Part III

(Based on the events of 9/23's episode of GH)

"If Elizabeth loses this baby, I'll find out who caused that accident and I'll make him pay."

"Jax, calm down. She's fine. So's the baby." Lindsayreminded him ofthe clipboard he was looking at for the twentieth time and pointed out Liz's test results. "The baby's vitals are strong and show no sign of trauma. Are you satisfied now?" She asked Jax, her eyes twinkling at him as she tried to hide her laughter.

"Are you sure Liz is going to be OK?"

"Jax! We just went over all the tests I ran on her with more detail than I went over with Liz herself. Trust me Jax, I graduated top of my med school class."

Jax shook his head with laughter and said, "I don't doubt you or your medical expertise, Lindsay. But, I'm the worried expectant father. Who happened to be driving the car." He looked down at the floor, then back up at Lindsay with a tired smile, "Thank you for going over all the tests with me."

"No problem." She and Jax began walking down the hall to the nurse's station. "Lucky is going to take her home and take good care of her. He always does."

"She's lucky to have him." Jax joked, playing on her brother's unusual name.

Lindsay grinned and playfully nudged Jax's shoulder with her own. "Hey, I heard that the two of you buried the proverbial hatchet tonight? Apologies and everything?"

"Yeah." Jax smiled sheepishly. "We both admitted that we were being a little territorial and decided to stop being difficult. It was quite civil, actually. Your brother is quite a guy."

"Yes, he is. I told you that he would come around."

"So you're an I told you so kind of woman, are you?"

"Absolutely." She replied. Lindsay was beginning to find the teasing lilt to his voice and his accent increasingly sexy. She shook those thoughts out of her head and tried to stay focused on their conversation. As they reached the nurse's station, Lindsay put Liz's medical chart away and shrugged off her lab coat. Jax moved to help her and slid the coat easily down her arms.

"Quitting time?" he asked her.

"Finally. I was actually on my way out when they brought Elizabeth in." she said with a smile and began walking toward the lounge to store her coat in her locker.

Jax fell back into step beside her and asked, "So, can I make up for all my annoying questions about the tests by treating you to a late dinner?"

Lindsay suddenly realized that she hadn't eaten in hours and was famished. "That sounds perfect. Let me just call Gloria and make sure she can stay with Sophie for a little while longer."

The ride they shared from the hospital to the restaurant was filled with light and easy conversation. They had more in common than Lindsay would have thought and it was good to see Jax laughing again. He had been an entirely different person since he and Liz signed the custody agreement, and it seemed that a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. As they walked into the restaurant, Jax lightly put his hand on her back and led her to a corner table.

"Wine?" he asked her when a young waitress appeared at the side of their table almost as soon as they sat down.

Lindsay shook her head and said, "None for me, thank you. Just ice water with lemon, please."

"Make that two." he said and smiled at the waitress, causing her to blush. Jax and Lindsay both continued with their orders and then the young girl walked away from the table. When she was gone, Jax looked over at Lindsay and asked, "Not a wine drinker?"

"Not an anything drinker. I'm a recovering alcoholic." she replied, reaching for a roll out of the basket in the middle of the table. The shocked look on his face caused her to giggle. "You didn't know?" When he shook his head, she continued, "Well then this is going to knock you out of your chair. I'm also a recovering drug addict and ex-stripper."

"You're kidding!" He stopped buttering his own roll and stared at her.

"I wish I were." She smiled reassuringly at him. "I can't believe you didn't know. It's probably the worst kept secret in Port Charles."

"What happened? I mean, if you don't want to talk about it, I understand..."

"No, it's OK. I've been clean and sober for years now." She took a sip of the water the waitress put down in front of her, smiled her thanks, and continued, "I was engaged to Jason Morgan in what seems like another lifetime. Only he was Jason Quartermaine then. We were high school sweethearts, the whole deal. But after his accident, Jason couldn't remember me. Or us. My whole world revolved around him and he couldn't remember any of it. He pushed me away and I didn't handle things well. I was devastated. So, I drank to numb the pain, which led to dancing in this seedy club, which then led to drugs. Not my finest moments."

When she finally looked up at Jax, she didn't see the pity she had expected to see there. Instead, she saw only compassion. "I'm sorry, Lindsay. What happened?"

"I got better." She said simply. "My family rallied round me, gathered me up in their arms, and didn't let go until I kicked it." She smiled at him again and said, "But it wasn't all bad, if you can believe that. In the midst of everything, I met Simon."

"Did he arrest you?" Jax's question was a bit amusing to Lindsay, but he was completely serious.

"No. He saved me. More than once."

The wistful look in Lindsay's eye as she spoke about her late husband tugged at Jax's heart strings. "Did he ever get to meet his daughter?" He asked quietly.

"Mm-hm. He was in the delivery room. Actually, he didn't die until Sophie was about a year old."

"Does she remember him at all?"

"I don't think she has any memories of him that are actually her own. She was so young. But she knows who he was and has a picture of him by her bed. She calls him her 'daddy angel' and kisses him good-night every night. I tell her stories about him and how much he loved her all the time."

The waitress returned with their meals and Lindsay couldn't help but notice the sideways look the young woman gave to Jax. She smiled to herself. Jax certainly captured the attention of most of the women in any room he walked into. But right now, all of his attention was focused on her and she couldn't control the tingle that shot up her spine. It has been a long time since a man looked at her like Jax was looking at her now.

"That's amazing." Jax continued, completely unaware of what Lindsay was thinking. "I mean, I'm sure it has been hard on you but I think you are doing a fantastic job on your own. I think it makes all the difference in a kid's life to know their father put them first. My father certainly did. Would you like to see a picture?"

"Of course," Lindsay said, as Jax pulled a picture of himself and his father out of his wallet. "Aww, look how cute you were!" She teased and Lindsay thought she caught him blushing at her compliment..

"That was before we had money. We weren't always rich, you know." He informed her.

"I didn't know that." she said.

"I come from pretty meager beginnings. We lived in the car."

Lindsay nearly choked on her dinner. "I can't imagine you, Jasper Jacks, living in a car!"

He grinned, "I did. We camped out in the car and during the day, we'd go hiking through the woods. My father taught me to appreciate nature and believe in myself. And he always loved me, no matter what."

"That's what dad's do." Lindsay whispered, suddenly beginning to miss Luke and Scotty.

Jax seemed to be thinking the same thing about his own father and replied, "The good ones anyway." He cleared his throat and smiled sheepishly at her. "That's how I want to love my child. No strings attached."

"I'm sure you will." Without knowing why, she reached across the table and covered his hand with her own. "You're going to be a wonderful father, Jax."

To the surprise of them both, Jax turned his hand upwards and entwined his fingers with hers. They sat there for a few minutes, holding hands, and thinking about how lucky they had been tonight that Liz didn't lose the baby. Finally Jax said, "I'm not going to be half the father John was to me, but I'll try."

"That's all anyone can ask you to do." She said softly.

Jax squeezed her hand before reluctantly letting go so they could finish their meals. They ate in comfortable silence for a little while before the silence was shattered by a ringing cell phone. Both Jax and Lindsay checked their phones before Lindsay realized it was hers.

"Lucky?" she said with a smile into the phone, but her smile soon faded as she listened to what her brother had to say. "OK, calm down. Get down to the hospital right away and I'll meet you there." She paused again and looked up at Jax, the concern growing in his face. "It's OK, Jax is here with me. Just get Liz to the hospital." Lindsay hung up her phone and stood up. "It's Liz. Something is wrong with the baby."

"Let's go."