Fantastic S5 Episode 71(2/20/24)

At the Slate Gray restaurant, Serena is sitting at a table, looking at her phone, when Colin walks up to her. “Mother, I’m so sorry I’m late.” Colin says. Serena stands up. “I get that a lot from you. You know, you wouldn’t actually have to apologize if you were on time. I know, that’s probably a pretty bizarre concept for you.” Serena says. “Again, I apologize.” Colin says. Serena smiles. “I never could stay mad at you, you’re my baby.” Serena says. “Is calling me your baby punishment for me being tardy?” Colin wonders. “No! It's just how I view you. You’re my youngest son, after all.” Serena says. Colin pulls out Serena’s chair for her and she sits down. “Thank you.” Serena says. “You’re most welcome.” Colin says, as he sits across from her. “So, what were you doing that made you so late?” Serena wonders. “I was…I was meeting with a friend.” Colin says. “A friend, huh?” Serena asks. “That’s right.” Colin confirms. “Do you always blush when you talk about meeting with friends?” Serena asks. “I wasn’t blushing!” Colin claims. “Yes you were. So who is she?” Serena wonders. “She is a friend at the moment, nothing more.” Colin tells her. “Do you want it to stay that way?” Serena asks. “What I want is to not be discussing this with my mother. I have an idea, how about we talk about you?” Colin asks. “There’s nothing to say about me.” Serena says. “Oh no? Will Vic be joining us for dinner tonight?” Colin wonders. “No, Vic won’t be joining us. He’s off looking for a job.” Serena says. “Still? Are the businesses in this city not too keen on hiring an amnesiac?” Colin asks. “I’m sure he is just looking for something he feels is a good fit.” Serena says. “Perhaps. Besides the whole lack of employment, how are things going between the two of you?” Colin asks. “We’re friends.” Serena says. “That doesn’t exactly answer my question.” Colin says. “You don’t want to answer my questions? Well I’m not gonna answer yours.” Serena says. “Fair enough.” Colin says. “This is really nice.” Serena says. “What? Us avoiding each other’s questions?” Colin asks. “No! You and I sitting down, having dinner together. It's been a while. All that is missing is Brad.” Serena says. “As much as I miss my brother, he seems to be very happy with his boyfriend.” Colin says. “And I’m happy for him.” Serena says. “As am I.” Colin says. “Well, well, well! A family dinner and I wasn’t invited?” A familiar voice asks. “Dear god, please don’t tell me that’s who I think it is…” Serena says. Colin looks up and smiles. “Grandmother!” Colin exclaims. Madeline is revealed to be standing at the table! “Its been a long time, hasn’t it?” Madeline asks.

At the church, Virginia, Victor, Dannie, and Bethany are standing around. “Something isn’t right here! This wedding was supposed to start almost an hour ago, yet there’s been no sign of Lucas OR Julia!” Virginia says. “Well if nobody shows up in the next fifteen minutes, I’m skipping the wedding and heading straight for the after party.” Bethany says. “There isn’t going to be an after party if there isn’t a wedding!” Victor points out. “I know that! I’m gonna throw my own after party.” Bethany says. “I should have known this was going to happen. I tried to bite my tongue out of respect for Julia, but that hooligan Lucas Cambino was NEVER any good for her!” Victor says. “Don’t you start with this crap again!” Virginia warns. “What?! It's the truth! Obviously he has left our daughter at the altar!” Victor says. “Lucas wouldn’t do that! He wouldn’t just disappear without saying a word!” Dannie argues. “No, but he would go running back to Lydia. That’s what happened when he and I were together.” Bethany says. “I hope that isn’t the case. I like Lucas, I really do, but even I thought it was kinda strange how quickly he chose Julia after waking up in the hospital.” Virginia says. “Its even stranger for those of us who were there to see Lucas and Lydia’s love story. I could understand maybe choosing Julia after taking some time to think about it, but he didn’t do that.” Dannie notes. The doors open on the other side of the room and Julia, Kaylie, and Kristina walk in. “There you are! What’s going on?” Virginia questions. “Lucas is missing.” Kaylie reveals. “We gathered that. Do you have any idea where he may be?” Victor wonders. “He was kidnapped.” Julia announces!

