My Life Closed Twice
Chapter 21: Odd Ones Out
Disclaimer: General Hospital and all its characters belong to ABC, Disney, etc.
Author's Notes: Thanks to my faithful beta reader. Please read and review!
Someone grabbed my arm. Instinct took over. I grabbed the hand and dug in my nails. When the grip let go I pulled the arm over my shoulder and flipped the attacker. As soon as the body hit the ground I jumped on his chest pinning his arms with my knees. Then I looked at my attacker's face.
Uh Oh. My attacker had Jax's face.
I became aware of the sound of Skye's laughter. "I keep trying to tell him not to sneak up on people," she managed to say.
I looked up to see Skye standing on one side still laughing. Mom was trying gallantly to contain her own amusement on the other side. She lost the battle. It was so good to hear my mom laughing.
I climbed off him and reached down a hand to help him up. When he was standing once again I said, "Good Morning."
"Well, I guess that answers the question of whether you are hurt or not," Jax grumbled.
"I am fine," I told him. "What are you doing here?" OK, I knew. The white knight was riding into battle. I was kind of surprised he hadn't shown up earlier. It hadn't occurred to me last night, but he really should have been with the Q contingent since he was married to Skye. The thing is that Jax is a Jacks, not a Q.
"Oh you know Jax, nothing is true until he has seen it for himself," Skye said off-hand as she got her laughter under control.
Jax ignored the teasing and grabbed me in a hug. "I'm really fine, not a scratch," I assured him.
Jax put me at arms length and studied me. I knew he was trying to see if I was bluffing or not. I kept my face neutral. Jax was great, but if I showed any weakness he would ride off to kill whatever dragon he believed had hurt me. It didn't take a rocket scientist to guess that in this case he would go after Mr. Corinthos. That was something Michael didn't need right now.
"Do you realize how lucky you are? Most women don't survive long close to Corinthos," Jax said.
"Jax," Mom warned.
"Since Jax dragged me out of the house before my morning coffee do you think Bobbie has some?" Skye changed the subject.
"If she is up; otherwise you can try mine or risk Luke's," Mom warned.
Jax didn't look pleased at the subject change, but went along with it. "Talk about the devil and the deep blue sea," he teased.
Mom took Jax's arm and led him into the brownstone, "Why does everyone feel the need to insult my coffee?"
"Think of it as a public service message," Jax's voice floated back.
Skye placed a hand on my arm to keep me from following. "I don't think the family thanked you last night. So for them, thank-you."
I shrugged, "Someone needed to manage things."
"It shouldn't have had to be you though. I will try to keep Jax away from Sonny, but he just wants to protect you and Alexis," she said.
"I can take care of myself," I repeated.
"You don't know the harm Sonny's life can cause," Skye responded. As I started to retort she held up her hand, "I am not going to tell you to stay away from him or Michael. I don't think it would do any good. Just realize there are things about Sonny and his history with your family that you don't know."
"Are you going to tell me?" I asked.
Skye sighed, "Just stay safe."
Even Skye, who was normally an outsider, wasn't going to tell me. "Michael is my friend."
She nodded, "Good."
"I won't be a front man for the Quartermaines," I felt the need to elaborate.
"I think we lost that battle a long time ago. We still love him though. Last night, if not for you, our nightmares would have come true," Skye said. "Never forget that both of your families have had several people hurt because of Sonny Corinthos. None of us could stand to add you to that list."
I told her the same thing I told Michael, "I am not trying to be best friends with Mr. Corinthos."
She looked at me sadly for a second. Then she forced a smile, "So should we save Jax from Alexis' coffee?"
"No, let's just a good seat for the battle," I suggested.
Skye laughed, "You know I have to bet on Jax."
We found them in the living room. They stopped talking when we came in. Well that begged a question. "So how did you get out of joining the Q's public spectacle at the hospital last night?"
"I was at a business meeting out of town. It took me until this morning to get home," Jax answered.
That made sense, except I was starting to get paranoid. "So who are you buying this time?" I asked.
"Just a small shipping company," Jax lied smoothly. OK, I wasn't sure he had lied, but with my mother in town and talking for the first time in years Jax would not go to a meeting to buy anything. With Jax family came first; everything else was a distant second. Mom and I were family. Not because Skye was a cousin to Dad, or even that Jax and Mom were once married (OK that still sounds weird). We were family because he loved us. So this meant that whatever had taken him out of town had something to do with the missing Cassadines.
I leaned back a studied Jax. Unfortunately he had been the one to teach me to bluff. I wouldn't get him to break. So I let the lie stand, for now.
The rest of the morning I spent watching Mom and Jax renew their friendship. Even Skye and I got in on the action occasionally. Most of the time we watched them reminisce.
At lunch, which Ms. Spencer cooked thank-goodness, Mr. Spencer got in the act. The three of them played conversational hot potato. No one person got more then a sentence out at time and you couldn't even guess who would get the next one.
Just as we were finishing lunch Ms. Spencer said she was going to the hospital. This comment barely rated a breath in the conversation so I felt it safe to speak. "Would it be OK if I tagged along?"
