SCENE 1 (Amy's place, middle of the night)

(Shot of the outside of the apartment building, entirely dark 
except for a thin glowing outline from the moonlight.  Cut to 
shot of Amy and Joel in bed.  Amy is sound asleep, looking as 
though every fiber of her being needs rest.  Joel shifts around 
beside her, his eyes open.  A couple of times he turns to look 
at his sleeping lover before focusing his gaze on the ceiling.)

(Cut to shot of Helen lying sideways in the guest bed with the 
sheets tangled around her.  Her eyes are also open, and her mind 
moves at a mile a minute.)

(Dissolve to a flashback.  Close-up of a young Helen, around ten 
years old.  Her hair is a couple of shades lighter, and in contrast 
to the breezy confidence she shows as an adult, she looks withdrawn.  
Zoom out to show that she's sitting on a couch in the Barksdale family 
den, her legs drawn to her chest.  Several seconds pass in silence, 
until we cut to a shot of a woman peeking at her through the door.  
She turns, and we recognize her as Helen's mother, Evelyn Barksdale.  
Frowning with concern, or perhaps annoyance, she walks into the posh 
living room, where a few relative are seated.  A young Rita plays with 
her dolls on the floor.)

EVELYN:  I honestly don't know what's gotten into her.  She's been 
like this for weeks.

EVELYN'S MOTHER: She's probably just nervous.  It's a big change, 
after all.

RITA: (chipper) I'm not nervous.  I'm excited.

(Evelyn smiles indulgently, then tries to bend over and stroke Rita's 
hair, but finds it too difficult.)

EVELYN: Yes, you are a good sister, aren't you?

EVELYN'S MOTHER-IN-LAW: (Helen and Rita's Grandma Barksdale)  It's too 
bad Howard's been so busy lately.  He could talk some sense into her.

EVELYN:  I don't think even he can help.

(Cut to shot of young Helen, sitting there silently.)

EVELYN: (VO) She barely eats and sleeps.  She cries on and off and 
hates to leave the house.  And she hardly ever talks.  (stressed.)  
I don't know what to do for her!  I'm in no position to deal with 
this right now.

EVELYN'S MOTHER: (sympathetic)  Of course not.  You just rest, dear.

(The voices fade as we return to the present.  Helen shifts in the 
guest bed, then sighs and sits up.  After a few more seconds, she 
stands and walks out of the room.)

(cut to: )

SCENE 2 (kitchen)

(Helen sees light through the crack in the door, and opens it to 
find Joel in the kitchen.  He stands over the sink, pouring some 
water into a mug.  Resume wide shot.  He scarcely bats an eye at 
Helen as he places the mug in the microwave and turns it on.)

HELEN:  I didn't think anyone else would be up.

JOEL: (tired, gruff)  Yeah, I'd like to be sound asleep right now.  
But since I'm not, I figured some nice caffeinated tea would do 
the trick.

HELEN:  Is everything all right?

JOEL:  I just get like this sometimes.  You want some?

HELEN:  Sure.  You have anything herbal?

(Joel opens one of the cabinets and shuffles through, squinting at 
the labels.)

HELEN:  You and Amy...

JOEL: (shakes his head)  Amy never has trouble falling asleep.  Or 
staying asleep.  Except, you know, when some random visitor rings 
our bell in the wee hours.  

(Helen chuckles nervously, knowing this is a not-so-subtle swipe at 
her.  She suspects that Joel is tolerating her more than anything 
else, which makes her feel indignant and even guiltier than before.)

JOEL:  All we've got is Earl Grey.

HELEN:  I'll just have water, then.  (moves toward the sink.)  I want 
to catch a few more hours before I go home in the morning.

JOEL: (cocks a brow)  You're leaving?

HELEN:  Oh yes, I plan on it. (weak smile.)  That way you and Amy 
will still have two days to yourselves.

(Joel raises his other brow, recalling Amy's words about "needing 
more time" with her sister, and glad that Helen realizes the burden 
she's placed on them.)

JOEL:  So everything's okay?

HELEN: (quietly determined)  It will be.

(Silently, Joel hands her a glass, which Helen fills with water.  
She stands there, unsure of whether to drink it by the sink or bring 
it back to the guest room.)

