Ep304

Episode 3.04
�Small Steps and Giant Leaps�
Written by Kasey M. Dunton

(Teaser)
(We open, probably from a �Previously on Sports Night�, on Casey and Lisa, still standing in face-off style.)

CASEY:
Lisa, what are you doing here?

LISA:
You never returned my calls.

CASEY:
I never knew you HAD called.

LISA:
I left about seven messages with your secretary, Kim something�

CASEY:
She�s not our secretary.

LISA:
Ah.

CASEY:
What do you need?

LISA:
I�ve been promoted.

CASEY:
You�re a freelance photo-journalist. How do you get promoted in that job?

LISA:
I�ve accepted a job as a feature writer out in LA with Mirabella. I�ll bring Charlie by next week to say goodbye. (She starts to leave.)

CASEY:
You can�t do that.

LISA:
Oh? And why not?

CASEY:
We have joint custody! You can�t just take my son away from me with under two weeks warning!

LISA:
So you want to go to court and fight it out?

CASEY:
To keep Charlie? Absolutely!

LISA:
And put him through all that again?

CASEY:
What are you talking about?

LISA:
You remember how upset it made him? How much he hated us for it? Do you honestly want that for him?

CASEY:
(Quietly) I don�t want to do it, but I will do whatever it takes. Not to mention, Lisa, isn�t it hard for a kid to change schools mid-year?

LISA:
Yes, but �

CASEY:
Plus, if you�ve got this new job, it means more money for you than freelance, right?

LISA:
Yes, but �

CASEY:
So we have to work out the allimony anyway.

LISA:
Yeah. (She brushes past him to leave.)

CASEY:
Lisa. (They face each other again.) I almost did the same thing, dragging Charlie out to LA. But you know why I wouldn�t have? Because I wasn�t gonna drag him out of school and rip him away from all his friends and all he�s known for over four years.

(Lisa glowers once more and storms out. Casey sighs and sits in the desk chair, resting his head in his hands.)

(Fade to Commercial. End Teaser.)

(Act I.)
(Night I, Pre-show. Dan and Casey�s office.)

KIM:
(VO) Five minutes to air, first team to the studio, please. Five minutes.

DANNY:
(To Casey, who�s staring off into space.) C�mon. (No response.) Case. Let�s go.

CASEY:
Hm? Oh, yeah, right. (He stands and mutely walks with Dan through the newsroom.)

DANNY:
So guess what I�m gonna do tomorrow.

CASEY:
(Without much interest.) What?

DANNY:
I�m gonna catch Rebecca�s stalker.

CASEY:
Really.

DANNY:
Yeah. She�s in meetings all morning, so I�m gonna be in her office and wait for the guy who�s been sending her stuff.

CASEY:
Okay.

(They walk through the control room. Dan continues to the studio, but Casey walks in front of Dana�s control panel.)

DANA:
Hey, you okay?

CASEY:
What? Yeah, I�We�ll talk at dinner, okay?

DANA:
Sure. Absolutely.

CASEY:
Okay. I�ll meet you in your office after the show.

DANA:
Yeah. (Smiles.)

CASEY:
Okay. (He walks into the studio, where Dan�s waiting at the desk. He starts putting on his mic and earpiece.)

DANNY:
What was that about?

CASEY:
What do you mean?

DANNY:
You stayed to talk to Dana.

CASEY:
So?

DANNY:
So what was that about?

CASEY:
Nothing.

DANNY:
What�s with you today?

CASEY:
Nothing.

DANNY:
Okay. (Feigning woundedness.) Since I can see you�re not gonna tell me anything, I�ll just sit over here and do my job. (Wheels his chair over a little more to his side of the desk.)

CASEY:
Good.

(Cut to the Control Room.)

DAVE:
Two minutes to VTR, Three minutes live.

NATALIE:
(Leaning over and whispering to Dana.) You�ll talk at dinner?

DANA:
I�m sorry?

NATALIE:
Casey said you�d talk at dinner.

