Party of Five, Season 6

[Charlie and Kirsten arrive at the airport to meet her parents]'

Charlie:
Did they say something?

Kirsten:
No. I mean, nothing new. I mean, you know how he's felt since I got sick.

Charlie:
Yeah, but that was three years ago.

Kirsten:
Right. He knows that. And he promised he wouldn't bring it up.

Charlie:
He had to promise? What did he have to promise not to say?

[they reach them]

Kirsten:
Daddy! Mommy!

Ellie Bennett:
Oh, sweetheart! Oh, [giggles] will you look at you. You are glowing. Will you look at her, Gene? Is she not lit from within?

[they hug]

Gene Bennett:
She's lit.

Ellie Bennett:
Hello, Charlie.

Charlie:
Good to see you.

Ellie Bennett:
[they hug] You, too. Gene?

Gene Bennett:
Charlie.

[they shake hands]

Ellie Bennett:
Well, [laughs] this is a happy occasion, isn't it? Gene. Gene?

Kirsten:
Oh, why don't we go get the baggage? Um, because we're parked in a read zone, So you know what? We, um... Better move it.

[she takes her father to get the baggage]

Gene Bennett:
Uh-oh. Okay.

Ellie Bennett:
[to Charlie] He's a little bit off. You see, that airline beef bourguignon just kind of bogs him down. But he just finished saying how happy he is.

Minister:
We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments. To add our best hopes to the words that unite these two in marriage, and to joyously serve as witnesses...

Charlie:
I, Charlie, take you, Kirsten, to be my wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health...for richer or for poorer,

Kirsten:
...in joy and in sorrow. I promise to love, honor, and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

Minister:
...our love for each other. By these vows, the joining of your hands and the giving of these rings... I now declare you to be husband and wife. Congratulations.

[crowd cheers]

Charlie:
[they kiss while band plays music, guests applaud and cheer] Down the aisle. Down the aisle.

Bailey:
I understand why you're going.

Sarah:
Bailey, you don't have to...

Bailey:
But even if I didn't, you want this, and I would never stand in the way of something that you wanted, ever.

Sarah:
You know what, why don't you come with me? The flight's not full.

Bailey:
I can't. I can't, I've got Owen at home, and the restaurant. Anyway, you need to take this trip alone. I mean, that's part of the point, right? Say hello to your father for me.

[she starts weeping]

Bailey:
Hey, hey, no. Don't you be sad. You should smile. Smile. You show that to your father. If there's a heart in the man's chest, you will own it. Believe me.

[final boarding call to the flight]

Sarah:
All right. It's only five days, and I will call you every minute till then.

Bailey:
You find what you're looking for, Sarah. Whatever it takes, I'll be right here. I love you, you know that.

[they hug each other and kiss]

Sarah:
I know it. I love you, too.

Bailey:
Goodbye.

Charlie:
Hey.

Kirsten:
Hi.

Charlie:
What are you doing out here?

Kirsten:
Just thinking... It's just... I know that I would be happy with any baby we shared. I know that. But I have this dream, this fantasy... Where we have a baby who has your eyes, and my nose, your laugh... [both chuckle] And cries like me. Well, it's just a dream. The reality... is... Remember when I was sick? Cause the funny thing is... I mostly don't. I know you do. I know that in some ways that it was harder on you than it was on me. And I know that I can dream about all kinds of things... But that's what's real.

[Bailey plays Sarah's message in the machine]

Sarah:
God, there are all these wild, surreal things going on, and all these new people. And I would have called sooner, but it's been sort of insane, you know? But... But not in a bad way. In kind of a good way, really. I mean, you'd probably hate it, but... Anyway, I'm sorry that I keep missing you, I'll call later, okay? I love you.

[Bailey rewinds the message]

Sarah:
I'm sorry that I keep missing you. I'll call later, okay? I love you.

[saddened, rewinds again]

Sarah:
... missing you, I'll call later, okay? I love you.

[Charlie arrives home after Owen's party and checking on Julia's minor injury in the hospital while Kirsten welcomes him]

Kirsten:
Hey.

Charlie:
Hey.

Kirsten:
Is Julia okay?

Charlie:
Yeah, she's fine. It was just a minor sprain.

Kirsten:
Was Owen mad that I left early?

Charlie:
No, no, he's fine. You know I, uh, I realized tonight that, um, I come from a really big family.

Kirsten:
You just realized that?

Charlie:
No, not exactly, but... I forget sometimes, you know, Just how lucky I am.

Kirsten:
Charlie...

Charlie:
I was just thinking. I don't want Diana to miss out on that because... I was afraid.

Kirsten:
Look, don't do this to me if...

Charlie:
I'm not. I'm not. If having a baby like this is what you want, and you're ready for the risks, I'm ready, too.

[Claudia, Julia and Griffin are having breakfast in the dinning room]

Claudia:
I know that they were having problems, but to do it over the phone... It seems kind of cold.

Griffin:
Hey, you mind if I grab one of these muffins? Everything in my refrigerator at home tastes like beer.

Julia Salinger:
[to Griffin] Go for it. [to Claudia] I just don't know if we should judge her, Claud.

Griffin:
Judge who?

Julia:
Sarah's staying in New York.

Griffin:
What, for how long? Couple more weeks?

Claudia:
Indefinitely. I mean, she might not be coming home.

Griffin:
So that's it, she's just gone?

