Third Time's A Charm (Read 6,899 times)

[blueyed358]

Chapters 13-14









Jack had a busy morning already and he hadn't even had his coffee yet. Sara would be by soon and they will be going for breakfast. His mother called she was visiting Steve and Kayla and he spoke to both. Jo was sorry she wasn't there for him and wanted to come home but Jack insisted she stay. He didn't need to be worrying about her too. Then Steve got on the phone " Hey Jackson glad to hear I don't have to go trapezing around the world looking for you . " Steve had told him that both he and Jo weren't buying the walkabout story and he had even called Shane to look in to it. " I guess I know now why he wasn't too quick to look for you. " When Jack hung up with them he felt good to know that both his brother and mother had faith in him and knew him well enough to doubt the bogus story . Now to deal with his sister and daughter. Adrienne would be meeting him for lunch later today and he had arranged for Abigail to meet himself and Jack Jr at the park after breakfast. One more phone call he thought , he didn't want to hear her voice but it had to be done. He had to get his son to start talking to his mother again. Jack picked up his cell and called Jennifer , all the while wondering if she had slept alone last night. She picked up on the second ring , " Hello ? " The sound of her voice sent his heart racing , he didn't know if he could even speak. Again she spoke " Hello ? Jack ? " Jack swallowed hard , " Yes , ahh , Jennifer I was wondering if you were free this afternoon and for dinner? " Now Jennifer's heart raced did he want to see her? Did he want to finally hear her out maybe even want to spend time with her? " Yes I'm free today " Jack couldn't help but be relieved that she was not going to be with Daniel. " Well I thought you might want to spend the day and have dinner with our son. I think those fences should be mended as soon as possible. While Jennifer was thrilled to see her son she was a bit disappointed that Jack didn't want to see her . " Yes I agree , " She had to ask , " What about our fences. " Jack looked up and took a deep breathe and blew it out slowly , " I am afraid I can't do that at this time. " Not at this time , Jennifer thought that was better than never. " Well what time should I expect you ? " He knew he could not be around her , not yet , " Abigail will be bringing him over and returning him to me tonight say around nine ?" With disappointment heavy in her voice " Oh , ok yea that's fine , What time should I expect him ? " Jack thought for a moment and answered " Say around noon. " They agreed and disconnected. Jennifer knew he needed some time but he could not avoid her forever, she also knew she had to decided if she wanted to continue her relationship with Daniel.


Sara stood behind the door, when it opened Jack stood before her in jeans and a deep blue tee that made his blue eyes pop. His hair was still wet and there were a few strands that clung to his forehead, he looked amazing. " Hey come on in , I'm almost ready. " he went back to the bedroom and Sara was left with JJ . " Hello Jack. " JJ smiled at the use of his full name , " Hello Miss Jamison. " She smiled back at him , " You know Jack , you can call me Sara. " JJ looked at his father who reentered the room , " It's ok little man ." JJ looked to her and asked " Sara , do you think they have waffles ? I really want some waffles. " Sara bent down slightly and told him " I am sure that they will have waffles Jack . " The three exited the room to meet Dean.


JJ was enjoying his waffles as the three adults talked. " My FBI contact called this morning. He said that Alamain's money has been moved by his attorney to several different bank accounts in Switzerland , " Sara informed them. Dean asked " What purpose would that serve ? " Jack frowned as he thought about it , " Maybe he wants to distance himself from his old life , I mean his family home was burnt to the ground , I don't think he wants to ever go back there. " Dean told them that Angela called " She found out that Alamain , through a go between , hired an attorney here in Salem , a Thomas F Bentley esquire ." Sara leaned back in her chair " Well that's interesting. " Dean said while chewing " I'm going to go scope him out, get some pictures of him , you know , see what we see. " JJ looked up at them now and said " You're not suppose to talk with your mouth full Dean. " Dean winked at the boy and said " I'm sorry I forgot , but thanks for reminding me. " Sara told them she had to finish up her story and fax it to her editor . Jack and Sara agreed to meet later and see what they could find out about the Salem lawyer.

Jack and his son were playing in the park when they saw Abby coming. " Abby!" JJ ran to his sister's arms . After hugging her brother Abby stood and hugged her father " Jack why don't you go on the swings for a while I need to talk to your sister for a minute. " JJ hated when he couldn't hear what was going on but he knew when not to push his father, " Fine . " When JJ was out of earshot Jack told his daughter there were some things he needed to know. " Ok , " Abby said , "but first are you alright ? I know these past few days couldn't have been easy, but I'm sure you and Mom can work this out." Jack had a pained look on his face , " I don't think so ,besides your mother has a new man in her life.." "No Daddy, she doesn't love him , she hardly knows him , she loves you! " Jack looked at his daughter a true mix of both he and Jennifer. " This man , Daniel he said something to me the other night , he told me that both you and your Aunt Adrienne told your mother to move on , is this true. " Abby knew that she would have to tell her father the truth and he wasn't going to like it . "Yes , " she said in a small voice , she looked up and saw the betrayal in his face , but let me explain. " She told him it was an act on her part , that at first she was angry that he had left again but that when her mother almost died and he didn't come she knew he was in trouble. " I knew nothing would have kept you from Mom. " Abby told Jack how she had befriended Chad , a DiMera , with hopes of getting into their good graces by telling anyone who would listen how angry she was with her father. Abby thought she might gain access to information leading to where Jack was.

Jack was shocked into silence for only a moment , then " Have you lost your mind? Abigail what where you thinking ? You know how dangerous those people are , why would you put yourself in harm's way like that? " Abby started to cry, " I wanted to help you , I thought they might have you again and I couldn't stand the thought of losing you . I just wanted you home . " Jack wrapped his arms around her , " Oh sweetheart , I'm sorry I put you through that again , but please stay away from them now , I don't know what I would do should anything happen to you. " Abby pulled back a bit " By the time I realized it Mom was already involved with Daniel , I didn't think it would move so fast and I didn't know what to do. " Jack sighed , "And my sister ? " Abby shook her head " I don't know , I think she was just trying to be a friend to Mom. " Jack sat back on the bench , " I see , she chose to be your mother's friend instead of my sister. " Jack kissed his daughter goodbye and crouched down to speak to his son , " You behave yourself little man , and be nice to your mother , promise. " JJ made a face , " I promise. " Jack stood and watched his children walk away. Now he would hear what his sister had to say for herself.