DANA:
Yes. (Grins.)

NATALIE:
You�re having dinner with Casey?

DANA:
Yes.

NATALIE:
When did this happen?

DANA:
(Looks at her watch, considers.) 8:37.

NATALIE:
Aren�t you going out with Sam?

DANA:
No.

NATALIE:
When did THIS happen?

DANA:
(Considers) 8:26.

NATALIE:
Why?

DANA:
He slept with Sally.

NATALIE:
Ah.

DANA:
What do you mean, �Ah�? Is it like a given that every man I date will sleep with Sally?

NATALIE:
No.

DANA:
Good.

NATALIE:
It�s just that it happens a lot.

DANA:
(Dryly.) Thanks.

NATALIE:
(Thinking.) Do you really know exact times?

DANA:
Exact times?

NATALIE:
As to when you and Sam broke up and when you and Casey started going out?

DANA:
No.

NATALIE:
Good.

DANA:
Right.

NATALIE:
Because that would just be strange and unhealthy.

DANA:
Yes.

DAVE:
Roll VTR, live in sixty.

DANA:
Have a good show, everybody.

JEREMY:
(Chiming in.) Good show.

NATALIE:
Where are you guys going?

DANA:
Where is whom going when?

NATALIE:
Where are you and Casey having dinner?

DANA:
I don�t know, probably Anthony�s.

NATALIE:
Any other night we�d join you, but we�re catching a late movie.

DANA:
Where?

JEREMY:
That old theater on 72nd, it�s got a 1:00 showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

DANA:
So why not hang at Anthony�s for awhile first?

NATALIE:
We�re not sure how long it�s gonna take to get into costume.

DANA:
(Choking on her laughter.) Costume?

NATALIE:
(Grins and nods emphatically) Yep!

JEREMY:
(Quietly, to Dana.) Talk some sense into her, PLEASE!

DANA:
Sorry, no can do.

NATALIE:
(Sigh.) Well, I guess if you don�t WANT to, we COULD always just go home� (She leans past Dana and looks at him with sad, innocent eyes [Like in �Shoe Money Tonight�].)

JEREMY:
(Waits a minute, then hangs his head.) Dammit, Janet, I love you.

NATALIE:
(Grinning.) Brad, I�m mad for you too!

DANA:
(Sighing and shaking her head.) You two need to put your heads down on your desks, y�know that?

DAVE:
In 3�2�1�

(Cut to Studio)

CASEY:
Good evening, from new York City, I�m Casey McCall alongside Dan Rydell. Those stories plus Rocket�s red glare and balls flying in air.

DANNY:
The competitions heats up in Miami, which means we�ve got Major League Soccer. I can barely contain myself. You�re watching Sports Night on CSC, so stick around.

DAVE:
We�re out.

(Cut to show time lapse. It is now Night I, the end of the show.)

ELLIOT:
(Walking through the studio.) Camera wrap is�(Checks his watch.)�12:02.

DANNY:
(To Casey, who�s getting ready to dash off.) Where are YOU off to?

CASEY:
Dinner with Dana.

DANNY:
Gotcha.

CASEY:
See you tomorrow, Danny. (Starts to leave.)

DANNY:
(Calling after him.) I expect a full report!

CASEY:
(Over his shoulder.) Yes sir!

(Dana�s heading out of the control room. Jeremy is hot on her heels.)

JEREMY:
You�ve got to talk to her!

DANA:
I�m staying out of it.

JEREMY:
Please!

DANA:
Nope.

JEREMY:
(Checking to be sure Natalie�s not around.) She has too much power over me.

DANA:
So?

JEREMY:
So she can get me to do just about anything! I don�t want to dress up for this thing, but the last time I put up a fuss about going somewhere she wanted to go, we broke up. And I�m afraid of losing her again, so I agree to everything, but she�s worse thane ver!

DANA:
My advice? Talk to her, and leave me out of it. (She speeds up and heads to her office.)

JEREMY:
(Calling after her.) Dana! (muttering.) Talk to her. Great. Maybe tomorrow.

