MICHAEL HUDSON and DONNA LOVE

Michael was the father of Donna's children and was generally considered to be the love of her life.

Michael met Donna by working as a stable boy at the Love Estate as a teenager. They slept together at aged 16, but her father, Reginald Love, found out. He whipped Michael and ran him out of town, making him believe that Donna never wanted to see him again. Michael never knew that Donna was pregnant by him.

During his time away, Michael amassed his fortune and became a millionaire in his own right. He returned to Bay City in 1986 to resume his romance with Donna and become a father to the daughters he had just discovered. Donna and Michael married in a judge's chambers in November of 1986.

They renewed their vows in a lavish church ceremony in February 1987. Although this wasn't a true wedding because they were already married, they both refer to this as their "second marriage."

In late 1987, Michael had discovered about Donna's past and present relationship with his brother John Hudson. He immediately divorced her. It was a short-lived divorced, however. They truly loved each other and remarried in May 1988.

In 1988, Donna lost her and Michael's baby when she fell down a flight of stairs after running away from Reginald. In memory of his lost son, Michael planted a tree in the backyard of the Hudson farmhouse. They remarried a couple months later at that very spot. Later that year they adopted Mikey, a young boy whose parents were believed to have been killed.

In 1989, Michael was instructed by The Club, a top-secret FBI-like organization, to investigate Lucas. Since he had worked for them before, he had no choice now but to comply. He wasn't allowed to tell Donna what he was doing and had to break up with her in order to separate them and keep her from harm.

Michael had to tell Donna that he was leaving her for another woman to convince her it was over. She was so devastated that she ended up having an affair with Jake McKinnon. Michael returned to her when his investigation was over and confessed everything. She accepted him back, but kept her affair a secret for fear it would destroy them.

In 1990, Mikey's true parents were revealed to be alive. In their fight for custody, their lawyer Stacey Winthrop blackmailed Donna into giving up her legal right to Mikey by threatening to reveal Donna and Jake's affair.

In 1991 during Marley's trial, Donna and Jake's affair was revealed. Michael left Donna, not just because of the affair, but also because Donna had kept it a secret for so long and because it had cost them Mikey. They finally divorced in late 1991 and Michael left town in January 1992.

Michael returned to town in February 1993 to attend his daughter Vicky's wedding to Grant Harrison. He and Donna looked back fondly on their relationship and reminisced about the good times, but neither was interested in getting back together. They parted on good terms when he left a week later to return to his home in Hawaii.

Michael returned to Bay City for good in 1995, and was shocked to learn that Donna and Matthew Cory were engaged to be married. He soon came to accept them together and honestly wished them well. Donna adapted well to having her ex-husband in town again; if anything, she was mostly embarrassed by his presence.

On the night Donna was to marry Matthew, she paid a fateful visit to Michael to reclaim some cufflinks which had been her wedding present to him. While discussing the subject in the barn, their favorite song began to play over the radio. Both found themselves caught up in the moment and they made love.

Later, Donna was happily planning her reunion with Michael when he told her that he didn't have any such intentions. He said that what she ultimately wanted was someone who, aside from being exciting, would be there for her in the cold light of day, and that just wasn't him. Donna was devastated and ran back to Matthew. Michael helped cement their relationship by taking it upon himself to hire a priest to marry them.

Michael watched on the sidelines as Donna and Matthew's marriage disintegrated. He became involved for a short time with Sharlene, but found himself coming to Donna's rescue when she was accused of being the Bay City stalker. After that, they seemed to settle into de facto couplehood.

Donna finally stopped fighting the attraction that she'd always felt for Michael, and began to pursue him, much to his disinterest. Well, Michael was interested in the sex being proffered, but not much else. Donna had almost to coach Michael in his role of seducee. When Michael reminded her of their failed previous marriages, she agreed to sign an "anti-nuptial" agreement (on a napkin) prohibiting them from marrying again.

As the clock ticked the seconds down to 1997, Donna finally succeeded in battering down Michael's defenses, and they enjoyed a romp in a hospital bed. Donna happily ripped up their anti-nuptial agreement. This prompted Michael to walk out on her, vowing never to be controlled by her ever again. They remained close due to the many crises of their daughter Vicky.

When Cass Winthrop starting showing an interest in Donna, Michael became jealous and attempted to "rekindle the flame" with Donna. While she enjoyed Michael's attentions, Donna was excited about her growing affair with Cass. Cass quickly became side-tracked with Felicia, and Michael and Donna once again found their way back to each other. One February night at Carlino's restaurant, Michael let Donna know how much he loved her before driving up to the Love lodge in an effort to save Vicky from her attraction to Shane. Michael and Shane's cars collided on the road to Stony Point and both men were killed. Donna, discovering that Michael had been planning to propose to her, vowed his death would not be in vain.