Episode II
TITAN
"Nice doing business with you, Kiriakis," Jack said, shaking Victor's hand.
"I never thought I'd see the day you'd get this paper back from me," Victor said, shaking his head.
"Well, I did," Jack smiled, smug.
"My attorney will send in this contract, and it all should be ready by next week," Victor said. "Your lawyer will be notified when it is."
Jack practically skipped out of the Titan building, with Greta at his heels. "Happy?" she laughed.
"You don't even know! I can't wait to get back to the Spectator offices… soon, I'll be at the top of the Salem journalism world, wheeling and dealing… I bet the publishers of the Chronicle have already heard and are crying like babies. For sure they haven't forgotten the name Jack Deveraux…" Jack excitedly talked on as he drove Greta home, and she sat, hanging on to his every word.
He walked her to her apartment, and paused at the door. "Thank you, Princess. This means the world to me." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. She blushed, and hurriedly said, "No problem, Jack. I just wanted to help you, and I wanted to get involved in the community somehow," she replied. "See you later?"
"Definitely. I'll call you," Jack said, smiling. Greta went in and closed the door, and she could hear Jack whistling from all the way down the hall.
~~~
A WEEK LATER…
THE DEVERAUX HOME
Jennifer folded clothes as she held the cordless phone between her ear and her shoulder, talking to Hope. Hope's family was going through a lot of problems lately, and Jennifer had tried to be extra supportive and a sympathetic ear through it all.
After hanging up the phone, she sighed and picked up a newspaper, turning to the Classifieds.Her eyes scanned the listings, and widened every now and then at some of the job offers.
"Well, I don't think Abby would be too pleased if I worked at 'Big Jugs'," she said to herself.
"Oh, I don't know, Abigail might be inspired by her mother working there," a male voice said from behind her.
"Jack, you scared me! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Jennifer noticed his huge grin. "What happened? You got it! The newspaper's yours?!?!?" She jumped up as Jack nodded.He held up some contractual looking papers, and said, "It's a done deal. I go back to work in two days."
"Jack! Oh my God!!" Before she knew what was happening, she jumped up and threw her arms around him. "This is so great!" She couldn't stop smiling, as Jack hesitantly put his arms around her, thrilled at her show of affection.
"Isn't it?" he asked, his voice a little hoarse.
She pulled back but kept her hands on his arms. "We should throw a party! This weekend, at the office building! We can invite Bo and Hope and… well maybe not John, but we can invite Greta and Abe and Sami and Austin and Brandon…" Jack's smile vanished at the mention of Brandon's name. He removed Jennifer's hands from his arms and sighed.
"Uh, I'll think about the party idea. Right now, I need to make some calls, find out who's running the whole thing, because I know Kiriakis never lifted a finger there."
Jennifer smiled. "You go do that then." All her grievances against Jack were forgotten for a moment, as she was so proud of him for getting the paper back. He had poured so much time and energy into that paper 10 years ago. It had been his heart and soul, it had become a part of Jennifer's as well.
Jack let out a sigh of relief as he made it to his room and picked up the phone. The last place he wanted to be was at a party with Jennifer and Brandon Walker.
~~~
Jennifer was humming as she flipped through a magazine, still excited about Jack's news. It was almost like she was going back to work herself. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Just then, the phone rang, and Jennifer answered it.
"Hey Jenn, this is Greta. Is Jack around?"
"Oh, no he just went out, he didn't tell me where he was going," Jennifer replied.
"Oh."
*awkward silence*
"So, uh, hey, you heard the news?" Greta asked.
"Yeah!! Jack told me, I'm so happy about it," Jennifer replied.
"From what Jack's told me, it's a really special establishment," Greta said. "He told me that, uh, you guys met there?"
Jennifer paused. "Yeah… I started for an internship in college, and Jack was my boss. Gosh, now that I've been thinking about it, I really miss that place. There was just something about it…"
"You sound kind of down," Greta said. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know… I just kind of wish that I was going back there. I tried hinting at it to Jack, but… he either ignored my signals or they went over his head completely."
Greta was silent for a moment.
"You know what, Jenn? I think, as the newest investor in the Salem Spectator, I have a right to decide some things myself. How would you like a job at the paper?"
Jennifer smiled. "You're joking, right?"
"I'm absolutely serious."
