Sam: Hello?

Sam: Come on.

Sam: Come on.

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Johnny: Put that away. You're going to get mugged.

Claudia: John, it's -- no part of this money came from Daddy. I have my own money from my mother, from Uncle Rudy. It's -- you're not taking anything from him.

Johnny: Well, it would be the same to take your money.

Claudia: What, you're --I'm sorry, you're comparing me to Daddy now?

Johnny: Claudia, this isn't about you.

Claudia: What, because I made the tough choice, because I made the tough choice for all of us, because I married Sonny?

Johnny: It was your choice, your life, and I told you not to do it.

Claudia: I love you, Johnny. I do. And I love that the family hasn't completely crushed your spirit, but one of us has to be practical here, okay? You have the Zacchara name behind you and everything that goes along with that, and you always will.

Johnny: Well, I plan on giving that name a new meaning.

Claudia: But you can't completely escape who you are, Johnny, not what this family has done. What you have done. There's too much history. There's too many people with an axe to grind, and I want to make sure that you have all the resources you need to deal with whatever comes up.

Johnny: If I thought of it that way, Claudia, I would be admitting that I'm trapped. That things can't change.

Claudia: But they can't. Not completely. That's reality.

Johnny: Your reality.

Claudia: Take the money, John. Hey, if you never need to use it, then great. But if you do, then you have it.

Johnny: If I take the money, Claudia, it's the first step to being sucked back in, and I'm not going to do it.

Claudia: What are you getting here, minimum wage at best?

Johnny: I'll survive.

Claudia: Well, you can't live on pride.

Johnny: Maybe not, but it's a hell of lot easier to starve when you're on your own, when it's your own life. So thanks, but no thanks.

Woman: Can you help me with a tree, young man?

Johnny: Sure.

Woman: When you're finished here.

Johnny: We're finished.

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Nadine: So you think all the money she left to Vance and Bo and to take care of Jolene, do you think it comes from the patent from this invention?

Nikolas: It makes sense to me. According to the will, she didn't have any other assets. No stock, no equities, nothing.

Nadine: She did this all on her own.

Nikolas: Yeah. I mean, clearly, someone's paying a lot of money to use this patent to manufacture farm equipment. I think it would even be used internationally.

Nadine: You think my aunt's invention is used in other countries?

Nikolas: To generate this kind of revenue, it has to be. And for her to leave the patent to you only insures that any future income from this goes directly to you.

Nadine: Oh, I can't wait to go to the factory. I want to see her invention coming right off the assembly line.

Nikolas: Clearly, I don't know anything about farm equipment. I never would have dreamed that a coupling for a plow would be this valuable, right?

Nadine: Oh, I don't really care about the money. I just care about the invention and that she entrusted me with it, and to be responsible for it.

Nikolas: Who better than you to safeguard Raylene's vision?

Nadine: Oh, that's a beautiful way of putting it. Safeguarding her vision. Of course, you could just be buttering me up, now that I am an heiress.

Nikolas: That's true. I could just be a fortune-hunter and nothing else.

Nadine: I'll take my chances.

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Jason: Sam's phone records. Hack into them. Now.

Spinelli: If fair Samantha is quarrelling with the cleft-chinned keeper of the peace, perhaps she just needed to decompress after their love spat.

Jason: Sam never called Lucky.

Spinelli: Maybe passions needed to cool, especially if the quarrel was over a like-minded former lover.

Jason: You talking about me?

Spinelli: No doubt Stone Cold assumes that the conscientious cop has nothing to worry about, but believe me, the mere thought of the woman you love being in close proximity with a fearless man of danger can cause irrational thoughts. Case in point? Maximista's regrettable decision to cohabitate, albeit temporarily with the former mob prince. Maximista and the younger Zacchara, they tolerate each other at best, and the idea that they could have an involvement, emotional or physical, is laughable. But see, in your case, an emotional ordeal like rescuing young Jake is a crucible that could --

Jason: Sam and Lucky weren't fighting about me.