Adrienne was waiting for Jack , the smile spreading over her face as he reached her. " Oh Jack I'm so happy to see you. How are you feeling? " Jack looked at his sister , she looked older than the last time they were together but she was still beautiful. "My body if fine , my heart , not so good."
Adrienne looked at her brother with sympathetic eyes, " I know how hurt you must be by the divorce but I'm sure you two can work this out and move forward. " Jack was staring at her now , "Tell me Adrienne , is that what you told Jennifer. I mean did you tell her to faith in me or did you tell her to move on.? " Adrienne suddenly felt ashamed of herself and didn't really know why , " I tried to help her do what was best for her. I had gotten these strange emails from you and I just didn't know what to think. Jennifer was in limb , I just wanted to help. " Jack gave a slight chuckle ,
" You and your husband helped me right out of my marriage. All those years ago you were always there to support me and this time you bash me , your own brother , and now ..well at least Steve and Jo still believe in me , at least they know me. " Jack stood to leave , Adrienne jumped up
" Wait , Jack , Please , I'm sorry that you feel like I betrayed you , that wasn't my intention . " Jack looked at his sister " Yes well , you know what they say about good intentions . " Jack walked away from her , she was right he felt betrayed and he wondered if he would ever forgive her of Jennifer for that matter.




Jennifer was sitting in her living room waiting for her children to arrive. Her thoughts on Jack, she had hoped to see him today but he had found a way to avoid her. She knew he needed time but he would have to see her sooner or later and if it was up to her it would be sooner. The sound of the door closing snapped her back and she heard Abby call out to her. "I'm in here. " When they came into view Jennifer smiled brightly at the sight of her little boy " Hi sweetie , I've missed you so much!" She held him tightly and JJ's hand were at his sides and then he remembered the promise he made to his father , so he hugged her back. " I smell cookies! " JJ announced. Jennifer told him that yes, she had baked him cookies. They all went to the kitchen and had cookies and milk. Abby apologized for being late, she told her mom that she and her father had a talk and they didn't realize the time. Jennifer asked Abby " How is he doing? " Abby swallowed her milk and responded " How do you think he is Mom? He's upset. " Jennifer looked down at the cookie in her hand " Well I hope he isn't throwing himself into his work again. " Abby agreed and added " Well at least he has JJ so he isn't alone. " JJ looked up to find the two women smiling down at him " Daddy isn't alone , he has Sara too." Jennifer looked at her son , " Does Daddy spend a lot of time with Sara? " JJ was eying the cookies " Can I have another cookie please? " Jennifer absentmindedly gave him a few more and asked the question again. JJ thrilled to have gotten more than he requested " Yea we see her all the time and Dean too . " Now Abby was curious as well " Are they working a lot ? " Dunking his cookie into his milk " Not so much , mostly the talk and laugh. Oh yea and we eat a lot , especially Dean , he eats a lot. " Abby looked at her mother " You think Sara has more than friendship in mind." Jennifer frowned " Yes , I'm sure of it. " Jennifer had never had to deal with someone from Jack's past before someone he had a history with. Sara had been intimate with Jack and Jennifer was sure that Sara wanted that still and why wouldn't she. Jack was handsome , smart and funny. He was sweet and caring and a wonderful and thoughtful lover. What was it that Jack had told her all those years ago , old lovers have a way of just showing up ? In the past it had been jack himself she had to fight to keep them together, now if that was indeed what she still wanted she would have to battle another woman as well. The thought made Jennifer uneasy and if she would admit it to herself , a bit jealous too.



Sara found Jack leaning against her door , she invited him in and asked if he wanted coffee. He wandered over to her laptop with her finished story still on the screen. " May I ? " he asked. Sara laughed , " Can't resist some editing ? Knock yourself out. " Jack read her story , his story and when he was done , "Dam you are so good." Sara felt a bit embarrassed " Thanks. You are a great writer Jack and one of the best editors I have even seen." Sara was seated on the couch and Jack got up and sat next to her , "Thanks that means a lot to me coming from you. I don't know where I'm suppose to go from here,back to the Spectator or find something else." Sara sighed " You can do anything you want to do , be what you want to be. " Jack gave a small laugh " That's just it , I don't know who to be without Jennifer , she defines me. " Sara got up and knelt in front of him now , " She doesn't define you Jack , you define you. Jack you need to be your own person and like who you are . You have to learn that life doesn't end because you aren't with Jennifer. Jack you are an amazing man , quite the enigma. " Jack leaned forward kissing her forehead and then resting his head on hers., " When did you get so smart ? " Sara smiled " What are you talking about ? I've always been smarter than you" Jack smiled he remembered this game. " I believe you are mistaken " Sara told him that her GPA was higher than his and if he cared to make a wager on that...." Ahh..No I'll pass on that. " Sara kissed Jack lightly on his lips, barely touching him, "What's for dinner I'm starved. "

[MrsM]

Great chapters!!! Loving it!!!!

[jaysdelina]

Oh yeah...Sara definitely has more on her mind,lol.I can't wait to see Jennifer be the one to go head to head with someone else for Jack's affections.Something tells me Sara is going to be one heck of a worthy opponent.Let the games begin!

[fluffysmom]

Great chapters. It's good to see Jennifer worrying about Jack and another woman for a change.

[blueyed358]

Shane arrived with Bo ....and Jennifer . Jack was visibly uncomfortable. " Jennifer , what are you doing here ? " he asked. " Bo had stopped by to drop off something when Shane called and I thought I would tag along. " she told him . After saying hello to Bo Jack turned back to Jennifer , "How did things go with Jack this afternoon ? " Jennifer smiled " He is thawing I think " Jack told her he was glad . He told her that Abby wanted to take her brother to the movies and would bring him back later. Shane told them the only other thing he found out was that Bentley recently offered to throw a black tie fund raiser for the hospital next weekend . Jack made a face and Jennifer asked him what was wrong. " That's it . That is when Lawrence will make his appearance, remember the first time he came to Salem he showed himself at a press conference as a benefactor for the hospital. " Jennifer got a pained expression on her face , she remembered that night well. Shane said that he didn't think Lawrence would do that again. Jack replied " It's history repeating itself and that is , after all what he is trying to avenge , history, our history with him." Bo agreed, " It sure fits, I think Jack is right , Larry is going to show himself at that benefit." Dean showed them the photos of Bentley and several other men , none of whom anyone recognized.
"Wait a minute , " Jennifer said " There is a photo hanging on the wall in the background , Jack come here , look at this. " Jack leaned in over her shoulder . " I think that's Poldy , " Jennifer said , " Jack , what do you think? " Jack squinted and then his eyes opened wide , " I think you 're right Jennifer , I believe that is him. " Sara spoke up " Who is Poldy ? " Jack answered , " Leopold Alamain , Lawrence's father. He died back during the time we were Lawrence's guests." Sara looked at Jennifer , " Good eye , well that can't be a coincidence. " Jennifer agreed with Sara and the two women eyed each other for a moment. They decided to meet again soon to work on a plan of action . Bo said he would let Carly know what was going on and Jennifer said she would go with him. They all said goodbye and Jack and Jennifer lingered a moment at the door just looking at one another, They said goodbye again, as she walked away her cell rang and Jack heard her say
" Daniel hi . " He took a deep breath and shut the door .


