( Title: A Dangerous Game
Author: Wicked Thepsian aka Carly
Rating: M, for mature.
Description: This is an AU fic. That means it's based in an Alternate Universe. What kind of universe? Weeeelllll... the basics are still the same. Port Charles. Mobsters. Kelly's. And of course the center of it all, General Hospital. But I've given the characters new jobs and backstories. Mostly. I'm probably not as creative as I should be, only changing what I needed to for the story. -shifty eyes-

The main characters of the story are, as if it's a surprise, Jason and Sam. Lorenzo, Manny, Sonny, Elizabeth, Lucky, Robin, Reese, Jax, Courtney, Mac, Georgie and quite a few others will round out the cast. There will be character deaths, nothing too unexpected though. There will be violence. And blood. And sex, of course.

Why of course? Now we're at the good part. Well, not really. Courtney and Sam are prostitutes in my story. Yes, I know. Cliche. But fun. I'm not a lemon writer, however, so don't expect actual sex scenes. Heheh.

And, if you can recognize what I'm paying tribute to with my title I'll... give you a cookie. Well. Not really.

Anyway, my biggest hope is that you enjoy this story, because it's just here to be fun. Nothing amazing. Probably a ton of errors. Correct me when you can, and feel free to comment!

I do not own any of these characters, nor do I claim to. We'll give the credit to the good folks at ABC and Disney.)

Chapter 1: Tempting Fate

"Why the long face, handsome?"

"Jax jolted in his seat his eyes and mind freed from the red liquid swirling around in the glass in front of him. A woman was watching him with a keen, amused expression. He felt the heat of a colorless blush crawl across his face to the tips of her ears. He diverted his eyes to his lap before they betrayed him and got him into trouble. He had not forgotten where he was, and could easily guess what she wanted in speaking with him. A gift from AJ, no doubt, to make sure Jax enjoyed himself. Apparently AJ considered all men to be just like him, but Jax was here on his own agenda: he would not be persuaded or deterred by a nice set of breasts. Still, ignoring the woman attached to this particular pair was already more difficult than his resolve would like. Her voice was sultry and practiced, but buried somewhere deep beneath those superficial layers was an intoned softness. Or maybe he was just hearing things.

The woman, young enough to be fresh in attitude but far from inexperienced, smirked at his silence, making herself comfortable in the seat opposite is at the small, round table. She sighed to let him know she was there for the duration and stretched theatrically, tapping his foot with hers. She was teasing him.

Jax did not look up.

"Miss, I'm sorry, but I'm not…" He floundered. She chuckled and leaned forward, propping her elbows on the table and resting her chin in her palms. He squinted at her arms carefully, the eloquent speech that usually flowed with pure confidence wrapped in an Australian accent lost to him.

"I understand, mate," the working girl purred. She glanced over his shoulder, and he guessed she was looking for AJ's eyes as he watched them from the safety of his curtained off office. Jax noticed her eyes were a beautiful blue before his courage gave out and his eyes fell to the far less dangerous table in front of him. The woman waved her hand low in an effort to catch his gaze. "This is you first time here, then?"

Jax composed himself enough to raise his eyes. If AJ had sent her over she already knew the answer to that question. Feeling humbled by the change in her tone and compelled to answer because of it, he said, "Yes. And not by choice. This isn't really my idea of a good night out."

He timidly picked up his glass and sipped at the surprisingly fine red wine. It was about time he took a good look at this emissary of AJ. He did so by peering inconspicuously over the rim of his glass.

She was young, but maybe older than he had thought at first. Nearer his own age, in fact. She had silky blonde hair that fell down her back when it could, but was currently pulled back in a messy ponytail. She wasn't wearing what he would expect in a place like this, with a job like hers. It was almost something he would expect to see on teenagers trying too hard to be popular. Then again, why shouldn't she wear normal clothes? Still, the longer he looked at her, the easier it was for him to see that everything about her get up was planned to give prospective clients –people like Jax- an erotic teaser as to what she had to offer. Her top was black, tight, and sleeveless with a low cut neck. It cut off at her ribs, revealing a flat, toned stomach. She wore low cut jeans that had seen better days but did an amazing job of showing off the subtle curves of her thighs and legs. Small strings of underwear were exposed above the fall of the pants. Instead of the sneakers Jax was half expecting she wore laced up sandals, displaying petite, soft feet.

