Ally Mcbeal: How it Should Have Been

Teleplay by Julie Hillman

Part One: Another Chance

Scene I

Detroit. LARRY is playing in a park with SAM. JAIME walks over to them.


JAIME: Time to go home.

SAM: Already.

JAIME: Yes, I have to make dinner.

SAM: Can Dad and I come in few minutes?

JAIME: Ok, just a few minutes.

(JAIME kisses LARRY long, passionate.)

See you at home.

LARRY: (smiles) See you at home.

Ally wakes up in her bed screaming.


OPENING CREDITS


Scene II


Ally's bedroom. Renée enters slowly; she does not rush in.


RENEE: What now?

ALLY: Larry was back with Jaime. They were all a family.

RENEE: It was a dream.

ALLY: I know that, but they were back together--

RENEE: Ally. It's been 4 months. He broke up with you with a note and then left for Detroit.

ALLY: He went to Detroit for Sam.

RENEE: He broke up with you with a note.

ALLY: There must be a reason.

RENEE: Do you want to get over him?

ALLY: Of course, I do.

RENEE: Are you sure you're just not waiting for him to come back, cause he's not going to.
If you really want him back--

ALLY: I don't want him back.

RENEE: If you really want him back, you'll have to go to Detroit.

ALLY: He broke my heart, Renee. It'll take a while. I mean with Billy--

RENEE: Ok, whatever. I have to get ready for work.


SCENE III


Scene: Ally and Renee are leaving for work, when suddenly Ally sees Barry Manilow and Gloria Gaynor singing a duet of I Will Survive.

ALLY: I know if I run, you'll just follow me. I know you won't go away until you want to, so
I'm just going to ignore you.


RENEE: Ally--

ALLY: It's just Gloria Gaynor and Barry Manilow singing, I Will Survive.

RENEE: We'll talk about it later.

ALLY: Renee, it's fine, I don't need to talk about it.

RENEE: Both of them? This is gotta be really big. Atleast talk to John about it,

ALLY: Ok, I'll mention it to John.

(Ally and Renee leave the appartment and go different diffections. Gloria and

Barry follow Ally.)


SCENE IV


Scene: Cage and Fish. The morning meeting.


RICHARD: Ally?

ALLY: My client's ex-wife is suing him for infliction of emotional distress, because of the divorce.

JOHN: What about the divorce?

ALLY; The divorce itself.

JOHN: Well, that's just crazy.

ALLY: Look at the bright side, we're representing the husband.


Scene IV

Scene: Ally's office. (Ally is working. ELAINE enters)

ELAINE: David Barnes is here.

ALLY: Send him in.

(ELAINE exits and returns with DAVID BARNES.)

ELAINE: So, you're divorced, right?

ALLY: Elaine!

(ELAINE exits)

ALLY: Sorry about that.

DAVID: It's ok. I'm getting used to it. When I came in to hire you, she mentally undressed
me.

ALLY: (smiles) Ok, the court has defined this rather narrowly, which is why I'm filing a motion to dismiss. I'm going to argue that your divorce does not constitute a sufficient damage. They might win the motion. I don't think they can win the case.

DAVID: Then, Ally, why is she doing this?

ALLY: Her lawyer probably told her she can't win. This probably isn't about the money. It's about making a point, David.

DAVID: She's trying to hurt me.

ALLY: Probably. I'm sorry.

DAVID: People leave all the time.

ALLY: And the person left are hurt. She wants you to hurt too.

DAVID: She thinks it was easy for me to leave?

ALLY: Does she know why you left?

DAVID: She must.
ALLY: Not neccesarily.

DAVID: She's making us about money. How much money makes up for the hurt? She's
already getting alimony.

ALLY: Maybe, she wants to know why you left. She thinks she can get you to say it in court. Ready to leave?

DAVID: Sure.

(Aerial shot of Boston).

Scene V

Scene: John's therapist's office, Therapist from the musical episode.

JON: So I'm alone again. I really thought Melanie was the one, if anyone...

THERAPIST: What were you going to say?

