Episode Theme song: "In the Dark" Jojo

Previously on One Day at a Time
- A blackout hit Twin Peaks, leaving Andy and Reese & Shane and Natasha trapped together
- Madeline followed Karl and called Cory telling him about a lead. Karl realized Madeline was following him and grabbed her!
- Melissa set Robin up on a date with Liam, the man that switched Leah’s paternity test

Scene One -- Caper’s; The Wine Cellar

Shane pulls on the door handle again to no avail before turning around to Natasha. After the blackout initially happened, Natasha believed that they were stuck together. Shane refused to believe it and has been trying to unlock the door for 20 minutes or so. “I think we are officially stuck,” he says turning around and looking at her.

“Thanks for trying,” she says back to him feeling uneasy. She agreed to help him move some wine inventory down into the wine cellar just to spend some time with him but she never thought she would be trapped with him for so long. Suddenly all the feelings she has for him come rushing back. She feels somewhat anxious being alone with him; completely alone with him.

“Are you okay?” he asks noticing that she is seemingly turning a little pale. He walks up to her and puts his hand on her back, causing her to have more butterflies.

“I’m fine,” she replies with half a smile. “I guess I just have learned not to like being kept in small spaces. And it’s hot in here.”

“I have an idea,” he informs her. “Why don’t we open a bottle of wine and just talk. I mean really talk, like we used too.” The words just flow from his mouth before he has a chance to really understand what he is saying. And to his surprise, she nods her head in agreement, deciding that some wine may be a good idea to take the edge off.

***

Upstairs at the bar, Cassie looks around the busy restaurant and tries not to panic. The power is still out due to the blackout but she has managed to put candles on every table and has offered to give everyone complimentary wine while the kitchen is out of commission. She looks around and feels some what relieved that everyone is still in the restaurant; no one has left. She glances outside and the heavy snow is still coming down, part of the reason no one may want to leave.

She looks back and wonders where Shane has disappeared too. He was here earlier helping her with some stock that had come into the restaurant, but she hasn’t seen him in a few hours. She looks over at a table and spots Eva sitting alone. She knows that Natasha was sitting with Eva earlier in the evening and can’t help but wonder if Shane and Natasha left together; maybe they’re at the house together now.

“Don’t be silly,” she tells herself. “Shane would never leave with Natasha. They’re over and he’s married to me.” For whatever reason, her words leave her with little to no reassurance. She still has this uneasy feeling in the bottom of her stomach that Shane and Natasha are together. But where? And how can she interrupt them? She shakes her head and knows that she has to focus on keeping her restaurant in order – at least until the power comes back on. Then she can focus on her husband and his whereabouts.

***

Robbie and Leah sit at a table trying to enjoy a nice dinner out. Robbie looks at his wife in the candle light and can’t help but feel blessed by their life together. He feels even more at ease now that Jeff has left town; not that he would ever admit to being worried about his wife’s ex-husband but he knows that after Noah died both Jeff and Leah leaned on each other a lot and the fact that Jeff is no longer in town has made him feel more comfortable. He looks at his wife, who seems to be a millions away as she picks up her glass of wine.

“Penny for your thoughts,” he says as he picks up his glass of wine as well.

“I’m just worried about Paige, I suppose,” she replies, realizing that this is the longest they‘ve been away from her only because of the snow and blackout. “We weren’t supposed to be gone this long but with the blackout and the snow, it is better that we are here.”

“Do you want me to call the sitter again and make sure that she’s okay?”

Leah looks up at her husband and smiles, “Would you mind? I don’t mean to be a worry-wart, but I would feel better.”

“It’s not a problem at all,” he says as he stands up and walks over to the lobby of the restaurant to make the phone call. Leah watches him and turns her head around in the restaurant to see if she knows anyone else in the place. She quickly spots Robin and Melissa at another table. Her mind instantly flashes back to the last time she was at the restaurant and she saw Robin out on a date with Liam Fitzpatrick, the doctor that had performed her paternity test. She shakes her head and suddenly feels uneasy in the pit of her stomach. After everything she has been through, the last thing she wants is for the truth about Paige’s paternity to come out. She’s worked far too hard to ensure her family is perfect for that. And, with Jeff having left town, this is the only thing that could go wrong.

