Caray, Caray!

Capítulo 146: In which Luisa founds the Albieri Preservation League and finds she is the only member; Natalia takes the first step – unfortunately it is into a chasm; Daniel sets off in pursuit of Jade; Rania doesn’t understand that her stock dropped the moment she gave birth; and let’s not forget: there’s a good reason they call him the Chump.

Luisa proceeds with her furtive plan to protect Albieri by sending Daniel to Morocco. She gives him an envelope with everything he needs and tells him about the tour she has arranged for him.
When she asks him: ¿Ya conociste a Lucas? (Have you met Lucas yet?) she is surprised by his response:
Yo no sé si lo quiero conocer. La verdad es que yo no me quiero ver a mí mismo más viejo.
I don't know if I want to meet him. The truth is I don't want to see an older version of myself.

At Empresas Ferrer, Lucas is assuring Enrique that he has no desire to meet Daniel. Enrique reminisces about his 80’s self, long curly hair, tight black pants and white socks a la Michael Jackson. [¡Válgame dios!] But Lucas is in no mood for nostalgia. Albieri had no right to make a copy of me without asking my permission, he says. And he can’t let Leo adopt the boy:
El lo que pretiende es sustituirme por una copia más joven.
What he’s trying to do is replace me with a younger copy.

Meanwhile Daniel is telling Luisa:
A su lado, siempre me voy a sentir como una copia... Yo no quiero ser copia de nadie!
Next to him, I’m always going to feel like a copy. I don’t want to be anyone’s copy!
But Daniel can’t help wondering about Lucas, what he’s like, in the hopes of learning something about himself. I really don’t know who I am, he tells Luisa.

Pedro and Pablo are at the pool. Pedro wonders what Malicia has been up to lately and Pablo explains that she’s busy with a visiting uncle. Pedro is surprised. He thought she had no family.

The Hilarious Adventures of Malicia and the Chump:
In today’s show the Chump buys Malicia even more stuff and she convinces him that by stealing the apartment, she has done him a favor. They agree they will sign the apartment over to Fernando in some vague future time when he has turned over a new leaf.

Alej is with Diana and he is agonizing over his decision to stay away from Natalia. His success as a fighter means nothing now, he says. Why does life have to be so ironic – to get one thing you have to give up another that you loved? Diana understands this kind of irony all too well.

At Casa Ferrer, Nati looks at a photo of herself with Alej and makes a decision: No voy a perderte, mi amor. (I’m not going to lose you, my love). Then she walks downstairs to her parents and announces: Necesito ayuda. (I need help.)
Quiero salir de este infierno. ¿Por qué no me llevan a un lugar, no me internan?
I want to get out of this hell. Why don’t you take me to a place, why don’t you put me in the hospital?
Lucas asks Rosa to call Enrique; he’ll know what to do.

At Empresas Ferrer, Enrique tells Clara about the call. She’s happy that Natalia is going to get help. Fortunately Fernando has been able to overcome his drug problem. Enrique has his doubts about Clara's optimism, but doesn’t press the issue. Clara gives him the good news about the Paris trip she and Rogelio are planning together.

Back at Casa Ferrer, Natalia wants to go to Alejandro and tell him about her decision to enter rehab. The chauffeur can drive her. Marisa tries to stop her but Lucas says they have to trust her.

We see Natalia in the back of the car. She seems to be looking for something – or someone. Pare aquí (stop here) she tells the driver.

Enrique’s voiceover: Drugs set so many traps. I tried so many times to stop…

Cut to Casa Ferrer as Enrique continues talking to Lucas and Marisa …that’s why a person has has to commit to treatment. Do you think Natalia can be helped? asks Marisa. I don’t know, answers Enrique, that depends on her, on the will of the addict to recover. There are so many things that can put the brakes on the recovery process.
Pero bueno, debemos tener fé. Lo más importante es que Natalia dio el primer paso. Se quiere recuperar.
But listen, we have to have faith. The most important thing is that Natalia took the first step. She wants to get better.

Maybe so. Just not right away. Natalia has found Paula in the park. And here is her brilliant plan:
Me voy a internar en una clínica de rehabilitación...pero tú me entiendes, necesito un pase de despedida.
They’re going to put me in rehab...but you understand, I need a farewall hit.

At Said’s house, preparations are under way for the purification ritual celebrating the arrival of the new baby (the ugly, wrinkled baby, according to Jadiya). Yet even as Rania is gloating over this son who will keep Said at her side, Said is confiding a secret to Jadiya: Voy a traer a tu mamá de vuelta (I’m going to bring your mother back.) He’s going to Fez on business in two weeks and when he comes back, Jade will be with him. (Smug. Arrogant. Deluded. Pick your adjective, folks)

In the house in Fez, Alí doesn’t understand why Zein hasn’t called. Zoraida and Jade are happily convinced that he will just show up in person – it’s more his style. Jade’s smile fades when Alí mentions the party planned for Said’s baby tomorrow. When Jade leaves the room, Alí indulges in a bit of I Told You So disguised as wisdom.

At Salamandra, Zein explains to Rogelio that Jade’s silence is her answer to his proposal. Rogelio feels that Zein has been more than understanding (condescendiente) with Jade and she is behaving very badly towards him right now. She should at least have the courtesy to thank him for the gift he sent her.

