Episode Ninety-nine:
Christmas 1989: All the Johnsons
Gather Together. Later, with Jennifer
Celebrating with her Family, Jack & Isbella
Share a Christmas Dinner Together.

 

SCENE ONE: JO AND ADRIENNE ARE ON THE PIER DISCUSSING THE FACT THAT THEY ARE ALONE WHEN THEY NOTICE JACK STANDING AT THE OTHER END.

 

JO: What are you doing out here all by yourself?

JACK: Oh Happy Holidays, ladies.

ADRIENNE: Merry Christmas Jack.

JO: Jack, well this isn't exactly the day to be at the pier.

JACK: I was just out taking a breather. You know I've been running around a lot today.

ADRIENNE: Oh, places to go, people to see Jack.

JACK: Yeah, yeah, you know that sort of thing.

JO: Why don't you spend the day with us?

ADRIENNE: Yeah, we're going over to Neil's and then we're going over to my place to cook dinner.

JACK: Ah, I'm sorry, I can't.

JO: Maybe next time.

JACK: Ah, yeah. Maybe next time.

ADRIENNE: Merry Christmas Jack.

JO: Merry Christmas.

 

JO AND ADRIENNE LEAVE WHILE JACK PONDERS WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO HAVE A FAMILY CHRISTMAS.

SCENE TWO: A SHORT TIME LATER, STEVE ANSWERS THE DOOR AT NEIL'S. JACK IS STANDING THERE. STEVE IS WEARING A SANTA HAT AND TINSEL ON HIS PATCH. HE PULLS OFF THE HAT WHEN HE SEES JACK.

 

STEVE: I thought I felt a cold breeze.

JACK: Ha! You caught right there in the holiday spirit.

STEVE: Huh, uh. Yeah.

JACK: So....have you seen Kayla?

STEVE: You care?

JACK: Yeah.

STEVE: I'm still lookin'.

JACK: So am I.

STEVE: Oh is that right?

JACK: Huh, uh.

STEVE: Yeah? What are you doin' Jack? Lookin' for Isabella?

JACK: No, I'm not looking for Isabella. I'm helping you look for the damn key, that's what I'm doing.

STEVE: Is that right? Well I don't believe you.

 

JACK IS FRUSTRATED AND HURT.

 

JO: Who's at the door? (Beat) Jack!

JACK: Ah, I know I said I had other plans but....

JO: Isn't this wonderful? My two sons under the same roof at Christmas.

STEVE: Yeah, that's great mamma but I gotta go.

JACK: Look I got this got this little thing I got to give Neil. That's all I know.

JO: No, no. Come on please. Have some egg nog. Come on. Dr. Curtis is here. Adrienne is here. She's going to be so happy to see you.

 

JO DRAGS THEM BOTH INTO THE LIVING ROOM.

JO: Look who's here.

ADRIENNE: Jack!

JACK: Hey, it's the girl on the pier.

NEIL: Merry Christmas, Jack.

JACK: Neil.

JO: Isn't it wonderful? All of us together.

NEIL: Is this a first?

JACK: Yeah! You better write it down in one of those....Believe It Or Not books, huh.

JO: This is one of the happiest moments of my life.

NEIL: Well I think a moment should be on film.

JO: Yeah.

STEVE: Well you keep that camera out of my face, here.

NEIL: Oh come on Steve. It's new.

JACK: You gonna do one of these group things, right?

NEIL: Gather yee in front of the tree!

JACK: Huh.

NEIL: Pronto.

 

JACK AND STEVE LOOK AT ONE ANOTHER HALF SMILING. NEITHER WANTS TO SEEM TOO ANXIOUS FOR THIS PICTURE EVEN THOUGH THEY BOTH WANT IT.

 

JO: Well come on everybody. You heard the doctor.

ADRIENNE: Come on you guys, you can do it. Stand shoulder to shoulder, right.

NEIL: This is not going to hurt.

 

JO ARRANGES THEM WITH JACK ON THE LEFT AND STEVE ON THE RIGHT, THEN HERSELF IN BETWEEN THEM IN FRONT WITH ADRIENNE.

 

NEIL: That's it. Get closer together. Smile! Good. Once more for posterity.

AFTER THE PICTURE JACK WANTS TO LEAVE.

 

JACK: Thanks but I've got to go.

ADRIENNE: Jack, thanks for coming. It really meant a lot.

JACK: You not going to cry are you?

ADRIENNE: No way!

JACK: Oh good.

 

ADRIENNE GIVES HIM A KISS ON HIS LEFT CHEEK AND A BIG HUG AND THEN SHE CRIES.

 

JO: I'll walk you out.

JACK: Oh no, that's not necessary.

JO: No, really.

JACK: See ya Neil.

NEIL: So long Jack.

JO: Jack, Jack, I have something for you.

