SCENE ONE: THE NEXT DAY AND JACK WAKES UP AND FINDS JENNIFER IS MISSING. HE FINDS HER OUTSIDE CROUCHING IN THE SNOW.

JACK: Oooh, rather cold out here don't you think?

JENNIFER: Yeah, it is.

JACK: Perhaps it's a little warmer inside.

JENNIFER: Is everybody up?

JACK: No, actually I had to step over a lot of cold freezing bodies on my way out to look for you.

JENNIFER: I just.... ah.... I just came out because I had some thinking I had to do.

JACK: Yeah? Didn't you have your fill of frostbite last night? Come on it's a lot warmer inside if you want to think.

JENNIFER: No, that's okay.

JACK: No, no, really. It's.... it's a fact. The brain cells work better at 32 degrees above zero. No really it works better. Let's go inside.

JENNIFER: No I don't want to.

 

JACK TAKES HER HAND.

 

JACK: Let's go inside.

JENNIFER: I SAID NO! I DON'T....

 

JACK TURNS TO HER IN SURPRISE AS SHE PULLS HER HAND AWAY.

 

JACK: I'm sorry.

JENNIFER: No I'm sorry. Look I really don't want to go back inside right now. I'd rather stay out here. I have something I need to work out. And I pulled away from you because I don't want to go back in.

 

 

JENNIFER: I just.... I just don't want to go back inside, okay.

JACK: Developed a sudden taste for frostbite?

JENNIFER: No, I've developed a sudden taste to go home. To get out of here once and for all. So I came up with an idea. I think that we retrace our steps and go back to where we got lost.

JACK: To do what, to get lost again?

JENNIFER: No, no to find a way out of here. We were so close last time Jack.

JACK: How do you know that?

JENNIFER: Because I know, I know any minute we were going to hit a trail or something to lead us back to civilization.

JACK: Look that place was no closer to civilization than any of the other places that we got lost in.

JENNIFER: I think if we can pick up where we left off we can find a way out. I just know it Jack.

JACK: It's not going to happen.

JENNIFER: I don't care, I don't care about the odds. Don't you see, we have to try Jack.

JACK: Ah.... you haven't been so gung-ho of late. Why is this sudden rush?

JENNIFER: The rush? The rush is because.... because I just....

JACK: Because you want to go home?

JENNIFER: Yeah, that's it. I want to get home, that's it. I want to be rescued Jack.

 

SHE GOES WALKING OFF AND HE FOLLOWS HER.

SCENE TWO: JACK AND JENNIFER ARE WALKING AROUND TRYING TO FIND A WAY OUT.

 

JENNIFER: Jack you don't have the slightest idea where we are, do you?

 

JACK PULLS OUT HIS CRUMPLED MAP.

 

JACK: I most certainly do.

JENNIFER: Okay, where are we?

JACK: Well.... ah.... I don't know the zip code but.... but....

JENNIFER: Oh.... Jack.

 

SHE GRABS THE MAP FROM HIM.

 

JACK: Wait a minute, I know where we are.

JENNIFER: How do you know where we are?

JACK: I see a couple of familiar faces right over there.

 

SHE TURNS AROUND AND SEES THE SNOW PEOPLE THAT JACK BUILT.

 

JENNIFER: Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. I didn't know that they were still here.

JACK: Of course they're still here. They'll be here till the spring thaw, just like us if we don't get moving. Now tell me, before we go any further, tell me what's going on here. What is this all about?

JENNIFER: What? You want to know what is this about? This is about fighting to get us together and keeping us together after we're together. That's what's this is about.

JACK: That sounds like one of my speeches.

JENNIFER: Do you know how long I've been doing that Jack? It seems like my whole life.

JACK: Well, what can you say? It's.... it's rough.

JENNIFER: Yeah but Jack, that's the whole point. I'm afraid that it won't be rough anymore. That I won't be able to do it.

JACK: Ah I don't know, is that good or bad?

JENNIFER: No that's bad because if we die here, then we'll never get back to Salem and we'll never have a chance for the future that I've been fighting for us to have.

JACK: Well.... I don't.... I'm.... I'm sure it's going to happen. It'll be rough again....

