The Good Shepard: New Ending

[In the movie "The Good Shepard" Matt Damon's character is in love with one woman (Beautiful & deaf) and sleeps with the sister of one of his college buddies. The sister gets pregnant and the brother says, "We know you'll do the right thing." In the film the right thing is marry the woman he doesn't love and leave the woman he does. Years later he has an affair with the woman he loves and it ends what little marriage he had with his wife. I changed the story, beginning with the scene where the brother confronts Matt with the news that his sister is pregnant. This story begins, on the beach, with the brother, the deaf girl he loves and Matt. I do not remember their names from the movie so, Matt is Matt, the brother is Hugh, the pregnant girlfriend is Ann and the woman he loves is Kay.]

*

"My sister is pregnant." They look at each other. Matt says nothing. Matt then turns and looks down the beach to the woman he loves. She is slowly walking on the beach as she awaits his return. He looks back at Ann's brother and walks back to Kay.

He takes her in his arms and holds her for a long time. Finally, she speaks. "Something is wrong. Talk to me."

They go back to the blanket on the beach. She sits close to him and looks at his face so that when he speaks she can read his lips. He looks out at the water for a long time and then speaks.

"Remember when we went to the hotel?" She nods. They had gone there to have sex and she couldn't go through with it.

"Weeks later I went to a special dinner held once a year for graduates of Yale. I met Hugh's sister at that dinner dance and she wanted to have sex with me. I do not love her. She doesn't love me. Her brother just told me she's pregnant."

"You have certainly done a good job of screwing things up."

"So it appears."

"It's 1937. There aren't many choices for us."

"Can you think of any?"

"Her brother and family expect you to "do the right thing," marry her. I expect you to marry her, unless she turns you down and even then, I expect you to be involved in your child's life."

"Where does that leave us?"

""Let's walk back to the car. I need to think." She stood and he stood with her. She took his hand in hers and they walked back to his car. He took that as a good sign. Once inside they rode back to town without talking. Back at her apartment Matt stopped the car and she faced him.

"I have an idea. I want to talk it through with you and then, tomorrow, we will go to the woman who is pregnant..."

"Her name is Ann."

"Ann, and we will talk with her. Then we will talk to her parents and brother."

"Ok. Talk."

"It's too cold sitting out here in the car. Come inside." She slid over and got out of the car. Matt had never been invited in. He got out and followed her. They climbed to her third floor apartment and she opened the door. She closed it behind them and pointed him at one of the two chairs at her small table. She made coffee. When she served him and set a cup in front of herself she spoke.

She outlined her proposal. He asked questions, she had answers. By one in the morning they had talked enough. Matt agreed that what they had worked out would work for all of them better than the conventional solution; Ann would marry Matt, a man she didn't love and Kay would leave Matt's life forever."

Matt stood. The conversation was over, he thought. Kay stood and said, "You took her to bed. She was first. When we meet with her tomorrow she will look at me and think, "I had him, I got him."

Matt didn't speak. He watched as Kay unbuttoned her dress and removed it. He remembered that once before, in a hotel room, he had seen her take off her dress and then stop. He watched and she pushed the slip straps off her shoulders and it slid to the floor. He watched as more clothes came off her. The girdle, the stockings, her panties and then her bra. When all her clothes were in a pile at her feet she looked at his face and said, "Make love to me. Start a baby in me. Tell me you love me with your body. I will believe you."

Her hands went to his shirt and unbuttoned it. His hands found his belt and opened it. Very soon Matt was as naked as Kay. They went to her bed and Matt helped her lie down. She looked up at his face and opened her legs. He knelt on the bed and her hands guided him on top of her.

As he pressed into her he felt her hymen break and she gasped once. Her hands drew his hips to her and he slowly filled her. When he drew back the first time she felt the missingness of him pulling back. She wanted him deep inside her, again. He gave her what they both wanted. Her passion swelled inside her and he increased the urgency that he thrust inside her. Her eyes never left his face and his never left hers.

She felt him swell and felt his urgency peak. Then she felt his seed flood into her in spurts. When he was finished and starting to wilt he started to pull back. Her legs wrapped around him and held him in her.

"Stay inside me. Hold all your seed inside me."