HELEN:  I want to thank you again for letting me stay here.  You 
didn't have to, you know.

JOEL:  Of course I did.  I owed it to Amy after she put up with my 
nephew last month. (shakes his head.)  Out of forty-eight hours, he 
spent maybe three away from his Play Station.  I almost clubbed him 
over the head with the console.

(Helen chuckles, yet feels a little indignant that her visit could 
be compared to that of some thoughtless kid.)

JOEL:  Not that you and he have anything in common.

HELEN: (relieved)  Oh.

(She takes a sip of water and watches Joel open the microwave to 
take out his mug.  It occurs to her that Joel would be the ideal 
person to provide her with missing info about her sister, if he 
were ever inclined.  Unbeknownst to Helen, Joel is thinking the 
same thing.)

HELEN:  So you and Amy... things are all right between you two?

(Joel plops a tea bag in the water.)

JOEL:  Depends.  What has she told you?  

HELEN:  That you were getting along well.

JOEL:  Then we are.

HELEN: (arching a brow)  Well that's certainly good to know.

JOEL:  Yeah. (tosses the bag, takes a sip.  Then he glances at 
Helen.)  You look like you want to cross-examine me.

HELEN: (blushing)  Oh, no.  I -

JOEL:  Hey, Lawyer M'am, I did it to you yesterday.  It's only 
fair.

(Helen can't help but smile a bit at this.)

HELEN:  All right.  How do you feel about my sister.

JOEL:  She's someone to share the rent with.  Better than my 
brother any day.  (He gages Helen's reaction, then smirks.)  
Actually, I quite fancy her.

HELEN:  Do you love her?

JOEL:  Mon aimee, c'est Amy.

HELEN:  What?

JOEL:  Pun, sorry.  I love her very much.

HELEN:  Any thoughts of marriage?

JOEL:  You don't waste any time.

HELEN: (smiles)  Years of practice.

JOEL:  I've had fantasies of going the distance - marriage, 
kids, house.

HELEN:  And Amy?

JOEL:  She... hasn't said. (shrugs.)  We haven't even figured 
out a new arrangement for the living room.  It still looks the 
same as when I moved in.

HELEN:  Well have you tried talking to her?

JOEL: (after a slight Pause)  We've lived together for less than 
a year, and that's a big enough adjustment for both of us.

HELEN: (busy-body tone)  At the same time, you two aren't getting 
any younger.  You've made it this far; why not go the extra step?

JOEL:  'Cause I don't feel like rushing down the aisle, either.  
My parents did it, and they split up when I was six.  Then they 
split me and my brother up.

HELEN:  I'm so sorry.

JOEL: (shrugs)  Don't be.  Dad was a good father, kept me out 
of gangs and put pressure on me to do my best.  He lives just a 
few miles away, so we hang out together a lot.

HELEN: (smiling)  So you made the best of a bad situation.

JOEL:  Yeah - and you should see him with Amy.  You'd think she was 
his kid.  She balked at first, but now I think she enjoys having a 
dad around who spoils her.

HELEN: (glancing away a bit)  Yes.

JOEL: (noticing)  Not that a father who doesn't is -

HELEN:  Our father didn't, certainly.  I suppose Amy's told you about 
her relationship with him?

JOEL:  More like grumbled.  I think the more time she spends with my 
dad, the more resentful she gets.

HELEN: (nods slowly)  She could never make our father happy.  It's 
not that he didn't love her, I just don't think he understood her.  
(smiles weakly.)  They were both hard to understand.

JOEL:  Between you and me: she's been having some trouble 
understanding herself, lately.

HELEN: (surprised)  Oh?

JOEL:  You know, where her direction lies.  Her job makes her a lot 
of money, but it's not what she wants to do, at least not anymore.  
She signed up for a [something] clinic thinking it might give her 
some options.

HELEN:  Let's hope for her sake it does.

JOEL:  It was held yesterday.

HELEN:  It was? (brow creases.)  Amy never said anything.

JOEL: (shrug)  She probably didn't want to leave you alone.

HELEN: (insistent)  But I would have let her go if it was important 
to her.  Really.  I just never knew.

JOEL:  There'll be other clinics. (mutters.)  That she'll find an 
excuse not to attend.

