This is [or should be] the twentieth episode of The Driven Wild Universe. It follows
This fic is, like, a 5S, I think. It's the longest yet. Sit and read it all at once, and yer bum will grow numb. Heh.
A note on the title: As many of you know, the original title for this fic was "Memory Lane." I still think it sounds better, but I and several of my beta-readers worried that it implied a Lane family connection that didn't exist. Thus, I changed it to "Memory Road," after this bit of dialogue between Daria and Quinn in "Boxing Daria":
DARIA: Do you remember us having one of these when we were kids?
QUINN: Daria, I'm doing manual labor here? I'm not in the mood for a stroll down memory road.
I thought the connection was neat. Both the episode and the fanfic involve flashbacking and family troubles. Both also are deeper and more emotional than the ones that preceded it. Runners up for the title included "Evasion Maneuvers" and "Blameless." You'll see why.
Before we launch into it, I want to apologize if it seemed like I was teasing you about when this second half would be released. Trust me, it was out of eagerness that I kept saying "It'll be ready soon! Soon, soon, soon!" Thank you for your patience. And enjoy!!!!!!!!!!
(Black screen. Suddenly two circles, encasing two eyes, appear.)
DARIA: (VO) Oh joy, another recap. Is it just me, or do these get longer each time I watch television? Just another reminder to trade mine in for that stainless steel knife collection. (Bt) After "Sick Sad World" goes off the air, of course.
(Pause)
DARIA: (sighing) Previously on "Daria"...
... Quinn learns she has a major vision problem and needs
glasses.
... Quinn's glasses conspire with her math teacher to turn
her into a completely unfashionable math geek.
... Mom discovers she has a knack for sculpting.
... Dad discovers he has a knack for tutoring Quinn, just as I
learn I have a knack for torturing Quinn.
... And just when I'd stopped worrying about dying alone,
Aunt Amy sends over pictures of her peachy keen life with
her boyfriend.
... The ensuing raging envy I feel leads me to set up Trent Lane
with my cousin Erin. &%#$@^%?!!
... And later I moan about my depressing life to people even more
pathetic than me on an underground newspaper.
(Pause)
DARIA: Oh, wait... you want a recap of the previous episode. Why didn't you say so? (Bt) Previously on "Daria"...
[Shot of Helen and her boss in Helen's office.]
ERIC: Helen. (meaningful look.) You need rest. So you don't end up getting a much longer rest.
(Helen catches his meaning, swallows hard.)
[Shot of Amy and Joel with Helen, in their living room.]
AMY: (sleepy) It's not your habit to drop in on people after midnight, is it?
[Later shot of Amy coming over to Helen on the couch.]
AMY: Hel--
(Helen reaches forward and grabs her sister around the waist. Pressing her face against Amy's side, she starts shivering and crying noiselessly. Amy looks down at her, stunned. Then she leans down awkwardly and lays her arms around her.)
[Shot of Amy and Joel in bed.]
JOEL: She came to you with her problems, didn't she?
AMY: Which brings us to the great mystery. Why me?
[Shot of Daria and Quinn in the kitchen, watching Jake leave.]
QUINN: He didn't even ask where Mom was. It's like he doesn't even care.
DARIA: (more calm, but still alarmed) Now, now. Let's not jump to any conclusions.
[Shot of Jane, Daria, and Quinn in the Pizza King]
JANE: So what would be the harm in following him?
[Driving shot of them arriving at the park.]
[Shots of Daria, Jane, and Quinn watching Jake play ball.]
(In preparation, Jake beats his bat against the ground -- one time so hard, it sends pain shocks through his hands and causes him to drop the bat. He yelps with pain. Daria cocks a brow: "Typical Dad." Just then DeMartino bounds out of the dug-out, claps Jake on the back.)
VOICES ALL AROUND: Yeahhhh Prof! Whoo-hoo!
JAKE: (warm gratitude) Thanks, Tony! This one's gonna be for you.
[Later shot of Daria talking to Jane, angry. Shot of Quinn watching from afar, wearing a left-out expression.]
DARIA: (devoid of sarcasm) They should have told us the truth, Jane. What they're up to could have major impact on our family, yet they're too selfish to let me and Quinn come to terms with it.
[Shot Helen and Amy by Amy's car.]
HELEN: It was you. I kept wondering what my main reason for visiting was, and now I know: you're the cause of my problems. You started everything.
