Return to Summary PageHere is the heartbreaking episode that leads to Jennifer's decision to marry Peter. Peter's cruel plot for Jennifer to find Jack and Laura in bed together.
(Transcribed by Salem)
The Set Up and Meadows Revelation
Jack and Laura are in bed together. It is strictly platonic. He is only comforting her out of guilt as he has just found out that she is in love with him. Jennifer and Peter are on their way up the stairs to Laura's room at that very moment . . .
Jack -- (he has an arm around Laura) You know, you hold a very special place in my heart, Laura. You've helped me come to terms with who I am and what I need. I mean, if it wasn't for you . . . I don't think I'd have a chance at getting Jennifer back.
Laura -- (she turns and faces Jack) Jack.
Jack -- What?
Laura -- Would you please just kiss me. (Jack is skeptical and is about to say no) Just one last time please.
Laura moves in for the kiss. Jack doesn't resist but it isn't a passionate kiss.
Jennifer and Peter reach the door to Laura's room. She raises he left hand to knock but Peter stops her.
Peter -- Jen, maybe you should just peek in to see if your mom is sleeping.
Jennifer -- Ya, you're right.
She grabs the door handle and slowly pops her head through the opening. Jack and Laura are still kissing on the bed.
Jennifer -- Mom? Are you here? (she seeing them kissing and they quickly break apart and sit up in bed) Oh my God! . . . my God, what are you doing . . . (she covers her mouth with her hand in shock as tears fill her eyes) Oh God.
Jack immediately jumps out of bed. Laura remains on the bed. Jennifer has turned her back to the bed. Peter stands behind Jennifer.
Jack -- (frantic) I know how this looks but I can explain.
Jennifer -- (turns to face him) No you don't. Don't you dare try to explain anything to me. I already know, you are a selfish manipulator. And you don't give a damn about anybody but yourself. (she is not crying but tears are forming in her eyes) For months, for months you've been trying to break up me and Peter. You tried to ruin our wedding rehearsal. And then you come here, you come here and you try to seduce my mother. (she looks at Laura on the bed who has yet to make a peep)
Jack -- (desperate) No that's not true! (he shakes his head)
Jennifer -- (her voice is getting louder) You wouldn't know the truth if it slapped you in the face Jack! You have really done some despicable things in your life but this in unbelievable! No, you know what's unbelievable. (she points at Jack) It's that I started to have faith in you again. How stupid was I to do that? Huh.
Peter -- Jen, you weren't stupid. He manipulated you.
Jennifer --You force yourself back into my life, claiming all this great love for me, great love for our daughter. You're gonna change. You're gonna be a good father. That's not what you wanted. You want to destroy my happiness and my life. And now you are trying to do that to my mother. You are trying to destroy her life!
Jack -- (he has been silently accepting her anger but his eyes are watering up) Jen, you just don' t understand.
Jennifer -- (getting angry) I don't understand? I understand you better than anyone alive. You are a champion at manipulating people when they are vulnerable. And I am so sorry that my mother had to be one of your victims. (Laura shakes her head in bed) I will never, ever, forgive you for this. Never.
Laura -- (she finally speaks) Jen, you're wrong. Jack wasn't taking advantage of me.
Jennifer -- (shocked at her mother's response) How can you defend him after everything that he has done to you, to all of us! How can you defend him! (Jack is hurt)
Laura gets up from the bed and faces Jen.
Jennifer -- (calmly) Mom, look. I don't mean to take my anger out on you. Jack deserves my anger, and yours. Listen to me, okay. He is a con man. He has conned me for years. (Laura shakes her head) Nobody blames you for falling for his act.
Jack has moved back closer to the bed. He is still shirtless and is fidgeting. He just can't keep still. Peter offers to take Laura to his house to get away from Jack.
Laura -- I don't need to be protected from Jack. He's not the man that you are describing. Please you must believe me. I know.
Jack -- (he comes forward) Listen, Laura. I appreciate what you are saying but . . .
Jennifer -- You shut up will you. Just shut up Jack! (he stops dead in his tracks. Jennifer pulls Laura closer) Listen to me. Just listen to me. It was humiliating enough for me and Peter to walk in on you, okay.
Laura -- You're right it was humiliating. And I'll be sorry forever that you had to see it. But you are wrong about Jack. He wasn't trying to seduce me. He was trying to comfort me.
Jennifer -- Comfort you! Mom that is part of the con. He wasn't trying to comfort you.
Laura -- Jack and I are very close. We are close friends and we share a past. (Jack looks on in horror)
Jennifer -- You share a past? What are you talking about? You've known Jack for a year. You hardly know him. You certainly don't know the real Jack.
Laura -- Yes, I do.
Jack -- (jumps forward) Listen, we spend a lot of time together. We live in the same house. We both take care of Abby.