HELEN: (not hearing, distressed)  Not that I blame Amy.  After the 
things I said to her yesterday, I owe her an immediate apology.

JOEL:  I think she'd be just as happy if you waited 'til after sunrise.  
(He gestures toward the still darkened sky.)

HELEN:  Right.

(fade-out.  fade-in to: )

SCENE 3 (Morgendorffer kitchen, morning)

(Shot of the outside.  Cut to shot of Daria at the table, cordless 
phone to her ear.  Her expression is one of muted relief.)

DARIA:  We'd roll out the red carpet for you, but it's being 
dry-cleaned.

(Split screen with Helen on the left, now dressed in her work suit.)

HELEN: (chortling)  That's all right.  I'll just be glad to be at home.

DARIA:  When can we expect you?

HELEN:  I should be on the road in an hour.  Barring heavy traffic, 
it'll take me...

(The rest of her reply is cut off as we cut to a wide shot of the 
kitchen.  Quinn enters, looking tired and crabby, and silently sits 
down at one of the counter stools.  Daria glances at her as she 
continues to listen to Helen.)

DARIA: (into the phone)  Yes, Dad and Quinn are fine.  (Pause)  
Dad's still in bed.

JAKE: (suddenly, from out back)  AGHHHHH!  Work, you stupid machine!

DARIA:  I mean destroying the lawn mower.  (Bt)  Yes, I know where 
the tourniquets are.  (Bt)  See you soon.

(Seconds later, she clicks off the phone.)

DARIA: (to Quinn, with relief)  Mom should be home by mid-afternoon.  
Commence normal boring weekend.

QUINN: (distant, flips through an open newspaper nearby)  Yeah, 
that's great.

DARIA:  So Aunt Amy worked her magic.  (thought VO.)  In spite 
of what she said.

QUINN:  Yeah.

DARIA:  Things may not be perfect, but at least both parents will 
be within the vicinity.

QUINN:  Yeah.

DARIA: (cocking an eyelid)  And soon aliens from Planet X will land 
and perform a happy jig.

(Quinn pushes aside the newspaper and sits up, looking angry.)

QUINN:  I was paying attention, Daria.

DARIA:  I could tell.  (Bt)  Frankly I'd've thought you of all people 
would be overjoyed by the news.

(Quinn hops off the stool.)

QUINN:  Since when do you know anything about me?!

(She walks brusquely out of the room, leaving a puzzled Daria to 
stare after her.)

DARIA: (to the empty room)  And once again, melodrama rears its ugly 
head in the Morgendorffer household.

(cut to: )

SCENE 4 (Amy's place, a little later)

(Shot of the outside.  Cut to shot of Amy's closed bedroom door, as seen 
from the inside.  It opens slightly, and Helen pokes her head through.)

HELEN:  Amy?  Honey?

(Cut to her POV: Amy lies on her back, sleeping lightly, her face tilted 
away from Helen.  Helen is about to shut the door when Amy moans a little 
and turns toward her.)

AMY: (eyes still closed)  Normal people sleep in on Sundays, you know.

(Helen walks into the room and stands over her.)

HELEN:  Yes, well you can go back to sleep in a few minutes.  I just 
wanted to let you know I'm leaving.

(With impulsive, older-sisterly affection, she brushes some stray locks 
off of Amy's cheek and smoothes down the collar of her nightshirt.  Amy 
opens an eye and glares at her.)

AMY:  Gah!  Cut it out.

HELEN: (smiling)  I'm sorry.  You just look so cute asleep.

AMY:  Do your girls let you do this?  (She rolls her eyes with a 
touch of amusement, then sits up and puts on her glasses.)

HELEN: (feeling more embarrassed)  I don't know what came over me.

AMY: (looks her over)  Wow.  You really are ready to go.

HELEN: (nodding)  But first I want to apologize for what I said 
yesterday.  (She sits down on the edge of the bed next to Amy.  Her 
expression becomes uncomfortable.)  That I came here just to blame you 
for my problems.  Believe me, nothing that's happened is your fault.

(Amy looks at her for a moment.  A full night's rest has removed 
most of her resentful feelings.)

