Third Time's A Charm (Read 6,921 times)

[jaysdelina]

Hearing about Jack's college days was great.I'd say poor Jennifer,but it looks like she's going to have to eat crow once he realizes he's divorced,and that's EXACTLY what I wanted the show to have her do.So thank you for that

[blueyed358]

chapter 6-7

**Please allow me a bit of creative license as when I wrote this I was no watching anymore,,I was waiting for Matt / jack's return . So I wrote Daniel based on what I read on the boards.



"Talk to me" the voice on phone urged. Dean snored on the couch having passed out after speaking to his wife and handing the phone off to Sara. Curled up in the armchair Sara spoke softly. " I thought I was talking to you." A large huff of frustration passed through the ear-piece, " you know what I mean, Dean has filled me in on everything, I can't believe she divorced him, what is she like? What happened when you saw him the first time..Did he ask for me? Have you.." Sara started to laugh " have a little too much caffeine did we? What do you want me to answer first?" Angela smiled to herself knowing that Sara will tell her things now that she had not shared with Dean. Some good old fashion girl talk was always a good thing. " Tell me what happened at the airport."

Sara looked through the small crowd of people and wondered would they hug when they saw one another or be casual about it. Would it be uncomfortable between them or will it be familiar right from the start. Then she saw him, his long legs carried him quickly towards her. Oh god! He was as strong and handsome as the last time they had seen each other. She had seen recent pictures of him of course, having followed the progression of his life closely, but still she was not ready for what the site of him could still do to her. He had gotten older but like the fine wines he had always been so fond of he seemed to get better with age. Carrying his maturity with a quiet confidence that suited him. Their eyes met and Jack walked over to her. " Hello Jack" Sara couldn't help herself the smile that spread across her lit up her face. In a moment her questions were answered. Jack leaned over and put his arms around her waist and lifted her feet off the ground. " Sara it's so good to see you again." He smelled so good, not the same cologne he used to wear but very nice none the less. " Put me down you idiot before your back goes out." "Ahh you remember that." He placed her feet back on the ground again. " Seeing as how I was responsible for the initial injury how could I ever forget." Jack looked around "No Dean?" With a sly expression on her face she told him that Dean would meet up with them as he was doing a little "sight seeing." Jack got a serious expression on his face " I cant thank you two enough for all that you are doing for me." They stood for a moment just looking at each other. Sara broke the silence first "are you hungry or did you eat on the plane?" With that oh so familiar raise of his eyebrow he quipped " airplane food? Please!" With a squeeze of his she softly spoke " it's so good to see you again."

All through lunch Jack told Sara about Jennifer. He spoke of their children and all the adventures they had shared. Then he told her about the love , the love that never would die. The way they always found each
again. Jack stopped in mid sentence and smile spread across his face. Standing up he was greeted by yet another old friend. Dean stuck out his hand, they shook hands and then Dean grabbed Jack into hug. "Dam Jackie it good to see you."Jack laughed " Dean..It's good to see you as well. How is Angela doing?" Dean pulled back looking intently at his old friend " She's good.Producing for CNN keeps her pretty busy." They chatted briefly and the waitress came by and asked if they wanted dessert. All three ordered coffee and Jack asked "still mainlining caffeine Sara?" "Always, you?" "Of course hazard of the job, wouldn't you agree?" Dean agreed completely " I can;t form a coherent thought in the morning before I have a cup." The conversation took a turn back to their joint mission. Dean told them he was developing his film and thought he got some great shots of the Alamain compound. Jack told them how worried for Jennifer and his family he was and that he didn't know what he would do should something happened to them. " I hope Jennifer knows how lucky she is." Shaking his head "I'm the lucky one, she saved me, she saved me from myself. When Jennifer came to me I was at the lowest point in my life. I had done horrible things and was living a life of isolation." Sara's cell rang, looking to Dean "Brian" then to Jack "my editor, excuse me a moment." Dean looked at Jack and said " there is no need for explanations. we know all about it." Jack looked shocked "all of it?" "Yea.. all of it. Did you really think she..we wouldn't keep track of you.?" jack thought a moment and shook his head " no I guess not. What about Sara? I know how well she has done professionally but what about personally? is there someone in her life?" "There have been some. Right now she is on again off again with a Fed she met during a story she was following. They are in off again mode I think." Sara came back to the table and they decided to go back to their rooms and meet up again later to discuss the next days plans.

"That's it I've got to get to bed Angela, I'm spent." "Wait!! You can't go until you tell me about her, Jennifer what was she like?" Letting out a deep sigh, " I didn't see the perfection Jack does I can tell you that much." Angela snorted " OK go to bed, call me when you have any news..or if you need to talk." Yawning into the phone Sara gave her usual "thanks Mom" and disconnected. She threw a blanket over Dean and went to bed.

As she slept she had dreams of the past. That night meeting Harper Deveraux, the hair on the back of her neck once again standing on end. Then came the memory of that awful night she had seen Harper again, the last night she would see Jack.







" Hello Mrs Deveraux " Jack picked up his hand and held it out to Jennifer. She took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. " Jennifer I am so sorry for putting you and the children through this again. I had to try to keep you safe. " Her eyes welled up with tears " you should have told me where you were going. " With a slight nod of his head Jack responded " I know but in my defense I knew you would want to go with me and I could not bare the thought of you being in that country or near that villa again. Are too angry to give me a proper hello?" He still had hold of her hand and he gave it a small tug. Jennifer leaned over and kissed him. The feel of his lips on hers was amazing, as it always has been. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes again , one falling on to his cheek. He brushed his finger over her cheek " It alright , we are together again and that means everything will be alright." Jennifer could only nod her response. Feeling like she was about to lose control she pressed the nurses call button. " The doctor will want to check you out and then there is Shane he will want to speak to you , oh and Adrienne and the children of course." Jack smiled at her " slow down , right now the only person I want to be with is you. I do however really want to see our children." The nurse entered the room and Jennifer excused herself to phone Abby. " Don't go too far " Jack called after.