"I love you, Kay." They kissed and stayed coupled as long as they could. Kay gathered tissues from her night stand and collected all that she could of what leaked out of her. They slept.

In the morning they made love again, bathed, dressed and drove to Matt's apartment. He changed clothes and then called Ann. He softly asked if he could meet her at the restaurant where they had gone the morning after for a talk. She agreed. Matt called another friend and invited her to the same restaurant. She wanted to know why and Matt said, "You get to be a witness." She agreed to be there.

At the restaurant Kay sat looking out the window until she saw Ann's car park out front. She went to the ladies room. Before Ann even got out of her car Beth's car pulled in and she parked next to Ann. They walked in together.

Matt stood and invited both of them to sit. They sat on the same side of the booth, Ann on the inside. Matt slid back into the booth and slid all the way in so that he faced Ann.

"Why is Beth here, Matt?"

"I'm here as a witness. I have no idea what I will witness but I'm here."

"Please, let me talk for a couple of minutes and it will be clear why both of you are here." Both women nodded. The waitress came and they ordered breakfast. As she walked away Kay stopped her and added toast and coffee to the order. Then she sat next to Matt.

"First, the facts. In May we, Ann and I, attended a dinner dance at Yale. We danced and drank some champagne. Near midnight she offered me the chance to sleep with her and I accepted. I did not seduce you, did I Ann."

"We both wanted it to happen."

"It did happen. Yesterday, your brother Hugh came to me and told me you are pregnant. How sure are you that the baby is mine?"

She sat up straighter and said, "You are the only man I've been with!"

Matt smiled and said, "So that night, you were a virgin?"

She nodded. "If I offer $5000 to anyone who has ever had sex with you, no one will claim the money?"

"Ok. I haven't had sex with anyone but you this year."

"Thank you. That still has me being the father of the baby. Now, do you love me?"

"I could."

Matt smiled. He turned to Kay. "Do you know these two women?" She shook her head and said, "No. We've never met."

"Are you a virgin?"

She shook her head and said, "No."

"How many men have you had sex with in your life?"

"One. You."

"Do you love me?"

"Yes, Matt."

"You just heard Ann tell you that I had sex with her and that the baby she carries is mine?"

"Yes, I heard."

"And, you still love me?"

"Yes."

Ann interrupted. "What has she got to do with anything? I'm the one that's pregnant!"

"Is there a rule somewhere that says only one woman at a time can be pregnant?"

"No, but I've missed two periods and the doctor said I was pregnant."

Matt turned to Kay and asked, "Have you had a period since we started having sex?"

"No. Not one."

Matt waited while that sank in, then he talked again.

"Ann, I am proposing that we get married within the month. Have as big a wedding as you like. I will write the vows that the minister will read and you will agree to. We will go on a honeymoon. Where would you like to go?"

"I want to go to Europe."

"Not going to happen. You may or may not know this but the political unrest there is about to become war. We are not going there. We can go to the islands nearby, Cuba, Jamaca. You pick."

"What about her?" Ann pointed at Kay with her nose.

"Kay is not invited to the wedding. She will join us on the honeymoon. When we come back from the honeymoon Kay will live with us and the two of you can raise my children together. For as long as we are married I will live with both of you, a woman I love and a woman I also started a baby in."

"It's not legal!"

"Why not? I'll only be married to one of you. It cannot be adultery, you agree to it. You want me to marry you, yet you don't love me. She loves me and you don't want me to marry her, yet she also will have my baby. Explain that to me, please."

"I want you."

"So does Kay."

It was quiet for a time. Food was eaten, coffee consumed and glances made from face to face. Finally, Beth spoke.

"Why am I here? I'm not pregnant, I don't love any of you. I don't want to marry any of you."

"If Kay went to Ann's friends tomorrow and told them lies about this conversation, would you know the truth?"

"Yes."

"So, you could verify the truth about what is agreed to here at this table today?"

"Yes."

"That's why you are here."

"So, Ann, what are you going to do?"

"Marry him."

"You understand that you will be married to me and you understand that you and Kay will share the same house for as long as you are married to me, raise all children born to either of you together and Kay will be treated as my wife in every way. I know where her name can be legally changed to Peterson without getting married. You will be Ann Peterson and she will be Kay Peterson. Your child will call me Dad or Father and Kay's children will call me Dad or Father."