JENNIFER: Jack, no, by the way it looks right now, it'll never happen that way.

JACK: Sure it will. I know it will.

JENNIFER: How do you know?

JACK: Step over here into my office and say hi to the folks.

 

HE PULLS HER OVER IN FRONT OF THE SNOW PEOPLE.

 

JACK: You all know each other, right. Say hi to Herman.

JENNIFER: I....

 

 

JACK: Come on, be polite.

 

JACK THEN PUTS ON A SILLY HIGH PITCHED PUPPET VOICE.

 

JACK: Hi Jennifer. (Beat) There he is, be polite.

JENNIFER: Hi Herman.

JACK: Right and there's Hermione.

JENNIFER: Hermione!

JACK: Yeah.

 

JACK THEN USES A DEEP LOW PITCHED PUPPET VOICE FOR HER. JENNIFER CANNOT HELP, BUT LAUGH.

 

JACK: Hi Jennifer. (Beat) Yeah. They look fairly happy to be here don't they, at least frigidly so? but you know, they're kind of frozen and not really given to expressing emotions.

JENNIFER: Yeah I can see that Jack.

JACK: Yeah. You know there was time when they.... when they probably.... probably really got up and ran all over the place. Probably had lots of very heated arguments.

JENNIFER: (Looking at Jack) Really?

JACK: Yeah, really, really. Ah.... from my understanding they worked together on this tired old rag up on the north pole called the.... The Frostbite. You know there's a lot of gossip going on up in Santa's village. You know, who's been good and who's been bad to Santa. Anyway they made quite a team. I mean of course he was the brains behind it all and taught her everything she knew.

JENNIFER: He was? He was?

JACK: Alright, she did have her cerebral moments. But the point was they were a pretty good team as teams go until....

JENNIFER: Until what?

JACK: Ah.... ah.... Bigfoot came along.

JENNIFER: Bigfoot?

JACK: Yes, Bigfoot came along. With his big foot he squashed.... all the life out of them. All the interesting individuals and the difference, he just squished everything right out of them. Well not quite everything.

JENNIFER: What do you mean?

JACK: Well they still had a little bit of hope. Not much mind you, just this little infinitesimal little ray but ah.... they just clung on to that and they turned the tides.

JENNIFER: You mean they beat Bigfoot?

JACK: Yeah, yeah, they squashed him to puny little size 3.

JENNIFER: Okay, well what happened to Herman and Hermione?

JACK: Well I don't know, they married and lived frostily ever after.

JENNIFER: They did what?

JACK: Well you know, like those stories always end up. They married in north pole fashion, rubbed noses and lived frostily ever after.

JENNIFER: They did?

JACK: Yeah sure look, look at them. Look her nose is gone and.... his is going. (Laughing) They're a little bride and groom I guess, look.

JENNIFER: Thank you Jack.

JACK: For what?

JENNIFER: For your story.

JACK: What do you mean? It's hardly a story. It's their story.

JENNIFER: No, no, no, it's our story Jack. (Beat) It's our story.

 

JACK SMILES THEN CHANGES THE SUBJECT.

 

JACK: Come on, this has got nothing to do with us. It's not our story. I mean I've.... I've never even seen Bigfoot.

JENNIFER: Bigfoot is Lawrence, Jack.

JACK: Bigfoot is Lawrence?

JENNIFER: That's right. That's right. I just hope we can beat Lawrence the way Herman and Hermione did in your story.

JACK: I'll tell you something you know. I'm pretty confident of that. I mean I've never been really able to distinguish the difference between reality and fiction. I'm sure whatever they can do, we can do.

JENNIFER: You really think so?

JACK: Oh sure. They're nothing but a couple.... a couple of popsicles with delusions of grandeur and we have something they don't have. We have.... we have a plan.... thank you Shane Donovan, thank you.... and I tell you what, the first part of the plan is in the bag or in the pants, so to speak. We just have to get the fingerprints off the gun and that will lead us to the killer.

JENNIFER: And the killer will lead us to the letter and hopefully allow us to defeat Lawrence.

JACK: Right!

