EPISODE 23 - When The Bough Breaks

Previously on FALCON CREST:

-------------Josh held Michael, Elena, Eric, Ann, Katherine, Angie, Emma Channing, and Chang-Li hostage at Falcon Crest, demanding ten million dollars from Richard as well as a plane to help him escape the country.

------------Richard went to Bobby Ewing, who agreed to put up the other half of the ten million dollars Josh demanded for the release of Ann and the others.

------------Angela and Danny Carrington shared a passionate evening together.

------------Things continued to remain tense between Alex and Nick in the wake of the kiss they shared.

------------Christopher Ewing and Courtney Wapner arrived in the Tuscany Valley to deliver to Bobby his half of the ten million dollars Josh had demanded.

------------Richard revealed to Vicky that Josh McQueen is her son and that Josh had taken hostages at Falcon Crest.

------------Tensions mounted at Falcon Crest during the hostage crisis, and in the middle of the crisis, Emma Ryland went into labor and gave birth to a son, whose life Josh saved.

Queen Of The Valley Hospital....afternoon

Ann Ewing is helping her daughter Emma pack her things in her room at Queen Of The Valley Hospital, as Emma is getting ready to leave the hospital.

"I'll bet you're happy to be gettin' out of this hospital," Ann says.

"You have no idea. I can't wait to get my son home."

Ann looks at her daughter with concern. "Emma, I'm worried about you."

"Why?" Emma asks.

"I worry about you goin' back to live in the same house with Katherine."

"I'll be fine," Emma says. "I'm not afraid of Katherine."

"Emma. just be careful," Ann says. "That woman is unstable. And dangerous."

"I'll be careful."

"If you want, I could stay a few more days."

"No, that's not necessary," Emma says. "You've been away from Southfork long enough. The baby and I are fine, and we're going home. Kevin will take good care of us. There's nothing Katherine can do."

"I wish that were true," Ann says.

Emma stops her packing and looks at her mother. "What do you mean by that? I have a feeling there's something you're not telling me."

Ann looks at Emma and sighs. "There is. Emma.......Katherine knows the truth about the baby."

"What? Katherine knows? That witch KNOWS that........"

Ann nods. "She knows that Kevin itn't the baby's father, and that Lucas is."

"How? How did she find out?"

"She overheard the two of us talkin' at Falcon Crest."

"Oh my God," says a worried Emma. "She's gonna tell Kevin, I just know it."

"Not if we find a way to stop her," Ann says.

"Stop her? Stop her, how?"

"Bobby is workin' on that."

"Bobby? You mean HE knows, too?"

"No, no, of course not. But Bobby is convinced that Katherine is responsible for the murder of a man named Naldo Marchetta more than 30 years ago. Marchetta was married to Lucas's mother, Jenna Wade. He was Charlie's father. Bobby is sure that there must be some way to find evidence against Katherine."

"After 30 years?" Emma asks. "Yeah, good luck with that. Katherine is gonna ruin everything. I know she is."

"Emma, no. Just calm down. Katherine Wentworth is not gonna hurt you or my grandson, and THAT, I can promise you," Ann says as someone knocks on the door.

"Come in," Emma says.

Both Ann and Emma are surprised when Emma's father, Cliff Barnes, walks in. "Well, how's my daughter?" Cliff asks. "And why the hell didn't anyone think to inform me that my grandson had been born?"

Ann and Emma exchange looks of frustration, both of them annoyed at Cliff's arrival.

Del Oro Spa and resort....

Lance and Lisa are finishing lunch in the restaurant at Del Oro that afternoon. Lisa watches her father as Lance takes a sip of his coffee. "Well, that was delicious," she says.

"Yeah. One thing I'm gonna miss when I move outta here is the food."

"Any luck on finding a house?" Lisa asks.

"Not yet. I'm gonna go look again tomorrow morning. Cole Gioberti told me there's a house in his neighborhood that just came on the market."

"Oh, that'll be good. I'm sure you and Eric and Gabby can't wait to have a place of your own again."

"It'll just be me and Gabby," Lance says.

Lisa looks across the table at him. "Lance, how long is this gonna go on? It's been a few days since you found out Eric was working at Falcon Crest. Isn't it time you got past this?"

"Your brother lied to me, Lisa. Now you can justify it by saying he simply didn't tell me was working at Falcon Crest. But he lied by omission. Eric knows how I feel about Richard Channing, and yet he accepted a job from that man after Richard forced us out of our home. If it hadn't been for what happened up at Falcon Crest the other night, I'd probably still be in the dark about him working there. I honestly thought that boy had changed, but I'm seeing the same behavior in him as always."

Lisa looks at Lance, a sad expression on her face as she feels helpless to do anything to fix the broken relationship between her father and younger brother.

The Lord Mansion....

"So good to see you, Cole," Vicky says as she hugs her brother in the foyer of the Lord home that afternoon.

"Good to see you, too. I wanted to stop by and see how you're doing."

"I'm fine. Holding up, anyway."

"How are things with you and Jeremy?" Cole asks, he and Vicky walking into the living room.

Vicky sighs. "Couldn't get much worse, to be honest. I'm still so angry with Jeremy for what he did that night. And Jeremy wants to see Josh sent away for the rest of his life because he still believes Josh is responsible for that explosion."