There was another knock at the door " Perhaps that's Abigail . " When Jack opened the door a woman through her arms around his neck . " Jackie!! " It was Angela , "Surprise ! " Dean kissed and hugged his wife and she hugged Sara as well. She told them that she decided to stop over before going to her next location so she could only stay for two days . " You look great Jack, so how many lives do you have left? " Jack smirked " Ahh ..I see your sense of humor hasn't improved with age. " Angela looked at Jack and said dripping with sarcasm , "Ouch, that hurt ." The four old friends talked for a while and then three of them wanted to go out and shoot pool , only Jack was refusing , " I should stay , Abigail and Jack may return soon . " Sara suggested he call her and see what time they would be back . He did and Abby said that she was hoping she could bring JJ for ice cream after the movie but she would put him to bed and stay with him if they weren't back when she got there . Jack agreed and told her he would leave a key at the desk for her. " Have fun Daddy . " Abby said as she disconnected.


" Jennifer why don't we go and shoot some pool tonight we had fun the last time didn't we ? "Daniel was trying to coax her into going out . They hadn't been alone since Jack's return and he felt a rift between them. Jennifer said she would meet him there in about an hour. Jennifer thought she should spend time with Daniel , she had to see if she still felt the same about him .



Jack found himself having some fun for the first time in a while . Angela went to the jukebox and found something that made her smile brightly , " Dean give me a dollar. " she said. Dean looked to Jack " She isn't here two hours and she wants money from me. " Jack laughed and Angela swatted her husband. She put the money in and " The Way You Do The Things You Do " started to play. Sara and Angela squealed , Dean started to sway to the music and Jack shook his head " No...no way am I doing it. " Dean moved to the center of the floor and took a hand from each woman and twirled them. Jack watched them and he realized something . There before him was his past . Not the past he was afraid to relive, the horrible reality that had been his life before Jennifer. This was the only past that didn't include Jennifer that had happy memories . It felt good , so good that Jack put down his pool cue and joined them. Jack took Angela and swung her around a bit , then he stood next to Dean and reach across to Sara and took her left hand with his , Dean did the same and took his wife's right hand in his . Then in a flawless move , Sara going under Dean's arm , both men twirled the woman and changed partners. Jack had Sara in his arms now , and then the two men looked at one another and both dipped their partners . Jack was laughing..it felt good to have fun .


A pair of green eyes watched through the window. She felt that familiar feeling rising up , jealousy , she didn't want to be jealous but there it was, rearing it's ugly head. She saw Daniel walking up and went to him. " Daniel could we just go back to my house and watch a movie , I really am not in the mood to shoot pool tonight." Daniel looked over her shoulder and saw Jack dancing with another woman , " Sure , I think that's a great idea.











Sara was thinking about the evening they had , it had been good to see Jack laugh and have fun. He had told her as much and had thanked her and kissed her forehead before going to his children. Angela had come to her room after Dean fell asleep. It wasn't that late and Angela wanted to have a "Gabfest" but first they needed coffee and some pastries. So the two went to a coffee shop around the corner. They were making their selections when Sara noticed Jennifer and Daniel had walked in. " Don't look now but the ex Mrs Deveraux is her . " she said. Angela's head spun around " Where ? Where? " Sara grabbed Angela's chin and said " There , the blond. " Angela focused on Jennifer and asked " Is that the guy she involved with ? Jack is better looking. Let's go say hello shall we. " Sara's eyes opened wide and her mouth fell open , " No , no Angie , I don't want to talk to her . " Before she even finished her sentence Angela had Sara by the arm and was pulling her forward " Come on , I'm dying to meet her. "


Jennifer saw the two women approaching her and Daniel , thankfully his cell went off , it was the hospital and he had to take it. Jennifer braced herself , "Hello Sara " Sara gave her a nod , "Hello Jennifer , I guess you had a craving for caffeine also. This is my friend Angela , Dean's wife . " Angela stuck out her hand , " It's very nice to meet you." Jennifer shook her hand and said that she was pleased to meet her as well. Jennifer turned to Sara and asked if she could speak to her for a moment . Angela said she would go get their order and walked away .

" What can I do for you ? " Sara asked. Jennifer wasn't sure how to word this , so she just came out with it , " I'm just hoping that you aren't rushing Jack into something he isn't ready for ? Sara looked confused , " Excuse me? " Jennifer sighed " I hope you aren't trying to push him into a relationship.. Using your past to get him involved.... " Sara cut her off " You really are something else. " Jennifer tilted her chin up " I am just saying that a night of dancing doesn't mean that he is ready to be involved in a relationship. " Sara took a deep breath , " I am not pushing Jack into anything , just because we danced doesn't mean.......What a minute , how do you know we were dancing ? " Jennifer blushed a bit when she realized her mistake , " I happened by the bar and saw you all in there . " Sara was appalled. " Oh let me get this straight , you and your BOYFRIEND were standing outside the bar that we were in ? You have some nerve to accuse me pushing Jack into anything , after all you were the one who pushed him into a divorce he didn't want . If I didn't know any better I'd say you were jealous , but that couldn't be it because you have another man in your life. " Sara was on a roll now and Angela returned and just stood as Sara verbally assaulted the woman. " You want to know what I see when i look at you , I see a woman who is afraid to be alone, so much so that she will go after any man that is around when her man isn't .If Jack isn't praying at the alter of Saint Jennifer 24/7 then he has to be replaced with someone who will." Sara started to leave and Jennifer took Sara 's arm " Shall I tell you what I see when I look at you? " Sara turned back to Jennifer " Please do " Jennifer went on " I see a woman who is desperate to get back a man she lost a long time ago. Someone in love and willing to do just about anything to get him to remember the feelings he once had. " Sara looked at with a smile " Well you are partially correct. First of all I am not desperate , second I would never try to manipulate him. But you are right I do love him still. If you want him back then you'd better start fighting because he may decide to try moving as you always seem to do. " Then Daniel walked over , "What's going on here ?" " Jennifer told him they were just talking . Sara said " I believe we are done. " The two women walked away. "Done , " Jennifer thought " Not by a long shot . "



