Jack paused on the porch of his house before opening the front door. He thought about his goodbye with Carly at the airport-the way her lips brushed against his when they kissed, the feel of her skin when he touched her-and all he wanted to do was call her on the phone and tell her how much he missed her. But Jack had made a promise to Carly that he would go straight home and talk to Julia, tell her that he couldn't go on with their marriage any longer because he was still in love with Carly, and Jack refused to break that promise. He put the key in the lock, turned it, and opened the door. "Julia?" he called out. "Julia? I'm back. Are you here?" Jack shut the door behind him, took off his coat, and hung it up on the hook. "Hmm, that's strange," he said to himself as he walked over to the couch, "I wonder where she is?" Just then, Jack heard footsteps on the stairs, as well as a clunking sound. Jack turned around and saw Julia come into the foyer with two large suitcases. "There you are. I called your name but…what's this all about? Are you going on some trip I don't know about?"

Julia looked directly into Jack's eyes and angrily replied, "I can't do this anymore. You're, you're leaving!"

"What are you talking about? I just got back from New York, and I wasn't planning on going anywhere again."

"Don't lie to me, Jack!" Julia shouted at him. "I saw you!"

"Saw me, saw me what?" Jack asked.

"I saw you, at the airport…with Carly. I went to meet your flight, but then you got off the plane with her, and you never would have even seen me because your arms were around her, and you were kissing her!"

Jack covered his face with his hands, sorry that Julia had found out about him and Carly before he could tell her face-to-face. "Oh my God," he said under his breath.

"You probably weren't even in New York on business, because why would Carly be getting off the plane with you? That's it, isn't it, Jack? You and Carly, you went somewhere together."

"Look, Julia, I…I did go to Port Charles to follow up leads on the Montgomery case, and I had no idea Carly was there. The two of us running into each other was by complete chance, and that's the truth."

"You expect me to believe that? Jack, you must think I'm a fool! I've seen the way you look at her, and the way she looks at you, it's something I have never seen when you look at me. It isn't over between you, is it? Answer me, now!" Julia said, her voice filled with rage.

"No, Julia, you're right, it's not," Jack answered. "We made a vow to each other once not to lie, so here's the truth. Carly and I…we didn't, we didn't plan on meeting in Port Charles, but we did find each other there, and it made me realize something. Nothing, no matter how hard I try, has erased my feelings for Carly. They don't go away, or get any less powerful, or…stop. We've both tried to move on, but it just doesn't work. So…I'll leave, you can stay in the house, and I'll find another place to stay. I'll take what I need for now and then you let me know when it works out for you for me to come by and pick up more stuff. I don't want it to be any harder than it already is."

"Just get whatever it is you want, Jack, and just go, please," Julia said as she turned away from him. Jack looked down at the floor for a minute and then quickly walked over to the staircase. He ascended to the second floor and went immediately to the master bedroom. The closet door was open (most likely from Julia putting Jack's stuff into the two suitcases that were currently in the foyer) and Jack saw one of his police duffel bags sitting on the top shelf. He grabbed the bag and a few shirts from the closet, went over to the dresser and took some clothes from there, walked into the bathroom and collected up his toiletries, and threw everything inside the duffel bag. He paused briefly in the doorframe of the bathroom to look down at his wedding ring, and then removed it from his finger. "I'm sorry, Julia," Jack whispered as he took the ring and placed it inside the open drawer of the dresser, closing the drawer when he finished. Jack swung the duffel bag over his shoulder and went back downstairs. Julia was nowhere to be found, so he wandered over to the lockbox in the hutch to retrieve his gun and its holster. With all the stuff that he needed in the near future now in his possession, Jack walked towards the front door and took his jacket off the hook. He placed the duffel bag on the floor so that he could put the jacket on, and then picked the bag up again. He opened the front door, walked outside, closed the door behind him, and headed straight for his car…