"Where do things stand with Josh?"

"I wish I knew, Cole. I've tried to see Josh twice since he's been in jail, but he refuses to see me. I hired a lawyer for him. I didn't want him to have to deal with a public defender. As you know, they never do their best to defend someone."

"I'll bet ol' Jeremy just loved that, didn't he?" Cole asks.

"I really don't care whether he likes it or not," Vicky says. "Josh is my son. I gave him away when he was born, and if I hadn't done that, maybe none of this mess would've happened."

"Or if Richard Channing hadn't involved himself in Josh's life like he has to involve himself in everything else."

Vicky sigh. "I know. Richard. God, how I hate that man. I don't know how, Cole, but one way or another, I'm gonna make Richard pay for what he's done to our family."

"Well, when you're ready to make Channing pay, just let me know, because I want in," Cole says.

"You got it, big brother," says Vicky.

Falcon Crest....

Kevin, Ann, Emma Ryland carrying her infant son, and Cliff Barnes walk into the mansion at Falcon Crest that afternoon. Richard, Katherine, and Emma Channing are in the living room, and walk into the foyer to greet them.

"Emma, welcome home," Richard says.

"Thank you, Richard."

"And how's my little grandson?"

"He's just fine, Dad," replies Kevin.

"Cliff, what on earth are YOU doing here?" Katherine asks upon seeing her brother.

"I came to see my daughter and my new grandson," replies Cliff.

"Emma, welcome home," says Emma Channing as she gives the younger Emma a hug. "Can I hold my new little nephew?"

"Of course," Emma Ryland says, handing her the baby.

"Well, Emma, you must be tired," Richard says.

"Yes, would you like to go upstairs and lie down?" Ann asks.

"Are you kidding?" Emma Ryland asks. "I had to spend the last several weeks of my pregnancy in bed, and I've been in the hospital for the past few days. The last thing I want is to lie down."

"I understand that, sweetheart, but the doctor said for you not to overdo it," Kevin says.

"Don't worry, I won't."

"Well, is there anything I can do for you, sweetheart?" Cliff asks.

"No, thank you, I'm just fine. I just wish everyone would stop fussing over me," Emma Ryland says.

"I'll take the baby upstairs," Ann says.

"Yes, we have a baby monitor set up in the nursery," Kevin says.

"Here you go," Emma Channing says, giving Ann the baby.

"Come on, sweetheart," Ann says to the infant. "Let's get you upstairs to your new room."

"I'll come with you," Emma Ryland says. "To make sure everything in the nursery is right."

"Yeah, and I'll bring your things up," says Kevin, following the women up the stairs.

"Well, if you will all excuse me, I have some work to do in my office," Richard says. "Cliff, welcome. We'll have to have a nice visit before you head back to Dallas."

"Yeah, you bet, Richard," Cliff says as Richard walks into his office, closing the sliding double doors behind him.

"And I have some things to do upstairs," says Emma Ryland, who also exits the foyer.

Left alone together in the foyer, Katherine looks at Cliff, who smiles at her. "I certainly hope you've made arrangements to stay at a hotel and you don't plan on staying here," she says.

"Yes, Katherine, I'm staying at a hotel in town, because trust me, the LAST place I would ever wanna lay my head is in the same house as you," Cliff says.

"Good, because the feeling is definitely mutual, brother."

"Y'know, I don't think I've ever properly congratulated you on your marriage to my friend, Richard Channing. Katherine, I am SO happy for. But even more than that, I'm really happy that you moved out here to this lovely valley in California. Dallas is a MUCH nicer place without you. Now, I think I'll go upstairs and see my daughter before I go back to my hotel for a while." Cliff brushes past Katherine and heads up the stairs.

"One day, Cliff, I'm gonna get you back," Katherine says softly, after he leaves. "I'll make you pay for every insult, every slight, and especially for taking my company."

Tuscany County Sheriff's Department....

Lisa Agretti is waiting in a small conference room at the Tuscany County Sheriff's Department late that afternoon when the door opens and Josh McQueen is brought in. Josh looks at her for a moment, then takes a seat at the table.

"Hello, Josh," Lisa says.

"Hi. They said my attorney was here."

"I'm Lisa Agretti. Your mother........Vicky Lord........hired me to represent you. I also talked to my brother about you, and he told me how heroic you were that night at Falcon Crest when it came to saving the life of Emma Ryland's baby."

"Your brother? Who's your brother?"

"Eric Cumson," Lisa replies.

"Is there anyone in this town who isn't related?" Josh asks.

"Not hardly. Now, then, Josh, let's discuss your case."

"Okay, what is it you wanna know?"

"Tell me about the explosion at Richard Channing's home."

"Wait a second," says Josh. "Eric Cumson is your brother? Then that means that......Pilar Cumson....."

"Was my mother, yes," Lisa says.

"I don't believe this," Josh says. "You're here to DEFEND the guy who's accused of killing your mother in that explosion? What the hell kind of a set up is this? These people want me convicted, so they hire me a lawyer who'll make sure that happens?"

"Josh, I am NOT here to make sure you're convicted. I talked to Vicky. She's convinced that you're innocent, and the way she explained everything, she almost had me convinced, too."

"But you're NOT convinced?" Josh asks.

