The following is
not a
novelization or an actual script but a dry transcript of the aired
episode that includes accurate word-to-word dialogues, settings descriptions,
action scenes and/or camera movements where the transcriber felt they were necessary. This transcript is archived at "
TWIZ TV.COM - FREE TV SCRIPTS DATABASE" courtesy of SIMONSPHERE. "THE GUARDIAN" and other related entities are owned, (TM) and © by DAVID HOLLANDER PRODUCTIONS and ROSECRANS PRODUCTIONS, INC. in association with SONY PICTURES TELEVISION and CBS PRODUCTIONS. This transcript is posted here without their permission, approval, authorization or endorsement. Any reproduction, duplication, distribution or display of this material in any form or by any means is expressly prohibited. It is absolutely forbidden to use it for commercial gain. For entertainment and educational purposes only. No infringement intended.
==========================
TRANSCRIPT:
==========================
Scene: The Incline—evening
Jake is talking with Amanda at the bar. Nick sits alone, working, in a booth in his T-shirt.
Jake: Man, it's hot. My apartment? I forgot to turn on the air conditioning, I mean, not in late October, right? And now, it's like a sauna.
Amanda: Yeah. (Looks longingly at Nick across the room)
Jake: How about your place?
Amanda: What about it?
Jake: Is it hot?
Amanda: No, not really.
Jake: Sounds nice over there.
Dina: (Sidles up to Nick's table) Hi. I was sitting over there by the plant. The dead one. And I saw you sitting over here.
Nick: Do I know you?
Dina: Not yet. I'm Dina.
Nick: I'm Nick.
Dina: (sits down in the booth) What're you doing?
Nick: I'm working.
Dina: What are you working on?
Nick: Working on a case.
Dina: You're a lawyer?
Nick: Yeah.
Jake: (A little tipsy) Do you have any pets to keep you company? You seem like a dog person. Well, I mean, I could be wrong about that.
Amanda: I've never had a dog or a cat.
Jake: Really! Well, now isn't that interesting, how two people can work together and not talk about their pets, or their lack of pets.
Dina: You look lonely.
Nick: Do I?
Dina: Uh-huh.
Nick: Well, I'm not.
Dina: Do you want to go somewhere?
Nick: With you?
Dina: That's the idea.
Nick: Wow. Well… okay.
Dina: Okay.
Amanda watches as Nick and Dina leave.
Jake: So, you want to maybe go somewhere?
Amanda: I've got an early morning, tomorrow.
Jake: Yeah, me too.
Scene: Children's Legal Services—next morning
Nick exits elevator, hangs suit jacket on peg, yawns.
Nick: (to Alvin) Morning.
Alvin: (at the coffee station) A couple kids were abandoned, out of state, a few years back. The foster parents that took them in were going to adopt them both but the older sister was problematic.
Nick: How long is this going to take? 'Cause I gotta be back to Fallin & Associates by ten.
Alvin: They're just going to adopt the younger one.
Nick: How old are they?
Alvin: One's sixteen, the other's eight.
Nick: And we represent both of them.
Alvin: Yes.
Nick: Well, isn't that a conflict?
Alvin: No. You just have to be sensitive to the older sister's adjustment.
Nick: Well, you're telling me she needs a social worker, not a lawyer.
Alvin: All I know is she asked for you. (Knocks on broom closet and opens the door) (To Dina) Here's Nick Fallin. He's going to be your attorney.
Nick: (To Alvin) Thank you.
Dina: (To Nick) Hi. (She grins)
Nick is dumbfounded.
Scene: Children's Legal Services—Nick's office
Nick sits across from Dina, door closed.
Dina: When I told you I was 25, you should've asked to see my ID.
Nick: You're…
Dina: In high school. What we did, it was against the law.
Nick: This isn't a coincidence.
Dina: I was here a few days ago with my sister. I saw you sitting in here.
Nick: You followed me?
Dina: Yeah. Well, first I asked around about you. I heard about your probation and stuff.
Nick: Why?
Dina: (Sighs) The Hallers, my foster parents, are separating us. We're all the family we've got and they're separating us.
Nick: Well, I'm sure they'll let you spend some time with your sister.
