Before their paths crossed...

By the time Jack Deveraux and Jennifer Horton met, they had both experienced major trials in their lives.

Jack, the son of famous politician Harper Deveraux, had developed Hodgkin's Disease. Once he married Kayla Brady, he found the strength to fight it and recover. Unknown to Jack, Kayla had only married him because she felt sorry for him, and was really in love with Steve Johnson. Once it was certain Jack would survive, Kayla began secretly seeing Steve, and planned to ask Jack for a divorce. When Jack saw pictures of Kayla and Steve together, he became outraged, and raped Kayla. In a confrontation with Steve, Jack fell off the top of a building, and needed a kidney. Steve knew that he was really Jack's brother; Harper was only Jack's adoptive father, and Jack was the son of Duke and Jo Johnson. Steve donated the kidney to save Jack's life.

When it was revealed to Jack that he was really Billy Johnson, he was devastated, and refused to accept Jo as his mother. His father Duke had been abusive and a rapist.
Eventually, it was found out that Harper was the Riverfront Knifer, and had poisoned Kayla. With this news, and the regret of his rape of Kayla, Jack felt that he would never be any better than his birth father OR adoptive father. Jack got involved with Melissa Anderson, who was in love with him, but was only using her to advance his political career. When Melissa saw him kissing another woman, she realized what he had been doing, and dumped him at the altar. Jack continued to inflict his own self-loathing onto others, especially Steve and Kayla. He showed his human side every once and awhile, but the hurt he had experienced kept his cold exterior up most of the time.

He bought 51% ownership of the Spectator newspaper in order to keep bad information about him out of it, and it was because of this that he would meet his soulmate.

Jennifer Horton had been troubled by the ways of her parents, Bill and Laura. Laura had been admitted into a mental institution, and after being kicked out of boarding school, Jennifer seeked a new life in Salem. She started out living on the streets, stealing for food and money, but her brother Mike found her and took her in. When she wouldn't stop her street ways, he turned her in to her grandparents. She straightened out while living with them. Her grandma, Alice Horton, was who she was closest to. In a serious relationship with Frankie Brady, Jennifer considered losing her virgnity to him. After she found out he had slept with an older woman, she almost tried to seduce him, but stopped it. Frankie was offered a scholarship to Columbia, and asked Jennifer to come with him, but she decided to stay in Salem. After ending it with Frankie, she got involved with Emilio Ramirez, a dangerous guy with a dark past. When he named a racehorse after her, Jennifer's Beauty, it inspired her to write about the horses' career. With that, she headed to The Spectator to pitch the idea.

Tearing down the walls...

When the young, naive, and stubborn intern reporter walked into his office at the newspaper, looking for publication of an article, his and her lives would forever be changed. They had both lived in Salem for some time, but their paths had never crossed. Jennifer Horton began working more with Jack, and slowly but surely got Jack to open up to her and change his ways.

Jennifer was at first wary of Jack, but eventually befriended him when she realized that there was nothing to be afraid of. She won his admiration for her spirit, spunk, and dedication. He had since began to feel remorse for his low deeds in the past, and remained closed off for fear of hurting someone else and getting hurt himself. Jennifer was aware of the fact that he had raped Kayla and used her cousin Melissa, but saw a different side to him as she began to care for him.

L-0-V-E

Once they began to spend more and more time together on reports, articles, and outside adventures, they began to see each other as more than co-workers. She began to understand his remorse for what he did to Kayla and his past ways, and the hurt he felt for being adopted and not knowing it until well into his adulthood. Jack was enamored with her sweetness, and her honesty. When she did a story on the baby of a homeless woman who had been arrested, he saw her compassion for humans in general, and the caring and kindness that was inside of her. They became closer as a result of this. Jack fell for Jennifer first, scheming to get her to stay at the newspaper and trying to come between her and Emilio, who had once again entered her life. Jennifer did not seem to be fully aware of his feelings or reciprocate them until Jack began pulling away, getting involved with helping Steve and Kayla, and a mysterious woman named Isabella Toscano. Jennifer slowly began to realize the feelings she had developed for Jack. Though no one else could see how Jack had changed, Jennifer realized it, and fell in love with him. She went after him, making sure he knew her feelings, and asking him to tell her how he felt. Jack would not have it; he did not consider himself to be good enough for anyone, much less a wonderful person like Jennifer.

