BAY CITY FOREVER



This is a work of fan fiction, written by Rochelle Theresa Brown for entertainment purposes only, and not for profit. All characters not invented by me are the sole property of Procter and Gamble Productions.

This work is under copyright.

BAY CITY FOREVER is rated TV-14 for an occasional mild expletive.



EPISODE 35



This episode begins on the morning the previous one ended; the first scene may well be taking place at the same time as Carl's telephone conversation!

SCENE ONE

(The scene is the squad room of the 2-3. Josie, in Cadet uniform, is at her desk, working on the computer. We see several boxes of doughnuts. Toni, Adams, Johnson, Manuel and several other officers are helping themselves. Josie looks up from her desk; her expression is that of a little girl denied a treat everyone else is enjoying. Joe comes out of his office, walks over to Josie.)

JOE: Did you find any more messages?

JOSIE: Yes, sir. I found seven, and three of them just said "Bay City", without naming any state. So now there may be some more reputations ruined, and I'm to blame.

JOE: Josie, you are only responsible for the message you sent. The ones who spread it and changed it are just as responsible for their actions.

JOSIE: But I'm the one who started it.

JOE: And now you are doing everything you can to stop it.

JOSIE: Yes, sir. (Looks towards doughnuts, sighs.)

JOE: What's wrong, Josie? You can tell me.

JOSIE: It's nothing important. It's silly, actually.

JOE: You want a doughnut?

JOSIE: But I'm not really a cop right now, so I'm not entitled to one, right?

JOE: Josie, yesterday when I handed down your punishment, did you hear me say that you couldn't have any doughnuts?

JOSIE: Well, no.

JOE: Go on, take one.

JOSIE:(smiles gratefully)Yes, sir. (Josie gets up, walks over to doughnuts. A young, red-headed female officer, about a head taller than Josie, is reading something on one of the boxes. She deliberates briefly, and then takes a chocolate-covered doughnut. Josie selects a powdered doughnut.)

OFFICER: What's with the Cadet uniform, Josie?

JOSIE: You didn't hear, Naomi? I'm not a detective any more. I'm a Cadet. (Naomi looks surprised.) I'll fill you in later. Oh, I hope you don't mind my asking you this, but how come you were reading the box?

NAOMI: (smiling) I had to be sure the doughnuts were Kosher.

FADE OUT



SCENE TWO

(The scene shifts to the living room of the Cory-Hutchins mansion. Carl and Rachel are on the sofa.)

RACHEL: I don't believe you really are ill, Carl.

CARL: Then what do you think?

RACHEL: I think you want to avoid coming to my opening tonight because of the problems we've had, problems, I might add, that were of your making.

CARL: I swear to you, Rachel, I really do not feel well enough to travel to Chicago.
FADE OUT



SCENE THREE
(The scene shifts to the office of Mayor Grant Harrison. Grant is typing something on his computer keyboard. He stops, reads what he has written, and smiles.)
GRANT: (thinks) Yes, that should do nicely. Now we shall see what we shall see.
FADE OUT



SCENE FOUR

(The scene shifts to the squad room of the 2-3. Josie and Naomi are finishing their doughnuts.)

JOSIE: And that's why I've been demoted. I think it was Joe's way of firing me without really firing me. I mean, officially, I'm not a cop any more.

NAOMI: But didn't he say it was temporary?

JOSIE: Well, yes.

NAOMI: Then I think he's doing this to give you a chance to start over.

JOSIE: You know, you're probably right.

NAOMI: Well, my mother says everyone needs a chance to start over once in awhile.

JOSIE: Your mother's a teacher, isn't she?

NAOMI: She teaches second grade.

JOSIE: Wouldn't it be funny if Joe's son, Dante, wound up in her class this September?
FADE OUT



SCENE FIVE
(The scene shifts to the rectory of the Catholic Church, about an hour later. Joe is inside with Fr. Malone.)

FR. MALONE: So what's troubling you, Joe?

JOE: Well, Father, you know I quit the force.

FR. MALONE: Yes, but now you've got your job back.

JOE: That's just it.

FR. MALONE: Are you thinking that perhaps you shouldn't have taken it back?

JOE: No. I'm wondering if I wasn't wrong to resign in the first place. I mean, I had a precinct full of officers upset about the hearing, and then I just turned around and quit without telling any of them why.

FR. MALONE: But if you had told them why, they might have been looking at each other with suspicion.

JOE: It's not the fact that I didn't tell them why I was quitting that bothers me. It's the fact that I quit at all. Was I abandoning the officers under me at a time when they really needed me?

FR. MALONE: Would you listen to yourself now? They are not children, and you are not their father.

JOE: Grant accused me of coddling Josie.

FR. MALONE: When was this?