Will:
[Will enters the room] Hey, blueberry muffins. Anybody mind? My parents charge me for breakfast now. Somebody say somebody's gone? Who's gone?

Julia:
Sarah's staying in New York. She's not coming back.

Will:
What? You mean like permanently?

Julia:
Could be.

Will:
Oh, man. Is Bailey freaking?

Claudia:
Hard to tell. He's been up in his room ever since he told us... Packing Sarah's stuff.

[Will and Griffin enter the station where Bailey is checking the map of the country]

Griffin:
Look, we were talking, and... We're thinking that...

Will:
We changed our minds. We wanna keep going.

Griffin:
Hit the Big Apple with you.

Will:
Go the distance, all right?

Bailey:
You guys know how far we still have to go? Through, like... Eight or nine more states. We've just been through three, and already... We've broken down... Fighting... We've had all these problems, and there's... That still leaves eight. Sarah is so far away. She's so far away.

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

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

[Kirsten brings a cupcake to Charlie, outside the hospital]

Kirsten:
Happy Birthday.

Charlie:
Yeah. You know, I was looking at Griffin lying there, lying in that bed. Not too long ago, that was me.

Kirsten:
I remember.

Charlie:
And I promised myself that if I ever got out of there alive, I wasn't gonna waste time on the stuff that doesn't matter. I'm gonna quit teaching, Kirsten.

Kirsten:
Charlie...

Charlie:
Yeah, the factory pays more, and we need that money.

Kirsten:
Yeah, but you... you love the teaching better.

Charlie:
That's not what matters now. What matters the most to me right now is making this baby. The rest of it... It'll come in time. Stuff I always dreamed about, the designing stuff, it'll come.

Kirsten:
Are you sure?

Charlie:
Yeah. The funny thing is, I am. There's just been so many times that... I mean, when Mom and Dad died and I had to put my whole life on hold. When you went away, when I got sick... I kept just having to trust fate, you know? And if I just held on, the things that I wanted would come back to me. And they always did. And they will again. If I just hold on, they will again.

Julia:
[at the hospital] How you feeling?

Griffin:
I've been better. How's Daphne?

Julia:
She's fine.

Griffin:
Have you been here all night? Isn't there some place that...

Julia:
No, I... I wanted to stay here.

[he coughs]

Julia:
They, um... they had to do some surgery on your hand, so...

Griffin:
It hurts like hell.

Julia:
I'll get the nurse.

Griffin:
No, Julia. No, just... Just tell me, am I gonna be okay?

Julia:
Yeah, you're gonna be great.

Griffin:
Just tell me, okay?

Julia:
Well, the doctor... there was... a hand surgeon. She's... she's really helpful. But I mean, this place is the best in the city for this kind of thing, so...

Griffin:
So, they don't know?

[Julia and Claudia are waiting for a cab under the falling snow]

Claudia:
Jul?

Julia:
Yeah?

Claudia:
Can I ask you something?

Julia:
Of course.

Claudia:
[inhales] After Ned... did it take you a long time before you felt like you could really trust someone?

Julia:
Yeah, it did.

Claudia:
That's the thing. I feel like... I don't really know anyone. You know? I think I do, but I can't really trust my feelings. You know what I mean?

Julia:
I know. [inhales deeply] You want to tell me what happened?

Claudia:
Yeah. There was this boy, this very friendly boy, like I thought Derek was. Anyway, the first day he showed me all the cool stuff that wasn't on the regular tour...

[a cab arrives and they enter there while Claudia keeps telling what happened]

Victor:
You know some people like DC and some like Marvel?

Owen:
I like both.

Bailey:
I'm sorry, I've been kinda AWOL, but there's been some stuff going on, since Sarah left. Which was kinda distracting to me.

Ned:
I saw someone after we broke up. Miranda. We went out six months. But after she told people about us, about me, I spent-- I spent two weeks in jail. And the judge, he practically spat at me, reading my sentence. You know, I know I have problems, I know that. But I wasn't lying to you, I am actually trying. I saw a doctor, I'm seeing a doctor, and I made a promise. I'm not gonna be with anyone. Anyone. Until I know, she's safe. What's it gonna take? How long till people stop looking at me like that?

Julia:
I don't know.

Ned:
I just-- I just wanna feel human.

Julia:
That's not up to me, Ned.

Griffin:
What's going on?

Julia:
Griffin.

Griffin:
What's going on? Did you let him in here?

Julia:
It's none of your business. Okay?

Griffin:
What's the matter with you?

Julia:
Griffin, would you leave, please?

Griffin:
Get outta here!

Ned:
It's okay.

Griffin:
Get going!

Ned:
I'm leaving.

[Will and Holly are getting married, with Bailey as a witness]

Judge Issacs:
Marriage, as we know, is a venerable, auspicious institution laden with joy and promise. But it is also a solemn ordinance, not to be entered into frivolously or deceptively without the assurance of deep, ardent love and commitment. Now, do you young people have anything that you would like to say before we continue?

[they stare at each other, silent]

Judge Issacs:
A poem to read? A thought? [to Will] Young man?

Will:
[to Holly] You look nice.

Holly Marie Beggins:
Thank you.

Judge Issacs:
Well, then...

Charlie:
We throw Owen a bone. We name the baby Stuart, but we give him "Nick" as a middle name, so that's what we'll call him S. Nicholas Salinger.

Julia:
Aren't you worried people are gonna call him "Snick"? "Snick Salinger"?