Jennifer threw her back against the wall and started to sob. What a mess everything was. Why couldn't she have had more faith in him! She should not have rushed forward without even trying to find him. He had gone and thrust himself into danger to keep her safe and now she will have to break his heart. What about Daniel..would he be patient and let her handle this in her own way? Jennifer calmed herself down and took out her cell. Abby answered on the second ring. " Mom ?" Jennifer took a deep breath " Hi baby...your dad is awake." Abby breathed a sigh of relief " Is he ok? Does he know?" Fighting the next onslaught of tears Jennifer pushed forward " He seems fine but they checking him out now. He doesn't know about the divorce and I want to keep it that way until he gets released from the hospital." There was a pause on the line and Abby asked her mother " Do you really think that's best? " Jennifer squeezed her eyes closed " I am not sure what I know anymore." Abby let that remark hang for a minute then she told her mother that JJ's plane had landed and she would be bringing him directly to the hospital. She disconnected and slid her phone back into her bag. Adrienne looked at her niece with great sympathy " Don't worry sweetie everything will work out ." Abby gave a slight smiled, she hoped her aunt was right .


Abby saw her little brother holding the hand of the ISA agent. She called out to him and waived. When he saw his sister he dropped the agents hand and went running into her open arms. " Abby!" He almost knocked her over when he flung himself at her. " OH..Wow I guess you really missed me!" Abby said to him. JJ squeezed her even tighter " You have no idea!" She pulled back and looked him over " You've grown." He smiled " Really? " She nodded "Definitely." Abby knew her brother wanted to be just like their father , tall and strong and smart. JJ believed his dad was just about perfect and he wanted to emulate him in every way possible. JJ looked up at Adrienne and in a perfect imitation of his father , cocked his eyebrow and tilted his head. " I know you..I've seen pictures of you, your my daddy's sister." Adrienne couldn't help but laugh. " Yes honey, I'm your aunt Adrienne and you look just like your father." JJ stood straight and tall " Thank you very much Aunt Adrienne." And he was the spitting image of Jack. He had dark brown hair and the bluest eyes. His nose had the same flattened tip that Jack had. His mannerisms were mirror images and he had the same lopsided smile. " Are we going to see Daddy now?" Abby kissed her brother on the top of his head " Yes we are." JJ gave her best and brightest smile .

JJ sat in the backseat and listened to his sister explain what was going on. " But that's lying, and you're not suppose to lie. " Abby told him that was true but it was just for a little while so Daddy could get better. " Well if it's going to help Daddy I guess I can lie to him for a little while." JJ did not lying to his father , besides that he always seemed to know when JJ lied. Adrienne asked him if liked his school. In another totally Jack move , he sighed loudly and proclaimed " No! I hated it. The only good thing about being there was that everyone called me Jack, nobody called me JJ." Adrienne gave him a sad smile in the rear view mirror. " Don't you like being called JJ?" she asked. He thought about it for only a second." No I don't but I know it's because everybody would get mixed up. My Daddy always calls me Jack. So I guess I can live with it." Both Abby and Adrienne had to laugh at the little boy who was trying so hard to be serious. "Abby?" She turned around to look at him " Yes?" He paused for a moment trying to get just the right words. " Do you know what I did to make Mommy send me away?" Abby gasped " You didn't do anything wrong JJ! I know Mom has missed you so much." Adrienne gave a quick glance over to Abby. Her niece gave her a pained look in response.

Jennifer stood in the hallway she didn't think she had ever felt this frightened before. Even telling Jack that she was raped didn't make her heart ache like this. Just when she thought things couldn't get worse Daniel rounded the corner. He was frowning and he took her by her elbow and took her in an empty room. " Carly called me, she told me everything that is going on. She is frantic that Alamain will come after me or Melanie too.Why didn't YOU call me?" Jennifer was in no mood for his demanding tone. "Well you know Daniel things have been happening so fast I haven't had time ." He looked a her for along time, he didn't need to ask her, he knew. She answered his unspoken question " Jack doesn't know we are divorced. I will tell him when I think he is ready to hear it, when he gets out of the hospital." She looked up at him now waiting for his response. " So I'm suppose to what, pretend like I don't really know you? " The tears started to come again " Please try to understand." He couldn't argue right now " I have to pick up Melanie and we are going to try and calm Carly down." As he went to open the door he pulled her into a kiss. " Don't wait too long." They walked out together as Jack's door opened, he could just make out the doctor who casually placed his hand on Jennifer's shoulder as the door slid closed. Once again her back against the wall she put her hand to her lips. She could still feel the pressure of both men's lips on her own. How familiar this was, Jack laying in a hospital bed and Jennifer in another room kissing another man. She shook that thought from her head, took a deep breath and opened the door to be with Jack.

" There you are , did you reach Abigail ? " Jennifer looked at Jack he looked tired but content and that saddened her. She knew in a matter of days he would know the truth. "Yes they are on their way . What did the doctor say? " A small smile creeped across his face, " The doctor..the doctor said that I'm doing well. They wanted more blood to be sure the drugs were out of my system. If all goes well I could be released tomorrow." Jennifer felt her heart sink , she thought she might have afew days to think about how she would tell him. " That's great Jack." Jack studied her for a moment " Have you talked to Shane? " Jack asked. Relieved at the change of topic she said " They still haven't located Lawrence." Jack frowned " Well no news is not good news. Why don't you tell me what's been going on here? Catch me up so to speak." No Jennifer didn't want to do that! " You know Jack , you should really try to get some rest before Abigail and JJ arrive." Jack looked at Jennifer, she looked spent , " You look so tired. Why don't you come over here and we can rest together ?" Jack looked at her her with a sparkle in his eye. " Oh no you don't Jack Deveraux , you are hurt you don't need me.." He raised his hand up to silence her, " I always need you , will always need you. If you lay down here with me I promise you I will rest must easier. Please." Jennifer sighed , what could she do? She had to comply didn't she? " No talking.. only resting? Jack held up his three fingers " Only resting." As Jennifer was getting situated on the bed next to Jack he asked " Have you met Sara and Dean." Jennifer rested her head against Jack. She could feel the pounding of his heart , or was it her own heart she heard so clearly. " What, oh I met Sara only briefly but Dean wasn't with her. Are they married? " Jack burst out laughing " Ouch! Don't make me laugh so hard. No , Dean is married to Angela , she is a producer for CNN. They have all been the best of friends since college." Jennifer was curious now " How is it you know so much about them. I mean I remember you making her read her articles when I started at the Spectator, did you know them prior to this? " Jack swallowed hard debating his next words carefully " Yes , I went to college with them as well. We were all, ahh, we were all very close." Jennifer lifted her head slightly " You never mentioned them before." There was no reply. Jack had fallen asleep fingers in her hair , the other arm across her holding her close. Jennifer breathed softly, how many nights had they fallen asleep like this. Whispering to one another till one of them no longer answered. she had to admit his arms felt good around her. " What am I going to do?" she thought. Her eyelids were getting heavy and she breathed in the familiar scent of Jack Deveraux.

