Casting note: The part of Jerry Jacks will be portrayed by Tom Eplin (ex Jake AW/ATWT)

Chapter 50

Ginger stood at the coffee pot waiting for it to stop perking as she looked over the notes she had written.  "Glad to see you're getting something accomplished," Toby said snarkily as he crossed WLPC's empty bullpen.

Turning slightly, Ginger leaned her hip against the rickety table and gave him a quick once over.  "I suppose you were doing something more productive?" she challenged, well aware of her former boss's unease with hospitals from Josh's stay a couple of years before.

Toby only shrugged at that as he came to a stop a foot away from her: "depends on your definition of productive," he answered as he looked to the pot and continued: "I wonder if the same holds true for coffee pots as others."

"What?"

"Watched pot never boils."

"Wait a minute, did you actually just quote a cliché?"

"Guess I'm in need of that coffee after all," he muttered.

"So I figured," Ginger responded with a slight shake of her head.  "Listen, I've pulled some tapes from the archives.  I'll start reviewing them once I get some caffeine in me to keep me from falling asleep during them.  I figure I'm looking for anything concerning him and the ladies he's had an eye on, with a particular attention to those who also worked for him, right?"

"Sounds like a plan," he nodded as he took off his blazer and put it over his arm and started to unbutton and roll up the sleeve of his shirt.  Turning, he started back to the office he had commandeered, pausing to transfer the blazer to his other arm and look over his shoulder at his former assistant.  "Bring me a cup of that when it's ready, will you?"

"The members of the Sisterhood don't fetch coffee.  I'll let you know when it's ready," she shot back saucily as she watched him walk away, shaking his head and mumbling things she was sure she didn't want to know.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jerry Jacks bent down and kissed his mother on the cheek before sliding into an empty seat next to her and across from his father.  With his usual haphazardness he picked up the menu and scanned it.  With narrowed eyed, John Jacks looked at his first born and frowned.  "You work out the deals on that venture with your brother yet?" he asked sharply.

Unperturbed, Jerry finished his perusal of the menu, closed it and put it down on the table before addressing his father.  "We've hit a slight snag."

"What have you done this time?"

"John really," Jane Jacks tried to intercede as she so often did.

"It's all right, Lady Jane," Jerry interrupted his mother with the only address anyone ever used for her.  "And for once it's not me.  Seems Jasper can't quite get his hands on the paperwork we need at the moment."

"Isn't that why he hired that new snip of a girl?" John asked, then plowed on not wanting to wait for an answer: "besides I didn't think she'd be as incompetent as to lose papers like that."

"She didn't."

"Then what happened?"

"He probably ran yet another one off," Jane sighed.  "Really, the only one that he has managed to keep around was V. and I'm sure that considering recent developments that had more to do with other aspects."

"He hasn't run her off mother," Jerry sighed.

"Then what happened.  For pity's sake, Jericho, stop beating around the damned bush," John blustered, as a waiter came over and placed down drinks, but was motioned off before he could take additional orders.

"Thanks for the drink at least," Jerry muttered as he picked up the glass and took a swig.  Setting it down, he sighed, "Da, don't go giving yourself a heart attack there."

"It wouldn't be me giving it, now would it?" the older man countered as he tried to calm down.  "Now get on with this.  I'm not one of the people on the other side of the table."

"Actually, right now. . ."

"Jerry. . ." Lady Jane intoned.

Putting up his hands, Jerry sighed:  "All right, all right.  The reason why Jasper can't get his hands on the papers are because he doesn't know where they are.  Donna can't get to them because she's in the hospital, courtesy of one AJ Quartermain."

"Didn't that joke of a mobster take care of the troublesome bugger yet?" John wondered.  "Never mind, I'm sure we know of someone who can do something about him."

"Well, that's the thing.  I don't think we're going to have to worry about it."

"The man's mucking up a major business deal for us and you don't think we have anything to worry about?"

Jerry only smiled: "the business end I can handle.  Jax might be distracted by this, but I won't be.  Furthermore, the papers can be resent.  As for AJ, well as much as I'd like to be able to take him down for what he's done to certain people, not to mention the satisfaction of rubbing Corinthos nose in a job done right, I don't think it's really going to be necessary."

"We've always taken care of our workers," Jane pointed out.

"And from what I hear, so has her former employers, and they carry heavier armor than we do."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" John asked.

"Seems Jax's sweet little assistant isn't exactly who people think she is."

"Tell me she's not involved with the Jeromes or Sollitoes or something."

"Actually it's more like the McGarrys."

"McGarrys?" John asked, slightly confused.

"Seems Jax is having a hard time with her contact person.  A man by the name of Leo McGarry. . ."

"As in the former Secretary of Transportation?" Jane asked.

"Appears so."

"And Jax isn't appreciative of his help?"

"He might be if he'd get his head out of his ass long enough to connect the dots," Jerry answered, then at his parents looks added:  "seems he's been too busy chasing women and ghosts to learn to recognize political heavy weights like McGarry and the rest of his team."

"Just because she knows McGarry doesn't mean. . ." John started to point out.

"Dad, unlike my younger brother, I did some research.  The reason she can put up with Jax is because her former boss seems to be even tougher on his assistants.  A boss by the name of Josh Lyman.  Seems she was Bartlett's attack dog's attack dog."

"But she said she worked for an economics professor.  Why would she say that, but not the truth, which would be so much more impressive?" Jane wondered.

"Well, technically she told the truth. Bartlett's the head of the Economics department at the University of New Hampshire."

"So, young mister Quartermain has finally gone after someone whom his family won't be able to buy off, not that his family won't try to," John mused.

"Presuming they're not more observant than Jax," Lady Jane put in.  "And that family being what it is, only a couple will be wise enough to join the dots as they are."

John nodded at that as he looked over at Jerry.  "All ready on it, Dad.  I'll fly in to work on the deal with Jax, but I'll be sure to meet with my former sister-in-law," Jerry explained as he glanced at his watch.  "In fact, if I'm to tie things up I had better get going."

"Just don't go and get yourself arrested," John cautioned as Jerry started towards the door.

Once alone he turned to his wife, "it really amazes me how dense those two boys can be," he muttered as he shook out his napkin and placed it over his lap, pausing as he looked up at his wife.  "What?"

"John, didn't V say that she had met Donna through her Godfather.  That the girl had in fact worked for her godfather?" Lady Jane asked thoughtfully as she turned her glass around.

"You don't think. . ."

"Well, how else would you explain it dear?"

John Jacks couldn't help but laugh at that, "I always did say that that girl had more secrets than what the V stood for.  I just wonder if our son has any clue."

"We are talking about Jasper here."

"Then he is in for an interesting surprise."

"Aren't they all dear, aren't they all. . ."