Jennifer's face lit up. "You're serious?!"
"I'm serious!"
"Seriously??"
"Seriously! What do you say!?" Greta asked.
"I say YES! Oh, Greta, thank you so much, I mean you don't what this means, I mean, this is wonderful, I've been wanting so much to go back to journalism and I just can't believe – "
Greta interrupted her. "You're welcome, Jenn. But don't tell Jack just yet, ok? I need to tell him."
"Why?" Jennifer asked.
"Well… I had mentioned the idea of hiring you last week… and he wasn't too keen on the idea."
Jennifer frowned. "But why? He doesn't want to work with me again?"
"He wouldn't really tell me why, but if I just talk to him – "
"Greta, let me talk to him. I can handle him, really. I'll talk to him when he gets in, and I'll make sure he doesn't get upset with you, ok?"
"All right, Jenn. Good luck. Jack is just so irrational sometimes …" Greta said.
Jennifer felt defensive for a second. "Well, of course I know that, I was married to him, after all."
"Jennifer, I didn't mean to imply that I know him better than you do, I just… I'll let you talk to him. I'll see you later, Jennifer."
Jennifer hung up the phone, and wondered why she had gotten so defensive. Greta hadn't done anything wrong. She just… well, maybe the whole idea of Greta was threatening on its own. In the back of Jennifer's head, it all added up: Greta had feelings for Jack, Jack was fond of Greta, Abby thought Greta was so cool… Jennifer could just see herself being replaced, sometime down the line… She shook her head. That was ridiculous. Her imagination was just getting the best of her.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Jack walked through the front door, his face lit up.
"I just went to the Spectator office – guess who's still there? Vern! Vernon Scofield, himself!"
Vern had worked with Jack and Jennifer when they were at the Spectator, and had been Jack's right-hand man throughout his entire time there.
Jennifer grinned. "Vern's still there? I thought he had moved away?"
"He was living in Las Vegas near his son for awhile, but he came back down here a few months ago. We had a long talk, and, well… I updated him on… us, among other things."
"Oh… what did he say, when you told him that we…uh…aren't together anymore?" Jennifer asked.
"Oh, well, he…uh, he took it hard, but you know Vern. Head-in-the-clouds Vern, he just… I mean, it's a fact of life. People break up. No big deal." The expression on Jack's face and his deflated tone made it obvious that to him, it WAS a big deal.
"Um… I have something to tell you, Jack… and I don't know how you're going to take it…" Jennifer started, bracing herself.
"You and Tarzan are going to tie the knot?" Jack asked sarcastically, picking up Jennifer's magazine and flipping through it.
Jennifer bit her lip. "Uh, well, Greta offered me a job at the Spectator."
Jack dropped the magazine on the floor. "She did what?"
"She offered me a job at the Spectator, and I accepted."
Jack's face paled. "Why in the world would you do that?"
"Why don't you want me to work there?" Jennifer asked, hurt.
"Because! Because it'd just be too hard!"
"Why would it be too hard? What would be hard about it, Jack, we were a great team when we were there the first time!" Jennifer said.
"But we're NOT a team now!" Jack exclaimed. "Back then, it was different! Back then, you could actually stand to be in my presence for more than 5 minutes, back then, you WANTED to be in my presence all the time, but now you hate me and there are too many memories and it would just be too painful!"
Jennifer stood, shocked. "Jack… how could you think that I hate you?"
"Actions speak," Jack replied.
Jennifer winced. "Actions speak" was something Jack had written to her when he had hysterical laryngitis a few days before their wedding. Right after, he had kissed her.
"Jack… I never meant to make you think that I hated you. I DON'T hate you, Jack. Not at all!"
"Could have fooled me," Jack replied grimly.
"I know that sometimes I can say some mean things to you, but I never mean it to come out as if… I just… I've just been under so much stress lately, and I…"
Jack just stood there, not really believing anything she was saying. "Well, look, I'm not going to do anything to stop you from having this job. Congratulations. I guess we both go back to work in two days."
"I guess we do."
Jack headed upstairs, and Jennifer watched him leave, confused by the wave of emotions that had just hit her. "I could never hate you, Jack," she whispered.
Upstairs, Jack sat down on his bed and fought the urge to throw something. "How am I supposed to get over you now, Jennifer?" he asked, grimly.