***

Robin rolls her eyes at one of her mother’s lame jokes as they sit at their table while they wait for the blackout to end. Robin agreed to go out with her mother just to get out of the hotel room again; she has been feeling more and more comfortable with herself since being scarred and she likes getting out and about. She still hopes that her next surgery will remove her scar for good, but its still a few weeks away. She picks up her wine glass and takes a drink and she happens to spot Cory and Dominick sitting at another table. The two men are seemingly engaged in an intense conversation. She wonders what her father is talking to Cory about. She suddenly feels incredibly guilty; for accusing Cory of setting up her attack and for going out on a date with Liam the other day. She knows that her mother meant well setting her up on a date, but if she is honest with herself, her heart still belongs to Cory. She has always struggled with the idea that he could have been the one that set up her attack, but Melissa has always made such valid points to prove his guilt. She arches her eyebrow.

“Robin? Hunny, are you okay?” Melissa asks breaking the silence between them, trying to see what she was thinking about. She brought Robin out of the hotel to get her socializing again, not to sit in silence at the table.

“I’m fine, I just saw Cory and Dad over there. I was wondering what they’re talking about,” she admits to her mother, unable to take her eyes off her father and husband. She secretly longs to be with Cory again, even though she may still question if he was involved in her attack.

Melissa looks over her should and also spots the two men dining together. She quickly recalls Dominick pressing her for information regarding Robin’s attack and he even questioned if she was responsible. She wonders if Dominick is now working with Cory to try to prove his innocence, something that never would have happened if Bob hadn’t forced Melissa to dump Dominick a few weeks ago. She feels her blood boil thinking of how Bob is toying with her. Quickly, she calms herself down, not wanting to set Robin off that something is wrong.

“I’m sure it’s nothing sweetheart. Your father was always close to Cory, you know that,” Melissa replies trying to defuse the situation.

“You’re right. Just because Cory and I are separated, he’s still apart of the family,” Robin tells her back, not realizing how irritating she is being to Melissa.

Just then, Leah approaches the table and smiles at her sister. “Robin, Melissa, hello! Am I interrupting?”

“Not at all, do you want to sit with us for a minute?” Robin asks Leah, inviting her to sit down.

“Sure, thanks. Robbie is just calling the sitter so I thought I’d come over and say hi.”

“That’s nice. How is your new baby?” Melissa asks Leah.

“She’s the most wonderful baby in the world. Robbie and I are extremely blessed,” Leah gushes with pride. “So, Robin,” she switches the topic of conversation. “How was your date with that fellow … what was his name again?”

“Dr. Liam Fitzpatrick!” Melissa chimes in, excited that she isn’t the only one that has wanted to hear about the date. She continues to believe that if she’s able to get Robin’s mind off Cory, it will further cement their separation. “I would love to know as well.”

Robin blushes a little at all of the discussion regarding her date. “It was fine,” she says, trying to downplay it. “We just had dinner and he took me home. It was short and simple.”

“Are you going to see him again?” Leah asks her sister, not realizing that she’s pressing. She’s trying to keep her cool but she is desperate to learn everything she can about Robin’s relationship with Liam.

Robin gives her sister a funny look, “I’m not sure. I’m really not ready to have another relationship. I am still married!”

Melissa laughs a little, “Okay sweetie, we both just want what’s best for you. That’s all.”

“Melissa is right. We are just concerned about your well being, that’s all,” Leah smiles, still trying to hope to get something else out of Robin.

“Thank you both, but I’ll let you guys know if Liam and I have another date. But just know that it’s only as friends right now. It’s nice to get out of the house, but I’m really not looking for anything other than companionship, something that I miss having with Cory,” she says as her eyes fall back on the table where Cory and Dominick are sitting.

