take care of something. THE PIT – SAME EVENING (Kendall and Ryan are sitting at a table by the windows. They are eating peanuts and drinking beer. Marian is sitting at one end of the bar trying to get drunk. Roger Smythe sits at the other end. He sees Marian and walks over to her, drink in hand.) ROGER: Marian. I haven't seen you in this part of town in ages. MARIAN: Roger, I'm not in the mood. (Roger sits down next to her.) ROGER: Trouble at the ol' homestead? Marian takes a drink.) RYAN AND KENDALL'S TABLE RYAN: So what is it we're celebrating? Did you finally succeed in driving your mother over the edge. KENDALL: No ... not yet. I got a job. RYAN: Congratulations? Out of town? KENDALL: Very funny. I start working for Adam Chandler tomorrow. RYAN: Adam Chandler? ROGER AND MARIAN MARIAN: (Speaking to herself.) Liza is never going to forgive me. ROGER: (More interested in the sound of his own voice.) Ahh, daughter problems. Let me tell you, I know a thing or two about that. Seems no matter how hard we try, they just never appreciate the sacrifices we make for them. Why take my daughter Greenlee ... MARIAN: (Not listening to Roger.) My little granddaughter is in the hospital and it's all my fault. (Roger becomes more attentive to Marian.) RYAN AND KENDALL RYAN: Adam Chandler? Are you crazy? KENDALL: I know all about Adam Chandler. He doesn't scare me. RYAN: That's what they all say. All I can say is I hope you read the fine print on your contract. KENDALL: What is it with you and Chandler? RYAN: It's a long story. So, what is Chandler having you do? KENDALL: I'm working in Accounting. ICU, COLBY'S ROOM (Colby is laying on a bed. She is unconscious. Her head is bandaged and she is on a ventilator. There are several machines making various hissing and beeping sounds. Liza is sitting on a chair next to Colby's bed. Liza holds Colby's hand and gently strokes it. She kisses her on the cheek.) LIZA: (Speaking very softly and tenderly) Hi baby. How's momma's little angel? (Liza tenderly caresses Colby's face.) You know, you're going to have to wake up real soon so we can go on our vacation. And don't forget you have that play date with Maddie next week ... and ... you know what I was thinking? I was thinking how much fun it would be if you and I made cookies when you got home. Wouldn't that be fun. ... Yeah, I think you'd like that. (Liza stops for a long while and just looks at Colby. She wipes a tear) LIZA: Oh, Colby, mommy just wants you to wake up. Could you do that for me? Don't be afraid. Mommy will be here. I will never, ever leave you. (Tad quietly walks in to the room.) TAD: Liza? LIZA: Tad? Hi. (Liza wipes her tears.) TAD: Mind if I come in? LIZA: No ... no, not at all. Please. ( Tad takes a chair by the door and puts it along side of Liza's chair. He sits.) TAD: How's she doing? LIZA: She's so pretty isn't she? She looks like a little china doll. TAD: Yeah, she's going to be breaking a lot of hearts when she grows up. (There is a brief moment of silence. Tad slowly places his hand on Liza's as she holds Colby's hand. Liza slowly pulls her hand away and stands up.) LIZA: I don't know what to do? TAD: You mean about the switch? LIZA: You know? (Tad nods his head.) How? TAD: Jake told me. LIZA: So much for doctor patience confidentiality. TAD: (Shrugs his shoulders) I guess nepotism is stronger. Listen, I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted you to know that if you need anything, anything at all, I'm right here for you. LIZA: Thanks. You've been a great friend. I don't know what I'd do without you. (Liza gives Tad a hug.) TAD: You've been there for me. This is the least I can do. LIZA: You know, there is one thing you can do for me. ********** PART 5 ********** CHANDLER MANSION – MORNING (Adam opens the front door. Barry walks in.) BARRY: I got here as fast as I could. ADAM: Did you get it? BARRY: Well, I ran into a bit of a roadblock. (Liza walks in.) LIZA: What's going on? ADAM: Liza? You're up. LIZA: Yes, I want to get back to the hospital. ADAM: But, you were there all night last night. LIZA: Yes, I know and I noticed you never came back. ADAM: I know. I'm sorry. It's just that I had to take care of some things. I think Barry might have something for us. BARRY: Well, as I was saying, I ran into a bit of a roadblock. LIZA: Will someone explain to me what this is about? ADAM: Liza, Barry is going to help us find our daughter. (Liza shakes her head. The doorbell rings. Liza answers it. Tad walks in) ADAM: What's he doing here? LIZA: I asked him to come. Tad, did you find out anything? TAD: From what I can tell, the day you came to the hospital ... ADAM: Wait a minute. You mean to tell me, you're letting a Martin investigate a screw up at his father's hospital? (Liza glares at Adam.) TAD: As I was saying. It appears the day you came to the hospital with Colby, there was a young unwed mother who had also given birth to a little girl. Now, this is where things get a little muddled, but it seems that somehow the babies' ID bracelets got switch. ADAM: You mean to tell me some irresponsible kid is out there raising my child? LIZA: Adam, please. Let him finish. TAD: No, the girl put her child up for adoption and that's as far as I could get. ADAM: Well, then all we need to do is find this family. BARRY: It's not that easy Adam. Those records are sealed. That's the roadblock I was telling you about. ADAM: I don't give a d*mn about any sealed records. Those people have my child. BARRY: Well, considering the circumstances, I don't think we'll have any trouble getting a court order asking the judge to open those records. That is, if that is what you want? ADAM: Yes. LIZA: No. ADAM: What? LIZA: Adam, I think we really need to think about this. ADAM: What is there to think about? Some family, God knows where has our child. Doesn't that bother you? LIZA: Yes, it bothers me. It's tearing me up inside. But I'm thinking about Colby. You know, the little girl who is right now lying in a hospital bed fighting for her life? ADAM: But she's ... LIZA: She's what? Not your daughter? Just because she's not a product of your loins you no longer consider her your daughter? Or is it because Colby might not be perfect when she wakes up, you're hoping to trade her in for a better model? ADAM: No ... that's not what I'm saying. LIZA: What are you saying Adam? Do you expect to find these people, knock on their door and say, "I'm sorry, there seems to have been a bit of a mix up. Let's swap kids."? ADAM: It doesn't bother you in the least that your daughter, your own flesh and blood is out there somewhere? LIZA: What bothers me is the idea of two little girls having their lives turned completely upside down. It's bad enough that Colby is in a hospital bed at this very minute fighting for her life. Do we really need to create more pain and suffering by pursuing this? Now, I'm going to the hospital to see Colby. Are you coming? ADAM: (hesitates) I'll ... (Adam's cell phone rings.) D*mn it! (He answers the phone.)[/i] Adam Chandler ... what ... No! Is he still there? Fine, don't let him out of your sight. I'll be right there. (Adam closes his phone and puts it back into his pocket.) Sorry, I have to go. LIZA: Are you coming to the hospital? (Adam runs out without answering.) STUART'S ART STUDIO (Marian is sitting at the desk. She is on the phone.) MARIAN: Yes, Darling. (Roger Smythe walks in.) MARIAN: You take care, Liza and give Colby a kiss for me. (Marian hangs up the phone and sees Roger.) ROGER: I am glad to see you and Liza have patched things up. After what you did, she must be a saint to ... (Marian glares at Roger.) ROGER: oh ... oh ... oh. Something tells me you haven't said a word to Liza. MARIAN: Roger, did you come here for a reason? ROGER: I wonder what would happen if somehow Liza found out what really happened the night of the accident? MARIAN: You wouldn't. ROGER: Oh, don't worry Marian, I'm very good at keeping secrets. It's just that ... well ... sometimes I may need a little incentive. (Stuart enters from the room behind the staircase. He has several paintings under his arm and in his hands.) STUART: Roger! (Stuart tries to put his hand out to shake Roger's hand, but is having a difficult time. Finally he figures out he needs to put the paintings down. He does. Once again he offers his hand to Roger. They shake.) STUART: So, what brings you here? Are you interested in some art work? ROGER: (Looking over at Marian.) I just might be Stuart. STUART: Well, I have some interesting pieces that just came in today. MARIAN: I'm sorry, but we can't do this right now. The studio is closed. STUART: It is? MARIAN: Yes, I just spoke to Liza at the hospital and I promised her we'd visit Colby. STUART: Oh ... Okay. (Stuart turns to Roger.) I don't know if you heard, but our granddaughter Colby was a horrible accident. ROGER: Yes, yes I did. Tragic, it really is tragic. (He looks over at Marian.) Well, you give my love to the little girl. ********** PART 6 ********** WRCW, LIZA'S OFFICE (Ryan and Liza are sitting at her work table. Papers are scatter all over the table.) LIZA: I think we should move Cooking with Celeste to two o'clock. RYAN: But that's Miss Maple's Storytime. It's always been at two and they have great rating in that time slot. Do you really want to do that? LIZA: No ... no you're right. Maybe we can ... (Liza starts to move papers around on the table and accidentally knocks over a cup of coffee. Coffee spills all over the papers. Liza gasps. Ryan picks up the cup and tries to blot up the mess with some napkins.) RYAN: OK ... why don't you let me take care of the programming changes. You are under way too much stress right now. LIZA: But I need to keep busy. (Ryan leads Liza over to the couch.) RYAN: Right now, the only thing you need to keep busy with is Colby. Why aren't you at the hospital with her? LIZA: I was. I was with her all night last night. I was with her most of the day today. I just needed to get away for a while. To get my mind on other things. You know? But now that I am away all I can do is think about her. Does that make sense? RYAN: It makes perfect sense. When Gillian was in the hospital it hurt so much to be there watching her suffer that all I wanted to do is run away, but then when I wasn't with her, it hurt even more to be away. (Adam walks in. He is carrying a large bouquet of flowers. Ryan stands up.) RYAN: Well, I better get going. Are you going to be all right Liza? LIZA: Yes, I'll be fine. Thanks. RYAN: I'll take care of those programming changes. LIZA: OK. We'll talk about it tomorrow. (RYAN