ROSWELL: WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN - "The Witness" - ACT I - 08/28/02

ACT I


  7 INT. ISABEL EVANS'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

Isabel is recovering from her astonishment.

ISABEL
I have no idea. I've never tried it before.
(beat)
You've got it bad, don't you?

MAX
What do you mean?

ISABEL
You're always warning me not to dreamwalk Liz, so I'm a little surprised that you would want to.

MAX
Who said it was ...

He stops at Isabel's "give it a rest" look.

ISABEL
You must really miss her if you're willing to do this.

MAX
(looks down, slightly embarrassed)
I do ... I realize it's an invasion of privacy, but it's been so hard ... on both of us. I just thought it would be the next best thing if I ... we ... could hold dream versions of each other.
(looks back at Isabel)
Can I do that? Can I interact with the dream version of Liz?

ISABEL
Yeah, you can hold her.
(teasing)
I'm not sure about anything more physical, though. I've never tried, say ... kissing someone in their dreams. But that doesn't mean you can't.

Max seems uncomfortable.

ISABEL (cont'd)
(noticing his discomfort)
What?

MAX
Um ... You won't be um ... you know ...

ISABEL
Watching? No, don't worry, I won't watch.

Max visibly relaxes.

ISABEL (cont'd)
But you have to tell me if it works. If you can ... do more than hold the dream version of Liz.
(at Max's hesitation)
Without going into detail.

MAX
(nods)
OK, it's a deal.

ISABEL
When did you want to try it?

MAX
(looking at her hopefully)
Now? It's 11:30; she's probably sleeping by now.

ISABEL
I suppose this is as good a time as any.

Isabel sits up and moves to the edge of her bed.

MAX
What do I have to do?

ISABEL
First I need a picture of Liz.

He pulls his wallet out of his pants pocket and removes Liz's picture. He sits beside her on the bed as he hands the picture to her.

ISABEL (cont'd)
Now, take my hand.

She extends her hand and he takes it; she keeps her other hand on the picture.

ISABEL (cont'd)
OK, you need to clear your mind of everything but Liz.
(giving him a wry smile)
Do you think you can handle that?

MAX
(returning her smile)
I think I can manage.

They both concentrate on Liz.

Cut to Liz's dream:

  8 INT. HALLWAY - TIME OF DAY INDETERMINATE

Liz is walking down a corridor with an endless amount of doors. Doors which, when she opens them, lead to empty rooms with another door, which lead to another corridor with endless amounts of doors. The corridors have a kind of double reflection (mirror on mirror effect) which gives the impression of infinity. Liz keeps opening doors, looking for something, or someone, becoming more frantic by the minute. Then she calls out.

LIZ
(beseechingly)
Max! Max! Where are you? I need you! Please, Max, tell me where you are!

Max and Isabel enter her dream. They do not see her, but can hear her calling for him. He runs toward the sound of her voice and calls out; Isabel stays behind.

MAX
Liz! Liz!

Cut to Liz. Hearing him, she runs toward his voice. She opens the next door and he is on the other side. Liz runs into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder.

MAX
It's OK. I'm here. I'm here.

LIZ
I knew you would come.

She lifts her head from his shoulder and looks into his eyes.

LIZ (cont'd)
I can always count on you.

He breaks their embrace to cup her face with his hands.

MAX
Yes, you can. You can always count on me. I will always be here for you. I will always come for you. Nothing can keep us apart.

They kiss. A deep, passionate, loving, kiss. The corridors and doors disappear; Max and Liz are standing in a field of flowers. A few butterflies in the air land on them but they are oblivious--lost in their kiss. Isabel is caught unawares, and sees them in their loving embrace. She turns around to give them privacy.

ISABEL
(to herself)
Guess I don't have to ask if kissing is possible.

She sits on the grass.

ISABEL
(to herself)
Might as well get comfortable; we're obviously gonna be here awhile.

Max and Liz continue to kiss in the background.

Cut to:

  9 EXT. WEST ROSWELL HIGH SCHOOL BALL PARK - MORNING

There are a few students out on the baseball field, practicing. Kyle is at the fence, talking to Larry. The sheriff's cruiser is in the parking lot. Valenti watches Larry and Kyle for a moment, frowning, then gets out of the cruiser and approaches them in an authoritative manner.

VALENTI
Trilling! What brings you here?

Larry turns quickly at the sound of his name. He is slightly flustered when he realizes it was the sheriff who called him.