Angela complained that she didn't even get to talk to Jennifer. " No loss. " Angela looked at her friend , " Sara , are you finally going to tell Jack about Robert. " Sara looked away from Angela pain on her face , "No , I made that decision years ago and there is no reason to reverse that now. " " Why ? Don't you think he should know ? " Sara thought for a moment " What would I say ? Jack we had a son years ago , sorry I never mentioned it and by the way you can't ever meet him because he died 7 years ago. I was going to tell him the next time I saw him , but I never saw him again. I wasn't going to let Harper get his hands on my baby. You know he would have found a way to take Robert from me too. " Angela agreed and Sara went on " He had so many horrible things happen to him and it was never the right time . He wasn't ready for it. Then when Robert died I couldn't bring myself to tell him about a son he could never know, " Angela nodded " Ok , sorry to bring it up . " Sara knew , tonight she would dream of her son Robert , knowing he was ok with her decision not to tell his father , not ever.

[MrsM]

Holy shocker Batman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jaysdelina]

Ho...ly....HELL!I did NOT see that one coming!Nicely done!Oh,and thank you for letting Sara give it to Jennifer with BOTH barrells.She hit the nail right on the head with things that I've said about Jenn for years,lol.THANK YOU!

[fluffysmom]

Wow! What a surprise at the end of the chapter. This story gets better and better. Thanks again for sharing it with us.

[blueyed358]

chapters18-19

The movie was over and Daniel removed the DVD , "You didn't enjoy the movie ? " he asked.
Jennifer tried to be interested , she really did, but she couldn't think of anything except the words that Sara had said to her. Was she really jealous and not just concerned for Jack? She realized that Daniel had spoken to her , " Oh it was ok , I'm just tired . " Daniel sat back down next to her and put his arms around her , " We could go to bed right now if you'd like. " Jennifer thought about it , no that idea was not appealing to her , she wanted to be alone . She knew she had to sort this whole mess out and the idea of being intimate with Daniel right now was something she could not do. " I'm sorry Daniel , I just think I'd like to go to bed alone tonight. " Daniel sat back , " I see, do you realize we haven't slept together since Jack has been back , is that just a coincidence ? " Jennifer was a bit surprised by that remark but decided to go for the truth instead of an excuse . " Things have been very confusing and I jumped to the wrong conclusions. I let people influence my choices , that's not me , I never do that. " Daniel became upset , " what are you saying ? That we were a mistake. " Jennifer looked down at her hands , " I don't know , I need to figure out how I feel about us . Maybe we rushed into things. " Daniel stood looking down at Jennifer , " Don't you mean how you feel about Jack. I saw them in the bar tonight too , that's why you didn't want to go in isn't it ? " Jennifer shook her head , " I didn't want to ruin the night for Jack and if we had walked in there , it would have been . " Daniel stared at her for a moment , " I think maybe you didn't want to see him and that reporter together. You need to figure things out ? Ok , I won't pressure you right now , but I will not wait around too long for you to decide , " then he walked away and stopped at the doorway , "Good night Jennifer. " She sat in silence and started to cry , she need to talk to someone , she needed her grandmother's shoulder to lean on. Jennifer made up her mind to go see Aunt Maggie , yes she would let Jennifer talk it all out and she would not judge her , that was something everyone seemed to be doing lately. Again she thought about Sara . It couldn't hurt to turn the tables on her , do some research into her background and see what kind of person she is dealing with.


Jack had been surprised at how easy it was to have fun tonight . Maybe Sara was right , maybe he needed to see if he could exist without Jennifer. There she was again , Jennifer , he loved her still , god help him. Would he ever go a day with thoughts of her filling his head ? He knew he needed to try , she had moved on , again , the pain of that was still raw. As much as he wanted to be near her , he was going to have to be strong in his resolve. It might be best for both of them . In the end , it might even bring them together again or so he hoped.



Sara laid in bed and watched the video her son had sent her before he shipped out to Iraq. His death over there and sent her into tailspin and sent her to that country to report on the plight of the troops there. That series of articles had won her another award but Sara didn't care , It had made her feel close to him. He was so handsome . She noted again how he had Jack's vivid blue eyes not her blue / gray . He had other physical traits in common with him but it was the personality traits they shared that had amazed her. For never knowing his father, Robert had many of the same quirks that Jack possessed . He was very intelligent , quick witted , charming and sarcastic . The latter being one that both his parents had. He was a joy to her all of his life. But he was stubborn and independent . Sara had tried to talk him out of joining the marines but he had been so affected by the events of 911 that he felt it had to do it. She remembered how sick with worry he and Angie had been for her and Dean knowing that they were in a building right around the corner from the towers. It was the first time she had seen her son cry since he was a little boy. She froze the video and looked at his face , " I miss you honey. "



Dean and Angela were sprawled out on the couch , Angela having told her husband about the evenings events with Sara. " I wish you hadn't brought up Robbie . " Dean told his wife.
" Why ? " she asked. Dean chose his words carefully , " If she tells Jackie about him now it could make a bad situation worse , he's already dealing with so much right now. It would hurt both of them , him with the knowledge of a lost child and Sara with his reaction to it."
Angela considered that a moment , " It was the only time in her life that she has kept a secret. don't you think he has the right to know ? " Dean sighed " Let it go Angie. So what did you think of Jennifer ? " Angela laughed " Wow i think I just got whiplash from that subject change. I couldn't get a feel all I got was a nice to meet you, , hardly an impression making conversation , she is very pretty , i will give her that. I am looking forward to meeting Jack's kids though. " Dean looked worried , " I am worried about Sara , I think she is setting herself to get hurt. She said she isn't looking to get into a relationship with Jack but .. " Angela nodded " Yea I saw it too , the way she looked at him. He did seem to look at her the same way..maybe " Dean shook his head , " I think He's thinking about it , what it was like to be with her but that man loves his wife and that is not going to change. You didn't hear him talk about her , or see the way he was with Jennifer before he knew about the divorce . It was different then it was when he was with Sara . I have to admit it , I believe That Jennifer still loves him too . " Angela snuggled against him , " It's like watching a head on collision about to happen and you can't do anything to stop it. " Dean just nodded , " Let's just hope they can see it before it's too late. "



Sara was going down to the lobby to meet everyone for breakfast including Jack's daughter Abigail . She was a little worried about that. What if Jennifer had already told her of the mutual animosity between them? She shrugged it off remembering Abigail's praise of her work. When the doors opened she found that Jack had not arrived yet so she went to Dean and Angela. " Good morning" she said. The couple responded in kind. Angela was immensely curious about Jack's children Dean had given a brief description of Abigail , having only met her briefly. Now JJ , he had spent some time with and was quite taken with boy. Angela was worried about Sara though. How was she handling seeing Jack with his son , something she would never experience for her own son. Sara herself had given that some thought , she did enjoy watching Jack and his son interact , would it have been that way with Robert ? No she didn't think so , he had been different then , he had not been ready for fatherhood then . The elevator doors opened and Jack appeared , looking handsome as ever. the bruises on his face all but gone. His wrist still bound up and he hardly ever winced from the ribs.