***

Cory returns his attention to Dominick after see Robin and Melissa dinning together across the restaurant. He and Dominick have gotten together to continue discussing ways that they can prove Cory’s innocence in the attack on Robin. Cory recalls getting a phone call from Madeline earlier in the evening telling him that she found a lead. It was a few hours ago, and he hasn’t heard anything back from her yet. He isn’t sure if he should be worried or just happy that she has a lead. He pulls out his cell phone and sees that he has no missed calls or new text messages from Madeline.

“Still nothing?” Dominick asks, knowing that Cory is anxious to hear back from his PI.

“No,” Cory relays in frustration. “I’m not sure if I should be worried or what … Madeline is usually so prompt with this stuff.

“I wouldn’t worry yet. Maybe she got caught somewhere in the blackout like everyone else,” Dominick offers to him. “Did you see Robin? She’s here.”

“I did see. I’m trying not to look over too often,” Cory admits to his father in law. “I want to give her space. I’m not sure if she wants to see me or how she feels about me right now.”

“Do you want me to talk to her? I’m sure she’ll listen to me. She just needs to get out from under Melissa’s thumb.”

Cory shakes his head, “No, no. She’ll know that I sent you. It’s okay Dominick, really. Once I prove my innocence everything will be out in the open. Robin will believe me again,” Cory says, trying to convince himself that everything will go back to normal once his innocence is proven. He pulls out his phone again and still sees no messages from Madeline. “Okay, still nothing. I’m officially worried.”

“I did see Robbie and Leah here,” Dominick tells Cory of his observation. “Maybe we could go run this by Robbie and see if he’s heard anything. If he hasn’t, we can find out what our next plan of attack is.”

Cory looks over Dominick’s shoulder and spots Robbie returning to his table. “That’s a good idea. He just got back to his table, I’m going to go talk to him.”

Cory gets up and walks over to Robbie’s table. He sits down as he realizes Leah is saying hi to Melissa and Robin. “Robbie, hey,” Cory announces as he arrives at table. “Do you have a moment?”

Robbie looks over and sees Leah still sitting with Robin, “Yea sure. Have a seat. What’s up?” Cory sits down and looks at Robbie.

“It’s about Madeline. I’m worried about her.”

“Why, what’s happening?”

Cory sighs and fills Robbie in on the call he got from Madeline and how he hasn’t heard back from her.

“Hmm, well it’s interesting,” Robbie notes to Cory. “I hope it pans out, whatever this lead maybe Cory. I’m not sure what you’d like me to do though.”

“I’m worried about her. It’s not like her to not get back to me. She’s usually so prompt.” Robbie nods, “If you’re looking for police action, nothing can really be done since she hasn’t been missing for 24 hours. Keep me posted though, and I’ll help out in anyway I can.”

“Thanks Robbie, I’ll be in touch.”

***

An empty wine bottle is next to Natasha, whom is sitting on the floor holding a glass of wine. The second bottle has been opened and both her and Shane are feeling pretty good at this point. For both them catching up has been a great thing. They’ve both missed each other’s company greatly so being trapped together in the wine cellar during the blackout has been refreshingly nice.

“Are you happy?” he asks her as he takes another drink of his wine. Natasha pauses before she replies as she ponders the answer.

“A few months ago, I would have said no. I was dealing with the lies that my parents told me and I was on drugs and with Ryan. I wasn’t happy. I can honestly say that getting my life back together has made me happy again.”

Shane smiles at her, thrilled with the progress that Natasha has made. He hasn’t said anything to her, but he was very worried about her after the few times they ran into each other while she was high on drugs. Seeing her come back to her usual self is a great relief.

“Are you happy Shane?” she asks him back.

He pauses and thinks about his current life. He should be happy; he has a wife that loves him, a beautiful baby girl and a career that he is most fulfilled with. Yet, something is missing from his life. He knows what it is; it’s Natasha. He has loved her for as long as he can remember. He was devastated when she left him when Cassie first announced her pregnancy. He has always understood why she left but he has always thought that they could have made their relationship work if they she had given them a real chance.

“You’re not saying anything,” she observes.

“I think you know what I’m going to say,” he replies softly, looking into her eyes. “I should have a good life, but something is missing. Something has always been missing.”

“I know,” she surprises him by saying. “Since I got out of jail, I have this new philosophy to do things for myself and not to take anything for granted.”

