Episode One-hundred-twenty-one:
Angry with Jennifer for Interfering in his
Life, and Afraid of their Growing
Closeness, Jack Takes a Drastic Step.

 

SCENE ONE: JACK IS IN HIS OFFICE FLICKING THROUGH SOME FILES ON HIS DESK. HE COMES ACROSS A PICTURE OF HIMSELF AS A SMALL CHILD IN HARPER'S ARMS. THE PHONE RINGS.

 

JACK: Jack Deveraux, Spectator.

HARPER: Hello son.

JACK: Hello Harper.

HARPER: Glad I caught you in.

JACK: Yeah, what do you want?

HARPER: We need to talk.

JACK: So let's talk.

HARPER: No, no, no. Not over the phone. You come here.

JACK: Look....I can't....I can't just drop everything I'm doing.

HARPER: It's important. You must come here.

JACK: Ah....so what's so urgent?

HARPER: Something's come up.

JACK: Wait a minute. You want me to drop everything I'm doing here because you say something's come up?

HARPER: I know how busy you are. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't something important. Please.

JACK: Ah....alright.

HARPER: I appreciate this, I really do.

JACK: I'll see you in a little bit.

JACK HANGS UP AND REFLECTS ON THE PHOTOGRAPH. THEN HE LEAVES.

SCENE TWO: MEANWHILE EMILIO HAS COOK LUNCH FOR JENNIFER. SHE ARRIVES AT THE APARTMENT HE SHARES WITH APRIL AND HE HAS MADE A BIG DEAL OUT OF IT. SHE IS EMBARRASSED AND WHEN HE GOES TO THE KITCHEN, APRIL QUESTIONS JENNIFER ABOUT HER FEELINGS FOR EMILIO. SHE GUESSES THAT EMILIO CARES MORE FOR HER THAN SHE DOES FOR HIM. JENNIFER TELLS APRIL THAT SHE WISHES THAT SHE WAS IN LOVE WITH EMILIO BUT SHE JUST IS NOT.

SCENE THREE: JACK ARRIVES AT THE JAIL.

 

HARPER: Thanks for coming so quickly.

JACK: Alright, what's so urgent?

HARPER: Jack, as much as I've tried I know I haven't always been the most up front person with you.

JACK: Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. You called me down here to confess?

HARPER: Hear me out.

 

HARPER RESUMES HIS MANIPULATIONS OF JACK, TRYING TO MAKE JACK GUILTY.

 

JACK: Harper I know you're not the most honest person in the world. I know that.

HARPER: And neither are you.

JACK: Well, thank you!

HARPER: We're alike that way, hiding our feelings. Except for each other. We've always been able to tell each other the truth.

JACK: So what's the point?

HARPER: If you had a problem helping me with my parole, why didn't you tell me yourself?

JACK: Wait a minute, I haven't made a decision yet about that.

HARPER: Why did you send your little girlfriend down to talk to me?

JACK: What are you talking about? I don't have a girlfriend.

HARPER: I'm talking about Jennifer Horton. She came to see me.

 

JACK IS SHOCKED AND ANGERED BY THIS.

 

JACK: Wait, Jennifer was here!

HARPER: She certainly was.

JACK: Why?

HARPER: You tell me.

JACK: I don't know. I didn't send her. What did she say?

HARPER: She told me to drop the idea of having you help me with my parole. She said I should get out of your life forever.

JACK: I can't believe she did this. I'm telling you, I didn't send her.

HARPER: Then she sure as hell shouldn't be running around behind your back, sticking her nose in where it doesn't belong.

JACK: Wait a minute, you don't have to talk about her like that.

 

JACK QUICKLY DEFENSES HER. HE BECOMES WORRIED, HE DOES NOT WANT HARPER TO HURT HER.

 

HARPER: Why not? She's obviously trying to come between us.

JACK: Maybe she's just looking out for my best interests!

HARPER: And what's best is for you to ignore your father?

JACK: Maybe she thinks I'm wrong in trying to help a man get out of prison who's killed a lot of women.

HARPER: And what do you think?

 

JACK GETS MORE DEFENSIVE, AND PROTECTIVE OF JENNIFER.

 

JACK: She may have a point.

HARPER: Oh come on Jack. You're not going to listen to her. I know you.

JACK: You do?

HARPER: You could have half the town of Salem telling you to forget about me and to walk out of my life and you wouldn't do it.

JACK: Pretty sure about that, aren't you?

HARPER: It's because we're so much alike son. There's a bond between us. It's thicker than blood. You can't ignore it.

JACK: I'm not here to talk about bond.

HARPER: No matter what, we will always be father and son. You can't change what is. You understand.

JACK: (Beat) I have to go.

HARPER: You'll help me with my parole?

JACK: I'll think about it.

HARPER: I can't do it without you....

JACK: I SAID, I'LL THINK ABOUT IT.

HARPER: Alright, and tell that little girl to stay out of my life.

JACK: Look, don't you worry about Jennifer, alright.

HARPER: Fine, you take care of her.

JACK: I'll take care of her.

 

JACK WALKS OUT OF THE PRISON AND STOPS. HE IS ANGRY WITH HARPER AND JENNIFER, BUT ALSO WORRIED THAT HARPER COULD HARM HER.

