Party of Five

Bailey Salinger:
This goes from bad to worse.

Joe Mangus:
Things can turn around. You never know. Hey, I'm talking from experience here. I mean is after I had my heart attack, my doctor told me, "if you keep doing the one thing you really love to do, if you keep working your restaurant, you're gonna kill yourself." So I quit. I was 50 years old. I had no job, no family. Do you think I went wondering around the world for fun? I was lost. And then I met this woman.

Bailey Salinger:
Yeah, well, that's great. You're a lucky guy.

Joe Mangus:
It's not luck. I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm getting older, and I need to start making sense of this world, but I kind of like to think that it was God looking out for me. It was God saying, "I'm not gonna let you go."

Bailey Salinger:
Okay, I know what this is about. This is about me and God and not wanting to go to AA, right?

Joe Mangus:
Everybody needs something to belive in, Bailey, besides themselves.

Bailey Salinger:
Not me. I don't. I don't belive in God. I never did. My parents never did either. We're all pretty much on our own here. And there's nobody looking out for any of us.

Claudia Salinger:
Just cut it out, Bailey! Don't say stuff like that.

Joe Mangus:
Somebody was looking out for me. Somebody was looking out for your father when he stopped drinking.

Bailey Salinger:
Yeah, well it wasn't God. There is no God. Proof of that: letting my parents die in that car accident. Look, you belive whatever you want to belive in, Joe. If you're afraid of dying from your weak heart and you need to belive in God, then that's your business. I'm just saying that I don't see him in my life. I never did.

Joe Mangus:
How about the fact that your father is inside of you? This is the proof, and it means nothing to you?

Bailey Salinger:
The fact that I got this disease, this drinking problem, from him? It means plenty to me, Joe. I inherited this disease from him and he probally inherited the same from his father too since he never talked about his family or his own father.

Joe Mangus:
Why do you insist on always looking at the bad stuff, Bailey? You think I wanted to show up that day at your house and tell you about your Dad's drinking problem to make things worse with you? I told you because I thought it would give you a little hope. Yeah... maybe it's true. Maybe you did inherit your father's drinking problem. You got what your father gave you and what his father gave to him. You got what made your father start drinking. But if you look for it, you also got what made him stop.

Julia Salinger:
Charlie, do you think I'm selfish?

Charlie Salinger:
Incredibly. Why?

Julia Salinger:
No, I really mean it.

Charlie Salinger:
Okay. Selfish in what way?

Julia Salinger:
Well, Griffin is buying a motorcycle shop with the money he's got from his court settlement and it's like this really great opportunity for him. You know?

Charlie Salinger:
And that's bad because?

Julia Salinger:
No, no. It's good. Good for Griffin.

Charlie Salinger:
But not for you?

Julia Salinger:
Well, yeah. Because we can't do any of the stuff I thought we were gonna do together and... I don't know. It's just that everything was going great and I thought we wanted the same things. And now all of a sudden, he wants something that is, like, totally different. And I just... I don't know where to put that. You know what I mean?

Charlie Salinger:
Yeah. I sort of do. I guess the question you got to ask yourself is which is more important? Griffin or all that stuff you want. Is it something you can work out? Is it really worth working out?

Charlie Salinger:
You're high.

Jill Holbrook:
Uh... what?

Charlie Salinger:
You're on something.

Jill Holbrook:
[trying to laugh it off] I am not! God...

Charlie Salinger:
Last night too, after the earthquake, you were bouncing off the walls, babaling...

Jill Holbrook:
I was scared. Same as two million other people in this city. Same as Claudia.

Charlie Salinger:
It's speed, right?

Jill Holbrook:
You are crazy! I am not...

Charlie Salinger:
In college, I lived with a guy who did speed. He would take what he called "uppers" in order to stay awake all night studying for exams. His hyped behavior was just like yours. His eyes looked exactly like yours do right now, kind of glazed.

Jill Holbrook:
Wow, what'd I ever do to you?

[first lines]

Kirsten Bennett:
What time is it, Charlie? [holds up Charlie's watch]

Charlie Salinger:
You stole my watch?

Kirsten Bennett:
I found it in my medicine cabinet. Let's try to keep these little clues to a minimum while my mum's in town. She's an old fashioned girl.

Bailey Salinger:
Okay, so I hire two big guys to kidnap him and take him off to some remote island or Hawaii. Someplace. Just so Kate doesn't see him for a while. And then eventually, she forgets all about him.

Will McCorkle:
Hmm. I don't know, Bay. Kidnapping? I don't think they let you graduate from High School if you've kidnapped someone.

Julia Salinger:
You think the only one you have to listen to in this house is Bailey.

Claudia Salinger:
At least he cares about me!

Julia Salinger:
What are you talking about? Why do you think I've been so concerned about you doing this competition? Because I care.

Claudia Salinger:
Right. And that's why you're acting like such a b*tch!

Julia Salinger:
Don't say "b*tch"! I don't want you using language like that!

Claudia Salinger:
You know what? Maybe you could just try and come and hear me play for once, instead of just telling me what not to do all the time!

Bailey Salinger:
I'm such a moron. I can't believe what a moron I am.

Will McCorkle:
You are a moron.

Bailey Salinger:
I just... I kinda forced the issue.

Will McCorkle:
The issue?

Bailey Salinger:
With Kate about Tom.

Will McCorkle:
The boyfriend?

Bailey Salinger:
Yep.

Will McCorkle:
You said him or you?

Bailey Salinger:
Pretty much.

Will McCorkle:
Wow.

Bailey Salinger:
Yeah.

Will McCorkle:
And?

Bailey Salinger:
And what? Would I be a moron if everything would have worked out?

Will McCorkle:
Good point by you.

[last lines]

Kate Bishop:
I needed somebody to help me with my taxes.

Bailey Salinger:
So, why did you lie? Why didn't you tell me you were my grandfather? It was guilt, right? You probably felt really bad about how things went with my Mom, and walking out on her when she was so little and letting Grandma to raise her all by herself and you thought I'd be as mad as you as she was.

Jacob Gordon:
I didn't expect I'd have to go into any of this.

Bailey Salinger:
Or maybe you wanted to make a good first impression. You know, make me think you were a great guy before telling me that we're related. Was that it? Were you ever going to tell me?

Jacob Gordon:
I thought about it, but I figured you'd be better off not knowing.

Bailey Salinger:
Better off? Hey, I have no parents! I have no living relatives to look after me or my brothers and sisters. So no, I wouldn't be better off. I guess this explains why you haven't come back before now. You just though we'd all be better off.

Jacob Gordon:
I came back here to San Francisco five months ago looking for my daughter Diana Gordon, your mother. She was my only child, and I haven't seen her for over 30 years. I went over to city hall. I asked them to look her up. I expected to get a new address, a new name, or a place of business... and the woman there came back and said, "The person you're looking for is deceased". Well, I didn't tell her that I was looking for my daughter, so I shouldn't have expected her to break it to me gently. It shouldn't really hurt, you know, losing something you never had in the first place.

Bailey Salinger:
So, you don't even know what she looked like? As an adult, I mean. Julia looks like her. A lot. You'll see when you meet her.

Jacob Gordon:
Oh, I'm not gonna do that.

Bailey Salinger:
What?

Jacob Gordon:
I'm not going to meet Julia.

Bailey Salinger:
What do you mean? She's my sister.

Jacob Gordon:
I know who she is.

Bailey Salinger:
How can you not want to meet her?

Jacob Gordon:
Bailey, I'm not going to meet any of them. I came here looking for a grown daughter, that's all. Because when you get old, you want to make amends. But I found that my only daughter and child was gone, and found five kids instead. One of them's only a baby. You all need things from a grandfather or a legal guardian that I'm just not able to give any of you. I can't handle five kids. I couldn't handle one. I can give you money or help you in school, but that's it. Now if you are going to go on talking about meeting the rest of them... Charlie, Claudia, and Owen... don't. That's not going to happen.

