Wow, okay, I was crying after this one. It was just a really good feeling, happy ending.... Arggh, just read it yourself.
“AS THE WORLD TURNS”
TELEPLAY
<FADE IN>
SCENE: GIUSEPPE'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT
HOLDEN, LUKE, AND NOAH ARE ENJOYING THEIR DINNER.
NOAH:
Luke, your dad is totally cool with us!
I mean, that's amazing.
LUKE:
Well, I've always thought he
was a pretty cool guy.
But yeah, he's eased up a lot.
HOLDEN:
That reminds me.
HOLDEN PICKS UP HIS GLASS OF WINE.
HOLDEN (CONT'D):
Happy new year, Luke, Noah.
May the rest of your days together
be filled with happiness and -
MARGO SUDDENLY STEPS UP TO THE TABLE:
You might want to hold that thought, Holden.
HOLDEN:
Margo. Something wrong?
MARGO NODS SADLY:
Yes, something is very wrong.
But it's not here.
It's Lily.
She's gone insane.
And there's not a thing I
can legally do about it.
<FADE OUT>
<OPENING TITLES>
<COMMERCIAL>
<FADE IN>
HOLDEN, NOAH, AND LUKE LOOK UP AT MARGO,
COMPLETELY CONFUSED.
HOLDEN:
I don't -
MARGO:
Noah Meyer,
it is my unfortunate duty to inform you
that you're under arrest pending
investigation into allegations of
harassment against the person of
Luke Snyder.
LUKE AND NOAH ARE SHOCKED.
NOAH:
Harassment? I didn't do anyth-
MARGO CONTINUES.
You have the right to remain silent,
which I urge you not to take,
since as many people need to hear
about this insanity as possible.
Do you have an attorney?
NOAH:
I- I don't know anybod-
HOLDEN:
He has one. What's
all this about, Margo?
MARGO:
How should I know?
Lily just came barging into the station
demanding a restraining order.
LUKE:
A restraining order?
That keeps Noah away from me?!
HOLDEN:
Oh god, Lily. What have you done now?
<FADE OUT>
<COMMERCIAL>
<FADE IN>
HOLDEN:
Is there anything we can do, Margo?
MARGO SHAKES HER HEAD SADLY:
As long as you and Lily have joint custody of Luke,
either one of you is fully legally responsible for him.
HOLDEN:
Then I want to drop the charges.
MARGO:
Not that simple, Holden.
It goes to court.
NOAH:
I don't have to be handcuffed, do I?
MARGO:
I think we can avoid the
traditional prisoner treatment.
We'll even wait until you've
finished eating.
NOAH LOOKS AT HIS PLATE:
I've, uh, pretty much lost my appetite.
MARGO:
Can't say that I blame you.
Ready to go?
NOAH TURNS TO HOLDEN:
I can leave my truck at your place, Mr. Snyder?
Until this gets sorted out.
HOLDEN NODS.
LUKE STARES MUTELY AS NOAH LEAVES WITH MARGO.
HE'S STILL IN SHOCK.
MARGO ESCORTS NOAH TO TWO OTHER PLAIN CLOTHES OFFICERS:
Treat this one right;
he's got a tough ride ahead of him,
and I know for a fact he's innocent.
MARGO RETURNS TO THE TABLE.
MARGO:
Holden, get the divorce over with
and get sole custody of Luke.
HOLDEN LOOKS DOWN STERNLY AND NODS:
Doesn't the court usually side with the mother
on sole custody?
MARGO:
They can try.
You've got at least one good cop on your side,
job or no job. And I'll bring half
the department with me.
<FADE OUT>
<COMMERCIAL>
<FADE IN>
LUKE AND HOLDEN ARE STILL SITTING AT THE TABLE.
HOLDEN IS STARING DOWN, THINKING HARD ABOUT
SOMETHING, A STERN EXPRESSION ON HIS FACE.
LUKE IS IN ABJECT MISERY, LOOKS ILL,
AND IS STRUGGLING TO KEEP FROM BREAKING
DOWN IN TEARS.
LUKE:
Dad, can we go?
I really don't wanna be here right now.
HOLDEN LOOKS UP, AS THOUGH SEEING LUKE FOR THE FIRST TIME:
Yeah. Let's go.
<TRANSITION>
SCENE: THE SNYDER FARMHOUSE
LUKE AND HOLDEN WALK IN. HOLDEN IS ON HIS CELLPHONE.
LUKE:
I'll be up in my room.
HOLDEN NODS:
Okay... Bonnie!
PAUSE
HOLDEN (CONT'D):
Well everything's not so good here.
I have a favor to ask you.
Do you know any really good
defense lawyers?
PAUSE
HOLDEN (CONT'D):
No its for Noah.
Lily did something stupid
and filed a restraining order
to keep him away from Luke.
I can't understand that woman.
PAUSE
HOLDEN:
You're right.
She hasn't been the same
since New Year's Eve.
PAUSE
HOLDEN:
Well.
I have some money set aside
for emergencies. How much are
we talking about?
HOLDEN PAUSES AND WHISTLES:
That much?
I can barely afford half of it.
Well, thanks Bonnie.
Let me know if you come up with anything more.
<TRANSITION>
SCENE: LUKE'S BEDROOM AT THE SNYDER FARMHOUSE
LUKE IS LYING IN BED, CLUTCHING A PILLOW TO HIS CHEST.
HE'S STILL IN MISERY BUT SLOWLY
BECOMING ANGRY. LUKE SUDDENLY JERKS UP.
LUKE:
Oh god. I left him alone.
He needed me and I let him go alone....
LUKE JUMPS UP.
