oldEpisode Two-hundred-ninety-two: Daphne
or The Lares: Jack Has Taken Jennifer to
Their Cabin; She Still Cannot Be Intimate.
He Introduces Her to Classical Mythology.
Later, They Argue About Their Future Home.

[Air date early June 1991]
 

 

SCENE ONE: JACK HAS TAKEN JENNIFER BACK TO THE CABIN TO GET HER MIND OFF LAWRENCE AND THE UPCOMING RAPE TRIAL. THEY ARE SITTING IN FRONT OF THE FIRE AND SHE IS IN HIS LAP. THEY ARE KISSING GENTLY AND LOVINGLY.

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JENNIFER IS RESPONDING TO JACK'S KISSES AND AS THE MOOD INTENSIFIES, SHE LEANS BACK AND HE BEGINS TO KISS DOWN HER NECK. SUDDENLY SHE FREAKS OUT AND JUMPS UP.

 

JENNIFER: Wait.

SCENE TWO: JACK IS SURPRISED AND STANDS UP TOO.

 

JACK: Ah, I'm sorry. Very sorry about that. Sorry I pushed. A little overbearing, wasn't I? I was.... ah....

JENNIFER: No, no, it's alright. I'm the one who told you it was okay.

JACK: It doesn't matter, does it?

JENNIFER: Yes it does matter. It matters because you didn't do anything wrong Jack.

JACK: Then why did you stop?

JENNIFER: Because I'm just not ready. I'm not. I'm not ready to make love right now.

JACK: I see.

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JACK APPEARS TO BE A BIT ANNOYED.

 

JENNIFER: I want to make love to you. I just don't want to right now.

JACK: I see.

JENNIFER: Is that all you're going to say?

JACK: The situation isn't exactly designed to unleash the poet within a soul, Miss Horton.

JENNIFER: Jack, I didn't.... I didn't want to hurt you and I don't want you to feel rejected.

JACK: You didn't and I'm not.

JENNIFER: Then how do you feel?

JACK: (Beat) Well groomed.

JENNIFER: What?

JACK: Well groomed. I'm sporting a new tie. You didn't seem to notice that. That's very offensive to a man. Grounds for dismissal.

JENNIFER: Jack, that's not what we were talking about at all.

JACK: Look just forget what we were talking about. The point is if you're still feeling upset about Lawrence and this court date and all of that, ah, and you feel that being close together would be a good thing, then I just want to let you know I'm available to that, if you think that would help.

 

JENNIFER KISSES HIM ON THE CHEEK.

 

JACK: What was that for?

JENNIFER: For being so patient.... and sweet.
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JACK: Sweet?

 

THEY BOTH GRIN SLIGHTLY.

 

JENNIFER: Yes.... sweet.

JACK: Well I see I haven't been doing my work on kicking little puppies or stealing candy. I better get back up there.

JENNIFER: Jack, I'm serious, I'm serious alright. I didn't like pulling away from you like that. I hate not being with you. But I just think that the next time we're together, I'd really like to be married to you.

JACK: That's fine, that's fine.

JENNIFER: You don't believe me. You think I'm making up excuses.

JACK: No, no, there's no need to make any excuses at all. Especially when you turn down three opportunities to.... ah.... you know, to take the plunge....

JENNIFER: Look Jack we have to take care of Lawrence. We have to put him behind us. And after that.... well....

 

JACK TURNS AWAY THINKING SHE IS MAKING MORE EXCUSES. SHE GRABS HIS FACE AND PULLS IT BACK TO HER.

 

JENNIFER: Look at me Jack, look at me. No, look at me. (Beat) And believe me, I love you and I want to marry you, alright. The only thing standing in our way right now is Lawrence and when he's gone we're going to be together and it's going to be perfect. Do you hear me?

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JACK IS STILL UNSURE OF ALL THIS.

 

JENNIFER: It's going to be perfect.

 

HE WALKS AWAY A BIT AND SHE FOLLOWS.