JENNIFER: But the fact is we don't know how or why. We have no idea what is in this letter that we've been looking all over for Jack. What is in this letter?

JACK: Either one way or the other, either way, we're.... we're going to find some way to get satisfaction from Lawrence for what he did to us and to you.

JENNIFER: Jack this isn't about satisfaction. This is about punishing Lawrence for what he did to me. And that's not going to be easy knowing him, alright. Do you know that most men who commit rape, get away with it Jack?

 

LOOKS IN SHOCK AT HER AND SHE FREEZES AS SHE REALIZES WHAT SHE JUST SAID.JACK IS HURT AND BEGINS TO WALK AWAY.

SCENE THREE: JACK IS HURT BY JENNIFER'S LAST REMARKS. SHE FEELS BADLY.

 

JENNIFER: Wait a minute Jack, I wasn't talking about you when I said that about rapists.

JACK: You say that rapists are never punished. You know what they say about the truth....

JENNIFER: I didn't mean to hurt you when I said that.

JACK: Look, you.... you have to do what you have to do to get back at Lawrence for what he did.

JENNIFER: Look I don't want to talk about that right now. I don't want to talk about pressing charges against Lawrence right now.

JACK: You're going to do what you have to do.

JENNIFER: But I wasn't talking about myself. I was talking about in general, how difficult a situation it would be, that's all.

JACK: In general, are you referring to me?

JENNIFER: I care how you feel.

JACK: Let me tell you something, if and when we get back to Salem.... if.... if you want to go take Lawrence to court.... I will support that and you.

JENNIFER: Are you sure? I mean are you sure about that?

JACK: Are you? You're talking about taking Lawrence to court.

JENNIFER: You know this is.... this is so far ahead. I mean the thing that have to think about right now is getting out of this place and we're not going to be able to do that just standing around here like this Jack.

JACK: Right. (Beat) Right.... right. Well tell me, are you just ready to just turn around and walk away with your.... snow bunnies?

JENNIFER: Listen, I don't need snow people and I don't need jade plants to make me hope again. I just do.

 

SHE PUTS HER HAND OVER JACK'S AND HE IMMEDIATELY TRIES TO PULL IT AWAY.

 

JACK: Ah.... excuse me.

JENNIFER: No.

JACK: Ah.... excuse....

JENNIFER: Jack.

JACK: Let me tell you something, the only thing that we're accomplishing here is frozen knuckles. I suggest that we withdraw and then go looking for the people who are really going to rescue us.

JENNIFER: Alright, alright, so why don't you just give me the map Jack.

 

SHE RELUCTANTLY TAKES HER HAND AWAY FROM HIS.

 

JACK: Sure.

JENNIFER: Alright.

JACK: Give them an inch and they take....

 

HE STARTS FEELING IN HIS POCKET AND LOOKS VERY WORRIED.

 

JACK: Hey, now that I mention....

JENNIFER: What?

JACK: Wait a minute, what the hell happened.... where is it?

JENNIFER: What, the map?

JACK: No, not the damn map, not that.

JENNIFER: You lost the map Jack.

JACK: No, I lost.... no I didn't lose that. I lost....

JENNIFER: What did you do?

JACK: I lost it!

JENNIFER: What?

JACK: I can't believe I lost it.

JENNIFER: What did you lose Jack?

 

JACK DOES NOT TELL JENNIFER WHAT HE LOST BUT HE WANTS HER TO HELP HIM FIND IT. THEY WANDER BACK OVER WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN.

 

JACK: Oh!

JENNIFER: You know Jack, we've been looking for a really long time.

JACK: Yes, I know that and no, we're not stopping.

JENNIFER: I know but there's one thing that I'm having a hard time with.

JACK: What?

JENNIFER: I don't know what we're looking for.

JACK: Believe me when you see it you'll know.

JENNIFER: What do you mean? But Jack it must be something important if you keep looking for it like this. I mean what could it be? (Beat) The gun, the gun? You didn't lose the gun? (Beat) Jack?

JACK: No, I did not lose the gun.

JENNIFER: Then what did you lose? I mean what.... alright what if I guess. Will you tell me if I'm right?