[last lines]

Jacob Gordon:
[to the Salingers] Uh, I hope you'll excuse me. I wonder if I could introduce myself. My name is Jacob Gordon. I'm your grandfather.

[first lines]

Bailey Salinger:
So, any we're just sitting there having dinner as usual when he just walks in, like... "Hello, I'm your grandfather". And nobody knew what to say, you know? And I really don't know what it means, that he... just showed up. Maybe I... I guilted him into wanting to meet them. But then... can we trust him? You know, is he gonna stick around? The guy's definiately got a history of flaking out on people, that's for sure. Take off your jacket.

Sarah Reeves:
I wasn't planning on staying. And apparently neither are you.

Bailey Salinger:
What?

Sarah Reeves:
I ran into Warren Danziger today at the coffeehouse. He had a message for you. He said that he got into New Hampshire State too, and if you were looking for a roommate... And I said, "what are you talking about? You know, Bailey's not going back east for school after graduation this coming May. He's staying here in San Francisco." But apparently that's not what your guidence counselor told him.

Bailey Salinger:
[sighs] Okay. First of all... first of all when I applied for Hampshire State, you and I, we weren't even... we weren't even together yet, and... I never thought I would get into that place. It was like this huge long shot. Really. Okay... yes. Yes, I got accepted.

Sarah Reeves:
But you're not going to go, right?

Bailey Salinger:
Well... I want to. I want to get out of here and make a fresh start. Start my life all over again... away from here... and away from this life.

Sarah Reeves:
[angered] God...

Bailey Salinger:
Sarah, listen... before you get upset, I know what you're thinking. And... and you have to know that me going away to college isn't going to change anything between us at all.

Sarah Reeves:
What are you talking about, Bailey. In five months, you're going to graduate with me and then you're leaving. You're moving 3,000 miles away. You're going to get as far away from here as you can get... from this house, your siblings, and the memory of your parents death. That changes everything.

Bailey Salinger:
Sarah, listen...

Sarah Reeves:
[walks out] And you're someone to talk about flaking out.

Julia Salinger:
Did you tell Jake that he could live with us?

Claudia Salinger:
Yeah, why? Is he here?

Julia Salinger:
No, he's not, I sent him away. That man is not moving in with us.

Claudia Salinger:
Charlie and Bailey said it was okay.

Julia Salinger:
I don't care!

Claudia Salinger:
I don't have to listen to you.

Julia Salinger:
What is the matter with you, Claudia. Why are you being so nice to him?

Claudia Salinger:
Because he's our grandfather.

Julia Salinger:
[grabs Claudia] No, he is not! He is nothing to you! He is the selfish man who walked out on our grandmother and our Mom. So you're just going to forgive him for that? Is that it? God, what gives you the right to forgive him for her? Do you have any idea what it was like for our mother growing up without him? Do you? Did she ever tell you what it was like?

Claudia Salinger:
No.

Julia Salinger:
Well, she told me. She told me that when she was seven years old he left her and our grandmother by sneaking away in the middle of the night. She told me what it was like to have him leave her without a goodbye or a note. Without ever visiting her or even calling her or writing her to say just once that he loved her or thought about her. And what it was like to think that it was her fault! It broke our grandmother's mental health, and our mother's view on life. And you! Just because you want someone to take you out for some ice cream or to some stupid swap meet. I can't belive you! I can't belive how selfish you are... like that man is! Why don't you just go to the cemetery and spit on Mom's grave, because that is what you are doing!

Sarah Reeves:
[to Bailey] I'm in love with you, you jerk!

[first lines]

Kate Bishop:
Bailey. Bailey, come on. Coit Tower.

Bailey Salinger:
Without question, the most pointless landmark in the San Francisco skyline. Coit Tower was completed in nineteen forty four.

Kate Bishop:
Nineteen thirty four.

Bailey Salinger:
...At the bequest of Coit S. Interruptus.

P.K. Strickler:
Would it be cool if I uh... crashed on your sofa?

Charlie Salinger:
Uh... I'll get some blankets.

Julia Salinger:
You'll have to be quiet, though. My sister sleeps in the dining room in a tent.

P.K. Strickler:
Your sister sleeps in a tent?

Julia Salinger:
[chuckles] Kind of a weird family.

P.K. Strickler:
Well... You have no idea.

Claudia Salinger:
It's not polite to smoke in the house, you know. Other people breathe that stuff in.

P.K. Strickler:
[puts his cigarette out] Happy?

Claudia Salinger:
Have you ever done drugs? Hard drugs? Anything intravenous?

P.K. Strickler:
Yeah, and I killed a guy once for a cigarette.

Joe Mangus:
Are you gonna walk out on me now? Oh, excuse me. I forgot who I was talking to.

Charlie Salinger:
Hey, you know what? I am sick of you telling me what's wrong with me. And I'm fed up with being reminded every day, that I'm not half the man my father was. Especially when it turns out that he wasn't everything he was cracked up to be. I'm not the one who screwed up your business. Blame that on the management whiz. The guy who never lost his cool, saw everything coming. My father did this to you.

[last lines]

Julia Salinger:
You take care of yourself, okay? Okay?

P.K. Strickler:
Okay.

Claudia Salinger:
Jamie invited me to his PROM!

[screams]

Claudia Salinger:
I could just scream.

Charlie Salinger:
You just did.

[first lines]

Kirsten Bennett:
Hello.

Charlie Salinger:
Kirsten.

Kirsten Bennett:
Hi.

Charlie Salinger:
Hi. God, it's good to see you.

Nina DiMayo:
Look, maybe we should think of it as a blessing in a disguise.

Julia Salinger:
How?

Nina DiMayo:
Well... maybe it wouldn't have worked out anyway. He is a lot older.

Julia Salinger:
So what? Anna Nicole Smith's husband could be her grandfather.

[last lines]

Charlie Salinger:
[to Kirsten] Okay... I'm not going anywhere.

[Charlie is talking to Bailey about Claudia phoning Kirsten's parents]

Charlie Salinger:
God, talk about stupid! Like those two people ever made a situation better in their entire lives. Claudia shouldn't have done that! She shouldn't have called them!

Bailey Salinger:
You're right. She shouldn't have. You should have.

Charlie Salinger:
What?

Bailey Salinger:
As soon as Kirsten got sick, you should have picked up the phone and told Gene and Ellie about what's happening with Kirsten. They're her parents. They have a right to know what's going on with her.

Charlie Salinger:
Look, Kirsten asked me not to tell them. Okay? She literally begged me not to. She didn't want anyone to know about her mental problems, not even her parents.

Bailey Salinger:
[scoffs] Oh, like she's thinking real clearly these days?

Charlie Salinger:
What do you want? You want to give me a hard time like you always do? Is that it?

Bailey Salinger:
Yeah. Yeah, I do.

Charlie Salinger:
Yeah, well you know what, Bailey? You're not here. You're not around anymore since you moved out. You drift in a few times a month to steal toilet paper and do your laundry, and you think you have the right...

Bailey Salinger:
[interrupting] You know what? I don't need to to live here to see that keeping Kirsten's parents in the dark about her mental condition is not the smartest thing...

Charlie Salinger:
[cutting him off] I'm telling you, Bailey. You don't know what's going on around here! I was handling this fine on my own! You don't know what's going on around here with Kirsten and you have no idea how I'm dealing with it! Instead of waltzing in with an opinion about everything, why don't you just do us all a favor and just butt out! I don't need your help or your advice! I can handle this on my own!