AMY:  You were tired and stressed, and needed someone to lash out 
at.  I felt honored to be the whipping boy.

HELEN:  I suspect you're lying, but thank you.

(She pats Amy's knee, and smiles so tenderly at her that Amy's lips 
widen and part in response, into what is almost a genuine smile 
instead of a wide smirk.  It fades as quickly as it appears.) 

AMY:  So you're still ready to face the music with Jake?

HELEN:  As ready as can be expected.

(Amy probes Helen's face for signs of anxiety, and finds none.  
Her own face takes on a pensive expression.)

AMY:  Well I admire your resolve.

(Helen stands up and leans over to give Amy a final good-bye hug.  
Amy accepts it, but the expression lingers.  When Helen takes a few 
steps toward the door, Amy shoves off the covers and swings her legs 
over the side of the bed.)

AMY:  Helen, wait.

HELEN: (pauses)  Hmm?

AMY:  Believe me, I want to let you go.  But something's been 
bothering me about your situation, and maybe I'm an idiot and the 
answer should be clear, but I have to ask.

HELEN:  Yes?

AMY:  Are you still in love with Jake?

HELEN:  What do you mean?

AMY: (softly)  Hey, if the answer's yes, then all the pain you've 
been feeling or have yet to feel will be worth it.

(Helen just looks at Amy.)

(fade-out.  fade-in to: )

SCENE 5 (living room, soon after)

(Shot of Joel snoozing on the couch while a football game 
continues to blare off screen.  From the hallway: )

HELEN:  What on EARTH are you getting at, Amy?!  Of COURSE I 
love him!

(The sound carries over the T.V. noise.  Joel's brow furrows, 
but he remains still.  Cut to shot of the hallway outside.  
Helen strides down in, looking angry, while Amy follows, wearing 
a robe over her pajamas.)

AMY:  You hesitated there for a minute.

HELEN:  Don't play interrogator with *me*, Amy Barksdale, because
 I'll beat you every time!

AMY: (rolling her eyes)  All right, all right.

HELEN: (faltering)  I hesitated but it wasn't because I don't 
love him, because of course I *do*, it's because, well it's because 
it's not so easy as that.

(Her pace slows.  Amy puts a hand on her arm, causing Helen to 
turn to look at her.)

AMY:  Hey, have you had breakfast?

HELEN: (still angry)  I drank coffee.  That was plenty.

(Amy gives her a look.  Helen looks defiant.)

(cut to: )

SCENE 6 (Morgendorffer house, a bit later)

(Shot of the outside.  Cut to shot of Daria and Jane sitting on 
the living room center couch.  Jane's just come over.)

JANE:  So your mom's on her way home and your dad isn't having 
an affair.  You feeling happier now?  (Bt)  Or in your case, 
slightly less pessimistic?

DARIA:  I guess.  (Her expression is cautious.)  Though I'm saving 
my cheer for when Mom actually gets home.  Until then, I refuse to 
harbor any intense feelings whatsoever.

JANE: (with a touch of concern)  What did your dad say?  You *did* 
tell him where your mother went, didn't you?

DARIA:  I told him the lie Mom told me: that she was helping 
Aunt Amy through a crisis.  His "Oh gee, it'll be great to have 
her back!" struck me as less than convincing.

JANE:  Hmmm.

DARIA: (sighs)  They just need to spend time together so they can 
work things out.  They've been avoiding each other for too long.

JANE: (trying for light humor)  Maybe you and Quinn can arrange 
for them to have a "romantic" evening alone.

DARIA: (with disgust)  Maybe... if Quinn weren't pissed off at 
me again.

JANE:  What??  How??

DARIA: (rolls her eyes)  Damned if I know.  One day everything's 
fine.  The next, she's yelling at me again.  (irritated.)  This 
is getting ridiculous.  I don't even remember what I said to her.

JANE: (off hand)  That time of the month?

DARIA:  It's like some cosmic irony: the only time Quinn and I can 
have a good relationship is when everything else is screwed up.

JANE:  Could be.  But the question is, can you get through this 
without her?

(cut to: )

SCENE 7 (Amy's place, shortly after)

(Shot of the outside.  Cut to shot of Joel walking toward the 
kitchen, looking bed-rumpled after his nap.  As he approaches the 
door, he hears murmuring on the other side, and frowns with 
perplexity and something else.)