Fate had other plans, as the two kept getting thrown together despite Jack's fear of hurting her, and the interference of Jennifer's on-again, off-again boyfriend, Emilio, who wanted Jenn for himself. When Jack told Jennifer they couldn't be together for about the millionth time, she finally got tired of being rejected, and accepted Emilio's marriage proposal live on television.

Horrified, Jack realized he had to take desperate measures to keep Jennifer from going thruogh with the marriage. On the day of the wedding, Jack dressed up as a fireman, and kidnapped Jennifer from the church, bringing her to a secluded cabin. Though kissing ensued, as well as being rescued by Emilio and Melissa, Jennifer remained engaged to Emilio when Jack would not make a commitment. (He couldn't shake his fear of hurting her.)

Due to an adventure both were involved with involving Isabella Toscano and the missing diary pages of her mother's diary, both Jack and Jennfier, along with many other Salem citizens, were invited to ride on the voyage of the cruise ship, the Loretta (the name of Isabella's mother). Ernesto Toscano had a evil scheme planned for Jack, Jennifer, and the rest of the Salem-ites who attended; Hope, Bo, Victor, Julie, Isabella, and Roman. With danger apparent, Jack and Jennifer almost made love on the ship, but were interrupted.

They all ended up escaping the ship and washing up on an island nearby. Jennifer was unconsious when they found her, and her leg was hurt. Jack found a small cave on the island, and brought her there to nurse her back to health. It was in that cave that Jack admitted he loved her, and the two made love for the first time.

Trouble...

Once rescued and back in Salem, Jennifer and Emilio broke up, but Jack seemed to be going back to his old self. He accidentally killed Harper when Harper tried to shoot Steve during his wedding to Kayla. Jennifer was there for him through this, but eventually Jack pushed Jennifer away, AGAIN. He loved her terribly, but was haunted by his past mistakes and the fear of turning out like his father. Hurt, she tried to forget him.

When Jennifer got involved with a scheme which involved Lawrence Alamain, Jack feared for her life, and went chasing after her in New York. Jennifer had posed as Katerina, Lawrence's betrothed fiance, so that the real Katerina, Carly Manning, would not have to marry him, and their engagement would be nulled. In the embassy in New York, Jack snuck into Jennifer's room disguised as a guard. He asked her to take him back, and the two made love. Jack vowed to get Jennifer out of the imposter mess, but a call telling him that Steve could be dying sent him back to Salem. Lawrence was a dangerous man, and knew Jennifer was a fake, so he planned to make her pay for trying to deceive him. He whisked her away to his country, along with Alice who was posing as Katerina's nanny. Steve died, and it fused Jack's determination not to lose Jennifer too. He flew to Lawrence's country, and under the name "Jasper Jasper", met up with Jennifer a few times to plan their escape. Things didn't work out as planned. On the night of the wedding, Jack was knocked out and locked up in a room, and Lawrence revealed to Jennifer that he knew her real identity. He forced her to marry him, with the threat of killing people close to her if she didn't. Then, after the wedding, he raped her. After that, he planned to keep her as his wife, though he knew she was not really Katerina.

Jack escaped from the room, and went off to search for Jennifer. At first Jenn pretended to love Lawrence so that Jack would not be in danger, but Jack eventually got her to admit it front of Lawrence that she loved Jack, and wanted to be with him. When Jack got Jennifer away from Lawrence and back to Salem, with the plan of annulling the marriage, he could tell something was different with her. She was emotionally scarred from the rape, but vowed that Jack would never find out. They started their relationship, and things looked good. Jack began to shop for engagement rings.

Jennifer's ex, Frankie, who had been revealed as Katerina's brother, was back in Salem, and needed a place to live. Because Jenn was sure she had no feelings for him, and only loved Jack, she let him live with her. Jack was upset, but was sure that after he proposed, there'd be no more worries.

Planning the future...

The first time he proposed to Jennifer, on the rooftop with a romantic dinner moonlight, she said no, claiming she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Jack, but "I'm not ready to start the rest of my life, yet." In truth, she was still shaken up over the rape, and not quite sure about anything.

A few weeks later, on Christmas morning, Jack came down the chimney as Santa and proposed a second time. This time, the answer was "I love you, Jack. And I want to marry you. You know I want to marry you." With that, they were engaged!

A misunderstanding, a hurtful secret...

