Runaway Bride

       CUT TO:

 INT. CHURCH BASEMENT - CONTINUING

 Maggie comes down steps and enters the church children's Sunday
 school class.  A lot of KIDS And TEACHERS are doing religious
 arts and crafts.  As Maggie runs through:

       MAGGIE
  There's a man coming down those steps
  with lots of candy in his pockets.  If
  you tickle him, he'll give candy.

 She gives her bouquet to a little GIRL as she goes by.  Ike comes
 down stairs.

       IKE
  Maggie!

 The KIDS mob him, grabbing his pockets.  Ike fights his way
 through KIDS.

 ANGLE ON:

 Maggie as she's in the church kitchen and hops on counter and
 heads out the window.  The window is wide enough.

 ANGLE ON:

 Ike as he gets to the window, but Maggie is out in driveway.

 EXT. CHURCH DRIVEWAY - CONTINUING

 Maggie flies toward a FedEx truck at next house just leaving.

 ANOTHER ANGLE:

 She gathers her dress and jumps in as Ike yells from window,
 then, quickly climbs out onto the lawn as the truck starts to
 pull away.

       IKE
  Maggie!

 Maggie looks back once, tearful and regretful, and disappears
 inside the truck.  The truck races off.

 The PHOTOGRAPHERS turn their cameras on Ike, en masse.  He is
 enveloped by a barrage of bright lights.

 Ellie and Fisher, who have also stepped outside on chapel front
 steps, are looking around as Ike turns around the corner and
 past the church.

       ELLIE
  Look, he's running after her.

       FISHER
  Look, he's in pretty good shape.

       ELLIE
  Poor Ike.

 They look after the FedEx truck and watch Ike chasing the truck
 down the road away from the church.

       IKE
   (running; yells)
  Maggie!

       ELLIE
  Where do you think she's going?

       FISHER
  Wherever it is, she'll be there by ten-
  thirty tomorrow.

 Cindy, Cory, Peggy and Meredith also rush out of the church and
 comment on Maggie's runaway.  Further down the road, Ike still
 chases the truck, yelling:

       IKE
  Maggie!

 As the truck rounds the bend in the road and disappears, Ike
 stops and stares alone after the disappearing truck.  A swarm of
 REPORTERS catch up to him, flashing pictures and asking
 questions.  Another camera flashes and we cut to:

 A NEWSPAPER PHOTO

 Of Ike's stunned face on the cover of the USA Today.  The caption
 reads: "Hit and Run:  Runaway Bride Strikes again".  And we see
 headlines in other papers.

 "MAGGIE'S MAD DASH"
 "HARDWARE HONEY GOES NUTS AND BOLTS"
 "JOURNALIST WRITTEN OFF"
 "BRIDE TAKES HIKE...NOT IKE"
 "BRIDE TAKE RIDE"
 "MAGGIE SAYS I DON'T"

 NEWSPAPER MONTAGE:

 INT. NEW YORK BAR - DAY

 Kevin, the bartender, reads Jay's column, in the USA Today
 entitled "Maggie's Mad Dash".

       CUT TO:

 EXT. USA TODAY LOADING DOCK - DAY

 Various newspaper WORKERS also read Jay's column in the USA
 Today entitled "Maggie Mad Dash" and "Hardware Honey Goes Nuts
 and Bolts" in another newspaper.

 FADE IN

 EXT. MAIN STREET/HALE - NIGHT (1-5 MONTHS LATER)

 It's a night like any other in Hale -- the regular order of
 things has been restored on its quaint streets.  Quartet sings
 in front of the hotel.  LEE AND CORY CHUFFA:  About where Peggy
 is.

 INT. HARDWARE STORE - NIGHT

 Maggie is sitting, end of a long day.  Peggy sticks her head in
 entrance door.

       PEGGY
  You okay?  I'm closing.

       MAGGIE
  I'm just finishing up, too.

       PEGGY
  Want to go to Butch's for a drink or
  something?

       MAGGIE
   (interrupting)
  No, I'm just going to head home.

       PEGGY
  Okay.

 Peggy starts to go, then moves close to Maggie.

       PEGGY (cont'd)
   (stepping closer
    and making a "V"
    with her fingers)
  You know, I was just thinking about
  that geese thing.  I think the "V" was
  half of a "W".  A "W" for...

       MAGGIE
  What are you talking about?

       PEGGY
  Wedding.  Wedding.
   (holding Maggie's face)
  You just have to get the rest of your
  ducks in a row.

       MAGGIE
  Thank you.  You still think that he
  was....

       PEGGY
  Quick.  Very quick.

 Peggy exits.  Maggie stares, losing herself in thought.  Then a
 VOICE startles her.

       VOICE
   (whispers)
  Marry me, Maggie.

 Maggie jumps and turns to see:  DENNIS -- the kid from the high
 school football team, popping up from a low position near the
 counter.

       MAGGIE
   (softly)
  Hi, Dennis.

       DENNIS
  I am going to propose, you know.  I
  mean, the right way.  Soon as I turn
  eighteen.