Abby leaned down to JJ " You wont forget what we talked about right?" JJ huffed , " No I wont forget. Can we see Daddy now?" Adrienne suggested that Abby call her mother first and Abby agreed. Jennifer jumped and Jack lifted his head " What is it ?" he asked. "It's my phone " Jennifer said . Jack put his head back on the pillow , " Let it ring , lay back down." Jennifer got up and mouthed to Jack "It's Abby." Jack watched Jennifer as she spoke to their daughter. Jennifer disconnected from the call and told Jack they were in the hospital and on the way up. " I'll just meet them outside , be right back." With that she was out the door . She didn't think of it until right at that moment , what will Jack think when he finds out that she had placed their son in a boarding school. She had so many deeds to atone to , she felt her life spinning out of control .

As they rounded the corner she caught sight of her small son. He had grown taller she thought. He looked do much like his father , wearing navy blue dress pants and a pale blue button down shirt and navy tie, the school uniform she thought. " Hi sweetie!" Jennifer threw her arms around her son but he would not return her hug. Like his father so many years ago he kept his arms at his sides as Jennifer held to him. " JJ don't you want to hug me?" Jennifer asked. The little boy wouldn't even look at her," No I don't want to." Jennifer looked at his angry little face, " Didn't you miss me? I missed you so much." His blue eyes turned to her filled with disbelief , " That's a lie! You hardly ever called me , Abby called me and wrote me all the time. I kept thinking you would come for but you never did! " Jennifer felt as though she had hit rock bottom. " Sweetie I'm sorry , I have been so busy , I know that's no excuse but you must believe me..I love you so much and missed you every minute." JJ stood like a statue and refused to even acknowledge her words. " I want to see Daddy NOW!" Jennifer nodded and reminded him that his father was hurt and not to jump on him. " I KNOW Abby told me what to do already, so can I just go in now?"



Jack had his eyes closed as the door opened slowly. He opened his eyes to see his little boy looking a bit frightened. " There he is, there's my boy, come over here little man!" JJ bolted into the room "Daddy!" the little boy stopped in his tracks, his gaze now on his father's bandages. Jack saw his hesitation, " It's ok Jack you wont hurt me." He rushed over to the side of the bed. "Climb on up here and give the old man a hug. " JJ lifted himself up onto the bed and put his arms around Jack's neck, "I missed you so much Daddy!" Jack squeezed his eyes shut and sighed , " I missed you more , " Jack whispered to his son.

[fluffysmom]

I really enjoyed these chapters. I like seeing JJ and his reactions to both Jennifer and to Jack. This is a great story. I am looking forward to reading more.

[MrsM]

Wow! Just now reading this story!! Sooooo good!!!! Can't wait for more!!

[blueyed358]

chapter 8-10




Sara had laid down after getting a call from Shane telling her that Jack was awake. She had wanted to go to the hospital right then but Shane said that Jack was with his children and Jennifer and that they should give him a bit of time. They agreed on two hours, so after calling Dean she had flopped on the bed. Her source at the FBI and given her what little they had , and she had done some snooping of her own on one Jennifer Horton Deveraux. Sara laid there as she mentally filed what she had learned , but the memories of those long ago nights would not be held back. She knew she would have to revisit them so they could be put back to rest.

The look on Jack's face when she entered the living room of their hotel room made her blush. " Sara , you looking stunning , as I knew you would when I saw that dress " Jack said breathlessly. She looked at him seriously , " Oh so you're saying I'm not stunning all the time? " He laughed " You always look great but tonight you look..." She walked over to him grabbed his labels and pulled , he knew that meant she wanted to kiss him. He bent down and her hands were around his neck her mouth covering his. He tightened his hold on her and kissed her back greedily. Pulling back he said " Lets go , so we can leave early. As wonderful as you look in that dress I suddenly have the urge to see you out of it. " Sara looked up a him her eyes so large and blue Jack thought he would drown in them , " My, Jackie you do say the sweetest things." Sara tossed about on the bed and the next image floated threw her. They were now entering the home of Harper Deveraux. Sara felt as though her throat were closing. She clung tightly to Jack's arm. " Relax, " he said softly, " They are going to be just as captivated with you as I am . " Sara looked around at the opulent surroundings " Oh I highly doubt that " she muttered under her breath. A gentleman walked over to them and took their coats. " Good evening Mr Deveraux. " Jack took Sara by the arm " Good evening Sheldon , this is Miss Jamison. " Sara smiled " Hello Sheldon , nice to meet you. " Sheldon gave a slight bow " A pleasure Miss. Your father is in the living room, he is expecting you. " They moved through the crowd of people in their tuxes and gowns , Sara felt out of place surrounded by all that money and power. She knew she had to brush it off , she so wanted Jack's father and stepmother to like her. " So my handsome stepson has finally arrived." Jack turned to see Angelica behind him. He kissed her cheek " Hello Angelica you look beautiful as always. " Turning to Sara he took her elbow " This is Sara Jamison , the young lady I told you about. " So he told spoke about her to his stepmother that was a good sign she thought to herself. Angelica extended her perfectly manicured hand to Sara " My aren't you adorable, hello dear. " Sara shook her hand " It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Deveraux. " Angelica turned her attention back to Jack " Your father has been waiting for you , better go find him. " With that she walked away and Sara said to herself " nice to meet you too." More images paraded by, her and Jack dancing, chatting with other guests, then the images froze. As if in slow motion he moved toward them , Harper Deveraux. " Dad I'd like you to meet Sara Jamison." The moment his hand touched hers the hair on the back of Sara's neck stood up. It was his eyes, the were cold, no more than that, they were hard with no sign of warmth or compassion. She felt sad for Jack that these were the eyes the little boy he had been had to look into. She understood now why , when Jack would come back to school after spending time with his father, he would be so hurt and angry. She could see why he was desperate for his father's affection. She doubted that Harper Deveraux could even show affection. She shook his hand , " Senator Deveraux it's a pleasure to meet you . " Sara felt those cold eyes roam her body. " Well it's a pleasure to meet a friend of Jack's , you must be very special , my son never brings friends around.' Jack looked at Sara and smiled " She is special , very special." Harper asked if she was pre-law also. " No I am a journalist major, " Sara told him proudly. Harper looked down on her " Jack you're fraternizing with the enemy . " Jack looked at his father with a questioning look.
" Reporters and politicians don't mix . Reporters always want something from you. " Both Jack and Sara stared at him and he continued " A story of course. " Jack chuckled but Sara and Harper just stared at one another. Jack told his father " I assure you Sara isn't like that . " Harper turned to his son , " No I'm sure she isn't " Turning back to Sara he said , " well I look forward to seeing your name in print Miss Jamison. " Sara decided to kiss up just a bit , for Jack , " I hope to interview you someday , in the oval office. " Harper gave her a phony smile , " I hope so too. "