JJ ran forward to Sara and Dean , " Good morning " then he looked at Angela and smiled ,
"Hello , who are you ? " Angela bent down and stuck out her hand " And hello to you , My name is Angela , I'm Dean's wife and you must be Jack . " JJ liked how all of his father's friends called him Jack and not JJ , he smiled at her and shook her hand. Angela stood up and looked into the eyes of Jack's daughter. " And you must be Abigail , it's so nice to meet you . JJ looked up to Sara " I'm going to have pancakes today " Sara smiled back at him
" that's sounds good , I going to have that too. ! "


Abby asked a million questions about her father's college days. She wanted to know what he had been like and the things he did for fun . She had asked if he dated alot but Jack had noticed she didn't ask if he had dated Sara . Jack wondered if his daughter had guessed as much. " I would love to have seen him then , you don't happen to have pictures do you ? "
Jack cleared his throat " They don't live here remember ? They don't carry old photos around with them. " Sara laughed and said " It just so happens..." Jack rolled his eyes.. "Ahh...no. " Everyone looked at Jack and he sighed .



Jennifer had arrived at Maggie's and they had just sat down to muffins and coffee . Maggie looked at Jennifer " Are you going to tell me what's on your mind ? " Jennifer smiled at her
" Do I need a reason to come over and visit with my Aunt ? " Maggie shook her flowing red
hair , " Of course not , but I know things must be difficult right now. Have you spoken to Jack ? " Jennifer 's eyes teared the moment his name was mentioned , " No he doesn't speak to me except to arrange for me to spend time with JJ , even then he has Abby drop him off and pick him up . " Maggie was sad for her beloved Jennifer Rose , " Oh sweetheart,
he just needs some time, he has to be hurting , you know that Jack can never stay away from you for long . You can use this time to make decisions of your own . What do you want? Who do you really want to be with ? " Jennifer sniffed back her tears , " Oh Aunt Maggie I don't know what to do . I feel so guilty about not trusting in Jack and all that he went through to protect our family. Then there's Daniel, he wants us to just go on like before. I can't just do that but I pushed for this relationship with him how can I just walk away from him ? Then there is Jack , Sara Jamison is in love with him , she is with him everyday , I saw them together the other night , he was having fun and looked happy . He had a relationship with her in college , what if he wants to try again with her. Do I have the right to even TRY and stop it. " Maggie thought on those words for a moment , " I am going to say some things to you , well that you might not want to hear. You did rush into this divorce and into seeing Daniel. Maybe you wanted to show your independence of Jack and that you could be with someone else , but I'll tell you what I think . Whenever thinks go wrong with Jack you get involved with someone because deep down you don't want to be alone. You shouldn't be afraid to be alone sweetheart , you need to get to know yourself better to know what it is you need . I'm sorry but you know that deep down Jack is the only man you will ever love , he's your Tom , your Mickey, but Jack is alive and he's here , and he loves you , it's not too late. You can work it out because I don't believe that you are really in love with Daniel , I think you were in love with the idea of being in love with him. In the end only you know what's in your heart. " Jennifer was openly crying now , she hugged Maggie , " Your right , I have to look inside myself and and see what it is that my heart truly desires. Thank you so much Aunt Maggie , I love you . " Maggie smiled " Oh Jennifer I love you too , I just want my Jennifer Rose to be happy. " Jennifer pulled back and wiped her eyes , " I am going to figure out what is going to make me happy and make it happen.




Everyone had went back to Sara's room to look at the pictures . Abby was thrilled at the chance to see her father as a young man , " Oh Daddy you were so handsome , I bet the girls were lining up to date you . " Jack chuckled , " Hardly. " Abby looked at the others who all said in unison " Yea , they were. " Jack tried to protest , but was silenced by the looks of his old friends , " I did alright , " was the comment he decided on. Abby smiled at the images before her , " It looks like you four had a lot of fun , except these few pictures.
You look so serious in these. " Jack looked at them and tried to remember the circumstances surrounding these photos. " Oh yes well that one was during a Monopoly game , we took those quite seriously. This one was a marathon scrabble game with Sara , she is so competitive. " Sara opened her mouth wide , " Are you serious ? I'm competitive ? You were the king of... " Jack cut her off " Yes and this one was some sort of political debate . " JJ saw the large metal box on the floor in the corner , " Sara what's in that ? " Sara walked over to the little boy , "That's my memory box. " He looked up and asked " What is a memory box. " Jack told his son " Well Sara's mind is so cluttered that she has to put her memories in that box , you know like that bowl in Harry Potter. " JJ's eyes opened wide "Really ? Wow can I see ? " Sara gave Jack a frown " Idiot " she said under her breath. "That's not exactly true Jack. You see I pick up thinks like rocks and buttons and thinks like that and it helps me remember what happened that day. " JJ turned to his father " Very funny. " Jack shrugged " I thought it was" Sara had JJ sitting in front of her as she sat on the couch and put the box on the coffee table . She opened the box and would out a piece at a time and then she would tell what each had represented. When she was done she said
" I have several other boxes at home but I never travel without these , they are most treasured ones . " JJ turned around so he could look at her , " But there are others in there , how come you didn't take them all out ? " Sara swallowed hard " Well sweetie some of the memories are bad ones and I don't like to share those. " JJ looked confused , " Why would you keep memories that were bad ? " Sara tried to think of a way to explain it to a young boy , " Well it's hard to explain , um-you umm , you see Jack every memory is a part of you , good and bad , and they make you who you are and they influence who you become . So I don't want to forget any of them . Do you understand ? " The little boy concentrated on her words and responded " I think so , Kinda like being taught a lesson right? Like if you get shocked sticking something into an outlet , you know not to do that again when your older. " Jack frowned at his son " A lesson you wont soon forget. " JJ shook his head " No way. So if I kept the toy , it would always remind me of that day and not to do that again. " Sara really liked this bright little , she just wanted to squeeze him and kiss him , " Close enough. " JJ frowned and said " You know Sara I think you should call it a reminder box instead. " She didn't want to disappoint him , " Well I will certainly consider that. " Those words brought a smile to JJ's face . Jack's phone rang , " Oh hello Jennifer , I'm fine , thank you for asking and yourself , good, I haven't heard any news if that's what you were...oh...I am sure he would love that .....yes well Abby is here she can drop him off to you....No , no
I will meet you there later to pick him up.. yes of course..... you're welcome. " he disconnected . Jack explained that Jennifer wished to see JJ and if Abby could bring him down to Aunt Maggie's, " But I'm having fun here. " Jack told him of his mother's plans to take him to the circus . " Sweet I like the circus , I like the animal acts. Maybe you guys can come too . " He asked them if they would like to go too and Jack informed his son , " Well actually Sara is afraid of clowns. " She frowned " I'm not afraid of clowns I just don't like them. " JJ smiled " Yea I can understand that , they are kind of creepy. " Sara agreed but said she would go with his dad to get him . " After the kids left Angela told Jack what great kids he had and that they really seemed to adore him. Jack made a face at her " You seem surprised but that. " Angela smirked " Yea , I am ." Dean grabbed his wife's hand
"Ok before the King and Queen of snark go out it , we 're leaving. " They made plans to meet later and go to the fairgrounds early so they could walk around . Jack sat back down and said " These pictures really brought back a lot of good memories , we sure had a lot of good times. She agreed that they had. Sara told him he looked tired , " Why don't you lay down on the couch and we can watch some TV. " Jack asked if there was any coffee to be made. " Sure I can do that. " Jack sat back and went through the photo album . There pictures of Sara there holding a baby , then a toddler, with birthday hats and baseball uniforms. He was a good looking boy , always with a smile. "Sara who is this little boy?"
Sara felt her heart sink , " My son Robert. " Jack was shocked . " You have a son? " He flipped through the pages and hit on a high school graduation photo with Sara and Dean and Angela. Jack studied the face of the young man , those eyes he knew those eyes . Sara watched in fear as he stared at Robert's face. " I had a son he died seven years ago " Jack looked up with sympathy in his eyes " Sara I'm so sorry. " She nodded " Coffee is ready , we can talk about this later. "

