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 As
with young Chelsea at Christmas 1988, the introduction of Buck and his
sister Hallie in February 1990 serves to address the sensitive subject
of adoption. It also provides a link to another storyline that was then
developing : that of the four avenger orphans, which would reach its
climax in the following weeks.
Young
Buck Wiltsie makes a dramatic entrance at the very end of episode 1404 :
Eden and Cruz Castillo are vacationing in a mountain cabin when they
hear knocks at the door. Cruz opens it and finds Buck, who collapses
into his arms, exhausted. Buck asks Cruz to help him find his little
sister, Hallie, with whom he has run away from the orphanage where they
had been living. Once Buck and Hallie are reunited, they accompany Eden
and Cruz back to Santa Barbara and are admitted to the orphanage near
the Pacific Bay polo club. Deeply moved by the children's situation,
Eden and Cruz consider adopting them but ultimately decide against it,
already overwhelmed by raising their own two children and balancing
their demanding careers. Eden
nevertheless decides to bring attention to the plight of Santa Barbara's
orphans, particularly Buck and Hallie, by producing a television report
at the orphanage. She interviews Buck about his daily life and his
dreams despite the disapproval of the orphanage's director, Sister
Allegra. Because time is running out : Hallie is about to be adopted by
Frances, one of Eden's childhood friends, a development that would
separate the two children. Having
already met Derek Griffin, a former resident of the orphanage, Buck
decides to run away once again by hiding in Derek's car. He is
discovered by Alfred, Derek's butler, who takes him to his suite at the
Capwell Hotel. But Buck runs away yet again and hides at Eden and Cruz's
house. He asks them to adopt both him and his sister. Cruz gently
explains why that is, unfortunately, impossible. Determined to prevent
Buck and Hallie from being separated, Eden delivers a passionate
televised appeal on behalf of the two children. Buck
later meets Brandon Capwell, who has come to meet the orphanage children
because their story resonates with his own. Brandon invites Buck to
spend the evening at the Lockridge mansion. The two boys decide to enjoy
the swimming pool, but Brandon suffers a head injury. Rescued by Phyllis
Blake and her friend Cy Agnew, Brandon is taken to the hospital. Buck
remains alone at the mansion for the rest of the evening. Tragically,
this is the very night Laura Asher chooses to set the mansion on fire,
convinced that her husband Ethan is there with Gina. Buck wakes up on
the sofa to find the house engulfed in flames. Unable to escape, he
collapses unconscious on the floor. The
firefighters being unaware of his presence inside, it is Derek Griffin who courageously
fights the flames to rescue him. Buck
escapes unharmed and is taken to the Capwell mansion. There, one of the
firefighters, Hank Fisk, learns about Buck's situation. Since he and his
wife are hoping to adopt a child, he offers to take in Buck and his
younger sister. The adoption is finalized shortly afterward at the
orphanage, with Eden and Cruz watching it. Without
realizing it, Buck is the one who sets Cruz on the trail of Derek
Griffin's past. While hiding in a secret room in the orphanage cave,
Buck discovers a treasure box containing, among other things, an old
photograph of four young orphans. It does not take Cruz long to
recognize Derek in the picture, and the identities of the other three
children are soon uncovered as well...
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