TITAN
"Nice doing business with you, Kiriakis," Jack said, shaking Victor's hand.
"I never thought I'd see the day you'd get this paper back from me," Victor said, shaking his head.
"Well, I did," Jack smiled, smug.
"My attorney will send in this contract, and it all should be ready by next week," Victor said. "Your lawyer will be notified when it is."
Jack practically skipped out of the Titan building, with Greta at his heels. "Happy?" she laughed.
"You don't even know! I can't wait to get back to the Spectator offices… soon, I'll be at the top of the Salem journalism world, wheeling and dealing… I bet the publishers of the Chronicle have already heard and are crying like babies. For sure they haven't forgotten the name Jack Deveraux…" Jack excitedly talked on as he drove Greta home, and she sat, hanging on to his every word.
He walked her to her apartment, and paused at the door. "Thank you, Princess. This means the world to me." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. She blushed, and hurriedly said, "No problem, Jack. I just wanted to help you, and I wanted to get involved in the community somehow," she replied. "See you later?"
"Definitely. I'll call you," Jack said, smiling. Greta went in and closed the door, and she could hear Jack whistling from all the way down the hall.
~~~
A WEEK LATER…
THE DEVERAUX HOME
Jennifer folded clothes as she held the cordless phone between her ear and her shoulder, talking to Hope. Hope's family was going through a lot of problems lately, and Jennifer had tried to be extra supportive and a sympathetic ear through it all.
After hanging up the phone, she sighed and picked up a newspaper, turning to the Classifieds.Her eyes scanned the listings, and widened every now and then at some of the job offers.
"Well, I don't think Abby would be too pleased if I worked at 'Big Jugs'," she said to herself.
"Oh, I don't know, Abigail might be inspired by her mother working there," a male voice said from behind her.
"Jack, you scared me! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Jennifer noticed his huge grin. "What happened? You got it! The newspaper's yours?!?!?" She jumped up as Jack nodded.He held up some contractual looking papers, and said, "It's a done deal. I go back to work in two days."
"Jack! Oh my God!!" Before she knew what was happening, she jumped up and threw her arms around him. "This is so great!" She couldn't stop smiling, as Jack hesitantly put his arms around her, thrilled at her show of affection.
"Isn't it?" he asked, his voice a little hoarse.
She pulled back but kept her hands on his arms. "We should throw a party! This weekend, at the office building! We can invite Bo and Hope and… well maybe not John, but we can invite Greta and Abe and Sami and Austin and Brandon…" Jack's smile vanished at the mention of Brandon's name. He removed Jennifer's hands from his arms and sighed.
"Uh, I'll think about the party idea. Right now, I need to make some calls, find out who's running the whole thing, because I know Kiriakis never lifted a finger there."
Jennifer smiled. "You go do that then." All her grievances against Jack were forgotten for a moment, as she was so proud of him for getting the paper back. He had poured so much time and energy into that paper 10 years ago. It had been his heart and soul, it had become a part of Jennifer's as well.
Jack let out a sigh of relief as he made it to his room and picked up the phone. The last place he wanted to be was at a party with Jennifer and Brandon Walker.
~~~
Jennifer was humming as she flipped through a magazine, still excited about Jack's news. It was almost like she was going back to work herself. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Just then, the phone rang, and Jennifer answered it.
"Hey Jenn, this is Greta. Is Jack around?"
"Oh, no he just went out, he didn't tell me where he was going," Jennifer replied.
"Oh."
*awkward silence*
"So, uh, hey, you heard the news?" Greta asked.
"Yeah!! Jack told me, I'm so happy about it," Jennifer replied.
"From what Jack's told me, it's a really special establishment," Greta said. "He told me that, uh, you guys met there?"
Jennifer paused. "Yeah… I started for an internship in college, and Jack was my boss. Gosh, now that I've been thinking about it, I really miss that place. There was just something about it…"
"You sound kind of down," Greta said. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know… I just kind of wish that I was going back there. I tried hinting at it to Jack, but… he either ignored my signals or they went over his head completely."
Greta was silent for a moment.
"You know what, Jenn? I think, as the newest investor in the Salem Spectator, I have a right to decide some things myself. How would you like a job at the paper?"
Jennifer smiled. "You're joking, right?"
"I'm absolutely serious."