 

JENNIFER: What, you don't think we're going to get through all this, do you?

JACK: I just.... I don't think that everything is going to be perfect, that's all. And I don't think we need to talk about it.

JENNIFER: I think we do need to talk about it Jack.
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JACK: Look we haven't agreed in the past on everything. Why do we have to talk this thing to death?

JENNIFER: Because it's important that we talk it to death.

JACK: Alright, let's.... let's agree. I agree with you. It's going to work out. You're going to win your court case against Lawrence. You're going to triumph and then.... then we'll get married and we'll move to the suburbs and we'll achieve the American Dream. You'll wear pearls when you do the laundry and I'll wear one of those aprons on weekends that says "Please Kiss the Cook." Does that make you happy?

JENNIFER: No it doesn't.

JACK: Why does that not surprise me?

JENNIFER: Jack I just want to know what you're upset about.

JACK: I think you know what, don't you?

JENNIFER: No, I want to know the main reason. I mean is it because I wouldn't make love to you?
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JACK: No! (Beat) No.

JENNIFER: Is it because I wouldn't accept your proposal?

JACK: Proposals, plural.

JENNIFER: Alright, I'm sorry. I know how hard it was for you to ask me to marry you Jack. I hated turning you down.

JACK: Let me set the record straight, if I may. I never ever in all those one two or three times ever intended to force you to say yes.

JENNIFER: I know that but I want to say yes. I want to marry you. I want to stand up in front of everybody and get married. I really do but I just need a little bit more time, that's all.

JACK: (Beat) Well when you feel that time is right and the planets have aligned, you just give me a ring. And I think I've got that ring around somewhere and, ah, and we'll contact the Justice of the Peace or the judge or the minister or rabbi and you can pick out a spot and do this.... wedding thing.

 

JENNIFER TURNS AWAY AND SIGHS.

 

JACK (CONT.): What?

JENNIFER: Nothing, I was just thinking about the first time that we stayed at this cabin. We've come a long way since then.

JACK: I don't think it's that far. It's sixty miles, that's all.

JENNIFER: Come on Jack, you know what I'm talking about. Everything is so different. I mean I might have married Emilio if you didn't kidnap me and drag me all the way here. (Beat) But even then we were afraid to face our feelings.

JACK: Well that's not the case now, is it? Since everything is right now with us and the world, why don't we just go home?

JENNIFER: What do you mean go home? We ran out of gas, remember?

JACK: Ah, well I also remembered that I happen to keep a spare gallon of gas in the trunk of the car.

JENNIFER: Oh well! It's really too bad that you didn't think of that before.

JACK: Yeah, that's too bad. Why don't I just go get it out of the car?

JENNIFER: Jack I don't want to leave.

JACK: You don't want to leave?
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JENNIFER: No, I want to stay here, with you.

SCENE THREE: JENNIFER HAS MADE COFFEE; JACK IS FIDDLING WITH TWIGS.

 

JENNIFER: There you go. What is that Jack?

JACK: What do you mean what is that? Don't you know a house when you see it?

JENNIFER: It's a house?

JACK: Yes it's a house and it's not just any house. This is Lawrence Alamain's house.

JENNIFER: It is?

JACK: Yes! You see I was thinking that since you're in better spirits we could get back to work and figure a way to get that video tape out of this house and into our hands.

JENNIFER: Well we can't do that.

JACK: What do you mean we can't? Why not?

JENNIFER: Because you've got it all wrong. It doesn't even look like Lawrence's house. First of all the living....

JACK: It most certainly does.

JENNIFER: ....the living room is this wide. It's much wider.

 

SHE STARTS TO REARRANGE HIS STICK HOUSE AND HE IS NOT A HAPPY MAN.
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JACK: No.

JENNIFER: And the door is over on this side over here Jack.

JACK: No, that's not the door. That was the secret room that Shane was telling us about, right.

JENNIFER: That's not the secret room. The secret room is all the way on this side....