(Cut to Tony Anthony�s, Night I, Dana and Casey walk in and go to a table. Casey takes Dana�s coat and places it neatly with his own over the back of a chair, then pulls out a chair for Dana. She grins at him. All he does is seemingly on autopilot. He sits across from her.)

CASEY:
So.

DANA:
This is nice.

CASEY:
Yeah.

DANA:
(She studies him for a moment, then places her hand over his on the table.) Casey, what�s bothering you?

CASEY:
What?

DANA:
You�ve been monosyllabic all night. What�s wrong?

CASEY:
Nothing.

DANA:
(Gently.) Casey�

CASEY:
(Staring at the table.) Lisa�s taking Charlie out to LA.

DANA:
What?

CASEY:
She got offered a full-time job at a magazine. She leaves end of next week.

DANA:
She�s�just like that? Can she do that?

CASEY:
Not really.

DANA:
So you�re gonna fight it?

CASEY:
No.

DANA:
What do you mean, �no�?

CASEY:
I mean we�re gonna change it officially and I guess that�s the end of it.

DANA:
�That�s the end of it�?

CASEY:
I�m not dragging it to court, Dana.

DANA:
So instead you�re going to let her take Charlie? You were gonna turn down a great offer in LA because you weren�t willing to live so far away from your son, and now �

CASEY:
(Cutting in quietly.) I can�t do that to him again.

DANA:
Do what to him?

CASEY:
You didn�t see what the divorce did to him. And it wasn�t just me and Lisa, it was all the going back and forth and going to court, and I just�I can�t do that to the poor kid again.

DANA:
(Whispering.) Okay.

CASEY:
(Just sorta talking as though thinking out loud.) I�maybe I could go out there, too. The offer might still be open�Oh, what am I saying? (He gently cups Dana�s face in his hand.) I could never leave you�or Danny�(sighs.) So I guess this is it.

DANA:
That�s it?

CASEY:
I don�t exactly have any good options at this point, Dana. I�ll just have to deal with it as best I can. I mean, it�s only a few months until Christmas�

DANA:
You�re giving up.

CASEY:
Dana.

DANA:
You are, Casey. I mean, you worked for five years to save a marriage you knew was over, and now you�re not even going to fight for the most important thing in the world to you? Do you think it�s going to be a picnic for Charlie to move away from you and leave all his friends? He�s a shy enough kid anyway, but to transplant him in a totally different place he won�t even remember being in before? (Pause.) Ask him.

CASEY:
What?

DANA:
Ask Charlie what he wants to do. I�m sure Lisa�s explained to him by now if they�re moving next week�As him whether he wants to go to California with him mom or go through the process in hopes of staying here.

CASEY:
And if he answers going with Lisa?

DANA:
Then you have to count the days �til Christmas.

CASEY:
But if he answers staying with me in New York?

DANA:
First, he�s gotta understand there�s a chance he might have to go anyway. Second, he�s gotta understand that it�s not gonna be fun to try and get custody transferred to you. Third he�s gotta understand that, win or lose, it�s gonna mean a lot of changes. But if he understands and you both wanna go for it, then you should.

CASEY:
(He gazes into her eyes.) How do you know so much about this?

DANA:
My brother�s going through a really nasty divorce. My niece Julie�s been calling me a lot, mostly because I�m not yelling and I�m not taking sides and I�m actually listening to what she�s saying.

CASEY:
You�re amazing.

DANA:
(Quietly.) So are you.

(They�re silent for a moment, entranced in each other�s gaze, then casey breaks the spell.)

CASEY:
So I�ll call Charlie tomorrow night.

DANA:
Right.

(Fade to commercial, End Act I.)

(Act II.)
(Day II. Rebecca�s office. Dan is sitting where Rebecca normally would, alone in the office. Cut several times to show time lapse. Dan�s looking nearly asleep � probably from boredom � when Stuart [who Danny always used to say hello to when he was best friends with everyone on Rebecca�s floor] walks in. He holds something behind his back and looks around furtively.)

