SPECTATOR
"Vern, bring me the Martin file," Jack said into the phone. Vern came in the office and placed it on Jack's desk. He turned to leave, and Jack stopped him.
'Uh, Vern… how's Jennifer's story coming along?" Jack asked.
"Haven't you talked to her about it?" Vern asked.
"No."
"Then why don't you ask her yourself?"
Jack rolled his eyes. "Never mind, Vern, just… you can go now."
"Are the two of you not speaking now or something?" Vern asked.
"Yes, we are on speaking terms, but I'd rather not ask her about it," Jack said.
"Well, it's coming along fine. She was going to use her lunch time to go down to the hospital and talk to one of her doctor friends about the story. Brandon something-or-other," Vern told him, starting to leave.
The look on Jack's face said it all.
"You don't like him or something?" Vern asked.
"Mr. Muscles? No, we're not exactly best buds."
Just then, Greta came into Jack's office, crying.
Vern excused himself, and closed the door behind him.
"Greta… what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Jack asked, coming over to her.
"My mother lied to me" Greta cried. "About my father. She lied to me."
"What do you mean, she lied to you?" Jack asked.
Greta sat down, sniffling. "OK. Before she died, my mother told me who my father was. Or, so I thought. She told me that Father John…John Black… was my biological father, and that I should tell him eventually. Well… I did a couple of weeks ago, I just never told you, because I didn't know how it would go. Well, John wasn't sure at all, so we got a paternity test done, and the results came in today. He's not my father! She lied to me, and I don't know why!"
"Okay, calm down," Jack said softly. "Perhaps she just thought that it was John, but she was mistaken? Maybe there was a one-night-stand or something in there that she forgot about or that she just overlooked."
"Great," Greta said glumly. "If that's the case, I'll never find out who my father is. I just feel so stupid, because now John probably thinks I was wrongfully accusing him or something."
"I'm sure he doesn't think that, Greta, just… look, I'll do whatever I can to help you find your father. How about that?" Jack asked.
Greta looked up, her eyes filled with tears. "How?"
"Uh…well.. I don't really know how, but… I'll do it. I owe you a lot, and I'm going to help you the way you've helped me. I promise."
~~~
HOSPITAL
"I need you to tell me everything you know about this baby-switch," Jennifer said to Brandon as they sat down in the cafeteria.
"Well, uh… Jennifer, you know, I don't really know too much about it. I mean, I found out the same time as everyone else, remember?" he said, a little uneasily.
"I know, but since it occurred at this hospital, I thought maybe you would have found out something," Jennifer said, taking out a notepad and pen.
"Are you writing an article about this or something?" Brandon asked, eyeing the notepad.
"Yeah, actually, I am. I'm doing a series on it for the Spectator. So, if you could just tell me everything you know, that would be a big help," Jennifer said.
"When you said you were going to interview me, I figured it would be about childcare or something like that…" Brandon said.
"Oh," Jennifer said. "Well, you can still help me, right?"
Brandon nodded. "Ok, I'll do my best."
"All right. How big is the possibility that a doctor helped with the switch somehow?" Jennifer asked.
"Well, I don't think that's the case with this," Brandon said.
"Well, doctors do have free access when it comes to the nursery and all the lab rooms and stuff like that, right? Hope and I talked about it, and we know that Stefano is behind all this, but he usually always gets someone else to do his dirty work."
"Yes, that's true… Uh – " Just then, Brandon's pager went off. He looked at it, and then said, "Look, Jennifer, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later?" he asked.
"Oh, uh… okay."
"Can I call you?" he asked.
"Um…. well, I'm going to be kind of busy the next couple of days," Jennifer replied.
"Oh, okay. Well, see you later," Brandon said.
As Jennifer left, he breathed a sigh of relief and then went over to the pay phone and dialed the number on his pager.
A female voice answered. "Brandon, we're in trouble!"
"Lexie, what's going on? By the way, you just saved me. Jennifer was asking me a lot of questions about the baby-switch and everything that I know, and I don't know what I would have said," Brandon said.
