Sarah -- (quickly) No. I swear it wasn't. Jack didn't even know I was
there.
Jennifer -- I am marrying Peter and there is nothing you can do about it.
Jack -- Yeah, but you can't bring Abby into the Blake house. That's where
I saw that Lady in White standing over me.
Jennifer -- (elevated voice) Oh yeah right, and that's when she walked
through a solid wall, right.
Jack is silent. He doesn't know what to say.
Jennifer -- That's what I thought, Jack. I am leaving. (to Sarah) Can
you please bring me my bill outside.
Jennifer elbows Jack on her way to the door. Jack tries to grab her bag
but Jennifer is too quick. Jack follows her out the door. It is sunny but
also a bit foggy.
Jack -- (running to catch up) Jennifer, look I know that you are angry and
you are hurt . . .
Jennifer -- (stops) Yeah, that is the understatement of the year. Jack,
why can't you just let this go?
Jack -- I am here to protect you and Abby. That is my only intention.
Jennifer -- (calming down) You know, your intentions may be good, but
someone always winds up getting hurt. This time it was Peter. He was
nearly killed because you could not stop arguing with him about Aremid.
Jack --No. Jennifer you know that I feel terrible about that.
Jennifer -- Yeah, but it didn't stop you from coming here. It didn't stop
you from coming here and snooping around, huh.
Jack -- (as Sarah eavesdrops) Jennifer, I've got a responsibility to you
and to Abby.
Jennifer -- Well, it's a shame you didn't feel this responsible when you
walked out on us.
Jack -- Look, I know, I know I was wrong about that.
Jennifer -- And what you are doing here is wrong.
Jack -- Jennifer . . .
Jennifer -- No look, I don't want to go into why our marriage failed. It
did. Our relationship is over.
Jack -- We still have Abby.
Jennifer -- And that is all we have left between us. We are never going to
get back together again, please accept that. (pauses as Jack walks past
her) And as soon as I get back to Salem, I am moving in with Peter.
Jack -- (hurt) No, you can't do that.
Jennifer -- I'm going to have Uncle Mickey draw up visitation papers for
you with Abigail.
Jack -- (extremely angry) YOU CAN'T JUST SHUT ME OUT OF ABIGAIL'S LIFE!
Jennifer -- (equally angry) I'M NOT! I'M SHUTTING YOU OUT OF MY LIFE!
And I will use the law to do it if I have to.
Jack -- (calmer) No No you can't do that. Cause it's not right that Abby
should grow up thinking that her parents are angry with each other and
don't get along. (begging) Please, there has gotta be something that I
can do to change your mind.
Jennifer -- There is something you can do. Stop snooping around in Peter's
past. Leave Aremid right now and swear to me that you will never come back
here.
Jack -- Jennifer, Aremid is dangerous. Look, someone may have committed
murder in order to hide it's secrets.
Jennifer -- The Lady in White?
Jack -- Well maybe, or maybe it was someone else.
Jennifer -- Jack, you don't have a shred of proof for any of this.
Jack -- I'll get it.
Jennifer -- (she is frustrated) It is so pointless talking to you!
Jack -- Why can't you just believe me. Jennifer, if you come here to
Aremid, you are going to be in danger. I'm only here to protect you.
Jennifer -- There is nothing here to protect us from. The only one hurting
me is you.
Jack -- (slowly and seriously) Jennifer, I love you. And I'm Abby's
father.
Jennifer -- (looking directly into those blue eyes) And I want you to be a
part of her life. But if you can't accept my terms, any chance of you and
I becoming friends is gone. So what's your answer. Are you going to stop
digging into Peter's past or are you going to accept the fact that I love
him and I am going to marry him.
Jack -- (after a short pause) I can't do that.
Sarah smiles in the background.
Jack -- I'm sorry. But I know that Peter is dangerous and I'm not going
to give up until I prove it to you.
Jennifer -- Alright, then the only contact we will have is through my
Uncle Mickey.
Jack -- No you can't, you can't do that.
Jennifer -- Look I gave you a chance and you chose not to take it. Abby
and I are moving in with Peter as soon as I get back to Salem. (brushes
past Jack) I think that there is nothing left to say, Jack.
Sarah -- (rushes out from the background) Excuse me, Jennifer, I have your
bill.
