A/N: I wasn't going to continue this story on , but I had a few people reach out to me. How could I say no?

Disclaimer: I don't own J & J, but take them out for nostalgia for when Days was actually good instead of the crap it is now.


The Spectator was hopping as it was one hour before deadline. The chaos that ensued was from everyone scrambling to finish their stories, but it was only one story that was grabbing all of Salem's attention as Jan Spears's trial was in full swing. Today, the defense gave their closing statement and the jury was in deliberations.

Before everyone's return from Melaswen, Victor told Hope about Jan "murdering" him in the bathtub. Shawn had disappeared before Hope left with Patrick to find Jennifer. After their return, Hope was determined to get to the bottom of her son's disappearance, her intuition convinced that Jan had something to do with it. Bo helped halfheartedly, feeling that Shawn's message on his cell told him he was fine and would come home eventually. Hope, with John's connections to the ISA, did some background checking on Jan and the Spears family.

It turns out that Mr. Spears was not Jan's biological father. Instead, Jan's mother was willingly implanted with Tony DiMera's sperm in another one of Rolf's demented experiments for five million dollars. The rest was far worse than Hope imagined.

Mrs. Spears was not just Jan's mother, but also another one of Stefano's offspring in another one of Stefano's twisted efforts to "keep it in the family" a la Tony and Kristen. Hope was never able to find out who Jan's grandmother was. When Stefano found out that Jan met Nicole due to Paul raping her, he programmed the young girl into being near Nicole, knowing it would come in handy someday. Victor's murder was Tony's handiwork, though.

Hope tracked the disturbed woman down to the country cottage she owned. She found Shawn in the metal cage, chained up and with a kewpie doll with several pins sticking out of it and the head barely attached, symbolizing Belle. Jan almost killed Hope and Shawn by locking them both in the cage and setting the cottage on fire. Thankfully, Bo figured out the truth in time to rescue his family from the burning cottage. Jan fled, but was promptly found and incarcerated in Bayview, having regular sessions with Marlena, who determined that the brainwashing and the incest created by Stefano contributed to her actions and declared her insane.

However, Jan disagreed and wanted a trial. Currently she was being tried for three counts of attempted murder, one count conspiracy to commit murder, and arson. Because of Hope's discoveries and bravery, she was promoted to Chief of Detectives and was now Bo's boss. Harold and one other reporter, Ward Powell, were covering the trial due to Jack and Jennifer's close ties to the Brady family. So now, the Deverauxs were on pins and needles and their office, along with the rest of the Spectator, was a war zone...


"Jack, how's Mitchell's story on the presidential debates?" Jennifer asked frantically while editing another article.

"The damn thing just needs to be edited!" Jack yelled with a blue pencil in his mouth before he finished what he was doing with a flourish. "Done! How long until deadline?"

"45 minutes!" Jennifer yelled. "God, I forgot was this was like!" She finished as she combed her hair back and stuck two pencils in it to hold it up.

"But..."Jack asked in a knowing voice...

"You know I love every minute of it! I really missed this while being on leave...while you were gone..." Jennifer trailed off as she got up and walked to Jack's desk in the office they shared. "Some days, I still can't believe that you're really here with me"

Jennifer sighed. Jack waited for a moment for her to continue. "I had mornings I just didn't want to get out of bed." She momentarily hesitated before continuing. "Because if I did, I'd relive my nightmare over and over again of being without you...but I had to. For Abby's sake and especially after I found out I was pregnant with Steven". She looked into the blue eyes that seemed to burn into her soul and knew so well. "They are what kept me going", she added as she pushed his chair back and sat on his lap.

"Jennifer..." Jack started, but Jennifer held up her hand.

"No, let me finish." She took a deep breath and continued. "Our children are what kept me going. When I saw your message on the computer to come to you, I knew I had to. I know now that it wasn't you, but somewhere in my heart, even though everyone else thought I was nuts, I knew that you came back to me, Jack Harcourt Deveraux".

Jennifer wiped a tear from her eyes that was starting to form. "I thank God every day for bringing you back to me...to our children".

She moved towards him and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. Jack responded in kind.

