The camera pans from the people walking down a crowded street in New York (despite the early hour) to a cafeteria window. In the far corner, almost invisible to the people that pass by, we see an unidentifiable couple kissing, causing him to chuckle. The girl has long brown hair, and is sitting in his lap, running one hand through his nape’s hair, the other one grasping at his shoulder as she breaks the kiss and laughs. His hands are around her waist, playfully pushing her closer to him.
We see a mature man sitting in the bar stool watching them for a moment, smiling to himself and presumably remembering what it was like to be that in love as he hands the waiter the money for the bill and the tip.
As he leaves we go back to the couple, still kissing until the woman breaks away, letting us see that it’s Joey, breathing heavily and resting her forehead against Dawson’s.
“Okay I really have to go now,” she laughs, taking a deep breath and smoothing her hair down. “And I’m sure we are getting everyone’s attention by now” she says, glancing over her shoulder, but no one is really looking at them.
“No one can see us, we’re almost hiding behind the curtain.”
Joey laughs as Dawson lifts his hand from her shoulder to bury it in her hair, like he did that night in her dorm, so many years ago. It was a caress that stayed printed in her mind, and every time he made that simple touch to her, she would shudder and hold her breath. Dawson kows this because she confessed it to him while they were in L.A (he was, once again, amazed that she was able to recall such little, tiny details about them), and that is exactly why he is doing it.
“Okay one more kiss and I’m outta here,” Dawson smiles, noticing her reaction and nipping at her neck.
“No, no, no, you said that five minutes ago and this is my first breath of air since I said okay,” Joey laughs, swatting him away, relenting eventually, for him to kiss her cheek, then standing up as Dawson does the same, they both with big grins in their faces.
“Pick you up after work?” Dawson asks, sliding his arms around her after leaving the money on the table.
“Sounds good, I’ve missed you the last few days. Too much work if you ask me,” she says, kissing his forehead.
“I know, I’ve missed you too. I’ve missed us,” he says softly as they lean foreheads once more. “That’s why…” he is saying, his hand going to the back pocket of his trousers, ready to kiss her again, when his cell phone rings.
Joey raises her brows and bites her lips in a mocking defeated gesture. Dawson sighs softly as he takes the cell to his ear.
“Tell me Robert.”
Some nods and a-has follow as he sends Joey an apologetic look. Joey just smiles and shakes her head, in an ‘it’s ok’ gesture.
“See you later,” she mutters, kissing the corner of his mouth, Dawson turning instinctively for more as he nods, but she is already skipping down to the door, trying not to bump into a group of people who is entering the place at this moment.
“Yeah, I know,” Dawson follows her path until she is out of his sight and sighs as he sits down “I said it will be ready by tomorrow, and it will, don’t worry about it.”
We see Dawson taking from his trouser whatever it is he was going to take out earlier, when Joey was still there. A smile creeps to his mouth as he plays with the keys to his loft in his hand.
“Robert, I’ll call you in a minute. Just tell Patrick that it’ll all be done in time.”
With that, he pressed the end call button and rushes to the door of the café.
Lost in her thoughts, we see Joey skimming down the street, absorbed in her own world. The feel of someone’s hand on her shoulder causes her to spin around, ready to face and kiss Dawson yet again.
But her smile slowly disappears when she turns to see not Dawson but Chris, her former boyfriend and near former fiancé standing in front of her, with a bitter smile on his face.
“Hey Joey, that smile sure disappeared fast,” he snaps, folding his arms across his chest.
“You surprised me Chris…it’s been awhile,” she says softly, feeling terribly uncomfortable.
“Yeah, it has been awhile. About a year I think, since you broke up with me over the phone for no reason after dating for two years and living together for almost a year,” he says coldly.
“How have you been?” she asks, trying to downplay his comment.
“Better, now that the anger and bitterness toward you is just about gone, you?” he says with a smile. And not a very gentle one.
“Fine, how’s the family?” she asks weakly.
“Good, they miss you, couldn’t understand how you got away or why you would do something so high-school like break up with me over the phone and cut off all contact,” he says, seeing her squirm.
“I’m so sorry Chris, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Joey sighs, shifting her purse.
(Music of credits starts playing)
”I know Jo, I just wish I could actually believe you,” he and a moment of silence follows. “I should get going though, call me sometime, you seem to love sharing news over the phone.”