[Charlie exits while Bailey shakes his head]

[Callie enters and sees Bailey drinking a beer and several beer bottles on the coffee table]

Callie Martel:
Those are my beers!

Bailey Salinger:
So I'll replace them. Nice to see you too.

Callie Martel:
I am in such a crappy mood.

Bailey Salinger:
Yeah? Well, join the club.

Bailey Salinger:
Look, I know that you guys probaly don't want to hear this... but I think we should be open to the posibility that maybe this is it for us. You know, maybe he just... split.

Claudia Salinger:
No way.

Charlie Salinger:
What do you mean split?

Bailey Salinger:
I mean, he's had enough. And he's gone. Possibly... forever. He's never coming back. He's done it before. He walked out on Mom and Grandmom without a note or reason why, and they both never saw him again. Think about it. We don't have a telephone number where we can call him in Arizona... assuming that's where he is. When he goes away, he never leaves a phone number, right? And he said that he was going to be back two days ago, and he's still not back. So...

Julia Salinger:
You really think we may not see him ever again? That's a weird feeling. What if you're right?

Charlie Salinger:
You guys, all his stuff is still here.

Bailey Salinger:
So what? Do you think he... when he walked out on Mom and Grandmom that he packed? No, he didn't. Don't you remember the story Mom once told us? He left in the middle of the night with no note or explanation, leaving behind a wife and daughter to fend for themselves... never to return. All he took was maybe one suitcase with whatever clothes and stuff he had with him, he got in his car, drove away and that was that. He never came back for the rest of his clothes or belongings.

Claudia Salinger:
No! No, you're wrong. Something horrible happened. He like... forgot his blood pressure medication or something. He could be lying in a hospital in a coma somewhere

[Claudia goes to a phone and begins dialing a number]

Charlie Salinger:
Hey, what are you doing?

Claudia Salinger:
[into the phone] Operator? Can you give me the phone numbers to all the hospitals in Arizona?

[to the Salingers]

Claudia Salinger:
He wouldn't just leave! I know he wouldn't!

[last lines]

[Bailey aproaches a comatose and scared Sarah in her hospital bed]

Bailey Salinger:
Will... will you help me?

[first lines]

Kirsten Bennett:
I was wrong about you, wasn't I? I mean, look at you. You're all grown-up. What a surprise. So grown-up. Has anyone ever told you you're irresistible?

Bailey Salinger:
[Bailey and Will talking at school over Bailey's crush on Kirsten] Any suggestions?

Will McCorkle:
Yeah, snap out of it. Okay? Do you have any clue how to analyse the poem "To His Coy Mistress", in terms of its theme, language, metaphor, imagery and meter?

Bailey Salinger:
Not off the top of my head.

Will McCorkle:
Well, you better figure it out. 'Cause if you spend the next three days mooning over this babysitter, and blow this paper, you get put on academic probation and get benched from the team, and we loose another game... Me and ten other guys are gonna come to your house and do a job on your face so that no girl will ever find you attractive again, okay?

[last lines]

Claudia Salinger:
See, the thing about sailing is you can just loosen the moorings and go wherever you want. You do have to know somethings, like swabbing the deck, and coming about and mizzens. Well, that's a sail. But I can show you. See? Fun for the whole family.

Julia Salinger:
What I want to know is why am I like this walking target for drunken jerks and losers? I mean that guy could have grabbed you, but he didn't and you know why? Because you exude "don't mess with me".

Perry Marks:
Give me a break.

Julia Salinger:
No, you do. You're so self-sufficient... even in your work. I, on the other hand, have a sign on my back that says "come torture me and make my life miserable".

Perry Marks:
Don't be so insulting. I am tortured too.

Julia Salinger:
Are not. You are like this together confident literary monolith.

Perry Marks:
I am plenty tortured. The reason I don't seem tortured it is because I have no life outside of this "convent". I'm like a literary nun. I work, work, work, so I don't have to contend with the physiological reality of not being laid in a year. So, I don't have to deal with the issues of love, rejection, rebound... except when it comes to my own work being published.

[first lines]

Bailey Salinger:
I think your mom should go away more often. Do you think you can arrange that?

Kate Bishop:
See what I can do.

Julia Salinger:
Claudia, get out here now.

Claudia Salinger:
Julia, I have a performance tomorrow. I need my rest.

Julia Salinger:
And Thurber needs his walk, which it was your turn to give him.

Claudia Salinger:
Who says I didn't?

Julia Salinger:
A poop in the middle of the living room floor, that's who! Now, get out here and clean it up now!

Claudia Salinger:
What are you, nuts? Poop is nothing but bacteria.

Charlie Salinger:
Making up stories, writing them. It comes so naturally to you. You're a really good writer, Jule. And look, I'm not the best advice-giver or anything, but... I really think, whatever happens, you shouldn't give up writing. I mean, if you want to not get straight A's, I can understand. But, whatever you do, you should write about it.

Charlie Salinger:
What are you doing?

Claudia Salinger:
I wanna help.

Julia Salinger:
You'll hurt your hands.

Claudia Salinger:
But, Charlie, you asked me!

Charlie Salinger:
What was I thinking about? A big star like you?

Bailey Salinger:
Besides, an artist needs her sleep.

Claudia Salinger:
It's okay. I don't care.

Julia Salinger:
Go to bed, Claud.

Charlie Salinger:
You owe it to your public. [Claudia walks out] Too mean?

Julia Salinger, Bailey Salinger:
Nah!

Charlie Salinger:
I really, really need your help. What do you say?

Claudia Salinger:
Sorry. Too risky.

Charlie Salinger:
[to Julia and Bailey] You know, you can't buy love like that.

[last lines]

Julia Salinger:
The end.

[first lines]

Bailey Salinger:
Don't you dare! Kate, I'm warning you. Don't. [Kate throws water on Bailey] That's it. That's it. [Bailey retaliates]

Claudia Salinger:
[in response to Bailey and Kate throwing water at each other] You know, California is still officially in a drought.

Charlie Salinger:
What is it then, one strike and I'm out with you?

Kirsten Bennett:
I guess so, yeah! Because, that's what happens when you cheat on me, and when you lie to me... while you make me fall in love with you! I really wish you hadn't done that.

Claudia Salinger:
[to Bailey] If you're thinking about making it up to me, forget it - you can't. This kind of eclipse won't happen again till the year two thousand twenty. - I'll be thirty seven!

Julia Salinger:
[to Charlie] I dare you to ever give me one more lecture about personal responsibility, ever!

Claudia Salinger:
[to Bailey] Where are you going?

Bailey Salinger:
Give it a rest, Claud.

Claudia Salinger:
We're supposed to have dinner together, as a whole family.

Bailey Salinger:
Yeah? Well, I'm a little sick of the whole family right now. [leaves]

Charlie Salinger:
[alone with Claudia, talking about how he broke up with Kirsten] I'm sorry. But I'll fix this. I know Kirsten was great. I'm sorry... [voice trails off]

Claudia Salinger:
I think... I think I'm gonna go call Ross. Maybe he's free.

Charlie Salinger:
I can take you to dinner.

Claudia Salinger:
[shakes her head] I don't know why you do this stuff... but I wish you'd just stop.

Claudia Salinger:
I'm just gonna sit out here.

Bailey Salinger:
All night? Come on, it's getting cold.

Claudia Salinger:
I don't mind.

Bailey Salinger:
You don't mind? Look, I gotta get back inside, so I can't stand around...

Claudia Salinger:
Fine! So don't. I'd rather be alone, anyway.

Bailey Salinger:
You think it's always gonna be like this for us?

Julia Salinger:
I don't know. Maybe... these are the good old days.

Bailey Salinger:
[laughs] Yeah. It just doesn't get much better than this, does it?

Claudia Salinger:
Do you believe in omens?

