Gabrielle:  (softly and wryly, seated and turned away from Max) Do you know what I was thinking about last night?  That if you had shown me this much attention a long time ago, I wonder how different a person I might be today.

Max: (standing, looking down at her sadly... gently) I guess it wasn’t in the cards for us then... (kneeling, pulling her chair around to face him) If you listen to me now, maybe I can change your future.  Please let me do that....
 

Scene II: The music has stopped, they remain in the same position... the scene proceeds and continues almost at whisper level.

Gabrielle: (painfully but concisely)  Al’s Daddy is going to marry his lover Megan, and then Megan and Max are going to raise Al, and Mummy is going to become a distant ... memory.

Max: (huskily) That is ridiculous.

Gabrielle:  No it’s not. And it’s the way it should be.  (Max presses his eyes shut, turning his head biting his lip)  I know that Al is going to ... fine... I’m going to miss him.   But I’m going to see him when he’s older, after I’ve redeemed myself.

Max: (looking up at her, raising an eyebrow)  You know, it’s too bad they don’t burn people at the stake any more

Gabrielle: (sincerely) I’m not trying to be a martyr.

Max: Oh yes you are. (reaches out and runs his fingers through the ends of her hair, gently moving them over her shoulder, and says pointedly)  You know, you’re driving me crazy?  You want to do me a little favor?  You want to get back a little bit of that Gabrielle Medina selfishness?  Because this new version is just as bad as the old one.

Gabrielle: (looking down, on the verge of tears, yet softly, trying to hold it together)  These are my feelings Max.

Max: (reaching up to her hair again, resting his hand on her cheek, fervently) These feelings are faulty, trust me.  You may feel this way now, but in a year or two you’re going to be screaming to get out of prison.

Gabrielle: (smiling ruefully)  You sound like my Mother.

Max: (smiles back) Well your Mother’s right... this time.  (now intently) I don’t believe that this crime deserves a long jail term.  You didn’t kidnap that boy for ransom or to sell him, and if you plead guilty they are going to judge and sentence you as if you did. Hey...
I didn’t save you yesterday just so you could thrown your life away today. What about your son... our son?

Gabrielle: (still with his hand resting on cheek... resignedly)  When he’s old enough to know, everyone else will have forgotten.

Max: (Brings up his other hand, caressing her hair, almost cradling her head, then pulls both hands away)  That’s my point ... when Brenda and Steven and (angrily) Michael Grande are off living their lives you’re going to be stuck in that awful moment (touches her hair again)... that stupid, impulsive, awful... insane moment.

Gabrielle: (painfully closing her eyes, voice choked with suppressed tears)  Oh God... it was insane...

Max:  Then you can plead that can’t you. (placing his hand on her chin, brings her eyes up to his)  You can look that judge in the eye, and you can declare that you are not guilty because you were temporarily insane.

Gabrielle:  (looking lost) I don’t know... I’m so confused... oh God hold me... please (Max takes her into his arms as she rests her head on his shoulder)
 

Scene III:  Gabrielle slowly pulls out of Max’s embrace...

Gabrielle: (gently touches his cheek then meditatively)  You know, when you walked out on my life in Argentina, I should have put my feelings behind me then (he looks up at her... awed, ashamed, touched, confused... it’s all there)... but I couldn’t.  (She smiles wryly and brushes back her hair)  Isn’t it funny, how my feelings for you have really altered my life, don’t you think?

Max: (intently) I’m not walking out on you now.  I’m right here with you, please (his voice breaking)... plead temporary insanity... for me... 

Gabrielle: (shaking her head confused)  I don’t...

Max: (now pleading)  Gabrielle, please... stop punishing yourself.  There’s enough other people who want to do that...  I want you in my life... I want you to fight for me... (they’re interrupted by a knock at the door, Mx almost guiltily springs up from his knees)

Jon Russell:  (Gabrielle’s attorney enters the room) The hearing reconvenes in a few minutes, you’re going to have to return to the courtroom.  What did you decide?

Max:  (looking down at Gabrielle)  Yeah... what did you decide?  (Gabrielle looks around... puzzled).