Dina: You don't understand. They hate me. They won't let me. I used to live with them. They kicked me out.
Nick: What do you want me to do?
Dina: Stop this from happening.
Nick: Well, I can't.
Dina: You can try.
Nick: I can't.
Dina: Maybe I could. Maybe I could talk to the police about us. About what we did last night. About what you did to me.
Scene: Children's Legal Services—Alvin's office
Nick strides in.
Nick: Older sister.
Alvin: What about her?
Nick: What's her story?
Alvin: Like I said, the girls were abandoned.
Nick: When?
Alvin: (hands Nick the file) File doesn't say. They lived on the street for two years before ending up in a homeless shelter.
Nick: Then why split them up?
Alvin: Dina Jameson's hard to handle. The foster parents sent her back to Catholic Charities four times over the last twelve months.
Nick: (looking through file) This only goes back a few years.
Alvin: Well, that's when we got the case.
Nick: Shows 'no record' of her biological parents.
Alvin: Hey, the Agency performed a diligent search. Published notice in the newspapers for the parents' last known address.
Nick: People don't just disappear.
Alvin: Well, these people did. All they found was a record of sale of a mobilehome five years back in the state of Minnesota.
Nick: Names?
Alvin: (sighs) John and Mary…Jameson.
Nick turns and scurries out of Alvin's office, almost running into Barbara coming in carrying dry-cleaning.
Barbara: Hey, Nick. (No response) Nice. (To Alvin) I picked these up on the way in.
Alvin: Oh, thanks. I forgot.
Barbara: Okay, wear this tie and bring the second shirt in case you should sweat through the first.
Alvin: I don't know why I'm so nervous.
Barbara: You'll be great. You've done this for 24 years straight. You've always gotten the funding.
Alvin: Yeah, but, usually I don't have any competition.
Barbara: Well, that new clinic doesn't have any track record.
Scene: County meeting room—Funding presentations
Ms. Moore: (Provides an impressive slide show presentation) We, of the Pittsburgh Children's Project, have a lofty mission. We intend to fight for each child in the Allegheny County court system to insure that each and every case gets the thorough attention of every agency in the city to meet the full range of services that meet each child's needs. Every child's. One at a time. Making their lives better. Lights please.
President Rapke: Thank you, Ms. Moore. And now we'll hear from Mr. Alvin Masterson from Children's Legal Services.
Alvin: You guys know me. I've been doing this for 25 years, and I'll be doing it for 25 more. And, I know idealism when I see it. Funding for public-interest law firms is precariously low. Less than 20% of the legal needs of children of low-income Americans are being met. Publicly funded clinics like mine are really the only way that children…
Ms. Moore interrupts by raising her hand.
Rapke: What is it, Ms. Moore?
Ms. Moore: Uh, President Rapke, I was just wondering what Mr. Masterson's philosophy is. Is it the child's wishes or is it the best interest of the child?
Alvin: Currently we represent the child's wishes.
Ms. Moore: Do you think that children are prepared to make such important decisions for themselves?
Alvin: Huh. Some are; some are not.
Ms. Moore: Most states represent 'best interest'.
Alvin: That's a costlier approach, Ms. Moore, because you have to go out and do the work and find out what the best interests actually are.
Rapke: But you can do that, can't you Mr. Masterson?
Alvin: We could but not with the funding levels we have now.
Ms. Moore: So, what is your philosophy, Mr. Masterson?
Alvin: My philosophy depends on the size of the County contract.
Scene: Fallin & Associates—hallway
Nick: Get me the Arnold files and whatever due diligence you've completed. Also, run a search on a sixteen-year old girl, Dina Jameson; her younger sister, Lisa, and the parents, John and Mary Jameson.
Amanda: What am I looking for?
Nick: Anything you can find.
Scene: Fallin & Associates—Burton's office
Burton: We are talking about refunds, Mr. Getz, not war reparations.
Mr. Getz: It's still $450,000.
Nick: (enters the office—late) Sorry I'm late.
Burton: Look, Allegheny Electric has already refunded $17 million. Now, it will cost us about $300,000 to find the people who the rest of the money is owed to.