Joey’s about to say something else to him but he’s gone, causing her to hang her head and rubs her temple with one hand, feeling horrible about how things ended between them and the way their current conversation had just gone.
With a deep sigh, she turns to leave, her mood dampened, to go back to work.
It’s only when she’s gone that we see Dawson standing at the door of the deli, which is half a block from where Joey ran into Chris. He had been watching almost the whole exchange and his brows are now furrowed, a serious look on his face. He looks down to his hand, where the keys still are. Looking at where Joey had disappeared, he puts them back to his pocket with a pensive face.
OPENING CREDITS
Renaissance restaurant, New Orleans.
Slamming pots, sizzling grills, the barely contained chaos of the restaurant. The kitchen gleam with the sparkle of stainless steel and the bright colors of the vegetables and edible flowers dot the wooden preparation tables and varied dishes that are being prepared. It is controlled chaos though, if there is such a thing.
“Well, seems as if it’s all good for today,” thinks Pacey, feeling satisfied and content with the activity in the kitchen. Not as much with Brecher´s attitude. As he had already predicted, it hadn’t changed at all. But he was doing what Andie advised him: taking it easy, keeping himself out of his way and seeing if things calmed down with time.
“Witter!” yells Brecher, who is entering the kitchen at that very same moment.
‘Speaking of the devil’ Pacey thinks.
“What the hell are you doing?” Brecher continues to yell at him as he looks at all the supplies and food in preparation on the table.
Another day, another hassle, sighs Pacey inwardly. His strategy doesn’t seem to be working that well after all.
“Hey Brecher,” says Pacey forcing a smile on his face. ‘Take it easy, don’t play his game, keep it cool’ he reminds to himself.
“I told you that you have to be the top of your game to be part of my team,” says Brecher with some impatience. “But Witter, you’re just not cutting it,” he continues.
“I am,” Pacey replies, annoyed that he is questioning his work.
“No, you’re not.” Brecher says defiantly, both men standing face to face, Brecher at one side of the table, Pacey at the other. They both seem to be about to jump at each other’s neck. Pacey´s knuckles are white.
“Then, tell me what you want me to do,” responds Pacey evenly.
The rest of Brecher´s kitchen staff shift uncomfortably as they quietly watch the exchange in between the two men. It’s been like this the whole week, and each day the discussions are just worst. Seems to them as if Brecher is putting more and more pressure each time on Pacey, waiting for him to explode. But somehow, he never does.
“This,” he says, taking some of the carrots Pacey had just supervised and given as good, “is crap.” Brecher says, throwing to the trash a work that took Paul almost an a hour to do. “This,” Brecher says taking this time a spoon and getting closer to the kitchen, taking a spoon of soup from a casserole, “looks like dirty water to me” he adds, turning on the fire and walking towards Pacey again.
“You just messed up the work of more than two hours,” Pacey says under his breath and through his clenched teeth, but still, trying to keep his composure.
“And I’ll do it again and all the time I need to do it until you get it right.”
Brecher looks at Pacey, as if seizing him. As Pacey remains silent, Brecher speaks again triumphally.
“You know what I want you to do. So just do it,” he says, staring right into Pacey´s eyes, almost spitting his words before he turns to leave.
Pacey sighs heavily and closes his eyes briefly. It’s just what he needs, more public humiliation. But still he takes a deep breath and turn to the people of the kitchen, who is looking at him with expectation, waiting for the new orders.
“Ok mates, I’m sorry for this. It won’t happen again. You have my word” he says, as he starts giving instructions again to redo everything Brecher just threw away.
The kitchen follows Pacey´s commands without arguing or complaining. They know that Brecher unfairly criticized Pacey. They like Pacey, he is a fun guy to hang out with, but Brecher is the boss and this is starting to become a very hard situation for all of them. In their opinion though, Pacey needs to learn to put up with Brecher´s request for “favors”. That’s the way it works. The way it always works everywhere: the boss is the boss, and you play by their rules, or you got it bad.
Calmly, Pacey exits the kitchen and walks to his office. He sits down and sighs, looking through the window.
‘This is so over’, thinks Pacey.
Meanwhile, at the studio of the new show, New York.
Dawson, already sucked into the affairs of the day, is in his office on the phone while typing something in a computer at the same time. What he saw that morning practically gone from memory.
Practically, but not quite.
It was bound to happen eventually, Dawson considered. He had long ago accepted that there were other people Joey had been involved with besides him, just like he had been involved with other people as well. He didn’t get upset about it. It was just a fact of life.