JACK IS SEARCHING AROUND THE GROUND.

 

JACK: Ah.... oh.

JENNIFER: Okay, is it bigger than a breadbox?

JACK: Ah.... errr.

JENNIFER: What about a bread stick?

JACK: Ah....

JENNIFER: Jack is it bigger than a bread crumb? Do something, act it out for me. How many syllables, how many words, what does it sound like?

JACK: I LOST THE RING, ALRIGHT! (Beat) I lost the engagement ring.

SCENE FOUR: JACK HAS JUST ADMITED TO JENNIFER THAT HE HAS LOST THE RING.

 

JENNIFER: Jack I didn't know.... I didn't know that you had the ring with you the whole time.

JACK: Don't act so surprised. You knew that I had it on the train.

JENNIFER: Yeah but I didn't know that you carried it everywhere you went.

JACK: Wh.... that's not so unusual. I mean.... I mean you never know, I might have had to pawn it or something.

JENNIFER: Yeah but you didn't know this was going to happen. I mean you didn't know that we were going to be on this car that was going to be disconnected from the train that was going to fall off the track.

JACK: ALRIGHT! (Beat) Alright, you don't leave diamond rings lying around on trains. You might lose them. Which is exactly what I did.

 

JACK IS DOWN ON HIS HAUNCHES HOPPING AROUND LOOKING EVERYWHERE HE CAN.

 

JENNIFER: Alright Jack, well let's think. It's got to be here somewhere.

JACK: Right, somewhere. We've been looking somewhere. We've been looking everywhere.

JENNIFER: Alright but are you sure this is where you dropped it?

JACK: I'm absolutely sure. I took it out and looked at it just the other night right near this spot.

JENNIFER: Why did you take it out and look at it?

JACK: I don't know. I was.... ah.... I was looking at it.... the reflection in the moonlight.... ah.... it's an old seaman's trick.

JENNIFER: Yeah, right, Jack.

JACK: Really, it's one of the very practical uses for a diamond ring. That's why diamond rings are very practical. That's why I'm trying to find it.

JACK: Ah.... er.... ah....

 

JENNIFER IS WATCHING HIM SCRATCH THE GROUND WITH A BIG SMILE ON HER FACE.

 

JACK: What are you looking at?

JENNIFER: Nothing, I'm just enjoying the show.

JACK: Oh, you're enjoying the show, huh. You're enjoying the show. You're enjoying watching me sitting here freezing.... watching me just run around like a little frozen chick with my head cut off looking for the little proverbial needle in the little frozen haystack, huh. That's what you like, huh?

JENNIFER: I'm watching you acting like you care Jack.

JACK: Well of course I care. Do you know how much that ring set me back?

JENNIFER: I'm sure you have it insured though.

JACK: Well, of course. But you don't always get a refund on those things. And you know something, those rings....

 

JENNIFER STARTS TO SMILE AGAIN.

 

JACK: IT IS NOT FUNNY! (Beat) These rings are not the same. If you ever check out a diamond ring, you know, you check out one and then you check out the other, you know, they're cut very differently.

JENNIFER: Forget it. Forget it Jack. You already gave yourself away. I know how much that ring means to you and it has nothing to do with how much it costs. (Beat) It means as much to you as it does to me.

JACK: I tell you something. There is probably a little squirrel running around with it right now. He's probably trying to pawn it off and his old lady.... he's trying to convince her that it's a little clear unedible.... nut.

JENNIFER: You know she'll probably love it as much as I did.

JACK: Huh, uh. There's a squirrel for you. Diamonds, nuts, no difference.

JENNIFER: I want that ring back as much as you do Jack. But that's not what's important right now. What's important now is I know how you feel.

 

JACK IS EMBARRASSED.

SHE PULLS HIS FACE DOWN AND KISSES HIM ON HIS LEFT CHEEK.

JENNIFER: I don't think we're going to find anything here. We should probably get back to the others.

 

SHE SMILES AT HIM AND WALKS OFF. JACK STOPS AND RUBS HIS KNUCKLES OVER HIS CHEEK, FEELING HER KISS.