Trouble was not far away. Jack brought Jennifer soon after to a romantic cabin, and as they kissed, in a trance, Jennifer thought it was Lawrence, not Jack. She reeled back, slapped him, and called him a "rapist!" When she realized it was Jack, not Lawrence she had said that too, she was horrified, as was Jack. Broken-hearted, he responded, "It's always been there. It's always been there hasn't it? And when we tried to think.... we tried to convince ourselves that it wasn't there but it always was. We tried to rise above, so to speak. I can't tell you how many times you told me that I've changed. You told me that I had reformed and gotten past what happened with Kayla. I could now become a fine young individual in society. And I bought it." Jennifer pleaded with Jack, and begged him to believe that she didn't mean to call HIM a rapist, but the damage was done. Thinking that Jennifer would never forget what he did to Kayla, and angered that she would think that of him, Jack left. Jennifer could not bring herself to tell him that Lawrence raped her, that that was why she had called him a rapist. Devastated, Jack called off the engagement, further breaking Jennifer's heart.

A mystery brings them together, and Jennifer reveals the truth...

As they both tried to move on, the threat of losing The Spectator was brought up when Lawrence revealed he wanted to buy Diana Colville's share. Jack did not have enough money to offer her more than Lawrence, and he became desperate. At the same time, upon the death of Nick Correlli, it was revealed that Eve Donovan would receive his inheritance if she married for love. Though she had feelings for Frankie Brady, he did not feel the same. Hearing about Jack and Jennifer's break-up, she went to him with a proposition. If they could convince Julie that they were in love, and get married, Eve would get the inheritance, and Jack would get enough money to offer Diana more than Lawrence. At first, Jack refused, thinking of Jennifer, but then he saw Frankie with Jennifer and got the wrong idea. He and Eve got drunk, and got married.

Though Julie knew they were not in love, and that Jack loved Jenn, she consented to let Eve get the inheritance, and Jack was able to keep the newspaper.

Jennifer was hurt by the news of the marriage, but she was convinced that Jack did not love Eve, but still cared for her. Frankie assured Jennifer that Eve hated Jack. It was a marriage of convenience. It was never consummated.

Later, when Eve was arrested for the murder of Nick Correlli, Jack and Jenn, ever the reporters, decided to investigate it... together.

The gun that was used to murder Nick Correlli was suspected to be on a certain train, so Jennifer and Jack, along with Frankie, decided to take a trip on the train and try to find it. They figured that finding the gun, and a letter with incriminating evidence that Lawrence was concerned about, would help them find the real murderer and prove Eve's innocence. Eve, wanting to be apart, since it was her life in the balance, snuck onto the train.

Jack and Jennifer ended up having to share a train compartment (room), and it was awkward for both of them. After a night of searching for the gun on the train, and coming up unsuccessful, Jennifer decided to tell Jack she was raped.

When she finally told him, he freaked out. He couldn't comprehend how she would ever want to be with him, knowing that he raped a woman, and having been raped herself. Jennifer and Jack discussed their relationship, and Jen tried to make him understand that he was the only thing that gave her strength after the rape. He was not sure they could ever be together. Jennifer asked Jack to make a decision, and he said he would think about it. As the train was leaving the city, Jack rushed back into his and Jennifer's compartment and presented her with a jade plant that would become a metaphor for their relationship. Jennifer was touched by his gesture and encouraged about their future.

Finally, the train was heading home, and the gun had still not been found. Jack and Jennifer, dressed up as a porter and a maid, tried to snoop around disguised, but were brought back to the lounge car, where Frankie had gotten into a fight. Eve pushed Jack into the fight, begging him to help Frankie, and he got knocked to the ground, face-down to a vent. Inside the vent, Jack could see the gun.

As Jack was trying to open the vent, a weird porter spotted him and questoned him, but then left. Once everyone left, Jack got the gun and went back to show Jennifer. Just then, Frankie found them, but they were followed by the weird porter. He turned out to be a man hired by Johnnie Correlli, Nick's brother, to get the gun. He aimed a gun at Jack and demanded Jack to give the gun to him. Eve came in, and knocked the guy out. The four of them, followed by Brian, a cop, and Melissa, ran to the luggage car. Johnnie's man followed them, locked them in the car, and then disengaged it from the rest of the train.

The car went off the tracks, and they had all fallen onto the floor. As the six searched for a way to be rescued, Jack revealed to Jennifer that he still had the gun. They were all finally rescued by a helicopter, and brought back to Salem.

Putting together the pieces, and getting justice...

Jack and Jennifer slowly but surely were on the road to a full reconciliation.