"We've got bigger problems than that," Lexie said. "The walls are caving in, Brandon. You're the only person who can help me make sure I keep my baby and Hope doesn't get him."
~~~
"Jack, I didn't get anywhere with Brandon today," Jennifer said, coming into Jack's office.
"What's 'anywhere' mean?" Jack asked.
"He wouldn't tell me any information about the baby-switch. It was sort of weird… He looked uncomfortable the whole time," Jennifer said.
"Well, you should look to another source then," Jack replied.
"I know. So, uh… what's up with you?" Jennifer asked.
Jack was looking through an atlas.
"Nothing," he said.
"Doesn't look like nothing," she replied.
Jack sighed. "If you must know, I am helping Greta with something." Jennifer tried to get a peek at the map he was looking at.
"Europe, huh? Planning a trip?" She was only joking.
Jack looked up at her for a second, and then went back to looking at the map.
Jennifer gasped. "You are?! What's this about Jack? Tell me right now!"
"Why do I have to tell you?" he asked.
"You're not going to take off for several months are you?" Jennifer asked softly. It wasn't in a mean tone, she actually sounded afraid that he would just leave.
Jack's face paled. "No! Jennifer, I am never leaving our daughter and yo- I am never leaving Abigail for that long again. This is something I have to do to help Greta, but I'll be back in a few days. And I'll call to talk to Abigail every night that I'm away. How about that?"
"I don't know, Jack. This isn't dangerous, is it?" Jennifer asked.
"I'll tell you about it later," Jack said. "Just get back to work."
He started typing on his laptop, and Jennifer sighed loudly to let Jack know she was frustrated.
"Whatever you say. You're the boss," Jennifer retorted sarcastically.
"I'm the boss," Jack repeated, not looking up.
Jennifer stuck out her tongue at him and left.
~~~
It was late, and Jack had gotten Vern to take Jennifer home because he wanted to get some extra work done. As he searched the Internet for information on Princess Gina Von Amburg, his eyes began to get weary.
"I'll just rest my eyes for a minute," Jack mumbled as he put his head down on his desk.
After a few short minutes, he was sound asleep.
bBegin Jack's dream/bi
Jack is sitting at his desk typing away, and hears someone open the door. He turns around to see Jennifer standing there, smiling as she locks his office door behind her.
"We need to talk, Jack," she says seductively, walking over to sit on his desk.
"Uh… about…what?" he asks eyeing her legs in front of him.
"You know what, silly," she laughs. "About you and me." She begins to stroke his face. "I miss you, Jack, you know that," she says breathily. "Do you miss me?" She leans in close to him. Jack cannot speak, but nods yes, and Jennifer puts her hand behind his neck and pulls him into a kiss.
"Good," she says, pulling away. She hops off the desk and then sits on his lap.
"Oh!" she says, and then laughs. "Excited?" She laughs again and starts kissing his neck. "You know, I locked the door for a reason, Jack…" She loosens his tie and begins unbuttoning his shirt.
"Uh…" Jack looks down and tries weakly to protest. "What… what are you doing?"
"Shhh…" Jennifer puts her finger on his lips. "No talking." She runs her hand down his bare chest and then kisses him again.
"I've missed you," Jack whispers as he kisses her face… "I've missed you…"
/i
"Hmm… missed you…missed you…"
"Jack?"
"Hmmm….?"
"Jack, wake up!"
"What?" Jack lifts his head off the desk and sees Jennifer standing in front of him.
"What… uh… what are you doing here?" he straightens his tie and tries to compose himself.
"I got Vern to bring me back here to make sure you were okay. It's past 9, Jack, you need to come home. Abby's waiting in the front office, and she wants something to eat from McDonald's. So I figured you could come with us," Jennifer said.
"Oh, uh… sure, just let me turn everything off," he said. He watched as Jennifer walked out the office, and then shook his head. "Oy vey."
