02x12 - Milk Does a Body Good

[bunniefuu]

[theme song]

♪ Maybe the world is blind

♪ Or just a little unkind

♪ Don't know

♪ Seems you can't be sure

♪ Of anything anymore

♪ Although

♪ You may be lonely and then

♪ One day you're smiling again

♪ Every time I turn around

♪ I see the girl
that turns my world around ♪

♪ Standing there

♪ Every time I turn around

♪ Her spirit's lifting me

♪ Right off the ground

♪ What's gonna be?

♪ Guess we'll just wait

♪ And see ♪

[instrumental music]

Why do trees have to change
their leaves anyway?

You wouldn't wanna wear the same
clothes all year, would ya?

No, but when I
do change my clothes,

I don't throw them
on somebody else's floor.

Brandon, you missed a spot.

Hey! There's that new girl.

She looks lonely.
Let's invite her up.

Hi, Julie!

Wanna play with Cherie and me?

You mean, in your tree house?

Sure, come on up.

Oh, I can't.

I promised my dad
that I'd stay in the backyard.

Julie, the tree house
is in the backyard.

Yeah. It's in the top
of the backyard.

Here I come!

Julie, get down from there!

It's okay, Mr. Whitney,
we invited Julie up.

She's not trees-passing.

Oh... I'm sorry, girls. Uh...

Julie has to eat her lunch now.

I'm not hungry now, Daddy.

Let's go, Julie, now.

[instrumental music]

Bye, Punky.
Bye, Cherie.

Both: Bye, Julie.

Boy...

I feel bad for Julie.

Her father never
lets her have any fun.

Yeah, and he's
always so nervous.

I wonder why.

Well, my grandma says
you can learn

a lot about people
from their furniture.

Furniture?

Yeah. We watched them move in.

They had almost nothing.

What did she learn from that?

Almost nothing.

You know what I think, Cherie?

What?

I bet Mr. Whitney

is a Russian spy.

I bet he came to Chicago

to spy on the space shuttle.

The space shuttle
isn't in Chicago.

He's from Russia.

What does he know?

You're goin' to just love it
livin' in this buildin'.

The people here are so nice.

Except for that
nosy Mrs. Holtsneider.

All she does is gossip.

Betty.

Just yesterday
she told me that

the Woopermans are going
to a marriage counselor.

Oh, I hope he's a good one.

Well, how could he be?
She met him at a single's bar.

Anyway, it's a lovely building.

And everyone here
minds their own business.

- Great.
- So...

What line of work are you in?

Uh...

- I'm in sales.
- I knew it.

With those good looks
and that personality,

I'll bet you're
a crackerjack salesman.

[chuckles]

Daddy, do you sell crackerjacks?

No, no, honey.

Come on, we gotta hit the trail.
Let's go, partner.

Oh, Mr. Whitney...

we're all getting together
for dinner tonight.

Why don't you and Julie join us?

I'm cookin' pot roast,
and I always make too much.

And I'm serving
potatoes a la Warnimont.

That's just a fancy name
for potato buds.

[laughs]

We really appreciate
the invitation,

but we just can't make it.

Sure, we can, Daddy.

I'm tired of TV dinners.

Especially without TV.

[chuckles]

Oh, boy, these kids.

So, then, you'll
make it for dinner?

The girls are gonna
bake a cake for dessert.

Julie, maybe you could
give 'em a hand.

Oh, could I, Daddy?

Pretty please?

Alright.

Daddy, you're the best daddy
in the whole world.

Oh.

[instrumental music]

Okay, we got
all the ingredients.

Now, let's get started.

But, Grandma,
I thought you said

we could bake this cake
by ourselves.

Well, you can.

Julie, did you ever
help your mom bake a cake?

I don't remember.

It's been a long time
since I've seen my mom.

Well, I've preheated the oven.

And I'll be in the
livin' room if you need me.

Okay, Grandma.

And try not to make a mess.

We'll try.

[giggling]

You know, girls...

I remember the first time I
baked a cake with my friends.

Half the fun was
messin' up my mama's kitchen.

[laughter]

'Course, when she saw it,

she gave me a whoopin'
I'll never forget.

[laughter]

And don't you forget it either.

There goes our food fight.

- Oh.
- Oh.

So, what do we do first?

I'll be the cake baker, and
Cherie, you be the icing maker.

Well, what'll I be?