JACK: Look.

JO: Here.

JACK: It's heavy. It must be lead, huh. No it's gold, right?

JO: Sort of. Open it.

 

JACK OPENS THE PRESENT AND IT IS A FRAMED PICTURE OF STEVE HOLDING A BABY JACK.

 

JO: That's you in diapers and that's Steve when he was five. You meant everything in the world to him and he did to you too.

JACK: That was a long time ago.

JO: That kind of love doesn't die. Make peace with your brother.

JACK: (Visibly shaken and after a long pause) I'll try.

 

JACK LEANS OVER AND KISSES JO ON HER LEFT CHEEK.

JO: Merry Christmas son.

 

JACK HURRIEDLY WALKS OUT THE DOOR. WHEN IT IS SHUT HE STOPS AND LOOKS DOWN AT THE PICTURE WITH TEARS IN HIS EYES.

 

JACK: I'll try. (Beat) Oh mamma!

SCENE THREE: A SHORT TIME LATER JACK ARRIVES BACK AT THE LOFT.

 

ISABELLA: Jack, what are you doing here? Why aren't you out celebrating Christmas?

JACK: I was. I just didn't think I should leave you here alone, that's all.

ISABELLA: Don't worry about me. Christmas is no big deal.

JACK: Well, maybe in your country but here in America, it is. I think it's time to get with the Christmas spirit.

ISABELLA: It's a little hard to find the Christmas spirit this year.

JACK: Shoot, I'm sorry. All you want to think about is your family. I mean, your sister and all. I'm sorry.

ISABELLA: I miss Daddy Jack. Marina and I wanted to find the key for him. Now they're both gone. But I'm here so I'm going to do it. And that's what I want to think about today. We have a lot of work to do and I think we should get to it.

JACK: Well, wait a minute, there's nothing to....Isabella....what a way to spend a Christmas.

 

ISABELLA RUNS TO HER ROOM.

 

JACK: Wait up.

 

JACK GOES UP TO FIND ISABELLA.

SCENE FOUR: JENNIFER SNEAKS DOWNSTAIRS.

 

JENNIFER: Time for Santa's elves to get to work.

 

JENNIFER PREPARES A LOVELY CHRISTMAS FEAST FOR JACK AND ISABELLA. SHE IS JUST COVERING IT WITH A CLOTH WHEN ISABELLA COMES DOWN AND SURPRISES HER.

 

ISABELLA: What's this?

JENNIFER: Hi. It was suppose to be a surprise.

ISABELLA: Oh for Jack.

JENNIFER: (Beat) No, for you and Jack.

ISABELLA: Hmmm. What are you doing?

JENNIFER: I'm going to spend the day with my family.

ISABELLA: You didn't have to go to all that trouble. Not for me anyway.

JENNIFER: It wasn't any trouble, really.

 

JACK COMES DOWNSTAIRS.

 

JACK: Hey I got an idea. Maybe Marina hid the key in the....(Beat)....Jennifer, I didn't think you were still here.

JENNIFER: Ah, I was just leaving. There we go. Ah....have a merry Christmas Jack. Bye.

JACK: Ah....merry Christmas.

 

JENNIFER RUSHES PAST A DISAPPOINTED JACK.

 

JENNIFER: Lock the door.

 

SHE RUNS OUT.

JACK: Here's your hat, what's your hurry.

ISABELLA: I'm hungry. How about you? What do you say we eat?

JACK: Well I don't think there is anything to eat.

ISABELLA: Why don't you see?

JACK: Okay, I will.

 

JACK WALKS INTO THE KITCHEN.

 

JACK: Well I can see right now that Jennifer left a bottle of champagne to eat. (Beat) What is this?

 

HE PICKS UP A NOTE STUCK TO THE CLOTH COVERING THE FOOD.

 

JACK: "MERRY CHRISTMAS."

 

HE PULLS THE CLOTH OFF THE FOOD AND IS SURPRISED.

 

JACK: Now wait a minute. I didn't think you were in the mood to celebrate.

ISABELLA: I wasn't. I didn't do that.

JACK: Well if you didn't do it, (Beat) who did? (Beat) Jennifer?

ISABELLA: She's pretty special to do something like that, isn't she?

JACK: (Agreeing, but not want to show just how special he believes she is.) Um....yeah!

SCENE FIVE: IT IS LATER IN THE DAY AND JACK AND ISABELLA ARE ENJOYING THE MEAL THAT JENNIFER HAS PREPARED. THEY HAVE TWO SINGLE GREEN CANDLES ALIGHT ON THE TABLE.

ISABELLA: I think it's called Turkey Tetrazini.

JACK: Turkey Tetrazini. Don't tell me. Turkey for Christmas and Tetrazini....

ISABELLA: For me!

JACK: Yeah. Well I would leave it to Jennifer to think of something corny like that.