Even in her sleep she fought the next image but still it came to her . It was early in the morning , Sara was in Jack's bed , trying to wake him , " Come on Jack , get your butt up ,you have an exam this morning. " Jack grabbed her to him.running his hands all over body. He started kissing her and when he reached her ear he whispered " Mmmm can't you feel too good , besides I was hoping to study a little more anatomy this morning, " Sara giggled " You had several study sessions last night , you are going to be late , get up . " Now it was Jack's turn to giggle , " Oh i am up believe me . " She smacked him on the arm " Yeah I can tell. " Suddenly the image shifted and Jack was showered and kissing Sara goodbye . A few minutes later there was a knock at the door . Sara threw on one of Jack's shirts. When she opened the door she was horrified to find Harper standing there. " Mr Deveraux how nice to see , you just missed Jack he had an early class." Harper walked in and looked around. " I know I came to see you. " Sara looked at him " Me why? " Harper sat down " I want to talk to you about your future." She was confused now " I don't understand. " Harper stared at her for a moment , " let me get straight to the point, " He began to tell her that she should not count on a future with Jack. That when college was over he had plans for his son to be a politician and there was no room in his son's future for some tramp who wanted to use Jack for his money and name, a name he assumed she wanted to open doors for her. Sara was appalled " First of all I don't need anyone to open doors for me, I prefer to open them myself. And just to set the record straight I am probably the first woman your son has dated that isn't a tramp. "
Harper was on his feet now. " How much would you require to go away. " She could not believe what he had just suggested. " I don't want your money nor do I want Jack's. Do you think so little of your own son that you can't believe someone would love him for the wonderful man he is. " Harper flew at her in a rage , grabbing her by the arms " Don't you speak to me like that , women like you disappear all the time and you would well to remember that." There was a knock at the door and Dean and Angela walked in. Harper dropped Sara's arms and turned to leave , " Do remember this conversation Miss Jamison, " with that he closed the door. Dean asked her " What the hell was that all about?" Sara told them everything that had happened .They wondered how Jack was going to react to this. " I'm not going to tell him. " They didn't bother asking her why, she had that tone in her voice, the stubborn I know what I'm doing tone. There was another knock at the door Sara jumped . When she opened her eyes she was in the hotel room and Dean was knocking at the door.

" Are you ready yet?" Dean paced in the living room , they were going to the hospital to see Jack . Sara was in the bedroom throwing clothes around. " Yeah , five more minutes ok?" If he lived forever he would never get what took a woman so long to get ready. He would have to admit that is wife and Sara were relatively quick compared to most of the women he had know. " What's so hard, wash up , put clothes on , brush hair and you are ready to go. " When Sara stepped out of the bedroom she said " Why are you standing around lets go! " Dean looked her up and down " Whoa you look great. " She did look great , she wore a soft blue tank top over a black pencil skirt that sat just atop her knees , open back black sandals with a small heel. She had taken the time to put on some make-up and had let her hair dry naturally giving her hair a small amount of curls that framed her face . She had even painted her toenails. " I thought we were going to the hospital not out on the town." Sara frowned at him , " This I have you know is casual . " Dean shook his head " Oh of course . So who is this casual outfit for, Jack or the Mrs? " Sara looked shocked , at first , then smirked " Both I guess and that would be the EX Mrs. " Sara turned to get her purse and Dean put his hand on her shoulder, " I don't want to see you setting yourself up for a fall. " Sara pulled him by his shirt down to her and gave him a peck on the cheek " I'm not doing that but thanks Dad." Dean pulled himself up " Ha Ha , lets get going ." Sara picked up her bag and put a small recorder inside. Dean looked at Sara and said " I have to admit , I am curious to meet Jennifer. Jack's description of her doesn't exactly mesh with what she has been up to lately. " Sara stopped in her tracks, " Well I think Jack is going to get a rude awakening . " Then to herself she said " and I'm going to be there to help him through it. "