Bailey Salinger:
What do you mean?

Claudia Salinger:
Signs that bad things are gonna happen.

Bailey Salinger:
No, I don't. I think people need to look for reasons that bad things happen, but... sometimes there just aren't any.

Claudia Salinger:
Look... I know why you're here. You think I should go to the hospital.

Bailey Salinger:
No, it's not...

Claudia Salinger:
But I'm not going to. I can't.

Bailey Salinger:
Yeah, I know. I know what you're remembering, Claud. We all are.

Claudia Salinger:
But you think it's bad that I'm not going, don't you?

Bailey Salinger:
No.

Claudia Salinger:
I mean, Owen is sick, and I...

Bailey Salinger:
Claudia, I think it's okay. Really. You don't have to go.

Claudia Salinger:
You mean that?

Bailey Salinger:
It's okay. Don't feel bad. Everyone understands... And Owen knows that you love him.

Claudia Salinger:
[smiles, then looks away] You probably have to get back, huh?

Bailey Salinger:
No, I got a few minutes.

Claudia Salinger:
You can go. Don't worry about me.

Bailey Salinger:
Come on, I do. I worry about you. And I know I haven't been too great about it the last few weeks.

Claudia Salinger:
It's ok... I just bug you, right? I mean, I'm kind of just a big pain.

Bailey Salinger:
No you're not. I just... I'm just... I'm trying to figure out how to work things, Claud. I mean, Kate's the first girlfriend I've ever had. The first real girlfriend. And I'm not forgetting about you. I'm not. I promise. Whenever you need me, you come first.

Claudia Salinger:
Really?

Bailey Salinger:
You're my sister. [they hug]

[last lines]

Julia Salinger:
We're gonna have to work out a schedule for the next few days... until the doctor says we can take him home.

Bailey Salinger:
I'll take days if it means I get out of English.

Julia Salinger:
I'll come by after school.

Bailey Salinger:
Well, I can come back and give you a dinner break.

Charlie Salinger:
Actually, I'd kinda like to do it in the evenings.

Bailey Salinger:
There's no reason we can't overlap.

Julia Salinger:
Claudia, I can bring you by first thing in the morning. Is that okay?

Bailey Salinger:
Claudia?

[first lines]

Claudia Salinger:
[at a used car lot] Owen, what do you think? Wow! She's a beauty.

Charlie Salinger:
[Charlie picks up the phone to call for a nanny and realizes the phone is turned off] Bailey, the phone's been switched off. Why didn't you pay the bill?

Bailey Salinger:
Why didn't I pay the bill?

[talking louder]

Bailey Salinger:
Why didn't "I" pay the bill?

Charlie Salinger:
Julia!

Claudia Salinger:
She's kind of busy. I wouldn't interrupt...

Charlie Salinger:
Julia, would you get down here? Julia!

[Julia arrives]

Julia Salinger:
What the hell are you screaming about?

Charlie Salinger:
Family conference, now!

Bailey Salinger:
[to Charlie] So, I guess we give up whatever we have to give up. And we'll let everyone think your this great guy... Who's trying to hold his family together. You're just like a father to us. Even if we know it's a lie.

Charlie Salinger:
Claudia?

Bailey Salinger:
What's the matter, Claud?

Claudia Salinger:
I'm scared.

Bailey Salinger:
Don't be.

Charlie Salinger:
We'll work it out.

Claudia Salinger:
[crying] This wouldn't have happened if Mom and Dad were here. Why aren't they here?

Bailey Salinger:
[putting baby Owen to bed] Shh... Shh... Listen, just to keep you up to date... And don't take this the wrong way. But I'm going crazy here. So unless I come up with some kind of nanny soon... I'm gonna have to sell you off to white slave traders. Now, I know that's not how you pictured yourself growing up... but, hey, welcome to the club. Sleep well.

Claudia Salinger:
Forget it. You can't tell me what to do.

Charlie Salinger:
Oh, yes, I can. Read the guardianship agreement.

Bailey Salinger:
Oh, would you shut up with that already, Charlie? A piece of paper does not make you a parent.

Julia Salinger:
Do you ever think about them, Bailey? Our parents?

Bailey Salinger:
Yeah, of course I do.

Julia Salinger:
Well... why won't we ever talk about them? I mean, why don't we ever talk about it?

Bailey Salinger:
I don't know. Maybe we feel like we have to put on this brave face for Claud and Owen. But maybe that's stupid. You know, maybe we should talk about them. Maybe it would help.

Julia Salinger:
Sometimes I wonder if this feeling's ever gonna go away.

Bailey Salinger:
I don't know. I hope so. I don't know.

Joe Mangus:
[calling for a table] Salinger. Party of five.

[last lines]

Julia Salinger:
So, what's this Kirsten like?

Bailey Salinger:
She's very professional.

Julia Salinger:
Yeah?

Bailey Salinger:
Highly qualified.

Claudia Salinger:
And a real looker, huh?

Charlie Salinger:
[stammering] Me and Doug and... a friend of his we were gonna buy this... this co-op, and fix it up and sell it. The whole thing was gonna take a month tops. We would have doubled our money fast, no question. Except the guy... took the money and split.

Bailey Salinger:
[stunned] How much money did you lose, Charlie?

Charlie Salinger:
Twelve...

[long pause]

Charlie Salinger:
thousand.

Julia Salinger:
Of your own money, right? [another long pause]

Bailey Salinger:
[livid] Oh, great! So much for your lectures on responsibility, huh? Is this why you wanted control of the bank account? So you could blow it all yourself?

Charlie Salinger:
Hey! I was trying to do something good here. This investment was for all of us. I was going to cut you all in on...

Bailey Salinger:
[interrupting] Oh, save it, Charlie!

Julia Salinger:
So what are we gonna do for the next four months until we get another welfare check? Besides $35, how much do we have left?

Bailey Salinger:
Well, we got the standard Social Security for $2,500 yesterday which I deposited into our checking account. That's it.

Julia Salinger:
That's it? We can't get by on 2,500. We have to hire a new nanny for Owen, fix the kitchen sink, which will cost over $600, and pay the phone bill.

Bailey Salinger:
Plus, we've got a mortgage payment due this Friday. There's no way were going to meet that.

Julia Salinger:
Okay. So tomorrow we go to Mr. Graham and we ask him for an advance.

Bailey Salinger:
No!

Julia Salinger:
Why not? It's an emergency.

Bailey Salinger:
Because we got to seem in charge here! We got to seem that we can handle everything ourselves, like a normal family, or they'll have an excuse to split all of us up.

Julia Salinger:
[to Charlie] Thanks! Thanks a lot, Charlie. You screwed up big this time!

[first lines]

Bailey Salinger:
Charlie!

Charlie Salinger:
What the hell are you doing?

Bailey Salinger:
What the hell am I doing? What the hell are you doing sneaking around the house?

Charlie Salinger:
I forgot my keys, okay?

Claudia Salinger:
[to siblings] If you wanna blame someone for this, blame yourselves! I'm growing up, and I'm becoming a woman! And you're missing it.

Claudia Salinger:
Boy, something sure smells good.

Charlie Salinger:
Well, then, it's not Owen!

Mrs. Jane Gideon:
I am not the enemy here, Claudia.

Claudia Salinger:
Yes, you are. You may not wanna be, but you are.

[last lines]

Claudia Salinger:
Look! [Owen starts to walk]

Bailey Salinger:
Oh, my God. He's standing!

Julia Salinger:
He's walking.

Claudia Salinger:
Oh, look at him go. Alright.

Bailey Salinger:
He's definitely walking.

Claudia Salinger:
Yay, Owen.

Julia Salinger:
You see him walk? Good boy.

Claudia Salinger:
Come on, Owen.