LARRY
Research. I'm doing research on life in Roswell for a book. I think I mentioned that to you earlier.

VALENTI
So you did. You also mentioned the shootings at the Crashdown and at Pepper's Café. Are you still doing "research" on those?

LARRY
(nervous)
No, you convinced me there is nothing there to investigate.
(to Kyle)
I'll let you get back to practice; thanks for taking a moment to answer my questions.

Larry leaves. Valenti watches him go, then turns to Kyle.

VALENTI
What questions were you answering?

KYLE
Nothing important.
(suspicious)
What brings you out here?

VALENTI
I came to see you practice. Did I need to clear that with you first?

KYLE
No, it's just you've never come before.

VALENTI
Well, I'm gonna try to come more often.

Kyle isn't sure whether to believe his dad or not, but smiles, pleased that he is there, whatever the reason.

Cut to:

  10 INT. CRASHDOWN CAFÉ - BACK ROOM - SAME

Maria is at her locker when Liz comes downstairs.

LIZ
Maria! I have got to tell you!

MARIA
What? What?

LIZ
(her eyes wide with excitement)
I had the most amazing dream last night!

MARIA
Oooh. Do tell all!

LIZ
I was in a panic. I kept looking for Max, but couldn't find him. I started calling out to him and suddenly he was there, holding me in his arms, telling me everything was going to be all right.

MARIA
(sighs)
How romantic!

LIZ
That's not the best part.

MARIA
(excited)
There's more?

LIZ
(nods)
Uh huh. At first it was like most dreams--kind of confusing and sort of distant-like--but then it became very real. I could really feel his arms around me and taste his kisses. Maria, I think he was really there.

MARIA
You mean ...?

Liz nods.

MARIA (cont'd)
You think he dreamwalked you?

LIZ
Yes. He told me yesterday that he wished he could find a way for us to be together without breaking our promises to our parents; I think he found a way.

MARIA
How do you feel about that? I mean, you get upset when your parents go into your room without knocking, and yet Max can just go into your dreams ...? What if he accidentally saw something you didn't want him to see?

LIZ
(smiling wistfully)
Knowing Max, he'd turn it into something positive.

Liz flashes to what Max said to her after witnessing her fantasy about him (Sexual Healing) "I didn't just see what you saw. I felt...what you felt...when you saw me. And I never thought anyone could really...ever feel that way about me."

LIZ (cont'd)
(resolutely)
But, you're right, he should have asked me first instead of just surprising me.
(hesitantly)
Then again, sometimes surprises can be wonderful ... like last night was.

MARIA
So, do you want him to do it again?

LIZ
(smiles)
Definitely! I'll just ask him to knock next time.

They both start giggling as they enter the main room.

Cut to:

  11 INT. CRASHDOWN CAFÉ - DINING AREA- CONTINUOUS

Jen is there, cleaning the tables. Maria starts helping and Liz goes behind the counter to start filling sugars.

MARIA
(pleasantly)
Morning, Jen.

JEN
Morning.

LIZ
(trying to sound casual)
So, Jen, how's Larry's story going? Will we be reading it in the papers soon?

Jen tenses a little, then takes a beat and answers.

JEN
I'm afraid not. He's had ... creative differences with the reporter he was working with, so he's shelved that project.

MARIA
Really? Because I thought I saw him interviewing people yesterday. Did he just change his mind today?

JEN
Um ... no, that's a new project. He's decided to write a book about life in Roswell.

LIZ
That sounds ambitious.

JEN
Yes, it is. It should keep him busy for quite a while. So I'm afraid you're going to have to wait a bit to read it.

LIZ
That's OK. I'm sure it will be worth the wait.

Liz and Maria exchange surreptitious looks.

Cut to:

  12 EXT. DOWNTOWN ROSWELL - 10 MINUTES LATER

Larry is conducting his interviews with his tape recorder. He is shaking hands with a guy, late twenties/early thirties, dressed in casual clothes.

TY
Pleased to meet you. My name is Ty ... Ty Appleton.

LARRY
How long have you lived in Roswell, Ty.

TY
I don't actually live in Roswell; I live in Bitter Lake.

Larry's eyes widen at the mention of Bitter Lake.

LARRY
Close enough.
(beat)
By any chance, did you attend the last UFO Convention?

TY
Yeah, I attend every year--they are very informational.

LARRY
Did you notice Everett Hubble? Do you know who he is?

TY
Everyone who follows UFO phenomena knows of him. I never got to meet him ... but I came close!

LARRY
How so?

