This piece appeared in Soap Opera Digest on January 19, 1982.

General Hospital
Seen on ABC-TV

Alice receives a special delivery letter from Carson City. It's from Jeff's lawyer--a questionnaire about Heather's emotional stability. Alice phones Susan Moore. She must talk to her right away. Later, Susan advises Alice to do whatever she really believes is right, regardless of any feelings of disloyalty to Heather.

Bobbie explains to Noah that she's been holding out for all that forever-after stuff but now, she realizes the electricity between them is very strong. He reminds her that he's not ready for marriage. Bobbie tells Noah that if she makes love with him, there is one condition. He has to promise to see her exclusively for three months. If it doesn't work, well then he can go back to flirting. Noah somewhat coolly responds that there seems to be a wedding epidemic going around the hospital.

Heather comes to see Alice just as she is filling out the questionnaire. Heather explains that she needs some letters of recommendation to get partial custody of Steven Lars. Alice hedges until Heather confronts her and she decides to tell her about the lawyer's letter. Frantic now, Heather practically begs Alice not to ruin her chances for partial custody of her son. But Alice doesn't even try to appease her daughter. She tells Heather outright that she is selfish and reminds her of the horrible things she has done in the past. Alice tells Heather that she hasn't changed and that her son is better off with Jeff. She'll tell the lawyer the truth as she sees it; Heather's not a fit mother.

A REJECTION

Noah turns down Bobbie's offer. He can't make any promises that he won't be able to keep. But surprise! Bobbie is still willing.

The mayor's wife suggests to Lila, Rose and the rest of the committee who come to see her husband about using the rotunda, that it would be far nicer to use the mayor's mansion. And, if the weather is nice, they can have the wedding outdoors.

AN OFFER TOO GOOD TO REFUSE?

Robert receives a call from New York. He is offered a job heading up an industrial task force. If he takes it, he'll have to leave Port Charles directly after the wedding. Robert says so far, it's most like his former job at the World Security Bureau. Luke and Laura are terribly distressed. They don't want their friend to leave.

Lee is drinking heavily. Several times he falls asleep at his desk. Whenever his secretary or Gail become too solicitous or heaven-forbid, anyone mentions the wedding, out comes the bottle. Examining the divorce decree for the umpteenth time, Lee has an impulse. He takes a match and burns it!

Bobbie arrives at Noah's apartment. It's their big night, finally. Both of them admit to each other that they're nervous about it.

Robert decides to turn down the job in New York. Luke and Laura are enormously relieved that he'll stay in Port Charles.

At breakfast, Susan tells Alan that she knows something is bothering him. What is it? Finally, Alan tells her about Monica's decision to make him sue her. Monica is quite an adversary, Alan comments. He actually has a healthy respect for his wife, he tells Susan.

HONEYMOON BREAKFAST

Bobbie and Noah are very lovey-dovey as they share breakfast. Noah implies that he might be having breakfast with her every morning.

Edward returns from Paris and fusses over Lila. She sweetly asks him if business went well. It kept him busy, Edward replies. Edward has a present for Lila--the latest in Paris fashion--a silly pink hat. Later, Lila gives the hat to one of the ladies from Beecher's Corners. Doesn't Edward know after all these years that Lila never wears hats?

Heather tries to break into Alice's house to find the questionnaire from Jeff's lawyer, but her efforts are thwarted. First an old schoolmate of hers wanders by and then, as she is trying for the second time, the mailman arrives. He insists on escorting her down the street.

Joe Kelly is surprised when Lee shows up at the office. He was supposed to be in court this morning. Lee totally forgot! When he bends down to pick up a piece of paper, Lee nearly passes out. Joe decides to go to court for him. As soon as Joe is gone, Lee takes out the bottle.

ONE UPMANSHIP

Edward casually mentions to Monica that he's glad she has decided not to sue Alan--that means all the Quartermaines will be living at the same house again. How nice!

When he can't reach Joe Kelly, Luke goes over to the offices of Baldwin and Baldwin. Lee is there and not at all happy to see Luke. No, he tells Luke, he doesn't know anything about the divorce decree. What's more, he doesn't care! Luke and Laura have ruined his son's life. "Don't give me that routine--my son's a saint!" Luke retorts. He reminds Lee that Scotty tried to kill him. Lee tells Luke to get the hell out of office. "To hell with your divorce decree!" he says bitterly.

Later, Luke breaks the news to Gail that Lee has been drinking. Gail, Rick and Bryan decide to go back to Lee's office when he doesn't answer the phone. Gail is frantic with worry. Perhaps he's passed out.

Not realizing a bridal shower for Laura is being held at the Webbers', Heather sneaks into Alice's room to try and find the letter. Searching through her mother's drawers, she is feeling very desperate. She can't find the letter anywhere. As she is going through a drawer at the bottom of Alice's bureau, Heather finds something else. A gun! Heather can't believe what she is seeing. She picks it up, putting her fingerprints on the gun.