It was finally revealed that Jack's mother, Jo, was the one who had killed Nick, distressed that Nick had caused the death of Steve. She was placed under arrest. Jack and Jennifer were frustrated that there was no proven connection between Lawrence and the murder. Jennifer decided she was going to press charges against Lawrence for rape.

Jo pleaded not guilty to the murder charges by reason of temporary insanity, and her punishment was to spend time at Bayview.

As the plans for a trial against Lawrence progressed, the tension and stress mounted.

Jack proposed to Jennifer for a third time, and she assured him she wanted to marry him, but wouldn't accept a ring or the officiality of it until after the trial was finished.

Meanwhile, Kimberly Brady had been getting close to Lawrence, and was on his side. This was upsetting to Jennifer, as well as Kayla, Kim's sister. She took a letter from Jennifer's loft that might help Lawrence win in the trial.

As the trial got closer, Lawrence publicly lied, stating that Jennifer seduced him, that he was only succumbing to her charms when they "made love." To comfort Jennifer, Jack took her up to the cabin where he had taken her after stopping her from marrying Emilio.

They believed, due to information given to them by Lawrence's maid, that Lawrence had a videotape of him raping Jennifer, because he had videocameras up for surveillance. They were unable to recover the tape.

The trial finally arrived, and Jack was afraid his appearance there would be harmful to Jennifer's case. First off, he was still married to Eve, and it was a known fact that he and Jennifer were together. She was intimate with Jack during her engagement to Lawrence, and it was feared that the defense would try to make Jennifer look like a tramp. He insisted on only being there for his testimony, but Jennifer told him she wanted him there, more than anything.

During Jennifer's first testimony, the defense brought up how she was involved with an accused rapist. Upset, Jack ran out of the courtroom. He came back in to show Jen his support.

2 days later, Jack took the stand. The defense brought up how Jack, right after raping Kayla, had not thought it was wrong because he had been married to her. Since Lawrence and Jennifer were married, they asked, wasn't it the same thing? "You did not rape Kayla Brady just like Lawrence Alamain did not rape Jennifer Horton."

Jack could not take it anymore. "I raped Kayla Brady!" he said, and pointing at Lawrence, "And you... you raped Miss Horton. You did!"

When he sat down, he hung his head. Lawrence took the stand, and went on to say that Jennifer seduced him, and that she did not reject his advances. Jennifer screamed at him. "Liar!"

Next, the letter that Kim had taken from Jennifer was presented. It said that Lawrence had been under the influence of prescription drugs his whole life. Jennifer worried that it would ruin their chances.

Shane told her that Kimberly had been on their side the whole time, she was just trying to get information from Lawrence. Kimberly managed to tape Lawrence admitting he raped Jennifer, and Jack and Shane used the tape to get Lawrence and his lawyer to make a deal with the prosecution. Lawrence pleaded guilty to marital rape with special circumstances, and finally went to jail.

Finally, Jack and Jennifer were engaged, and in the excitement of the moment, on air, Jack told Jennifer that everyone was invited!

He deeply regretted the statement when thousands of RSVP's started pouring in. The wedding was going to be very soon.

Wedding bells!

With the stress of preparing for the upcoming wedding, Jack proceeded to get hysterical laryngitis, and couldn't talk. Still, no voice was needed when he and Eve finally signed divorce papers the day before the wedding.

The wedding was going to be held at the Wild West arena in Salem, because it was big enough to hold all the guests. The night before the wedding, Jack went to the arena to try to calm some of his nerves, and was mistaken for Bill Mahoney, a stuntman in a show for the arena. Because Bill was notorious for missing shows, and there would be a show right after the wedding, some people locked Jack in the arena. He couldn't tell them who he was, because he couldn't talk!

Jack had a dream while locked in the arena, about saving Jennifer from Wild Bill Mahoney. In the dream, after he punched Mahoney out, Jennifer pushed Jack and he fell off the roof. He woke up, screaming "Miss Horton, you pushed me!" Not only had he regained his voice, but he was finally able to get out of the locked building and find Jennifer.

Meanwhile, Jennifer was about to give up hope, because Jack was nowhere to be found. He finally found her, and the wedding was about to begin as scheduled.

The ceremony was beautiful, with lots of emotion shown by Jack and Jennifer. She recited a poem called "Marriage." After the wedding, Jack brought Jennifer in the dressing room and gave her a touching letter he'd written her. They danced at their reception to their song "All I Have" by Beth Nielson Chapman, and then prepared to set off on their new life together. They happily left for their honeymoon as friends and family showered them with rice and cheered for them, knowing theirs was a love that would last forever.