Callie Martel:
Bailey, why are you treating me like this? I'm trying to help you.

Bailey Salinger:
That's the thing. I don't think you can help me.

Callie Martel:
Why not? I got rid of the bar, I threw away all the liquor bottles and beer, I even stopped drinking myself to know what you are feeling.

Bailey Salinger:
That's not it. It's... this whole place. This apartment is where it all began. My drinking... our sordid relationship... everywhere I look, makes me want to drink. I'm fine all day when I'm in class and when I'm around by family, but when I come back here it's like suddenly my tongue starts panting, like a dog wanting water. The first thing I do after I put my key in the door and let myself in is go straight to the fridge to get a beer or two to gulp it down and when I open the refrigerator... only then I remember that there's nothing there. The beer is gone. It makes me want to go out to a bar or liquor store to get a drink. Everywhere I look... everything around me in this apartment makes me want to drink.

Callie Martel:
Including me?

Bailey Salinger:
[pause] Yeah... I think so. I'm sorry, Callie. At the end of the week, when I've payed you for this month's and last month's overdue rent, I'm leaving. I'm moving out and I'm moving back in with Charlie and the others.

[first lines]

Nina DiMayo:
Did you check out the theme for the dance? "Starry, Starry Night". Lame or what?

Julia Salinger:
Definitely the lamest.

Greer Erikson:
I say we eat alfresco.

Claudia Salinger:
Who's he?

[last lines]

Julia Salinger:
So this Bill guy, is he cute? [Bailey and Charlie laugh]

Bailey Salinger:
Oh, no.

Julia Salinger:
So?

Charlie Salinger:
Don't even think about it.

[Joe has just bailed Charlie out of jail]

Joe Mangus:
You want to tell me what the hell's going on with you?

Charlie Salinger:
Not now, Joe.

Joe Mangus:
[angrily grabs Charlie] Yeah, now Charlie! You owe me considering I just spent $2,500 of my own money to bail you out of jail, not to mention arrange your court date for this!

Charlie Salinger:
[desperate] Look, this whole thing is not my fault! Okay? Only... nobody seems to be listening to me... not even you. When I broke up with Kathleen, I had no idea that she was gonna do this to get back at me! I had no idea that she would turn into such a psychotic and vindictive b*tch! Yet, everyone is thinking that this is all my fault for...

Joe Mangus:
[rudely cutting him off] First of all, I don't give a damn who's fault it is! The fact is that it happened and you gotta deal with it! You dated that woman, you led her on, you dumped her, and now she's trying get back at you by buying and closing down the restaurant. You're the manager and owner of the restaurant, and it's your responsibility for what happens to it... so actually this does make it all your fault! I mean look at you! Look at yourself! Is this how you deal with things? Is this your way of handling a crisis? You go out to a bar, you get drunk, and you start punching people? What are you? Sixteen?

Charlie Salinger:
I'm sorry you got dragged into this, Joe. What do you want me to say? I'm sorry that I ever met Kathleen. I'm sorry that I dumped her. I'm sorry that I got arrested. I'm sorry about all this! I handled it badly! Can we just go? Can you just take me home? I really don't want to talk about this anymore.

Joe Mangus:
Charlie, I don't get you. You've got a lot going for you. You know that. Yet, you're either too stupid or too insecure or too immature to see it. You're raising the kids. They're doing great. You did a beautiful job running the restaurant. You had Kirsten, an incredible woman. And yet... what do you do every time? Anything good comes along, you always find a way to screw it up!

Charlie Salinger:
[beat] Thanks again for bailing me out. I'll pay you back for this, I promise.

Joe Mangus:
[still angry] Yeah... I know you will. Just get in the car and shut up! I don't want to talk to you anymore or even look at you either!

Cory:
Then how about jewelry? Oh look, perfect. You know, yin and yang represents harmony of opposites. Man, woman, dark, light... If you gave it to me, I'd melt. Honest to God.

Justin Thompson:
Uh... I don't know. I think she'd probably...

Justin Thompson, Cory:
Hate it.

Cory:
Wow. No wonder you're going through all this trouble. She sounds delightful.

Justin Thompson:
Corey! No, she is. She is, realy. She's just... Julia's just kind of hard to read sometimes. I don't know. I gave her jewelry for Valentine's Day, so...

Cory:
Okay, so... if you want my advice, get her some perfume and call it a day.

[last lines]

Charlie Salinger:
I'm sorry. I'm just... I screwed up. I screwed everything up. I'm a mess. Nothing is going right for me and I've lost things that... that matter so much. Important things. And I'm just trying to remember a time when everything wasn't falling apart, you know, when everything was okay. And that was... the only time when we were... when I was with you. There are some things I know I can't fix, but maybe... maybe this. I love you, Kirsten, and I want you back.

Kirsten Bennett:
Charlie...

Charlie Salinger:
No. Look, let me finish. I know that there are things we need to talk about, and I know I'm just springing this on you and it's sudden, but I think we can make this work. I really do.

Kirsten Bennett:
You're too late. I met someone. His name is Michael. He's an associate professor in the department, and we've been... seeing each other for a while. We're getting married, Charlie. We're getting married next week.

Charlie Salinger:
Did you get milk for Owen? We're completely out.

Bailey Salinger:
[angry] Nope. Get it yourself.

Charlie Salinger:
It's your turn. I got it last...

Bailey Salinger:
Hey! You know what? Save it, Charlie! I don't need a lesson on how to take care of things, especially from a child like you!

Charlie Salinger:
What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Bailey Salinger:
That's supposed to mean nice going at the restaurant today!

Charlie Salinger:
Bailey...

Bailey Salinger:
No, you really stood up yourself... for all of us, you pushover!

Charlie Salinger:
Nothing good was going to come by making some kind of scene with Kathleen.

Bailey Salinger:
How about a little self-respect? Huh? Maybe showing Claudia that you didn't just give the place away?

Charlie Salinger:
What was I supposed to do? Confront Kathleen and tell her to leave? She's taking the restaurant to get back at me because I broke up with her. If I stood up against her, she would have called the police and had me arrested... and probably you and Joe too if you intervened. She then would have come after our money my making us liable for her investment group losing funds since she invested so much in the restaurant. She's taking the restaurant and who else knows what more crazy things she's capable of? What am I supposed to do? Tell me what you want me to do!

Bailey Salinger:
No, Charlie! This is your problem! You brought this on yourself! You're the reason why Kathleen is doing this to us! This is all your fault for dating that woman in the first place! It's your problem! You deal with it! I am sick and tired of taking care of everything and worrying about everyone all the time, okay? I've had it with buying milk and diappers for Owen or fixing your screw ups! I've had it! Goodbye, Charlie!

Charlie Salinger:
Wait a minute! This is something more besides the restaurant, right?

Bailey Salinger:
[deflecting the question] No, this is about you! This is about your screw ups! And I don't get it, because if I were you, I would not be moping around here all day feeling sorry for myself, or getting into bar fights at night and getting arrested for being drunk and disorderly. If I were you, I'd be spending every single second of every single day trying to figure out how to fix this!

Jacob Gordon:
Got to hand it you, Charlie, you've good at intregue. Can't meet at the house, too complicated to discuss on the telephone. You got me wondering.

Charlie Salinger:
Hey, Jake. How have you been? How's your health?

Jacob Gordon:
Oh, I can't complain. At least I haven't got a going-out-of-business sign stuck to the side of my restaurant. I'm guessing this isn't just an advertising ploy, huh?

