SCENE ONE: JO IS AT NEIL'S WORKING AND SHE TELLS HIM HOW UPSET SHE IS ABOUT JACK AND HIS BEHAVIOR. AS NEIL IS GIVING HER SOME HERBAL TEA, JACK BURSTS IN.

NEIL: That's quite alright Jack. What can I do for you?

JACK: Well, I'm here to talk to you about Anjelica's medical bills. I wanted to let you know that I'm going to pay for all the prenatal care and the delivery expenses at the hospital. Anything that the insurance doesn't cover.

NEIL: Well that's very generous of you Jack but you don't have to worry about money right now.

JACK: Oh.... I can see that you are very busy. I will discuss this with you at a later time.

JO: Jack, I'd like to talk to you.

NEIL: Well listen if you'll both excuse me, I'll look in on Noel.

JACK: I don't think we have anything to say to each other Mrs. Johnson. I think I've made my feelings perfectly clear with you.

JO: Jack, I would love to melt the ice between us. Hey, hey, I am the only family that you have now, what with Harper gone. I'd love it if you could come to me and if you'd let me help you. If I could be a mother to you.

JACK: I think it's a little too late for that. And Harper is not gone. He may be in jail but he's still my family. You see I know something about family too. No matter what's happened between us we are still family.

JO: I understand that Jack, I do.

 JACK: No don't .... don't.... don't you tell me a word about turning my back on that man. Yes I know that Harper's sick. I know that he's committed some heinous crimes but I'm having a little bit of trouble connecting those crimes to the man that took care of me. To the man that taught me to play baseball, to the man that took time out from the campaign trail to come home and read me comic books when my leg was broken. To the man that taught me to hunt and to fish and to camp. To the man that was always front and center at every graduation I ever had from kindergarten to college. He was always there through good and bad. Now you tell me Mrs Johnson.... you tell me.... are those the acts of a cold blooded killer?

JO: (Crying) No, no, of course not. But that was a long time ago. He's changed Jack. He's different now.

JACK: He's still my father. And what about you Mommy Dearest? Where the hell were you when I was growing up? Certainly not here with your beloved Billy Boy.

JO: Look, I may not have been there for you then but I am here for you now. Now you may never forgive me for giving you up but there's one thing you've got to accept, I am your mother and Harper is not your father.

JACK: Oh no. This is wonderful. This is wonderful. No, no, Harper's not my father then who is? No don't tell me, let me guess. Duke Johnson!

JO: Oh....

JACK: Duke Johnson, that pillar of the community. Yes folks, there's a man to look up to. A man to.... to model yourself after. Yes, that upstanding citizen who.... who beat his wife to a pulp and then went on to commit incest with his daughter. Hmm, now you tell me Mrs. Johnson, is that a heritage I should embrace with open arms? I ask you, huh? Nope. No I think that the only thing Duke Johnson every shared with his family was heartache and misery. I think maybe I'm lucky after all. At least I have some happy memories of my childhood with Harper. At least I have that. I'm not going to turn my back on my past with Harper. I'm not going to deny the way that I feel. I can't deny the way that I feel.

 

JACK WALKS OUT.

SCENE TWO: LATER THAT NIGHT, HARPER GETS A VISITOR IN JAIL.

JO: I came here to talk to you about Jack.

HARPER: What about him?

JO: I want you to prove your love for him.

HARPER: I don't have to prove a thing to you lady.

JO: As I see it, Jack is about the only person you care about any more. Am I right?

HARPER: My relationship with my son is none of your business Mrs. Johnson.

JO: No, no. That is not completely true. You see I love Jack too and I can't stand to see him being destroyed by somebody sitting here in jail.

HARPER: What are you jabbering about?

JO: Jack is defending you against the whole world and he is destroying himself in the process. He's so confuses right now. He's trying to understand who you are and what you've become. But he's not understanding very well Senator, not at all.

HARPER: I don't believe this. You're just saying this because you want to keep Jack close to you.

JO: No, no, that's not.... I'm saying it.... I'm saying it to save Jack. The only way he's going to be able to live a normal life is if you cut yourself off from him completely.

HARPER: I could never do that!

JO: You have to do that to save Jack. Because if you don't, all your mistakes are going to haunt him for the rest of his life and I cannot believe you would do that to your boy.

HARPER: I would never hurt Jack. I just want to stay close to him and be a part of his life. I have that right.

JO: You don't have a right to keep him from being happy, Senator.

HARPER: Stop the dramatics!

JO: But it's true. He is so busy worrying about your life that he is forgetting about his own. Jack doesn't have a prayer unless you push him out of your life forever.

HARPER: But I truly love Jack.

JO: Then give him up! (Beat) I did that once, Senator, remember. It.... it was the hardest thing that I've ever had to do but I did it because I loved my son more than I loved myself. And if you love Jack the way you say you do then you'll let him go before it's too late.

GUARD: Your son's here to see you Deveraux.

HARPER: Have him wait one minute.

SCENE THREE: JACK COMES IN TO SEE HARPER.

JACK: Harper. (Beat) I.... er....  I....  I came by.... to check in on you. To let you know that I've been.... um.... I've been thinking about you.

HARPER: After the harsh words at our last meeting I must say that I'm a little surprised to see you here Jack.

JACK: I know. I know that I.... I still care about you. In spite of everything that's happened you're still my father.

HARPER: I am?

JACK: Oh yes. Yes you are. I got very upset before and I said a lot of things I shouldn't have said but.... but.... ultimately.... ultimately you and I are in this together.

HARPER: What are you saying Jack?

HARPER TURNS AWAY AS JACK SPEAKS THEN TURNS BACK.

JACK: What?

HARPER: You heard me. You have no reason to come here pretending to be a Deveraux because you're not.

JACK: Wha....what are saying? I.... I thought you'd be glad to see me, dad. I....

HARPER: Well you're wrong and I'm not your dad. Don't call me dad anymore. Face it Jack, the truth is out. We're not flesh and blood and there's no point in acting like that anymore.

JACK: I don't believe this.

HARPER: Well you better believe it because it's the truth.

JACK: I don't.

HARPER: Why don't you just get out of here, get on with your own life and.... and you have nothing more to do with my life.

JACK: No dad, no, don't say that, don't say that. You're my father, you'll always be my father.

HARPER: No! Don't you hear me! You're not my son, you're not my natural son, you're not a true Deveraux and I have nothing more to say to you.

JACK: No stop.... dad....

JACK IS LEFT ALONE AND IN PAIN.

SCENE FOUR: LATER THAT NIGHT JACK IS WALKING ON THE PIER WITH MELISSA.

JACK: I.... er.... just came from seeing Harper. (Beat) He pushed me away.

MELISSA: What do you mean? What happened?

JACK: He said he....er....he said he didn't want to have anything to do with me. He said I wasn't his flesh and blood and I should just stay away from him.

MELISSA: Sorry Jack, I know this is painful for you. But you know that I really think this is for the best. Maybe now you can give him up and get on with your own life.

JACK: I don't know. If I cut my ties with Harper Deveraux but still can't face being a Johnson, who am I going to be?

MELISSA: Just the same loving honest man you are right now.