Mr. Getz: If you're not going to distribute the entire amount, we're going to ask the court to turn over your records. (long pause, Burton sighs.) Well, then, we'll see you in court. Gentlemen. (Leaves the office)
Burton: I'd rather anybody got the money than these guys. Self-righteous bastard. (Puts on his jacket and leaves the office—Jake and Nick remain.)
Jake: So, how was it?
Nick: (puzzled) How was what?
Jake: Last night, with the girl. Oh, come on. Let…at least, let me live vicariously here. (Nick gathers briefcase and abruptly leaves)
Scene: Fallin & Associates—hallway
Amanda: No record at all for the parents, and I only found records dating back to 1998 for the girls.
Nick: What's it say?
Amanda: The older girl brought a statutory rape charge against a man in his earlier 40s.
Nick: Did it stick?
Amanda: Yeah, the guy served 50 days.
Nick: What's his name?
Amanda: Fletcher Sachs.
Nick: Fletcher Sachs.
Scene: Fletcher Sachs' office
Sachs: When will this thing go away? I served my time. My wife left me. When I moved into a new apartment, signs went up all over the neighborhood saying a registered sex-offender had just moved in.
Nick: I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Sachs.
Sachs: You want to talk to me about Dina, you should call my attorney.
Nick: You don't understand. I'm representing Dina in her sister's adoption case.
Sachs: Well, then you should talk to my partner, not me.
Nick: Your partner.
Sachs: Just… (Knocks on nearby office door and sticks his head in) Wayne, some lawyer's here to talk to you about Dina and Lisa. Could you just talk to him?
Wayne comes into the hall.
Wayne Haller: Yes?
Nick: (noticeable surprised) Mr. Haller?
Haller: Yes.
Nick: We met briefly at Children's Legal Services. I'm Dina's attorney.
Haller: Oh, right. What do you want with Fletcher?
Nick: You failed to disclose that your business partner was having a relationship with a minor under your care.
Haller: Look, Mr. Fallin. I understand Dina's upset about this but you don't know Dina. And maybe if you did you'd understand where we're coming from and why we're prepared to forgive Fletcher.
Scene: Children's Legal Services—Nick's office
Nick: I spoke with Fletcher Sachs. You got a habit of doing this.
Dina: That was different with Fletcher. We loved each other.
Nick: You loved him so much you turned him into the police.
Dina: The Hallers turned him in. Not me.
Nick: Why isn't there any record of either you or your sister prior to 1998?
Dina: We lived with my parents in a mobilehome, mainly in state parks. We sold postcards and T-shirts—crap like that. They didn't even put us in school. One day, left us at a rest stop—never came back.
Nick: (sighs) I can't force the Hallers to adopt you. And, I can't stop the State from terminating your parents' rights.
Dina: Okay. Well, what do I do?
Nick: I can try and emancipate you.
Dina: How will that help me get my sister back?
Nick: You have to get a place to live. Find a job. Prove that you don't rely on anyone else for support. You do that and it will increase your chances of getting custody of your sister.
Dina: (sternly) Just keep me with my sister and make the Hallers take me. No jobs. No training schools. Just get it done.
Scene: Children's Legal Services—Alvin's office
Alvin: Did we get the Children's contract?
Rapke: You know Larry Hickey? Runs Legal Aid over in Homestead? He's retiring next month.
Alvin: Wendell?
Rapke: So the legal aid funds for indigent adults are still…
Alvin: You're giving the Children's contract to that girl?
Rapke shrugs, Alvin sighs.)
Rapke: The County Funding Board still has the Legal Aid contract. Just take it.
Alvin: Then we'd be representing adults.
Rapke: Well, you can still work with children's issues.
Alvin: But, we'd be representing adults.
Rapke: Why don't you want the Legal Aid contract?
Alvin: Because I did that. Years ago. When I first got into this side of the business. I had a case that I fought for months for a couple to regain custody of their seven-year old daughter. A week later they found her dead in the attic.
Rapke: Okay. We've all had cases like that, Alvin.
Alvin: I represent kids. C'mon, Wendell! That…that girl has no idea what it's really like to do this kind of work. She just wants to put a happy face on it and figure out happy endings. Well, believe me, it's not that simple. You can't be reckless here.