Out of fear and panic, Heather takes the gun she found in Alice's bureau and puts it in her purse. She quickly steals out of the Webbers' and drives off. Halfway home, she is stopped by a motorcycle cop for speeding. When he asks for her registration papers, Heather fumbles in her bag and out falls the gun. Where is her permit? Heather is taken to police headquarters and booked for illegal possession of firearms.

Luke tells Laura he has had a nagging suspicion that somehow Lee Baldwin has something to do with the missing divorce decree.

At police headquarters, Bert Ramsey is gone for the day. Heather is questioned by another investigator and the gun is taken to ballistics. Refusing to provide the detective with any information, Heather makes several attempts to phone her lawyer but there is no answer.

Alice announces to Lesley that she has decided to go to Nevada to see Jeff and Steven Lars. It's crucial for her to see firsthand if what she is doing is right before she completes the interrogatory the lawyer sent. It would declare Heather an unfit mother and award Jeff total custody of her grandson.

The ballistics report is in. The gun Heather took from Alice's drawer is indeed the murder weapon that killed Diana Taylor!

Joe Kelly finds out from Bert that they are holding Heather and about the ballistics report. When Heather tries to get a message to Joe that she must see him, Joe, now convinced that Heather has deceived him all along, tells Lesley and Rick that he's going to take himself off the case.

Lee Baldwin is making a real effort to right the mess he has made during the past few weeks. Completely sober and determined to remain so, Lee tries to get through to Mexico by phone but is unable to reach the lawyer there. Luke arrives at the lawyer's office, resolute now, to get the truth from Lee.

Luke confronts him about the divorce decree. This time Lee doesn't back down. Yes, he has seen the decree. He burned it! Lee's ashamed of what he did and he'll do anything in his power to right the situation. Luke agrees to let Lee accompany him to Mexico to try to get the papers. Since he knows some Mexican officials, Lee says, perhaps he'll be able to help.

When Joe goes to see Heather, he is very distant. He doesn't believe anything she says now. Heather tries desperately not to lose him--she says she remembers what happened during the time she blacked out, but Joe isn't buying any of her stories now. "I hope Bert Ramsey puts you away forever!" he says before walking out.

Mrs. Mikos [sic] Cassadine sends her emissary to all of the prominent citizens in Port Charles with an invitation to attend a reception she is giving. Naturally, the response to an invitation from Mikos' [sic] widow is astonishment. Everyone, including the Quartermaines, tells the emissary that they will not attend.

Ramsey appoints a public defender for Heather. The lawyer goes to see his new client and Heather tells him some of the truth. When he asks why Joe Kelly dropped her case, Heather lies and says Joe had to go to Mexico.

When Noah turns down an invitation from Bobbie for dinner, she is very put off. She accuses him of having another date. Ruby, overhearing the conversation, later asks Bobbie why she pulled a number like that again. Bobbie replies that she just can't seem to help herself.

Later, Noah goes out by himself and runs into Annie. She is being her new, seductive self and Noah seems to enjoy her company. They end up dancing very intimately. Just then, Ruby and Bobbie arrive on the scene. Bobbie is upset but decides to stay. She is determined to prove she's a big girl now.

A TIME TO BE "LOOSE?"

Noah takes Annie home and kisses her goodnight...Annie is very responsive and Steve Hardy, on his way downstairs, observes the cozy farewell. What's happening with her? he later asks Annie. Steve says Annie is acting like she's loose and advises her to think about her reputation. What about Jeremy? Steve asks Annie if she plans on bouncing from one man to another. Annie is disgusted with Steve's reaction. He can blame this all on Jeff, she tells him.

Joe Kelly and Lee Baldwin arrive in Mexico to get a copy of the divorce decree. The lawyer tells them they have to wait for the registrar to return to open up the file but he's in Guadalajara.

The file in the lawyer's office has been broken into. Everything is totally disordered but eventually, Lee, Joe and Luke realize the decree is not there. Luke speculates on whether Scotty may have been the burglar; all the B's are missing.

Alan tells Susan he can't sue Monica for divorce when he is living openly with Susan. Disturbed, Susan says Monica has some kind of hold on Alan. Neither of them seem to want to let each other go.

The DA says he will have to get Alice's statement on the gun Heather claims to have found in her bureau.

Scorpio, who has also received an invitation to Helena Cassadine's affair, goes to see her. "I wondered how long it would take you to get here, Robert," Helena says. Robert tells her that no one will attend her reception; she shouldn't underestimate the people of Port Charles. "And don't mess with Luke Spencer," Robert warns Helena.

A MEXICAN DIVORCE

Luke, Lee and Joe return to Port Charles. Since they are unable to get the original divorce decree, Luke and Laura can either get married and risk a bigamy charge, or they can get a Mexican divorce without Scotty's consent. If he doesn't appear to contest the divorce, and no one else contests it, it will be legal. Luke and Laura decide to get the new decree and fly back to Mexico!