"Vern, bring me the Martin file," Jack said into the phone. Vern came in the office and placed it on Jack's desk. He turned to leave, and Jack stopped him.
'Uh, Vern… how's Jennifer's story coming along?" Jack asked.
"Haven't you talked to her about it?" Vern asked.
"No."
"Then why don't you ask her yourself?"
Jack rolled his eyes. "Never mind, Vern, just… you can go now."
"Are the two of you not speaking now or something?" Vern asked.
"Yes, we are on speaking terms, but I'd rather not ask her about it," Jack said.
"Well, it's coming along fine. She was going to use her lunch time to go down to the hospital and talk to one of her doctor friends about the story. Brandon something-or-other," Vern told him, starting to leave.
The look on Jack's face said it all.
"You don't like him or something?" Vern asked.
"Mr. Muscles? No, we're not exactly best buds."
Just then, Greta came into Jack's office, crying.
Vern excused himself, and closed the door behind him.
"Greta… what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Jack asked, coming over to her.
"My mother lied to me" Greta cried. "About my father. She lied to me."
"What do you mean, she lied to you?" Jack asked.
Greta sat down, sniffling. "OK. Before she died, my mother told me who my father was. Or, so I thought. She told me that Father John…John Black… was my biological father, and that I should tell him eventually. Well… I did a couple of weeks ago, I just never told you, because I didn't know how it would go. Well, John wasn't sure at all, so we got a paternity test done, and the results came in today. He's not my father! She lied to me, and I don't know why!"
"Okay, calm down," Jack said softly. "Perhaps she just thought that it was John, but she was mistaken? Maybe there was a one-night-stand or something in there that she forgot about or that she just overlooked."
"Great," Greta said glumly. "If that's the case, I'll never find out who my father is. I just feel so stupid, because now John probably thinks I was wrongfully accusing him or something."
"I'm sure he doesn't think that, Greta, just… look, I'll do whatever I can to help you find your father. How about that?" Jack asked.
Greta looked up, her eyes filled with tears. "How?"
"Uh…well.. I don't really know how, but… I'll do it. I owe you a lot, and I'm going to help you the way you've helped me. I promise."
~~~
HOSPITAL
"I need you to tell me everything you know about this baby-switch," Jennifer said to Brandon as they sat down in the cafeteria.
"Well, uh… Jennifer, you know, I don't really know too much about it. I mean, I found out the same time as everyone else, remember?" he said, a little uneasily.
"I know, but since it occurred at this hospital, I thought maybe you would have found out something," Jennifer said, taking out a notepad and pen.
"Are you writing an article about this or something?" Brandon asked, eyeing the notepad.
"Yeah, actually, I am. I'm doing a series on it for the Spectator. So, if you could just tell me everything you know, that would be a big help," Jennifer said.
"When you said you were going to interview me, I figured it would be about childcare or something like that…" Brandon said.
"Oh," Jennifer said. "Well, you can still help me, right?"
Brandon nodded. "Ok, I'll do my best."
"All right. How big is the possibility that a doctor helped with the switch somehow?" Jennifer asked.
"Well, I don't think that's the case with this," Brandon said.
"Well, doctors do have free access when it comes to the nursery and all the lab rooms and stuff like that, right? Hope and I talked about it, and we know that Stefano is behind all this, but he usually always gets someone else to do his dirty work."
"Yes, that's true… Uh – " Just then, Brandon's pager went off. He looked at it, and then said, "Look, Jennifer, I gotta go. I'll talk to you later?" he asked.
"Oh, uh… okay."
"Can I call you?" he asked.
"Um…. well, I'm going to be kind of busy the next couple of days," Jennifer replied.
"Oh, okay. Well, see you later," Brandon said.
As Jennifer left, he breathed a sigh of relief and then went over to the pay phone and dialed the number on his pager.
A female voice answered. "Brandon, we're in trouble!"
"Lexie, what's going on? By the way, you just saved me. Jennifer was asking me a lot of questions about the baby-switch and everything that I know, and I don't know what I would have said," Brandon said.