Rapke: Well, you can always raise your funds privately and compete for the work. But, the…uh…Children's contract has been awarded to Ms. Moore's group. (Leaves office)
Scene shifts to main part of office.
Alvin: May I have everyone's attention, please! Excuse me! Attention! I've just learned that our County contract has not been renewed. So, your paychecks, if you deposit them, they will bounce. So, don't deposit them.
Barbara leans back in her chair—Nick glances her way then walks into Alvin's office.
Scene shifts to Alvin's office.
Nick: What happened?
Alvin: This doesn't affect your community service, Mr. Fallin.
Nick: That wasn't my concern.
Alvin: I lost the County contract to another clinic. Without it I can't afford to keep this place open.
Nick: How much money do you need?
Alvin: $300,000.
Nick: (shrugs) Were you aware that Mr. Haller's business partner had a sexual relationship with Dina Jameson and was convicted of statutory rape?
Alvin: So?
Nick: Well, this clearly impacts the Hallers' choice to adopt one sister and not the other.
Alvin: It could.
Nick: Well, it absolutely does, once the courts find out.
Alvin: You're not going to attempt to stop this adoption?
Nick: They were entrusted with a teenage girl who had a sexual relationship with a 45-year-old man while in their care.
Alvin: There's an 8-year-old girl who stands a chance of having a good home.
Nick: All at the cost of her sister.
Nick leaves Alvin's office and stops by Barbara's desk.
Nick: Hey.
Barbara: Hey.
Nick: If you're looking for a job…
Barbara: I'm not.
Nick: Well, if you are, Amanda needs a legal assistance.
Barbara: Amanda? That redhead?
Nick: Yeah. You should take it. We could train you to be a corporate paralegal. Well, think about it.
Barbara: Alright.
Scene: Luncheon
Alvin: The mission of Children's Legal Services is simple. We provide quality legal representation for children who are abused, neglected or otherwise at risk. We hope to protect these kids from future harm or from doing future harm to others by finding them a safe and permanent home.
Jane: Sounds like important work, Mr. Masterson. (Writes a check)
Alvin: Well, we recently lost our County contract.
Jane: How much do you need?
Alvin: Nearly $300,000. (Jane hands him a check for $2000.) Thank you.
Jane: Now, you might want to talk to Bernice Edelstein over at the Monongahela Fund. She's usually interested in guys like you. She does the big annual bachelor auction. Maybe she can pencil you in to that.
Alvin: Bachelor auction?
Jane: You know. Local celebrities. Professional athletes. Women bid on them for dinner dates and the money goes to charity. (She dials her cell phone) Bernice. It's Jane. I got a wonderful guy for you.
Alvin: Oh, me? No. No.
Jane: He's ready to be auctioned.
Scene: Fallin & Associates—Burton's office
Mr. Getz: We have affidavits that say that Allegheny Electric has been fudging claims and sending checks to fictitious addresses.
Nick: (enters office—late) Sorry.
Burton: Well, we can weather this, believe me.
Mr. Getz: The money's still owed, Mr. Fallin. By law your client's company cannot keep it. So, we can go around and around like this for months or we can come up with another solution.
Nick: Cy Pres Doctrine.
Mr. Getz: Excuse me?
Nick: The Cy Pres Doctrine. Ask the court to distribute the funds to a charitable organization in Pittsburgh.
Mr. Getz: Who?
Nick: I've been working with Children's Legal Services.
Mr. Getz snickers and looks at Burton.
Burton: What?
Mr. Getz: I didn't realize you were raising a liberal, Mr. Fallin. Good for you.
Mr. Getz exits. Burton sighs.
Scene: Fallin & Associates—conference room
Amanda escorts Barbara into the room.
Barbara: Nice place.
Amanda: Isn't it.
Barbara: Real nice place. So what's it like?
Amanda: What? Have a seat.
Barbara: Working here.
Amanda: It's alright.
Barbara: You hate it.
Amanda: Kind of.
Barbara: You like Nick?
Amanda: What do you mean?
Barbara: Working with him?
