Jackson returned to the apartment downstairs, where he sat thoughtfully eating a sandwich, while considering Old Jas and her prophetic urging's.

Raquel came out of his bedroom looking resplendent in a low cut, shimmering gown of electric blue. He asked Jackson for his opinion, and spun around in the new outfit.

“Great,” he replied between mouthfuls of his sandwich, yet not really looking up to take notice of the garment. His mind was too busy as it delved into other places.

Raquel noticed Jackson’s lackluster response. His stance shifted to one of mild annoyance; hands on hips, eyes narrowing, lips pursed.

“Oh… you like it? I’m so thrilled, bunny thanks… It was either going to be this frock or one I had made out of the skins of babies ripped from the arms of unmarried mothers… I just can’t decide which one will go better with my tiara however…”

“Um, they both sound good…” Jackson mumbled absently, staring down thoughtfully at half of his sandwich on a plate.

Raquel let out an exasperated sigh. “OK Jacky darling, what’s going on?” he demanded.

“Nothing,” Jackson replied, finally shifting back to reality. "Look, I’m sorry… I wasn’t really paying attention to what you were saying…”

“Oh really? Gee, thanks for the newsflash honey-child,” Raquel replied flippantly. “So spill it, Jacky – what gives?”

“Nothing, really… it’s just that… well, I met Old Jas this afternoon, and she took me back to her room where we had a bit of a chat...”

“Ah…” Raquel responded with a nod and a slight smile. “She surely is a lovely lady, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, and interesting, too," Jackson added. He could feel the cogs of his mind working, clicking and whirring into place. Something from the edge of his memory was pushing at his mind. He frowned a little as he concentrated on the elusive image. It began to crystallise in his memory, and he was momentarily transported back to his time in prison.

He had been sitting with Raquel in their cell, after having just completed telling Raquel about his background and his father. Raquel had said that he had gone about it all wrong; meaning the confrontation with his father. Jackson had asked him what he had meant, and Raquel explained that he was referring to his revenge.

"How should've I done it then?" He asked.

"I'm not really sure;” Raquel shrugged, looking thoughtful. "No, I'm not really sure at all. But it would be so much easier if you were a woman. Revenge is always easier if you're a woman," he explained to his young friend. "People don't expect it from women, especially not people like Lloyd Crane. A woman could've crippled him with not a problem in the world."

The echo of memory faded, but its present implications stayed on in Jackson's mind like a stain.

“I’ve got it,” he whispered more to himself than to Raquel.

Raquel frowned and asked him what he was talking about. Jackson, still coming to terms with his radical decision, looked up into his friend's face.

"The idea ...the plan!" he exclaimed, smiling and marveling at what he envisioned.

Looking baffled but also worried, Raquel required further clarification as to what he was talking about.

"It's the perfect plan, the one that I've been looking for and it's been around me all this time," he exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with dark inspiration and the familiar power of his hatred.

"I'm going to need your help, though, Raquel. There's a lot you will need to teach me, but I'll learn fast," he promised, becoming lost again, in his thoughts.

"I can see it now… so clearly…" Jackson began, smiling at the vision that was so clearly filling his mind, and once more, he wondered why he had not thought of it when he and Raquel had had that conversation, all that time ago. He supposed he hadn't been determined enough back then; determined enough to do anything to achieve what he wanted. But since he had that moment of delicious revenge against Bubba, Jackson had found an unending supply of determination. It had merely needed the right moment to set it flowing once again.

"It's going to take time and a lot of hard work to prepare myself for this, and you will be my teacher," he said decisively.

"But what is it that I'll be teaching you, Jacky?" Raquel asked, exasperated that he had not yet clarified what it was he had in mind for his father.

Jackson smiled and shrugged casually as he replied. 'To be a woman."

Raquel's shock filled her face and eyes. "What?"

"I've got it all figured out," he boasted coldly. 'Together, you and I are going to turn me into a woman. Because you sid it yourself, Raquel: to get back at my father, a woman could do it easily, remember? So ok… that’s what we’ll do… You and me will turn Jackson Crane into a woman who will bring my father to his knees… in more ways the one."

“Are you on drugs, Jacky?” Raquel exclaimed, eyes wide. “I mean… this is... well, this is frankly fucking bloody ridiculous! Insane!" He cried. "Even if we could manage to make you vaguely resemble a woman - which would be no easy feat - how do you propose to pull this off? How do you intend to get to Lloyd Crane, hmm?" She sounded both skeptical and appalled.

But Jackson's face remained coolly composed as he announced his own personal wild card. "Oh… I was thinking I’d get him to wine me, dine me… and then…well, just like any other woman might hope: marry him. He is quite a catch, afterall,” Jackson concluded.

Raquel threw his arms up into the air in disbelief. "I don't believe you just said that! I don't believe I am hearing this!" he cried in frustration. “Who are you? Oedipus Rex on acid?” Raquel screeched.

"It’ll work, believe me," Jackson reassured him.

"You can't possibly be serious! You just can't be!" Raquel exclaimed.

"Raquel, Raquel," he said, trying to get him to clam down and listen to him. "You’ve got to help me out on this, please."

But Raquel just shook his head. “There’s no way I’m going to play Drag Queen Yoda for you, Jacky. Absolutely no bloody way!” Raquel paused for a moment, studying the determined set of Jackson’s features. "Jacky, I don't think that you have given much thought to the full implications of what you are suggesting," Raquel said to him.

Jackson countered by saying that it was not so. "I know what has to be done. And anything will be worth getting back at my father. I will do this thing either with your help, or not. True, it will be easier with you by my side, especially as I trust you, but now that I’m on track, I'm not afraid to go it alone if I have to," he said with confidence.

Raquel stood standing in silence, looking sadly towards his friend.

"Will you help me, or not?" Jackson asked him again.

"Bunny, I've got a bad feeling about this in my bones. But," he said, inhaling deeply, "I won't let you do this alone, so of course I'll help you. But this isn't going to be easy… on you particularly," Raquel pointed out to him.

"I know. But nothing worth having ever comes easy..."

Raquel sighed. “Hmmm… that sounds a lot like an old boyfriend of mine,” he quipped, and Jackson laughed, pleased to see signs of his old friend’s cheeky good humour returning.

“Thanks Raquel. I really mean it," he said, looking intensely into his friend's eyes. Raquel moved over to him, leant down and gave him a quick hug, a grim smile on his face, before he quietly adjourned to his bedroom.

Jackson sat back in his seat, not having finished his sandwich. He was too filled with excitement and anticipation to eat. Tomorrow was the beginning for him; he would at last be on his way.

He knew that there would have to be a lot of alterations to his life; sacrifices would have to be made. Claire was one of them. But there would also be other sacrifices, and they would be as painful, and quite irreversible.