"We've got bigger problems than that," Lexie said. "The walls are caving in, Brandon. You're the only person who can help me make sure I keep my baby and Hope doesn't get him."
~~~
"Jack, I didn't get anywhere with Brandon today," Jennifer said, coming into Jack's office.
"What's 'anywhere' mean?" Jack asked.
"He wouldn't tell me any information about the baby-switch. It was sort of weird… He looked uncomfortable the whole time," Jennifer said.
"Well, you should look to another source then," Jack replied.
"I know. So, uh… what's up with you?" Jennifer asked.
Jack was looking through an atlas.
"Nothing," he said.
"Doesn't look like nothing," she replied.
Jack sighed. "If you must know, I am helping Greta with something." Jennifer tried to get a peek at the map he was looking at.
"Europe, huh? Planning a trip?" She was only joking.
Jack looked up at her for a second, and then went back to looking at the map.
Jennifer gasped. "You are?! What's this about Jack? Tell me right now!"
"Why do I have to tell you?" he asked.
"You're not going to take off for several months are you?" Jennifer asked softly. It wasn't in a mean tone, she actually sounded afraid that he would just leave.
Jack's face paled. "No! Jennifer, I am never leaving our daughter and yo- I am never leaving Abigail for that long again. This is something I have to do to help Greta, but I'll be back in a few days. And I'll call to talk to Abigail every night that I'm away. How about that?"
"I don't know, Jack. This isn't dangerous, is it?" Jennifer asked.
"I'll tell you about it later," Jack said. "Just get back to work."
He started typing on his laptop, and Jennifer sighed loudly to let Jack know she was frustrated.
"Whatever you say. You're the boss," Jennifer retorted sarcastically.
"I'm the boss," Jack repeated, not looking up.
Jennifer stuck out her tongue at him and left.
~~~
It was late, and Jack had gotten Vern to take Jennifer home because he wanted to get some extra work done. As he searched the Internet for information on Princess Gina Von Amburg, his eyes began to get weary.
"I'll just rest my eyes for a minute," Jack mumbled as he put his head down on his desk.
After a few short minutes, he was sound asleep.
bBegin Jack's dream/bi
Jack is sitting at his desk typing away, and hears someone open the door. He turns around to see Jennifer standing there, smiling as she locks his office door behind her.
"We need to talk, Jack," she says seductively, walking over to sit on his desk.
"Uh… about…what?" he asks eyeing her legs in front of him.
"You know what, silly," she laughs. "About you and me." She begins to stroke his face. "I miss you, Jack, you know that," she says breathily. "Do you miss me?" She leans in close to him. Jack cannot speak, but nods yes, and Jennifer puts her hand behind his neck and pulls him into a kiss.
"Good," she says, pulling away. She hops off the desk and then sits on his lap.
"Oh!" she says, and then laughs. "Excited?" She laughs again and starts kissing his neck. "You know, I locked the door for a reason, Jack…" She loosens his tie and begins unbuttoning his shirt.
"Uh…" Jack looks down and tries weakly to protest. "What… what are you doing?"
"Shhh…" Jennifer puts her finger on his lips. "No talking." She runs her hand down his bare chest and then kisses him again.
"I've missed you," Jack whispers as he kisses her face… "I've missed you…"
/i
"Hmm… missed you…missed you…"
"Jack?"
"Hmmm….?"
"Jack, wake up!"
"What?" Jack lifts his head off the desk and sees Jennifer standing in front of him.
"What… uh… what are you doing here?" he straightens his tie and tries to compose himself.
"I got Vern to bring me back here to make sure you were okay. It's past 9, Jack, you need to come home. Abby's waiting in the front office, and she wants something to eat from McDonald's. So I figured you could come with us," Jennifer said.
"Oh, uh… sure, just let me turn everything off," he said. He watched as Jennifer walked out the office, and then shook his head. "Oy vey."