Amanda: He's arrogant. He's rude.
Barbara: Do you know what happened to him?
Amanda: I know he got arrested for drugs. I know he plea-bargained down to a misdemeanor in exchange for community service and probation.
Barbara: Did you ever party with him?
Amanda: No, but there are stories. Incredible stories.
Barbara: Think he's an addict?
Amanda: I don't know him.
Barbara: Yeah, but his personality. All buttoned-up and tense. Won't smile.
Amanda: I don't know him. I just work here.
Barbara: But you'd like to.
Amanda: So, do you want the job?
Scene: Children's Legal Services—Alvin's office
Alvin: Ah, Mr. Fallin.
Nick: I have a class-action suit. Utilities company. Didn't cut the rates for the indigent.
Alvin: So?
Nick: Nearly half a million left over.
Alvin: And?
Nick: The court can allocate undistributed funds from the class-action to another class that might benefit. CLS could qualify. I suggested that they listen to your... pitch.
Alvin: You did?
Nick: Yes, I did. You should come in.
Alvin: Okay.
Nick: Good. (Turns to leave then turns back)
Alvin: What?
Nick: Don't push too hard. Don't demand it, just be humble.
Barbara: (at the door) The Hallers are here.
Scene: Children's Legal Services—meeting room
Alvin: We need to discuss what transpired between Dina and your business partner, Fletcher Sachs.
Haller: An unfortunate situation.
Nick: You can't blame a teenage girl for what happened.
Haller: No, I blame my partner.
Alvin: Can you tell us what happened?
Haller: (Sighs) Well, we didn't know anything about it at all. One day at dinner she just blurted it out. She said Fletcher and I are having an affair and I'm taking Lisa and we're going to live with him. So, we confronted Fletcher and he confessed.
Alvin: Who filed charges?
Haller: We did. One of the hardest things we've ever had to do.
Alvin: And yet you remain in business with this man.
Haller: He's human. He slipped. Dina can be… Let's just say he's not the only one responsible for this happening.
Nick: But, you decided to punish her for something that he did.
Haller: No. No, we're not adopting her because she's impossible to control. Besides she's so protective of her sister that she makes it impossible for us to do our jobs.
Nick: How so?
Haller: Well, every time we tell Lisa to behave or to follow the rules, Dina tells us to back-off. And she only listens to her sister so we're losing control of our own household.
Nick: Would you mind if I went and spoke to Lisa?
Scene shifts to the play area—Nick takes a seat in a child's chair.
Nick: Oh. Hi, Lisa.
Lisa: Hi.
Nick: I know you've talked to a lot of people about what you remember of your past.
Lisa: I guess.
Nick: Can you tell me anything about your parents? (Pauses—waiting for a response) You like dolls?
Lisa: Yeah.
Nick: Do you remember anything at all?
Lisa: We lived in an old school bus. We parked it under a bridge.
Nick: A bus.
Lisa: Yeah.
Nick: Not a mobilehome?
Lisa: No. A school bus.
Nick: A school bus—under a bridge.
Lisa: Yeah.
Nick: Okay.
Scene: Ohio East High School
Kevin and Dina are smooching in front of the school as Nick approaches.
Dina: Hi. Nick, this is Kevin, my boyfriend. Kevin, this is Nick. He's my lawyer.
Kevin: Hey.
Nick: Yeah.
Dina: So I guess we have some legal stuff to talk about, don't we, Nick.
Nick: Yeah.
Dina: I left my book bag in my locker. I'll be right back.
She goes inside the school.
Nick: You two been going out long?
Kevin: Seven weeks. She's my first real girlfriend.
Nick: How's it going?
Kevin: Good. Good. We, you know, we like, go to the dollar cinema over in Moon Township. She likes to bring her sister.
Nick: What else?
Kevin: I don't know. We like to watch trains down by the Ohio River.
Nick: Does she like to bring her sister along when you two watch trains?
Kevin grins and squirms nervously. Dina returns.
Dina: Okay, Nick, I'm ready. Bye, sweetie. I'll see you tomorrow.
Dina kisses Kevin while glancing at Nick. Nick turns to walk away and Dina follows.