(Close-up shot of a resigned-looking Helen poking at an omelet 
that Amy has just made.  Amy stands over the stove, scooping one 
onto her own plate.)

HELEN: (brow furrowed)  I should explain about earlier.  (lays 
down her fork.)  You see, Amy, when you've spent many years with 
the same person the way I have, you may find that while you still 
love that person as much as ever, you've changed a lot since you 
first got together.  And so has he.

AMY:  Changed?  How?
 
HELEN: (awkward)  Well... when you're young, you have different ideas 
about who you are, and what you're capable of.  You're still learning
about your partner, so there are different expectations.  Then as you 
get older, you wonder if your relationship can grow along with you, or 
if it'll get caught in 1985, drifting aimlessly through the same sea of
disappointment, frustration, accusations -

AMY:  Huh?

HELEN:  Sorry.

AMY: (in as neutral a tone as possible)  So you feel that your relationship 
with Jake is holding you back?

(Helen looks down at her plate, then up at Amy, tears in her eyes.)

HELEN:  It's holding *him* back.

(Amy looks confused, and shakes her head vigorously.)

AMY:  All right, head rush here.  I thought this whole visit was about 
you discovering yourself through sculpting and falling for your instructor.

HELEN:  It is about those things.  (closes her eyes.)  It would be 
wonderful if this could be cleared up with a confession and an apology.  
But the truth is, that day I kissed Greg, I learned something about Jake 
as well.

AMY: (sitting down at the table)  Like?

HELEN:  Like that with the proper encouragement, he can do *so* much.  
(smiles faintly.)  You know he's been teaching night classes?  A friend
of his got him involved.  It really seems to be doing him a lot of good.

AMY:  So that's good for you, too, right?

HELEN:  Sure.  Except that his *friend* encouraged him, not me.  Whenever 
*I* encouraged him to try new things, it usually turned out very badly.

AMY:  But isn't Jake still in a relationship with you?  Do *you* always 
need to be the one to force his hand?

HELEN:  I just think of what else he might have done in the proper 
environment.  He might have fulfilled his dreams *years* ago, and then 
he wouldn't have spent all this time feeling so hurt and resentful -

AMY:  And none of that was his fault, of course.

HELEN:  So maybe he deserves someone else.  Someone... who... can help him 
be the kind of man he wants.

AMY:  That would certainly give you a nice exit strategy, wouldn't it?  
(Helen is too upset to hear her.)  Let you escape the guilt of your 
forbidden kiss, and maybe the guilt of *you* wanting someone who could
help *you* grow.

HELEN:  A spouse is *supposed* to be one's primary source of inspiration!  
If I've never been one for him before, how could I possibly be one now, 
after all I've done?!  Then I think that maybe therapy can fix things, 
but then I get scared that it won't, and oh God, Amy, look at me!

(Amy looks at her wide eyes and shaking hands.)

AMY:  I've never seen you like this.

HELEN:  The last time I felt this way, it got so bad, I was almost 
put on medication.

AMY: (nervous)  Come on, eat something.  (She takes Helen's fork and 
spears a piece of omelet, but Helen refuses to eat.)  You kissed a man, 
Helen.  It didn't go beyond that.  If Jake loves you, he'll forgive you.

HELEN: (shaking)  It's just... I mean I don't... it's like I don't even 
*know* what I'm afraid of.  The future's just so unclear, and I feel 
like it could pull me in all sorts of directions, take me places where 
I'd never want to go.

AMY: (half-smirk)  Like to your sister's.

(Helen laughs a little, causing tears to spill down her cheeks.)

AMY:  At least it's not your mother's.  (Bt)  The last time this 
happened, how did you resolve it?

HELEN: (smiles faintly)  I didn't; the problem took care of itself.  
You were born a girl.

(Amy does a double-take as Joel ,

JOEL:  Hiya, ladies.

(Joel wraps his arms around Amy's waist and gives her a deep kiss.)

JOEL:  Following your doctor's advice.  How novel.

(Amy gestures at a half-empty doughnut box.)

AMY:  Yes.  Though I can see that you haven't been following yours.