"That's what you need to do now, Josh. Tell me everything, and don't leave out anything. Tell me about the explosion, about Brian Jeffries, and convince me of your innocence. Then I'll decide whether or not to take your case. So let's start. Tell me who Brian Jeffries is and how you know him."

Meanwhile....a hotel in San Francisco....

In a hotel room in downtown San Francisco, Brian Jeffries walks into the bathroom, takes off his shirt, and tosses it on the floor. As he is about to turn on the water in the shower, there is a knock at his door. Brian walks out of the bathroom and to the door. "Who is it?"

"Cameron," replies the male voice on the other side of the door.

Brian walks over, opens the door, and a young man in his early to mid-20s walks in. "It's about time you showed up."

"Sorry, man," Cameron says. "I had to be careful.

"You got the money I asked you to bring me?" Brian asks.

"Got it right here." Cameron hands Brian an envelope. Brian looks in the envelope and finds several hundred dollars in cash. "How much is left in the account?"

"Only a few hundred."

"Damn."

"Look, Brian, I have a little money of my own. You're welcome to it. I can bring it by tomorrow morning."

"You'd do that for me?" Brian asks.

"Of course. You're the best friend I've ever had, Brian. You saved my life. Helped me when I was down. The least I can do is help you out now."

"Thanks, man. I may have to take you up on that. I need to get the hell out of San Francisco. Now that that idiot Josh McQueen is in jail and has told the cops that I'm the one who delivered that bomb to that wedding, I'm done here. They're already out looking for me."

"Couldn't you just lay low for a while?" Cameron asks. "Maybe hide out at my place?"

"No. With the cops looking for me, there's no place near San Francisco that's safe for me. I need to get out of California."

"And go where?"

Brian looks at his friend. "To the only place I can go now. To the only person who can help me."

"Who, Brian?" Cameron asks. "And where are you gonna go?"

"Don't worry, Cam. I'll be in touch. I'll contact you when I get where I'm going. But the less you know, and the less you're involved, the better for you."

Tuscany County Sheriff's Department....

"I met Brian Jeffries a little more than a year ago," Josh says as he tells Lisa his story. "He came to me asking for a job. I needed some help, so I hired him."

"As an employee at your private eye firm?" Lisa asks.

"Yes. Brian seemed like a nice guy. We became friends."

"What did you know about Jeffries when you hired him? Did he talk much about his personal life, his family, or where he was from?"

"No, not really. He never mentioned a family or anything. But why is that important?"

"It could be," Lisa says. "It could help the police in their search for him if they knew something about him. So go on. Let's fast forward to early last summer, when the explosion occurred at Richard Channing's home. You had discussed with Jeffries your problems with some of the people attending the wedding of Kevin Channing and Emma Ryland?"

"Yes. Michael Channing, Jeremy Lord, and John Ross Ewing. I had been working for all three men. Playing one against the other. When they all found out about this, they threatened me. Michael told me to leave town or else."

"Or else what?" Lisa asks.

"Or else he'd make me wish I had," Josh says.

"Did you and Brian Jeffries hatch some sort of plot for you to get even with the three men who had threatened you?"

Josh stands to his feet and paces for a moment, running his hand through his dark hair. He then turns to Lisa. "I told Brian that I wanted to get even with Channing, Lord, and Ewing. But I also told him that I didn't want anyone hurt."

"You specifically told him that no one was to be hurt?" Lisa asks.

"Yes. I made that very clear. I was completely shocked when I heard about the explosion. And then Brian came to be demanding to be paid for the job. I had it out with him, and he threatened me."

"He threatened you?"

"Yeah. I was hiding out in a hotel near China Town. Brian came to see me......"

********************************************FLASHBACK***************************************************************

Josh quickly unlocks and opens the door, ushering in the young man who had delivered the mysterious gift to the Channing home just before Kevin and Emma's wedding. "Sure took your sweet time getting here," Josh says.

"Hey, what's the problem?" Brian asks.

"Are you completely out of your mind?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That explosion at the Channing house day before yesterday," Josh says, taking a seat.

"You told me you wanted a job taken care of. You wanted Michael Channing, Jeremy Lord, AND John Ross Ewing out of the way. So......problem solved."

"I never wanted innocent people hurt or killed," Josh says. "I only wanted Ewing, Lord, and Michael Channing to suffer, and I didn't even want them dead."

"So what'd you think was gonna happen, Josh?" Brian asks. "You think I was just gonna be able to take care of all three of those guys individually? This was perfect. All three were in the same place at the same time. Couldn't ask for better timing."

"You idiot!" Josh says, standing to his feet to face Brian. "You just ruined BOTH of our lives. When Richard Channing finds out who was responsible for that explosion, he won't stop until he tracks both of us down, no matter where we go. And if the Channings don't find us, you can bet your sweet ass Jeremy Lord or John Ross Ewing will."

"Relax, Josh. The materials that bomb was made of CANNOT be traced. Besides, the people in that Channing house have made enough enemies combined in their lifetimes to fill Yankee Stadium."

"Are you really THAT stupid?" Josh asks, grabbing Brian by the shirt collar. "Channing, Lord, and Ewing all three know I was pissed off at them. They know I had a motive to do this, so who do you think they're gonna come looking for?"