JON: If anyone could, I guess I was thinking about something Nelle said. She said I could
never love her the way I loved Ally. She was always convinced that I was in love
with Ally, because she understands me better than anyone. We can see into
each other's inner world, but I had my chance with Ally. She got the idea that we were meant to be together, and I told her I was happy with Nelle. The reason Ally,
Kimmy, and Melanie could get my inner world was because they'd all felt left out and
different and lonely. They are all slighty strange or kooky, and when I was with Kimmy and Melanie, I picked up their quirks, and they picked up mine. As happy as
I was with Melanie, I was stranger with her, more bizarre. Nelle lessened my quirks.
I wouldn't say I was more normal, because I don't know what that is, but I felt less
separate. Being with Nelle gave me confidence. It made me feel so good. But
why am I talking about Nelle? I should be talking about Melanie.

THERAPIST: Are you trying to convince yourself you're better off without Melanie?

JOHN: I don't think so. I miss Melanie and feel sorrow when I think of her. I love her, and I thought about spending the rest of my life with her, but it's like I don't hurt enough.
When Nelle dumped me I was so angry, I was a curmugeon. For a while, I actually
hated her. But when I knew she was hurting as much as I was, but I'm getting off track again. Melanie refused to marry me, and I couldn't understand her reasoning,
and I was angry and it tightened in my chest , but there was no place for it to go.
There was no one to yell at, no way to change her mind, so the anger just died. And underneath that knot of anger, I found the neglected hurt. With it's new found
room it spread and spread, but it hasn't taken me over. If you lose the love of your
life, shouldn't you lose yourself for awhile? Ally did. Ally broke, and she wasn't
sure she could be whole again. I'm not sure she is. But me, I'm not broken. I'm
still whole. I know I went to LA to forget her, and I haven't been ready to date again,
but it's just a broken heart. And they mend quicker than you think they should.

THERAPIST: You're not glad she's not the love of your life?

JOHN: How could I be glad? How could I love Melanie so much and not break apart. How could I have felt worse when Nelle dumped me? Nelle was an elitist snob,
completely wrong for me, right? But what if she wasn't? All this with Melanie makes
me wonder if I had it completely wrong. I pulled away from Nelle when I found out
she couldn't date someone socially below her. I couldn't be close to a person like
that, but she could see us having kids, not at first, but when she really fell for me, when it came out that I saw a prostiute, she said that she didn't like the idea of the
father of her children doing that, though quickly saying, I wasn't necessarily going
to be the father of her children, but in the beginning, she said she didn't want kids. But with me, she could conceive of it, and I couldn't believe that the same thing
wouldn't happen with Melanie and marriage. How could I reach Nelle and not be
able to reach Melanie?

THERAPIST: Melanie was supposed to be more compatible than Nelle? Why?

JOHN: The snobbery.

THERAPIST: Why did that bother you so much?

JOHN: It's reprehensible to refuse to be with someone because they don't have money.

THERAPIST: Was it really about money?

JOHN: Class.

THERAPIST: What it really about class?

JOHN: The person's job.

THERAPIST: I don't think it was about any of that.

JOHN: She was making a judgment based on a person's job.

THERAPIST: I don't think that's what bothered you so much.

JOHN: How could someone like me be with someone like that?

THERAPIST: What do you mean?

JOHN: I'm strange. I'm not handsome. I'm the type people exclude. Or people used to
exclude, and she's an excluder.

THERAPIST: Or were you afraid that if you weren't a lawyer, she wouldn't have seen you?
That some how the money made that much of a difference. Without it you
wouldn't have been with her, who you were wouldn't have been enough.

JOHN: You're saying this is about me not her.

THERAPIST: Before you found that out, you felt like you fit together?

JOHN: Yes.

THERAPIST: She was still the same person, wasn't she?

JOHN: No.

THERAPIST: And after you found out about Melanie's view about marriage, she was a
different person too. You couldn't be with her unless she changed her mind.

JOHN: You're saying I pushed them away, because they weren't who I thought they
were?

THERAPIST: You thought they had changed, but they couldn't have.

JOHN: I just didn't want to see what was already there. But I still couldn't be with Melanie or
Nell.

THERAPIST: Why did Nelle think you loved Ally?

JOHN: I told you, because Ally gets my inner world.

THERAPIST: You told her she was wrong?

JOHN: No.

THERAPIST: Why not?

JOHN: We'd broken up. There wasn't any point.

THERAPIST: You never told her when you were together.

JOHN: No.

THERAPIST: But she'd told you that before.

JOHN: After I broke up with her.

THERAPIST: And you didn't tell her she was wrong. Do you really believe she was wrong?

