oldEpisode Four-hundred-seventy-nine: Jack
Surprises Jennifer by Redecorating Their
Home. Later, Jack Is Just Under the
Wire to Buy the Paper Before Victor.

---

[Air date mid-January, 1993]

 

SCENE ONE: JENNIFER HAS BEEN RECEIVING PRESSURE FROM COLLEAGUES AT WORK ABOUT A CHILD CARE FACILITY. SHE DECIDES THAT IT'S A MAJOR CAUSE TO FIGHT FOR AND PUTS AN ULTIMATUM TO HER BOSS THAT HE PROVIDE A CHILD CARE FACILITY AT THE TELEVISION STATION OR SHE'LL LEAVE. THE BOSS DOES TAKE IT WELL AND FIRES HER.

SCENE TWO: JENNIFER HAS JUST GOT HOME AND WONDERS HOW TO TELL JACK.

 

JACK: I heard the car the car drive up. What are you doing out here?

 

JENNIFER: Ah, nothing. I was just.... ah....

JACK: Just what, come on in.

JENNIFER: Ah there's something I want to talk to you about.

JACK: Good, let's talk inside. It's a lot warmer. Come on inside. Come on, come on.

 

JACK HELPS HER IN WITH ABBY'S STROLLER.

 

JENNIFER: I just wanted to tell you that after the show today....

 

SHE STARES AROUND THE ROOM.

 

JENNIFER: Jack, what have you done?

 

SHE LOOKS AROUND AND THEN STARTS TO TOUCH AND FEEL ALL THE FURNITURE, LAMPS AND ACCESSORIES THAT JACK HAS REDECORATED WITH. HE HAS BOUGHT ALL NEW FURNITURE AND THE WHOLE ROOM LOOKS ENTIRELY DIFFERENT.

 

JACK: You hate it?

JENNIFER: Huh?

JACK: You hate it.

JENNIFER: No, no, it's just that.... ah, it's just.... I don't know what to say. It's so.... so....

 

JACK IS ENCOURAGING HER TO SAY SOMETHING.

 

JACK: So, ah, what? So, what?

JENNIFER: Oh Jack, it's so beautiful. It's so incredible and remarkable and.... and breathtaking. It's beautiful!

JACK: Really.... really?

JENNIFER: Yes, really. This is exactly how I would decorate my dream house.

 

SHE GIVES HIM A BIG HUG.

 

JENNIFER: You are the most wonderful sensitive man in the world.

JACK: I wouldn't say that. I was listening to some of the things you like and I kind of ran with it and worked with it.

JENNIFER: Jack, it's perfect. Absolutely perfect.

JACK: Reserve your judgment until you see the rest of the house.

JENNIFER: The rest of the house is done?

JACK: Yes of course it's done. I worked with it and got the rest of it done.

JENNIFER: You're kidding. I thought it was just this room. Come on, let's take a tour. Come on, come on daddy.

JACK: Well wait a minute. Didn't you have something important to tell me about the office?

JENNIFER: (To Abby) Let's go see the rest of our dream house. Come on daddy.

 

JACK: Ah what was so important about....

 

SHE RUNS UPSTAIRS WITH ABBY AND JACK FOLLOWS.

SCENE THREE: LATER THEY COME BACK DOWNSTAIRS.

 

JENNIFER: Jack it is so perfect. This whole house is absolutely perfect.

JACK: Yes, yes.

JENNIFER: I just have one question. Are you sure that we can afford all this?

JACK: Sure I'm sure. Haven't you figured out why yet?

JENNIFER: Well the only other time I've seen this look on your face was when you were nominated for the Pulitzer.

JACK: Exactly. This is my I'm the owner of The Spectator and you're not look. And I'm about to wear it full time.

JENNIFER: Are you saying....

JACK: I am saying that the money is in the bank and I have a check in my pocket that I am ready to give to Julie and when I do I will.... I will for all practical intent be the owner of The Spectator.

 

JENNIFER GETS VERY EXCITED AND LEAPS AT HIM.

 

JENNIFER: YAH!

 

HE HOLDS HER AND SPINS HER AROUND.

 

JENNIFER: That is so wonderful.

JACK: Yes, it's wonderful. Yes, it is. And I'm....

JENNIFER: Wait, wait, did you tell Julie that you have the money? Did you tell her that you're ready to make a deal?

JACK: No, I've been working on the house.

JENNIFER: What do you mean no?

JACK: I was going to tell her....

JENNIFER: No, no, I talked to her earlier. She's meeting with Victor tonight to sign the paper over to him.

JACK: No, she's not. She's meeting with me tonight.

JENNIFER: Yes she is. No.

JACK: NO! You're right no. Let me get her on the phone.

JENNIFER: Jack, why didn't you get call her from the bank? You should have called her from the bank.

JACK: I should have called her from a lot.... I know, I know. It's busy, it's busy. Listen you talk.

JENNIFER: What?

JACK: You talk and when you get Julie on, you tell her to wait. And pray, pray, that Victor has not signed that paper.

 

JACK GRABS HIS COAT AND RUSHES OUT THE DOOR LEAVING JENNIFER HOLDING THE PHONE.

SCENE FOUR: JACK RUSHES INTO WINGS WHERE VICTOR AND JULIE ARE STANDING AT THE BAR WITH THE CONTRACTS IN FRONT OF THEM.

 

JACK: Julie, Julie, tell me please, tell me that he didn't sign.