SCENE FOUR: EMILIO HAS ARRIVED AT WINGS AND TELLS MELISSA THAT HE HAD A SUCCESSFUL LUNCH WITH JENNIFER. HE TELLS HER THAT APRIL THINKS HE WILL GET HURT. MELISSA ASSURES HIM THAT JENNIFER IS JUST STUBBORN AND THAT JENNIFER WILL GET OVER JACK. MELISSA TELLS EMILIO THAT JENNIFER IS A VIRGIN AND THAT MAYBE SHE NEEDS A FIRM COMMITMENT BEFORE SHE CAN SAY SHE IS IN LOVE. SHE SAYS THAT IS WHY JACK WILL NEVER BE THE MAN IN JENNIFER'S LIFE. EMILIO TAKES HOPE FROM THIS AND GOES OUT TO BUY SOMETHING.

SCENE FIVE: JACK RETURNS TO HIS OFFICE AND THROWS HIS COAT ON THE CHAIR. HE PICKS UP THE PICTURE OF HIM AND HARPER AND THINKS BACK ON HARPER'S WORDS ABOUT THEM ALWAYS BEING FATHER AND SON. JENNIFER COMES IN.

 

JENNIFER: Jack.

JACK: Come in.

JENNIFER: Where were you? I came back from lunch and you still weren't back yet.

 

JACK IS FURIOUS WITH HER.

 

JACK: You don't know?

JENNIFER: Why should I?

JACK: You didn't follow me?

JENNIFER: What are you talking about?

JACK: I'm talking about the fact that you went to see Harper.

JENNIFER: Oh!

JACK: Damn straight, oh!

JENNIFER: Look Jack, don't be mad, okay.

JACK: I'm not mad.

JENNIFER: You're not?

JACK: You stick around and you'll find out what mad is.

JENNIFER: Alright Jack, just give me a chance to explain, okay.

JACK: There's nothing to explain. You're sticking your nose into my life and it doesn't belong there.

JENNIFER: Okay, well I hate seeing what Harper's doing to you.

JACK: Not your responsibility.

JENNIFER: I know that you want to break away from him but he won't let you Jack.

JACK: You don't have the faintest idea what's going on in my life.

JENNIFER: I want to help you.

JACK: By going behind my back.

JENNIFER: If I would've asked you first, you would have said it was okay for me to go to the prison?

JACK: No. What happens between Harper and myself is personal.

JENNIFER: Jack, I care about you and I don't want to see you in pain.

JACK: Nobody asked you to help me.

JENNIFER: But I wanted to. I wanted to help you.

JACK: I don't want you to. You stepped into a part of my life that you have no place in.

JENNIFER: You're wrong!

JACK: Look this is my life Jennifer' RIGHT....

 

JENNIFER SLAPS HIM ON THE CHEST AND HE STEPS BACK, FURIOUS, AND A LITTLE SURPRISED AT JENNIFER'S SPUNK.

 

JENNIFER: WELL I'M GOING TO BE PART OF IT. THE GOOD AND THE BAD! AND THERE'S NOT A DAMN THING YOU CAN DO TO STOP ME!

JACK: Nobody invited you into my life. (He gently pushes her aside.)

JENNIFER: What's the matter Jack? You can't handle it.

JACK: Oh you're the one that won't be able to handle it. You don't know Harper.

 

THE FACT THAT JENNIFER HAS HIM PEGGED ONLY DISTURBS HIM MORE.

 

JENNIFER: No, you don't know me. You think I'm this pure innocent little girl who has no right going into a prison.

JACK: You're the one who said that, not me.

JENNIFER: Jack, I'm an adult and there's nothing about Harper that scares me.

JACK: Then you really are innocent.

 

JENNIFER IS DETERMINED TO FIGHT FOR JACK.

 

JENNIFER: You're the one who's scared of Harper. Can't you see that? You are so afraid that you're going to end up like him that it has you all tied up in knots Jack.

JACK: The voice of innocence.

JENNIFER: Don't shut me out. YOU NEED ME! I can help you.

JACK: I DON'T NEED YOU. I don't need anybody.

JENNIFER: Well you have me so you're just going to have to deal with it.

 

JENNIFER'S FEELINGS FOR JACK IS MAKING HIM MORE UNCOMFORTABLE.

 

JACK: We'll see about that.

JENNIFER: Oh right what are you going to do Jack? Are you going to fire me?

JACK: (Beat) Yes!

JENNIFER: What?

JACK: It's a very good idea.

JENNIFER: You can't fi.....

 

JACK STOPS AND THINKS. HE INTERRUPTS HER. HE REALIZES HE HAS ONLY ONE OPTION, THINGS ARE GETTING TOO SERIOUS BETWEEN THEM.

 

JACK: I can and I am. I want you to pack up your things and get out of here. You're fired!

 

TO THE DOOR AND HOLDS IT OPEN.

 

JACK: You're fired!

 

JENNIFER IS IN SHOCK. JACK IS OBVIOUSLY DOING THIS NOT JUST BECAUSE SHE WENT BEHIND HIS BACK BUT BECAUSE OF HER FEELINGS FOR HIM, AND HIS FEELINGS FOR HER. HIS PAST STILL HAUNTS HIM, ESPECIALLY NOW WITH HARPER TRYING TO ENTER BACK INTO HIS LIFE. HE FEELS THAT HE IS UNWORTHY OF JENNIFER, AND IS AFRAID HE WILL HURT HER, THAT HE IS LIKE HARPER.