~Complicated Ch.16~

I disclaim

~~~

"I just tell her that I'm too old for her." Jagger stopped outside Emily's apartment door, and shook his head vigorously. " Then the question becomes why I slept with her knowing I was too old for her." " Think Cates." He needed an excuse, or something that would end things with Emily, not that things were beginning, but he needed to lose the leverage Scott had on him. He knew Scott wasn't bluffing when he said he'd give up Mac or himself to the Mayor, the guy was slimy enough to do it, and the Mayor was desperate enough for Corinthos, that he would take the head of the police commissioner, or two seemingly incompetent detectives to appease the voters. " I'm screwed."  Which was also true, because he had no doubt that Jason, kept his sister completely out of his other life to avoid instance like this, not that he would have bugged her place even if he did think Jason was stupid enough to involve his sister.

" Do something, Jagger." He ran a shaking hand thought his hair, before he knocked on the door.

" Forget something Spencer." 

All thoughts left his brain when she opened the door. Her hair had been pulled back into a messy ponytail, and instead of her usual business suite, was an ash gray tank top, and a pair of tight navy leggings, the sweat on her brow, suggested that she had been exercising. Oh course he didn't care if she was exercising, what he wanted to know was why she was calling for Lucky Spencer." Expecting someone else?"

"Jagger, hey what's up?" Emily asked as she hastily grabs for the towel around her neck, and begins wiping at the sweat on her forehead. " I didn't expect to hear from you…"

" What does that mean?"  Jagger pushed himself off the doorjamb, and took a defensive stand in front of her. " What did you think, I was just going to sleep with you, and then never talk to you again, because…"His tirade ended when she put two fingers to his lips to stop him from talking.

" Hi, Mrs. Lawson, how are you today?" She kept her fingers stationary to his lip, and titled her head to look at the only other occupant of their floor, the very woman that suggested the building to her, as a favor to her grandmother, who she played spades with twice a week. She was positive, that by the next game, the little old woman, was going to spill everything she just heard to her grandmother. Making the story she thought up to tell her family practically useless. " You're looking well."

" Thank you Emily, I'll be sure to tell your grandmother, what a thoughtful young woman you are." She raised a silvery eyebrow, leaving no thought to the imagination as to what she was going to tell Lila Quartermaine.

" Thank you, I'll see you later." Giving the smiling woman another mile and nod, she pulled the still silent Jagger into her apartment, and shut the door. "Are you mental?" " What would possess you to say something like that so loud standing outside my door, my god she's going to tell my grandmother."  " And what was that crap, about me not thinking you were going to call, what is wrong with you?" She narrowed her eyes, at his silence." Well, I'm waiting?"

 " Don't do that." Regaining his equilibrium, Jagger straightens himself, and fires back with his own anger mounting." This isn't court, and I'm not one of your little clients or boy toys."

" Boy toys, I have boy toys?"

" Yeah, Spencer, and Cassadine." " I'm not one of your friends that will just stand in awe of your greatness, and be thrilled to pieces that you decided to talk to me." A thought begins forming in his head, and as her eyes turn cold, he inwardly smiles.

" You've lost your mind."

" No, I just found it again, I looking through this whole thing with my eyes wide open, and I'm on to you know now." Clearly seeing his opening to save himself and Emily, he throws out he grand plan, with a coolness he didn't know he possessed. " You're using me."

" I'm what?" Emily watched him, in wonder he as he quickly went form confusing to downright scary, his paranoid and delusional rantings were starting to remind her of her drug using days, when for a short while she thought Foster was trying to kill her.

" You're using me, to hook one of the brothers, the only thing I can't figure out is which brother, the blonde or the prince." He started to pacing, looking all around her apartment, anywhere but at her." I'm guessing the prince, cause I can't see anyone going through this kind of charade for Luke Spencer's son."

Emily clenched her fist at her side, she didn't mind if he had a nervous break down in her home, people always seemed to crack around her, but attacking her friends wasn't something she was going to let him get away with, insane or not." Okay shut up, because one I'm not using you, and two back off my friends."

Jagger closed the distance between them, standing no more then a foot between, just out of the reach of her swing, but close enough where the smell of French vanilla engulfed him. " I think you are, don't think I didn't notice how right after our little session in the elevator, that you and Spencer were going at it, at Luke's." He saw her eyes thin down to almost a straight line, and he had to bite his lip to keep form smiling in joy, at any moment she would slap him or send him on his way. " I wonder how 'Lucky' he got after our little sleep over."

Emily resisted the strong urge to slap him, and the even stronger urge to call Jason and put out a hit on him. She wasn't that girl anymore, she wouldn't cry, or act rashly based on her tempter. She had been on the receiving end of things said in anger, and it was too painful to pass on to anyone else. She felt the tears working their way to the surface, and pushed them back." I'm sorry Jagger, I'm sorry if you feel that I'm using you, or that feelings I've shone you are false or not true, because there are as genuine as I can be after years of been screwed up in the house of Quartermaine, but I'm not using you, I've been used and it hurts like you never know." She took a deep breath and stepped away from him." Once again I'm sorry, and now if you'll excuse me I think we should both take a step back from this, before we lose any chance of us ever being friends."  

" Damn." Jagger leapt forward, and took her into his arms, cursing himself, she wasn't suppose to be understanding, no other women would have understood, but then he reminded himself grudgingly that Emily Quartermaine was like no other woman." I'm so sorry, you have nothing to apologize for, I'm just and idiot, please forget everything I said." He tightened his grip on her waist when he heard her whimper. " I know you aren't using me, and I'm so sorry for everything I've said."

" Then why would you say it?"

" Scott Baldwin."

Emily pulled back and looked at him, confusion mingled with tears. " Scott?"

 " I'll tell you later." Jagger kissed her cheek, and buried his head in her neck." Later."

~~

James watched the scene with tears forming in his eyes, it was confusing as all hell, but it was still kind of sweet. He glanced over the clock, it was only 6:00 pm, but the boss would want an update, as soon as she could. He picked up the phone and hit the first speed dial. " I have an update ma'am."

" What's happening?"

" She's currently in her apartment, with some cop name Jagger Cates, who she was with when we lost her yesterday."

" Why was she with him?"

" She didn't go into specifics, and we still can't find anything out exactly, but apparently she spent the night in a lovers tryst."

" A LOVERS TRYST!!!" Angel threw the phone in the fireplace, not caring if James needed new instructions or not." THAT BITCH!!!"

Angel stormed out of her study and took the nearby stair two at a time, stopping at the large door at the end of the hall, she nodded to the guard, and entered the room." It's not fair Daddy." She looked at the unmoving figure in the bed, and moved forward taking his hand in hers and caressing it. " You're laying here, unable to even blink, and the BITCH that put you here, whoring around Port Charles." " She took you form me, and she feel no remorse, she receives no punishment, it's not fair." " Those bastards treat here like she some sort of saint, instead of like the murderer she is, but don't worry Daddy." " I'll make her pay, I'll make them all pay."