JOHN: Absolutely.

THERAPIST: Why did you want her to believe she was right?

JOHN: I didn't want her to believe she was right.

THERAPIST: Then why didn't you tell her?

JOHN: She didn't need to know.

THERAPIST: What happens if she knows?

JOHN: I don't know. She thinks I can't love her. If she knows that it's not Ally at all, then...

THERAPIST: Then what?

JOHN: She's smart. She might figure out I wouldn't let myself love her. She knows that
I didn't like her. She doesn't know I wouldn't let myself like her, because I was afraid.
I didn't even know.

THERAPIST: What would happen if she knew?
JOHN: She would know it was me and not her. My problem, not hers.

THERAPIST: Why is that so bad?

JOHN: Despite everything we've been talking about, Melanie can't be the one for me, but
could Nelle, if I stopped myself from loving her, really loving her, if I could have loved her more... That's over. I don't know what I'm saying. It's been more than a
year.

THERAPIST: Maybe you want another chance.



Scene VI

Scene: The Courthouse. Albert Hall presiding


Baliff: All rise for the Honorable--.

JUDGE: Ms. Mcbeal, you a have a motiion to dismiss?

ALLY: Yes, your honor. The divorce does not satisfy the damage recquired.

OTHER LAWYER: Mr. Barne's leaving Mrs. Barnes constitutes sufficient damage. This was the cause of her emotional distress due in part to it's unexpected nature. Mrs.
Barnes suffered lasting heartbreak and confusion. Her suffering was a direct result of
Mr. Barnes' abandonment.

JUDGE: All right. I will render my decision tomorrow at 9:00. Court is ajourned.

ALLY: I'll meet you here tomorrow morning.

DAVID: Ok.


Scene V

(Aerial shot of Boston.)

Scene: Jon's office. Jon is sitting at his desk reading. Ally knocks on the door frame.

ALLY: (tentavetely) Hey.

JON: (affectionately) Hey.

ALLY: Renée maded me promice I'd talk to you.

JON: What's wrong?

ALLY: Nothing.

(JON looks at her increduously.)

No really. I just had this nightmare last night about Larry reuniting with Jaime and
all three of them being a family. After I told her Renee asked me if I really want
to get over Larry or if I'm waiting for him to come back, she said if I really wanted him
back I'd have to go there. I told her it's just going to take a while, but then when I walked into the living room there was Gloria Gaynor and Barry Manilow singing I Will Survive.They followed me to work. And then this case, John, a woman actually suing her husband for the emotional distress cause by their break-up. I mean on some level it makes sense. It isn't the law, but damnit he hurt me--

JON: Don't you mean he hurt her?

ALLY: Oh. Right.

JON: Do you really think you're getting over him?

ALLY: Sure I am.

JON: You're still angry?

ALLY: Well, yeah. He left with a note, John.

JON: Ally, anger doesn't usually last four months.

ALLY: Sure it does sometimes. Ok, it's just that, I can't figure it out. On my Birthday he
started pulling away, and I couldn't figure out why. I wanted to cry, come back, come
back, but then I saw him with his ex-wife, and I freaked and dumped him first. But
John, he wasn't supposed to leave. He would call, or I finally would, and we would
work it out, but the idiot left me and with a note. Why did he do that?

(Richard opens the door and enters.)

JON: Richard, Ally and I are talking.

RICHARD: I had to talk to you, it's business. Money, remember? Ally, he was trying to
keep from hurting you. If he left like that, you'd be angry, and then the anger
would help you get over him easier, quicker.

ALLY: Oh, but damn him, it didn't work.

RICHARD: Best Intentions and all that.

JOHN: Richard, What did you need to talk to me about?

RICHARD: Nothing, I just wanted to hear what you were talking about. Bygones.

(Richard leaves.)

ALLY: What do you think?

JOHN: The dream is obvious. You're afraid he's moved on, moved on to the future that with Sam makes so much sense you hate it, because if it makesthat much sense, and it works then you can't blaim him for choosing it. Gloria and Barry, though, what do they represent to you?

ALLY: Gloria and I Will Survive when I am determined and sure I will get over a guy. Except once in that restuarant with Brian, maybe she was trying to tell me something, I saw Barry when I was really afraid that Larry wasn't coming back, and
I was missing him so much I kept on seeing him in other peope.