AMY: (winces at her angry tone) You're not just looking for a convenient villain?
[Flashback shot of Helen and Greg kissing from "An Uneasy Marriage."]
[Shot Helen and Amy in the car, evening.]
AMY: I don't think you can put things back the way they were, and I don't think you think so, either. (more gentle.) And in spite of the pain and confusion you're feeling, do you really believe it'd be better to go back?
HELEN: It's selfish of me to even think I could walk out on my sweet Jakey and turn my girls' lives upside down because of some fleeting moment of satisfaction.
[Significant look from Amy.]
[Shot of Amy, with that same look, and Joel in the living room.]
AMY: (softly) I just need more time with her.
[Shot of Amy and Daria on the phone.]
AMY: Please Daria, if there's any time you should trust me, it's now. I want your mom to get better, too.
DARIA: (as though there's a painful knot in her throat) All right. I trust you.
AMY: Thanks.
DARIA: But...
AMY: Yeah?
DARIA: Just... (can't get the last words out.)
AMY: (inviting) What? What's on your mind?
DARIA: Nothing.
[The phone slides from her hand.]
[intro theme music...................]
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.)
HELEN: (thought VO) I hate bad memories. Why can't I just keep my mind on the positive? (frowns.) But if I could do that, would I be here?
(After a few more seconds, she stands and walks out of the room.)
(cut to: )
SCENE 2 (living room)
(Shot of Helen seated on the couch, holding a framed photograph in her hands. In contrast to her earlier mood, she looks quietly thoughtful.)
HELEN: (thought VO) All right, Helen. You've cried yourself dry. You've run away. Now what are you going to do?
(She looks at the photograph, as if wishing it would yield a response.)
HELEN: (thought VO) That sounds like something Amy would say. You're lucky she talks to you at all, after what you accused her of.
(Helen takes a deep breath, and her eyes narrow with resolve.)
HELEN: First thing you'll do is apologize to her in the morning. And then, you'll go home and talk to Jake. And if he loves you, he'll forgive you. Then we'll get help... and you'll refocus on your career and get everything back on track.
(Her expression becomes more vulnerable.)
HELEN: You won't let fear paralyze you. You're not a child anymore.
(She presses her chin to her chest and rocks slowly back and forth, trying to take comfort in these thoughts. Suddenly there's a faint creaking sound off screen. Helen turns toward the doorway and sees a faint shadow across the floor.)
HELEN: Amy?
(After another beat, Joel steps into full view.)
HELEN: Joel.
JOEL: (tired, gruff) Lovely middle of the night, isn't it?
HELEN: (concern) I didn't wake you, did I?
JOEL: Not unless you made the greasy hoagie that's churning inside of me.
HELEN: But after the way I was... (chuckles, embarrassed.) Oh, that's right -- I wasn't actually saying any of it out loud.
(Joel looks at her a bit strangely. Though generally easy-going, he likes everything to be in its place, and can be prickly when faced with disorder. Since Helen's unexpected arrival, Joel's resentment toward her has grown with every passing hour, and Helen can feel his chilliness. Even so, he is not immune to the sight of her slumped over on the couch, the moonlight falling against her, looking like the loneliest creature on earth.)
JOEL: I'm on my way to the kitchen for some of the pink stuff.
HELEN: I see. (smiles a bit awkwardly.) Well I hope you feel better.
JOEL: Thanks. (raises a brow at the photograph.) Hope you and the picture have a nice time together.
HELEN: What, this? (She looks at it, as though seeing it for the first time.) Oh I just picked it up off the mantel over there. It's nothing. (smiles faintly.) Actually, it's not "nothing."
(Joel walks over and sits down on an arm of the couch.)
JOEL: (glancing over, smiles) Amy as a smoochy-poo baby. I like this one.
HELEN: I'm surprised she'd display this. (wry.) It's as if she's willing to be vulnerable.
JOEL: She took it from one of the shelves of your mother's house, when we came to visit a few months back. Also a couple of photo albums from when she was really young.
HELEN: How come?
JOEL: Just because. No explanation. (looks at the picture.) Here she looks like she could be five months, maybe...
HELEN: Six months. I took the picture. (Joel raises a brow.) I was pretty young myself, so that's why it's a little out of focus.
JOEL: You caught her at a good time, though. She looks so happy.
HELEN: She was. (smiles with the warmth of someone about to relive a pleasant experience.) Every day when I came home from school, she would crawl toward me with a big toothless smile and a trail of drool down her chin.