<FADE OUT>
<COMMERCIAL>
<FADE IN>
SCENE: THE OAKDALE POLICE STATION
LILY HAS PICKED UP HER PURSE AND THE
PAPERS SHE NEEDS TO HAVE SIGNED AND SEALED.
SHE STARTS TOWARDS THE DOOR JUST
AS MARGO IS BRINGING NOAH IN.
NOAH SEES LILY:
Mrs. Snyder!
Please, tell me what's going on.
I didn't harass Luke!
MARGO PAUSES TO SEE IF LILY WILL RESPOND.
LILY (COLDLY):
I don't want you anywhere near him.
NOAH (CONFUSED AND ANGRY):
But why?
LILY MOVES PAST NOAH AND HEADS
TOWARDS THE DOOR.
NOAH (CONT'D):
Please, Mrs. Snyder.
You've done so much for me.
You helped me to see... to see
who I really was.
You and Luke and Holden showed
me what a real family is like.
You helped me see that
Luke still cared for me
after.. what my father did.
LILY PAUSES TO LISTEN TO NOAH.
NOAH (CONT'D)
If you can just
tell me what I did wrong,
I'll try to fix it.
LILY (SERIOUS):
You can tell me why you were planning
on leaving Luke and never told him,
or any of us. Is it because we mean so
little to you? Because Luke
is such a hateful reminder of what
your father did to you and your mother?
NOAH (APPALLED):
No!
Lily, I'm not planning on leaving.
I was thinking about going to Northwestern.
But I've changed my mind. I decided
that I'd rather be here with Luke.
NOAH PAUSES:
And I respect you and Mr. Snyder as
though you were my own family.
Although I admit I broke some of the
rules.. but Mrs. Snyder, you've
been more like a Mom to me than anyone
else I've known in my whole life.
LILY GASPS.
NOAH (CONT'D):
Luke's been the kindest, most sincere person
in my life. And I look up to him as a
reminder of what good and decent people are like.
Luke loves me, for being me.
And I'm not even sure why.
But as long as I'm alive and have the strength
to do so, I'm going to take care of him.
Mrs. Snyder, I love Luke.
It took me this long to say it
because I wasn't sure I could.
I love Luke.
I'm not going anywhere.
I never was.
LILY IS CRYING NOW, AND RUNS
OVER TO NOAH AND EMBRACES HIM.
LILY:
Oh god, I'm so sorry Noah.
I don't... I don't know
what came over me.
MARGO BREATHES A SIGH OF RELIEF:
Can we drop the charges now, Lily?
LILY THRUSTS THE PAPERS AT MARGO:
Yes, yes! Drop the charges!
LILY AND NOAH EMBRACE AGAIN.
NOAH IS NEAR TEARS.
LILY:
Noah? It's alright, hon.
It's gonna be okay.
NOAH BURSTS INTO TEARS:
Oh god! I never....
She's dead.
LILY SIGHS AND HOLDS NOAH TIGHTER:
Yes, your mother's dead.
NOAH:
I don't even remember her.
I saw her once,
and didn't even know who she was.
LILY:
Shhh, Noah.
It's okay.
LILY HOLDS NOAH AND RUBS HIS BACK AS HE'S SOBBING
AGAINST HER SHOULDER.
LUKE RUSHES INTO THE POLICE STATION.
LUKE:
Is Noah -
LILY TURNS AROUND, STILL CRADLING NOAH AGAINST HER.
<FADE OUT>
<COMMERCIAL>
<FADE IN>
LUKE:
Mom?
MARGO:
I think Noah and your mom are having a bonding moment.
LUKE:
So everything's okay.
MARGO:
Better than okay.
MARGO RIPS UP THE RESTRAINING ORDER AND THE CHARGES.
NOAH FINALLY STOPS CRYING.
HE BACKS AWAY FROM LILY A BIT.
LUKE WALKS UP TO NOAH.
LUKE:
Are you okay?
NOAH:
Yeah, I just never... never...
LILY:
Never knew a mother's love?
NOAH NODS:
Something like that.
LILY WIPES A TEAR AWAY FROM HER EYES:
I can't imagine what it would
have been like to grow up without my mother.
It would have been... hellish.
NOAH:
I'm just now beginning to realize what
all I missed out on.
LILY:
Oh Noah. Stick around, kid.
You ain't seen nothing yet.
NOAH CHUCKLES AND LILY LAUGHS LIGHTLY.
LILY:
Okay, the weekend's on me.
I'm breaking out the key to the presidential suite
and we're going to have a little vacation.
Just the three of us!
Room service everyday!
LILY REACHES OUT AND HUGS LUKE AND NOAH.
<FADE OUT>
<COMMERCIAL>
<FADE IN>
SCENE: THE OAKDALE POLICE STATION
HOLDEN ENTERS.
MARGO COMES UP TO HIM SMILING.
MARGO:
The charges have been dropped, Holden.
Apparently there was a misunderstanding
that's been cleared up now.
HOLDEN SIGHS IN RELIEF:
Thanks for that, Margo.
Any sign what started the whole thing?
MARGO:
She was suspicious of Noah about something.
LILY, LUKE AND NOAH WALK OVER.
NOAH:
She'd heard I was going to Northwestern.
But that was before I changed my mind.
LUKE:
You changed your mind, Noah?
NOAH NODS:
Yeah, I'd rather be here with you.
And its not like Northwestern's going anywhere.
It'll still be there the next semester.
LUKE SMILES:
Yeah, but...
NOAH:
Nope, no regrets Luke.
LUKE AND NOAH LOCK EYES FOR A BRIEF MOMENT,
BOTH SMILING AND GENUINELY HAPPY.
<FADE OUT>
END