leaves.) LIZA: Are those for me? ADAM: I thought these might cheer you up. LIZA: Have you been to see Colby yet? ADAM: Liza, I found out something that is going to change everything. KENDALL'S OFFICE (Kendall is working on the computer.) KENDALL: Oh no ... what did I do? (she types in a few more keystrokes.) KENDALL: No, this can not be happening. (Kendall walks over to the open office door, looks around to make sure no one is around. She closes it, then goes back to her desk, picks up the phone and dials) RYAN'S OFFICE (Ryan's phone rings.) RYAN: Lavery. KENDALL: Ryan. Are you busy? RYAN: Kind of. What's up? KENDALL: How good are you at computers? RYAN: Pretty good. Why? KENDALL: I'm at work right now, and I think I totally messed something up here. RYAN: Whoa, whoa ... you're working for Adam Chandler and you want ME to come over there and fix something? I don't think that's such a good idea. KENDALL: Ryan, please. If he finds out, I am totally screwed. RYAN: Sorry, no can do. Liza has been under a lot of pressure lately what with Colby being in the hospital. KENDALL: Yeah, I heard. So how's she doing? RYAN: She's holding on. Anyway, I promised Liza I'd take over some of her workload for her. KENDALL: Well, what about later today or tomorrow. Listen Ryan, I really, really need your help and you are the only person I can trust. RYAN: I'll think about it. LIZA'S OFFICE LIZA: What did you find out? ADAM: I located our daughter. LIZA: What? ADAM: Our daughter. She's living with a family in Kansas. He’s an auto mechanic ... LIZA: I don't believe you did this. ADAM: Liza, don’t you understand? Now we can ... LIZA: NO! I forbid it. I swear Adam if you do this, I am going to ... ADAM: You're going to what? Leave me? LIZA: You are making it so easy. ADAM: You know, I am sick and tired of you making all these demands on me, expecting me to tow the line and then threatening to divorce me every time things don't go your way. Well, guess what? You don't have to bother this time. I'll take care of it myself. (Adam almost knocks over Tad as he leaves. Adam looks at Tad, then Liza.) ADAM: Here's your big chance. TAD: What was that all about? LIZA: I'm not sure. THE PARK – SEVERAL DAYS LATER (Liza and Mia are sitting on a park bench.) MIA: How's Colby doing? LIZA: She's doing better. She opened her eyes for a few seconds. MIA: Wow, that's great. Do you think she recognized you? LIZA: Yeah, I think so ... I hope ... MIA: You know, I picked up some storybooks from the library. I was thinking of visiting her and reading some stories to her. Do you think that would be OK? LIZA: Oh, sure. I think that would be wonderful. MIA: OK, I will. LIZA: I wanted to ask you about your little boy. The one you put up for adoption? MIA: Yes? LIZA: Do you ever think about him? MIA: All the time. LIZA: But, have you ever thought about finding the family who adopted him and ... I don't know ... seeing if you could see him or have some kind of relationship with him? MIA: Sure, I’ve thought about it. Mostly I think about it on May 10, that's his birthday. Is this about your daughter? LIZA: Adam told me he found the family who adopted her. MIA: You're kidding? LIZA: You know, when he told me, a part of me wanted to hop on the next flight to Kansas. I wanted to find her and hold her in my arms and say "Mommy's here." But I'm not her mommy. I'm a stranger. This is so complicated. I wish I knew what the answer was. MIA: I don't know what to say Liza. (Liza shakes her head.) LIZA: I can't do it. I can't let Adam do this to her. (Liza gets up to leave.) MIA: Where're you going? KENDALL'S OFFICE (Kendall is sitting at her desk. Ryan walks in.) KENDALL: You have no idea how much I appreciate this. RYAN: Well, hold your appreciation until we see what I can do. (Kendall stands. Ryan sits down in front of the computer screen.) RYAN: Now, what seems to be the problem? KENDALL: I'm not sure. I was trying to transfer some of these old files and ... (Kendall reaches over to the computer and pushes some buttons.) KENDALL: See? RYAN: No, wait. You didn't do anything wrong. All you need to do is ... (Ryan enters a few keystrokes.) RYAN: See! Good as new. KENDALL (reaches over to give Ryan a hug.) You are a genius. RYAN: (looking at the computer screen.) Hold the phone. KENDALL: Don't tell me, I did screw up. RYAN: No, but if I’m reading these numbers correctly, Adam did. And in a big way. ********** PART 7 ********** VALLEY INN – EVENING (Liza is sitting at a table near the middle of the room. She is facing the entrance. She sees Jack and waves at him. He waves back and walks over to her table. He sits.) JACK: Sorry I'm late. LIZA: That's OK. JACK: On the phone you said you had some legal questions, I'm assuming this is about Colby. LIZA: No, it's about my daughter. Adam's found her. He's found the family who adopted her. JACK: And now ... You want to contest the adoption. LIZA: No, that's just it. I don't. And I want to stop Adam from contesting it also. JACK: Wait a minute, Liza. This is your own flesh and blood we’re talking about here. I mean, you of all people ... I would've expected to see you going in there with both barrels blasting. LIZA: Yeah, well, surprise. Look, I've thought long and hard about this. I know Colby is not my child, but that hasn't stopped me