*We are finally getting the truth on the 21st. I cannot wait :D *

Chapter 8.5

The first thing Julian realized when he regained consciousness was that he was blindfolded and his arms were tied tightly behind his back. He could hear the quick pounding of his heart and a tightness in his chest every time he took a breath. He took a minute to gain his baring and to analyze what kind of damage the two yahoos in front of him had done.

He mentally cursed as he realized just how close Valentine's men were to finding Alexis and their family. He had thought they were further ahead of Valentine's men but 30 minutes into his trek he had run right into them. Goatee and Mustache, as he had started referring to the two imbeciles in front of him, had taken turns punching and kicking him. One had landed a blow to his temple and he had blacked out. Julian berated himself for letting them get the jump on him. How was he suppose to warn Alexis to run away if he was tied up? His family were sitting ducks waiting for him to return with directions on how to get to the safe house.

Suddenly, without warning, the blindfold was ripped away and replaced by the sneering face of Goatee. "Well look who has finally come around" he laughed, a loud hacking sound that immediately grated on Julian's nerves. "Where is she" Goatee asked as he shoved Alexis's photo at him.

"Somewhere that sick bastard will never find her" Julian growled out through gritted teeth even as he felt his stomach sink at the implications of when the photo had been taken. The moment the son of a bitch had captured in the photograph had happen the previous night. Before walking into her house he had wrapped Alexis in his arms giving them both a few moments of privacy before going in to talk to their family.

"You know Jerome our boss isn't going let us touch that sexy piece of royal ass" Goatee taunted, "He wants her all to himself."

"Shut your filthy mouth or I'll shut it for you" Julian growled as he struggled to get out of the rope binding his hands together.

"If the boss wasn't so greedy, and was willing to share her with us, we could really show her what a real man can do." they continued ignoring Julian's threats to shut up.

"Of course the boss did say we could have fun with the other people in the cottage and from what I saw last night they will be just as fun" he continued to taunt Julian as he took a sick pleasure in describing in detail what they were planning to do to Sam and Molly since they couldn't have Alexis.

Goatee smirked at Julian knowing his taunts were hitting there mark "But you know, I've never had myself a princess before" he laughed "Maybe the boss will be grateful go us for finding her and let us have fun with her." He bent over to leer at Julian. "I know after I'm done with her she would be the one calling me your majesty" he turned to his partner who was laughing at his vulgar taunts.

"I will kill you if you lay a hand on any of them" Julian continued to struggled. He needed to get to Alexis and the others to the safe house before the two idiots in front of him could tell Valentine the location they were in. Alexis and the girls were way to close and it would be easy to locate them once they followed the direction he had come from. Right now the idiots were having fun with him but once they were able to contact Valentine it would only be a matter of time before they found them.

Julian continued to struggle but his hand just wouldn't bend enough to allow for his hand to slip through the loop holding his hands together. Coming up with a solution Julian, needing to keep them distracted for what he needed, started hurling insults and taunts back at them.

"You know" he started "I don't think the two of you have the common sense God gave a thistle to know anything about pleasing a women" he smirked at Goatee, who punched him in the stomach taking the air out him for a minute. It was the reaction Julian was hoping for as the punch pushed him onto his back so that he could begin working on getting free.

"Trust me Jerome once I get the lady she will be begging me for more." Goatee sneered breathing hard from exertion of hitting Julian.

"You wouldn't know the first thing about pleasing a woman like Alexis. And the only thing she would be begging for would be for you to stop so that she didn't die from laughing at you" the growl that escaped Goatee was not unexpected and Julian actually welcomed the attack. Goatee enraged threw himself on top of Julian punching at him wildly. The frenzy of the attacked allowed Julian to snap his left thumb out of its socket and pull his hand out of the rope they had tied him up with. Julian gritted his teeth at the pain. Goatee was able to get in one more punch before Mustache stepped in to stop him.

"Wait you idiot, before you kill him we have to call the boss and tell him we have Jerome. I am sure the boss has special plans for him." Mustache walked over to Julian who was trying to breath through the pain Goatee had inflicted and the pain of his dislocated thumb. He braced himself for the attacked that was coming as Mustache approached him.

He knew he would only get one chance, so he waited until Mustache was bent over him trying to haul him up. While Mustache was off balance Julian pulled his hands out from beneath him and pulled at Mustache making him land on top of Julian awkwardly. As Mustache tried to get his balance, Julian reached towards where he had seen him holster his gun, put it to Mustache's temple and shot him. Julian felt warm pool around him as Mustache's blood soak through him and brain matter splatter on him. He didn't dwell on it as he lifted the gun and aimed at Goatee, who was rushing towards him, finally realizing what was happening. Julian aim and pulled the trigger twice, both times hitting his mark, once squarely on Goatee's chest and once directly at his penis for what he had threaten to do to Alexis, Sam and Molly.