"My child, her children."

"We will have sex one more time. It is legally necessary in order to consummate the marriage. Then, after the baby is born, your tubes will be tied and you will never have another child. That way you will be free to have sex with whomever you invite. It will not be me."

"Marrying you will be like prison!"

"No, it won't. You will be free to screw anyone you like, any where you like except in our home. I will not need to worry about being father to any children who are not mine. I'd say that gives you more freedom than most of the married women in America."

"What about her tubes?"

"I love her. She loves me. We would like to have three or possibly four children. We will do that over the next few years."

Kay spoke, "I hope some of them look very much like you, Matt." She held his arm and looked up at his face. He bent slowly to her and kissed her tenderly.

Ann was red. Her breath was loud. "This is not how this is supposed to happen!"

"Oh, but this is how it is happening. When we leave here I'm taking Kay home and then I have an appointment to speak with your brother and your parents. I will tell them the situation and the way things can go if they are intent on doing the right thing. If they agree that we should be married I think the last Friday of July, twenty days from now would be the day to do it."

"You are going to tell my parents what you have told us?"

"As word for word as I can, yes."

"I told them we had been together five or six times."

"Been together. That could be been together on campus for events, been together in the same room without speaking, touching or knowing it, or did you mean been together having sex five or six times?"

"I didn't specify."

"What do you believe your parents believed when you said it?"

"Having sex."

"For the record, how many times did we have sex?"

"Once."

"And how many times have we had sex in our lives, together?"

"Once."

"Beth, will you be willing to go with me to meet with Ann's parents and brother?"

"Yes. The truth needs being told."

Ann was crying. The waitress brought extra napkins and asked if everything was Ok. Kay answered, "Our friend is emotional right now. She is pregnant."

The waitress congratulated her and then left the four people alone.

"Matt, please take me home. I have things I need to do and I also need to rest."

Matt looked at Ann and asked, "I don't need to arrive before you to see your parents. What time can you meet me there?"

"Ann looked at her watch and said, "Noon."

"Beth, ride with us, please. I'll bring you back to your car after we meet with Ann's parents." Beth nodded and they got out of the booth. Matt picked up the bill and said, "Breakfast is on me." He dropped two dollars on the table as a tip and walked to the cashier to pay the bill. Kay noticed that as Ann slid out of the booth and stood she palmed a dollar from the table. Her family may have been rich but she was cheap.

All three fit into Matt's front seat and they left before Ann had even opened her car door.

"I saw Ann pocket half the tip you left." Kay said.

"I saw it too." Ann agreed.

"The morning after we had sex she brought me here for breakfast. I'll bet..." He stopped talking and drove back to the diner. The women followed him back in. He walked up to the waitress and asked, "The woman with us, who was crying, have you seen here before?"

"She comes in for breakfast at least once a month. The guy who brings her in leaves a big tip and she always takes part of it. She did it again this morning."

"She always comes in with the same guy?"

"You're the only one who has been here with her twice."

"Has she been in with someone besides me this year?"

"Every month."

"Could I speak to your manager, please?"

"Am I in trouble?"

"No. As a matter of fact I want to pay your boss to let you come with us for about three hours."

She motioned to an older woman and she waddled over to Matt and the ladies. "What seems to be the problem?"

"This gentleman needs to speak with you."

"Good morning. We just had breakfast here and first I want you to know it was great. Secondly, your waitress is a very observant woman. Our breakfast companion took..."

"Half the tip. I know. She's been doing that since she was in high school. She does it when her boy friends bring her in or when she comes in with girlfriends and sits at the table bragging about how many boys she has bedded."

"I want to stop her from stiffing working people. I am on my way to meet with her parents. It would help if this waitress or you could come with us and verify the story we tell. If the issue is money, I would be willing to match her pay for the time she is gone."

The woman looked around the restaurant. One customer sat at the counter nursing a cup of cold coffee. She called out the name "Carol," and another waitress came out of the kitchen.

"Honey, Janice and I are going to be gone for an hour or so. You are in charge while we're gone. Don't let Frank have any more coffee. Ok?"