JOHN: Gloria is your desire to move on, Barry is your desire to get him back. You're not
sure what you really want, you're blocked, you can't do anything.

ALLY: But what if I already know what I want?

JOHN: I don't think that's possible.

Scene VI

Scene: Ally's appartment. Renee is in the kitchen putting a two pints of ice cream
in the freezer. Ally comes in the door.

RENEE: Hey.

ALLY: (taking off her coat) Hey.

(Renee shuts the freezer.)

RENEE: Did you talk to John?

ALLY: (Sitting down on the couch.) Yes.

RENEE: (Coming to join her.) What'd he say?

ALLY: That I don't know if I want to get over Larry or if I want him back.

RENEE: I think he's right.

ALLY: I don't want him back. He doesn't want me anymore. I don't know why, but I know he was pulling away. He didn't fight for us, Renee. When I was afraid I had forgotten how to love and tried to pull away, he wouldn't let me. Renee, he let me
go.

RENEE: All right. Look, I bought some ice cream. Thought you might need it. Do you
want some?

ALLY: No, I'm ok. I have to be at court at 9.

RENEE: What do you think the judge'll rule?

ALLY: I don't know. I think the law's on our favor, but I feel so sorry for her.

RENEE: Her. He's the one being sued.

ALLY: I know, but I she's hurting, Renee. He just left.

RENEE: Hitting close to home, huh?

ALLY: Maybe, a little.
Scene VII

Scene: The courtroom. Judge --- presiding.

JUDGE: While I sympathize with Mrs. Barnes, I'm afraid the law does not consider your heartbreak a sufficient damage. The motion to dismiss is granted.

ALLY: Talk to her. Ask her why she sued and tell her why you left. She deserves it.

DAVID: You're right.

(DAVID approaches his wife.)

(Aerial shot of Boston.)

SCENE: Richard's office. John knocks on the door frame and walks in.

JOHN: What do you think about snobbery?

RICHARD: I'm all for it. What fun is having money if you can't look down on people who
don't have it? Fishism. Thinking about anyone in particular, Nelle, maybe?

JOHN: How did you--

RICHARD: Come on, John. You know I'm not as stupid as I pretend to be. Nelle doesn't
have her snob credentials in order.

JOHN: What do you mean?

RICHARD: She's not really a snob.

JOHN: Sure, she is.

RICHARD: Well, she says she is, but she dated a Salsa dancer. Sure he crated his own
steps, but please. I mean it's great that her sex drive has been activated though I think the jailed doctor was really responsible for that--

JOHN: Richard.

RICHARD: Bygones. The point is, Nelle believed a lot of things about herself that were never really true. She wasn't really sub-zero, and she's not really a snob.
She's got a great heart.

JOHN: Oh, Richard.

RICHARD: What?

JOHN: Did I not look hard enough?

RICHARD: I don't know, John. Are you thinking about getting back together with Nell?

JOHN: She probably wouldn't, after everything that happened, right?

RICHARD: It would take a lot of convincing, but--
JOHN: You think it's possible.

RICHARD: But do you really...

JOHN: I don't know, maybe.


Scene VIII

Scene: Ally's office. Ally walks in and sees SAM PAUL in her chair.

ALLY: Is your father here?

SAM: No.

ALLY: Did you just get on an airplane again?

SAM: Yep. You said I should come visit you.

ALLY: Funny. I would've thought your mother blocked that site.

SAM: I guess she trusts me.

ALLY: Why are you here? You want to sue your father again? Cause you're in the wrong state?

SAM: No, actually I think he's hurt enough. That's why I'm here. He cries now, Ally. He
doesn't date. All he does is work and spend time with me. And he won't talk about you. He just said that he left you. But last night I found a little black box with
a diamond ring, and when I asked Dad about it, he said he was going to ask you
to marry him, and he couldn't stand to sell it, even though he should, that's when
I knew I had to come see you. You have to get back together, Ally. I don't care
if he moves back to Boston. Dad needs you. Will you?

ALLY: Oh, Sam, it's so, it's complicated, I just can't, we, your father--

(JOHN appears at the door.)

Oh, hey, John. What's up?

JOHN: I just wanted to speak to you but, is that?

ALLY: Larry's son. Sam, I think you met John Cage before.

JOHN: Hi Sam.

SAM: Hi.