To the great joy and relief of Dora and Estela, after six months Daniel finally shows up on their doorstep. Dora was afraid he had gone off to the desert. He has every intention of going there, he tells her. He’s going to find Jade and marry her.

And in Fez, Jade puts her hand to her throat, feels for the necklace that is no longer there and thinks: Mi piedra! La sombra tiene mi suerte. (My stone! The shadow has my luck!)

Lucas, Marisa and Enrique are talking about Natalia’s treatment when Rosa interrupts them. The driver, Jaime, wants to tell you something, she says. Jaime, asks Lucas, where’s Natalia? Ella desapareció, señor. (She has disappeared, sir.) She asked me to stop, then she got out saying that she wouldn’t be long, and she disappeared.

Albieri and Luisa are at home worrying about what is to come. Luisa is only interested in protecting Albieri. She suggests it might good for Daniel to go away for a while. Although it might have been better if he hadn’t come back, concedes Albieri, now that he is here Daniel nunca más va a salir de mi vida. (Daniel is never again going to be out of my life.)

Luisa stands up and tells Albieri that she has made an executive decision. She has arranged to send Daniel to Morocco on a three-week tour. Albieri is horrified – he knows what a wanderer Daniel is, how easily distracted,and he imagines him lost and alone in the medina or the ruins. He rushes out to find him before he leaves.

Daniel decides to leave that very night. He puts a note on his bed, then hoists his pack on his back. He pauses in the living room to kiss the sleeping Estela (who has dozed off during her telenovela), turns off the tv and slips quietly out the door.

Luisa seeks out Padre Andres in his church. What did Albieri do now? he asks. It’s not Albieri, she says. This time I’m the one who did something.

Dora and Miguel are dancing in Cristina’s bar. Dora is happy because Daniel has come home at last. Daniel is in the background, scanning the room, looking for his mother.

An insistent knock on the door awakens Estela, frightening her because of the late hour. She is even more frightened when she finds Albieri at her door bringing the news of Daniel’s planned trip to Morocco. They check his room, find his note and realize that he is already gone.

Daniel goes up to Dora and gives her a long, affectionate hug. ¿Y ese abrazo tan lindo? (and this beautiful hug) she asks. Te extrañaba, mamá (I missed you, mama) he says. Dora knows something is going on. Está tan extraño (he’s acting so strangely), she tells Miguel when Daniel has gone.

Outside, Daniel gazes at Jade’s necklace and swears that he is going to find Jade.

Luisa has told Padre Andres what she has done. You don’t want him to come back, you want him to disappear, to stay in the desert says Andres. I mean no harm towards Daniel, replies Luisa. My conscience is clear. Andres replies: If your conscience were clear, you wouldn’t be here. You’re a good person with a guilty conscience. You did something wrong and now you’re afraid something bad will happen to Daniel

I just wanted to protect Albieri, protests Luisa. Sometimes you can’t protect a person, no matter how much you love them, he says. Luisa insists that Albieri meant no harm. That’s for God to judge, says Andres. But the fact is, even with the best of intentions, he committed a grave offense that has to be judged here on earth. And he won’t escape punishment.

Luisa keeps trying to justify Albieri’s actions and doesn’t want to hear what Andres has to say about the harm he caused to others. When she finally realizes she will never recruit him to the Save Albieri Crusade, she leaves in a snit.

Someone in the bar tells Dora that Daniel had his backpack with him when he left. I knew there was something strange going on, she says to Miguel.

And Estela is at that moment asking Albieri how Daniel could be going so far away. After all, he has no money. Uh...gee, I don't know, says Albieri. Estela thinks maybe Leo gave him the money. No, says Albieri, but don’t worry. I’ll bring Daniel back even if I have to go all the way to Morocco to get him.

Daniel puts Jade’s necklace in his pocket and starts walking.

At Casa Ferrer, Rosa thinks Natalia might be with Paula. And maybe Fernando knows how to find her. They’ll call him and ask.

Clara is at her house sharing a romantic moment with Rogelio when the phone rings. She explains that Fernando is out; he is rehearsing with the band. Because Rosa says it is so important to find Natalia, Clara promises to call Fernando to see if he knows where she is. She tries his cell phone and it is off. Then she calls a friend in the band and learns that Fernando has been lying – he isn’t rehearsing with them.

Fernando is playing at something else at the moment, in the company of Natalia and Paula. They are in a club, dancing, flying high.

At Gloria’s, Alej tells his mother how much he misses Natalia. He dreamed of this moment so many times, one fight away from the title bout. And now it means nothing without Natalia. If Natalia really loves you, says Gloria, she’ll work on getting better so you can be together again.

Rosa answers the phone at Casa Ferrer. It is Alejandro. He doesn’t know where Natalia is either -- he thought she was at home with her parents -- but he can tell them some of the bars Natalia has been to with Paula. Lucas takes the list and sets out to find his daughter, instructing Marisa to wait at home in case Natalia calls.

Alej returns to his empty apartment and buries his face in Natalia’s pillow.

In the final scene Lucas finds his daughter. He watches Natalia’s frenzied druggie dance under the flashing strobe lights. He looks angry.

Credits roll.

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