Jax would be lying to himself if he said he didn't find her outfit powerfully effective. He admitted silently that he would probably choose her over all the other girls. AJ certainly know how to please his clientele. While the rest of the women in the bar were dressed to kill, each with her own commanding style and obvious show of sexual preferences, the woman he had picked out for Jax was a curiosity. An enigma against the rest of her peers. He felt there was more to her than he could see.

He liked her.

Replacing the wine glass on a napkin, Jax straightened up and caught her eyes. They really were stunning.

"I'm sorry," He said, motioning unperceptively. He was apologizing for whatever it was he had said earlier that left this bad taste in his mouth, and for the awkward silence that had settled between them. It was clear that he didn't know how long they had been sitting while he stared. Lucky for her, he was also too disconcerted to notice that she had been checking him out as closely as he had her. All he knew was he was slightly pleased that she hadn't lost interest in him.

"In this place you get used to being ogled." She shrugged indifferently and then smiled at him coyly. He felt two completely different lines tugging at him. Her seductive smile played to the façade of her employment while her eyes, flickering with the depth of her true nature, were endearing. She arched a knowing eyebrow at him, "You seem to have taken an interest."

Startled, Jax shifted his sight back to his lap, coughing and raising his fist to his mouth to cover his surprise the best he could. Her honest laugh was melodious.

"It's all right!" She assured him, "You're not the only one, believe me. You're awfully dressed up for a place like this. If you aren't here because you want to have fun, then what brings you? If you say business I swear I'll laugh you right out the door, mister..?"

"Jacks. Jasper Jacks," He offered his hand across the table and she vigorously accepted and shook it. She seemed surprised. Jax relaxed, glad to finally level the playing field by catching her off guard.

"Jax, huh? With your reputation I'd expect to find you at the hospital, or in a church: as far away from this place as possible. I hear we dancers are bad press for good boys like you."

"Dancers? All right, will go with that. Do you have a name, Miss Dancer?"

"The guys around here just cal me Cours." At his puzzled expression she added, "It's short for Courtney."

"Pretty. But why not Court of something like that?"

Courtney laughed and shook her head, "The people around here relate easier to beer than the judicial system."

Jax smiled at her. He liked her better when she wasn't hitting on him.

"Well, Cours," he said, tasting the nickname gingerly, "get ready to laugh, because I am here on business. And that's why AJ sent you over here, but you can tell him it won't work… I mean, after we finish talking."

"Like my conversation, huh?" She smiled whimsically at him, a clouded thought passing over her eyes.

"As surprising as it may be to you, not all men enjoy the sort of company this place offers." He was halfway through a vague hand motion in her direction before he realized how harsh that had come out. She was not offended, as far as he could see.

"I guess not," was all she said. Jax decided it was time to get to work. He just needed to get a feel for the place, and she was the best person to help him do it. It wouldn't be too hard, with the chemistry he knew they were both feeling.

"What brings you to a place like that?" He leaned forward, gauging her surprise. It was apparent that she was not used to this sort of conversation.

"I needed the work, what else?" She grinned flirtatiously and copied his lean, almost meeting him at the center of the table. He didn't back down, their noses brushing as she continued to speak. He smiled back at her with his classic confidence, feeling much more like himself not that he had conquered his nervousness, "You know, they say I'm really good at my job."

"I bet. I should come see you dance some time. So. Courtney, huh?"

"Yeah," she answered quickly, baffled by how easily he had brushed off her advance. She was aware that the reigns had shifted completely from her hands.

"Courtney what?"

Still reeling, "Matthews."