" You get more beautiful everyday , just like your mother. " Jack had is son laying next to him , his daughter sitting on the opposite side and Jennifer standing at the foot of his bed . " Aunt Adrienne said she would be in later , she wanted to give us a little time, " Abby told her father . Jack smiled " Good I don't think I could handle anymore tears right now. " Abby told Jack she knew that there was something wrong when he wouldn't answer her messages and when Jennifer was in trouble and he didn't come she knew for sure. Jack looked pained , " I would move heaven and earth to be with your mother had I known . " Jennifer couldn't even make eye contact with him . She avoided Jack's loving gaze. When Abby started to tell Jack about the bogus emails and blogs he looked stunned. " Well I' m sure you and your mother recognized that they were not my words ." Before the conversation could go any further Jennifer told the children their father needed his rest before he made his statement to Shane. " I don't wanna go , I'm gonna stay here with Daddy just in case he gets lost again. " I am not going to get lost again , besides that don't you know that no matter were I got you and sister and your mother are like magnets to me.I feel the pull of you all on me , on my heart , and I always find my way back home." Jennifer felt her as though her heart was shattering. Her salvation came when there was a knock on the the door , " Come in , "she said a little too quickly.Sara and Dean entered the room. " Well you're looking much better , " Sara proclaimed with a sweet small . Jack returned her smile , " Hey you two come on in. " Sara looked at Jennifer but then took in the sight of Jack's children . " Dean said " Glad to see you with your eyes open Jackie." JJ looked at the large man in front of him then back to his father " Jackie , that's a girls name." Everyone laughed and JJ wriggled his nose " What's so funny? " Jack looked at son " Nothing little man , these are my friends , this is Sara and that is Dean. This is our son Jack and our daughter Abigail," Sara looked at Abby and sensed that she was going to be a true mixture of her father and mother , but the son , he was mostly Jack. " Well it so nice to meet both of you , ' Sara said. Dean looked Jennifer up and down " We haven't met yet I'm Dean Micheals and you I am sure are Jennifer. " Jennifer took his hand and told him that she was a fan of his work , both their work she added. " Well that's very kind of you. " Sara forced a smile onto her face. " Your THE Sara Jamison ? " Abby asked. "My journalism professor had has do a report on you articles. " Sara blushed a bit . " That's nice to hear , thank you . What a lovely young woman you are,. " and she meant those words . Turning to JJ " My what a handsome young man you are ." JJ knew he liked these two people right away but he wasn't sure why . " You are friends of my Daddy ? " Now Dean spoke to the little boy , " Yes we all went to school together . " JJ smiled and Abby said " That's why you had Miss Jamison's articles in that scrapbook when I was doing my report. " Jack cleared his throat. " Yes well , perhaps you could take your brother out for something to eat while we all catch up." Both JJ and Abby looked disappointed , " Do we have to ? " Looking to his son " I will see you later I promise , plus I might even be coming home tomorrow , how do you like that ? " JJ had a huge smile on his face " I like that alot! " He reached up and hugged his father. Jack now looking at his daughter " I will answer all you questions soon as well ok ? " Abby kissed her father on the cheek " I love you Daddy , " looking into her eyes he told her he loved her too. " Me too Daddy, I love you too." Jack laughed , " Well I love you too and we all love mommy . " Jennifer looked at them all and gave a sickly smile. Jack gave her a look that said " are you alright" and she nodded. As Abby and JJ were leaving she told her little brother she would get him ice cream. " Strawberry? " Laughing Abby said " Yes Strawberry. " Sara turned to Jack and said " It seems you have a mini me on your hands , he even likes strawberry ice cream. " Jack looked surprised "You remembered , " Sara chuckled " one tends to remember picking strawberries out of ones hair for days. " Jack shook his head " I believe you are embellishing your story some , it was one day and if you recall , it was an accident. " As she listened to the three of them reminiscing about an ice cream fight , she realized that this was the first time that she was around people who knew Jack long for her . He had memories with people other than herself and it bothered her . She couldn't help but wonder what memories Sara alone shared with Jack , she knew though she had to find out.

Shane came next wanting to speak to Jack alone , Sara protested but Jack told her they would "catch up" after he was done. " Hey no kiss for me? " he asked as Jennifer started to leave. She leaned down and brushed his lips with hers . Dean saw Sara 's body tense up. "Let's get some coffee huh? " Jennifer saw an opening and took it , " May I join you , we can all get to know one another." Sara glanced at Dean , then to Jennifer " I think that's a great idea. " The two women walked toward the elevators and Dean said to himself , " Great idea? no, no this is a very BAD idea."









Jennifer brought Sara and Dean to Salem Place for lunch. The threesome sat outside and made idle conversation about the town. Jennifer decided she would try to casually get some background from them. Jennifer looking down at her plate asked, " So all of you went to college together , were you friends all through college ? " Dean fielded this one , " Yea , Sara and Angela , were roommates from freshman year , Sara and I met during orientation and were inseparable from that point . Of course Sara introduced me to Angela, who is now my wife. Sara met Jack beginning of second semester. " Jennifer was chewing and she just nodded, " Did you and Jack have a class together ? " Sara lifted her eyes to meet Jennifer's , " Yes , but we only knew each other to say hello in passing. It wasn't until the night I helped him out of a jam that we became friends. " Now Jennifer was curious , " What kind of a jam? " Dean's hands , holding his burger , froze before reaching his mouth. He shook his head slowly at Sara who gave him a sly smile. " I found him naked in the bushes. " Jennifer who was sipping her ice tea almost choked , " Naked ? What happened ? " Sara laughed , " Well that's really a story for Jack to tell I just happened into it . " Jennifer tried again , " I have never met anyone that knew Jack before he came to Salem , what was he like? " Sara responded , " Much like he is today I guess , only not quite so serious. " Dean jumped in , " We had a lot of fun back then. Does he still play pool ? " Jennifer looked confused , " Jack doesn't play pool. " Dean and Sara looked at each other and Dean said , " Well he used to , very well I might add , he won us a lot of free drinks. " Sara asked Jennifer " What about Scrabble?" Jennifer nodded " Oh yes Jack and I used to play all the time. " She was pleased with herself , but Sara wasn't done , " We used to play fifteen minute rounds. Round one was English , round two French . Round three was Latin , it made it very interesting. " Jennifer thought to herself ' my aren't you special.' Dean took slight pity on her , " Oh yea REAL interesting " then turning to Jennifer , " It was a snooze-fest. Now the Monopoly games were cutthroat. Of course we learned fairly quickly that Jack couldn't be trusted to be the banker. " Jennifer laughed , " Yea that sounds like Jack. Well it sounds like you were very close, " she looked at Sara now. " Yes we were , " Sara announced , her look daring Jennifer to ask what was really on her mind , she wanted her to ask her how close they were. Jennifer wanted to ask that question but she couldn't voice it. Jack was older and she knew that there had been other women before her. She had always imagined that they were casual , commitment free , but now before her was an intelligent , attractive woman that might have actually meant something to him for at least four years! Did she really want to hear that ? Jennifer was brought from her thoughts when Dean's cell rang , looking at the screen he told them , " Excuse me the big boss is calling , " then answering the phone " Hey babe , what's going on? " Sara turned to Jennifer "It's his wife. " Jennifer smiled and Dean walked away for a bit of privacy , before going he gave Sara a pleading look to behave. She flashed him a quick smile. Sara spoke to Jennifer, " You know Jennifer , you really need to sharpen you interviewing skills . " Jennifer looked nervous and Sara continued , " I know when I'm being pumped. Look I don't do the whole beating around the bush thing so why don't you just ask me directly what you want to know." Jennifer thought about it for a moment , should she? Could she come out and ask her if she had been intimate with Jack all those years ago ? Then she remembered about Daniel and what had gone on between them , did she even have the right ask anymore. No , no she wouldn't ask it , plus she didn't like the look of satisfaction on Sara's face , " I don't know what you mean. " Sara sat back crossing her arms and legs and just stared at her for few moments , almost Jennifer felt , as if she were sizing her up. Sara finally spoke leaning forward now, arms on the table , " Alright we'll play it that way. Now it's my turn , I however am not going to start with questions. Shall I tell you what I KNOW ? "


