00:00Pregnancy looks good on you. How are you feeling?
00:03Oh, you mean, how am I doing? Having a little person swimming around inside me,
00:07giving me the occasional karate kick every now and then?
00:10Pure bliss.
00:12That bad, huh?
00:13No, not really. I should be savoring every single moment.
00:17And there are some great aspects to being pregnant, for sure.
00:21I'm not just talking about people giving up their seat or letting you cut in line in the bathroom, either.
00:27It's a life-enriching experience, for sure.
00:32But if this baby is even one day late, I am inducing.
00:37All right, I'm sensing you didn't want me to meet you here because you wanted to discuss my birthing plan.
00:44No, I was just... I was just... I wanted to see how you're doing, you know?
00:47How are you feeling? That's all.
00:50I'm not going to just burst into tears at the drop of a hat, if that's what you're thinking.
00:53No one said anything about tears.
00:56Michael, I've known you long enough by now to know you wanted to ask me something and you're hesitating.
01:01Look, the last thing I want to do is increase your blood pressure, okay?
01:04No, how about we just order a nice, relaxing herbal tea?
01:08Michael, no. It's going to make me more stressed if you don't just tell me what the hell happened.
01:13Okay. Um...
01:16I think we have a problem.
01:19With Dad?
01:21So, what happened?
01:23Well, I'm assuming you already know that things are pretty tense between Dad and Ava at the moment?
01:26Yeah, of course I know.
01:28Ava got my mother disbarred, and then she maliciously leaked Natalia's recording to the invader.
01:34Yeah, Dad told me. I'm really sorry about that, Christina.
01:38Ava baited Allie's admittedly problematic mother into expressing her homophobia, and then, like the coward she is, she extracted her
01:45own audio and just turned it over to the invader.
01:47Sounds like Ava.
01:49It does, doesn't it?
01:50But Dad is out for her blood.
01:52Now, you know he filed for sole custody of Avery.
01:55Well, if the blow-up I just had with Dad is any indication, he's not going to win.
02:01In fact, he'll be lucky to walk away from court without a restraining order keeping him away from Avery.
02:07When Dad asked to see me, I was a little surprised.
02:10You know, I was hopeful that he wanted to make peace, but he actually wanted me to testify on his
02:14behalf in family court.
02:15And you declined?
02:16I didn't even get that far.
02:18I mean, I was open to testifying, but I had to point out that Dad and I, we have years
02:22of documented problems and very public blow-ups that Ava can use to her advantage.
02:26So I just, I pointed out that me on the stand could cause more harm than good.
02:31Well, you were being new, Michael, pragmatic.
02:34So what's the problem?
02:35He took it the wrong way.
02:36He completely blew up on me.
02:37He said that my attitude was proof of my disloyalty.
02:41Michael, you are not disloyal.
02:42I know, but the point is, Dad is as angry at me now as he ever was.
02:45I mean, I want to help, I do, but what if I can understand and I say the wrong word
02:51and it sets Dad off?
02:52Can you imagine if he loses it in front of the judge?
02:54I'm so sorry.
02:55I was really, I was hoping that you and Dad could mend fences the way that we have.
03:00Me too, but you know what?
03:02Actually, I'm honestly getting kind of used to this kind of treatment.
03:07I mean, it obviously hurts sometimes, but...
03:10Of course it does.
03:11I mean, no matter how old we get, we never stop craving the love of our parents.
03:15And you and I both know, it's always good for us to stay on Dad's good side.
03:20I think whatever's going on between me and Dad, like, our problems cannot become Avery's.
03:24She's the one we have to protect.
03:26Dad's failings pale in comparison to Ava's.
03:29No question.
03:32Dad, he needs somebody to testify on his behalf.
03:35I can't do it.
03:37Dad's failings pale in comparison to Ava's.
03:38So who can?
03:39I appreciate you.
03:41Dad's failings pale in comparison to Ava's.