Carol nodded and moved back to the kitchen. "By the way, I'm Marge. Janice and I can follow you in my car, that way we can leave as soon as we tell what we know. Ok?"

Matt nodded. They got into two different cars and pulled out of the diner lot.

"Take me with you," Kay said. "I won't go in but I want to be there."

Matt did take her. They arrived at a quarter to twelve. Mr. and Mrs. Whitetower were sitting on their veranda. Mr. Whitetower got up and said something to a servant. He moved to the top of the seven steps up to the veranda.

"Young man I hope you have come here for the right reasons."

"So do I Mr. Whitetower. May we come up?"

He looked at the two waitresses and then nodded. He went back to his seat. A servant came out carrying a tray of glasses and iced tea. She was followed by Hugh. Hugh took a seat near his mother. He neither acknowledged or made eye contact with Matt.

One seat remained empty. Beth spoke first.

"Mr. Whitetower, I am Beth Watkins. Judge Watkins is my father. I am here as a witness. I am not friends with these people or with your daughter. I have known your daughter for six years, since we went to Green Briar School together. Either I can tell you what I know or each of these people can tell you and I can verify what they say. How would you like to proceed?"

"I respect your father and I knew who you were when you go out of the car. Tell me what you want me to know."

Beth told him the story of the morning as it happened. Hugh started to protest twice and his father stopped him by saying, "I am listening to her. You will be heard as well."

Beth told what the women from the restaurant had said not knowing it would be told to Ann's father. The man rose from his chair and said, "Please excuse me for a few moments." He went inside and came back with four one-hundred dollar bills. He gave one to Janice and the others to Marge.

"This is to compensate you for her theft. I apologize to you for her embarrassing behavior. I am sorry my daughter is who she is."

Marge looked at Matt and asked, "Can we go now?"

Matt nodded. They stood. Marge held out her hand to Mr. Whitetower and said, "I am sorry for any pain this may cause you. Is there anything else you need from us?"

"Yes. If Ann ever comes back to your restaurant, do not serve her. Call me." He handed Marge a card. She bowed and she and Janice left. A minute passed in silence before Ann's car arrived. She was ten minutes late.

"Come sit with us Ann," He father said. She sat in the chair Marge had been sitting in.

"Ann, tell me the story about your meeting this morning with Matt and Beth."

"Haven't they told you?"

"Matt hasn't said ten words since they arrived. We want to let you speak."

Ann told her story. She made it sound like she and Matt were serious lovers, like they had spent nights together often. She spoke of her visit to the doctor after missing her period. Her father listened without speaking. Her brother fidgeted in his chair but did not speak. Matt and Beth sat quietly. When Ann told of Matt's proposal she was accurate about what Matt wanted and how Kay was to be included in the living arrangements.

Ann stopped speaking. Her father waited almost a minute before he spoke.

"The restaurant, where you met this morning, have you been there before?"

"Yes. Matt and I went there for breakfast after we spent the night together the first time."

"Is that the only two times you have been there?"

"Yes." Her father nodded.

"How many other men have you slept with?"

"Matt is the only one."

"You are sure?"

"I would know if I had slept with anyone else, wouldn't I?"

"Ann, are you a thief?"

"What?"

"Have you ever taken something that was not yours?"

"No!"

"May I have your purse please?"

Her hands held it tightly. "Why?"

"May I have your purse please?" Her father held out a hand. She handed him the purse. He opened it and looked inside. He removed the contents one item at a time. A wallet with a snap closure. A lipstick. Some tissues. Her keys. A compact. A one dollar bill.

"Tell me why this dollar is not in your wallet."

"I got it in change and just was in a hurry."

"What did you buy?"

"I don't remember. It was yesterday."

"Yesterday? When I opened the purse the dollar was right there on top of everything except your keys. You haven't reapplied lipstick since yesterday?"

"What's going on here? This meeting is supposed to be about planning my wedding! Not about a dollar!"

"In the few minutes since you sat down you have lied to me at least seven times. Two of the women who work at the restaurant where you were this morning were here. They have seen you there many times. They have heard you bragging about the men and boys you have slept with. They have seen you take part of their tips every time you have been there. Yet you tell me the only times you have been there have been with Matt."