Charlie Salinger:
No, it's kind of bad. It's really bad. And... uh, I can't figure out any way out of it on my own. To make a long story short, I used to date this woman named Kathleen Isley, a wealthy woman. A few weeks ago, I broke up with her and now she's put together this investment group and they're trying to buy this building housing the restaurant to close it down... for the sole reason to make me suffer for dumping her. Her investment group put a good offer to Montgomery, the guy who owns the building, and Joe is not wanting to fight it out and he's really selling the place. Nobody is talking to me right now. Everyone, including Joe, Bailey, Claudia, Julia... even my staff are blaming me for what is happening. For dating Kathleen, or dumping her, or both. I don't know. Maybe they're right, maybe they're wrong. Maybe this is all my fault for what is happening.

Jacob Gordon:
So, you called me. But... I'd figure after what happened between us I'd be the last person...

Charlie Salinger:
Well, you're a businessman, right? And maybe there's some way to fix this. Some angle I haven't seen. You're thinking that I called you because I need something, right?

Jacob Gordon:
Are you going to tell me different?

Charlie Salinger:
[sighs] I'm sorry. I... I don't know what else to do. I'm out of options. Tonight's the last night. Joe's closing the place, so this is it. And if I don't come up with something fast, I mean before this sale goes through tomorrow, then it's... it's all gonna be gone. Just gone. Will you help me? No one else seems to be willing to.

Jacob Gordon:
[after a pause] Let me make a few phone calls. I'll see what I can do.

Bailey Salinger:
I want you to see something.

[Bailey shows Charlie a note, which Charlie picks it up and skims through it]

Charlie Salinger:
You got into college? New Hampshire state?

Bailey Salinger:
Yeah, I got in. It's pretty big for someone like me. And a real school, not a little community college thing. It's even better then that. How are we going to afford sending me to college? So I actually got someone to pay for it too. Jake was going to pay for it. A $40,000 scholarship. He was putting away money so that I can go to school.

Charlie Salinger:
Man, that's great! Why didn't you say something sooner? We gotta celebrate, Bay.

Bailey Salinger:
Right. I was not planing to tell anyone and just sneak away without a word. Only here's the thing, Charlie. Jake came to see me today and he told me that you went to him to ask for his help with the restaurant.

Charlie Salinger:
Jake came to see you? Why would he...

Bailey Salinger:
He said he could take care of things. That he could use his money to pay off, or give to the owners of the building, like... like a bribe not to sell to Kathleen's investment group. He could save the place... or he could send me to school. One or the other, but he can't do both. And he left it up to me. He... left it up to me!

Charlie Salinger:
Bailey, I-I had no idea. He said he was going look into possiblities, and he hadn't got back to me so...

Bailey Salinger:
[interrupting] You know what? Just shut up, Charlie! Sometimes I hate you so much. For what you did with Kathleen and the restaurant. This is all your fault! This was it. This was finally it! I was gonna take care of myself for once in my life. For once! And I was gonna get the hell out of here, out of this house, out of this city, out of this state, and away from this life and start my life all over again... legally change my name, and never come back here... ever. I was this close!

Charlie Salinger:
So go. If you really want to move far away to go to college and change your name, sever all ties to the family and never come back here, never call or visit again... just go.

Bailey Salinger:
Yeah, I'll explain that to Julia and Claudia when they find out that this was the one last chance I had to save the restaurant... our parents legacy and that I passed it up for...

Charlie Salinger:
No. No one is gonna know. This will stay between you and me and Jake, and it never happened. The restaurant is history and you're going away to school. And I'm sorry, 'cause you're right about one thing. You deserve to get away from all this and you should go. I want you to go. I'm telling you to go, Bay.

Jody Lynch:
Why can't you make your own plans? Get your own boyfriend?

Claudia Salinger:
I can't.

Jody Lynch:
Why not?

Claudia Salinger:
Because, I don't want to do stuff like that yet. I mean, making out and stuff, and all these things you have to do when you get a boyfriend. Anyway, it's not like guys are intrested in me. Obviously. Guys like girls with b*obs and... everything.

Jody Lynch:
Like this is my problem? I'm having fun. I'm not gonna stop just because you're not ready. And you have no right walking around pissed off all the time like what I'm doing is so terrible. Like you wouldn't do the same thing if you could.

Claudia Salinger:
I know. I know, I just, um... I kinda miss you. I miss hanging out with you when it was just us. And you don't miss me because you have something else going on.

Jody Lynch:
So now what do we do?

Claudia Salinger:
I don't know.

Jody Lynch:
See you around, I guess.

Ross Werkman:
Is everything okay?

Claudia Salinger:
Nothing is okay, actually. I mean, the restaurant is closed, and I kinda lost my best friend. She was not really my "best" friend... but, pretty much.

Ross Werkman:
That sounds bad.

Claudia Salinger:
Yeah, and I overheard Charlie and Bailey talking last night about something about trying to have Grandpa Jacob save the restaurant and that Bailey might be going away to school when he graduates next month. I mean... far away and never come back. And I can't say anything because I don't want them to know that I know. And I don't want him to go just because of me. But... I don't want him to go. I don't want Bailey to go away.

Ross Werkman:
So, you're playing again?

Claudia Salinger:
Yeah. Only I don't want everyone to see because... they'll get like, all excited, and there'll be, like, all this pressure and... I don't want pressure. All I want to do is play the violin again. That's all. Not professionally, just personally... for me. I mean... I think I want to start again. And I think I need to.

Ross Werkman:
Well, I get that. I do. So let's start again.

Julia Salinger:
I don't know how to do this.

Justin Thompson:
How to do what?

Julia Salinger:
I don't remember how to be alone. How did I do it before? How did I get through the day? And it's like "Justin and Julia". Justin and Julia. It's this one word I've heard for so long. And when it's just my name... it feels like something is missing. I don't know how to be apart from you. I don't think I can.

Justin Thompson:
Julia... I think that it's supposed to get easier.

Julia Salinger:
When? How do you know? I mean... maybe it won't. Maybe this is a mistake. Maybe we shouldn't break up.

Justin Thompson:
No. I don't think we should stay together just because it's too hard for us to be apart. I don't think that's a good reason for us to stay together.

Sarah Reeves:
You're not gonna give me a chance, are you? You don't treat people you love like that. You just don't!

Bailey Salinger:
Sarah...

Sarah Reeves:
Yeah, so we had problems. I push you away too much because you're too overprotective. I spend too much time with the band. You don't like me changing. So what? So you sit down and you talk about things. You don't just say "it's over" just like that.

Bailey Salinger:
I just... I hate you feeling sorry for me.

Sarah Reeves:
What?

Bailey Salinger:
That's what you told Matt. That you're staying with me is because you feel sorry for me.

Sarah Reeves:
I never said that. I said that I felt bad about all the things you've been through. Your parents death. You think I feel sorry for you? Bailey, I'm completely... completely in love with you. And I thought that was enough. But I guess it's not. I guess you want me to go away, and you want me to disappear, so you can make a fresh start by going away to college far away to start over, change your name, and never come back around here ever again. Start over someplace else with someone else, where nobody knows you or pities you. Just like your Grandfather Jake, you want to leave and never want me or anyone else to call or visit while you're in college in New Hampshire, and never call or visit ever again... just your grandfather did when he walked out on your mother and grandmother. You're running away because you can't deal with the pain or of your life problems.

Bailey Salinger:
[sighs] I'm not. I'm not going. I'm not going away to school. I'm going to stay here in San Francisco to be near you and my family and enroll at a college here. It's a done deal. I'm using my college money to save the restaurant. It's complicated. Jake worked out all the details.

Sarah Reeves:
I don't get it. I thought that getting out of here was the most important thing to you.