Shane paced the hospital room , " Where the hell is Bo? Look Jack we need to try and figured out who Alamain is going after first. " Jack told him , "I think it will be Bo , if he goes in the order in which he feels he was wronged. I would think he would want to save Carly for last , let her see the people she cares for hurt before he finally comes for her , " Shane agreed with him . "Why don't you tell me what happened at the villa , " Jack told Shane that he wanted solid proof that Alamain was alive and hiding in the villa so he decided to take the direct approach and just knock on the door. After some cat and mouse with Lawrence's major domo the man himself came down the stairs. " Well hello Jasper so good of you to come calling. " The two men eyed each other and Jack quipped " I guess it's true what they say." Lawrence inquired " And what is that ? " Jack smirked " Only the good die young." Giving Jack that patented smirk of his Lawrence replied " Oh yes that fantastic wit , I did so miss that Jasper. " Jack explained how they sniped at each other a bit and when Jack asked about his future plans Lawrence told him he intended to make them all pay . Since Jack was there he would start with him , telling him was never going to leave the villa alive . Jack told him that there were people who knew where he was . When asked for their names Jack refused and Lawrence became enraged. "Well perhaps we can settle this the way we used to, are you up for a friendly duel? ' Jack took a deep breath and said " As you wish." Jack recounted the sword fight to Shane , telling him how they had each cut the other and then with a rushing motion Jack was on top of Lawrence ( for a third time ), this time however he disarmed him. Jack didn't share the conversation that occurred while Jack still had him pinned down , " You have had the wrong idea about me for years Lawrence. You believed that I was afraid of you but you couldn't be more wrong. Years ago I was on my way to becoming you, cold , ruthless , violent , alone. But then Jennifer came into my life and everything changed . I changed. I almost lost everything because of you, when I looked at you I could feel those old feelings rising , the anger i had fought so hard to keep under control. I was always so close to the edge whenever I was near you. So you see I wasn't afraid of you , I was afraid of what I wanted to do to you and if I did that I would have become you . " Jack skipped to when the guards came in, knocked him down and brought him to a room , they had beaten him badly and left him there . The room was sound proof and he didn't know how long he was there . One day they came for him and they put him into a car and had pushed him out in the hangar they hit him over the head and apparently started the fire and left him to die there. Shane told Jack how foolish he had been and Jack nodded and said, " My only concern is for Jennifer , I must keep her and our children safe . I will do anything it takes to make sure he doesn't get near them. "



Jennifer looked at Sara with a mix of fear and curiosity. " What do you know? " she said trying to keep her tone even. Sara took a deep breath and sighed , " I know that you didn't even look for Jack before you used his own brother in-law to obtain a divorce so you could pursue another man. Another man who has a penchant for married women. A man who broke up your own brother's marriage. " Jennifer tried to defend herself but Sara stopped her " Jack had made you sound practically perfect , so I decided to investigate you. I had been following Jack's life closely , I know his secrets, I know about Kayla and Harper and my heart broke for him at all the trouble and loss he had faced. But I was happy for him when I heard how you had turned his life around and that he had finally found some happiness. I might have even liked you had I not found out about the way you went about cutting him loose. " Jennifer shook her head " No that is not what happened at all. I believed what Jack had told me , I believed the blog and the emails I was so sure.." Sara cut her off again " Then I must commend you on your incredible investigative skills , tell me Jennifer how does one blog from the middle of the outback? " Jennifer was confused " What? " Sara went on " With no electricity or internet in the wilds of Australia how does one blog or email ? Or did that even occur to you? " Jennifer could do little more than stare at her. Sara was getting animated , " No you just had no faith in him . So I looked into your past , you have a history of that don't you? There is always another man waiting in the wings , you even married another man three months after you thought Jack had died. You really are the queen of moving on aren't you ? " Jennifer was now getting angry " How dare you judge me! You don't know me or anything about me. All you know is what you read and I am not going to sit here and justify myself to you. " with that Jennifer stood to leave . Sara stood as well " No you don't have to justify yourself to me , but you will to Jack. Are you even going to tell him ? " The tears were stinging Jennifer's eyes now swallowing the lump in her throat " Yes I am going to tell him , when he gets released from the hospital . I was just worried about him and thought it best to wait until he was doing better. " Sara shook her head " Don't you worry about Jack he will be fine , I'm going to make sure of that. " Jennifer turned and walked away , after rounding the corner she started to sob. Her life was spinning out of control , she had screwed up her marriage, got involved with another man and even her young son was angry with her. She knew she had to cry , let it out and then she would clean herself up and return to Jack's room.

[jaysdelina]

JJ really is the spitting image of his daddy.I LOVE that.I also love that Jenn realizes she screwed up again and has alot of atoning to do.I hope she does it.Thank you for weaving such a wonderful story for us

Oh and by the way,I'm loving Sara more and more.I'm glad she's being so protective of Jack and not letting Jenn off the hook.

[MrsM]

I agree Delina!! I like Sara. I find myself rooting for her!!

[Kpatch]

All of this rings so true. Why was Jennifer so quick to believe some disconnected blogs and believe the worst in Jack? I really like your characterization of Jack as a true-blue family man with unending love for his kids. Fabulous dialogue and flashbacks too. It's all very visual. Looking forward to the continuation.

[jaysdelina]

Oct 15, 2011 19:50:35 GMT -5 MrsM said:

I agree Delina!! I like Sara. I find myself rooting for her!!

She brought up a good point.How stupid was Jennifer to believe the outback story?If he's out in the wilderness,he had no access to computer,internet,etc etc.Sometimes Jenn can be so dense....

[fluffysmom]

I am enjoying Sara a lot. This story really grabs me and pulls me in. I can't wait to see what happens when Jack finds out Jennifer divorced him. Thanks for sharing the great story with us.