It was just that he didn’t like the whole tone of the scene he had seen from afar. It seemed tense, something still floating in the air. Or maybe not. Maybe it was his imagination? Because actually, what does he know about this guy? Joey had told him the basics, and he had seen a few pictures that she had eagerly thrown away before he even had the chance to say that it wasn’t necessary. ‘I’m not gonna look at them anymore anyway’ she had said.
So he knows that name is ‘Chris’. Yeah. The guy she dumped right before Jen passed away. The guy who was going to propose to her.
And why hadn’t she called to tell him she had met him? He was used to geting one or two calls from her during the morning, to tell him whatever silliest thing that had happened to her that day. ‘Just so you get a little distressed’ she always jokes.
“How many rewrites is this now?” Dawson asks into the phone. “I count at least three. We start shooting in a few days, so I expect to have the final copy in my hand by tonight. I don’t care if it’s on a Subway napkin… just get it done!”
He hangs up the phone, sighing.
“That was professional, Dawson!” he mutters to himself.
He knows it isn’t fair to take out his frustration on somebody else. But it was true after all; they need to have the final script revisions done as soon as possible.
He reaches into his pocket for a pen, but instead comes up with a piece of paper. It is a note, folded in two. It is from Joey.
Dawson smiles as he starts to read it. Already his mood is shifting. It isn’t anything big, just a general ‘enjoy your day and don’t forget to buy me (or send some of your work slaves to buy it for that matter =) ) some bath soap. I kinda finished it the other day’ letter.
How is it possible she can still do this to him with a simple letter? Maybe it is because it made him recall the smell of the soap in the bathroom whenever he stepped into it as she was having a shower or right after it. It was vanilla and it was so… Joey. It just felt so good, to enter the bathroom and see her toothbrush in there, her hairbrush as well, and how he laughed at her when she brought all those cosmetics and pomades she would apply almost each night. ‘Hey, a girl has to do what she has to do’ she complained while applying some mascara to her face as Dawson was leaning on the doorframe, his arms crossed and laughing. ‘So the moment has come. I just know that some time from now on, I will have to call you Josephine. I love you Josephine’ he had said, and had burst out laughing as Joey threw him the towel.
“Oh lord!” Sam exclaims behind him, rolling her eyes at the daydreaming look in his face and after reading the note over his shoulder without Dawson noticing. “That’s wrong, very wrong Dawson. She just came back to your life and she is already organizing it.” She says with a mischievous smile. “And the worst thing” Sam adds as she notices the goofy smile in his face, shaking her head as if he is helpless. “You seem not only to enjoy it, but to rejoice on it. Why don’t you just marry her already and get it over with?”
Dawson chuckles and smiles at her as he goes to sign some papers an assistant is handing to him at that moment.
“A little abrupt, don’t you think?” he inquires, reading the papers over and nodding his head after signing them. The assistant nods as well and leaves.
“So?” Sam asks. “She’s good for you. Ever since you started going out, you’ve been smiling a lot more. Don’t think I haven’t noticed. Or the rest of the people working for you, for that matter. Except for Johnny, who’s in fear for his life right now.”
Dawson bit his lip.
“Yeah, sorry about that,” he apologizes.
“Oh, don’t worry about it” Sam assures him, with a smirk. “He needed to be taken down a peg.”
Dawson laughs and Sam looks at him with attention.
“What?” he asks, sitting behind his desk and putting an innocent face on.
“Come on, don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it. I’m sure it has passed through your twisted mind once or twice” Sam says as she seats in front of him and hands him a few piece of papers.
”The press notes for publicist and newspapers?”
Sam nods her head but she doesn’t let him go away with it.
“Dawson?”
He sighs and looks at her faking exasperation.
“Ok, I’ve thought about it. But” he says, holding up his hand when he sees Sam’s gesture of triumph “not in the way you think. What I’ve been thinking about for the last week is something much simpler but also as important. I’ve been wanting to ask her to move in with me. We practically live together, but I want to make it official, you know?”
Sam nods her head in silence as Dawson keeps on going on, more like debating with himself than actually explaining anything to her.
“I know we’ve been together for hardly three months, but it feels just so… natural. To go home at the end of the day and find her there, or find her notes everywhere, or to walk around the house and find some of her editing notes, or the shirt she didn’t know where she had left in one of my drawers by mistake. And we work fine together. We complete each other.”