Shane arches his eyebrow, not sure what Natasha is getting at. “What are you telling me?”

Natasha pauses before she responds to him. Maybe it’s the wine that she’s had, maybe it’s the heat in the wine cellar, but she doesn’t care. She wants to be honest with him; completely honest with him. “I still love you Shane. I always have. Looking back, I wish that I hadn’t left you. Looking back, I realize that we probably could have made something work.”

Shane’s left dumbfounded by her admission. He has longed to hear those words come from her mouth. He has longed for her to admit that she loves him the way he loves her. “I can’t believe it. You have to know that I still love you Natasha. With everything in my heart, I love you.”

She doesn’t respond to him. She leans forward and touches his face with her hand. “I’ve missed you.”

This time he doesn’t respond. At least not with words; he leans in and kisses her passionately, letting their lips and tongues doing the communicating for them.

Scene Two - Caldwell’s Mountain Ski Resort; The Ballroom

“This blackout has lasted a long time,” JC tells Trenyce as he grows more and more concerned with Andy’s disappearance. The entire experience is new to him. In Spain, snow is non-existent and thus never caused blackouts. “I am worried about Andy.”

Trenyce looks at JC and can honestly see his concern. The power has been off for awhile and Andy has never made his way back to the ballroom for the Pride party since he rushed off to see if he could find Reese after JC said something to upset Reese. Trenyce isn’t positive that Andy is with Reese right now, but if he isn’t, he is sure sending a strong message over to JC for his behaviour earlier in the evening. “I’m sure that Andy is just staying safe. Trust me when I tell you that this place can be pretty scary in the dark,” Trenyce tells him as she recalls being held hostage in the basement by Terrence Caldwell last winter.

“Are you okay Trenyce?” JC asks her, noticing that she is upset thinking of her past.

Trenyce looks at him and tries not to let her tears escape from her watered eyes. “I’ll be fine,” she replies. “This place, you know, it just has a lot of bad memories for me. I’m really wondering why I agreed to come up here in the first place. Oh God, listen to me. I probably sound so dramatic.”

JC laughs a little, “Not at all Trenyce. I don’t know the entire story, but I have heard about what happened up here last winter. Do you want to go outside and get some air or something?”

Trenyce arches her eyebrow and looks at JC again. “Have you seen what it looks like outside JC?” she asks pointing her finger to the snow that is still falling down.

JC laughs again and Trenyce joins him. He comes up to her after and hugs her. “Thank you for making me laugh and taking my mind off what happened here last year,” she says as they exit their embrace.

“No worries, you actually helped me take my mind off Andy too. I wonder where he is,” JC says back to her.

“I have an idea,” Trenyce replies to him. “Let’s go get some food and we can talk about something other than Terrence Caldwell, Andy and Reese. We can’t change anything from here, so we shouldn’t worry about it.”

“That sounds great,” JC smiles to her as they walk over to the food table, even though the only thing on JC’s mind is the whereabouts of Andy and Reese.

***

In the storage room, Andy and Reese sit on the ground facing each other. They haven’t said much to each other since they realized they were trapped together in the storage room. Reese is still upset that JC warned him to stay away from Andy earlier in the evening. He can’t believe that JC would have the gull to tell him such things when JC has no idea what kind of relationship he had with Andy. Reese recalls kissing Andy at Barcode when they went a few weeks ago, but Andy has made it clear that he is with JC now and they have no future. As hard as it was for Reese to accept, he thought he was doing a pretty good job of it. Until now. Being trapped with Andy in the storage room is difficult. They’re alone and could be doing anything. Instead, they are sitting in silence, eyeing each other.

“I’m sorry for whatever JC said to you,” Andy finally says breaking the silence between them. “I have tried to get him to realize that there is nothing between us, but he still has this jealous streak.”

Reese arches his eyebrow. “You’re telling me. I couldn’t believe that he sent me some kind of warning to stay away from you.” He knows as soon as he said the words that he shouldn’t have said them, but he doesn’t care anymore. JC will not stop him from having a friendship with Andy, even if it does have a history.