       MAGGIE
  You're sweet, Dennis.  But you've got
  to go.  I'm closing up.  Here's a candy
  bar and one for your brother.

 Dennis takes the candy and starts to go.

       DENNIS
  I'm not giving up.   A person shouldn't
  give up.

 Dennis exits.  Maggie is alone.  She turns out the lamp she
 designed, then on again.  She turns off the other lamp on the
 counter and exits.  We hold on Maggie's designed lamp.

       CUT TO:

 INT. IKE'S HALLWAY AND APARTMENT - NIGHT

 Ike walks up to his door, carrying his mail and a bag of
 carryout.  He opens the door and walks into his apartment.  He
 pets Italics, who sits on his sofa bed.  Without taking off his
 coat, he goes to his keyboard and plays music as he CHUFFAS to
 his cat about marriage and divorce.

       CUT TO:

 INT. MAGGIE'S HOUSE - DAY

 Dad and Grandma Julia are there.  Grandma is making lunch. 
 Walter is juggling oranges.  There's glass of beer on the
 kitchen counter.

       WALTER
  That's Maggie.  Home for lunch.

       GRANDMA JULIA
  She's been doing this since the last
  wedding.  I don't think it's good.

 Maggie walks in and kisses Grandma on the cheek.

       MAGGIE
  Hey.  Grandma, what's for lunch?

       GRANDMA JULIA
  Turkey and cheese.

       WALTER
  Honey, your grandmother and I were
  thinking about opening a wedding gift
  museum.

 Walter laughs.

       MAGGIE
  STOP!

 Walter looks at his daughter in surprise.  He's never heard a
 tone like this in her voice before.

       WALTER
  What?

       MAGGIE
   (quiet fury)
  Just stop it.  Don't say another word
  like that.

       WALTER
   (putting down the oranges)
  Maggie, it's just a joke...

       MAGGIE
  No.  It's my life.

       WALTER
  A harmless joke.

       MAGGIE
  No, it's humiliating and you've been
  doing it since I was a kid.  I don't
  like it.  Stop.  You may not like
  having a daughter with problems.  But
  guess what?  I don't like having a
  father who's drunk all the time.  I'll
  eat in my room.

 Maggie takes a plate and exits.

       GRANDMA JULIA
  That needed to be said.  You know --
  you're always making jokes about her,
  so they won't make jokes about your
  drinking.

 Walter reacts.

       CUT TO:

 INT. IKE'S APARTMENT - DAY

 Ike goes out on his terrace.  He bounces a basketball.  It
 doesn't bounce.  He sits on the steps of the patio an stares.

       CUT TO:

 INT. MAGGIE'S WORKROOM/GYM - DAY

 Maggie is kickboxing.

       CUT TO:

 INT. MAGGIE'S WORKROOM/GYM - ANOTHER DAY

 Maggie is a bit melancholy as she works on her lamps.

       CUT TO:

 INT. IKE'S APARTMENT - ANOTHER DAY

 Ike quietly sits in bed writing and staring into space thinking. 
 His cat sits on the windowsill.

       CUT TO:

 INT. MAGGIE'S WORKROOM/GYM - NIGHT

 Maggie jumps rope barefooted late at night.

       MAGGIE
  I need a plan... A plan to life... What
  would Bruce Lee do?  He'd kick some
  ass...

       CUT TO:

 INT. MAGGIE'S KITCHEN - DAY

 Maggie in front of plates full of all sorts of types of eggs --
 scrambled, poached, sunny-side up, Benedict, soft boiled, etc
 -- sits on the kitchen counter.  She ties them all.

 EXT. NEW YORK STREET - DAY

 Establishing shot.  Two MEN try to fix the engine of a taxi
 outside the restaurant.

       CUT TO:

 EXT. NEW YORK STREET - DUSK

 Eke walks by the T-shirt Vendor, goes into a subway station.

 EXT. ANOTHER STREET - DUSK

 Ike crosses a busy street where a MAN is being arrested.  Ike is
 passing the upscale "Millennium Hardware Store".  He glances at
 the window, looks away, stops and looks again.  The window
 display is made up of an assortment of Maggie's lamps.  Logo
 "MAG" is on them.  He smiles and walks on.

 EXT. CENTRAL PARK RESERVOIR - DUSK

 Ike stares out at water as he walks.

 EXT. IKE'S APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT

 Ike walks along sidewalk, crosses street, enters his building.

 INT. IKE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

 Ike opens the door to his apartment and flicks on the lights.  He
 crosses to hang his coat in the closet.  In the closet mirror, he
 sees and is stunned to find:  MAGGIE, sitting on the couch
 holding Italics, the cat.

       MAGGIE
  Hello, Ike.

 He closes the closet and crosses to his desk.

       IKE
  Don't tell me.  My doorman is one of
  your many admires... I knew I should
  have given him a better Christmas gift.

 Maggie smiles tenuously.  She's more than a little terrified.

       MAGGIE
  I've been making friends with your cat.
   (then)
  Is it okay that I'm here?