Bailey Salinger:
Yeah, so did I. But... the problem is that I've spent the last two years fighting, really fighting to keep us all together after our parents died. And so the idea... the idea that I'd be the first one to leave... I mean us being a family, no matter what was... was kind of the whole point. And you... you're the whole point. And I don't know what happened to me. Sarah, I don't, but... it was like for a second there, it just... it all just seemed like too much and I couldn't handle it. But the thing is... the thing is I have to handle it. I have to because... because being with you and... and taking care of all of them... that's kind of who I am.

Julia Salinger:
Just stay out of my stuff, you got it? God, I am never gonna forgive you for this.

Claudia Salinger:
That seems fair.

Julia Salinger:
[as siblings are discussing whether or not to meet Walter] Maybe, it'd be good for us.

Bailey Salinger:
Oh, that's a load of crap!

Julia Salinger:
I don't know. I mean, maybe it kind of helps you to get past it. I mean, you see him one time, that's it, and you're past it.

Bailey Salinger:
Hey, we were all doing fine before tonight. I think I can get past it without looking at his face.

Julia Salinger:
Maybe, but he's always going to be out there. Instead of it being this big question and us always wondering, we could close that door forever.

Bailey Salinger:
Are you saying you want to see him?

Julia Salinger:
I'm not sure.

Bailey Salinger:
God!

Claudia Salinger:
Bailey, why are you being so mean?

Julia Salinger:
Look, we've gotta decide one way or the other.

Bailey Salinger:
Forget it. He can shove his apology. It doesn't do me any good!

Claudia Salinger:
[to Walter] I'm Claudia Salinger. I'm their youngest daughter. I just wanted to see what you look like.

Bailey Salinger:
God, you shouldn't have done that, Claud.

Charlie Salinger:
[referring to Walter Alcott] We all agreed we weren't gonna see him.

Claudia Salinger:
I know, but...

Bailey Salinger:
So, what did you think you were doing, huh? Look, if you're not gonna listen...

Julia Salinger:
Hey, lay off her, okay?

Claudia Salinger:
You all got to see him. I never saw him. And I just... I needed to see what he looked like.

Bailey Salinger:
So? How did he look?

Claudia Salinger:
Normal, I guess. He kind of looked pretty nice. Like anyone. Like someone you would know. A little like Amy Patterson's dad. Isn't that weird?

Julia Salinger:
What did you think he'd look like, Claud?

Claudia Salinger:
I don't know. Ugly, kind of mean. He was NICE to people, in his store. And before he knew who I was, he called me "sweetheart".

Julia Salinger:
[to Walter] The only thing that I can do... The only thing I can do for you, is tell you that we're gonna be okay. Because we are, the five of us. I don't know how I know it. I just do. We're gonna be okay. And maybe, if you know that... you'll be okay too.

Julia Salinger:
Can't you even try and help here?

Charlie Salinger:
What do you want me to do?

Julia Salinger:
That's all you can say? Doesn't it bother you, what's happening to us? I mean, don't you care? How can you not have a damn thing to say?

Julia Salinger:
I'm telling you, it's hard. But it's not the hardest thing in the world to say "I forgive you".

Charlie Salinger:
Yes, it is.

Walter Alcott:
[to Charlie] Listen to me. Let me do one good thing in all of this and tell you the truth. You're the hero in this story, Son.

Bailey Salinger:
[in cemetery] It's getting kind of weedy over by Nana and Papa.

Charlie Salinger:
I'll say something to the groundskeeper.

[last lines]

Charlie Salinger:
Hey, you know what, Claud? You're it.

Claudia Salinger:
What? Oh, no fair. No fair.

Bailey Salinger:
[about Walter Alcott] He was in jail for only nine months. Nine months out of an 18-month sentence. That's four-in-a-half months for each one of my parents that he killed! And released for good behavior? What is that about. What did he do? Cure cancer? I want him to pay for what he did and if it can't be with more jail time, then I want to pay out of his own pocket.

Emmett:
You want to sue him?

Bailey Salinger:
Can we?

Emmett:
Well, yes... technically you do have the grounds. You could file a civil suit against him for compenatory damages...

Bailey Salinger:
Then let's do it! Right now! Let's sue the bastard for every cent he's got!

Emmett:
And you think a lawsuit only going to make his life more miserable? What about yours? You know how long these things can take? What with depositions, continuances, and appeals... it could drag on for years, Bailey.

Bailey Salinger:
I don't care!

Emmett:
You don't care? Well, what about the others? What about Claudia or Owen? What about Owen, Bailey? Because by the time this whole thing is over, he's going to be old enough to understand.

Bailey Salinger:
Yeah, well at least he'll see me doing something.

Emmett:
Doing what? Let's say you lose. What was it all for?

Bailey Salinger:
Let's say we win.

Emmett:
Okay, let's say that. Let's say in the slim chance that you do win in a lawsuit against Alcott. What has it changed? Exactly what have you won? You take something like this on, and it becomes your life. You'll never be able to put this behind you and move on. Is this really what you want? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life hating Walter Alcott and trying to make him suffer for your parents death?

Bailey Salinger:
This is my life.

Bailey Salinger:
What do you want, Claud?

Claudia Salinger:
I don't know. I don't understand, Bay. I thought Jill was okay. I mean you just saw her today and she was okay, right? And she was in that program, so... how could this happen? How did Jill die from an overdose of cocaine? How come she had drugs in her room? Bailey?

Bailey Salinger:
How do I know? Maybe she bought them from some creep this afternoon while we were shopping downtown. Maybe she already had it stashed in her room which was leftover from her carefree days. Maybe she found them in the damn street in a trash can. Who knows? Who the hell cares? What difference does it make? Jill's dead.

Claudia Salinger:
So that can happen? You just take something once... and you can die? I can't belive...

Bailey Salinger:
[cutting her off] Claudia. Do you mind? I want to be alone.

Claudia Salinger:
Was she alone? In her room when she died?

Bailey Salinger:
I guess... I don't know. I wasn't there.

Claudia Salinger:
[on the verge of tears] Do you think she knew what was happening to her? Do you think she aware that she was dying? You think she was scared?

Bailey Salinger:
I don't know. Why are you crying?

Claudia Salinger:
Because... why aren't you?

Griffin Holbrook:
[sees Julia staring at him] What?

Julia Salinger:
[stammering] Uh... Griffin, right? I saw you yesterday at the funeral. Well, anyways, I always keep seeing you. How are you doing? You okay? I... I knew her. Jill, 'cause she and my brother were... Anyways, I knew her, so I thought that maybe...

Griffin Holbrook:
What?

Julia Salinger:
I thought that maybe we could... talk or something.

Griffin Holbrook:
Or something?

Julia Salinger:
Well, I thought I could help you.

Griffin Holbrook:
What makes you think I need help?

Julia Salinger:
She was your sister.

Griffin Holbrook:
So... so you understand... what I'm going through.

Julia Salinger:
Yes. Sort of. I lost my parents a year ago in a car accident.

Griffin Holbrook:
[leans in] You understand me? What I need? You know how to make it all better?

Julia Salinger:
[intimidated] Uh... I...

Griffin Holbrook:
You don't know anything.

Bailey Salinger:
At least I'm still in school. I'm not the one dropping out here. What are you gonna do, huh? Take a year off so you can get pregnant again?

Bailey Salinger:
I drink.

[long pause]

Bailey Salinger:
Has anyone seen my coat?

Claudia Salinger:
That's it?

Bailey Salinger:
Yeah, Claud, that's it.

Claudia Salinger:
[sobbing] No. No, no, no, no, no, no. I can't take this, Bailey. I mean, you can't do this anymore.

Bailey Salinger:
Claudia...

Claudia Salinger:
No, Bailey, I mean it, that's it. That's it. I will not stand by and let you slowly kill yourself by drinking to death. If you don't get help, I don't wanna see you. You can't talk to me, and you can't talk to Owen, and you can't come over to the house, and I'm not gonna come see you and I'm not gonna call you and I'm not even gonna think about you.