Without warning, Brian punches Josh in the stomach, then shoves him back into his chair. Josh winces in pain. "Now you listen to me, McQueen. Don't you EVER touch me like that again. Now you hired me to do this job, and you didn't tell me HOW you wanted it done. So now, you can live with the consequences. It's not my fault that the three people you wanted hurt escaped from that explosion and three innocent people were killed. I expect full payment for the job I did. And if I don't get my money by the end of the week........you're gonna meet the same fate as those people who died in that explosion at Channing's house." Brian kicks Josh's feet, then walks to the door. He turns back to Josh. "I'll be watching every move you make, McQueen, so don't even think about trying to leave town. If you do, I guarantee you won't make it out of San Francisco alive. I'll be seeing you." Brian walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.

***********************************************RETURN TO PRESENT*************************************************

"And did you give Jeffries the money?" Lisa asks.

"Yes," Josh replies, his voice breaking as he fights back tears. "I had no choice. I gave him half of what I owed him, with a promise of the rest in a few days. He told me he was having me watched, so not to try and skip town, but, being a private detective, I knew a few tricks. I managed to give his guy he had tailing me the slip and I went into hiding. I took every cent I had left and went to New York. I was in hiding there, and that's where Michael and Kevin Channing found me. They brought me back to San Francisco and they held me prisoner for weeks in some room in a building they own downtown."

"So you never saw Jeffries again after giving him the money before going to New York?"

"No. As far as I know, he left town, or even left the country," Josh says. "So do you believe me?"

Lisa looks at the young man for several seconds before answering. "Yes. Yes, Josh, I believe you. Somehow, I really believe you're telling the truth."

"So you'll take my case?" Josh asks.

"Yes, I'll take your case."

"What are my chances? Am I gonna go to prison for something I didn't do?"

"Not if I can help it," Lisa says. "Josh, I'm gonna be honest with you. This is gonna be tough. There's a lot of circumstantial evidence against you. The main thing we need to concentrate on right now is finding Brian Jeffries. The police are looking for him, but I'm gonna need you to tell me EVERYTHING you know, and everything you can remember about Jeffries. And why you think, after you told him that you didn't want anyone hurt, he orchestrated that explosion at Kevin and Emma's wedding. Josh, is it possible that Brian Jeffries had some personal grudge against someone who was going to be at that wedding? Or some connection to someone who was going to be there?"

"I really don't know," Josh says. "I guess it's possible, but, I have no idea."

Falcon Crest....that night

Kevin walks into the nursery which adjoins his and Emma Ryland's bedroom at Falcon Crest that night. Emma is standing at the baby's crib watching him as he sleeps. Kevin stands in the doorway watching her and the baby for a moment. Finally, Emma leans down and kisses her son. As she turns to leave the nursery, she is startled when she sees Kevin.

"How long have you been standing there?" Emma asks.

"Only a minute. That was a beautiful sight, you there looking down at our son. I'm so happy to have you both home."

"I'm happy, too," Emma says, privately worried about what her mother had told her earlier.

Kevin walks over to the crib and looks down at the sleeping infant. "Isn't he the most beautiful sight you've ever seen?"

"He sure is," Emma agrees.

"My son. God, I can't believe it. MY son. My precious little baby boy."

Emma looks at Kevin as he speaks so lovingly about the baby he believes to be his child. She struggles to fight back tears, knowing how much Kevin loves this baby and how it would absolutely destroy him to learn the truth, that Lucas Ewing was the baby's father and not him.

"Logan Chase," Kevin says. "You do like that name, don't you?"

"I think it's a lovely name."

"I always liked the name Logan," says Kevin. "And, thank you for agreeing to give my biological father's name as his middle name. I honestly thought about Logan Richard, but, well, I never knew my real father. He died when I was just about 3 months old, so, I wanted to do something to honor him. Maybe our next son we can name Richard, after Dad. If that's okay with you."

"Well, since I wouldn't want to name a child of mine after either of my so called fathers, Harris Ryland OR Cliff Barnes, then yes.......I would love to name our next son Richard."

Kevin smiles, then kisses her. "Come on. Let's go to bed."

"You go on ahead. I'm kinda thirsty. I'm gonna go downstairs for a glass of milk. Maybe it'll help me sleep."

"Okay. I'll wait for you."

Emma nods, then walks out of the nursery.

A few minutes later.....the kitchen....

Emma Ryland walks into the kitchen at Falcon Crest a few minutes later, and finds Katherine sitting on a stool at the counter drinking a glass of milk. Katherine smiles at her. Emma rolls her eyes, then walks to the refrigerator, takes out a carton of milk and pours herself a glass.

"I guess we had the same idea," Katherine says.

Emma ignores her aunt's remarks as she places the milk back into the refrigerator.

"I guess a love of late night milk is hereditary," Katherine says. "My mother use to do the same thing. Many times when I was a teenager, I'd find Mama downstairs in the kitchen of our house in Houston having a glass of milk when she couldn't sleep. It's nice to see another generation has inherited that trait."

"Katherine, what is it you want from me?" Emma asks.

"Why, Emma, I don't know what you mean," says Katherine.

"Let's cut to the chase, Auntie. My mother told me that you overheard us talking about my baby. And my baby's father."

Katherine smiles. "Oh, you mean that little secret that Bobby's son Lucas is the father of your son and not Kevin? Don't worry, darling. Your secret is safe with me."