Jennifer goes into her purse for her wallet. As she takes her wallet out,
the most adorable picture of Jack, Jennifer and Abby as a baby falls out.
Jennifer does not notice but Jack does and quickly scoops it up. He just
stares at it as Sarah takes one of Jen's credit cards. Jennifer then
notices the picture and has a somber expression on her face. Jack turns to
Jen.
Jack -- It's a picture of you and me and Abby. You still carry this
around. It must mean that you still care.
Jennifer -- I didn't even know this was in my wallet, Jack.
Jennifer grabs the picture from Jack and throws it in the bushes. Jack
tries to get it but she stops him. He looks as though he is about to cry.
Jennifer -- Don't get it. That picture is from the past. (she walks past
Jack to the pub)
Jack -- Jen, just wait. (flashes her a smile) Can't you just give me
another chance?
Jennifer -- I did. And you blew it. I am through with you Jack.
Jennifer walks into the pub and Jack is left alone to ponder.
Jack -- (he paces) Well, if I back off Jennifer is going to marry Peter
and I can't let that happen. But if I don't back off, I'm going to lose
Jennifer and Abby. They are my family. I can't live without them.
He remembers one of their moments at the Horton cabin in the summer. The
three of them are on the beach in swimsuits. Jack gives Jennifer a
beachball and tells Abby to watch her mommy carefully. Jennifer tries to
get by Jack but can't. He grabs her and picks her up. Jennifer screams
with glee and everyone is laughing. Then Jack and Jen look into
eachother's eyes and Jennifer gets uncomfortable. Jack puts her down and
goes to pick up Abby. "Hey tell your mom what you said, today is the best
day huh." Jen responds' "You're having a good time aren't you sweetheart?"
Abby and Jack tell Jennifer that they want to go swimming. Jen says that
they can all go together. Jack says," Abby is right, today is the best
day!"
Jack knows what he has to do. He rubs his hands together and heads into
the pub. Jennifer has just gotten off the phone and tells Sarah that the
roads are clear and she should be fine driving home.
Jack -- Okay, Jennifer you win.
Jennifer -- Meaning?
Jack -- Meaning I can't bear to live with the thought of living without you
and Abigail, so I'm just going to back off and leave Aremid today.
Jennifer -- And you promise never to come back here.
Jack -- Yes, yes.
Jennifer -- And you promise to stop digging into Peter's past.
Jack -- Come on, how much groveling do I have to do here?
Jennifer -- You have made me many promises before, Jack.
Jack -- Listen, never have I intended to disappoint or hurt you.
Jennifer -- Thank You. This is the best thing, you know. Especially for
Abby.
Jack isn't so convinced but he can not risk upsetting Jennifer now. He
walks her out of the pub to her car.
Jennifer -- Look Jack, you don' t have to walk me to my car. I'm fine.
Jack -- No I don't mind. Really.
Jennifer -- Well the sooner you pack, you know the sooner you can leave
here.
Jack -- I promised I'd leave. I will.
Jennifer -- I hope so. Well I guess I'll see you back in Salem.
Jack -- Yeah, back in Salem. Have a safe trip.
Jennifer -- Yeah, you too.
Jennifer heads to her car offscreen and you can hear it start up and pull
away. Sarah comes out.
Sarah -- Did you mean it Jack. Are you really leaving Aremid and never
coming back?
Jack -- It's what I promised Jennifer.
Sarah -- Then you are just giving up.
Jack -- I didn't promise her that. I still have to find a way to stop her
from marrying Peter.
Sarah -- Jack even if you break them up, it didn't sound like Jennifer
would take you back.
Jack -- (smiling) You don't really know much about love, do you? (Sarah
shakes her head) The thing about true love is that no matter what you
don't give up. I won't give up on Jennifer.
Sarah -- Even though she says that she is through with you?
Jack -- But she's not. She's still carrying around that photograph. Where
is it anyway? (looks for it) She threw it right here somewhere. (he
can't find it) It's gone.
Sarah -- Well what do you think happened to it?
Jack -- I don't know. I think that it's just one more mystery of Aremid
that I'll never solve.
Back at the Blake house, the Lady in White is examining the photograph that
has mysteriously come into her possession.
END