JOEL: (smirks) Was she a naughty kid?
HELEN: Not really. Not as much as you might think. I did the usual baby stuff with her: played Peek-a-boo, stole her nose, taught her the names of every female head of state. I loved her so much. (looks at Joel, her cheeks flushing.) I'll confess, both of my girls were beautiful babies, but neither of them was as darling as Amy. I don't know what it was. (looks back at the photo.) Yesterday, when she invited me to stay a little longer, I wasn't sure I wanted to, until I saw this.
(Joel looks at the photograph again; something about it speaks to him, as well as to Helen. He catches Helen's eye, and Joel suddenly finds her less of a pain in the ass. He nods toward the door.)
(cut to: )
SCENE 3 (kitchen, a short time later)
(Joel stands in front of the refrigerator, shaking a bottle of Pepto-Bismol to see how much is left. Helen sits at the table, sipping tea and looking much improved.)
HELEN: You used coasters at the dinner table??
JOEL: When you don't have a mother around, you tend to overcompensate. In high school I was voted "most likely to shampoo your rug."
(Helen chuckles.)
JOEL: So yes, I'm a neat freak. Could've been much worse, though.
HELEN: Was it hard living with just your father?
JOEL: Not really, since I never saw him much. He was a department store manager, so he worked long hours. (faces Helen.) Still, when Dad was around, he made it count by limiting my life to school, music, and "pre-selected community-building activities." A lot of gangs in my neighborhood could've claimed me, but they never did.
HELEN: Good for you. (brow crease.) But it doesn't sound very appealing.
JOEL: You'd have to meet my father. He's really a loving guy. Now that he's retired, he and I spend more time just hanging out. Amy likes him, so he must be worth something, right?
(He and Helen both chuckle at that.)
JOEL: I think she wishes she could get to know her own father as an adult.
(Helen's face goes solemn. Joel remembers that he's talking to Amy's sister, and looks at her apologetically.)
HELEN: Oh no... (shakes her head.) So it sounds as though you and your father have been like Amy's family. (smiles.) Does that mean you two are...
JOEL: We are...?
HELEN: That there won't be any more phone calls to my office?
(Joel looks at her blankly. Then he gets an "Oh yeah!" expression, remembering the conversation in "That Thing You Say.")
JOEL: I thought you were going to ask if we planned to tie the knot.
HELEN: I meant: are things all right between you two?
JOEL: (shrugs a little) Better than they were.
HELEN: Any thoughts of marriage?
JOEL: I know I have... but we're still getting used to living together.
HELEN: But you moved in months ago. Not that I'm trying to dictate a time table, but --
JOEL: (raising a brow) We've needed those months. I just told you what I'm like. I lived alone for a long time before we started dating. Whatever Amy's said --
HELEN: (too quickly) Nothing. Nothing at all.
JOEL: -- isn't completely off the mark. I'm kind of an asshole.
HELEN: Oh Joel, no.
JOEL: No, it's true. I'm impatient, moody, a neat freak, I drive into hurricanes instead of asking for directions.
HELEN: (amused) You make well-ordered lists.
JOEL: I don't share my feelings when asked, but I make others share theirs when they don't want to. If that's not asshole behavior, I don't know what is.
HELEN: Or maybe you're just human.
JOEL: You think? Then again, Amy's not always perfect herself.
HELEN: (faint smile) No, she's not.
JOEL: We're both so used to telling people who disagree with us to bugger off, it's hard when that person and you share a bed. (sees Helen's expression.) We still have a lot to learn. I don't want to deal with another divorce.
(At "divorce," Helen's face goes pensive for a few moments.)
HELEN: You say you've thought of marriage. (cocks brow.) Has Amy?
JOEL: She's made murmurings in that direction. At some point she'll actually speak of it at normal volume.
(Helen groans softly.)
JOEL: I think she would, if she weren't going through a personal crisis. (Helen looks at him.) Which I take it she never mentioned.
HELEN: No.
JOEL: Job dissatisfaction. She puts a lot of herself into her work, more than you'd think. But even though she makes good money, she no longer enjoys it. If she ever did.
(Joel's expression suggests months of fatigue and anxiety that his words barely hint at. Helen frowns.)
JOEL: She was going to attend this clinic that would help her explore other options.
HELEN: "Was"? Are you saying she missed it? Why on earth would she do that?
(Joel looks at her.)