Dina: Jealous? You shouldn't be. He does not know the tricks that you know.
Nick: So, is it a mobilehome or a school bus?
Dina: What are you talking about?
Nick: Your sister seems to believe you lived in a school bus—under a bridge.
Dina: She's too young to know the difference. She doesn't remember anything.
Nick: Your name. It's not your name.
Dina: Yeah, it is.
Nick: Who are you?
Dina: Just the girl you slept with the other night, Mr. Fallin.
Nick: I checked the records. All over the country—I checked the records. There's nothing. Really. Nothing. So if your make-believe parents' rights terminate next week, you have no chance to stay with your sister. But, if you just help me try and find your real parents, then we can stop the adoption proceedings long enough to see if they want to get involved.
Dina: My parents' names are John and Margaret Cunningham. They live in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Nick: Okay. Why didn't you tell me that in the first place?
Dina: Because. They were sick, okay. Both of 'em. They were drug-addicts and drunks. When Lisa was born we didn't have a thing. They just neglected her. So, I took her.
Nick: Kept it a secret.
Dina: No one ever believed me because they didn't abuse us, so… But you know what? Now that we talk about… maybe, who knows, maybe they can get better and we can go back home.
Nick: Yeah, well let's just find them.
Scene: Fallin & Associates—main lobby
Nick meets Amanda at the bottom of the stairs.
Amanda: I finished due diligence for the Arnold case. You've just got to bring them the contracts.
Nick: Great. Run a check on John and Margaret Cunningham of Lincoln, Nebraska.
Scene: Bernice Edelstein's offices
Bernice: We have our fund-raiser tomorrow. It's a big deal—the eligible bachelor auction.
Alvin: Yes, I know.
Bernice: You're single, right?
Alvin: Yes.
Bernice: I'll make you a deal. Participate in the auction and I will give you all the proceeds you generate.
Alvin: I need $300,000.
Bernice: Well, Mr. Masterson, for that, you'd have to be some kind of date, now wouldn't you.
Scene: Fallin & Associates—main lobby
Amanda: No married couples by those names currently reside in Nebraska.
Nick: There's no record at all?
Amanda: Nothing.
Scene: Ohio East High School
Nick: Do you have a second?
Dina: Yeah. (Goes to Nick's car—leans in the window and turns on the radio) I love your stereo.
Nick: I checked your story out. There's no record of the Cunninghams. If you want me to help you, you gotta tell me the truth.
Dina: It is the truth.
Nick: Okay. We're done. You're on your own.
Nick walks around the car and opens the driver's door. Dina pins him between the driver's door and the car.
Dina: Don't like me, Mr. Fallin? 'Cause you liked me a lot a few nights ago when we met at a bar, late at night. People saw us there, didn't they? They saw us leave together. And I know an awful lot about where you live, your apartment, your car, your underwear. You didn't have a problem with me when you thought I was 25, now did you?
She walks off. Nick gets into his car.
Scene: Police Station
Nick: (standing by his car) Can you get prints?
John Feeney: Nick, these things take time. Cost money.
Nick: Well, I'll pay.
John: Can't just write you a bill for dusting your car for prints.
Nick: You'll do it, right? You'll do it?
John: Yeah.
Nick: Good.
Scene: Charity Auction
Bernice: Here he is, ladies. Straight from the football field to your table. John Morton. (Applause) He gained a thousand yards last year so we'll start the bid at $1,000.
Several bids screamed from the audience—the last one $10,000.
Bernice: $10,000! Do I hear another bid? Going once, going twice. Sold to Ms. Hannaway of Shadyside. Have fun, Amy. Alright, ladies. We've got plenty more where that came from. This is Alvin Mast… (Turns to look at Alvin who is shaking his head) Alvin. Alvin. C'mon Alvin. Don't be shy. It's for a good cause. (Alvin reluctantly schleps to the runway) Ladies, this is Alvin Masterson! Now, he's not, uh, he's not young, okay. I admit that. But he's got a sweet face and he works hard for children. He's here to benefit Legal Aid.
Alvin: Children's Legal Services.