At the warehouse, Lydia is looking at Lucas. “You mean it? You really remember your love for me?” Lydia asks. Lucas nods. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for everything! I’m sorry for rejecting you, I’m sorry for the way I treated you. You deserved better.” Lucas says. “Don’t apologize, it isn’t your fault! Mia and Andropov brainwashed you, every horrible thing that came out of your mouth was their words. Oh, let me untie you!” Lydia says. Lydia kneels down behind Lucas and begins untying the ropes. “There you go.” Lydia says. Lucas stands up and turns to face Lydia. “I still can’t believe this is real…” Lydia says. Lucas places his hand on Lydia’s cheek. “Its real. I love you, Lydia Masters, I love you with all my heart.” Lucas says. “Its just…I wasn’t sure this was actually going to work! I did this in a moment of desperation, I wasn’t sure if I would actually be able to get through to you or not.” Lydia admits. “Well you did. I’ve been walking through darkness for so long, not able to see what was right in front of me, of course it’d end up being you that would find a way to pull me out of it. Just like you did all those years ago when we first got together.” Lucas says. “You aren’t mad at me for going to these extremes, right?” Lydia asks. “Mad at you? Of course I’m not mad at you. Its like you said, I wouldn’t give you the time of day so you needed to make sure you had my attention. Believe me, I understand why you went to such extreme lengths.” Lucas says. “If anyone would understand, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised it would be you.” Lydia says. “To be perfectly honest with you, I think what you did was pretty badass.” Lucas says. “Thanks, but…it wasn’t actually my idea. It was Brody McKay’s.” Lydia reveals. “What the hell does Brody McKay have to do with any of this?” Lucas wonders. “I kind of crashed Olivia’s breakfast with Brody to vent to her about you marrying Julia today, and that’s when he suggested that I kidnap you in order to stop the wedding.” Lydia reveals. “Well as much as I hate giving that bastard credit for anything, it was a pretty good idea. You certainly accomplished what you set out to.” Lucas says. Lydia smiles. “Thank god. I still feel like maybe this is a dream that I’m going to wake up from any second now. It…it just feels too good to be true.” Lydia says. “I think I better give you a reality check then.” Lucas says, as he leans in and kisses Lydia. Lydia pulls away and smiles. “That was just the reality check I needed.” Lydia says. “That was just what I needed, period. I’m so glad I remember my feelings for you. Even during that time where I felt nothing for you…there was a part of me that felt empty, hollow. I knew that something didn’t feel right but I refused to acknowledge it.” Lucas says. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Lucas. I understand.” Lydia says. “I feel like I do, Lydia. I said some terrible things to you when I wasn’t myself. Hell, a little less than an hour ago, I told you I was beginning to despise you.” Lucas says. “I knew it wasn’t you talking, its okay.” Lydia says. “It isn’t okay, but I promise you that I am going to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I love you and only you, and that will never change.” Lucas says. “Hearing you say that is music to my ears. But…there is still one thing you have to resolve before we’ll be able to move forward with our lives.” Lydia says. Lucas sighs. “Julia…she’s probably still at the church, wondering where I disappeared to. This is going to break her heart, especially after I gave her the false hope that she and I still had a future together.” Lucas says. “Once again, that was Mia and Andropov, not you.” Lydia says. “I’ve gotta head over to the church.” Lucas says. “Do you want me to come with you?” Lydia asks. “No, I don’t think that would be a good idea. Julia is going to be upset as is, I think seeing you would probably just make things worse.” Lucas says. “You’re probably right.” Lydia says. “And in case it wasn’t clear already, I won’t be pressing charges for the whole kidnapping thing.” Lucas says. Lydia laughs. “Thank you, I appreciate that.” Lydia says. “I love you.” Lucas tells her. “I love you too.” Lydia says, before pulling Lucas into another kiss. Lucas pulls away, smiles at her, and then walks out.