ISABELLA: I think it's sweet.

JACK: Yeah?

ISABELLA: And so do you. Admit it!

JACK: (Trying to hide a wistful smile.) Okay. I admit it. It's sweet. Corny but sweet. Sweet, corny, how about that?

ISABELLA: Hmmm. Isn't that one of the things you like about her?

JACK: (Trying to convince himself as much as her.) We work together, alright. She works for me at the paper. I like her work. I don't know why I have to keep convincing people of this point.

ISABELLA: Maybe because you haven't convinced yourself.

 

THE SUBJECT MATTER IS BECOMING TOO PERSONAL, SO JACK TRIES TO CHANGE THE SUBJECT. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT HE *DOES* CARE DEEPLY FOR JENNIFER, BUT BELIEVES THAT HE DOES NOT DESERVE HER, AND ANYWAY SHE CARES FOR EMILIO.

 

JACK: Look I think we've talked enough about people that aren't here. I think it's time for the gift giving. The presents.

ISABELLA: What presents?

JACK: Present, actually. For you.

ISABELLA: What's this?

JACK: That's a whistle. (Beat) Well anytime that you need me, just....pucker up and blow.

ISABELLA: You made this Christmas better than I thought it could be.

JACK: Good. (Beat) Glad I could make somebody's Christmas.

JACK IS GAZING OUT THE WINDOW, WHEN ISABELLA BLOWS HER NEW WHISTLE. SHE OBVIOUSLY HAS GROWN TO CARE FOR JACK.

 

JACK: Whoa!

ISABELLA: It works!

JACK: Yeah. It does doesn't it.

ISABELLA: Thank you again. I'm sorry but I didn't get you anything.

JACK: You haven't really had the chance, you know.

ISABELLA: I'd like to though. You've done a lot for me.

JACK: Don't worry about it. I don't need anything. If I need anything, believe me, I can get it myself.

ISABELLA: How did you get that way?

JACK: What do you mean? Independent? Adoption does that to you.

ISABELLA: So that's why you and Steve have different last names.

JACK: Yeah. Different childhoods too. Um, you know when little Stevie was growing up, toiling away in the orphanage, little Billy, that's me, was toiling away in the lap of luxury. I mean you talk about Christmases! But the funny thing is, he's the guy that ended up with everything.

ISABELLA: I used to feel that way about Marina too. It seemed that whatever she wanted, she got.

JACK: Yeah but she didn't get everything. I mean you got....I mean you're entirely different people. I'm sorry, I....I....I know you're missing here and.....

ISABELLA: I miss Daddy too. There was something we used to do every Christmas, Marina and Daddy and I. We'd hold hands and say a Christmas prayer. Could we do that now?

JACK: Ah, I don't know. Pray, me?

ISABELLA: It's okay. If you don't want to, we don't have to do it.

JACK: No, no. I mean I'll do it. I'll give it a whirl. Um, just don't expect any Miracles on 34th Street. (Beat) Joke....joke.

 

JACK AND ISABELLA JOIN HANDS AND BOW THEIR HEADS.

 

ISABELLA: I didn't expect to be alone this Christmas without my family. I don't think I've ever felt so alone. But I haven't lost everything. I'm just beginning to realize how much I truly have. For that I am forever grateful. (Beat) Your turn.

JACK: I was afraid you were going to say that. (Beat) Look I don't know what to say.

ISABELLA: Jack, just say what's in your heart.

JACK: Ah, well, I feel the same way you do. Um....ah, you know, I still have my family but I mean they are pretty far away. At least they felt that way before today. I don't know. I....I feel I can really change things. I mean you can't undo the past but I've been thinking that maybe I work on today I can really do something about tomorrow. (Beat) How's that?

ISABELLA: Not bad. It'll be even better next year.

JACK: Yeah. Well um if we've done with the Toscano family tradition, which we are. Good. I think it's time we took up the Deveraux tradition.

 

HE HANDS ISABELLA A GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE AND TAKES ONE HIMSELF.

 

ISABELLA: Oh I'm afraid to ask.

JACK: Oh it's not drinking. Not alone. (Beat) Jack sings the old favorites.

ISABELLA: No.

JACK: Now don't blow that whistle now. (Beat)

 

JACK BEGINS TO SING.

 

JACK: On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me A Porsche and a pair of Guccis.

SCENE FIVE: AT THE HORTONS, EMILIO DROPS BY TO GIVE JENNIFER A GOLD PIN LIKE THE COLLEGE BOYS GIVE THEIR GIRLS. HE STAYS FOR THE TREE TRIMMING.

SCENE SIX: WHILE THE HORTONS ARE ALL SINGING, THE SCENE SWITCHES TO JACK AND ISABELLA LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW OF THE LOFT AT THE SNOWFALL.