David Fumero   Yorlin Madera and Erin Torpey (Jessica)

CRISTIAN VEGA   PLAYED BY: DAVID FUMERO MARCH 1998 -- PRESENT; YORLIN MADERA MAY 1995 -- JANUARY 1998                 Cristian is the youngest son of Carlotta Vega, and the brother of Antonio Vega.  He lived with his mother since he was a young boy, and has considered himself her protector.   He had been the man in the family ever since his father died, and  his brother, Antonio went to prison on murder charges.             He has a remarkable talent for art, which his teachers encouraged him to develop.  Cris proudly displayed his artistic abilities in 1995, when he designed the Angel statue that stands in the revitalized Angel Square.             When he first appeared in 1995, Cris was a teenager in great conflict.  Both Carlotta and Antonio stressed to him the importance of staying away from the Angel Square gangs and the dangerous street life that surrounded them.  When Antonio was released from jail, he discovered that Cristian was carrying a handgun.  Antonio confiscated the weapon, and urged Cristian never to become involved with gangs, because it would ultimately destroy his life.

            During that same year, Cris met  Jessica Buchanan at a dance in Angel Square.  The two of them hit if immediately, but they had to overcome many cultural differences.  Jessica came from an entirely different world from Cristian’s.   Her family had money, power, and lived in comfort and security.  Cris had only known poverty, danger, and fear.  Despite their differences, Cris became Jessica's first boyfriend.

            They fell in love almost immediately. When Jessica's father, Clint, caught them in the early stages of passion, he refused to allow them to see each other again, and Cristian’s mother agreed with him.

            They refused to be kept apart, and in time Cristian attempted to get Jessica to sleep with him.  Jessica  had a difficult time deciding what to do, as she knew she was not ready for that commitment yet.  Because of this, they broke up many times, only to get back together again.

When Cris was found guilty of  breaking into a car,  he was given probation and community service as punishment, even though he was actually an innocent victim.   Because of that conviction, he was turned down for a college scholarship.

            Cristian’s brother Antonio, who had been released from prison, was concerned that he would become more involved with crime, so he decided the only alternative he had was to get the money Cris needed to attend college.  When  underworld kingpin, Carlo Hesser, offered Antonio a chance to help his brother, he took him up on his offer, although he knew that in exchange he would be forced to do Carlo’s dirty work.

            In 1997, Antonio stood trial for the murder of Carlo Hesser.  When Antonio was acquitted of the murder charge, Cris and Jessica went to a cabin in the woods, but once again, she refused to have sex with him.

 Soon after that, Jessica was heartbroken when he made the suggestion that they start seeing other people. Though Jessica had become the love of his life, and the only girl he would ever care deeply about, he felt that they were on different paths.  Even though Cristian hesitated to put it into words, Jessica knew what the problem was, he wanted to have sex, and she did not. They cared deeply for each other, but their relationship was at an impasse.

In time, Cristian and Jessica managed to rebuild their relationship and their love grew stronger.  Then one day, Cristian's childhood friend, Roseanne Delgado came to Llanview.  She was hoping to renew their friendship, and much more, which  put a strain on his relationship with Jessica. 

Jessica caught Cristian and Roseanne sharing a passionate kiss and she sought comfort in the arms of Will Rappaport.  One day she and Will went to the Buchanan cabin, had too much to drink and ended up having unprotected sex.

A few weeks later Jessica discovered she was pregnant.  When Cristian found out, he was hurt and outraged at what they had done, but because he loved her, he was soon able to give her his support.  After a few months of tension, the two were actually looking forward to the birth of the baby.  Cristian decided he wanted to raise the baby as his own.  They had their life all planned. Cristian and Jessica were going to be married and move to New York City after the baby was born, and he would attend art school.

Their plans were shattered when one night, Jessica was struck by a car, driven by Dorian Lord.  She was taken to the hospital, but she lost the baby and was in a coma.  When Jessica awoke, she had no memory of ever loving Cristian.

Later on, when Jessica took a road trip with Will, Cristian was convinced that their relationship was finished.  Roseanne was there, more than willing to give him the support, and love, he needed.  Even though Jessica was the love of his life, Cristian could not turn Roseanne away when she made it clear she wanted him to make love to her.

What Cristian did not know was that Jessica was on her way back to Llanview to try to rebuild their relationship.   When she returned, she went to find

Cristian and tell him that she loved him and wanted him back.  When Jessica got there, Cristian was in bed with Roseanne.  Roseanne managed to slip out unnoticed when she heard Jessica tell Cristian that she wanted them to get back together. Cristian was confused and told Jessica to take a few days to make sure of her feelings.

Meanwhile, Roseanne found Will and told him about her and Cristian's

new relationship.  Cristian was also going to tell Jessica the truth about him and Roseanne, but it did not happen.

When Roseanne was attacked on the docks, Cristian was there to rescue her.  He took her back to the apartment to calm her down and give her some comfort

just as Jessica walked in on them.  Jessica misunderstood what she was seeing.  She did not want anything more to do with him and ran out. 