"I thank God I have you in my life, Jennifer Rose". Jack took a breath and continued. "I think back, before you, when I thought nothing was possible. I had money and I had power...and I hung onto those for dear life. You...you changed everything."

He looked deep into the green eyes he knew as well as his own and that burned into HIS soul. "You were the antithesis of what I thought I needed...what I felt I deserved". Jack hesitated, but continued. "You were this beautiful girl with a mind of her own and a mouth to match".

Jennifer snickered at this comment. "You had my number. I knew it, and it scared me to death. I knew deep down I loved you the day we crossed swords in Diana's office. But before then, I always knew you were different"

Jennifer looked puzzled, "When are you talking about? We really didn't know each other before..." she trailed off, perplexed.

"Think back" Jack prodded. Jennifer remained perplexed, but then inspiration struck and her eyes lit up as one word came to her and she responded, "Melissa".

"I would see you when I saw the rest of Melissa's family...our aborted wedding" Jack shuddered for a second, and then continued with his confession. "I had always admired your forthrightness. You challenged every wrong you could see to change it for the better".

"Jack why didn't you tell me any of this before?" Jennifer chided as she stroked his cheek.

"Jennifer Rose Horton Deveraux, there was no way I'd admit to anyone that I thought a teenager was attractive...Oh God, you were more than that..." Jack's cheeks turned crimson. "Thoughts like that could have put me in prison. That's where Har..." Jack became quiet, the smile leaving his face as he looked down.

"That's where Harper was, I know" Jennifer finished. "But you know what, Jack", as she moved her other hand to tilt his chin up to he'd be looking into her eyes, "That doesn't matter." It was Jack's turn to be perplexed. "What matters is you found your way to me. Our love and strength has been tested over the years..."

Jack's eyes got really big and rolled as he interrupted. "Tell me about it".

"As I was saying before being rudely interrupted..." Jennifer said turning Jack's face so his eyes met hers. "Our love and strength has been tested over the years, but each test has made us stronger"

"Let me count the ways" Jack replied in a droll voice. "Lawrence, Baby Howie, the doctor who shall remain nameless, etc, etc, etc..."

"Don't forget our biggest obstacle" Jennifer interrupted "You! Your bullheadedness almost kept us apart!"

"My bullheadedness! Okay, Ms. Pot, who's calling the kettle black now?" Jack retorted, enjoying himself and determined to win this debate even though he knew he was fighting a losing battle.

"Breaking through your wall of defenses was like breaking through the Berlin Wall!" Jennifer stopped as to ponder a thought. "Scratch that, the Berlin Wall was easier to break than your defenses. It took a bomb on a cruise ship to get you to admit you loved me!" she finished with a triumphant laugh.

"Well...I...I.." Jack stammered.

Jennifer beat him to the punch before he could come up with a witty comeback. "Jack Harcourt Deveraux...admit that I'm right!"

Jack put up a mock reluctant struggle. "Oh all right, I guess you DO have a point...this time." He looked at her and then got a sly grin on his face...one that Jennifer knew too well. "But since, I have admitted that you are right...for once..."

"For once...Jack Har-" Jennifer was interrupted from her admonishment with a long kiss from Jack. He then continued his statement as he touched his finger to her mouth.

"As I was saying...for admitting that you were right...what's my reward?" Jack hinted as his left hand moved to her right thigh and slowly trailed up and under her skirt. Jack couldn't help himself as even after all this time, arguing with Jennifer got him as turned on as it did when they first started working together at the Spectator, sometimes even more.

Jennifer felt Jack's excitement and sat up straighter with a laugh as she continued to sit on his lap. "My, my Jack, you really want a reward, don't you?"

She leaned closer to him and began to unbutton a button on his shirt. Sex with Jack has gotten only more gratifying and intense over the years. It was NEVER boring or routine.

"Why don't we just see..." She said as she began to kiss him. She began to deepen the kiss and began to trail her lips down his neck to the one spot she knew was Jack's Achilles Heel. She felt his heavy breathing and his hand reach farther up her skirt. Just as he reached the one spot he knew he could make her go insane with one touch, the door flew open with Harold and Ward stumbling in.