At the Slate Gray restaurant, Colin stands up and hugs Madeline. “It is so good to see you, Grandmother.” Colin says. “It's good to see you as well, Orpheus.” Madeline says. “I am a bit surprised though. I told you in our emails that I was going home to Fantastic but you never mentioned to me that you were returning.” Colin says. “Hold on a second, you two have been emailing?” Serena asks. Madeline turns towards Serena. “Serena my darling, how lovely to see you again.” Madeline says. “The feeling isn’t mutual.” Serena says. “Oh come now, is that any way to speak to your mother?” Madeline questions. “Are you kidding me? Has your memory gotten so bad that you don’t remember the last time we saw each other? Or maybe you just don’t think it was that big of a deal.” Serena says. “Lydia’s memorial.” Madeline recalls. “You turned my sister’s memorial into a complete circus, dragging pretty much everyone through the mud! If you remember right, I told you that day that I wanted nothing to do with you and I also didn’t want you having any contact with my kids either.” Serena says. “That was a difficult day for everyone, my dear. It's understandable why you would say things that you may not have meant.” Madeline says. “Oh I meant it, I meant every word of it. That day was supposed to celebrate Lydia’s memory and you made a total mockery of it!” Serena says. “But Lydia is alive!” Madeline points out. “Right, that’s a good point! I guess that makes everything okay then!” Serena sarcastically says. “Mother, with all due respect, but I’m sure the day of Aunt Lydia’s memorial was hard on Grandmother as well. She probably said many things that she did not mean.” Colin says. “Oh trust me, I know her well enough to know that she said every terrible thing she said that day.” Serena says. “Thank you for giving me the benefit of the doubt, Orpheus.” Madeline says. “I still haven’t heard you apologize.” Serena notes. Madeline sits at the table with them. “I am truly sorry if I offended you in any way, Serena. It was not my intention.” Madeline says. “No, your intention was just to offend everyone else. I mean, look at you! You can’t even fake an apology!” Serena says. “Because those I insulted that day are not worthy of an apology due to the fact that they are not members of our family.” Madeline says. “Lucas was Lydia’s fiance.” Serena points out. “And look at how that turned out! Lydia has spent the past two years in captivity, she returns home hoping to rekindle her relationship with him, only for him to reject her! After the way he treated your sister, he is fortunate to even still be breathing.” Madeline says. Serena turns towards Colin. “Just so you know, when she says stuff like that, she isn’t joking. She’s being entirely serious.” Serena says. “And so what if I am? Is it a crime to want to protect my family from heartache?” Madeline asks. “No, but in most civilizations, murder IS a crime.” Serena says. “Only if they catch you, but they never have been able to catch me.” Madeline says. “Okay, this dinner took a rather dark turn. How about we change the subject? Grandmother, tell us, what have you been up to lately?” Colin wonders. “I’ve actually been working on this lovely little project. Its part of the reason I returned to this dreary little city. Well, that and to see my adoring family.” Madeline says. “Lovely little project, huh? Who did you brainwash this time?” Serena wonders. “What makes you think that I brainwashed anyone?” Madeline asks. “Because it's your favorite hobby! You did it to Dylan Stanpatos years ago, and then you controlled Andy for a bit too after Dongwa Cat had brainwashed him!” Serena says. “You know, the time you spent around that miserable Goo family has made you so self righteous. Its dismaying to see the person you have become.” Madeline says. “I suggest you watch the way you speak about my mother.” Colin warns. “Don’t worry Colin, I can take it. I’m used to my mother's disrespect.” Serena says. Lydia walks up to the table. “Oh my god, Mother?” Lydia asks. Madeline stands up. “Lydia my darling! What a wonderful surprise!” Madeline exclaims, as she hugs Lydia. Colin turns towards Serena. “Looks like we have an impromptu family reunion on our hands.” Colin tells Serena.

“What do you mean Lucas was kidnapped?!” Virginia questions. “When we went to check out the room Lucas was supposed to be getting ready in, we found that the window had been broken and there was a dart on the floor.” Kaylie reveals. “It must’ve happened right after I left Lucas alone.” Kristina says. “Any clue who might’ve done this?” Bethany asks. “My money is on that Mia woman! She already shot Lucas, might as well kidnap him too!” Virginia says. “I certainly wouldn’t put it past her.” Victor says. “Why is everyone ignoring the obvious suspect?” Julia questions. “Isn’t Mia the obvious suspect?” Virginia asks. “She’s one of them, but the woman Lucas recently left would be the other.” Julia says. “You think Lydia could have done this?” Victor asks. “Lydia has yet to accept the fact that Lucas chose me. Just the other day, she came to my home and tried to convince me that Lucas would only ever want to be with me if he weren’t in his right mind! When I called her out on how insane she sounded, she slapped me! Not to mention the fact that she was just arrested for pulling a gun on Mia Goo because she believes Mia may have done something to Lucas!” Julia says. “I wouldn’t put it past Lydia. When she first arrived in Fantastic, she buried Rebecca Rogers alive because she was jealous over her relationship with my nephew Andy.” Victor recalls. “Then why isn’t she in prison?!” Virginia asks. “The courts deemed that she was unstable at the time and she instead had to attend court mandated therapy.” Victor says. “Lydia has a history of doing unspeakable things due to jealousy that dates back long before she first arrived in Fantastic. She spent years in a mental institution because she lost her mind over Andy!” Julia says. “Hold on a sec. Yeah, Lydia has done some pretty outrageous things in the past, but she was a different person back then! She’s gone to therapy, and she has worked incredibly hard to turn her life around!” Kristina says. “She also hasn’t had to compete with another woman for a man’s attention since then, that is until she came back and found that Lucas had moved on with Julia. Maybe Lucas rejecting her in favor of Julia caused her to regress.” Victor suggests. “I don’t think that’s likely. Lydia has made extraordinary progress in becoming a better person, I can’t see her deciding to throw all of that away.” Dannie says. “Oh come on, Dannie! You’re a psychiatrist! You know it's not as simple as choosing to throw all that progress away! Sometimes, a person just can’t help themselves but to fall back into old bad habits.” Victor says. At that moment, the double doors can be heard opening. Julia turns to face the doors and finds Lucas standing there!