HELEN: Because of me? (closes her eyes.) Oh Amy... she never once mentioned it.
JOEL: She didn't want to leave you alone.
HELEN: (brow crease) But I'd have let her go if I'd known how important it was to her. (Her expression becomes pained.) But after the awful things I said, who could blame her for not wanting to tell me?
(Joel looks at her questioningly, wondering if she'll elaborate. Instead, Helen turns away and looks as though she's deeply pondering.)
HELEN: (softly) It's all my fault. Everything's my fault.
JOEL: Helen, don't be so hard on yourself.
HELEN: No, it's true. (groans) Which makes it that much more imperative that I set it right.
JOEL: So what are you going to do?
(cut to: )
SCENE 4 (Morgendorffer kitchen, morning)
(Shot of the outside. Cut to shot of Daria at the table, cordless phone to her ear. Quinn enters, looking tired and crabby, and silently sits down on one of the counter stools. Daria glances at her as she continues to listen to Helen on the other end.)
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 said she'll be home this afternoon. Commence normal boring weekend.
QUINN: (distant, flips through an open newspaper nearby) Great.
DARIA: So Aunt Amy worked her magic. (thought VO.) In spite of what she said.
QUINN: Yeah.
DARIA: Our parents might not be cozy, but at least they'll share a zip code.
QUINN: Yeah.
DARIA: (cocking an eyelid) And soon aliens will invade our planet and make candy wrapper hair extensions the new fashion "do."
(Quinn pushes aside the newspaper and sits up, looking angry.)
QUINN: I heard you, Daria. I was paying attention.
DARIA: If that were true, you'd be ewwing about now. Frankly I'd've thought you of all people would be thrilled about Mom and Dad.
(Quinn hops off of the stool.)
QUINN: Since when do you know anything about me?!
(She walks briskly out of the room, leaving a puzzled Daria to stare after her.)
DARIA: (to the empty room) I'd better not tell her about the two-way glass in her mirror.
(cut to:)
SCENE 5 (Amy's place, a little later)
(Shot of the outside. Close-up on Amy, sitting up in bed, Indian-style. Her face is pensive and weary, and maybe a trifle green, as though she's eaten the wrong thing. She watches as Helen rushes between her bedroom and the bathroom, dressed in her usual business suit.)
HELEN: I have to leave, Amy. I have to face this, and I can't do it here.
AMY: You don't need to explain yourself, Helen.
HELEN: And I'd stay for breakfast, but if I do I might wind up making some silly excuse to avoid leaving, and there's no way I can keep doing that! Not when it's so unfair to Jake and the girls, and for me to just drive away and not explain to Jake what I've been feeling, I can't believe I've let it sit for so long! That's not me. This is me.
(Helen's face, now done up in its usual fashion, takes on a hard, determined expression. Amy looks her over and leans back against her pillows.)
HELEN: I know that means I won't see your favorite spots, but I promise you, honey, I do want to. (face softens.) I won't let another twenty years go by before I see your home again.
AMY: Since by then, it could be on the new Mars colony.
(She chuckles, as does Helen. But Helen notices that something is off about Amy's behavior. She doesn't seem angry, but lacks energy.)
HELEN: I hope you're not upset.
AMY: Upset to have my weekend back? When I can finally make that needlepoint class?
(This brings to mind the comment Joel made about the clinic. Helen looks at Amy with a mixture of gratitude and guilt.)
HELEN: I want to thank you and Joel for putting up with me.
AMY: Think nothing of it. I know you'd do the same.
HELEN: Maybe so, but I haven't said "thank you" nearly enough the past couple of days. And the words I have said haven't been all that kind.
AMY: (sardonic) Really?
HELEN: I shouldn't have blamed you for my problems. (sighs.) I was upset, I needed a scapegoat, but it wasn't your fault.
AMY: (softer) Really...
HELEN: I know you sacrificed a lot to keep me here. (eyes Amy.) Probably more than you're willing to admit. I'm sorry to have behaved so thoughtlessly.
AMY: Helen... (Her cheeks flush, as though embarrassed by the strong emotions she's feeling. She looks at her sister and smiles.) Apology accepted. And for what it's worth, you weren't the burden I thought you would be. In fact...
HELEN: Yes?
AMY: I... never mind. There were some things I wanted to ask. Nothing important.
HELEN: (coaxing) Come on, Amy: no secrets. Remember?
AMY: It's nothing that can't wait for e-mail.