from loving her. I also know how it feels to be afraid that your child may be taken away from you. I don't think I could ever put someone through that. Besides, the family that has my daughter, they didn't know. They didn't do anything wrong. In fact, I think what they did was kind of wonderful. They took a child into their home who wasn't theirs and they adopted her. They chose her. They knew she wasn't their flesh and blood, but they wanted her and now she is their daughter. If I can do something to ensure them that that's not going to change, I will. JACK: Liza, it sounds to me like you want to give up any legal rights you have to your biological daughter. (Liza hesitates a bit.) LIZA: Yeah, I guess I do. ... But will I be doing the right thing? Let's say I sign these papers and then ten or fifteen years from now my daughter finds out what I did? Will she hate me? Will she think I've abandoned her? Will she think I didn't fight for her? JACK: Do you want to fight for her? LIZA: I want her to be safe. I want her to know she doesn't have to worry about some stranger coming in and snatching her from the only family she knows. JACK: But Liza you know that even if you are willing to give up your rights to your biological daughter, it's not going to stop Adam from going after her if he wants. LIZA: And there's nothing we can do about that? JACK: (shakes his head.) Unless there's some legal loophole that I'm not aware of, short of convincing Adam Chandler that he should ... (Tad rushes into the Valley Inn and makes a beeline for Jack and Liza's table.) TAD: Liza, I've been looking for you all over the place. LIZA: What is it? TAD: He wouldn't say, but Jake said as soon as I found you, I was to get you to the hospital right away. LIZA: Colby. (Tad, Liza, and Jack all rush out.) SOS – Same Night (Ryan is sitting at one of the small round tables. Kendall is at the bar picking up some drinks. She walks over to Ryan's table and hands him a beer.) KENDAL: So six-pack, are you going to tell me what you found on Adam Chandler's computer that has you in such a jovial mood. RYAN: Uhmmmm, Nah. I think I'll hold on to this little secret for awhile. Until I'm sure exactly how I'm going to use it. KENDALL: And this ... this whatever it is you have. You're positive this is going to completely ruin Adam Chandler. RYAN: Well, now with Adam Chandler you can never be positive about anything, but if this gets into the hands of the right people, it can do some major damage. KENDALL: So, can I interest you in snooping around Erica Kane's computer? PINE VALLEY HOSPITAL – Same Evening ( Liza rushes into the hospital. Tad and Jack follow. Jake step out of Colby’s room. He looks exhausted.) LIZA: How's Colby? JAKE: She's stable now, but she's had two seizures tonight LIZA: Seizures? Oh my God! (Liza sits in one of the waiting room chairs. Tears are welling up in Liza's eyes. Jake sits next to her.) JAKE: We have it under control, for now. However, there's no guarantee that it won't happen again. And if it does ... well, each time she has a seizure, it decreases her chances of a full recovery. LIZA: No, Jake. I don't want you to say that. I want you to tell me she's wide awake and laughing and smiling. I want you to tell me I can take her home now. JAKE: I want to be able to tell you that too. I am going to do everything in my power to make sure she comes through this. You to know that I love Colby as if she was my own daughter and ... wait. (Jake pulls out his wallet and takes out a folded piece of paper. He opens it up and shows it to Liza.) You know what that is? (Liza looks at it.) LIZA: It's Colby’s birth certificate. But why ... (Liza looks at it again.) It's the one with you listed as Colby's father. JAKE: Yeah, even after I learned that I wasn't, I couldn't bear to part with this. I guess there's still a part of me who wants to believe I am her father. JACK: Jake, may I see that for a minute please? (Jack puts out his hand.) JAKE: Sure. (Jake hands Jack the birth certificate.) But why? (Jack reads it over.) JACK: Liza, I don't want to get your hopes up, but I think I may have found our loophole. I need to do a little research, but I'll call you tomorrow with a game plan. Right now, I want you to go in there and tell Colby Uncle Jack says hi. (Jack leaves.) LIZA: (to Jake) Is it OK? Can I go in and see her? JAKE: Sure, but not too long. She needs her rest. LIZA: Can Tad come? (Jake looks at Tad and then Liza.) JAKE: Yeah ... I guess ... Tad: Are you sure. LIZA: Yeah, I'm sure. I think I just want to have someone with me right now. TAD: Well, I don't have any plans. So, I guess I'm your man. ( Tad and Liza walk into Colby's room.) COLBY'S ROOM (The lights are low. machines connected to Colby continue to beep and click and whoosh. An extremely large stuffed bear sits in the far corner. Colby seems to be sleeping peacefully.) LIZA: You don't think she's in any pain do you? TAD: No. (Tad shakes his head) I think ... Right now, I think the only thing Colby feels is how much you love her. (Tad reaches over and gently strokes Liza's hair. Liza hesitates for a brief moment, but then quickly turns away.) LIZA: Umm ... you know who I wish was here? My mother. You haven't seen her lately? TAD: (Feeling slightly uncomfortable.) No, not lately. Why? LIZA: I don't know. It feels like she's been avoiding me. TAD: I think she still feels guilty about the accident. LIZA: But she knows she doesn't have to. I know it wasn't her fault. TAD: Maybe she just needs a little more time. LIZA: Yeah, maybe. (It's quiet for a little while. Tad looks around the room and finally notices the rather large stuffed bear.) TAD: Looks like papa bear finally decided to visit Goldilocks. LIZA: What? TAD: (pointing to the bear.) Adam. I think he finally decided to pay Colby a visit. LIZA: He did? (Liza walks over to the bear and hesitates before she removes the card attached to its neck. She wipes a tear as she starts to reads the card.) LIZA: (shaking her head.) No. This is his secretary's handwriting. I sure he had her running all over town on his lunch hour looking for the biggest, most expensive toy she could find. Come on. I'm gonna see if I can find some one to get rid of this monstrosity. (Tad and Liza walk out of Colby’s room. Liza walks up to the nurse at the nurses station.) Nurse's Station LIZA: Hi, do you think you can have someone go in there and take that stuffed whatever out of my daughter's room. Nurse: Sure. Do you want me to have it sent to your home? LIZA: No, I want you to burn it. (As Tad and Liza start to leave, they are stopped by a man.) MAN: Excuse me? Are you Liza Colby-Chandler. LIZA: Yes? MAN: I was told to give this to you. (The man hands Liza a large envelope and leaves.) TAD: What is it? LIZA: I don't know. (Liza opens the envelope and pulls out a familiar blue-backed document.) LIZA: Adam signed the divorce papers. ********** PART 8 ********** CHANDLER MANSION – MORNING (Adam is talking with a young couple - mid-late 30s. A little girl, blonde, about the same age as Colby is playing with a doll. The man is looking over a contract.) MAN: I don't know what to say Mr. Chandler. This is such a generous offer. ADAM: Well, John, I like to treat all my employees well. Now, all you need to do is sign on the dotted line and we'll be in business. (John starts to sign the papers. Liza walks in.) LIZA: Adam? ADAM: Liza, what are you doing here? LIZA: What's going on? ADAM: Liza, this is John and Kathy Miller. (Adam then walks over to the little girl and places his hands on her shoulder.) ADAM: And this ... this is Sarah. (Sarah looks up and smiles at Liza.) SARAH: Hi. LIZA: Adam, can I see you upstairs in your office? Now. (Adam and Liza go upstairs. Sarah walks over and sits on her mother's lap.) ADAM'S OFFICE (Liza hands Adam the divorce papers.) LIZA: Here, they're signed. (Adam doesn't take the papers.) ADAM: Liza, do you know who that is downstairs? LIZA: No ... I really ... I really don't want to know. (Liza places the papers on the desk.) ADAM: That's our daughter. Liza all you need to do is say yes and I'll rip up those divorce papers and you and I can fight this together and get our daughter back. (Liza hesitates for a moment. She looks at the divorce papers. She touches them.) LIZA: So, just like that. You and I are back together again and we do battle with those people downstairs. ADAM: Just say the word and we're a team again. (Liza slowly and contemplatively begins to nod her head. Adam makes a move towards the divorce papers, but before he can get his hands on them Liza snatches them up.) LIZA; First of all, why would I want to be married to someone I have so much contempt for? Second, when have we ever been a team? I don't think we've ever seen eye to eye on anything. And what's this about fighting? Fighting who? The Millers? They're not the enemy. ADAM: But you saw her didn't you? She beautiful and she's our daughter. LIZA: Yes, yes she is. And the Millers look like wonderful parents. Adam, I can't believe you are doing this. ADAM: Doing what? LIZA: The only reason you brought them here is so you can take their daughter away from them. ADAM: I am offering the man a very lucrative position at one of my automotive plants. LIZA: Do you ever listen to the things that come out of your mouth? A cushy job working at one of your plants is suppose to offset all the pain and misery you plan on putting those people and that child through. Adam, I'm begging you. Please, give this up. Too many people are going to be hurt by this. ADAM: But she's my daughter. LIZA: So is Colby. Or have you decide that since she isn't your flesh and blood you can stop loving her? ADAM: I haven't stopped loving her. LIZA: Oh really? OK, Adam, tell me what was the gift you sent Colby? ADAM: Gift? It was ... LIZA: Don't even try. ADAM: I'm having the best neurologist flown in from Sweden to take care of her. LIZA: Oh, I keep forgetting. Adam Chandler's unique formula for love. The more money you throw around the greater the love. ADAM: You don't seem to understand. I have never had the chance to raising any of my children. Someone is always taking them away from me. This time, I am not going to let that happen. LIZA: I am not going to let you do this. (Liza leaves.) ADAM: You can't stop me. She's my daughter. VALLEY INN BAR – Later the same day. (Marian is sitting at one of the tables. She gulps down her drink and signals to a passing waiter.) MARIAN: Excuse me. Can I have a refill? (Roger sneaks up behind her and whispers in her ear.) ROGER: Marian, Marian, Marian. What are we going