Cristian and Roseanne ended up moving to New York City and Roseanne was determined to make him forget all about Jessica.   She became very upset when Cristian thought that Jessica was in trouble, and rushed back to Llanview.   By the time he arrived at Llanfair, Jessica's ordeal with Dorian was already over and he saw Will comforting her.  He returned to New York City, and Roseanne was determined to keep him and  Jessica apart. 

Roseanne persuaded Will to help her keep Cristian and Jessica apart.

After Asa called in a favor and secretly arranged to have Cristian's scholarship canceled, Roseanne convinced Will to give her the money for Cristian's tuition. Soon afterwards, Roseanne told Will that she needed more money to keep her and Cristian in New York City.  Will refused at first, but then wrote her a check from                   the Megan Foundation, which had been set up as a memorial to Jessica’s baby.  Will had all intentions of paying it back.

            Jessica and Cristian still loved one another, and he was furious when he discovered that Roseanne had hidden a note Jessica had left for him at Carlotta’s                         diner.  On New Year's Eve, Cristian went to Jessica and demanded that she listen to what he had to say.  He explained about the misunderstanding that had led him to move to New York City with Roseanne, and said that he and Jessica would still be together if he had not misunderstood and jumped to the wrong conclusion.  Then he took Jessica in his arms and gave her a passionate kiss, which she did not resist.

            Cristian and Jessica  left for the rustic cabin motel they had stayed at when they had run away to be married.  The passion started to grow between them, but  Jessica stopped herself and told Cristian that she loved Will. 

Cristian was hurt very deeply because Jessica had rejected him.  He ended up proposing to Roseanne, who was more than willing to accept.

The day Roseanne and Cristian were to be married, Jessica went to New York City to tell him the truth about Roseanne and Will’s conspiracy to keep them apart.   When she got to their apartment she confronted Roseanne, but Roseanne managed to lock Jessica in a closet to prevent her from getting to Cristian, and the wedding took place as planned.  Jessica arrived just after Cristian and Roseanne were pronounced husband and wife.  She told Cristian the truth, after which, he walked out on Roseanne.

              Cristian told Roseanne that he wanted out of the marriage, but she                   refused to grant him an annulment.  During that time,  he started to realize that Asa had framed Will for embezzling the money from the foundation.  He then told Jessica, who reluctantly came to accept the worst about her grandfather. Cristian wanted an even playing field and didn't want Jessica choosing to be with him

just because Will had been sent to prison on trumped up charges.  Together, they                     tracked Asa down in Baltimore and using a hidden tape recorder, Jessica got Asa to admit everything he had done to Will.

            Max was outside the room while they were talking to Asa, and when they came out, he grabbed the tape and brought it back to Asa.  Asa listened while Max told him what they had planned to do, and he took the tape and tossed it out the window.  It took them hours, but Jessica and Cristian were finally able to find it in a dumpster.  They were able to get to the train that was taking Will to Statesville Prison.  There they found Bo and gave him Asa's taped confession.

            Cristian and Jessica  got off the train, but were still near enough to witness what happened next.  Somehow the train derailed and crashed.  During the confusion and chaos that followed, Cristian and Jessica were able to locate Will and get him away from the authorities. 

Jessica  and Cristian promised to stay by Will until he was cleared of the charges against him.    The three of them then went on the run together and became fugitives from the law.  Throughout their journey,  the tension increased between                          Will and Cristian as they both wanted Jessica for themselves while trying to hide from the authorities.

The tension between them only worsened when Todd Manning found them and began using their situation to his own advantage. Todd managed to get Christian alone and told him that Jessica’s mother, Viki was dying.  Cristian then told Will and gave him an ultimatum--either he leaves on his own or Cristian would turn him in to the authorities. Thinking he was doing the right thing, Will then told Jessica she would have to choose between him and Cristian.  Jessica, thinking Will had betrayed her, told him to leave.  Then she told Cristian that she now knew that he was the one who truly loved her.  Shortly after that they became engaged.

Todd took Will with him and made arrangements to have Will put aboard a freighter headed for Ireland.  Will was desperate to make things right between him and Jessica.  While he was down in the cargo hold he wrote her a letter explaining why he had to leave.

Days later, when Cristian was at Llanfair with Jessica, he spotted Will's letter and hid it in his back pocket.  After fighting with his conscience, Cristian decided to give Jessica Will's letter.  Jessica was furious at Cristian for hiding the latter, and she told him their relationship was at an end.  Then she made arrangements to go to Ireland and search for Will.

Before long, Cristian also headed to Ireland, and found Jessica.  During this time, Max found out that Will was in Ireland.  Wanting to please Asa, he found Will, told the authorities that he was a wanted fugitive, and had them arrest him.  Jessica, naturally assuming the worst, accused Cristian of helping Max to track down Will  and have him arrested.  

Jessica's  rejection of him caused Cristian to go on a downward spiral.

When he returned to Llanview, he began drinking heavily, hoping this would make him forget his troubles.  Antonio vowed to try to help his brother any way that he can.

Will was sent back to Llanview and was jailed.   Jessica has announced to him that she loves him and will stand by him no matter what.