"Well, Miss Matthews, it was a pleasure speaking with you. Give AJ my best." He stood, left money on the table, and made for the exit. Courtney leapt from her seat abruptly and blocked his path.

"Wait a minute, where are you going?"

"Home. It's been a long, trying day. I'm hoping tomorrow will be better." He concealed his smile and tried to pass her, but she stepped into him, gently running her hands down the lapels of his jacket.

"Tonight could be good, too, you know," she said, slipping once more into her job description. Jax smiled at her graciously, person to person, and took her elbows into his hands, easing her into a few steps backwards. His path clear, he walked to the door, took his hat, scarf and coat from the door clerk, and left without as much as a glance over his shoulder. Courtney followed a few steps behind like a lost puppy, determined not to lose the man who could provide for her that night.

"I have no need for a hooker, you know," he called back to her casually, his lightly accented voice filling the empty alley. "You should go back inside. The night is still young, I'm sure you could find some other meal ticket tonight." This speech prompted Courtney to follow him deeper into the alley, the House almost equidistant with the street, raging softly; insulted because it was probably true. She opened her mouth to yell at his back, but he cut her off. He turned to face her, smiling as warmly as if they had known each other for yours. It was so sudden that she almost crashed into him. "I'm sure you have no need for a scruffy, lime-light monger philanthropist like me."

"You wouldn't know about my needs," she snapped back, frowning and folding her arms over her chest protectively. His smile quelled her anger, which only managed to tick her off on a different level.

"Well, no. I may not know anything about them, or you, but I can assume."

"You know what they say about people who assume."

He ignored her as he reached into the breast pocket of his jacket. She recoiled a step, but before she could fully come to terms with the fact that she was alone in a seedy alley with a complete stranger that might like to strangle naughty little girls in the night he produced a harmless business card and held it out to her. She accepted it carefully, as if it were laced with some devastating disease. He titled his hat.

"If you ever find yourself in need of a friend, away from your 'job', that's my address. I'm a busy guy, but if you need me, I'll be there for you. And before you say 'but you don't even know me': I understand. But I'm a nice guy. It's actually what I'm known for."

"Better be careful with these cards," she said, feeling patronized, "loose women are known for making late calls. Bad press, after all. You'd be all over the papers for all new reasons." She offered it back to him, but he didn't take it.

"I guess I'll just go with the old 'she's just a friend' quote."

"How can you call me fr-"

"Goodnight, Courtney Matthews," he said with a wave over his shoulder. She stood stiff for a long time, even after he had vanished into the foggy night. She held the card tightly in her fist, crumpling the thick paper. A chill ran down her body. She couldn't decide if it was from the strange encounter with one of the most famous nice-guys in Port Charles, or because she was standing scantily clad in frigid night air that was heavy with an airborne layer of mist from the docks nearby. She felt inclined towards the former, but, not being a particularly romantic person, she hugged herself tightly and returned to the arid warmth of the House.

AJ was waiting for her when she came back. He had been watching all the while, and by his expression she could tell he was ready to chew her out for coming back before dawn. She didn't feel like putting up with him, and really just wanted to go to bed, so she ignored him completely, brushing by him pointedly as she made her way to and up the stairs to the small apartment that she called home. He let her go, looking exasperated. It wasn't like he didn't know where she lived.

Before changing and turning in for the night, being as close to silent as she could to not disturb the one of two roommates that was already asleep. Courtney went to a small desk that sat in the very corner of the room. It wasn't a desk in the formal sense of the word, but more a small, stumpy table that she could –and had to- sit at without a chair. She justified the cheap and worn look of the wood by way of 'comfort'. She sat down, folding her legs under her and resting lightly on her knees, and put the crumpled card on the work top. With trembling hands she unfolded and flattened it the best she could, smiling at the name that stared up at her in bold print. She doubted she would ever see him again.

It sure had been fun, though.

(I know what you're thinking. Not that great, but please, leave me a review! I have the second chapter ready for upload... say... after ten reviews (or I get tired of waiting)... after that... I'm not sure if I'll continue it. We'll see. -)