CHAPTER FOURTEEN
 

         Just as she expected, Alexis walked back into the main club area and into to a scene she'd rather not see. Sonny was at the base of the steps leading down into the club, glaring up at AJ. Courtney was there, clutching AJ's arm, looking half-frightened but half defiant, like a wise-eyed bedraggled kitten facing an older tom-cat…almost hissingly rebellious in the face of her older brother's anger. And there was Carly, right by Sonny's side, putting herself in the middle of it, elbows flailing, lips working furiously as she railed at her ex-husband. Her desire to put herself anywhere in Sonny's concerns was sickening to watch.

         In spite of herself, it was Sonny that mattered most to Alexis, of course. She could read his body language all too well, from the rigid jaw to clenched fist.  Did AJ realize just how close he was to starting something he might not be able to finish? She didn't think so…he tried to hide it but the sheen of self-satisfaction in his eyes virtually glowed in his eyes. He knew Sonny's weaknesses almost as well as she did. Courtney was a major one. Trading barbs and insults with Carly as just icing on the cake.

         Alexis couldn't hear the words, but did she really need to? No…it was too achingly familiar. Sonny looked set to explode. Carly as usual, had put herself square in the middle of things and her presence was doing nothing more aggravate the entire situation. And suddenly, Alexis was tired of it all. A dull, throbbing ache spread outward from her heart, draining all energy from her and leaving a gaping hole where her heart once was.

         She leaned against the doorway and sighed. The clock had struck midnight and prince charming had turned back into the toad. Or did he lose his slipper? There had always been something about north american fairy tales she'd never quite been able to grasp. Alexis wanted nothing more to leave, but the protective part of her looked around the seething crowd but saw no signs of Kristina. She didn't want to leave without letting her sister know. But she couldn't stay here much longer.

         But suddenly, somehow, Jax was at her side. Wordlessly, he slipped an arm around her shoulder and Alexis gratefully leaned into his solid comforting strength. Inexplicably and totally against her will, a sudden sting of tears threatened to blind her vision. She blinked furiously trying to will her tears away. Her throat was too tight to do more than whisper. "I can not do this now." She murmured.

         Jax looked down at her. "Then don't." He fished in his pocket for a moment. "I have to baby-sit the club until it closes, but I want you to go to the yacht. Stay as long as you want, do what you want. Scream, shout, break things…there's even a shelf full of popcorn…" his heart burned in rage as he watched Alexis try and smile up at him through the shield of pain surrounding her. "And a bar stocked with Stoli  -just the best for my special guests, mind you -- and whatever else you want."  Jax beckoned to one of his men. "Jackson, Can you see Ms. Davis to my yacht, please. Use the side exit door from the main office to ensure her privacy."

         The headwaiter smiled sympathetically and nodded. "Right away, Mr. Jacks."

         "But Kristina…." She began.She couldn't just leave without a word to her sister…

         "You can't be the gatekeeper all the time, Alexis." Jax told her. "Sometimes, you have to let someone else take care of you. Let me do that for you. I hate to see an ex-wife so down." His banter brought a slight smile to her face, but he knew that it wasn't real. Jax ached for her. He watched as Alexis shrugged off Sonny's jacket and handed it to Jax.

         "Could you see that he gets this back?" she asked. "I know you would rather not." 

         Even as she asked, her eyes dropped down from his and the gesture pained him. "I'll take care of everything, Alexis." Jax assured her.  He'd take care of anything that mattered to her, and not only because there was no one else to do it. Corinthos was no where worthy of her trust, even if she couldn't see that just yet. "You go and take care of yourself."

         He watched as his maitre d' escorted Alexis through the corridor leading to the offices out back. After she'd disappeared, Jax beckoned to several of his waiters. "Let's get this mess cleaned up and the party moving." He forced a smile onto his face. "It's opening night, isn't it?"
        

 It took more than a few minutes but they managed to get everyone to neutral corners and the music to start playing again.Jax signaled the dj to get the music jumping once again and somehow managed to get the crowd turned their attention back to the party, but the hum of conversation guaranteed that the highlight of the night would not be the opening itself, as he had hoped. Damn Corinthos, Jax thought. Carly had taken advantage of their confrontaino with her ex-husband and pulled Sonny over to a table on the far side of the room. Sonny was still glowering, not that Jax gave a damn. Why did he have to even come here tonight? Everywhere he went, trouble followed. AJ, as equally bull-headed, had refused to leave but had taken a table on this side. Courtney was still with him; but her eyes kept straying over to the table where her brother sat.
         Jax turned to the bar and ordered a shot of schnapps.  He downed it in one swift movement, cursing Corinthos again as he swallowed.

         "Where is she?" The hated but all-too-familiar voice intruded rudely into his thoughts.

Jax jerked his head  around and glared at Sonny. "She's not here, Corinthos. The last thing she wanted to do was stay and watch the circus. You know…you, your wife, your sister and company."

Sonny said nothing in reply. Looking into his eyes, Jax could see him mentally shrug and begin to turn away and the unspoken dismissal infuriated him. "Do you know why, Corinthos?" Jax grabbed him by the arm and swung him back around. Sonny jerked free instantly, but stood there, stone faced as Jax continued.                        
         "Do you even care? The truth of it is that Alexis couldn't bear to stand here any longer and watch you and the trouble you bring. Your private life is just as explosive as your public life, Sonny. How can you subject a woman like Alexis to your constant barrage of baggage? Your life is garbage and she deserves so much better…she is so high above you.. You can't even aspire to touch the soles of her shoes…and she deserves better than having you insinuate yourself into her life…after all she's been through, doesn't she at least deserve some peace?"

In the face of Sonny's continued silence, Jax swept the jacket up from the back of the nearby chair and flung it in Sonny's face.. "She left this behind. I hope she has the sense to do the same to you."

         Sonny caught his jacket in one clenched hand and at last, the stone façade of Corinthos' mask cracked. For a moment. His eyes blazed as they stared into Jax's. Their rivalry had been along one of longstanding enmity and his friendship with Alexis had only strengthened their mutual hatred.

"What Alexis chooses or doesn't choose, is not up to you, Jax." Sonny said, his voice, low and controlled, and in definite opposition to the fire in his eyes.

"…but I get you...you'd do anything to keep her from making any choices that you don't agree with."

         "If you mean any choices that exclude you from her life, then you couldn't be more right, Corinthos. You're poison. You destroy any and everything you touch.  And I'll protect Alexis from you anyway I can. You think you know her, but you don't. She thinks she knows you, but she doesn't. But I won't let you destroy her in the process. You can't help yourself…I understand that about you. You have a self-destructive streak in you… the life you've chosen is one that doesn't cherish life.. But I won't let you choose that life for Alexis as well."

Sonny couldn't help himself. "And if she makes her own choices…how does that sit with you?"

            "She'd never choose you, Corinthos. Never."