JOHN: Is--

ALLY: He bought himself a plane ticket over the internet again. Look, I can't talk to you
right now. I have to call Jaime. Sam, what time do you go to bed, and don't
lie, I'll ask your mother.

SAM: 9:00.

ALLY: Ok, come over at 9:30.

JOHN: Sam's staying the night?

ALLY: Yeah, I don't want to send Sam right back.

JOHN: Ok, I'll see you later then.

(JOHN leaves. Ally picks up the phone.)

ALLY: So what's your mother's work number?

SAM: 774-555-3467.

ALLY: Jaime, hi, It's Ally Mcbeal. Sam is here with me. Yes, in Boston. No, I'm
sure he's ok. He's doing well in school,right? Right, he came to ask me to get
back together with Larry. I'm sorry. Do you want to come get him? Yeah, if you're
too busy at work. Larry? No, don't bother him. I'll bring Sam back. My case was
just dismissed. Yeah, it's fine. No, really. Ok. You need me to take him to Larry's
office? No, that's fine. Maybe, he won't be in. No, that was a joke. I'm fine. I
understand. Ok, then. Sam will stay with me tonight. My work number is (---) 555-
6245. And home, oh, you still have it from when Larry lived with me. All right.
You'll call to say good night to Sam. We'll be home. Bye.

SAM: You're taking me to my Dad's office?

ALLY: Only because your mother is busy. I'm not getting back together with your father.

SAM: But you still love him, and you're going to see him. There's still hope.

ALLY: Oh, Sam. It's complicated. Your father, I couldn't, it's just that, I don't know. How
would you like a tour of Boston. You didn't get to see much last time, did you?

SAM: No. I'd like to.

ALLY: Ok, then let's go.

SCENE: Jaime's office. Jaime is sitting behind her desk. She picks up the phone
and dials. The screen switchest to a split view as Larry answers.

LARRY: Hello.

JAIME: Hello, Larry, it's Jaime.

LARRY: I know.

JAIME: Look, don't pick up Sam at school.

LARRY: Why not? I thought you had to work late.

JAIME: Yeah, Sam skipped school today. He went to see Ally. She called. He's fine.

LARRY: I thought he was ok.

JAIME: He is. He told her that he came to get you back together.

LARRY: What?

JAIME: I don't know the details. I told her I was too busy to come get him. She said not to
bother you. She's going to bring him back tomorrow, drop him at your office. I'm going to call and say good night. If you want, I can tell her to drop Sam off at
school instead.

LARRY: It's ok. I'll be fine.Tell Sam, good night for me and that I love him.

JAIME: You could always call him yourself.

LARRY: No, I can't.

JAIME: You can see her, but you can't.--

LARRY: It's different, ok.

JAIME: Ok, bye.

LARRY: Bye.

(Screen switches to just Larry. He sits still for a moment. )

LARRY: Damn. How far did I have to go?

(He gets up, starts to pace.)

What exactly do I say to her? What will she say to me? Will she treat me like a
stranger, chat for a second and be gone? Will she ask me why I left? What could I
tell her? That I was, am scared, that I couldn't do her the disservice of marrying me, because eventually I would hurt her, probably more than leaving now would?
How do I hide how terrible I'm doing? Sam's probably already told her, but I don't
want her to see? She probably doesn't even want to see me, she'll just drop him
off without even seeing me. Right. She'll want to see how I'm doing for herself.
Oh, God, what am I going to do?

(He dials the phone, and the screen splits to reveal Helena as she picks up the
phone.)

LARRY: Hey, it's Larry.

HELENA: Larry. How are you doing?

LARRY: Not great. How are you?

HELENA: Great actually. I'm getting married.

LARRY: That's great. I hope you'll be happy this time.

HELENA: Ok, now that you've been polite.
LARRY: Sam went to Boston to see Ally. She's bringing him to my office tomorrow.

HELENA: This is your chance.

LARRY: For what?

HELENA: To make it all right, Larry.

LARRY: No, I couldn't.

HELENA: What's it like without her?

LARRY: Painful, more lonely than I ever thought I could be, I have Sam, and...It's actually worse than not being with Sam, because there was still the connection, I could talk
to him and...

HELENA: Are you getting over her?

LARRY: No.

HELENA: You haven't even started.

LARRY: I can't seem to.

HELENA: It's been four months, right?

LARRY: So.

HELENA: It's only supposed to take half the legnth of the relationship to get over them.