"Yeah, about as safe as a couple of mice locked in a cage with a cat," Emma says.

"Emma, despite what you think of me, you ARE my niece, and I would never do anything to hurt you, my darling grand nephew, or my stepson Kevin. I have changed."

"Richard might buy that whole changed act of yours, Katherine, but not me. I think you're still the same cold, manipulator you always were."

Katherine stands from her seat and faces Emma. "I guess it takes one to know one, doesn't it, sweety? You, here, presenting this whole act of being so loving and dutiful to Kevin, when you're lying to his face about who the father is of that precious little baby boy. Poor Kevin. He'd be crushed if he knew the truth."

"I'm warning you, Katherine.........you say ONE word to Kevin or anyone else about my baby, and I swear......"

"You'll WHAT?" Katherine asks. "Don't threaten me, Emma. The last thing you want is me for an enemy. You know, you and I are cut from the same cloth. But I have more years, and much more experience under my belt at shooting down enemies than you do."

"Interesting choice of words, Auntie......SHOOTING down enemies. Exactly what you did to Bobby Ewing."

"I tried to be nice to you," Katherine says. "Even tried to be a friend to you, but you slapped my hand away each time. So now, a word of warning.......stay out of my way, and you and I won't have a problem." Katherine walks past Emma and leaves the kitchen.

"Bitch," Emma says after Katherine is gone.

The Lord mansion....the next morning

Jeremy, Vicky, and Alex are having breakfast the next morning in their kitchen in virtual silence. Bothered by the silence and the chilly atmosphere in the room between his father and mother, Alex looks first at Vicky, then at Jeremy, then back at Vicky.

"So, guys, I was thinking," Alex finally says to break the silence. "Prom is coming up soon, in like three weeks, so, I was thinking about maybe asking Jessica Montgomery to be my prom date."

"Well, I think that's wonderful," Jeremy says. "That's Bill Montgomery's daughter, isn't it?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Very nice family. Very well connected, also."

"What do you think, Mom?" Alex asks.

"I think that's great, sweetheart," replies Vicky. "I've seen Jessica around. Very lovely girl."

"Yeah," Alex says. Then, for a moment, the uncomfortable silence returns. After almost another whole minute, Alex can stand the silence no more. "Okay, how long are you two gonna not be speaking to each other? Because I can't take much more of this."

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry," Vicky says. "Your father and I are just having a disagreement, but it has nothing to do with you."

"Yeah, a disagreement about your other son," Alex says. "Mom, do you really believe this guy didn't send that bomb to Kevin and Emma's wedding?"

"Yes, Alex. I believe that Josh did NOT send that bomb."

"All the evidence says that he did," Jeremy interrupts. "Victoria, how can you be so blind? This young man had a motive and every opportunity to commit this crime. He was very angry not only with me, but also with Michael Channing and John Ross Ewing."

"That doesn't mean that Josh wanted to kill everyone in that house."

"You are blinded because you just happened to give birth to this young man."

"Yes, damn it!" Vicky says angrily. "I gave birth to him, and I gave him up. So maybe I am blind, Jeremy, but maybe I also feel some obligation to my son. I feel responsible for what happened to him. For how his life turned out."

"Mom, how are YOU responsible?" Alex asks. "You gave him up for adoption when he was born. You had no idea how things were gonna turn out for him."

"Victoria, you cannot change the past," says Jeremy. "Joshua McQueen is no longer that tiny little baby you gave away. He's a murderer. And it's time you faced that."

Vicky's cell phone rings at that moment. Picking the phone up from the table, she looks at the phone, then answers. "Hello? Oh, Lisa, good morning. Yes? And how is he?" Vicky listens for a moment. "Yes. Lisa, could you arrange for me to see Josh? Thank you, I really would appreciate that, and I can't thank you enough for doing this. Yes. Alright. Bye." Vicky ends the call and puts the phone down.

"And would that have been Lisa Agretti?" Jeremy asks.

"Yes, that was Lisa Agretti. I hired her to represent Josh."

"You did WHAT? You hired Lisa to represent the man who tried to kill all of us? Who almost did kill my son Austin?"

"Lisa met with Josh and she listened to his story," says Vicky. "She believes Josh is innocent. If she didn't believe that, there's no way she would represent him."

Jeremy angrily stands from the table. "I don't believe what I'm hearing. My wife is trying to get the man who put my son into a coma for several weeks exonerated. How the HELL can you be so stupid?"

"Stupid? You're calling me stupid? I can name MANY examples of a lot of things that you've done that......"

Jeremy interrupts Vicky and the two begin arguing loudly.

"STOP IT!" Alex finally yells as he gets up from the table. "I can't take this anymore. I'm gonna go spend the rest of my spring break at Nick's house because I'm sure not gonna stay here and listen to this. I liked it better when you two weren't speaking!" Alex turns and walks out of the room.

"I hope you're happy," Vicky says. "Our son doesn't even wanna here anymore."

"You are NOT going to blame me for that. Everything was fine in this house until you decided to go looking for the child you gave away at birth.......a child you neglected to even tell me about all these years." Jeremy looks angrily at his wife, then storms out.

Vicky begins to cry over the state of her crumbling family.