Andy blushes, “Neither can I. Again, I’m so sorry.”

Reese shrugs, “It’s not your fault. I guess I would send other guys a warning too if you were still my boyfriend.”

Andy blushes and scoots over to sit next to Reese. “We had a lot of good times together, hey?”

Reese smiles up to him. “Yea we did. I’m sorry that I have been making it difficult for you since I got back to town.”

“What do you mean?”

“Kissing you at the bar, giving JC reason to be jealous,” Reese explains to him, not wanting to create more stress for Andy. “I should know the boundaries. It’s just …”

“What? You can tell me anything Reese,” Andy tells him noticing that Reese got apprehensive towards the end of his sentence.

Reese looks into Andy’s eyes and feels the source of comfort that he is longs for. “Ever since my parents died, I really have wanted to just go after what I want. Life is so short to play games.”

“And what is it that you want?” Andy asks him, still looking into his eyes, feeling his attraction to Reese more than ever. He knows he is with JC but right now all he can think about is Reese and how good he looks.

“Do I really have to spell it out for you?” Reese asks smiling, as his hand moves up to Andy’s face. “I want you Andy. So badly,” he whispers as he comes up and kisses Andy hard on the mouth.

Andy doesn’t pull back. He slides his tongue into Reese’s mouth and kisses him hard. Without hesitation, Andy’s hand moves to Reese’s jeans and starts unbuttoning them.

They separate for a moment and look at each other. “Are you sure?” Reese asks him.

“Yea,” Andy says leaning in and kissing him again. “I’m sure.”

Scene Three - Karl’s Apartment

Karl pours himself a tall glass of a beer and takes a big swallow. He sets the glass down and wipes his mouth. He looks over on the counter next to him and sees his gun. He picks it up and then turns and looks over his shoulder. Madeline is gagged and tied to chair. She looks up at him and can’t help but be scared.

She was following him after seeing him leave a warehouse and thought she recognized him from the photos from the night of Robin’s attack. She tracked him to his house where he caught her and has tied her up. She doesn’t know what this man is capable of, but she has seen his gun already and can’t help but think that she may be nearing the end. She carefully has been working her wrists behind her back to try to get them loose. If only just to get to her cell phone to send Cory a message. She needs to ensure that he doesn’t see her however.

“Are you thirsty?” Karl asks her turning and seeing her. Madeline quickly nods her head yes. He walks over to her and pulls her gag out and gives her some water.

“Thank you,” she says after she swallows.

He is about to put the gag back in. “Please, please, don’t. I won’t scream, I promise.”

He looks at her and arches his eyebrow. “Fine, I’d like to ask you a few questions anyways. You best talk, or else.” He would like to get to the bottom of her following him. He isn’t sure if Melissa sent her, but he knows that she wasn’t too impressed when he called her asking for more money. If this is one of Melissa’s tricks, he will put an end to it. He’s tired of being used by that woman.

Madeline looks at him with her big eyes and nods, knowing that she has to keep him calm if she’s going to escape.

“Why were you following me?” he asks her in a stern voice. “Did Melissa send you?”

Madeline tries to place the name Melissa. She knows she has heard it before but she isn’t sure where. Still, she realizes that he is close to snapping and revealing a lot more information about the night of the attack. “Melissa?”

“Don’t play games with me!” Karl yells at her as he starts to come unhinged.

“No, Melissa didn’t send me. I don’t know who Melissa is.”

“Is this about the night of the premier back in February?” he asks her the next question, unknowingly allowing Madeline to put the pieces together. He feels his forehead start to sweat. If Melissa didn’t send her, then who did? What will happen now that he has kidnapped her?

“Did you throw the acid at Robin that night?!” Madeline asks him back at him as she continues to struggle to get her wrists free.

Karl rushes back over to the counter and grabs his gun, scared that the situation is out of control. He comes back over to Madeline and points the gun at her face. “No one is ever supposed to know about that night!” he tells her as he continues to come unhinged. “How do you know about that night?”

Next on One Day at a Time
- Cory and Robbie race to save Madeline
- Sofia has a memory of Cassie
- Victoria has a confession for Chris