JACK: No, that's not....

JENNIFER: ....and the door is like that.

JACK: No, it is not.

JENNIFER: Okay, look we'll do this.

JACK: No....

JENNIFER: No, we'll put the secret room in the middle and it's a compromise, how's that?

JACK: Oh sure we'll compromise, right! As long as we can leave the door as it is.

JENNIFER: Okay we'll leave the front door there. Now we can make a plan.

JACK: Well thank you very much. This is the plan.

 

JACK PICKS UP A STICK TO USE AS A POINTER.

 

JENNIFER: Okay.

JACK: We attack at first light from the north/north west perimeter over here. We come through the compound. We get to the corner of the house. We gain entry to the house here through this window, hey! We go into standard search and seizure. We get the tape and we get it in our hands and Lawrence will have more trouble than he can bargain for. When we....

 

JENNIFER WANDERS AWAY.

 

JACK (CONT.): I wasn't finished. What is it?

JENNIFER: Um, I don't know. I was just thinking about what you just said.

JACK: Well I know it was sketchy but I can flesh it out a little bit when we....

JENNIFER: About the tape Jack. And I just realized that when we're in the courtroom there's going to be a lot of people there. There's going to be photographers, there's going to reporters.

JACK: There's going to be family! I know.

JENNIFER: Right. And if we're going to use that tape against Lawrence, everyone is going to see it. I mean they're going to see me with him in that tape.

JACK: Your grandmother and grandfather are going to see it too. I'm sorry.

JENNIFER: Oh gosh I'm just scared. I'm just really scared.
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SHE GRABS JACK AND HOLDS ONTO HIM TIGHT.

 

JENNIFER: I'm sorry, I can't afford to be weak like this.

JACK: It's alright, you're entitled.

JENNIFER: No Jack I can't afford to be weak like this. We need that tape.

JACK: We don't need that tape. We've got Lila's testimony. That's all we need.

JENNIFER: You don't believe that.

JACK: I certainly do believe that.

JENNIFER: Then you're a liar.... but it's okay because I can do it. I don't care if the whole world see that tape as long as the jury sees it.

JACK: That's how you really feel?

JENNIFER: It is. We can not let Lawrence just walk away from this. We will find that tape.

JACK: I think we better find it quickly then. We've got one week to the trial.

JENNIFER: I know. We'll be ready.

JACK: I certainly hope so.

JENNIFER: Oh come on Jack. Think of all the other things that we have survived. A shipwreck, a trainwreck, I mean we can certainly get through one little trial.

JACK: Without being a nervous wreck.

JENNIFER: Well?

JACK: Well what?

JENNIFER: I just expressed optimism and hope for the future. That's your cue to argue the pessimistic hopeless point of view.

JACK: Sorry I've got a headache. I'm not really in an argumentative mood.

JENNIFER: Oh you've got to be kidding me. You were born in an argumentative mood Jack. The reason you're not saying anything is because you agree with me.

JACK: I'm not....

 

JACK SITS DOWN BY THE FIRE AGAIN AND SHE KNEELS BESIDE THE CHAIR WITH HER ARMS AROUND HIM.

 

JENNIFER: You agree that we're going to get through this and we're going to be okay.

 

JACK GLANCES AT HER WITH CYNICAL LOOK ON HIS FACE.
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SCENE FOUR: ACK HAS BEEN TO HIS CAR CAR, HE RETURNS WITH A BAG OVER HIS SHOULDER. JENNIFER HAS BEEN RE-ARRANGING THE STICK HOUSE AGAIN.

 

JACK: I hope you don't mind but I invited Yogi and Booboo in for a little cocoa.

JENNIFER: What's that?

JACK: This? Oh this is nothing. Just a little emergency roadside repair kit, that's all.

JENNIFER: Oh really?

JACK: Yeah.

JENNIFER: Do you mind if I take a little look at it Jack?

 

SHE PULLS THE BAG OFF HIS SHOULDER.