“But? There is a ‘but,’ right? Otherwise, why would you be listing all the reasons why you should ask her?”
Dawson thinks about this for a moment.
“It’s not really a ‘but’. I mean, we’ve been sleeping together since we were 7 years old till we were 15, and even after that as well,” he laughs and Sam smiles, “so I don’t think it can be rushed to ask her to share the bed officially. There was a time when it was just natural for me and Joey to share a bed. And it feels like that again”. ‘Only that this time it is so much better’ he thinks to himself. “And I’m sure of this. I’m sure of what I want and who I want. But maybe now is not the right moment to ask her”
“Why not?” Sam inquires, surprised he is saying that.
“I saw her talking with that guy Chris this morning. It looked tense and filled of emotion from where I was standing. And she hasn’t even called to tell me about it”
“Ok, hold that boat. Who is Chris?”
“Her ex boyfriend, the guy she lived with here in New York before Jen died and the guy that she dumped.”
“I see,” Sam says calmly, trying to read Dawson’s expression. “So what’s the problem? That she met Chris or that she hasn’t called to tell you?”
“Both I guess. As weird as this may sound, I think it was easier to see her with Pacey because I had been there before, and Pacey is my friend. But this guy is new to me, and the feelings he inspires me are totally different. I don’t know who is he or how he is, or who… I could be competing with. Because what if he wants her back in his life?”
“Are you serious?” Samantha asks, her mouth hanging open.
“I know, I know, it sounds crazy, and I don’t wanna feel like this. I already did once and it wasn’t pretty. But that’s how it goes. I am with her now, and that’s how I want it to be. And if I had to fight for her again, I more than likely would.” He says, kinda surprised at his own words and the intensity even he can hear in them.
“I don’t think it is wrong to feel like fighting for what you want Dawson. Just as long as you know the limits. I don’t think you have to fight though. You’re just being jealous right now, and a little insecure as well. But I guess it is normal, knowing the track record of the girl. I mean, no offence, but even she has told me about it”.
“Has there been any girl bonding that I haven’t heard about?” Dawson asks, arching his eyebrows jockingly, but Sam just shrugs her shoulders. “Yeah, if we’re being totally honest here, I guess is because of that. I think maybe I am afraid that I am being the one dumped this time.” He stares of the space reflecting on his own words “But you know, even as I am saying that out loud, I don’t believe it. I know that this is the real thing. I always knew, and I am sure she knows too. I just wonder why she hasn’t called me to tell me about it.”
“Dawson, you really overanalyse things, don’t you? And it takes away a lot of the fun. So forget about it and just do what your heart tells you to do. If you wanna ask her to move in with you, just do it. Don’t waste your time pondering about this or that, just live your feelings to the maximum. Enjoy the moment. It’s you and Joey, and I swear I’ve never seen any other couple as much in love as you are. So she hasn’t called you to tell you she bumped into an old ex? So what? Probably, because it doesn’t have much importance. Or maybe because she is being caught up in work right now, like we all are for that matter” she says, standing up ready to go.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m just being paranoid, letting old memories and feelings take over. Thanks for listening.” he adds with a smile.
“No problem you fool,” she replies, smiling back as she walks to the door.
“I’ll let you know about the notes as soon as I read them,” he says to Sam as she waves her hand to him while exiting the room.
Then his eyes go to the note Joey wrote and a little smile appears in his lips. Still smiling, he leans on his chair and pick up the phone. Sam is right: carpe diem.
“Hey Marcia. Is there someone who can do me a little favor?. Actually, a couple of them.”
Bryce Johnson - Attorney at Law building, New York.
"Mr. Johnson can see you now," the secretary tells Jack, shaking him out of his troubled thoughts. He has been sitting in the lobby for a few minutes, thinking about Jen and the current situation with Amy, not to mention of all the papers he will have to correct once he is back at high school in the next few days.
"Thank you," Jack smiles, gets up and walks towards the office.
Well, one more moment of truth. One more moment of having to face the chances of getting Amy back or not. Encouraging himself, he takes a deep breath before opening the door.
Just like the first time they met, Bryce is sitting behind his desk and he stands up the moment Jack enters the room to greet him.
"Mr. McPhee," Bryce says as he extends his hand, his voice resounding firm and strong in the place.
"Mr Johnson," Jack says, less upbeat.