STUART:
Hey, Dan. Rebecca�s in meetings all morning�

DANNY:
Yeah, hey, Stuart, I know, I was just�hey, what�s that behind your back?

STUART:
Hm? Oh, it�s nothing, just� (Pulls a large bouquet of roses from behind his back.) I was just gonna leave these on the desk. (He glances at Dan, who�s staring, wide-eyed, back at him.) What?

DANNY:
It was YOU who went the flowers and the chocolates?

STUART:
(Beat.) Yeah. (Beat.) Why?

DANNY:
God, man, you had me thinking her ex-husband was after her again!

STUART:
(Shrugs) I signed it.

DANNY:
S.S. � Steve Sisco!

STUART:
No, S.S. � Stuart Seaborn.

DANNY:
(sigh.) Okay. Anyway.

STUART:
(Considers.) Did she think it was her ex-husband?

DANNY:
No.

STUART:
Who�d the think it was?

DANNY: Me.

STUART:
You?

DANNY:
Yeah.

STUART:
(Finally realizing.) You�re going out again?

DANNY:
Yeah.

STUART:
�Cause I knew you�d gone out with her before she went back, but I didn�t know �

DANNY:
Yeah.

STUART:
Well. I feel like an idiot now.

DANNY:
Welcome to my world.

STUART:
I�m just gonna�leave now.

DANNY:
Okay.

STUART:
Go ahead and give her the flowers.

(Danny starts to protest, but Stuart leaves.)

DANNY:
(Quietly.) Okay.

(Rebecca walks in, looking tired and annoyed from her morning full of meetings. As she sees Danny standing there with the roses, she grins.)

REBECCA:
Hey, Danny!

DANNY:
Hey, Rebecca�(Forces a grin.)

REBECCA:
What are you doing here?

DANNY:
What? Oh, just um�bringing you flowers�?

REBECCA:
(Raises up and kisses him gently.) They�re beautiful. Thank you.

DANNY:
No problem.

(Cut to the noon rundown, Day II. Dan look tired, Jeremy�s brooding. Natalie keeps shooting glances at him, but he avoids her gaze. Sam is at the end of the table with Dana shooting death glances at him. Meanwhile, she�s trying unsuccessfully to conduct the rundown meeting.)

DANA:
Item one? (Silence.) Danny? Item one?

DANNY:
What? Oh, right, Item one.

DANA:
Yes.

DANNY:
Casey and I need 2:45 on Memphis.

DANA:
Okay. But Item One is the potential Green Bay release.

DANNY:
Really?

DANA:
(Holds up the rundown and points to the top.) Everybody? Please? (She speaks as though speaking to small children.) Do you see these sheets right here? This is called a rundown. On it, you will see Roman Numerals�When I say �Item One�, you look at the row which begins with a single I. Any questions? Good. Danny? Item One?

CASEY:
My source says it�s good.

DANA:
And are you Dan?

CASEY:
I don�t know, am I?

DANA:
Casey.

CASEY:
I was being helpful. (Dana raises an eyebrow.) Okay, okay.

DANA:
Danny? Get someone to go on the record.

DANNY:
Okay.

SAM:
(Not looking up from his folder.) Go ahead with �unnamed source�.

DANA:
No.

DANNY:
Why not?

DANA:
Because.

NATALIE:
Really, Dana, what�s wrong with it? We did it with the trade I broke a couple years ago.

DANA:
Fine. Item two?

ELLIOT:
There is no item two.

DANA:
There�s no Item two.

KIM:
No games start until 1 or 2, so that�s all there is.

DANA:
Right. Okay. We�re done.

(Everyone leaves except Dana and Sam.)

DANA:
You�re a rabble-rousing jackass, y�know that?

SAM:
People have said worse.

DANA:
Shut up.

SAM:
Okay.

DANA
I�m leaving now.

SAM:
Good.

(She starts to leave, then turns back.)

DANA:
You rouse rabbles.