 

JACK: No, no wait a minute. Wait!

JENNIFER: Let's see what you've got in this bag here.

JACK: It's just....

JENNIFER: I'd like to see what's in an emergency roadside repair kit. Oh, shampoo!

JACK: Well....

JENNIFER: Dental floss is always good.

JACK: Huh.

JENNIFER: Toothbrush. What have you go inside here?

JACK: That's....

JENNIFER: Oh pajamas! Oh that will really help you when you're car breaks down Jack.

JACK: Please, if you don't mind. I really dislike it when people fondle my floss.

 

HE SNATCHES THE DENTAL FLOSS FROM HER.

 

JENNIFER: You didn't happen to pack an emergency kit for me, did you?

JACK: Well how could I? This wasn't planned.

JENNIFER: Yeah right.

JACK: Um that fire's looking a little peekered. I'm going to get some twigs....

JENNIFER: Oh wait Jack, don't touch that, don't.

 

HE LOOKS DOWN AT THE TWIG HOUSE.

 

JACK: What do you mean, what is this?

JENNIFER: Because look, I fixed it, I fixed it!

JACK: What do you mean you fixed it? What...what happened? This isn't the house.

JENNIFER: This is our house.

JACK: What do you mean, our house?

JACK: Well.... it's a little small.

JENNIFER: Well I like things simple.
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JACK: Well I like things complicated. Heh heh! I do. I mean, you know, throw in a little spiral staircase there, a dumb waiter over here, a couple of priest holes over here. I mean this is so.... ah.... this is so straight forward. I mean where are you going to put the life cycle, what about the lar for the lares?

 

JENNIFER: The what?

JACK: The lares, the household gods. I mean in Roman times they.... ah.... they had household gods who moved in with them kind of like your in-laws and they.... ah.... well you know you'd leave a little food for them. You know one if it was a lar or together lares and they would ward off the evil spirits.

 

JENNIFER SMILES AT JACK'S WEIRD IDEAS.

 

JENNIFER: That's nice Jack.

JACK: Yeah. What.... what is this? What is this?

 

HE POINTS TO A SQUARE OF TWIGS IN THE HOUSE.

 

JENNIFER: This right here, let me use my pointer....

 

SHE PICKS UP A STICK TO POINT WITH.

 

JENNIFER: .... this is my office.

JACK: That's your office. And what is....

 

HE POINTS TO A MUCH SMALLER ROOM.

 

JENNIFER: This is your office.

JACK: Yours is so much bigger than mine.

JENNIFER: Well I do a lot more work at home than you do Jack. (Beat) Where did you learn about that stuff, the gods I mean?

JACK: Oh I learned about it in school.

 

AS HE IS TALKING HE IS REARRANGING THE TWIGS SO THAT HIS OFFICE IS BIGGER.

 

JENNIFER: Oh, well I didn't really have a mythology class in school.

JACK: Huh, huh. You didn't really study Latin either, did you? What did you study, Home Ec?

JENNIFER: You must have been a very good student.

JACK: Actually, I was on academic probation most of the time. But I had a thing for dead languages and my older teachers and I also was very good at memorization.

JENNIFER: Oh memorization? You mean to tell me you know all these myths? You could stand here and recite them to me?

JACK: I've got a memory like a steel trap. I mean I couldn't.... I couldn't tell you exactly what these myths were but I could give you an idea.

JENNIFER: Okay, alright go ahead tell me one.

JACK: Ah.... well let's see what would be apropos? (Thinking) Um.... how about.... ah.... Daphne.

JENNIFER: Daphne?

JACK: Daphne, yes.

JENNIFER: What happened to Daphne?

JACK: Daphne was a little shepherd girl up in the mountains of Greece or Rome or something like that and ah, one of the gods kind of happened upon her one day and proposed to her. She turned him down and he turned her into a tree.

JENNIFER: Are you trying to tell me something?