"Please, have a seat," Bryce points him the chair and they both sit down.
The lawyer goes through some papers, making some time in true dramatic lawyer style (or so thinks Jack at least) as Jack feels his heart beating faster and faster each passing second. He knows whatever reason Bryce called him in for today probably wasn’t good news. Not the way things have been going for him. He looks over at the other chair beside his own, and his is surprised when his thoughts go for a moment to Doug, and for a second his face saddens as he wishes Doug were there by his side.
The lawyer coughs and Jack’s attention goes back to him.
"Mr. McPhee, I called you today because I had something to tell you and I didn’t want to make it over the phone," he begins. “Well it seems our earlier suspicions were in fact correct.”
Jack swallows the knot that has formed in his throat, knowing what follows next.
"Mrs. Lindley." He offers, and Jack closes his eyes tight feeling as if someone had knocked him in the stomach. "Seems like she’s in fact the one behind the investigation of your guardianship over Amy. After the baby was in the hospital, Mrs. Lindley started to work with her lawyers and asked for clarifications, finally pushing the whole foster parents thing".
Jack grits his teeth in anger. Anger over Helen, anger over Amy being in the hospital in the first place, anger over everything going wrong in this new turn of events.
"Damn it," he curses under his breath. "I should have known she was behind this," he says as he stands up and paces across the room.
"The important thing here is that you stay calm and keep a clear head about all of this." The lawyer says, moving his hands with his palms down.
"I just..." Jack stops and sits down again. "I can’t believe she’d do this. Jen knew the best person to raise Amy was me. That’s why she gave Amy to me and not Helen." Jack can’t believe Helen would do something so selfish. He understands the want and need to be close to the only thing left of Jen, but not to take Amy away from her home. From Grams. From her family.
"Well, now what we need to know is where our chances are standing. I’m sorry to tell you that since Mrs Lindley is a relative of Amy, with direct blood linking - she is her grandmother - while you’re not, she has some good chances to make it.” He says as he hands him some papers.
We see the two men going through the papers as Bryce explains some of the concepts and statements on them to his client. Jack listens and occasionally makes some questions.
When they’re done, a moment of silence fills the room as either of them speaks,
“Jack, I think it’s a good idea to contact someone from your previous meeting in N.Y," Bryce says.
"You think. What good would that do?" Jack asks, a little confused.
"Just to get some moral support. I know you may have friends for that, but it may do you some good to talk with someone who has or is going through a similar situation as yours," he explains.
Jack nods, knowing he is right even though he feels more worried now then he did before he entered the room. He couldn’t let Jen down; he wouldn’t. He looks up at Bryce and forces a smile.
“Will do then,” he says, “I think I still have some phone numbers with me.”
“Well then, I’ll be holding some meetings with Mrs. Lindley´s lawyers during this week and the next one. I’ll keep you updated.”
They both stand up and shake hands once more, and then Jack walks to the door, his hand in the knob when Bryce calls him.
“Jack,” he says, using his name for the first time, ”I know things seem to be bad, but let’s not lose hope. This is just starting.”
Jack nods his head, wishing he could believe him, as the rage grows inside of him
Renaissance Restaurant New Orleans.
We can hear a man yelling into the phone, his office door slightly ajar. Pacey is standing a few feet from it, his chef’s hat in his hand, taking several deep breaths, just staring at the door. Looking down wistfully at his hat, he takes another deep breath before stepping up to the door and knocking. A man pauses his phone conversation and yells, “come in,” which Pacey does.
“Hey Danny do you have a minute?” Pacey asks nervously, holding his hat tightly.
“Witter! Yeah come on in,” Danny yells, telling the person on the phone he’ll have to call him back. “What’s up?”
“I wanted to talk to you about something, something that’s not really easy for me to say,” Pacey says, trying to put the words together that he wants to say.
(“As is” by Ani Di Franco starts playing in the background)
“Oh man that sounds serious,” Danny says with a mocking smile, reclining back in his chair.
“I’m giving you my notice Danny, I’m quitting the restaurant,” Pacey says, looking up to see the blank expression on Brecher´s face.
“What? You’re joking right?” he scoffs.
“No I’m not,” Pacey says softly. “I didn’t want to do this Danny but I can’t work here anymore, not with you. When you offered me this job I thought it was the start of really great things for us and for this place, the dreams and opportunities we had in front of us, but not anymore.”