SAM:
Yes.

DANA:
Okay.

(She turns and leaves.)

(Cut to Day II, Newsroom. Natalie, Elliot, Kim, Dave, Chris, Will, Dan, and Jeremy are all sitting around with nothing to do until the games start.)

JEREMY:
I�m never wearing a costume again.

ELLIOT:
Why not?

JEREMY:
It was just�wrong!

KIM:
What were you dressed as?

NATALIE:
It was Rocky Horror.

DANNY:
Ah. I doubt you were Brad.

JEREMY:
Right.

CHRIS:
(To Will.) He�d make a good Brad.

WILL:
Yeah, the glasses and the whole �straight guy� thing going on�

CHRIS:
Exactly. And she�d make a cute Janet, if her hair was blonde�

NATALIE:
Excuse me, we�re sitting right here�

WILL:
So?

DANNY:
So what happened?

JEREMY:
What do you mean?

DANNY:
Something must have happened last night to make you so adamant.

JEREMY:
Nothing happened last night that changed my mind. I just hate the idea that we feel we have to parade around in masks and costumes so we can pretend to be people we aren�t. What did we do that makes us feel the need to hide our faces and identities?

DANNY:
Other than sleep with a porn star?

NATALIE:
Hey!

KIM:
Were you always like that?

JEREMY:
Like what?

KIM:
As a kid? Did you boycott Halloween or Purim or whatever?

JEREMY:
No.

ELLIOT:
And when did you have this realization?

NATALIE:
When he was propositioned last night.

JEREMY:
Natalie!

DANNY:
(Choking on his laughter.) You got a proposition?

CHRIS:
Sexual?

JEREMY:
(Sarcastically.) No, a proposition that he�d wash my car in exchange for meeting Casey and Dan.

CHRIS:
Good deal.

DANNY:
How did you get propositioned?

JEREMY:
There was a guy there who wasn�t just PRETENDING to be a transvestite.

NATALIE:
And Columbia saved the day! (Grins and makes a sort of �ta-da� motion.)

JEREMY:
Natalie, can I talk to you?

NATALIE:
Sure! (They get up and he takes her into the control room.) What�s up?

JEREMY:
Could you stop? Please?

NATALIE:
Stop what? Saving you from transvestites? I�ll try, but �

JEREMY:
See! You�re doing it again!

NATALIE:
Doing what?

JEREMY:
You�re making jokes at MY expense this time.

NATALIE:
What do you mean �this time�? Oh, right, when I broke up with you.

JEREMY:
I broke up with YOU!

NATALIE:
Do we have to have that fight again?!

JEREMY:
No, let�s just go where you want to go, and I won�t say a word!

NATALIE:
What?

JEREMY:
I�ve gone everywhere you�ve wanted, Natalie! I didn�t want to go to Little India, but I did! I didn�t want to go to Rocky Horror, but I did! I certainly didn�t want to dress in drag, but I did! Why? Because I love you and the last time I didn�t want to go where you did, we broke up. And I was afraid to lose you again� (Pause, then gently holds her face in his hand and strokes her cheek with his thumb.) I didn�t want to lose you�

NATALIE:
(Quietly.) I�m sorry�I didn�t realize you�I�listen. How about if you pick anywhere for us to go, and I will go wherever you pick to show that I can compromise for you as you have done for me.

JEREMY:
(Considers.) How about this weekend we go to the Gardens to see the Beijing Opera?

NATALIE:
(Going slightly pale at the thought.) The Beijing Opera?

JEREMY:
Yes.

NATALIE:
Is there another way, any other way we can accelerate the healing process?

JEREMY:
Dinner at the little restaurant we always used to go to in Chinatown?

NATALIE:
Absolutely. (She kisses him gently.) Y�know what?

JEREMY:
What?

NATALIE:
There are only a couple games which start within the next few hours.

JEREMY:
�Kim and Elliot can handle those�

NATALIE:
And upstairs are a few old office that are empty�

JEREMY:
Natalie, someday you�ll learn that sex doesn�t solve every problem.