[MrsM]

Great chapter!! I can't wait for more!!

[jaysdelina]

I love this and can't wait to see what you have in store for us next

[fluffysmom]

I really enjoyed the chapter. I am looking forward to reading more.

[blueyed358]

;D I want to thank all of you who have commented on my story. I look forward to reading everyone's thoughts. As I have said I have been writing this since the summer and I have A LOT of chapters to post. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks again

[jaysdelina]

You're a very talented writer.I can't wait to come here everyday and see what you've woven into the story next

[blueyed358]

chapters 20-21








"Come on shutterbug win me a stuffed animal." Angela told her husband . Dean looked at his wife and shook his head, " You do know these games are fixed right , it's a waste of money . " Angela laughed , " Oh you have been spending WAY too much time with Jackie.
Jack smirked , " Hey I resent that remark " Angela chuckled , " No you mean you resemble that remark . " Sara walked over and showed them a teddy bear wearing a suit and tie. "Look what I won for you Jackie , look familiar ? " Jack looked at her through squinted eyes ," Oh you are hilarious , remind me again why it is that I'm friends with you three. "
" Because nobody else wants the job , " Dean added . Then they heard JJ calling , " Daddy ,
over here! " There was JJ with his mother, she looked lovely as always but her eyes had circles underneath and they seemed to have a sadness in them . " There you are, are you having fun? " JJ smiled " Yes , I got to see the animal acts and I even fed an elephant! " Jack loved seeing his son so happy , " That's great little man , " then turning to Jennifer , " I thought you were going to call me to arrange a meeting place ? " Jennifer heard the annoyed tone in his voice , " I was but I seemed to have forgotten my cell. " JJ walked over to the others

" Did you seen any clowns Sara. " " Nope , all clear so far , thanks for asking. " Now JJ took Dean and Angela's hands , " Wanna go on the ferris wheel with me ? " Angela looked a bit green just at the mention of it , so Dean told JJ " Sure thing buddy, but let's just you and me go , " Dean whispered into JJ's ear. " Oh that's ok Angela , sometimes I get sick when I spin around too. " JJ looked to his mother , " Mommy can I have some more tickets for the ride , Dean is going on with me. " Jennifer had to swallow the lump in her throat , he hadn't called her mommy since her got home. " Sure baby , hear you go. " The little boy took the tickets and Dean's hand " Let's go. " Sara and Angela were a bit uncomfortable standing there with Jack and Jennifer , who were just staring at one another. " Hey Sara , look they have a fortune teller , come on that's always good for a laugh. " As the two women started to walk away Jack told them , " Not always , they could be trouble. If they mention a strange man run for your lives. " When he turned back to Jennifer she had a small smile on her face. " Jack , I was hoping that the three of us could walk around together , you know spend some time together. " Jack just looked at her , " JJ seems to be coming around. " She looked back to their son , " Yea he is , you were right not to force him to stay with me. " Jack looked down at his feet , " Well I can't be wrong all the time. " Jennifer frowned she could feel the hurt radiating from him " You aren't wrong all the time Jack , in fact your right a lot of the time. " Jack looked into her eyes and Jennifer said , " What do you say Jack
let's spend some family time together. Jack shook his head " No I don't think so , besides your boyfriend might mind as he is coming this way. " Daniel was coming straight for them , " Jennifer I was looking for you, I had called you and when you didn't answer I called your Aunt. She said you left your phone there, so I thought you might need it , " then he looked and Jack " Jack. " Jack looked at him with disgust " Dr Jonas , what no ill married women to take advantage of , oops I mean take care of . " Just as Daniel was about to answer him , Jennifer looked at Daniel , " Can you give us a minute Daniel we were in the middle of something . " Daniel now was visibly angry , " Oh sure don't mind me I will be waiting over there. " Jack watched him walk away then spinning around on Jennifer , " It really is bad form to keep the new man waiting while you talk to the ex husband . I really thought you had better manners then that. " Jennifer shook her head , how familiar this was , the smart remarks to hide his true feelings, " Jack , we were going to walk around together.. " Jack was losing his hold on his emotions , " No you wanted to do that , it will not be happening, I am willing to be civil for the children . I don't want them upset , I don't want what goes on between us to effect their relationship with us. " Jennifer tried a different approach , " Look Jack you are hurt and angry , I get that but we can work through this . " A crease appeared between his eyes , " Hurt and angry ? Do you remember that night, the night you slapped me and called me... " " Jack please , don't " He sighed , " You remember how I was after that night? " Jennifer nodded and Jack continued " Magnify that by a thousand. I prefer to keep our contact to a minimal right now... " he turned his back to her and Jennifer put her hand on his arm to turn him back around. Jack pulled back as if being burned , " Don't .... this is the life you sought out and made for yourself, this is the life that YOU wanted, so you shall have. " He stepped around her and walked away without a glance back.