"We got it! We got it!" Harold shrieked, so excited that he didn't notice the looks on the faces of the co-EICs. If there was anyone's approval Harold craved in his budding career as a journalist, it was the Deverauxs. "Jan Spears guilty on all counts!"

Harold did a jig right where he stood and in one breath stammered "The main cell tower by the courthouse still wasn't picking up signals, probably due to last week's storm, so my cell phone was dead and the phones weren't working at the courthouse, and all the reporters leaving the courthouse made a bottleneck, so we had to run back here! Thank god the Chronicle is on the other side of town!" Only then did Harold take a breath.

"You should have seen the look on Jan Spears' face!" Ward drawled with a hint of the South in his voice. "She freaked out like a prize filly in heat!"

Jack and Jennifer jumped up and down, totally ignoring Jack's state of undress. If Harold and Ward noticed, they didn't say anything. Ward kissed Jennifer, holding on for just a bit longer for Jack's comfort. He then pulled back. "Oh, sorry Jenny, I mean Mrs. Deveraux", Ward drawled. "Wrong person!"

Jack's mouth dropped to the floor as he watched Ward plants a hot kiss on Harold's lips. After a moment, Harold broke off with Ward. "Sorry...got excited! Come on Ward, we've got a story to publish..."

As they ran out of the office. Jack's astonished look changed to one of unhappiness.

"Jack, we got the scoop of the year!" Jennifer jumped in his arms, but noticed his face as she got down. "What's the matter?"

Jack hesitated, but knew Jennifer wouldn't let it go until he told her. "I don't think it is proper office etiquette to kiss your female editor in chief on the lips!"

"Jack, trust me, you have nothing to worry about with Ward" Jennifer laughed at his obvious signs of jealousy. "Besides, he was making goo goo eyes at Harold!"

Jack momentarily pouted, but then retorted "Oh, oh, all right, but on one condition".

"Okay, Mr. D, and what would that be?" Jennifer asked flirtatiously, anxious to continue their activity before they were interrupted by Harold and Ward's announcement.

"Well" Jack said as he moved to lock the office door and close the blinds. "We continue with the business at hand before we were so RUDELY interrupted". Jack had a Cheshire grin on his face a mile wide. He took his wife's hand and led her back to the desk.

"Oh, I guess you do deserve a reward for being wrong!" laughed Jennifer. "But how can I reward you and kill time until the deadline at the same time?"

With a gleam in his eye Jennifer recognized, he replied "Oh yes, I certainly do, and I know one way how to kill time most effectively AND give rewards where they are due"

In one sweeping motion he knocked everything off of his desk with one hand and grabbed Jennifer with the other to place her on the desk. He then proceeds to lie on top of her and slowly moved his left hand back to where it was before the commotion.

"Now, where were we" as he lowers his head down to hers for a kiss. As they move out of sight, after a few small moans, we hear "Ooohhhh, Jack!"


A couple of hours later, Jack and Jennifer enter the elevator to the garage, both have very satisfied looks on their faces. They were able to have Steven stay overnight with Jo and Vern. Abigail was away at a soccer tournament in Brookville as starting goalie for Salem High. The proud parents were planning on attending the games the following Saturday. As the elevator door closes, Jennifer turns to Jack.

"Someone looks very sure of himself"

Jack laughed and turned to his wife. "If you're going to do a job, do it right" he retorted with a smug smile on his face.

"Whatever happened to "PEP"? Jennifer asked in a joking voice, then continued "Productivity, Efficiency, and Profitablilty. I mean, it was your credo when you were the publisher."

Jack kept the smile on his face and without missing a beat, retorted in a seductive tone. "I've come to realize that some things are like a fine wine...they only get better with age".

Just then, the elevator doors opened to the garage of the Spectator. "Here, Mrs. D, let me show you". Jack then pushes a button that makes the doors shut again.

A few moments later..."Oh, Jack", followed an obviously male moan.

Several yards away, behind a car, but with a clear view of the elevator, a figure stands, breathing heavily in an attempt to control their anger. After momentarily shaking, the figure snaps and punches a car window, smashing it. Luckily, no car alarm went off.

"Damn you, Deveraux...", the figure curses and walks away in a huff...