I should have known better.
Chapter 21: Odd Ones Out
Disclaimer: General Hospital and all its characters belong to ABC, Disney, etc.
Author's Notes: Thanks to my faithful beta reader. Please read and review!
Someone grabbed my arm. Instinct took over. I grabbed the hand and dug in my nails. When the grip let go I pulled the arm over my shoulder and flipped the attacker. As soon as the body hit the ground I jumped on his chest pinning his arms with my knees. Then I looked at my attacker's face.
Uh Oh. My attacker had Jax's face.
I became aware of the sound of Skye's laughter. "I keep trying to tell him not to sneak up on people," she managed to say.
I looked up to see Skye standing on one side still laughing. Mom was trying gallantly to contain her own amusement on the other side. She lost the battle. It was so good to hear my mom laughing.
I climbed off him and reached down a hand to help him up. When he was standing once again I said, "Good Morning."
"Well, I guess that answers the question of whether you are hurt or not," Jax grumbled.
"I am fine," I told him. "What are you doing here?" OK, I knew. The white knight was riding into battle. I was kind of surprised he hadn't shown up earlier. It hadn't occurred to me last night, but he really should have been with the Q contingent since he was married to Skye. The thing is that Jax is a Jacks, not a Q.
"Oh you know Jax, nothing is true until he has seen it for himself," Skye said off-hand as she got her laughter under control.
Jax ignored the teasing and grabbed me in a hug. "I'm really fine, not a scratch," I assured him.
Jax put me at arms length and studied me. I knew he was trying to see if I was bluffing or not. I kept my face neutral. Jax was great, but if I showed any weakness he would ride off to kill whatever dragon he believed had hurt me. It didn't take a rocket scientist to guess that in this case he would go after Mr. Corinthos. That was something Michael didn't need right now.
"Do you realize how lucky you are? Most women don't survive long close to Corinthos," Jax said.
"Jax," Mom warned.
"Since Jax dragged me out of the house before my morning coffee do you think Bobbie has some?" Skye changed the subject.
"If she is up; otherwise you can try mine or risk Luke's," Mom warned.
Jax didn't look pleased at the subject change, but went along with it. "Talk about the devil and the deep blue sea," he teased.
Mom took Jax's arm and led him into the brownstone, "Why does everyone feel the need to insult my coffee?"
"Think of it as a public service message," Jax's voice floated back.
Skye placed a hand on my arm to keep me from following. "I don't think the family thanked you last night. So for them, thank-you."
I shrugged, "Someone needed to manage things."
"It shouldn't have had to be you though. I will try to keep Jax away from Sonny, but he just wants to protect you and Alexis," she said.
"I can take care of myself," I repeated.
"You don't know the harm Sonny's life can cause," Skye responded. As I started to retort she held up her hand, "I am not going to tell you to stay away from him or Michael. I don't think it would do any good. Just realize there are things about Sonny and his history with your family that you don't know."
"Are you going to tell me?" I asked.
Skye sighed, "Just stay safe."
Even Skye, who was normally an outsider, wasn't going to tell me. "Michael is my friend."
She nodded, "Good."
"I won't be a front man for the Quartermaines," I felt the need to elaborate.
"I think we lost that battle a long time ago. We still love him though. Last night, if not for you, our nightmares would have come true," Skye said. "Never forget that both of your families have had several people hurt because of Sonny Corinthos. None of us could stand to add you to that list."
I told her the same thing I told Michael, "I am not trying to be best friends with Mr. Corinthos."
She looked at me sadly for a second. Then she forced a smile, "So should we save Jax from Alexis' coffee?"
"No, let's just a good seat for the battle," I suggested.
Skye laughed, "You know I have to bet on Jax."
We found them in the living room. They stopped talking when we came in. Well that begged a question. "So how did you get out of joining the Q's public spectacle at the hospital last night?"
"I was at a business meeting out of town. It took me until this morning to get home," Jax answered.
That made sense, except I was starting to get paranoid. "So who are you buying this time?" I asked.
"Just a small shipping company," Jax lied smoothly. OK, I wasn't sure he had lied, but with my mother in town and talking for the first time in years Jax would not go to a meeting to buy anything. With Jax family came first; everything else was a distant second. Mom and I were family. Not because Skye was a cousin to Dad, or even that Jax and Mom were once married (OK that still sounds weird). We were family because he loved us. So this meant that whatever had taken him out of town had something to do with the missing Cassadines.
I leaned back a studied Jax. Unfortunately he had been the one to teach me to bluff. I wouldn't get him to break. So I let the lie stand, for now.
The rest of the morning I spent watching Mom and Jax renew their friendship. Even Skye and I got in on the action occasionally. Most of the time we watched them reminisce.
At lunch, which Ms. Spencer cooked thank-goodness, Mr. Spencer got in the act. The three of them played conversational hot potato. No one person got more then a sentence out at time and you couldn't even guess who would get the next one.
Just as we were finishing lunch Ms. Spencer said she was going to the hospital. This comment barely rated a breath in the conversation so I felt it safe to speak. "Would it be OK if I tagged along?"
I should have known better.