to do with you? MARIAN: Oh Roger, will you just go away? ROGER: Oh, no can do Mrs. Chandler. I believe you have a little something for me. (Marian takes a thick envelope out of her purse and tosses it at Roger.) MARIAN: Here. I hope you're happy. ROGER: Oh, I must say, I am getting much happier. How about you, Marian? Are you happy? MARIAN: What do you think? ROGER: No, I don't think so. I think you're quite miserable. And who could blame you. After all, you are carrying an awful lot of guilt around with you. I mean, what would Liza do if she ever found out that you told Colby she didn't have to wear her seat belt. (Marian looks up and sees Liza standing by her table.) LIZA: Mother? (Roger stands up.) ROGER: Looks like this is my cue to leave. LIZA: No, you're not going anywhere. Mother, is what he said true? Did you tell Colby she didn't have to wear her seat belt? MARIAN: (crying.) Oh, Liza, I'm so sorry. I never thought ... We were only going a couple blocks. LIZA: Mother, how could you be so stupid? MARIAN: Yes, I'm stupid. I'm a stupid old woman who doesn’t deserve ... (Liza looks over at Roger.) LIZA: And what's your role in this? ROGER: Me? Nothing, nothing at all. (Roger tries to hide the envelope. Liza grabs it.) LIZA: What's this? (She opens it and sees that is filled with money.) Is this a bribe, mother? (Liza hands the envelope back to Marian.) Here, save yourself a few dollars. Your secret is out. (Liza walks out) ********** PART 9 ********** TAD'S HOUSE – EVENING (Tad is sitting on his couch playing video games. He is wearing a t-shirt, gym shorts and a bath robe.) TAD: Take that, take that ... ooch ... ouch ... (Door bell rings. Tad gets up and answers the door. Liza barges in, throws her purse on the table and plops herself down on the coach as she buries her head in her hands.) TAD: Make yourself at home. LIZA (Liza looks up at Tad.) Tad, my whole world is falling apart. STUART AND MARIAN'S PLACE (Stuart has an intimate table set for two. As he lights the candle Marian walks in.) STUART: (bowing regally) Your table awaits my queen. MARIAN: Oh, Stuart, everything is falling apart. TAD AND LIZA (Tad sits down next to Liza. He puts his arm around her and she rests her head on his shoulder.) TAD: Listen, I want you to know you don't have to take this on all by yourself. I'm here for you. Jake is here for you. Didn't he say he loved Colby like his own child. He's not going to let anything happen to her. And you have Stuart and Marian. I'm sure ... (Liza sits up and wipes a tear as she shakes her head.) LIZA: No, not my mother, not Marian. TAD: What do you mean? LIZA: It's all her fault. STUART AND MARIAN MARIAN: It's all my fault. STUART: What do you mean? MARIAN: I don't know why no one questioned me about how Colby got injured. I thought surely someone would suspect something. TAD AND LIZA LIZA: I should've suspected something. The accident itself was not that serious. Just a few dents on the side of the car. How come I never asked myself, how was Colby thrown from the car when the accident wasn't that serious? MARIAN AND STUART MARIAN: I've been waiting in fear all these days for someone to ask me how Colby happened to be thrown from the car. STUART: I think you want to tell me, don't you? MARIAN: Yes (Marian takes a deep breath) I told Colby she … TAD AND LIZA LIZA: She told Colby she didn't have to wear her seatbelt. She told her they were only going a couple blocks and that it would be ok. She was too impatient to wait or insist that she wasn't going anywhere until Colby was buckled up. She was too lazy to go to the backseat and make sure she had her seatbelt on. (Liza wipes a tear. You know, my mother ... I mean Marian ... can be so incredibly stupid sometimes, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever suspect that her stupidity would put my child in danger. MARIAN AND STUART MARIAN: Because of my stupidity I now have a beautiful granddaughter fighting for her life and a daughter who hates me. STUART: I don't think she hates you. TAD AND LIZA LIZA: I hate her. TAD: I don't believe I'm going to say this, but Liza, you need to forgive your mother. You can't afford to stay angry at her. LIZA: I can't afford not to stay angry at her. No, this is completely unforgivable. TAD: There's something else going on here, isn't there? (Liza takes a long pause.) LIZA: I saw her. TAD: Who? LIZA: My daughter, my little girl. Oh she is so beautiful. TAD: But how? LIZA: (Shaking her head in disbelief) You'll never guess what Adam has been up to. TAD: Something tells me I'm about to find out. LIZA: He brought the Millers to Pine Valley. TAD: The Millers? You don't mean ... but how? LIZA: Adam invited them to Pine Valley under the pretense of giving Mr. Miller a job. TAD: And you don't think he's on the level? LIZA: Tad, this is Adam we're talking about? TAD: Yeah, what was I thinking? LIZA: You know, he even expected me to rip of the divorce papers and help him go after the Millers. TAD: And you ... LIZA: No, I didn’t. The papers are filed. I'm officially divorced from Adam Chandler. (Tad breathes a sigh of relief. TAD: But now you're worried about what he's going to do. LIZA: I don't know what he has planned, but I know he is going to try and take their little girl away from them. I have to stop him. Will