“And why’s that?” Brecher asks, crossing his arms as if what Pacey had said is the funniest thing ever. “If there’s a good reason behind the huge stupidity you’ve just said. Don’t tell me that you’re quitting just because I have been a little hard on you lately Pacey. I didn’t know you were this whiny,” he says with certain despise in his voice “It’s just for your own good.”
You can't hide
behind social graces
so don't try
to be all touchy feely
cause you lie
in my face of all places
but I’ve got no
problem with that really
“No it’s not, and you know it as well as I do. The way you’re treating me has nothing to see with my own good. The way you’re treating me has to see with my disagreement to play your game and do all the things you want me to do. The way you’re treating me has to see with the fact that I won’t applaud or laugh at your behavior as maybe you expected me to do.”
“My behavior?” Danny asks. “Who are you? A fucking school teacher?”
“No. I’m just a man who wants to change. I started already.”
“Oh, Saint Pacey. And getting rid of probably the best opportunity of your life is part of the process of maturity?
“If that implies lying, yes. Sure it is. The world is much bigger than this place Brecher, there are other possibilities out there,” he says, suddenly realizing that is true.
What bugs me
is that you believe what you're saying
what bothers me
is that you don't know how you feel
what scares me
is that while you're telling me stories
you actually
believe that they are real
“Aren’t you tired of being you? I mean, you’re not able to live for more than two months without letting your loser underdog side go out, are you?”
Pacey lets out a half bitter, a half amused laugh.
“You amuse me, man. Empty words. It seems that I’m the only one who’s been learning something constructive in the past months. You know what? Yes, I’m tired of always being the same person. And that has led me to make the same mistakes over and over again. Like working with you again. Didn’t this all happen before? But I went with the gut feeling that people change, that with time they get better, but they don’t. Well, you didn’t at least,” Pacey shakes his head, holding Brecher´s gaze. “You’re hiding behind a lie Brecher. Believe me, I’ve been there so many times. And I won’t let you to take me with you on it. I can’t let life pass me by this way. I won’t.”
Pacey turns around to leave the room.
“You know what Pacey? You’re a total failure.” Brecher snaps before he can leave.
And I’ve got
no illusions about you
and guess what?
I never did
and when I said
when I said I’ll take it
I meant,
I meant as is
Pacey shakes her head with a linger smile on his face. For the first time in a long time, he knows he’s not like that anymore. It’s not that you fail; it’s just that some things just can’t be, and you need to know when to move out of the picture.
He replies without even turning around. “You know? Maybe some months ago I would have believed your words, but I’m not that person anymore. I’m not a failure. I know it, and you know it too, don’t you?”
He is about to leave but he turns to face Brecher to add something.
Just give up
and admit you're an asshole
you would be
in some good company
I think you'd find
that you friends would forgive you
or maybe I
am just speaking for me
“You know the saddest part of all this Danny? You’re one of the most talented guys I know. If you could have just kept your hands to yourself and not mixed business with personal life, asking me to do things for you I wasn’t suppose to do, we could have really done something here. Maybe building a reputation and then branching off, opening locations in Louisiana or even nation-wide. Then we could just sell it and retire on the money, looking back at all the good times… but that’s not a reality, not matter how much I wanted them to be. I’m holding onto those dreams though, but it’s time to make that happen for me, to do this on my own, just like I should have done all along.”
Danny stares at him in silence, somehow shocked. He really thought he wouldn’t have the guts to quit. But he just did, didn’t him? He opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out, so he just leans back in his chair. Since Brecher says nothing, Pacey ends the conversation.
cuz when i look around
i think this, this is good enough
and i try to laugh
at whatever life brings
cuz when i look down
i just miss all the good stuff
when i look up
i just trip over things
“Take care of yourself Danny, thank you again for this opportunity, it’s really too bad it didn’t work out.”
With a bittersweet but satisfied smile, Pacey waves and leaves the office, letting the door shut gently behind him.
Cause I’ve got
no illusions about you
and guess what?
I never did
and when I say
when I say I’ll take it
I mean,
I mean as is...
We see Pacey leaning on the door, looking down at the hat squeezed in between his hands. Slowly he releases the grip on it and smiles before walking away with no regrets. When it is over, it is over and that is something he has finally learned very well in his life.
...as is...
New York, Helen Lindley´s office.