TY
I was leaving the Convention, heading home, when this kid comes rushing out and asks me if I can give him a lift.

LARRY
(interrupting)
Kid? What kid?

TY
Local kid. I'm sure you've seen him around; he's hard to miss. Spiky hair; I think his name is Michael.
(beat, musing)
I always felt sorry for that kid; his foster father drinks like a fish.

LARRY
(very interested)
So, go on. Did you give him a ride?

TY
Well, I ask him "Where to?" and he looks out on the road, like he's trying to make up his mind, and then points east, which is the way I was headed, so I agree to take him as far as I'm going. My turn off comes up, so I drop the kid off.

LARRY
What does that have to do with Hubble?

TY
I'm getting to that part. I read in the papers a few days later that Hubble had a shoot-out at Pepper's Café with the sheriff, right around the same time that I dropped that kid off--a quarter mile before Pepper's Café. Man, if I had just kept going straight, instead of turning off ... I always miss all the action!

LARRY
Not this time, buddy. Not this time.

Cut to:

  13 EXT. ALIEN ESSENCE - LATER

Jim is standing outside of Amy's shop, trying to work up the courage to go in. A customer comes out and stares at him, expecting him to take the door. Jim does; Amy sees him from inside, which forces him to go inside.

Cut to:

  14 INT. ALIEN ESSENCE - CONTINUOUS

Amy is behind the counter. She smiles broadly as Jim approaches.

AMY
Jim! How nice to see you.

VALENTI
(smiling)
Thanks, Amy. It's nice to see you too.

AMY
(slightly flustered)
What brings you here?
(beat)
I don't think you have ever been here before, have you?

VALENTI
Just once, back in December. I came looking for you, but you weren't here and I found you at the Crashdown.

AMY
(smiling at the memory)
Oh, yeah, I remember.

He looks around. The shop has an interesting mixture of items associated with new age mysticism--herbs, spices, incense, crystals, etc--and "other worldly" items such as alien keychains and alien blow-up dolls, but arranged in such a way that they go well together. His eyes travel up to the ceiling, where he sees a model spaceship against a crystal-star sky.

VALENTI (cont'd)
(looking at the ceiling)
It certainly is ... eclectic.
(smiles as he looks back at Amy)
It fits you.
(sniffs the air)
It's also very ... aromatic.

AMY
Are you into aromatherapy? Because if you are, you've come to the right place.

VALENTI
(smiling)
I think it's more the aromatherapist that I'm into ...

Amy rewards him with one of her throaty laughs, causing Jim to smile and lean in on the counter.

VALENTI (cont'd)
... and I agree ... this is the right place.

AMY
(her nervousness returning)
Yeah, well, that's very flattering, it really is, but unfortunately it's not the right time. I thought I made it clear to you that I needed to focus on Maria right now ... without distractions.

VALENTI
(straightening up)
Yes, you did make that clear, and I've been thinking a lot about what you said. It made me realize how little I see of Kyle ...
(bemused)
How I have very little idea of who he is anymore, what he wants out of life. Between his schedule and mine being so tight, we never get to just sit and talk anymore.

AMY
Oh ... trust me ... I understand about tight schedules. Just yesterday, I found something out about Maria that upset me, and I wanted to read her the riot act.
(beat)
Her schedule was so full, I had to make an appointment!

Valenti suppresses a laugh.

AMY (cont'd)
It's not funny!

VALENTI
Well ...

AMY
(smiling)
All right, it is a little funny; but it wasn't at the time.

VALENTI
I know. But you're right, we do have to make appointments if we want to spend time with our kids. Kyle is on the go so much, I feel I would need to make an appointment just to have dinner together. That's what got me thinking about what you said about wanting to spend time with Maria. I'm guessing you have the same problem with Maria.

AMY
True.

VALENTI
So I came up with a plan that would help both of us. I figured if we had company coming, or were invited to dinner together, that would be like having an appointment, and we would be more likely to keep it. Then we could actually sit down and talk.

AMY
How do Maria and I figure in?

VALENTI
You would be the company. We can spend dinner getting to know our kids again. If it works well the first time, we could plan on doing it on a regular basis.

Amy nods, which encourages Valenti to continue.

VALENTI (cont'd)
And after dinner, when the kids go off to study, or out with their friends, we can get to know each other better. What do you think?

AMY
(smiling)
I think it has lots of potential. Let me give it some thought and I'll get back to you. OK?

VALENTI
(smiling)
OK.

Cut to commercial.


END OF ACT I


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