SCENE FIVE: THEY ARRIVE BACK AT THE TRAIN CAR.

 

MELISSA: Did you guys have any luck finding a way out of here?

JACK: No, we didn't find anything.

JENNIFER: But we're not giving up, are we Jack?

 

HE TURNS TO HER WITH A DROLL LOOK OF HOPELESSNESS ON HIS FACE.

SCENE SIX: WHILE EVERYBODY WAS LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT, EVE HAS COME ACROSS A GIRL CALLED MOLLY WHO LIVES IN THE WOODS. SHE TAKES EVE BACK TO HER CABIN AND GIVES HER SOME FOOD AND THEN EVE PROMISES TO HELP HER IN THE CITY IF SHE SHOWS HER A WAY OUT. MOLLY GIVES EVE A MAP OF A WAY OUT.

SCENE SEVEN: BACK AT THE TRAIN CAR, BRIAN IS WORRIED ABOUT THE STORM THAT IS BEGINNING.

 

BRIAN: We're in for a major major storm.

JACK: Oh really Mr. Wizard. Did you get that from the clouds rolling in and the wind blowing? You must be another Willard Scott.

BRIAN: (NBC Today Show's weather man) Willard Scott? That's weak Jack, that's very weak. Listen, we are going to be running out of food if this storm comes in. The chances of us getting rescued are going to be nil.

MELISSA: So what are we going to do now?

BRIAN: Well this is what we're going to do. You and Jennifer check the provisions and Jack, you and I are going to look for Frankie and Eve.

JACK: Wait a minute, just because you're one of Salem's semi-finest, you think I'm going to follow you back out there in that cold?

BRIAN: Yeah, come on.

JACK: Oh.... I hate this! I hate it!

 

JACK LEAVES WITH BRIAN AND WHEN THEY ARE GONE, JENNIFER TELLS MELISSA THAT JACK WAS LOOKING FOR THE ENGAGEMENT RING. MELISSA WONDERS IF SHE IS ANGRY. JENNIFER SAYS SHE IS NOT. THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT JACK IS. SHE NOW IS CERTAIN THAT THAT HE MUST LOVE HER BECAUSE HE WAS CARRYING THE RING AROUND WITH HIM; AND IT MEANS SO MUCH THAT TO JACK HE LOST IT.

SCENE EIGHT: MINUTES LATER BRIAN AND JACK RETURN WITH EVE AND FRANKIE.

 

EVE: Well we weren't exactly lost.

FRANKIE: None of us are.

 

FRANKIE TELLS THEM ALL THAT EVE MAY HAVE FOUND THEM A WAY OUT. HOWEVER, EVE DOES NOT TELL THEM ABOUT MOLLY; SHE LETS THEM BELIEVE SHE FOUND THE WAY OUT ALL BY HERSELF.

 

JACK: Wait a minute, what do you mean, may have? Does may have mean like shower facilities, bathrooms, snack machines, that sort of may have?

FRANKIE: No.

EVE: No.

FRANKIE: No, what it means is that she found us a clearing.

JACK: Oh.

 

EVERYBODY IS EXCITED BUT JACK IS HESITANT.

 

JACK: Oh I'm so excited.... I'm so excited. I'm sure....

JENNIFER: Jack this is great, this is great. This means that we're going to get out of here. And I'm ready to get home.

 

EVE AND FRANKIE SAYS THAT IT IS BEST IF THEY LEAD THE OTHERS TO THE CLEARING WHERE MAYBE THEY CAN BE SPOTTED FROM THE AIR. JACK AND JENNIFER STAY TO KEEP WATCH FROM THE TRAIN CAR BUT AFTER THE OTHERS LEAVE JACK DECIDES TO GO WITH THEM.

 

JACK: You know something, I don't feel too safe leaving this Turner and Hootch. I think the press should be present.

JENNIFER: You're right. If you're going to go, I'm going to go too Jack.

JACK: Well.... wait a minute. You heard what the happy weatherman said. There's a storm abrewing and it's getting dark to boot.

JENNIFER: Yeah, but I don't want to stay here by myself.

JACK: No.... good point. (Beat) Well what do you know, the end might be in sight.