When they got back from the fairgrounds Dean and Angela went back to their room having firmed up plans with Jack and Sara for dinner. Angela would be leaving in the morning but would return when her shoot was done. Abigail was coming by to take JJ to dinner with Aunt Maggie . While Sara stepped out of the room for a moment Jack was again drawn to
to the photos of Sara's son. JJ sat on his knees and looked at the photo of the handsome young man in uniform. The little boy tilted his head , " He kinda looks like you Daddy , " then hearing the knock at the door he said " Abby is here, " he kissed his father and said
"Bye" and ran for the door. Sara stood silent behind Jack as she watched the the truth come to him. He looked up into her eyes , breathing heavily , " Sara? "




Daniel and Jennifer sat on a bench in the park , " I won't put up with this for much longer Jennifer. " She nodded , " I know but you aren't giving me time to think ,you have got to stop pushing me Daniel. " Daniel was thinking. Maybe she was right if he pushed her too hard , he might end up pushing her right back to Jack. " Ok you're right, I"m sorry. I will give you some breathing room , just don't let guilt make your choices. You made a choice
based on what you thought was the truth , if he hadn't lied and ran off ...well you get were I'm going with this. " Jennifer looked at Daniel , " Yea , I do. " He stood up and took Jennifer's hand " Come on I'll bring you home. "





" Sara? " Jack was looking at her , the question both on his face and in his voice. He knew the answer of course , his innocent little boy saw it plain as day without even knowing what it had meant. " Was I his father? " Sara closed her eyes and braced herself for what was to come. She wouldn't lie to him , she never meant to lie to him she just assumed he was out of her life and he would stay that way. " Yes you were. " There it was done it was out and Sara felt as if a weight was lifted from her chest , a weight that was placed there the moment she saw Jack's name in her email inbox.

" How could you , how could you keep that from me.? " Sara expelled a long breath , " I will tell you Jack , I will tell you why I made the choices I did, I hope you can understand them. " Sara told him that the night he left with his father she was going to tell him. But then he never came back. She knew his father had gotten to him and forced him to stop seeing her. She wasn't going to force herself and a child on him, a child he wasn't ready for, not to mention she was terrified that Harper would some how find a way to take the child from her. She could not allow that man to sink his claws into her son. Then there never seemed to be good time to do it later. " Your life was spiraling out of control , and you didn't need me and a child showing up at your doorstep. " Then he married Jennifer , lost everything and their child had become sick. " I had him tested , Robert I had his marrow tested to see if he was a match , he wasn't . " She spanned the many things that had happened to Jack and how she was just trying to protect him and Robert. " The timing was never right , and then he was gone , killed in Iraq. There was no point in telling you then , you could never know him , so I let it go. " Jack sat and stared at the young man he had fathered and would never know , eyes filling with tears, " You had no right , no right to make that choice for me . You stole my chance to know my son and that can never be given back. You had no right, " Sara stood her back straight , " No right ? I had every right Jack. I loved you , both of you and I made the only decision I thought best , for both of you. "
Jack removed the picture of his son from the album and stood up , " I can't , I have to think,
I need to...ahh..I have to get some air." She didn't try and stop him , she knew he had to gather his thoughts and let it all sink in. If he chose not to forgive her , so be it , she still believed she had been right to do what she did whether he could see that or not.


Jack ran into Dean and Sara in the hallway , the expression on his face said it all. They knew , somehow they knew he had found out about Robert. He looked at them and said
"You knew , you knew and didn't even think to tell me ? " Dean looked at his old friend ,
" You asked me that same question when we got here about the divorce remember ? Same question , same answer. We had to abide by her choice , it was her life ..." Angela jumped in " Don't you dare . We don't owe you an explanation for anything , you left her , you left her and us. It may not have hurt us in the same way , but it hurt none the less. We were like a family and you just walked away , not even a letter or a phone call . " Dean stopped his wife , " That's enough , " then he whispered " have some compassion for the loss he is feeling." Angela gave a slight nod , "I'm sorry , I am going to check on Sara. " Dean apologized for his wife and Jack asked " For what her annoying habit of being right? "
Dean gave a small smile , " You ok? " Jack lifted the picture he held and looked at the smiling face before him , " I don't know , how should I be? " Dean chose his words ,
" Consider how your life would be had she not made the choices she made , choices with you in mind , worried what it would do to you. If she had told you , you might never have met Jennifer or had the children you do have. " Before Jack continued down the hall he asked Dean , " Was he a happy child , did he have a happy life? " Dean took the picture from Jack's hand " Yea he was happy , one of the happiest I have ever met . He was smart athletic and quite funny , oh yea and he had a sarcastic side too. Of course I wasn't sure if he got that from you or from Angela. He had several of your mannerisms as well. He was never overly serious but extremely passionate about the things he felt were important. " Jack nodded " Thank you for that , " he took the picture back and turned to leave. Dean stopped him " There is something you should know , something that I never even told Sara. You met him once. " Jack stood open mouthed , " What , when? " Dean continued , " He was smart , he got us looking at those pictures when he was about sixteen and we had told him your name. I guess he saw the resemblance and figured out that the time line fit so he googled you. Just before his deployment he took a week off and told his mother he was going camping with his buddies. He took a plane here and found a way to run into you. He was in Salem place and he saw you there one morning and stopped you, he was wearing his fatigues, He asked you if you were Jack Deveraux and then ....." Jack felt a chill run down his spine , " he told me he was a fan of my writing , I thanked him and we talked about the fact that he was leaving soon. He shook my hand and he said it was a pleasure to meet me , I told him to keep safe , he looked at me and said thank you sir. My son called me sir." Dean watched the emotions play out on Jack's face , " He was so excited he had to tell someone so he called me. You should know he knew all about your past but he knew that if his mother still loved you after all these years that you had to be pretty special. After meeting you for those few minutes , he thought so too. " Jack swallowed hard " thank you for being there for him. " Jack walked out of the lobby and down to the water. He sat and thought about all he had discovered today. Was Dean right , did he owe his life with Jennifer to Sara and her actions. What about Sara , she had said she did all this to protect him and their son. Was that not what he himself had done to Jennifer all of their lives. He would lie or hide the truth of things that he thought would upset or hurt her . He had kept things from her to protect her, wasn't that why he found himself divorced . Could he hold Sara accountable for actions that he himself had committed over and over again . When he really thought about it had she been right to keep their innocent little boy away from the turmoil that was going on in Jack's life. Then there was Harper , the thought of him being anywhere near Abigail and Jack was enough to make him sick to his stomach. He had never even mentioned him to them and would have done anything to keep them away from him had he still been alive. Is it any wonder that Sara had felt the same , he had after all threatened her and had been instrumental in the ending of their relationship. In hindsight maybe she had been right , but that brought little comfort or ease to the hurt inside him . There was something he thought , something that might help.