LARRY: That's bull.

HELENA: Still fourth months is a long time to not even have started. Do you really want to
feel like this for the rest of your life?

LARRY: It can't last.

HELENA: So you can see yourself falling in love again?

LARRY: Not like this. I told Jaime once that Ally was the one. It's still true.

HELENA: Then what the hell are you doing?

LARRY: How could I hurt her?

HELENA: You already have.

LARRY: But not as much as--

HELENA: Enough. What makes you think she's doing any better.

LARRY: She has to be.

HELENA: She's coming. Why'd Sam go see her?
LARRY: Ally told Jaime he wants Ally and I to get back together.

HELENA: Why would he want that?

LARRY: He's seen how I am lately, and a couple nights ago, he found the engagement ring.

HELENA: You didn't take it back?

LARRY: I can't.

HELENA: Larry, you have to get rid of the ring or tell her how you feel. It's holding you to
her.

LARRY: She wouldn't take me back anyway.

HELENA: She would; you know she would.

LARRY: I know.

HELENA: And you're still afraid.

LARRY: Yes.

HELENA: So?

LARRY: I don't know.


` SCENE: Ally's Appartment. Ally and Sam enter with groceries.

ALLY: Renee, are you home?

(Renee enters from the bedroom.)

RENEE: Yes. Oh, Ally, you kidnapped Sam to get Larry back.

(Ally and Sam put down the groceries in the kitchen.)

SAM: Actually, that was my plan.

RENEE: You kidnapped yourself? Oh, you got on another plane to get Ally back with your father. Does he want to get back together with Ally?

SAM: He says he doesn't, but he's misreble without her.

RENEE: How do you know he's not just misreble?

SAM: Lot's of reasons. First---

ALLY: Sam, I want to talk to Renee about this alone. Do you want to watch TV in
Renee's room until dinner is ready?

SAM: Sure.

(Sam goes back to Renee's bedroom.)

RENEE: Ok, so what are those reasons?

(Renee cracks two eggs into a bowl and dumps some bread crumbs on a counter.
Ally vigorously pounds three chicken breasts.)

ALLY: He was going to propose to me Renee, he bought me a ring, and he can't stand to
get rid of it. He hasn't dated at all. All he does is work and hang out with Sam. But
that doesn't mean he wants to be with me.

RENEE: No, it just means the man's an idiot.

(Renee brushes the chicken breasts with egg and then rolls them in bread crumbs. Ally puts a pan on the stove and turns on the flame. Ally sprays on ` Pam.)

ALLY: Renee.

RENEE: I'm sorry Ally, but the man's realized he made a mistake letting you go, and he's not trying to fix it.

(Ally puts the breasts on the pan. Renee opens a bottle of wine and pours two
glasses. She hands one to Ally.)

ALLY: Why? If he's in such bad shape--

RENEE: Like you are. Why don't you?

(Renee fillls a pot with water and places it on the stove. Then she puts pasta
in the pot.)

ALLY: That's different. He left me. He made the choice.

RENEE: You left him first.

ALLY: That was just me being scared. He was pulling away while he was considering
marrying me.

RENEE: Maybe that was just him being scared.

ALLY: If that's, oh Renee.

RENEE: Do you want to know?

ALLY: You think I should talk to Larry, not just drop Sam off.

(Ally flips the chicken.)

RENEE: What if he's just afraid, Ally? And you give up on him?

ALLY: When I was so afraid of being in love, he wouldn't let me go.

RENEE: You have to find out Ally.

ALLY: I know. By the way, John's coming by at 9:30.

RENEE: You need to talk to him, too?

ALLY: No. He needs to talk to me.

RENEE: He didn't lose Barry White again, did he?

(Ally smiles.)

ALLY: I don't think so.

(Ally puts one breast on each plate. Renee strains the pasta and puts some on each plate.)

Sam, dinner's ready.

(Sam comes back out.)

What do you want to drink?

SAM: Do you have milk?

Scene: Ally's living room. The phone rings, and Ally picks it up.

ALLY: Hi, Jaime. Wait a minute. Sam, your mother is on the phone. He's getting washed
up.

(Sam entes and takes the phone from Ally.)