JACK: No, no, I'm not trying to tell you a thing. It's just that proposals and turning them down is kind of a sub.... genre of the.... myth thing if you know what I mean.

JENNIFER: Right.

JACK: And if you turn, you know, someone down on a proposal it winds up being a very bad thing.

JENNIFER: I see. (Beat) I wish I had of known you then.

JACK: Known me when?

JENNIFER: (Smiling thinking about a young Jack) When you were a boy in school learning all this stuff. I mean (She scrunches down, imitating) I can just picture you in your school uniform all little and cute.

JACK: Please, please, please.... please.

 

SHE SUDDENLY NOTICES THAT THE TWIG HOUSE IS CHANGED.

 

JENNIFER: What did you do to my house Jack?

JACK: Well I didn't do anything. I just.... I didn't do anything.

JENNIFER: Yes you did. That was my office, now your office.... my office is four times smaller than your office now.

JACK: Yes but notice over here the laundry room is four times bigger. I figured that would please you.

JENNIFER: I'm very pleased, very pleased.

 

SHE IS FROWNING AT HIM.

 

JENNIFER (CONT.): This is how I express it.

JACK: Yes well now that everything is set and settled why don't you just go ready for bed.

JENNIFER: Fine.

JACK: Run along. Thank you, thank you.

 

SHE WALKS OVER AND PICKS UP HIS BAG THAT HE BROUGHT FROM THE CAR.

 

JACK: Oh no, no, but not with that. That's my.... that's my....

JENNIFER: Go floss Jack!

 

SHE THROWS THE DENTAL FLOSS AT HIM AND DISAPPEARS INTO THE BATHROOM.

 

JACK: Go.... floss. (Beat) Alright, well I guess I know what it feels like to be in the doghouse now.

 

HE CROUCHES DOWN AT THE TWIG HOUSE AND FROM THE BATHROOM JENNIFER CALLS OUT.

 

JENNIFER: I built a doghouse too.

 

AT THE BACK OF THE TWIG HOUSE IS A LITTLE SQUARE. JACK SIGHS.
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SCENE FIVE: A SHORT TIME LATER JENNIFER COMES OUT OF THE BATHROOM. HER HAIR IS TIED BACK AND SHE IS WEARING JACK'S PAJAMAS. HE IS DOZING IN THE CHAIR BY THE FIRE WITH A BLANKET OVER HIM. SHE WALKS OVER AND WHISPERS IN HIS EAR.

 

JENNIFER: Hi Jack.

JACK: OH! Hi.... hi.

JENNIFER: So, any new improvements on our house?

JACK: Ah, well yes as a matter of fact you'll notice that the office sizes are the same now. They're equal. I hope that makes you happy.

 

SHE WALKS BACK OVER TO HIM AND TAKES HIS FACE IN HER HAND.

 

JENNIFER: Goodnight Jack.

JACK: Goodnight.

 

SHE KISSES HIM GENTLY ON THE LIPS. THEN SHE WALKS OVER TO THE BED AND CRAWLS IN.

 

JENNIFER: Yes!

JACK: Huh.... yes what?

JENNIFER: Yes I'm happy. You asked me if I'm happy about my office and I am.

JACK: Good.... good, okay.

 

JACK IS SLEEPY.

 

JENNIFER: But that's not the only reason I'm happy about Jack.

JACK: Hmmm.

JENNIFER: It doesn't really matter to me where we live....

JACK: Hmmm....

JENNIFER: .... just as long as we live there together.

JACK: .... hmmm, huh.... huh.

JENNIFER: Jack?

JACK: Hmmm? What.... yes, yes.

JENNIFER: Were you really cute when you were a little boy?

JACK: Say goodnight Miss Horton.

JENNIFER: Goodnight Miss Horton.

JACK: Goodnigh....

 

JACK ROLLS OVER IN THE CHAIR AND SMILES. JENNIFER CONTINUES TO LOOK LOVING TOWARDS JACK.
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[Transcribed by Carol Vaughan
added material by Sally A. Wilson]