Spinelli: How do you know that?

Jason: Because Lucky told me that. Get back to the phone records.

Spinelli: Yes, I abide. What am I looking for?

Jason: Okay, I got a hang-up last night right before Diane came over to talk about legal stuff. I had no idea at the time Sam was missing.

Spinelli: If fair Samantha tried to contact you and was thwarted, she might no doubt be in imminent danger--

Jason: Do you want to help Sam?

Spinelli: Yes.

Jason: Yeah? Stop talking and focus.

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Sam: Lucky. Lucky, you came to get me.

Lucky: Do you love me?

Sam: Yeah, you know I do.

Lucky: Do you love only me?

Sam: No, no, Lucky, please! Lucky, don't go.

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Jason: Sam wanted to go after the Russians on her own. That's what she and Lucky were fighting about, okay? Now if things went wrong and Sasha called Sam --

Spinelli: Wait, Stone Cold thinks that fair Samantha went after the villainous one?

Jason: Okay, listen. Sasha was always more than Karpov's attorney. She was the center of operations, right? Karpov's dead, now the Russians are relying on her to take control and restore order.

Spinelli: Why would fair Samantha go after them without backup?

[Computer beeps]

Spinelli: Ah, I'm in. Fair Samantha's last call was at 9:05 to you.

Jason: To me. Okay, best way to find Sam is to find Sasha, and we need to figure that out.

Spinelli: All right. I could perhaps hack into her e-mail accounts and trace her texts, her I.M.'s. Communication with her people in the syndicate might reveal her location and if fair Samantha was apprehended.

[Knock at door]

Maxie: I know, the Russians, the danger, yada-yada. This won't take long.

Jason: Make it quick.

Spinelli: It's a matter of grave importance.

Maxie: Then don't waste time explaining it to me. Just take this. I was shopping for Kate's Christmas decorations and they made me think of you. No big deal. Just Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, scrooge.

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Luke: Nurse Johnson. I hope you'll accept my apology for having dragged you though the minefield of my tumultuous personal life.

Epiphany: You dragged it into the middle of my hospital.

Luke: I'm a man in love.

Epiphany: What is it that women see in men like you?

Luke: You mean besides my devastating good looks, my sparkling wit, and my youth?

Epiphany: Pathetic.

Luke: No, I'm not pathetic. I'm desperate.

Epiphany: Not you. Her. Personally, I would have drop-kicked you into the next county, and if you ever drag me into one of your schemes again, I will.

Luke: Yes, I understand. Thank you very much.

Luke: Any chance you're waiting for me?

Tracy: As a matter of fact, I am. I'm happy you tried that ridiculous stunt. I'm happy that you cared enough to make the effort.

Luke: I'd go a lot further for you.

Tracy: Until Laura shows up. And I get slapped in the face with a big fat mackerel, and once again, I'm second.

Luke: You're not second. How can I make you understand that?

Tracy: Fine. I'm not second. But I'm not first, either.

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Lulu: Can I give you a hand?

Johnny: Why aren't you at work?

Lulu: Maxie and I got Kate's second tree home and decorated. God knows if she's actually going to like it, and we made her dinner reservations in Manhattan, so she's out of our hair for the duration.

Johnny: Wow, you have a devious mind. I like it.

Lulu: And I'm great with a power tool. Oh, I can do that.

Johnny: No, I don't doubt that you can, but my boss isn't exactly in the holiday spirit, and I'd hate to get canned my first day on the job, especially after the speech I gave Claudia.

Lulu: Claudia, she was here?

Johnny: Yeah. She didn't exactly approve of my choice in careers, and we got into it. She came back to apologize and told me that she supported my decision to walk away from the family.

Lulu: That's impressive.

Johnny: Yeah.

Lulu: What?

Johnny: She came with a big wad of cash and told me that I was going to need it. That I was kidding myself if I thought that I could be like any normal kid striking out on his own. That I have the burden of my family name and everything that comes along with it, and everything that they've done and that I've done --

Lulu: She's wrong.