you help me? TAD: You know I will. PV COURT HOUSE - Morning. (Liza and Tad are sitting on a bench outside the judge's chambers. Liza looks at her watch.) LIZA: Where is he? He's late. (Jackson walks in. Liza stands up.) LIZA: Did you get it? Did he sign it? JACKSON: Yes, and I have your statement also. Let's hope this is all we need. (Tad, Liza, and Jackson enter the Judge's chambers. A man wearing a judge's robe sits behind a large stately desk. He is in his late 50s – early 60s.) JUDGE: Mr. Montgomery. Do you have the papers we discussed on the phone? JACKSON: Yes, your honor. I'm sure you will find everything in order. (Jackson hands the papers to the judge. The judge begins to read them over very carefully.) JUDGE: This seems a bit confusing. Let's see, we have Liza Colby giving up her parental rights to a child named ... Sarah Miller? And Jake Martin (The judge flips through several pages of document) giving up his parental rights to a child he didn't ... JACKSON: Your honor, if I may ... (Adam and Barry Shire walk in to the room.) JUDGE (smiling): Adam Chandler! ADAM: Jacob? How's that backswing? JUDGE: Getting better. (Barry hands the judge some papers. Tad takes Liza's hand in a show of support.) LIZA: No, this can't be happening. Jack? (Jack shakes his head.) BARRY: Your honor, I think we may have something that will have some bearing on this case. (The judge reads over the papers that Barry has just handed him.) JUDGE: Well, this is interesting. Adam, you are claiming that you are the biological father of Sarah Miller? ADAM: Yes, your honor. As you can see, we have new DNA evidence that shows I am her biological father. TAD: New DNA? My God, Adam, what did you do? LIZA: It's the company insurance, right? The Millers had to have a complete medical in order to be eligible for the insurance. TAD: You are one sick bastard. JUDGE: Adam, do you wish to assert your rights as the biological father of Sarah Miller? ADAM: Yes, your honor I do. (The judge continues to read over the documents Barry gave him.) JUDGE: And you wish to contest the adoption by John and Kathy Miller? ADAM: Yes, your honor. JUDGE: Well, everything seems to be in order here. LIZA: Please your honor, don't do this. (The Judge signs Adam's papers and hand them back to him.) JUDGE: You know this is only giving you the right to contest the adoption. I can't make any guarantees. ADAM: Yes Jacob, I mean, Your Honor. I understand. (Barry hands the judge another piece of paper.) BARRY: We do have one more document for you. I think you will find that everything is in order here too. LIZA: What is that? ADAM: It's a document asking the court to give the state full custody of Colby? LIZA: What? No, you can't do that. Jackson, can he? JACKSON: Your Honor. Liza is Colby's ... JUDGE: Mr. Montgomery, does your client have any document showing that she is the child's legal guardian. (Jackson looks over at Liza. Tad is holding her in his arms. Tears streaming down her face. She is looking at Jackson as her last hope. He looks back at her with a look of defeat on his face.) JACKSON: I'm sorry your honor. We don't. JUDGE: In that case, I have no other choice but to declare that the minor child Colby is a ward of the state. LIZA: No! (Liza begins to cry uncontrollably, Tad holds her tightly in his arms. Adam walks over to them.) TAD: It's Ok. It's OK. We’re gonna fix it. Don't worry. ADAM: Next time, maybe you'll think twice about trying to cross me. (Adam and Barry walk out.) ********** PART 10 ********** TAD'S PLACE – NEXT MORNING (There is a knock at the door. Tad answers it. Jackson enters.) TAD: Jack, come in. JACKSON: Hi. How's Liza doing? TAD: I think she cried herself to sleep. (Liza walks slowly into the room. She looks extremely sad.) TAD: Liza, how are you? (Liza walks over to Jack and slaps him across the face.) LIZA: You let them take my child away from me! (Tad grabs Liza and pulls her away. Jack too stunned to speak, rubs his cheek.) TAD: Hey, hey, Liza, come on, calm down. (Liza pulls away from Tad.) LIZA: No, I will not calm down. Jack, how could you let Adam take Colby away from me? TAD: That's right. Liza listen to yourself. It's Adam who did this. Not Jack. (Liza walks over to the couch and sits.) LIZA: He's won again. Why does he always win? (Tad sits down next to Liza and brushes a lock of hair from her face.) TAD: I don't know. (He shrugs his shoulders.) Because he's Adam, I guess. LIZA: You know, maybe I should just let him win. Maybe this is my payback for all the things I've done. TAD: No, Liza you can't let him win this. This is your daughter we're talking about. You have to fight him. LIZA: Why? So I can win the next round? Then what happens? Adam comes back with a vengence and it just never stops. It's no use. JACK: Liza, I'm sorry. I screwed up. But you have to listen to Tad here. You can't give up. Where do you want Colby to go when she comes out of the hospital? LIZA: I want her to come home with me. JACKSON: Well, I just may be able to help you there. I was able to get a judge to grant you temporary custody of Colby. (Jackson takes out a legal document from his briefcase and hands it to Liza.) LIZA: Temporary? JACKSON: It's a start. TAD: What do we do next? JACKSON: Next, we need to start working on a legal adoption. LIZA: Thanks, but ... (Liza places the document on Tad's coffee table.) TAD: But, you're worried about what Adam might do. LIZA: (Nods her head.) I know he'll try to do something to stop this TAD: She's right Jack. We have to find some way of stopping Adam Chandler. WRCW – LIZA'S OFFICE. – SEVERAL DAYS LATER (Liza is watching a news program on television.) ANNOUNCER'S VOICE: ... There are more complications in the custody battle between Adam Chandler and John and Kathy Miller. (Ryan walks in. Liza turns the television off.) RYAN: He's still at it isn't he? LIZA: Yeah, well you know Adam. Just walk all over everyone until you get what you want. RYAN: What would you do if I told you I had a way of stopping him? (Ryan hands Liza a computer disk) ********** Conclusion ********** CHANDLER MANSION, ADAM'S OFFICE – MUCH LATER (Adam and Barry are frantically shredding documents.) ADAM: Do you think you could move any slower? BARRY: I'm going a fast as I can. ADAM: I thought you had gotten rid of these documents. BARRY: I thought you were going to take care them. (Chris Stamp, Derek Frye, several police officers and another man enter the room. One of the police officers walks over and unplugs the shredder.) CHRIS: Mr. Chandler? I would like you to meet Mr. Thomas Hamilton of the Internal Revenue Services. DEREK: Adam Chandler, you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit fraud against the United States of America, for tax evasion, for ... PV HOSPITAL (Tad and Liza are about to enter Colby's room when Dr. Joe walks up to them.) JOE: Liza, just the person I wanted to see. LIZA: Why? What's wrong with Colby? Did she have another set back? JOE: No, no, nothing like that. In fact just the opposite. The lab just came back with the results of her latest test and she is doing remarkable well. LIZA: You're not kidding me, right? Colby is really getting better? JOE: Yes, she is. As a matter of fact, she's doing so well that I think it's time she went home. (Liza throws her arms around Joe.) LIZA: This is the best news anyone could give me right now. Thank you. (Liza stops hugging Joe. Joe takes Liza's hand and pats it in a reassuring paternal way.) JOE: You're welcome Liza, but you know you have a very remarkable little girl in there. She's a real fighter. Now, why don't you go in and see her while I take care of the paper work to get her released. (Joe leaves. Liza turns to Tad.) LIZA: Did you hear? TAD: Yeah, I heard. That's ... that's ... remarkable. (There is a sense that something more should be happening between them, but both are afraid to make the first move. The moment is "saved" when Liza sees Jackson walking down the hall towards them.) LIZA: Jack, how did it go? JACKSON: I just spoke with Derek. Adam is on his way to federal prison and with at least twenty years of tax evasion and fraud charges in front of him, I don't think he'll be getting out any time soon. LIZA: Does this mean Adam won't be able to take Sarah from her parents? JACKSON: Well, I think he's going to have a rather difficult time convincing any judge that he's a fit parent sitting behind those bars. TAD: Wow, I never thought I'd see the day that Adam Chandler finally got his. (Liza steps away from Tad and Jackson.) Tad: Liza, are you OK? LIZA: Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. TAD: Are you sure? You look a little worried. LIZA: No, I'm ok ... it's just ... Jack, have you heard anything on my petition to adopt Colby? JACK: Well, it's been filed and I don't foresee any problems. LIZA: I do ... Adam. TAD: But he's behind bars. He can't hurt you any more. JACK: Tad's right. There's not much Adam can do to you now. LIZA: I really don't think a high security federal prison is going to stop Adam Chandler once he sets his mind on something. TAD: Well, what do you think he'll do? LIZA: I don't know. Look, I kept Adam from having a life with his child. That's probably the worse thing anyone can do to him. My guess is that he'll try to do the same thing to me and take Colby away. He's already tried it. He has contacts. Maybe he'll try to contact Colby's birth parents and pay them off into suing me for custody. JACK: I really don't think there's much chance of that since Colby's birth mother did put her up for adoption. (Liza gives Jack a look that lets him know this is not the answer she was looking for.) But, if it will ease your mind, I'll see what information I can find on Colby's birth parents and make sure nothing happens. LIZA: Thanks Jack, I appreciate it. (Jackson walks off.) TAD: (Motioning over towards Colby’s door.) Say, isn't there a little girl in here that you wanted to take home with you? LIZA: Yeah, I think so. (Tad and Liza walk into Colby's room. She is no longer on the respirator and her head is no longer bandaged. She is asleep. Tad stays by the door as Liza walks over to her bed. Liza gentle strokes Colby's hair. Colby opens her eyes.) COLBY: Mommy. LIZA: Hi. How's mommy’s little angel? COLBY: I want to go home. LIZA: OK, Mommy's going to take you home. (Colby slowly closes her eyes and goes back to sleep. Liza walks over to Tad. He meets her halfway. They stop. They gaze into each others eyes. He slowly caresses her cheek.) TAD: You did great Liza Colby. (Tad pulls Liza towards him and they kiss.) THE END ... For now.