Julian pushed Mustache off of him and wiped some of the brain matter off his face. He knew he probably had two broken ribs but he put the pain out of his mind as he ran towards Alexis and the others praying that they were safe.

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Julian pushed himself through the smoke and fire as fast as he could; the need to get back to his family the driving force behind his ability to push his battered body beyond its limit. He could feel his lungs struggling for oxygen and his ribs burning at the pressure each step caused.

It had not always been like this for him just a year ago his only purpose in life had been to put the Jerome family back on top and take Sonny's territory. But that was before he had found Alexis, Sam, Lucas and Danny. When he found his kids and Danny they became his heart but Alexis was definitely his soul.

His attraction for Alexis had been immediate and undeniable. From the moment he met her at the Floating Rib his body became attuned to hers immediately; always able to sense her when she was near. The smell of her perfume made him want to bury his nose in her hair, the softness of her skin made his fingers ache to touch her and her soft lips made his mouth water with how tempting it was to steal a kiss from her.

When he had gone to the hospital to donate his bone marrow because he couldn't bear the guilt of having disappointed Alexis Davis. He had only been hoping to alleviate his guilt at having bumped the marrow drive off the front page. He had did not like the stream of emotions Alexis made him feel. It had been years since he had felt guilt about his decisions and it really confused him as to why Alexis Davis was able to make his conscious rear its ugly head in just one encounter.

When they discovered he was a match for Danny, Alexis had sweetly and shyly walked over to him and wrapped him in her arms. He had nuzzled into her and held her fully to him. When she told him that he was the miracle they needed to save their little Danny he had never felt happier. He had felt such tenderness as he held her against him. His subconscious had been trying to tell him who she was, but it was his sensory and auditory senses that remember her first. He remembered the wonderful smell of gardenias that he wasn't quite able to place and he remember the touch of her soft, silky skin and the taste of her lips.

He remembered her sweet awkwardness, as she shared with him that Sam had been a product of a one night stand in the back of a Camaro with a guy who the only thing she remembered about was that his name started with "J" and had been a student at Dartmouth.

It was a night she had forgotten, and he now knew why, but it was a night that he hadn't been able to forget even after so long. His senses still remember her even after 30 years of not being with her. He still remembered how she tasted and how she felt the first time they were together. From the moment he realized she was the same shy girl from thirty years ago he had done everything in his power to become integrated in Alexis's life and his family. And even after so many mistakes made, he was grateful they still allowed him to be with them.

He had already been smitten with her from the moment he met her but when she told him her story and he realized that she was the mother of his little girl, he was lost hook, line and sinker. From that moment Julian found himself willing to do anything and everything to keep her and his family by his side. He had wanted to leave the mob but had been unable to because there were too many ties that could pose a danger, to his newly discovered love and family, if he left. Unbeknownst to Alexis, he was working towards getting out free and clear. It would definitely take longer than she wanted but if he did it right he would be out within the year.

He cringed at how he had almost ruined it all before it even began when he entered into a misguided attempt to seduce Carly. The day she had seen him and Carly in the Metro Court, on their date, had damaged their budding relationship. It had physically hurt him when she shut down after she had walked into the Metro Court.

At the gallery when he had finally confessed that he was Julian Jerome, Sam's father, Alexis has been shocked and pulled away even further. That night he hadn't lied when he told her that he remember her. Because he did remember. He remember everything about that night. He had tried to find her after that night but no one could tell him a thing about the beautiful girl with the big brown eyes that had given him so much in just one night. The hardest thing he did the night at the gallery was to look into Sam's and Alexis's disappointed eyes. To see the anger and disappointment first when his daughter had asked him to give his bone marrow to Silas to store, and he said no, and then when Alexis's told him to stay away from her and her family had almost broke him. But he could no more stay away from her or his kids than he could stop breathing.

As she did her best to keep him away from her and her family he kept pushing her to spend time with him. The more time he spent with her the more he learned just how special Alexis Davis was. It was the juxtaposition of her quirkiness against her logical mind, loving mother against mob boss attorney, conservative yet the sexiest women he had ever met, tender yet deadly when she had to protect her family and so much more that captivated him about her. He thought her to be the most exquisite being he had ever met. And the fact that she loved him was enough to make him pinch himself everyone morning grateful to God that he had returned her to him.

These thoughts kept repeating in Julian's head as he kept running his breathing ragged and loud in his ears; his shoulder burning where he had been shot the previous night and his ribs throbbing as he sprinted through the woods. He had lost her once and hell would freeze over before he lost her again.

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"If he is hurt he will need..." Alexis looked into the brown eyes that were so much like her fathers. "He will need our help". Her heart ached at the thought of leaving Julian behind, which was at war with the guilt she felt at putting her family in danger by staying in there current location waiting for Valentine to pick them off one by one. She knew what she had to do but her whole body rebel at leaving him behind.