Laura -- (looks at Jack) No! There's more.
Jack -- We've become close friends. Jennifer we both share the same goal. That's your happiness.
Jennifer -- (sarcastically) Yeah. And you had another goal, to seduce my mother.
Jack -- No, na na na na na. Jen that is not what happened. Just listen to me. I can explain everything that happened if you . . .
Laura -- Jack, there is only one explanation. THE TRUTH! (faces Jen) And I think it's time that you heard the truth. Darling, I never wanted you to know cause I didn't ever want to hurt you. (she is crying now) But, there doesn't seem to be any other choice. I met Jack before he came back to Salem. At the Meadows.
Jennifer -- The Meadows?
Laura -- Jack is the man I knew as Clark.
Jennifer is shocked and stares into Jack's eyes and then Laura's.
Jennifer -- No, Jack can't be Clark. (Laura nods) Oh God! Why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie to me?
Laura -- (she is broken up) I'm . . . sorry.
Jennifer -- I have always trusted you. I believed that there were never any secrets between us. That we could be totally honest with each other and if I had a problem or a doubt I could come here and you would help me. (Jack tries to interrupt but she keeps going) That's why I came here. But instead, I find out that you and Jack are lying to me.
Laura -- But honey, we thought we were protecting you. Please, Jen. Please try to understand.
Jennifer -- I can understand Jack doing this to me but I don't know how you could keep something like this from me. I was so happy for you when you came home from the Meadows and I was so happy you met this man named Clark. A man you could care about. A man that you could . . (she stops dead in her tracks as she remembers the horrible truth)
Jack is torn up about the pain he is causing Jennifer. He is about to cry.
Jennifer -- Wait a minute. God, if Jack is Clark, then you . . . (she can't say it)
Laura -- (sobs as she says) Jack and I made love at the Meadows.
Jennifer hides her head in Peter's chest. Laura sobs and Jack just stands there.
Jennifer -- I can not believe this is happening. I want to know what happened at the Meadows. (she looks to Jack for the answers) I have to know.
Jack -- Jen, I went to the Meadows cause I was miserable without you. I knew that I had to learn to express my feelings. As you know, when you are at the Meadows, they assign you partners and you are all given assumed names.
Laura -- We relyed on eachother. I had no idea that Clark was your ex-husband. He had no idea that I was your mother.
Jack -- Jennifer, I've never loved anyone but you. I was honest with Monica about that. We were honest with eachother about our fears and our dreams.
Laura -- We didn't plan, darling, to make love. It's just we were so in touch with eachother. It just . . . (together with Jack) It just happened.
Jack -- Jennifer, when I went to Salem and found out that Monica was your mother.
Laura -- We were shocked.
Jack -- We didn't want to hurt you.
Laura -- Jen, we have not been together since that night at the Meadows.
Jennifer -- Until tonight.
Laura -- No. No we weren't going to make love. I just wanted Jack to hold me and kiss me goodbye. We are just friends, nothing more. Jen, you have to believe me.
Jennifer -- (is silent for a moment) I don't believe anything that you say now. I have memories of you before you went away. And I remember feeling very safe and secure with you. And I remember knowing that no matter whatever happened, I could always count on you to be honest with me. And I often remembered if those memories were real . . . When you came back I knew that those memories were real and you were the one person I could trust. (Laura nods) No. Peter is the only person that I trust.
Jennifer buries her head in Peter's chest once again. Laura is devastated. Jack is both deeply hurt and angered by what he has heard. He stares at Jen and Peter with tears in his eyes.
Laura -- I understand how you feel. I can feel every bit of your pain. But what happened at the Meadows was some strange twist of fate. It wasn't anyones fault.
Jennifer doesn't want to hear it she blames Jack for preying on Laura. Jack says that he has only loved Jennifer. Peter sticks his two cents in and brings up Jack's selfish need to keep the affair a secret.
Jack -- Peter, why don't you just stay out of this. It's between me and Jennifer.
Jennifer -- There is nothing between us. Nothing. You have hurt me for the last time. And I don't care if I ever see your face again! (she briskly walks to the door and Peter follows)
Jack is devastated and sits in a chair and rubs his temples. Laura still sobbing, collapses on the bed.
Laura -- How could this have happened? Why? I know why. Because I was so caught up in my own feelings. I didn't even think of Jen.
Jack -- It's not your fault.
Laura -- I am to blame for my daughter's pain. And yours.
Jack -- All these months. All I could think about was getting Jennifer back. (the camera is moving in and his voice cracks periodically) To just be a family again, with Abby. I thought about it so much it . . . almost became a reality for me. I just came so close to getting her back. So close.
Jack's face fills the entire screen. His electric blue eyes shine thanks to the tears that have gathered but do not fall from his face.
END