[jaysdelina]

I love a story that draws you in instantly,and this one does just that.I really can't wait to see Jack's reaction to everything that's gone on,and I really can't wait to see what Sara's next move is going to be.She hasn't made any secret of not liking Jennifer,so I can imagine how bold she's going to get

[blueyed358]

chapters 11-12



It was midday by the time Jack had gotten released . Jennifer had left Jack asleep last night and had brought down some of his clothes and toiletries from the attic. She thought about delaying the inevitable a day or so , but she worried , Everyone around them knew the truth and she knew Jack would want to be intimate as well. Then there was Sara, had she taped them and would she play it for Jack or use it to force her hand. When they entered the house Jennifer told Jack to go take a shower and she would prepare some lunch. Jack grabbed her into a mind numbing kiss , " Why don't you join me ? I might need some help washing my...back. " Jennifer smiled at him and shook her head . Aunt Maggie will be bringing JJ home any minute , besides that your hurt remember? " Jack cocked an eyebrow and gave her a crooked smile " Yes ..hence the help washing. " She pointed to the stairs and said " Jack Deveraux march youself upstairs and get washed up. " Jack heaved a heavy sigh and said " Well you know where you can find me if you change your mind . " Jennifer had lunch ready when the bell rang . It was Maggie and JJ. " Hi sweetie how was your visit with Aunt Maggie? " JJ walked past his mother carring his suitcase " Fine , where's Daddy ? "He's in the shower he will be down soon. Why don't you bring you bag upstairs ok? " He went to the stairs and pulled the bag upstairs. " Jennifer how are you doing? " Jennifer turned to her aunt tears filling her eyes, " Oh Aunt Maggie what a mess everything is. " They talked for a few minutes and Maggie toldher to call if she needed anything . Jennifer was placing lunch out in the living room when her cell rang. It was Daniel " Hi....No I can't talk right now....No he is upstairs......I am going to.... I said I would..... I am going to tell Jack today....Ok ...bye. " Jennifer closed the phone. " Tell me what? " Jack was ther standing in the doorway looking and smelling more like himself. " Jennifer tell me what? "

" There are some things we need to talk about . " she said her breath coming in spurts. " Alright I'm listening. " She told him how she had believed that he had left them. She had believed all of it , the blog , the emails the story he had told her about going on walkabout. " And then when I almost died and you didn't come..I thought it was over between us. " Jack stood staring in disbelief , " I would think that you would have known for sure then that something was wrong and I couldn't get to you," She shook her head " I didn't know, " was all she could say. Jack looked hurt , couldn't believe she had so little faith in him. " Well we can just move on , I know I should have told you the truth but ..well..let's just move on. " Again Jennifer shook her head , " Jack I..I filed for divorce, Justin handled it for me." Jack was shocked " You had Justin , my brother inlaw ,file divorce papers for you. He ..he can stop this right? " Now Jennifer was crying " It was final two months ago. " He couldn't believe what he was hearing , " You obtained a divorce without even speaking to me? Without so much as one word from me? You just ended our marriage, just like that."

JJ sat at the top of the steps crying quietly. Jennifer couldn't find words , but she pushd on " Jack try to understand , I, " Jack turned away now " No , no I don't think I can understand. I would never had done this to .." He froze now as if things had become clear now. " There 's more isn't there..there's more. " Then he whirled around on her , " There is someone else right? " He stood before her eyes flashing " There IS someone else " He paused a moment and his mind raced , "That Doctor , the one I saw you with.? " She couldn't meet his gaze , "Jennifer I'm waiting " Finally she responded " Yes , I have been seeing Daniel since the divorce was final. " Jack felt like he had been kicked in the stomach , he didn't want to even think it but he had to ask her , he had to know. " Did you sleep with him? " Now her tears came full force. She sobbed openly. Jennifer could not answer. Suddenly he had her by the upper arms " Those tears will not do for an answer , tell me, did you, did you sleep with him? Say it! Say it to me !" She finally found her voice however week it was , " Yes, yes I did" Jack released her pacing around the room ," I can't..I can't .. you just moved on ...again. Twenty years .. no matter what happened between us there was never anyone else for me. I never moved on . But you , you can't say that can you.?" I never would have done this to you , I would have done anything to find you , I would have wanted to hear it from your own mouth that you didn't want me anymore. ' There were no words coming from her now only tears. The only thing she could manage was " I'm sorry." she could see the devastation oozing out of him. " I can't be here anymore , I have to get out of here. I will come come back for my things. " He turned and left the living room heading for the door " Jack wait , Please. "

Both were frozen in place at the sight of their little boy dragging his suitcase down the steps
" Daddy ! Daddy ! take me with you , don't leave me here PLEASE! " Jack leaned down and placed his hands on his son's shoulders , " Jack .." He suddenly remembered back to another time , only it was he who was begging , begging Harper to take him with him as left for another trip. He had brushed Jack aside and told him to stop crying and to go back upstairs , then another vision, this one of Abby , running after him as he was leaving after Jennifer had thrown him out , he was brought back by the words of his son. " She'll send me back there , I don't want to go back there, I want to stay with you . " Jennifer stood hand over her mouth .

" What do you mean send you away again ? Mommy wouldn't send you away. " JJ was shaking and crying , "She made me go away to school." Jack was horrified, He stood up and turned to see Jennifer , standing behind him looking so very small. " You sent him to boarding school ? After all that we endured ourselves as children being sent away. We never even wanted a nanny for Abigail because of our own childhoods. " Jack looked back at his son , leaning down now , " Do you have Sheldon? " That was the name Jack had chosen for the teddy bear he gave to his son years ago. "No , he's upstairs. " Jack knew he had to bring his son with him now, " Go on go get him, " he could guess that the boy was afraid to go for fear of his father leaving him, "I will be right here , go , go get him." JJ turned and raced up the stairs. He could not even turn to look at her. Then she spoke , " Jack you aren't going to take him? " Now he turned to her , his face a mix of emotions , hurt , confusion and anger all there for her to see. " Watch me. How could you do this to us. To him.. I don't even know who the hell you are and I'm not sure I even want to. " If you would just let me try to explain. " Jack shook his head " I'm done, I can't hear anymore." JJ bolted down the stairs and Jack said " Are you ready? " JJ nodded and took his father's hand. Then they were gone , her boy's were gone Jennifer thought.

"Daddy where are we going ? " Good question Jack thought. There was only one place Jack could think to go right now , a place he needed to be.