HELEN: All right, but don't be shy.
(She looks at Amy a moment longer before reaching over to give her a hug. We see Amy's face over Helen's shoulder, solemn and thoughtful.)
HELEN: (pulling away) I'll call you when I get home.
(She brushes a few stray hairs off of Amy's face, and moves toward the door.)
AMY: Helen, wait. Don't go.
(Helen turns, sees Amy's serious expression.)
HELEN: What's the matter?
AMY: (shaking her head) Believe me, I want to let you go, but something doesn't feel right. I... just hear me out.
(Concerned, Helen comes back over and sits beside Amy on the bed.)
AMY: A piece of our puzzle is missing. Now maybe I'm overstepping my boundaries and misreading things and what have you, but I have to ask.
HELEN: Ask what?
AMY: Are you still in love with Jake?
HELEN: (after a slight pause, stunned) Why Amy, what on earth kind of question is that?
AMY: A valid one. (softer.) Hey, if the answer's yes, then all the pain and heartache you've suffered or have yet to suffer will be worth it.
(Helen just looks at Amy.)
(fade-out. fade-in to:)
SCENE 6 (Morgendorffer garage, that same time)
JAKE: Damn it! That's the second one I've busted in two weeks! Lousy cheap piece of tin - OW! You bit me! (He snaps back his hand, revealing a cut on his finger, then puts it in his mouth.)
DARIA: Um... Father?
JAKE: Thtoopid... (removes his hand.) Dammit, you're ALL AGAINST ME!
(He starts kicking the lawn equipment viciously, causing it to fall every which way. Daria just stands there watching, until Jake finally turns around.)
JAKE: (brightens immediately) Oh. Hey kiddo.
DARIA: Not to interrupt your struggle for survival, but Mom called. She's coming home from... (Suddenly she frowns, not remembering what excuse she gave him.)
JAKE: Helping your aunt replenish her wardrobe after her old one was destroyed by that horrific moth invasion? (shudders.) Ewww.
DARIA: Er... yes. Yes, exactly.
JAKE: Quinn told me.
DARIA: Of course. Though don't be surprised if Mom gives it a different spin.
JAKE: So she'll be home this afternoon, then.
DARIA: Yep. (tries to sound suggestive.) I'm sure you two will have a lot of catching up to do.
JAKE: Yeah, great.
(Daria notes a subtle, yet definite lack of enthusiasm. Her brow creases with concern.)
DARIA: If you need Quinn and me to spend the night elsewhere --
JAKE: (laughing) Aw don't be silly, kiddo!
DARIA: Silly... of course. (awkward.) Well now that I've told you, I'll be on my merry way.
(She turns to leave.)
JAKE: Daria?
DARIA: (turning) Yes?
JAKE: Um, so your mother has been at your aunt's this whole time?
DARIA: According to the call tracer, she has.
JAKE: (uneasy) Traced... calls. That's... funny, kiddo!
DARIA: I can hardly contain myself.
(Deadpan, Daria looks at him a bit longer, preparing to say more. Finally she leaves.)
(cut to: )
SCENE 7 (Daria's room, shortly after)
(Daria sits at her computer desk, the cordless phone to her ear.)
DARIA: I had my chance, and I blew it.
(Intercut between her and Jane, on the other end. Jane is still lying in bed, looking as though she's struggling to keep the conversation straight.)
JANE: So go find him and ask him again.
DARIA: (flustered) I can't do it now, the moment has passed. It would be too awkward. But I have to ask him, I've put it off for too long. But it's none of my business. Of course it's my business...
JANE: For this, you woke me up in the wee hours of late morning?
DARIA: My mother's coming home, anyway. I should wait until they're in the same room.
JANE: Because having them in the same room worked so well before.
DARIA: (glaring) It will be different this time. I know stuff now.
JANE: So you'll finally say, "Hey Mom and Dad, Quinn and I have the right to know what's going on, so you'd better spill the beans, or we'll turn the car into a shelter for stray animals with really poor bladder control."
DARIA: Is Mystik Spiral sleeping over again?
JANE: (softer) I know this has been hard for you, Daria. But it's not like you to be so timid when you're this close to uncovering the bullshit.
DARIA: Oh yeah?? Well maybe it's not up to me this time. Why doesn't someone else do the dirty work for a change?
JANE: Is a vacuum cleaner convention in town? (As Daria rolls her eyes, gently:) Come on, what's the absolute worst that could happen?