NATALIE:
Really? (Smiles up at him.)

JEREMY:
It just does for us.

(Jeremy kisses her gently, then they walk off toward the elevators hand-in-hand.)

(Cut to Day II, Dana�s office, Casey walks in as she�s working on the couch.)

DANA:
(Looking up.) Hey, Casey. What�s up? You look tired.

CASEY:
(bites his lip.) I�m not asking Charlie.

DANA:
Not asking Charlie what?

CASEY:
I can�t put that kind of pressure on the kid. Making him choose sides. It�s an impossible position to put Charlie into.

DANA:
(Increduously.) You�re giving up?

CASEY:
Dana, it�s not that, it�s �

DANA:
Is it that you don�t want to be a full-time dad? What? I just don�t see it, Casey. I don�t see why you�re willing to give up what matters more to you than anything.

CASEY:
Could you do it?

DANA:
Do what? Give up �

CASEY:
No. could you sit here and make me choose between you and Danny?

DANA:
Casey �

CASEY:
Because if I chose Danny, you�d think I didn�t like you, right? And if I chose you, it�d hurt Danny�That�s what I�d be doing to my son, Dana. He can�t choose me because it�ll hurt Lisa, and if he chooses Lisa, it�ll hurt me. He�s old enough to understand that, to see through the smiles we�d plaster to our faces if we lost. What kind of thing is that to do to an eleven-year-old kid?

DANA:
(nodding) I guess you�re right.

CASEY:
Yeah. I mean, I don�t want to lose him, but I don�t have much of a choice�(He forces a smile.) Anyway. I�ll get him for most of the summer, so that�s good�

DANA:
And Christmas.

CASEY:
Yeah. I just thought I�d tell you.

DANA:
(Beat.) yeah, okay. (She stands and hugs him.)

CASEY:
What was that for?

DANA:
To remind you that you�ll never lose everyone. I�ll still be here�

(He kisses her lips softly.)

DANA:
And what was that for?

CASEY:
To thank you for reminding me.

DANA:
(Quietly.) Anytime.

CASEY:
Listen, I should go work now. We�ll have drinks later?

DANA:
Absolutely.

(Casey gently kisses the top of her head, then leaves. The next we see him is walking into his office. Pan to show Charlie sitting on the couch, his backpack and coat still on.)

CASEY:
Charlie?

CHARLIE:
(Weakly.) Hi, Dad.

CASEY:
What are you doing here? Is something wrong?

CHARLIE:
Everything�s wrong!

CASEY:
You mean LA?

CHARLIE:
I don�t want to leave! Billy and Megan and Randy and Mrs. Schneider and everyone are here! Plus you and Dan and Dana and�I don�t want to leave here!

CASEY:
(He thinks for a moment, then kneels down in front of his son.) What if I told you there was a way you might be able to stay?

CHARLIE:
Really?!

CASEY:
It�s not really easy, and there�s every chance you might have to go anyway. I�What if you lived with me?

CHARLIE:
Live with you?

CASEY:
Yeah.

CHARLIE:
Mother would still go?

CASEY:
Yeah.

CHARLIE:
But I�d get to see her sometimes?

CASEY:
Christmas and probably at least most of the summer.�

CHARLIE:
Can we go for it?

CASEY:
(Smiles.) If you really want to, we could.

CHARLIE:
(Grinning) Good!

CASEY:
Remember, no guarentees, and it�s not gonna be fun.

CHARLIE:
Okay.

CASEY:
Wait. Does your mom or Holly or anyone know you�re here?

CHARLIE:
Just Holly. She�s gonna pick me up in a little bit. I knew you�d know what to do!

CASEY:
(Smiles weakly and nods.) Well. I had an idea at least. Danny�s out in the newsroom, why don�t you go find him while I put this into motion, okay?

CHARLIE:
Okay! Thanks, dad! (he slides off the couch and heads out into the newsroom. Casey picks up the phone and dials.)

(Fade to black. End Act II.)