Falcon Crest....the winery.....late morning

Eric is working in the winery at Falcon Crest late that morning when Michael comes out of the office and approaches him.

"Hi, Eric," Michael says.

"Hey, man," Eric replies.

"How's it going?"

"Going fine. How are things with you?"

"Okay, I guess," Michael says. "Listen, we haven't really talked much since the night Josh McQueen was here. How did Lance react when he found out you were working here at Falcon Crest?"

"Well, it's been almost a week and he still hasn't spoken to me."

"I'm sorry, man. Hey, would it help if I talked to him? Maybe explained to him that......"

"Thanks, Michael, but no," Eric says. "My Dad is a stubborn man. And he won't listen to anybody. Lisa has talked to him until she's blue in the face. But, it's just the way my Dad feels about your Dad. He hates the fact that I'm working for Uncle Richard or having anything to do with him. Or Falcon Crest."

"Yeah," Michael says. "There's been bad blood in this family for as long as I can remember. Hell, since before I was born. I guess there always will be."

"Doesn't have to be that way. We can be the generation to change that."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Michael, I'm not trying to pry, but, how are things with you and Elena?" Eric asks.

Michael sighs. "She's still living at the spa. She won't even take my calls."

"I'm sorry man."

"Yeah, me too. Damn Josh McQueen. I wanna see that guy go down for what he's done."

"Michael, what if Josh didn't do anything?" Eric asks. "Everyone's so convinced that he sent that bomb. But I'm not. The cops are looking for that other guy, Brian Jeffries."

"Even if he didn't, he sill set things in motion. Josh was no innocent bystander, Eric."

"Michael, you're my cousin, man, and I love you. I don't mean any offense by this, and, you're probably gonna fire me for saying it, but......Josh may not be an innocent bystander in everything that happened........but neither were you."

Michael looks at Eric for a moment. "Y'know, I'd be really angry at you for saying that if not were one thing.......you're absolutely right," Michael says sadly, then walks away.

Tuscany County Sheriff's Department....

Josh is brought into a visitation room at the Tuscany Sheriff's Department, where Vicky is waiting. Josh stands at the door and looks at her for a few seconds, then takes a seat across from her at the table.

"Hello, Josh," she says.

"Hi."

"How are you?"

"I'm in jail. How do you think I am?"

"Well, I'm working on that," Vicky says. "I spoke to Lisa a few minutes ago, and as soon as your bail is set, you'll be out of here."

"I don't have money for bail."

"I'm going to take care of it."

"No. I can't accept that."

"Josh......."

"Look, you wanna come in here now, 28 years later, and play MOM? It's not gonna work."

"Josh, I know you're angry. I know you're bitter, and you have every right to be. I have regretted giving you up since the day I did it. And if I could go back in time and change things, I would."

Josh looks at her. "Did you ever think about me all those years? At all?"

"Not a day went by that I didn't think of you," Vicky says. "I know I've made a lot of mistakes. I know that I can never make up for all those years I missed. All the years of pain you went through. But I'd like the chance to at least try. A chance to help you somehow. Josh, you're my son. Maybe you'll never think of me as a mother, and that's fine. But at least let me do something for you."

Josh lowers his head, tears running down his face.

"The police are going to find Brian Jeffries, and when they do, we can prove you weren't the one responsible for that explosion."

"Brian is probably thousands of miles from here by now. He's not gonna be that easy to find."

"Don't give up," says Vicky. "First things first. Let's worry about getting you out of here on bail, and then, we'll worry about proving your innocence. Do you have some place to go?"

"Are you kidding? Of course not."

"I'll take care of that."

"What, you think your husband is gonna let me stay in his house?" Josh asks sarcastically.

"No, but, I do know someone you can probably stay with," Vicky says.

Gioberti And Sons....later

"Vicky, come in," Cole says, greeting his sister with a hug as he welcomes her into his office later.

"Thanks, Cole."

"What brings you by?"

"Do you have a minute? Can we talk?" Vicky asks.

"Yes, of course. Have a seat," Cole says, walking over to his desk. He sits down. "So what can I do for you? Or did you just stop by for a visit with your favorite brother?"

Vicky takes a seat across from his desk. "I just came from visiting Josh."

"Oh? How is he?"

"He's holding up. As I told you the other day, I hired Lance's daughter Lisa to represent him, and a bail hearing has been set for tomorrow morning."

"And I'm guessing you're gonna put up bail for him?" Cole asks.

"Of course. Josh is my son, and I truly believe he's innocent."

"Okay, so what can I do to help?" Cole asks.

"When Josh gets out of jail, he's gonna need some place to stay. And, given how Jeremy feels about him, my home is OUT. So, I was hoping, Cole, that........maybe he could stay with you, Joseph, and Chase for a while?"

Cole sighs. "Vicky, you're my sister, and I'd do anything for you, ya know that. But, I'm not so sure about this. I mean, I don't even know this kid. And he's been accused of a very serious crime. A crime in which four people died, including Michael and Elena Channin's unborn child."

"He's my son, Cole, and he's innocent."

"What makes you so sure, Vicky? Do you REALLY believe in Josh's innocence? Or do you just feel this way......do you just hope he's innocent because he's your son?"