Sara paced her room , telling Angela that she was relieved that it was out in the open. " I still think I was right. " Angela told her that it was going to be alright. " I know , " Sara laughed " I will be fine no matter what happens . " There was a knock and Sara found Jack standing there. The two just stood staring at one another, Angela announced " I'm going to find the shutterbug . " She walked past Jack and gave him a small peck on the cheek. " May I come in? " he asked in a low voice. " If you really want to. " She moved aside and allowed him access. " I have been thinking , I can understand why you did the things you did , but it still hurts. I am sorry for leaving the way I did and for you feeling you had no other option. " Sara grabbed his shirt and pulled , " I hate when you do that ! You take the mistakes of others and twist them around until you make them your own. These were my mistakes right or wrong and you had nothing to do with them. I am sorry , I'm sorry I robbed you both of the privilege of knowing each other . " Sara walked over to the couch and sat down . Jack followed her and sat on the coffee table facing her, " I need something from you , I don't know if it will ease the ache inside of me but I'd like to try. "
She asked " What do you want me to do ? " Jack took Sara's hands in his own and placed his forehead against hers , " Tell me about him." She let out a shuddering sigh " What do you want to know ? " Jack kissed her head and put his back against hers , " Everything , everything. "

" Everything, Tell me everything, " Sara spent the next few hours telling Jack everything she could think of about Robert. They looked at pictures and she told him where and when , almost as if writing a story, but for the love and pride that permeated every word. Jack closed his eyes and could see the scenes she described as clearly as if he had been there. " I have something to show you, " Sara told him. She opened her laptop and qued up a video. "When he got to Iraq he borrowed a buddy's camcorder and sent me a message. Would you like to see him , hear his voice? " Jack swallowed hard , and he barley spoke " Yes , please"
Jack watched his son he could see his own mannerism in the young man. The lift of his eyebrow , the crooked smile , his voice was deep and rich and his eyes were that of his fathers. Jack could see Sara in him as well , the way his head tilted when he was making a point and the confidence in his voice the pride in the job he was doing. Jack had to smile at the way the young man used hands while he spoke , just like his mother. Sara used say that she couldn't help talking with her hands , she was Italian , it was genetic .


When the video was over Jack had tears in his eyes and Sara was crying. " Thank you for sharing that with me, " Jack said. Sara looked up at him , "I know I can never make up for not telling you .. " Jack put his finger on her lips , " Don't .. please..." Sara had tears running down her face , Jack leaned down and kissed them away. She put her arms around his neck and hugged him. Jack felt a warm feeling in his chest , he needed this hug , he needed the physical contact . Should he act on what he was feeling ? He knew she needed it too , but would it be a mistake ? Probably , but he didn't care. He had an ache in his heart from the moment Jennifer told him about the divorce , now the added ache for a lost child , he had never known. He pulled back , tilted her chin up and kissed her . His lips brushed hers lightly then with more pressure .The kiss was filled with need , the need of two
lonely grieving people. When the kiss ended Jack pulled her to him and as she lay along side of him he whispered to her , " I don't want to be alone tonight , Sara may I stay with you ? " Of course she would , if she didn't she would be awake and crying all night. She need to be with him too. "What about JJ ? " she asked . Jack told her that Dean had called earlier and he had met Abby in the lobby and brought the boy to his room, where he passed out during a viewing of " Star Wars . " Dean told him that the little boy was even snoring and to just let him stay there. Sara looked into Jack's eyes " If you're sure that's what you want to do. Jack his breath coming in spurts said , " I am sure , I want..I need to be with you. " Sara nodded , " I need to be with you too. " Again he came down and
kissed her until both needed to breathe. They both wanted more but both knew it was not the time for that. She rested her head on his chest and both were content to feel the other breathing and the beat of each others heart. They were not alone , no tonight they would take solace with one another.





Jennifer had gone home, made some tea and turned on her laptop. She typed in Sara's name and watched as a litany of articles and photos appeared. She had to admit she was impressed with Sara's accomplishments. She had won numerous awards. Jennifer clicked onto a photo of Sara that Dean had taken in Iraq . Jennifer had seen this photo many times before it had been in many magazines and newspapers . In the photo Sara was in khakis and wearing a helmet covered in dirt and holding a wounded soldier in her arms . Her eyes were looking upward toward the medic that was running toward them. It was a haunting image . Jennifer kept scanning until she came upon an article that made the her heart stop. The headline read " Award Winning Reporter Loses Son In Iraq. " Jennifer read the article and felt an overwhelming sympathy for Sara , included in the article was a picture of the young man in his marine uniform. Jennifer said his name aloud " Robert Jamison , oh my gosh , he was only twenty one. " Jennifer was staring at the handsome young man's face when her phone rang , Jennifer closed her laptop and answered it, it was Hope. "Hey Jen, how are you? " her cousin asked. " Oh I'm fine I guess how are you? " Then Hope began spewing her troubles about everything. Jennifer thought to herself, " This is going to be a long call. "





Jack had fallen asleep with his arms holding Sara close to him. He still looked like a little boy when he slept , she thought. She burrowed into his neck and inhaled deeply , the smell of his cologne made her head swim. She wanted him , to make love to him again but she knew Jack still loved Jennifer. To push him into a physical relationship would be a mistake , if he came to her , she would not refuse him but she would not initiate it. If anything had changed about Jack Deveraux it was his outlook on sex. He had at one time been a ladies man going out with many women at once, but now he was more serious about it. Maybe it was the rape or , even though she didn't wish to admit it , maybe it was
Jennifer. Finding someone that he loved whole heartedly had changed him. Although Jack hadn't seen other women when they were together , he had been faithful to Jennifer even while divorced. " Now that's commitment. Well only time will tell, " she sighed. For now she will take it as it comes , just as she always did.