"Mom" Sam begged, devastated at how lost her mom seemed without her dad by her side. But Sam knew her dad would want them to protect her, even if that meant leaving him behind.

"Sam" she said softly, resigned to leave Julian to protect her family. "Your dad..." she was unable to finish as they heard a rustling coming from where they had last seen Julian. Alexis and Sam both turned and aimed their guns, ready to shoot whoever came out of the woods.

What they saw almost brought Alexis to her knees. She felt as is she were going to fall to the ground at the sight of Julian as he stumbled out of the woods. He was sweating, covered in sooth and blood but he was still the most wonderful sight she had ever seen. She wanted to run to him and hug him to her but her body refused to move. The sight of him blurred as her eyes filled with tears as she realized that he was alive. He never stopped his stride as he walked up to her his eyes never leaving hers.

"Alexis" was all Julian said as he walked over to her pulling her into him for a quick hug.

Alexis was confused she had heard the gunfire., they had shot him they had taken him away from her. Her mind refusing to bare the loss of the love of her life refused to accept the fact and had created an allusion.

Julian could see the confusion in Alexis's eyes at the sight of him, he wanted to shake her out of it and tell her they had to go. He saw the devastation in her eyes and knew that for a few agonizing hours she had thought that he was dead and now her mind was having a hard time with the realization that he was alive. He reached for her and pulled her to him and softly whispered words of comfort trying to gently bring her to the realization that he was alive.

"You're alive" she said as she pulled away and cup his face in her hands. She gently traced the cut on his cheek where Goatee's ring had cut him.

"Sweetheart" he grabbed her hands and kissed them gently. "The fire is getting closer they are trying to corral us." It hurt like hell but he reached for the back of her neck and pulled her in so that his lips were hovering over hers. He could feel her sweet breath as she gasped for breath. "Look at me Alexis" he demanded afraid that if he didn't bring her out of the hell she was in she wouldn't come back to him. "I am with you and I will never leave you. Hades himself couldn't keep me from you." and with he proved to her that he was alive by kissing her hard and quick. When he saw her eyes clear and connect with his he turned to his family never letting go of her hand.

"We have to separate, whatever happens no one stops running" he looked everyone in the eye needing them to understand the danger that was awaiting them as he saw them hesitate at his plan to separate. "If we stick together we all die, by separating we force them to split their man power. Alexis and I will take the long way to the safe house. Nicholas, Sam you take them through the most direct route."

"He is after me" Alexis finally spoke startling Julian. "If he is after me he will probably let the rest of you go."

"No, mom" she heard Molly and Sam both object.

"We don't have time for this girls" she pulled away from Julian and kissed and hugged her girls and then turned to Nicholas and kissed his cheek.

"Alexis don't do this" Nicholas held onto her. "We will make it out of here. Together, all of us"

"I love you." she kissed his softly and gently pulled away.

She finally turned to Stefan hugging him and the little boy between them "Take care of my family Stefan"

"Alexis stop this. You are not going anywhere." he grabbed her arm pulling her back towards him. "Besides do you really think that sacrificing yourself will save your family"

"Stefan, I can't be the reason my family dies" she tried pulling away. "We don't have time for this" she shouted letting her despair at the whole situation come to the surface.

"Fine I am going with you" Stefan tried a different tacit. When he saw her determined to go off alone.

"No, I need you stay with my family. Don't make this any harder for me" she pleaded.

Finally, when she saw that though he wasn't happy with her decision he would do as she asked she turned to say goodbye to Julian.

What she saw in his gaze made her step back from him even though she knew he would never hurt her. Julian's looked downright murderous and Alexis was once again amazed that the man who had only ever been tender, sweet and loving to her could be so deadly.

Before she was even able to utter a word he pointed a finger at her "Don't even try it Alexis, I am not letting you go anywhere by yourself." he grabbed her hand and turned to their family "Nicholas, you take them out the south side and get to the highway and call this number." He handed him a card. "The man on the other line will take you to a safe house. Stay there until we come get you. Do not let anyone know where you are or that you are alive" with that he turned away taking Alexis with him.

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Valentine stood watching from a cliff high above the fire, where it continued to rage on as the morning fog started to creep in. He saw the firemen trying desperately to put out the fire to no avail. Medical personnel stood back in case they were needed. So far the news had been that there were no survivors but Valentine knew better. She was out there and he would find her and bring her back to her rightful place, right by his side. Forever.

****Sorry guys life just got a little busy and I wasn't able to work on this chapter until today. Thanks to all the reviews. And the people who admit to stalking this story as a stalker of some really good stories I know how annoying it is not to get a chapter for a week so thank you. As always please review even if it is just to say you like it or don't. :rolleyes:******