Jennifer's face lit up. "You're serious?!"
"I'm serious!"
"Seriously??"
"Seriously! What do you say!?" Greta asked.
"I say YES! Oh, Greta, thank you so much, I mean you don't what this means, I mean, this is wonderful, I've been wanting so much to go back to journalism and I just can't believe – "
Greta interrupted her. "You're welcome, Jenn. But don't tell Jack just yet, ok? I need to tell him."
"Why?" Jennifer asked.
"Well… I had mentioned the idea of hiring you last week… and he wasn't too keen on the idea."
Jennifer frowned. "But why? He doesn't want to work with me again?"
"He wouldn't really tell me why, but if I just talk to him – "
"Greta, let me talk to him. I can handle him, really. I'll talk to him when he gets in, and I'll make sure he doesn't get upset with you, ok?"
"All right, Jenn. Good luck. Jack is just so irrational sometimes …" Greta said.
Jennifer felt defensive for a second. "Well, of course I know that, I was married to him, after all."
"Jennifer, I didn't mean to imply that I know him better than you do, I just… I'll let you talk to him. I'll see you later, Jennifer."
Jennifer hung up the phone, and wondered why she had gotten so defensive. Greta hadn't done anything wrong. She just… well, maybe the whole idea of Greta was threatening on its own. In the back of Jennifer's head, it all added up: Greta had feelings for Jack, Jack was fond of Greta, Abby thought Greta was so cool… Jennifer could just see herself being replaced, sometime down the line… She shook her head. That was ridiculous. Her imagination was just getting the best of her.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Jack walked through the front door, his face lit up.
"I just went to the Spectator office – guess who's still there? Vern! Vernon Scofield, himself!"
Vern had worked with Jack and Jennifer when they were at the Spectator, and had been Jack's right-hand man throughout his entire time there.
Jennifer grinned. "Vern's still there? I thought he had moved away?"
"He was living in Las Vegas near his son for awhile, but he came back down here a few months ago. We had a long talk, and, well… I updated him on… us, among other things."
"Oh… what did he say, when you told him that we…uh…aren't together anymore?" Jennifer asked.
"Oh, well, he…uh, he took it hard, but you know Vern. Head-in-the-clouds Vern, he just… I mean, it's a fact of life. People break up. No big deal." The expression on Jack's face and his deflated tone made it obvious that to him, it WAS a big deal.
"Um… I have something to tell you, Jack… and I don't know how you're going to take it…" Jennifer started, bracing herself.
"You and Tarzan are going to tie the knot?" Jack asked sarcastically, picking up Jennifer's magazine and flipping through it.
Jennifer bit her lip. "Uh, well, Greta offered me a job at the Spectator."
Jack dropped the magazine on the floor. "She did what?"
"She offered me a job at the Spectator, and I accepted."
Jack's face paled. "Why in the world would you do that?"
"Why don't you want me to work there?" Jennifer asked, hurt.
"Because! Because it'd just be too hard!"
"Why would it be too hard? What would be hard about it, Jack, we were a great team when we were there the first time!" Jennifer said.
"But we're NOT a team now!" Jack exclaimed. "Back then, it was different! Back then, you could actually stand to be in my presence for more than 5 minutes, back then, you WANTED to be in my presence all the time, but now you hate me and there are too many memories and it would just be too painful!"
Jennifer stood, shocked. "Jack… how could you think that I hate you?"
"Actions speak," Jack replied.
Jennifer winced. "Actions speak" was something Jack had written to her when he had hysterical laryngitis a few days before their wedding. Right after, he had kissed her.
"Jack… I never meant to make you think that I hated you. I DON'T hate you, Jack. Not at all!"
"Could have fooled me," Jack replied grimly.
"I know that sometimes I can say some mean things to you, but I never mean it to come out as if… I just… I've just been under so much stress lately, and I…"
Jack just stood there, not really believing anything she was saying. "Well, look, I'm not going to do anything to stop you from having this job. Congratulations. I guess we both go back to work in two days."
"I guess we do."
Jack headed upstairs, and Jennifer watched him leave, confused by the wave of emotions that had just hit her. "I could never hate you, Jack," she whispered.
Upstairs, Jack sat down on his bed and fought the urge to throw something. "How am I supposed to get over you now, Jennifer?" he asked, grimly.