(Beat)
DARIA: My deepest, darkest fears will be confirmed. My parents will divorce, and I'll have to endure a parade of would-be lovers with names like "Stu" and "Lurlene."
JANE: Would there be cheap jewelry involved?
DARIA: (nods) And implant scars.
JANE: I can imagine Quinn's reaction. (falsetto, imitation.) "Ewww! That necklace is turning your chest green!"
DARIA: (suddenly sulky) Maybe.
JANE: What's her take on all this?
DARIA: I haven't spoken to her about it. Or rather, she isn't speaking to me.
JANE: She's mad at you again?
DARIA: No reason, again.
JANE: No reason? That can't be true.
DARIA: Or one she'd rather not tell me. One that makes sense only after she's twisted it to suit her logic. God I'm sick of this.
JANE: Maybe you need a third party to squeeze it out of her.
DARIA: I couldn't ask you to do that.
JANE: Anything to help out. Face it, amiga: no matter what happens, you guys are gonna need each other.
DARIA: (dispirited) Right. (Pause) Hey Jane?
JANE: Yeah?
DARIA: (with difficulty) It's not just that our lives could change if my parents divorce. I could adjust to them being in two different places, since I'll be in college soon anyway. It's just that they've been together for so long, and they've got a ton of history. I think it would sort of hurt them if they had to give it all up.
(cut to: )
SCENE 8 (Amy's place, same time)
(Shot of the outside. Cut to close-up of Joel, his head tilted downward.)
JOEL: (irritated) What do you mean she hasn't gone home??
(Wide shot reveals him on the living room couch -- lying on top of Amy. Both of them are clothed, but that wasn't going to last for much longer. Until Amy dropped the news, she and Joel were kissing with the ease and insistence of people who knew that they were not being spied on. Now Joel has pulled away, frowning.)
JOEL: Her car's gone.
AMY: No... I just asked her to move it to the street. You know how those parking nazis get when you're in someone's spot longer than twenty-four hours.
JOEL: She's been gone a while.
AMY: Yeah, well, maybe she decided to go on home anyway. (reflective.) Though after what we talked about, I doubt it.
(Joel sits up, the moment all but passed.)
JOEL: She seemed so damned determined to go home, I thought she might actually go through it.
AMY: She would have, but I asked her to stay. (Joel stares at her. Amy looks back at him with a hard-eyed expression.) Look, she'll still be leaving today; it will just be later.
JOEL: May I ask why?
AMY: Why, what?
JOEL: Why you kept her from leaving?
AMY: I wanted to show her one of my favorite haunts. It might be months before she comes back.
JOEL: (doubtful) That the only reason?
AMY: No. (trace of annoyance.) Because as much as she thinks she's got a handle on her problems, she doesn't. She'd be making a big mistake if she went home like nothing happened.
JOEL: (groaning) But she knows she still has problems, that's why she's leaving. It's one thing for you to support her when she was a basket case, but now she wants to do for herself. So just let her, already.
AMY: Are you kidding? A good hostess never leaves her guests to fend for themselves.
(Her tone is light, but her eyes still glitter with "Don't question me" rebellion. Joel grits his teeth in a smile.)
JOEL: For someone who hated getting blamed last night, you sure seem eager for a second whipping.
AMY: This time it's different. This time I'm sure I can help.
JOEL: How? What exactly do you want her to do??
AMY: (after a slight pause) What she really wants... for once.
JOEL: And just how do you know so well what she wants?!
(Amy looks away, her boyfriend's tone of voice not lost on her. Then she looks back at him, takes his face gently in her hands, and kisses him deeply on the lips. When she pulls back, she looks him in the eye.)
AMY: Somehow, I just do.
(Joel returns her gaze, staring into the depths of her brown eyes. He assesses the "trust me" tone of her warm, melting voice, before leaning in closer.)
[Shot of Evelyn Barksdale and co. in flashback, followed by shot of Daria and Jake in the garage, followed by shot of Helen and Amy hugging, followed by shot of Jane lying in bed, the phone to her ear.]
You are now entering commercial HELL. Please keep your seatbelt securely fastened. You are about to see some of the lamest commercials put on television.
"Wait... you say that 'Daria' has moved to the Noggin Channel? Well good luck ever seeing it then. Uh, I mean: subscribe to Noggin NOW!"
You are now leaving commercial HELL. Aren't you happy you survived?