"I truly believe he's innocent," Vicky says. So does Lisa after talking to him. Her mother was killed in that explosion, Cole. If she believe in his innocence enough to represent him, then of course I have to, as well. Cole, please. He has no place else to go, and with him staying with someone, there's less chance that......." Vicky stops talking.

"Less chance that he'll skip town?" Cole asks. "That's what you were gonna say, isn't it?"

Vicky looks at her brother. "Josh is scared. He feels backed into a corner, and he feels like nobody cares. If he is with family, and has someone to keep an eye on him. To encourage him, then, he'll fight. I also think it'll be good for Josh to get to know Joseph and Chase, his cousins. Please, big brother. I gave my son away when he was born. I don't wanna lose him again now."

Cole sighs. "Alright. Alright, Josh can stay with us. For a while, at least. But Vicky.....first sign of any trouble......I'm gonna have to ask him to leave."

"Thank you. Cole, thank you SO much, I owe you big time."

"No, Vicky. I feel like I owe this to you. I haven't always been there for you the way that I should've been. Maybe I can make up for that."

Vicky smiles at her brother.

Del Oro Health Club And Resort.....afternoon

Elena walks into the Del Oro Spa, Health Club, and Resort that afternoon. Michael is sitting in the lobby waiting for her when she walks in. When he sees her about to head down the hall to her room, Michael quickly gets to his feet and hurries after her.

"Elena," he calls to her.

She stops in the hall and turns to him. "Michael, I have NOTHING to say to you."

"You can't ignore me forever. We have to talk about this."

"Talk about WHAT, Michael?" Elena asks. "You're partly to blame for all of this. Your involvement with Josh McQueen is what led up to that explosion, and the death of our child. Then I found out that you lied to me about knowing where McQueen was. All the while, you and Kevin were holding him prisoner. I'm honestly surprised that both of you haven't been arrested for kidnapping yet."

"I think pressing charges against Kevin and myself is the least of Josh's worries right now," Michael says. "Elena, please, at least let me explain."

"Michael, there's NOTHING to explain. You lied to me. All this time I thought you were different from John Ross, but you're just like him."

"I am nothing like John Ross Ewing! Elena, I love you. Everything I've done was for you. I wanted to help you get custody of your son."

"And that worked out really well, didn't it?" Elena asks. "Michael, you cannot put this on me."

"So what are you gonna do, Elena? Just walk away from our marriage? From our love? And from the life we were building together?"

"Michael, I don't know. Right now, I can't think past THIS moment. I have no idea what I'm gonna do tomorrow, or the next day, or next week. All I do know is that I need time to myself to think. And I can't deal with you right now. So please, just leave me alone." Elena turns and walks away from him.

A home in the Tuscany Valley....

Lance walks out of a nice home in the Tuscany Valley with a female realtor that afternoon. "Well, Mr. Cumson, what do you think?" The woman asks.

"I love it," replies Lance. "The house is everything you said it was, and more. I think this would be a wonderful place for my family and I to start over. To start fresh."

The woman smiles. "I'm very glad you're pleased. If you would like, I could draw up the paper work."

"Well, of course my kids would have to see the place first, and I'd like to get their input on it before I decide to buy it. But as far as I'm concerned, I'm sold on the place."

"And I'm sure you're children will be, as well."

At that moment, Gabby's car drives up in front of the house and comes to a stop on the street. "Speaking of my kids, here's one of them now. I told my daughter to meet me here."

"Oh, wonderful."

Gabby gets out of her car and walks up to her father and the realtor. "Hi, Daddy."

"Hi, sweetheart. Gabrielle, this is Judy Trask, the realtor handling this property. Judy, my youngest daughter Gabrielle."

"Call me Gabby."

"Pleasure to meet you, Gabby," Judy says, shaking the girl's hand.

"Well, sweetheart, what do you think of the house so far?" Lance asks his daughter.

"Very nice."

"The inside is just gorgeous, and it's very spacious. I also plan to invite Lisa and the kids to move in."

"And what about Eric?" Gabby asks. "Is he gonna be included in this happy little family, too?"

Lance sighs. "Gabby....."

"Dad, Eric may have made some mistakes, and yes, it was wrong of him not to tell you about his job at Falcon Crest. But he IS still your son. You can't just shut him out because you're angry with him over some job."

"A job at Falcon Crest, working for the man who kicked us out of our home. Gabby, I love your brother. And Eric will always have a home with us, if he so chooses."

"I'm happy to hear you say that, Daddy. Now, maybe you should tell him that. Come on. I wanna see what the inside of this house looks like." Gabby walks into the house, leaving Lance on the porch to think about what his daughter had said about Eric. As angry as he was at Eric, Lance still loves his son. Maybe he should forgive Eric, he thinks to himself.

Falcon Crest....the next morning

Emma Ryland and Kevin walk Emma's mother, Ann Ewing, out of the house, Emma carrying baby Logan. Chang-Li follows them out. "Emma, are you sure you don't want me to stay for another day or two?" Ann asks.

"No, of course not. You've been away from Southfork long enough. I'm fine now. So is your grandson."

"Well, I'm sure gonna miss you," Ann says.

"I'm gonna miss you, too. It's really been great having you around."

"I love you, Emma." Ann hugs her daughter.

"I love you, too."

Ann pulls out of the hug and looks at the young couple. "Kevin, you take good care of my daughter and my grandson."