Dean sat at at his laptop going through the photos he had taken since coming to Salem. He had taken pictures of all the players in this warped play that was unfolding , Jennifer , Shane , Bo and Hope , Carly , Melanie and Daniel. Dr Daniel Jonas even his name annoyed Dean , he had done some research on him and didn't like what he had found out. Of course it didn't help knowing that he had a part in the hurt his old friend will be experiencing very soon. Even though Jack had been missing from his life for so many years now , he had never forgotten him . The time spent at college was one of the happiest times in his life and Jack was an integral part of that. He was part of his family and would still do anything for him. There was a knock at the door and Dean found Jack and his small son in the hallway. " Hey come on in. What's up ? I thought we were meeting later. "
Jack told Dean that he had went to Sara's room first and there was no answer so he thought she might be there. " She is over at the Spectator doing some research , the editor jumped at the chance to help her out. Sit down can I get you something to drink ? " JJ took a cream soda and Jack asked for a scotch. When Dean handed Jack his drink the two men locked eyes , and Dean knew his friend was hurting. Another knock on the door brought Sara in. One look at Jack's sullen face and JJ's red eyes told her what she needed to know , Jennifer had wasted no time and had done the deed. Dean asked JJ " Would you like to watch TV or if you prefer I have an X-Box inside ." The little boy perked up and in no tome was set up in the bedroom. Sara spoke first " Alright we're alone , let's have it. " Jack proceeded to tell them what information had been brought to light . Looking at their faces he said " You already knew didn't you, " They looked at each other and then at Jack , " Of course you did , how long did you know? " Dean answered for them both " I found out the day we got here. " When asked why they didn't say anything Dean told him that he felt it was not their place to , but rather something he needed to hear from Jennifer. Jack looked down and agreed. Sara then added " I wasn't going to let it drag out though , If she didn't do it soon I was prepared to push her. " Jack gave her a small smile " I have no doubt of that. " He looked at Sara , " My marriage has been disolved without my knowledge or consent and she is already involved in another realationship. Not to mention that Alamain is still a threat to us all. I just..I just ... I dont know what to do. " Sara placed her hand over Jack's " You are not alone Jack , We are here for you , both of us and we will help you any way we can. " He looked up at her and swallowed hard , " I can't tell you what that means to me , thank you , thank you both. " Sara decided that they all needed something to eat , so she ordered chinese food and when they were done and JJ was back playing videos games , Jack asked them if they had known about the other man in Jennifer's life . They said they did and Jack asked , " What have you got on him? " After they discussed Dr Daniel Jonas , Jack asked if they would mind watching his son for a bit as he needed to go back to the house for some of his things . " No problem , are you sure your up for that though? " Sara asked, Jack shook his head " No but I left with just the clothes on my back and both Jack and I are going to need things in the morning. "




Daniel sat with his arms around Jennifer as she cried. " And then as he was leaving JJ came down with his bags begging Jack to take him with him . My son doesn't even want to be around me. " Daniel held her tighter , " He will get over it Jennifer he just needs some time. " Jennifer looked up at him tears streaming down her cheeks , " And Jack, what about him ? He risked his life to keep us safe and I .. " She couldn't even finish her thought. " He left you Jennifer and lied about where he was going , you had no way of knowing what he was really doing. " Jennifer thought about it a moment then said " I should have tried to find him or I should have been able to tell that those messages were not from him." Daniel didn't like what he was hearing , " Stop blaming yourself , what's done is done now we move on , or is it that you don't want to move on anymore? " The bell rang and Jennifer went to the door . Jack stood there looking down , "Jack " He looked at her tear stained face and swollen eyes he breathed out a sigh , " I came for some of mine and our son's belongings. " he walked past her and found Daniel standing in the doorway to the living room . "Well look who we have here? Once again you didn't waste anytime . If you don't mind my wife and I have some things to discuss. " Daniel didn't like being dismissed , especially not when he thought Jennifer might be on fence about their relationship. "She isn't your wife and if YOU don't mind I think that's Jennifer call. " Jack eyes narrowed and the crease appeared between his eyes , "A fact I'm sure you had more than a little to do with and yes in fact I do mind , get out. " Daniel took a step forward as did Jack, Daniel told Jack " I didn't need to help her make a decision , she had plenty of help from your own sister and your daughter. " Jack's breathing became shallow and Jennifer said " Daniel , Please , It would be best if you left." Without taking his eyes from Jack's he said to Jennifer " If you're sure . " Jennifer had not seen so much anger in Jack's eyes since the time Jack was dueling at the villa. Lawrence had whispered something to Jack and his face changed ,then he charged Lawrence knocking him to the floor. " Yes I'm positive. " Daniel walked past Jack who stood frozen in place. After the door had closed he looked at Jennifer " I guess you just couldn't wait for me to leave, tell me did you call him as soon as I left or was waiting outside in his car the whole time? " Jennifer looked away from Jack " I suppose I deserve that . Were is JJ ? Is he alright? " Jack turned away " He is hurt and afraid his going to be shipped off somewhere . You are going to have to work hard to win back his trust I think. " Jennifer lowered her head " I know. Are you alright? " How to answer that , " How should I be? I find out that my wife , the love of my life loved me so much that she divorced me and without a backward glance moved on with another man two months later. That's a record even for you , at least it was three months with Frankie. " Jennifer started to cry again. Jack turned and walked out of the room and went to gather his things.He came down a short time later. Jennifer got up off the couch , " Jack please let me try to explain " I was torn , I didn't know what to do. Everyone was telling I should just move on and ..." Jack's head shot up and he glared at her " Since when does Jennifer Rose Horton let anyone influence her decisions , especially where I am concerned ?' turning from her again , " You know I did my best to change when we remarried I tried to show you everyday how much I loved you. " Jennifer walked up behind him now , " You did , you did that but.. " she reached out and touched his arm. Jack pulled his arm from her " But it wasn't enough was it ? Not enough or was it that you just didn't love me enought ? I have to get going , I will make arrangements for you to see our son in a day or so. " Jack turned and without a backwards glance walked out . And then she was alone , Jennifer wondered if that wasn't what she deserved , to be alone.

[fluffysmom]

I loved the confrontation when Jack returned. Poor Jack was blindsided by Jennifer. Great chapters!

[jaysdelina]

Thank you so much for writing exactly what I've wanted to see in the last months,heck in the last few years.Jennifer in my book never paid enough for the things SHE did to Jack.No,Jack was never an innocent either,but he was never allowed the chance onscreen to be angry with Jennifer's actions.It's nice to see it here.

[MrsM]

Great story!! I am loving it!!!