 

JULIE ROLLS HER EYES AT JACK. VICTOR SEEMS TO THINK THAT HE HAS MADE A DEAL BUT TOM AND ALICE COME OVER AND DISRUPT THE MEETING BY DISTRACTING VICTOR WITH TALK ABOUT THE HOSPITAL. MEANWHILE JACK WAVES THE CHECK AT JULIE AND SHE SMILES.

SCENE FIVE: AFTER TALKING TO VICTOR, ALICE AND TOM COME OVER TO SEE JACK.

 

TOM: Well you just made it under the wire.

ALICE: Thank goodness.

JACK: No, no, thank you. Both of you. I understand the two of you talked Victor's ear off about that hospital benefit.

TOM: A worthy cause. And a good reason to interrupt a business conference.

JACK: Well thank you both. You get my personal thank you with my first issue of The Spectator.

VICTOR: Don't be so quick to celebrate Deveraux. Julie and I still have a deal.

JULIE: Oh I don't think so Victor.

VICTOR: You can't renege on this.

JULIE: Of course I can. I gave Jack until midnight to come up with the money. Jack came up with the money.

 

JULIE TUCKS THE CHECK INTO HER BRA.

 

JULIE: And so the newspaper will go into Jack's worthy hands instead of yours.

 

VICTOR IS FURIOUS AND STORMS AWAY AS JULIE PRESENTS JACK WITH THE CONTRACT TO SIGN.

 

JACK: Right, you are all witnesses and know that this is one of the happiest days of my life.

 

THEY ALL SMILE AS HE SIGNS.

 

JACK: Now if you'll excuse me, I need to let Jennifer know about this happy day.

JULIE: Ah yes, I hope it cheers her up. She's had a terrible day herself.

 

JACK LOOKS SURPRISED THAT HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT.

 

JACK: What do you mean, she's had a terrible day?

 

JULIE EXPLAINS AND JACK HURRIES HOME TO JENNIFER AND HIDES THE CONTRACT BEHIND HIS BACK.

SCENE SIX: A SHORT TIME LATER, JACK ARRIVES HOME.

 

JENNIFER: Jack? Oh, what happened? When I finally got through, Dave said that you were with Julie and Victor. Did you get him to stop signing the papers? Did you get The Spectator back?

JACK: Yes, kind of and maybe. (Beat) What I'm trying to say is this. I gave Julie the check for the binder so now I can run The Spectator but I won't own The Spectator until I come up with the rest of the money.

JENNIFER: That's okay because you're going to make that newspaper so successful that the bankers are going to be beating your door down.

 

JACK DOES NOT RESPOND.

 

JENNIFER: What is this? You don't seem very happy.

JACK: It's very difficult to be happy when you find out from someone else that your wife was fired today.

JENNIFER: How did know that?

JACK: It wasn't difficult. Your cousin Julie was a little concerned and she told me. So why didn't you tell me?

JENNIFER: Jack I was going to tell you but you worked so hard on getting the house together I didn't want to ruin it for you. And I....

JACK: Jennifer.

JENNIFER: .... I mean I just want to tell you, you can't even imagine how much I appreciate you doing this to the house or how happy I am that you got your newspaper back. Come on I want to celebrate. Let's get some champagne and celebrate.

JACK: Whoa, whoa, whoa. I know how important this job was to you.

JENNIFER: Jack, it's over. Maybe it was for the best. It's done.

 

HE DOES NOT BELIEVE HER.

 

JACK: It's not done. I know how difficult it was for you to go to the network to try to make this.... this issue about the daycare center work. And give them this ultimatum. I know that.

JENNIFER: Yeah, well look where it got me.

JACK: It got you right here. I tell you something, whatever happens I know it's going to work out. You stood by me and now I'm going to stand by you.

 

THEY BOTH SMILE AND HUG EACH OTHER.

 

JACK: I tell you something else. Jennifer this is going to be our year. I know it. It's going to be our year.

 

THEY OPEN THE CHAMPAGNE AND BOTH GET A LITTLE DRUNK. JACK TAKES JENNIFER UPSTAIRS.

 

JENNIFER: Oh.... ssssssh.

JACK: Ssssssh.

 

JENNIFER SHUTS ABBY'S DOOR.

 

JACK: This way please. JENNIFER: I don't think I saw this room on the tour.

JACK: That's because I was saving the best for last.

 

HE SLOWLY OPENS THE BEDROOM DOOR.

 

JENNIFER: Oh my goodness.

 

JACK TAKES HER GLASS FROM HER BEFORE SHE DROPS IT.

 

JACK: Right here you have....

JENNIFER: Is this my dresser?

JACK: That's your dresser for your drink.

 

HE PUTS HER GLASS ON TOP.

 

JENNIFER: Is that your dresser?

JACK: That's my big dresser over there for all my big clothes. This is your little chaise lounge that I can chase you around.

 

SHE GIGGLES.

 

JACK: And this is, of course, the bed.

 

IT IS COVERED IN ROSE PETALS LIKE ON THEIR WEDDING NIGHT.

 

JENNIFER: Oh Jack.

JACK: I don't know where all those little flower petals came from. Let me get rid of them.

 

SHE GIGGLES AND PULLS HIM AWAY.

 

JENNIFER: No!

 

INSTEAD HE PULLS HER TO HIM AND KISSES HER PASSIONATELY AND WITH GREAT LOVE. HE HOLDS HER FACE IN HIS HANDS.

 

JACK: Talk to me. I know deep down you're really upset about this job.

JENNIFER: I don't want to think about that. I'll think about it tomorrow. I want to think about you and Abby and being happy.

 

HE KISSES HER AGAIN AND SLIPS HER JACKET OFF. HE GENTLY LAYS BACK ON THE BED WITH HER ON TOP AS THEY KISS.