Charlie Salinger:
Claudia...

Claudia Salinger:
No!

Claudia Salinger:
[to Bailey, crying] I love you. More than anyone else.

[long pause]

Claudia Salinger:
I love you the best. You know that. This is the only thing I have that I can take away from you. To make you stop. Either you get help right now, or get outta here! [after a long pause, Bailey exits the room without a word]

Joe Mangus:
Bailey, your father was an alcoholic... just like you. Belive me, I was there. I've known him all my life. He was sober for 18 years before he died. But for many years before that, years...

Bailey Salinger:
Bull! That's a load of crap! I don't believe you! I thought that you couldn't get any lower then what they did. Lying about Owen. Saying he was hurt to get me to come over here, but you... you son of a b*tch!

Joe Mangus:
Come on, Bailey.

Bailey Salinger:
What do you think? You think that just because he's dead you can say anything you want about him?

Joe Mangus:
He'd want you to know if he were alive right now. He'd want me to tell you.

Bailey Salinger:
My father was not an alcoholic! I am NOT an alcoholic! Get out of here, Joe. Get the hell out of here! I don't need to listen to this!

[to Charlie]

Bailey Salinger:
Have you heard this load of crap? Have you? Or, hey this was probally your genius idea, right? Let's get Joe to say that Dad... Nick Salinger, was a drunk and then maybe...

Charlie Salinger:
Joe... is that true?

Julia Salinger:
[as Joe nods] I don't believe it.

Bailey Salinger:
You see?

Charlie Salinger:
He didn't... I would have known.

Joe Mangus:
You were just a little kid when he quit, Charlie. You were only six when he stopped drinking for good. You were probably too young to recognize the signs.

Charlie Salinger:
What signs?

Joe Mangus:
As far back as you can remember to when you were six, do you remember him coming home from the restaurant late every night, and I would always be with him when he walked in the front door?

Julia Salinger:
That doesn't mean... look, he had a business to run.

Charlie Salinger:
He liked hanging out with you and the guys late after work, shooting the bull...

Joe Mangus:
And drinking... a lot.

Julia Salinger:
No.

Joe Mangus:
Honey, I was the one who had to drive him home night after night from the restaurant because he was so drunk that he couldn't drive himself. That's why I was always with him when he came home. Remember, Charlie?

Julia Salinger:
[to Charlie] Did he?

Charlie Salinger:
[in denial] I don't know. I don't remember.

Joe Mangus:
Come on. I think you do. Don't you remember the fights and arguments he had with your mother afterwords? The shouting behind closed doors? It was very bad for a long time. If he hadn't gotten the help he needed when he did, he might not have lived to...

Julia Salinger:
But I never saw him drunk or take a drink in my life. Not once. Not even a bottle of beer or a glass of wine.

Joe Mangus:
That's right. And why do you think? Not a drop, not an ounce, nothing. He owned a restaurant. Hell, he owned a bar. Why never a sip? Because he knew he couldn't... ever. That's what it's like to be an alcoholic.

Bailey Salinger:
[to Sarah] It's funny, because this is what we used to talk about, remember? And I finally have an answer to that question that you asked me. When you were looking for your mom... your real biological mother, and you would say to me, "I wonder what I got from her? My voice... or my dark hair?" Remember? And you asked me what I got from my parents since you never met them before they died three years ago. It's like Claudia plays the violin like mom. And Julia looks just like her, and Charlie looks like him. And this is what I got. This is what my father gave me.

Charlie Salinger:
You don't understand, Kirsten. I can't do this!

Kirsten Bennett:
Yes. Yes, you can.

Charlie Salinger:
Why won't you listen to me?

Kirsten Bennett:
I am listening to you! What I am not doing is indulging you.

Charlie Salinger:
What?

Kirsten Bennett:
You're scared. Well, hello... yes, it's scary. I'm scared too. Getting married is scary. You're panicked. Well, who isn't the morning of their wedding? But you make a choice. You either decide that it's second thoughts, or if you love me, Charlie, you decide that it's nervous anticipation and you go back downstairs. And when the minister asks "do you take this woman?", you say "I do".

Charlie Salinger:
No! No, you don't understand! I say that and I'm married, and I will be with the last woman I'm ever going to have and that I've got all the kids that I'm ever gonna have. And I live in my father's house. And every day I go to my father's job at the restaurant. And any one of those things on their own, I can deal with, but... you add them up, Kirsten. The wife and the kids and the house and the job... and that's every decision that I'm ever gonna make in my life! I've got no choices left! I'm 25 years old and I know my whole life.

Kirsten Bennett:
And it's not what you want? I'm not what you want? You don't love me?

Charlie Salinger:
I do love you. I don't want to be with anyone else. I don't.

Kirsten Bennett:
You just don't want to marry me?

Charlie Salinger:
No, I do. I do. I just... I just need time to sit with all this for a while.

Kirsten Bennett:
Listen to me, Charlie. We don't have time. My parents are downstairs, and your family and friends and a minister and 35 pounds of Australian shrimp. Now, you just pull yourself together, okay. You take a deep breath and put all this behind you, because we are getting married today.

Charlie Salinger:
No. I can't.

Joe Mangus:
Alright, so we got Charlie, Kirsten, Julia, Claude, Owen, Diana, you, me...

Bailey Salinger:
Well, remember when it was Salinger party of five?

Judge Faulkner:
Mr. Holbrook, you are hereby charged with grand theft. How do you plead?

Griffin Holbrook:
Uh, guilty... I guess.

Charlie Salinger:
I got nothing else to say to you, Jule, except I told you so about Griffin.

Julia Salinger:
Look, I know you're mad. I get that.

Charlie Salinger:
No, you don't, 'cause "mad" doesn't even come close!

Julia Salinger:
Will you just listen? I talked with the lawyer assigned to Griffin's case. He said that this whole thing will go away if Theo drops the grand theft charges.

Charlie Salinger:
Well, he's not going to do that.

Julia Salinger:
He will if you talk to him. I mean, if you explain that Griffin made a mistake...

Charlie Salinger:
[interrupting] A mistake? Julia, he stole money from our restaruant! He deserves to get what's comming to him!

Julia Salinger:
Charlie, please! You don't know what's going on. You don't know how horrible Griffin's home life is.

Charlie Salinger:
I don't care! Okay? Julia, get a clue here! The guy is a loser! He is wrong for you!

Julia Salinger:
His dad let him spend the night in jail. Did you know that? He wouldn't even come down to the police station to visit him, and he woun't pay for a decent lawyer. You should see how his dad talks to him. If you saw that, maybe you'd understand and...

Charlie Salinger:
And what? I'd feel sorry for him and forget what he did?

Julia Salinger:
Why do you think Griffin spends nights here and avoids going home? Why do you think he has bruises on his face every other week?

Charlie Salinger:
Because he's a troublemaker.

Julia Salinger:
No! Becuase his own dad hits him for no reason on a daily basis. Since Griffin is too angry and ashamed to talk about what's going on at home, people see the buises on his face and think he gets into fights. That's why he has a bad reputation. That's not true. He's just a lonely, abused, mistreated guy who doesn't know how to deal with issues because he has no one else, beside me, in his life.

Charlie Salinger:
Once again, I don't care! Why do you think that? Why do you think his dad beats him? Because Griffin is a loser! His dad is a loser! So was Jill, and probally their mother too. Just because his own father hits him does not give Griffin the right to go out and hit other people, or cut classes, or provoke fights and arguments with his teachers, his bosses, or classmates... or steal money from our resaurant!

Julia Salinger:
God, Charlie! Griffin could go to prison!

Charlie Salinger:
Yeah, well you know what? So could I! The only difference is that I didn't do anything wrong!