"That's not something you'll ever have to worry about, Mrs. Ewing."

"And Emma, remember what I said."

"Don't worry. I'll be careful."

Ann looks at baby Logan in Emma's arms. "And this little guy here. Oh. Grandma's gonna miss you more than you could ever know, Logan Chase."

"I'll send lots of picture, and I'll snapchat you and we'll video chat every day," says Emma. "You'll never have to worry about missing one minute of your grandson's growth."

Ann smiles as a car pulls up in front of the house and comes to a stop. The three watch as Cliff Barnes gets out of the car and walks up to them.

"Hello, Emma," Cliff says.

"Cliff."

"I just came to say goodbye. I'm heading back to Dallas this morning. Ann, I see you must be heading back to Dallas, too."

"That's right, Cliff, I am," Ann says.

"Well, we could just ride back together, if you want," Cliff says with a smile.

Ann looks at her daughter, then at Cliff. "No, thank you. Bobby sent the Ewing jet for me."

"Oh, I see. Well, I don't suppose there's any chance I could bum a ride back to Dallas on the Ewing jet with you, is there?"

Ann gives him a harsh look, but ignores his remark. "Emma, I really do have to get to the airport," she says.

"Yeah, I didn't think so," Cliff says.

"Travel safe, Mom," Emma says, hugging her mother again.

"I will. I love you. Bye, Kevin."

"Bye, Mrs. Ewing," Kevin says as Ann gets into the back of the Channing limousine, Chang-Li getting into the driver's seat. Kevin, Emma, and Cliff watch as Chang-Li and Ann drive away.

"Well, I really hate to leave so soon, but I have business back in Dallas," Cliff says.

"It's okay, I understand," Emma says. "I'm actually glad that you came."

"Then you're not mad at me anymore?"

"I'll probably always find a reason to be mad at you, but........I'm not AS mad anymore. And I was glad to see you."

Cliff smiles. "It's good to see you, too, sweetheart. And my precious new grandson. Kevin, you really need to bring my daughter for a visit to Dallas soon. Let Logan meet his new little cousin Randall."

"That's right, your other daughter Pamela also had a baby recently, didn't she?" Kevin asks.

"Yes she did. I have three beautiful grandsons now."

"Tell Pamela congratulations for me," Emma says.

"I will, but you know you could tell her yourself," says Cliff. "Give your sister a call."

"I'm probably the last person that Pamela ever wants to hear from again."

"Not true. All that stuff that happened with John Ross was a long time ago. You and Pamela are sisters, and it's time the two of you developed a relationship."

"Like you and Aunt Katherine?" Emma asks with a sly smile.

Cliff laughs at the remark. "No, NOT like me and Katherine. Speaking of which..... be careful of that woman. I don't trust her, not one bit."

Meanwhile, upstairs, almost as if she knows they are talking about her, Katherine pulls back the curtain on her bedroom window and looks down at Cliff, Emma, and Kevin in front of the house. A look of anger crosses her face as Katherine looks at her half-brother and niece......two people she absolutely despises. But her expression softens when she sees the baby in Emma's arms. Katherine walks to her dresser and opens the bottom drawer. She takes out a small box and opens

it, taking out some papers, and an old photograph. Katherine looks at the photo in her hand, a photo of two small babies. As she looks at the photo, a tear falls from Katherine's face....

A hotel in San Francisco....

Brian opens the door of his hotel room in San Francisco to let his friend Cameron in. "Did anybody follow you?" Brian asks, pulling the other young man into the room.

"No, no one followed me. Brian, calm down, everything's okay."

"You get my bus ticket?"

"Right here," Cameron says, handing him the ticket.

"Thanks."

"Brian, are you sure you aren't going to be Phoenix?" Cameron asks.

"No. I had you buy this ticket to Phoenix for me because......."

"Because you don't want me to know where it is you're really going."

"That's right," says Brian. "When I get to Phoenix I'll buy a ticket there to my final destination. There's much less chance the cops would be looking for me in Phoenix."

"Brian, why can't you tell me where you're going? Is it that you don't trust me? Come on, dude. After all this, can you honestly say you don't trust me?"

"Cameron, of course I trust you. But I don't want you involved in this any deeper than you already are. It's best that you just don't know where I'm going, or where I'm gonna be. I also think it's best for you that you get outta town, too."

"Don't worry, I will. Brian, did you contact your friend? The one you said you could go to for help?"

"Not yet. But I'm going to. I know she'll help me. She has to."

"And old girlfriend or something?" Cameron asks.

Brian looks at him. "Something," he says, looking at his friend. "She's gotta help me after all we've meant to each other." Brian walks to the window and looks out at the street. As he prepares to flee from California to avoid capture for his part in the bombing of the Channing home, he know that he only has one person in the whole world he can turn to, and he's counting on that person for help....

END OF EPISODE 23....

ALSO STARRING

PIERSON FODE

as Brian Jeffries

NADIA BJORLIN

as Lisa Agretti

MARGARET LADD

as Emma Channing

ROBERT ADMANSON

as Josh McQueen

LOGAN LERMAN

as Cameron

BOOBOO STEWART

as Chang-Li

Special Guest Stars

BRENDA STRONG

as Ann Ewing

KEN KERCHEVAL

as Cliff Barnes