SAM: Hi, Mom. I'm fine. Really. I just came to see Ally. Look Mom, I had to, you know
seeing him so sad, I couldnt--When you were crying at night, it's the same thing. You know it is. He's hurt enough, Mom, and I had to try to make it better. I know it's
not my job. Look, Mom, I love you. I'll see you tomorrow night. Good night.

ALLY: Are you ok?

SAM: My mother obviously isn't happy that I'm here.

ALLY: She's worried.

SAM: I think she liked it better when I came for her.

(ALLY hugs SAM)

ALLY: Do you want to start in my bed and then move to the couch when Jon's left or
or start on the couch and Jon and I'll talk in the bedroom?

SAM: I'll just sleep on the couch.

ALLY: Ok, I'll go get your pillow and blanket.

(ALLY exits, returns with pillow and blanket. She puts the pillow on the couch,
SAM lies down and Ally tucks him in. She kisses his forehead. There is a cut to
LARRY kissing Ally's forehead.)

ALLY: Good night, Sam. Don't let the bed bugs bite.

SAM: Ok. Goodnight.

(Ally goes into the bedroom.)

(Some sort of break.)

SCENE: Ally's appartment. A door knock. Ally quietly enters and opens the door. She presses her finger to her lips as she leads Jon to the bedroom. She closes the
door. Scene changes to Ally's bedroom.

ALLY: So, what's up?

JON: I've been wondering if I made a mistake with Nelle.

ALLY: What do you mean?

JON: I've been wondering if I ever really saw her. What do you think of her?

ALLY: Well, I don't think I've ever worked a case with her, but we did have a bunch of
sleep-overs after I broke up with Brian, and I got the sense that she does want it.

JON: What?

ALLY: Love, family. She's just afraid. And I think you made her even more afraid.

JON: Because I rejected her for being a snob?

ALLY: No, well maybe a little. I mean you made her admit she wanted it and then it
didn't work, like...

JON: Like you and Larry.

ALLY: I don't mean you're like Larry, it's just that he helped me to not be afraid of falling in
love again and then he broke my heart...

JON: I made her want a family, and then I said she wasn't good enough to have one with me. The more I think about this, God, Ally...

ALLY: What?

JON: How could you and Richard have seen her like that and I, why couldn't I?

ALLY: I don't know. Jon, what is this about, really?

JON: I thought I knew, I thought Melanie was the one, and Nelle, but it doesn't hurt
enough Ally, and my therapist was right, I clearly wasn't seeing Nelle, I couldn't see
her, and I pushed her away, and, and...

ALLY: And now you want Nelle, and you're wondering if it's too late?

JON: Why is it so hard just to say, so hard to even think it? Why can't I handle wanting her?
Is it just fear? But what am I afrai dof, my therapist said I didn't want her to know that
you weren't the one, that it was me not her, why? I thought I stepped back
because I was horrified that I could love someone like that, but I was really just
afraid that she didn't see me, she saw the money and the success, but couldn't
ever see or accept the strange little man I really am. She always thought I was in love with you, I never got over the feeling that someone like her could never love someone like me, the snobbery thing just seemed to confirm. Neither of us could believe that there wasn't someone better than us, some better fit for each other. So
we let it go, unable to believe what we had was right and lasting and the basis for
forever, letting ourself belief that it could never have lasted, could never have been
right. Because believing in the unlikely wonderful possibility that we were right was
too hard, too frightening, because somehow it's not supposed to work out like that,
you hope that magic exists, try to hang onto Santa Claus as long as you can, try to
believe that fairy tales can happen, the princess can fall in love with the frog, the
prince with the servant girl, but you don't really believe it. Because that's silly. You
know, because you're a reasonable person, that princes and princesses marry
each other and don't look anywhere else, because what do princes and servant
girls really have in common. So when you, the frog, meets the princess and
she loves you back, you'd like to believe that you've become a prince, and she
wants to believe that she has enough in common with a frog, but you just can't
let yourself believe and now, now what?

ALLY: Jon, you idiot, you tell her as close to everything was will make sense. And you
hope that she'll see all that you see now and choose to believe, or atleast try to
believe with you.

JON: So, you think I can try again too?

ALLY: My chance at happily ever after maybe gone, don't let your chance pass you by.
Even if you're wrong, if you never know...

JON: Thanks.

(He gets up to go.)

ALLY: I'll walk you out. We have to be quiet.

(They tip-toe past the couch where SAM is sleeping. ALLY opens the door, lets
JON out, and just stares at SAM.