Johnny: That's what I told her. Not that I wasn't tempted to take the cash and stash it away in case I needed it.

Lulu: But you didn't.

Johnny: No, I didn't.

Lulu: Well, that's great. We can do this. We can do this on our own.

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Luke: Look, I wish I could pretend that my life just started in this moment. I wish I could pretend that I never loved Laura, that it's just always been us, but I can't, can I? I mean, if I did, you wouldn't believe me anyway.

Tracy: I'm not talking about the past.

Luke: Yes, you are. You're talking about the past. When Laura was diagnosed with this mysterious illness, and I was told that she would never recover, I let her go, Tracy. I tried to get on with a new life. This new life I envisaged was going to be long periods of industrial strength drinking broken up by meaningless hookups.

Tracy: Of which I was but one.

Luke: In the beginning, I wanted to get into your bed, into your bank account, have a few laughs, and be gone. I never anticipated that I would get serious. I never thought that I would want to plan a life with you.

Tracy: And then Laura woke up.

Luke: Well, that can't change what's happened between us.

Tracy: But you love Laura.

Luke: You're talking like, you know, Laura and I could go back to the way things were, and we can't. That's impossible.

Tracy: And if she said she needed you?

Luke: She's the mother of my children. I've loved her half my life. She has a terrible disease. If she said she needed me, I'd be one cold-hearted bastard to just turn my back on her.

Tracy: Okay, and what if she came to you and said how much she loves you and she wants to try again, what would you say then?

Luke: That's not going to happen.

Tracy: That's not an answer.

Luke: I want a life with you, Tracy. With you. And you know it. That's why you didn't go through with the divorce.

Tracy: You didn't answer the question.

Luke: That's because you made up this fantastic scenario, far-fetched imaginary situation. I don't know what the hell I'd do.

Tracy: I do. You and Laura would walk hand in hand into the sunset and live happily ever after. But I will not be around to watch it.

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Jason: Spinelli, you okay?

Spinelli: The thoughtfulness of Maximista's gift has just rendered me temporarily speechless. Observe. The most excellent ornaments to grace the branches of our Tannenbaum. It will be the most beautiful Christmas tree ever.

Jason: Yeah, those are nice.

Spinelli: Just what -- who would have guessed that Maximista would have been paying attention at all when I was describing the workings of the comic book universe?

Jason: Well, that should tell you all you need to know, Spinelli.

Spinelli: You know, you're right. I will no longer fret about John Zacchara's residing in Maximista's proximity again.

Jason: I'm happy for you. Really, I'm happy for you. And I really need you to focus now.

Spinelli: Sorry. The trace is still running and will soon yield -- uh -- the Slavic seductress has just made a call on your cell phone.

[Cell phone rings]

Spinelli: The specific digits are --

Jason: Yeah, this is Jason Morgan.

Sasha: By now you must be looking for Sam. I know where she is.

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[Sam grunts]

Sam: Ow! Ow. Oh.

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Jerry: Surprise. Oh, I wish I could see your reaction right now, Claudia. Your heart racing, the look on that lovely face of yours. Shock mingled with anger. The ever-present hint of lust. Oh, my God, you are such a fine specimen. Alas, by now, I've probably vanished without a trace or died trying. It's pretty likely that I'll never have the pleasure of your company again. But, as you know, I am an amoral bastard and I draw the line at shooting children. And in point of fact, Michael was Jax's stepson. It seems really unfair that the poor kid's lying in a permanent state of coma while you go on your merry way. So, even though I loathe Sonny, he's a father and has a right to know what you've done, which probably means that Sonny will kill you. But I think that you deserve a fighting chance to save yourself. Besides, I like games. So I'm going to play a little game with you. I made a lovely DVD detailing your part in Michael's shooting. The DVD is hidden in Sonny's house somewhere. If you find it before Sonny, you can save yourself. So let the games begin, darling.