Bernice: Children's Legal Services, yes. Alvin. Alvin. Do I hear a bid? Anyone? Anyone? A hundred dollars? One hundred dollars? Anyone?
Ms. Vries: $1,000.
Bernice: Do I hear another bid? Going once. Going twice. Sold!
Scene shifts to the table where Alvin is dining with his 'date'.
Alvin: The mission of Children's Legal Services is simple. We provide quality legal representation for children who are abused, neglected, otherwise at risk…
Ms. Vries: (Drunkenly) Do you have parties?
Alvin: Parties?
Ms. Vries: You know. Fund-raisers? Like, well, we could do a dinner dance or a cruise down the river or maybe a show at the Benedum.
Alvin: Oh, we don't spend our resources on that sort of thing.
Ms. Vries: Oh, but you really should. You'd meet some great people, if you had a party.
Alvin: Well…
Ms. Vries: You do like parties, don't you? I mean they can raise so much money—those parties. Why don't we discuss this at your place? (Rubs Alvin's hand)
Scene: Alvin's apartment
Alvin: (Lying in bed with Ms. Vries) I've… got to get going. To the clinic. To work.
Ms. Vries: I'll send you a check.
She gets out of bed and gathers her clothes up. Alvin sighs with relief.
Scene: Fallin & Associates—main lobby
Nick is escorting Alvin to the conference room.
Nick: Ready for this?
Alvin nods. Nick stops and looks over Alvin's attire.
Alvin: What?
Nick: Lose the jacket.
Alvin: What's wrong with the jacket?
Nick shakes his head.
Scene: Fallin & Associates—conference room
Alvin: The mission of Children's Legal Services is quite simple, really. We provide quality legal representation and advocacy assistance to children who are abused, neglected or other… (Looks around the room) You've already made your minds up, haven't you? You're not giving this money to me. Okay, then. I thank you for your time. (Leaves the room)
Scene: Fallin & Associates—offices
Nick is on the phone.
Nick: Yeah.
John: Prints came back connected to a homeless teenager in the area.
Nick: She was arrested?
John: No. She was involved in a rape case.
Nick: When?
John: About six years ago.
Nick: Six years ago? She was…she was ten.
John: It's a sick world.
Nick: Okay. You got a name?
John: Avis Donaldson. Parents' names are Charles and Edwina Donaldson. About ninety miles north of here, in Erie.
Scene: Children's Legal Services—meeting room
Nick: Mr. and Mrs. Donaldson. Thank you for taking the time to come down. Please, take a seat.
Mr. Donaldson: It's only an hour and a half.
Nick: The reason I called you is… I found your daughters.
Mrs. Donaldson: You found Avis.
Nick: Yes.
Mr. Donaldson: Where is she?
Nick: She's living in a group home in the city.
Mrs. Donaldson: Oh, good. I was afraid she might be dead.
Nick: No.
Mr. Donaldson: Last we heard she was in Maryland. Pittsburgh, huh? So close.
Nick: Yeah. You must have been searching for them for a long time.
Mr. Donaldson: For Avis? We usually know where she is.
Nick: Really.
Mr. Donaldson: She's been going around using different identities. Getting welfare. She talks a good game. She left here when she was fourteen. She had some tough times—ended up in an institution. She ran away from there.
Mrs. Donaldson: All those years… lost, you see. Just lost.
Nick: You never went after her? Tried to bring her back home?
Mr. Donaldson: We had a sorry bunch of kids. None of them turned out so great. But, if you see Avis, tell her I said God bless her. And tell her God bless her daughter, too.
Nick: Her daughter? How old is Avis?
Mrs. Donaldson: Twenty-nine next month. Yeah.
Scene: Children's Legal Services—Nick's office
Avis/Dina has her back to Nick looking out the window as he enters his office.
Nick: Avis Donaldson. (Avis glances over her shoulder at Nick) C'mon. You had to know that was going to come out. Who's the father of your daughter?
Avis: How the hell should I know?
Nick: Why did you lie?
Avis: I was living on the street. (Crying) The State would have just taken her away.
Nick: And you just began to make a habit of it.