JOE: Yesterday, after she owned up to what she did.

FR. MALONE: Was there any truth in what he said?

JOE: Josie was crying, and I was trying make her feel better. The strange thing is, part of me wanted to shake her. Of course, if I had, our esteemed mayor would probably have charged me with abusing my officers.
FADE OUT



SCENE SIX

(The scene shifts to the Cory-Hutchins mansion, two hours later. Carl is on the phone.)

CARL: No, she didn't really believe me.(Pause) Perhaps you are right; her skepticism may very well be to my advantage in the long run. (Pause) And you will definitely handle this at just the right time? (Pause) If your plan works, I will consider our past to be nonexistent.
FADE OUT



SCENE SEVEN

(The scene shifts to Carlino's. Joe and Josie are seated at a table with soup plates in front of them.
JOE: You managed to collect quite a few of those feathers this morning.

JOSIE:(puzzled)What feathers?

JOE: You mean you never heard the story?

JOSIE: What story are you talking about?

JOE: I'll tell you while you eat your soup. (Josie picks up her spoon and starts to eat.)
Many years ago, there was a woman, a good woman, but she had one great fault. She was a terrible gossip. Whatever she heard, she told, and, like most gossips, she usually added her own touches to the story. After some time, she found that nobody in her village would speak to her, because nobody trusted her. So she went to the priest and asked him what she should do. "Well," said the priest, "this is a serious matter. I shall need twenty-four hours to arrive at an answer." Twenty-four hours later, the woman went back to the priest. "Now can you help me, Father?" she asked. "Yes, I can." said the priest, handing her a carefully tied sack, "but we'll have to go out outside." They went out, and the priest said, "Now, you must open this sack, and shake it out into the wind." Now, the woman didn't see how that would help, but she did what the priest said. She shook out the sack, and at once hundreds of feathers flew up into the air. "Is that all, Father?" the woman asked. "Oh, no," said the priest. "That's only the first half." "But what is the second half?" asked the woman. "Ah," said the priest, "you come back at this time tomorrow, and I'll tell you." The next day, the woman went to see her priest again. The priest handed her the sack, and said, "Now, go and bring back all the feathers you tossed into the wind yesterday." The woman looked at him and said, "But, Father, how can I do that? You saw what happened when I shook out the sack. The feathers went every which way. Isn't there something else I can do?" "Indeed there is," said the priest, "But it won't be easy. Go to everyone you've ever gossiped or lied about, and tell them how sorry you are. And go to everyone you've ever lied to, and tell them the truth." "But, Father," said the woman, "I can't remember all the stories I've spread." "In that case," said the priest, "you must go to everyone in the village and say, "If I've ever told a lie to you or about you, I ask your forgiveness. And you must do a good deed for each person." And the woman went, and did as the priest told her, and to her surprise, before the week was out, quite a few of her former friends had forgiven her. Of course, it helped that the priest's sermon that Sunday was on forgiveness. And from then on, that woman never gossiped or lied about her neighbors again.

JOSIE: That's a good story. How come you didn't tell it to me yesterday, when you were handing down my punishment?

JOE: Because it wasn't the right time, Josie. A story is a story, and a scolding is a scolding.

JOSIE: I see what you mean. (Looks troubled)

JOE: What's wrong?

JOSIE: I just realized I may never be able to collect all the feathers I started flying."

JOE: Maybe not, but the important thing is that you are doing all you can to stop them from going any further. But, Josie, there's one more thing I want you to do, and it is something very important.

JOSIE: What's that?

JOE: I want you to forgive yourself.
FADE OUT



SCENE EIGHT
(The scene shifts to the Cory-Hutchins mansion. Carl is on the phone.
CARL: (Pause) Now, you're sure she'll show up?(Pause)She never misses an art show? (pause) Strange, I don't remember her being such an art lover.(pause)Well, that's certainly true. People change.(pause) And you'll make sure she's within hearing distance before you say anything?
FADE OUT



SCENE NINE: CLOSING SCENE
(The scene shifts to the squad room of the 2-3. Josie is at her desk, working on the computer. Joe walks up to her.)

JOE: You're doing a good job of finding and retracting that rumor.

JOSIE: Well, I'm checking every board I can find, because there's no telling where a rumor will show up next.

JOE: (thoughtfully) So many people helped spread that rumor. I wonder how many will help spread the truth.

JOSIE: (types, points, clicks) Let's see if this board has any- (gasps) Oh, my God!

JOE: What is it?

JOSIE: Just read this.

JOE: (reads) "Hanky-panky in the police department? Police Captain Joseph Carlino, recently charged with corruption, has been seen fondling Detective Josie Sinclair. Are they, perhaps, closer than anyone, including their respective spouses, suspects?"
FREEZE FRAME
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