You can be the assistant to the
cake baker and the icing maker.

Wow, my first cake
and I'm already an assistant.

"Empty contents into bowl.

Add four tablespoons of flour
for higher altitudes."

That's us,
we're on the second floor.

Right.

Okay, hand me the tablespoon.

Oh, here.

Are you sure
that's a tablespoon?

It was on the table.

Right.

[instrumental music]

[snoring]

[snoring]

Isn't it gorgeous?

Yeah, but it needs
another cherry.

Comin' right up!

Right there.

Perfect.

- Now, let's taste it.
- Yeah.

We can't,
it's for dinner.

Yeah.

But we could cut a little square
off of the bottom layer.

Yeah.

But it will leave
a big whole on the side.

Yeah.

But we could
fill it in with icing.

- Yeah!
- Yeah!

I'll get the milk,
you get the glasses.

Next time we should bake
two cakes.

One for dessert and one for now.

Cherie, look at this.

What is it?

Picture of a missing girl.

Julie, this girl looks
sorta like you.

That's not me,
that girl has white hair.

That's flour.

Now, look.

Cherie: It couldn't be her,
Punky.

This girl's name
is Jennifer Bates.

Oh, I gotta go home.

But, Julie,
you didn't even eat your cake!

- Julie!
- Julie!

[grunts]
I was just restin' my eyes.

[instrumental music]

[knock at door]
Daddy!

Daddy!

Honey, what's the matter?

Daddy, this is me,
isn't it?

[sighs]

[dramatic music]

What on earth happened to Julie?

Why did she fly outta here
like a house afire?

We don't know, Grandma,
it was weird.

All we did was
show her a milk carton.

The picture on it
looks like her.

Well, shame on you.
She doesn't look like a cow.

No, Grandma,
the other side.

Picture of the missing girl.

Kids, we've got a problem.

I'm calling Henry.

[instrumental music]

See, Mr. Warnimont?

Doesn't it look just like Julie?

Somewhat.

But you know,
photographs are deceptive.

It all depends on the angle,
the lighting...

the focus, the shutter speed.
But this--

Uh, skip the lecture, Henry.

Now, that missing child
could be Julie.

But this girl's name
is Jennifer Bates.

Of course, Julie Whitney
could be a pseudonym.

Yeah.

Or they could've
just made it up.

Henry, from the beginnin'
I thought

there was somethin' fishy
about that Mr. Whitney.

He acts like he's
got somethin' to hide.

That's merely a conjecture.

It could be that he's just
naturally closed mouth.

Closed mouth?

Or Mrs. Holtsneider couldn't
get a thing out of him.

And she can get the life history
out of an artichoke.

I do remember something that
struck me as odd at that time.

Hmm.

Well, what is it?

He wanted to pay his rent
by the week.

Sure he did. So he could
make a fast getaway.

That's why he's got
no furniture.

Punky...

does Julie have
many friends at school?

She doesn't go to school.

What?

She says she doesn't have to.

Her father teaches her at home.

That's strange.

I'll say, if you
go to school at home,

where do you go when you
go home from school?

Henry, we got to report this.

Let's call the number
that's here on the carton.

But what if we're wrong?

What if this girl
isn't Julie?

Well, what if we're right?

If it was Cherie and Punky,

wouldn't you want
someone to get involved?

Of course,
but if we make that call,

we're accusing Mr. Whitney
of a very serious crime.

So, before we do that

I want us to
think this thing through.

What's that number?

" - - - ..."
[knock at door]

I'll get it.

Is Julie here?

Uh, no, she isn't.
She said she was goin' home.

Yeah, didn't she get there yet?

Oh, she came home
a little while ago and...

went to her room, I--
I went to check on her, the...

window was open,
she wasn't there.

I-- I think she's run away.

Why would she do that?

Well, we had an argument,
she was upset.

What difference does it make?
I've got to find her!

We'll help you.

Oh, but she doesn't know
the neighborhood.

It's getting dark outside,
she could be sick

or lost or God knows what!

Well, take it easy, Mr. Whitney.

I'm sure we'll find her.

We'll check the building first.

Maybe she went to the park.

Yeah, Cherie and I
will check there, okay?

Good idea. Betty, stay here,
in case she comes back.

I'll call the neighbors
and ask if they've seen her.

Fine. Let's go, Mr. Whitney.

Wait, Cherie!

I've got an idea.

