Life & Death
Paul's six feet under, Cristian's six inches away and John fears that Natalie isn't just the one who got away but the one who is trying to get away with murder!
This week on ONE LIFE TO LIVE, Llanview is finally presented with concrete evidence that there is a God. First, no-goodnik Paul is dispatched to the great beyond. Then, Cristian's heavenly body reappears... and it has a pulse! Lastly, John begins looking at Natalie not with frustrated desire but with suspicion. Okay, so maybe that final point has nothing to do with higher powers. But it will take one to get Natalie off the hot seat!
On A Mission
Cornering Paul, Natalie takes desperate action. "I'm holding a gun on him to make sure he doesn't try to pull anything," says her portrayer, Melissa Archer. "He needs to get the hell out of town!" But when a struggle ensues, the trigger-happy redhead gets knocked out and awakes to find that her hostage has vanished... and she's covered in blood! "She's pretty out of it," Archer explains. "She finds the gun and leaves. She's freaked out and doesn't know what she's doing."
Meanwhile, a mysterious caller convinces Paul to stick around Llanview a bit longer. Of course, given his position at the top of Llanview's hit list, he might want to reconsider that decision!
No. 1 With A Bullet
Maybe the mysterious call came from the Grim Reaper, because taking a meeting with the person puts Paul on the receiving end of a fatal shooting!
Natalie tries to call John but changes her mind and hangs up. Worried, John rushes off to find her. But Natalie needs more help than he can offer. Bloody and confused, she makes her way to the cottage. Still fragile, her trigger finger gets a bit of a workout. "My cell phone rings, scaring me, and I shoot off the gun by accident," the actress previews. John eventually locates Natalie at the cemetery, where she's gone to be close to the late love of her life... who is actually closer than she could possibly know!
Back To Life
John brings Natalie home, where she is comforted by Jessica before being left alone to question her own actions. Returning to Paul's room, she runs into John, who is there looking for answers. Nervous, Nat tells a white lie but winds up looking guiltier than ever when John figures out the truth.
Confused and frightened by the bad decisions she's made of late, Natalie once again seeks solace in her lost love. Lighting a candle for Cristian, Natalie reflects on her current woes. "I'm not the same person I was when Cristian married me," Archer reflects in character. "I'm realizing that I've done a lot of stupid things and how much I've changed." That revelation doesn't prevent her from making another serious mistake in judgment. "I set [the blood-covered coat] on fire and John finds it," explains Archer. Although the diligent detective must answer the call of justice, that doesn't mean he's abou tto forsake his friend. "John goes above and beyond the call of duty to try to clear Natalie -- and Evangeline's not happy about that."
Natalie, on the other hand, has every reason to be happy as John not only fights to prove her innocent but opens up about his feelings for her. But Natalie may find herself with one dashing hero too many when Cristian turns up, alive and well!
[ABC Soaps in Depth]