JENNIFER: Or the beginning, depends on how you look at it.

JACK: Yeah, I guess it does. Alright, let's....

 

JENNIFER GRABS JACK'S HAND.

 

JACK: What's that for?

JENNIFER: It's just so.... you don't get lost. Come on Jack.

JACK: So I don't get lost?

JENNIFER: Right.

JACK: Right.

SCENE NINE: MEANWHILE SHANE AND KAYLA HAVE CHARTERED A HELICOPTER TO TRY AND FIND THE SURVIVORS AND ARE FLYING AROUND IN THE DARK LOOKING FOR THEM. TANNER IS WITH THEM, SINCE HE WAS ON THE TRAIN AND KNOW APPROXIMATELY THE SITE WHERE NUTTY DERAILED THE LUGGAGE CAR.

SCENE TEN: THE GANG ALL FOLLOW EVE AND MAKE IT TO THE CLEARING.

 

MELISSA: Oh you really came through for us Eve.

JACK: I think I'll reserve judgment on that until the cavalry shows up. Where are they, the Red Cross, the Blue Cross, the Army, the Navy, McGyver, where are they?

BRIAN: Listen, one of them better come soon because with all these winds we're going to be transported to Munchkin Land.

JACK: Oh I wouldn't worry about that. Look we've already got the wicked witch right over here.

FRANKIE: Hey come on Jack, that's enough.

JACK: Oh come on Tin Man, where's the broom? Show us.

EVE: It's not funny Jack. HAHAHAHA!

JACK: Oh laughter will keep you warm.

BRIAN: Neither is this situation.

MELISSA: You're serious aren't you Brian? I mean the minute you stop making jokes, that's when I start worrying.

BRIAN: Okay, I've stopped joking. Alright everybody we've got to go back to the shelter. This is getting crazy.

MELISSA AND EVE: What?

BRIAN: We gotta go back, come on.

JACK: WE JUST GOT HERE!

 

THEY ALL TURN BACK TO LEAVE.

 

JACK: Oh.... I hate this.... I hate this.

 

EVE IS DEPRESSED AND LINGERS FOR A MINUTE AND JUST AS SHE TURNS TO LEAVE, SHE HEARS A HELICOPTER.

 

EVE: Wait, did you hear something? Wait....

FRANKIE: You're right.

EVE: I see a helicopter.

FRANKIE: You're right!

EVE: I SEE A HELICOPTER.

 

THEY ALL RUN BACK TO THE CLEARING AND START YELLING AND WAVING.

 

JACK: HEY.... HEY!

 

IT IS SHANE, TANNER AND KAYLA IN THE HELICOPTER AND THEY SPOT THE SURVIVORS. THEY SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON THEM AND USE A MEGAPHONE TO TELL THEM THAT THEY ARE GOING TO GET THEM OUT OF THERE. SHANE CANNOT LAND SO HE SENDS DOWN A HARNESS AND HOIST THEM UP ONE AT A TIME. EVE IS VERY SCARED TO GO UP ON A ROPE.

 

JENNIFER: We're going to make it, we're going to make it Jack.

 

JENNIFER GIVES JACK A HUGE HUG OF EXCITEMENT.

JACK: Yeah, we're going to make it.

 

MELISSA GOES UP FIRST IN THE HARNESS; FOLLOWED BY JENNIFER WHO MANAGES TO GET INSIDE THE HELICOPTER WITH HELP FROM TANNER. THEY HOOK EVE UP NEXT AND EVEN THOUGH SHE IS VERY FRIGHTENED SHE HAS NO CHOICE. THE HOIST BEGINS TO LIFT HER.

 

FRANKIE: Don't look down.

JACK: Don't look down.

 

SHE IS LIFTED TO THE SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER BUT GETS MORE AND MORE PANICKY. THEY GET HER SEATED AT THE SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER AND TANNER UNDOES THE HARNESS. SUDDENLY SHE SLIPS AND FALLS ALL THE WAY TO THE GROUND WHILE THREE MEN WATCH IN HORROR. SHE HITS A LEDGE THEN ROLLS ONTO THE SNOW.