Maybe Brandon
could help us find Julie.

Brandon, come on, boy.

Brandon isn't a bloodhound.

We're not looking for blood,
Cherie,

we're looking for Julie.

Brandon, find Julie.

[dramatic music]

Julie.

[barks]

You haven't seen Julie all day?

Are you sure?

Mrs. Holtsneider,

I don't have time to gossip
with you about the Woppermans.

A divorce lawyer?

In the same single's bar?

Got to go.

We couldn't find her.

There's no trace of her.

Are Punky and Cherie back?

Not yet.

Mr. Whitney,
I think we've done all we can.

We'd better call the police.

- No, no police.
- But, Mr. Whitney--

No! I don't want you
calling the police!

Because of this?

[instrumental music]

Maybe you better
tell us about it.

My ex-wife was trying
to keep Julie...

Jennifer... away from me.

She even tried cutting down
some of my visitation rights.

And then one weekend,
I picked up Julie and...

and I...

didn't take her back.

You kidnapped her.

No. No, I didn't plan it.

She's my child. I didn't like
being cut out of her life!

But you stole her.

No, no, you don't understand.

I did it out of love.

What you did
was not an act of love,

it was pure selfishness.

Listen, my child is missing.

I have to find her.

I can't stand
not knowing where Julie is.

Now, you know how her
mother must feel.

Punky: Julie!

Cherie: Julie!

[dramatic music]

I don't think Brandon
knows what he's doing.

All he's found is every
fire hydrant on the block.

He's just warming up his nose.

Mm, that's not what it
looked like to me.

[barking]

The tree house!

You think she's up there?

Brandon does.
Wouldn't hurt to check.

You look in the laundry room.

Okay, Punky.

[dramatic music]

Julie!

Julie, are you up here?

Well, guess you're not here.

I might as well leave now.

Here I go.

Punky: Julie.
[gasps]

Why didn't you answer me?

Why didn't you leave?

What's going on?

Why did you run away?

I don't wanna talk about it.

But everybody's looking for you.

Your dad's real worried.

I'm mad at him.

Why?

I told you, I don't
wanna talk about it.

[sniffles]

Was that you on the milk carton?

He told me my mom didn't
want to see me anymore.

He lied to me.

If she didn't wanna see me,

then why would she put me
on milk?

You're right. She must be
trying real hard to find you.

Why would my dad
do this to me?

I don't know.

Why don't you ask him why?

I'm not talking to him!

After what he did to me?

Every time I make a friend,
we have to move.

And every time we move,
I have to change my name.

I've been Joan...

and Jane a-- and Janet--

- Listen, Julie--
- It's Jennifer.

I never wanna
see my father again.

I'm gonna live up here
for the rest of my life.

Here's my first week's rent.

Boy, your mom
wants you with her...

your dad wants you with him.

Yeah, isn't it rotten?
[sniffles]

I think it's wonderful.

You do?

Yeah. See, Henry's
my foster dad.

I don't know
where my real dad is.

How come?

He walked out on my mom and me.

Then my mom started
acting real weird.

She drove me
to a shopping center...

she never came back.

Why would she do that?

I don't know.

What really bothers me...

is that I may never
get the chance to ask her why.

That would be awful.

But you still got that chance.

Your dad's still here.

You can ask him why.

What do you say?
Wanna talk to him about it?

Great.

Thanks, Punky.
You're a real good friend.

No problem.

Here's your rent back.
It's on the house.

[instrumental music]

How long have you
been on the run?

About a year and a half.

It's been a nightmare.

Moving from town to town.

Afraid that someone would
find out my secret.

Take my daughter away from me.

Look who we found.

[chuckles]

Oh, Jennifer! God...

I need to know something.

Why did you lie to me?

Why did you
take me away from mommy?

Honey...

Why did you do it?

Jennifer, when your mother
got married again...

I was very, very scared.

Of what?

Well, you didn't
know about this.

But Mark and your mother were

planning on moving
to the West Coast.

You know what that means?

Gosh, that means I'd hardly ever
get to see you again.

And I was so afraid.

I was so afraid you'd forget me.

That couldn't happen.

You're my daddy,
and you always will be.

[instrumental music]

Oh, Jennifer.

May I use your phone?

Be my guest.

[clears throat]

Roberta?

It's Richard.

There's somebody here...

that wants to talk to you.

Hello?

Mommy?

[instrumental music]

[theme music]