Avis: We lived together in, oh… lots of foster homes and whenever they'd get close to figuring us out, you know, we'd run. And we got to Pittsburgh, things got kind of good, you know. I enrolled in high school. The people were so nice. We got placed with the Hallers. And, then that thing happened with his partner. And, the next thing you knew…just kicked me out, sent me over to Catholic Charities. I just wanted a chance to do what everybody else did. Finish high school. Go to college. Be a teenager. I never got to be one, you know, so I just… I became one. I didn't think I would hurt anybody.
Nick: You understand that a man went to jail for statutory rape because of your deception.
Avis: He thought I was fifteen.
Nick: Yeah. You're twenty-eight years old.
Avis: But he thought… It was in his mind. Don't you see? It's in everyone's mind. It's like a line, a number. If people think I'm sixteen, then maybe I really am. (Sits down) What are you going to do?
Nick opens the door and allows a police officer to take custody of Avis—while he stands outside the door with his back to her.
Avis: He raped me. He raped me. (She yells as the officers take her to the elevator) He had sex with me, at his apartment. I drove in his BMW. He had sex with me, two times. He had sex with me. I'll tell you something, he had sex with me.
Scene: Children's Legal Services—Alvin's office
Nick enters, meekly.
Alvin: (At the file cabinet) Did you? (Nick nods.) Mr. Fallin. She was a client. You know the legal ramifications for this? (Nick nods) The clinic could be shut down. You would be in direct violation of your probation and could spend years…
Nick: It happened before I knew she was a client.
Alvin: Can you prove that?
Nick: Yes. It was late. You ever have one of those nights when you're just weak?
Alvin: (pause) No, Mr. Fallin. I assume you can prove she's twenty-eight.
Nick: Yeah.
Alvin: So. You consider working with her, part of your community service?
Nick shakes his head and leaves.
Scene: Women's Detention Center
Nick: The DA's office is filing charges. There may also be a civil suit. You know, when you get outta jail and have a job, you can take parenting classes and maybe you can…
Avis: Please. Mr. Fallin, please, don't tell Lisa. She always thought… She doesn't even know I'm her mother. She's never known. When we were together the other night… you liked me, didn't you? You liked me?
Nick: Yeah.
Scene: Children's Legal Services—Alvin's office
Alvin opens his mail to find a card and check for $2000 from Ms. Vries—leans back in his chair.
Nick: (enters office) Uh, you know… I'm sorry, you didn't get the money.
Alvin: I know.
Nick: They decided to build a—
Alvin: —a homeless shelter. I know. I heard.
Nick: What are you going to do? You going to take the State grant for Legal Aid and represent adults? You're a good lawyer. You run a fair clinic. Take the grant they're offering you and do the work you do.
Alvin: That kid last week. A 10-year-old boy whose mom died in that apartment fire. They found his dad living in Oregon. His dad says to me he didn't want the kid back; that his new family would be upset. They'd be upset. At least we found that kid a foster home close enough so he could stay in his old school. At least we thought to do that.
Nick: Take the Legal Aid contract. Wait and see what happens.
Nick walks out of Alvin's office and over to Barbara's desk.
Barbara: Hi. I got the job.
Nick: So I heard. You going to take it, right?
Barbara: I'm still waiting to see what happens here.
Mr. Haller walks up.
Haller: Here are those reports you requested for the hearing.
Nick: Thank you. What are you going to tell Lisa?
Haller: Well, nothing right now. We'll wait until she gets a bit older before we let her know the truth.
Alvin: Can I have everyone's attention, please. I just accepted a State contract. So, the money's back in the bank. You can cash your checks. We will, however, be changing our mission. Effective immediately, Children's Legal Services will become Legal Services of Pittsburgh. So. There you have it.
Haller: Thank you.
Nick: Pleasure. Bye, Lisa.
Lisa: Bye.
Phone rings—Barbara answers.
Barbara: Children's Legal Ser… Legal Services of Pittsburgh. Barbara Ludzinsky speaking. Please hold.
END OF EPISODE
==========================
TRANSCRIPT PROVIDED BY "TWIZ TV.COM - FREE TV SCRIPTS DATABASE"
COURTESY OF/PERMISSION FROM SIMONSPHERE
==========================