Helen Lindley almost jumps off her seat, as the door to her study swings open. She’s not that surprised though when she realizes that the person who barged in unannounced ends up being Jack McPhee.
“What the HELL are you trying to pull?!?” he demands.
“Mrs. Lindley,” a remorseful secretary enters following him “I’m so sorry, I couldn’t stop him. I have already alerted security”.
“It’s ok Maxine, I know Mr. McPhee and I’d like to talk to him alone please. Don’t pass any calls or let anyone enter the office,” she demands firmly, not afraid at all. Maxine in the other hand seems to be a little annoyed, while Jack is just waiting for her to leave them alone.
Helen nods her head in a ‘there’s nothing wrong’ gesture and finally Maxine leaves, sending confusing glances in between her boss and Jack.
“Wanna take a seat?” Helen asks calmly and politely while Jack keeps breathing hard and flexing his free hand in a fit on and off
“What are you trying to do??” he exclaims, ignoring her offer.
“What are you talking about?”
Jack throws a folder onto the table. The papers his lawyer gave him start to spill out immediately.
“It was you!” he spats. “You’re the one who’s trying to take Amy away from me?”
Helen’s upper lip suddenly became still, as she stares Jack in the eyes.
“She’s my granddaughter!” she reminds him, cold as an iceberg. “You can’t take away what rightfully belongs to me!”
“Belongs to you?” Jack inquires, not believing his ears. “She’s a person, Helen! Not a piece of your… elegant furniture!!” he exclaims, gesturing around him at the impeccable furniture that fills the place. “You don’t own her.”
“Neither do you Jack. You’re not her father, so stop pretending you are!” she screams out, the tension between the two of them growing at each passing word they throw at each other.
“Yes, I am” Jack almost spits, pointing himself in the chest. “I am the father. Not biologically, but morally and sentimentally, I am her dad because Jen chose me to be.” He exclaims, putting emphasis in his words. “And there’s nothing you can do about that”.
Helen breathes deeply, trying to regain her composure. Someone has to.
“Jack, be reasonable. Don’t you think it would be better for Amy to be with her real family?”
“I made an oath to Jen!” he yells to her, annoyed at her passive aggressive ton, and hoping that that fact finally enters her brain. “I promised I’d look after her. And Grams is her family too”
”Grams is old Jack” she explains to him as if he was a little kid who you’re trying to learn that he shouldn’t put his fingers in a plug “Soon she won’t even be in her right mind. Who left the window open, huh?” Jack’s blood boils at the mention of that, remembering how bad and guilty Grams had felt because of that for weeks.
“How can you talk like that about your mother? And you want me to give my daughter to someone like you?”
“I don’t hold it against her”, Helen adds, ignoring the offence “I’m just saying it like it is. My mother is growing old and she can’t take care of a baby, and that’s a fact.”
“Whatever she is capable of taking care of Amy or not, you’re not the person who has to decide that” he replies aggressively, angry that she is talking of his grams like that.
“Of course not dear” Helen replies with glacial courtesy. “That’s what Social Services are for”.
A loud silence after all the yelling fill the room as Jack realizes defeated, that notthing is gonna change this woman’s mind.
“What was I supposed to do, Jack?”
“You could have asked me!” he explains, frustrated. “You could have trusted me with the truth instead of going behind my back!”
“And what difference would that have made?” she says. “You still would have fought me about it. Jack, you’re a good man. You’re honest, and Jennifer loved you terribly. But I just don’t think your lifestyle would make you a suitable father.”
A look of horror crosses Jack’s face.
“And what would you know about being ‘suitable’?” he spats, his voice dripping with bile and disgust. “All throughout high school, Jen didn’t even want to know you! You virtually disowned her! You made her hate herself. If you think for one moment I’m going to let you do the same thing to Amy…”
“I don’t think you have a choice,” Helen cuts him off.
Jack becomes so angry once more that the veins in his forehead begin to show.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he whispers. “I can fight you! I don’t care if I have to go all the way to Washington…I will not let you take Amy. That is a promise!”
He spins around, and starts to walk away.
“Jack wait…” Helen calls to him, trying for the last time. “Please be reasonable! Listen to me…”
“No, you listen!” he replies. “I always thought Jen was over exaggerating about you. That it was all a misunderstanding. That you were scared, or that it was your husband’s doing. There were a few times I considered the notion that she might have been right…but the one thing she never accused you of was being a bigot!”
And with that he leaves, slamming the door behind him.