CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED

They left the Haunted Star by a back entryway, not through the main lounge. A van was waiting for the to transport them down to the docks. Once they had agreed on their plan, Jason had arranged for a boat to meet them there. They waited in the van for the call that told them that the boat had arrived.

They were a silent group. All that had been needed to be said had been said. The new additions to the group checked and rechecked their weapons. Stan, their tech-man, unshouldered his knap-sack and did incomprehensible things with various objects he'd brought with him.

The silence was broken by the vibrating hum of a cell phone. All eyes went to Jax. He answered it quickly.

"Nikolas."

"Alexis never showed. Where is she and what's happening?" Jax's silence spoke volumes. "Something is wrong and you're not telling me…." This time the silence shimmered into stunned comprehension. "It's Helena, isn't it? What has she done to Alexis!"

"We cant find her." Jax admitted.

"I'm coming home. On the first charter I can commandeer."

Jax had to stop him, so he was blunt. "You can't. You do that, you move too precipitously and you'll tip Helena off to the fact we know she's involved." Jax warned him. "All we have working for us now is the element of surprise.

"Us? What us? Who else is involved?" Nikolas demanded.

Jax didn't answer him directly. "I'm using every resource available to keep Alexis safe. Whatever your grandmother has going on, is part of some time long range, well thought out plan. If we're gong to thwart it, then we have to be capable of fighting her. If you rush in here to the rescue, you blow whatever advantage we might have at this point. So Nikolas, don't do it. I know your first instinct is to protect Alexis. But your actions may do more harm than good."

"So I'm supposed to just sit here and do nothing, Jax? That's not going to happen."

"Any unplanned move could destroy everything. You can't take any action that might change the balance of power in this situation. Helena can't know that we're onto her plans."

"We're not – you are." Nikolas replied angrily. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Anything I know now, is just a guess. As soon as I know anything for sure, I will let you know. I promise." Jax knew that Nikolas wasn't satisfied, and he hated keeping anything from him, but he could tell from the younger man's voice that it was for the best. He was usually a level-headed young man, Alexis had told him so many times that Nikolas had an "old soul", but his hatred of Helena's meddling in his life might cost him the usual level headedness, the reserve, that usually marked Nikolas' character. Alexis' life depended on so many – too many - things going just right. At this point, Jax just couldn't afford to take the chance that anything at all could go against them. Nikolas would understand that – once everything was over and done with. With that in mind, he managed to calm Nikolas and make him see reason and that done, he ended the call

"Nice move, Aussie." Luke was the only one who had a comment of course. "I know that Nikolas is supposed to be the one raised with all the inbred coolness of royal blood, yadda yadda yadda, but never forget, the Cassadine fires burn in him as well. If he knew what was going on, he could become the joker in the deck, and any action by him could throw a monkey wrench into the works. Much better not to let him in on the plan. He'll forgive the lie later."

"I know you lie to every one whenever it suits you, but I didn't enjoy it." Jax said.

"No one asked you to. But lying is a necessary evil at times."

"Spare me the philosophic arguments, Luke" Jax said. He wasn't feeling happy with himself right about now, and Luke was not helping. Definitely not helping.

Luke was spared the necessity of handing out more words of wisdom by a discreet knock on the side of the van. Jason drew his weapon then slid the side door open. He relaxed as he recognized the boat's pilot and they followed him back to the chartered boat.

Once aboard, Luke went forward with the pilot to give him directions. The others went down into the cabin to await the end of their journey. Only Sonny, Jax and Jason remained on the deck, Jax and Sonny both lost in their own thoughts. Satisfied that their departure had been unnoticed and they weren't being followed, Jason took a long measuring look at them both, and then moved off, choosing to join Luke in the pilot's cabin.

The two men were left alone with the dark, with no other sounds but the rushing waves and the growing wind. Sonny glanced at the sky. Even in the dark, he could see the clouds massing overhead. There was no doubt that a storm was brewing. He stared into the darkness, barely able to make out the outlines of the island; it was just a mass of black against black, shifting shadows that filled him with a premonition of danger.

Sonny's heart jerked painfully in his chest as he recognized the path the boat was taking. They weren't heading for the island's main docks, but had veered around it in a long arc, around to the leeward side, where the cottage that Alexis had taken him lay. In his mind's eye, he was seeing her again as she had looked that night, and the thought that he might never see her again sent a shiver through his soul.

"Alexis…" her name escaped his lips unknowing. Then all of a sudden he was aware of Jax's eyes on him. He turned to the other man. "Whatever happens when we get in there, you make sure Alexis gets out of there safe. That's the only thing that's important, and the only thing I want. She gets out safe. No matter what."

"Not a problem." Jax answered him, his voice just as short and quiet as Sonny's had been. He started to say one thing, that Sonny was the last person he either needed or wanted to tell him about how important Alexis' life was but something inside himself, something that he felt radiating from Sonny Corinthos made him stop himself before the words were ever spoken. With no small sense of shock he realized what Sonny was really saying. He was telling him that he was giving his life for Alexis'. For the first time maybe, Jax was being forced to realize just how much Alexis had come to mean to Sonny.

"We're going to get her, Sonny. We're going to get her, and bring her home…. she's going to come home, so I can drive her crazy with my nagging her to lead a healthier lifestyle… and she will ignore me and spend all of her time getting you out from under the thumb of the PCPD and you know how much she loves that." Jax saw Sonny's expression shifted slightly. He could see the tiniest spark of relief creep into his gaze, that someone else believed that Alexis was still safe and alive and believed that everything was going to turn out all right in the end.

Something inside changed for Jax too. To his own surprised self, he felt his expression change into a smile; he was actually smiling at Sonny to reassure him. And it was nowhere as hard as he would have once thought it was.

Adding to his surprise, after a long moment, Sonny smiled back. It was a grim smile, and there was tension on the edges on it and a very real fear lurking just behind it, a fear that Sonny was doing his best to keep hidden. But at the same time it was an acknowledgement of despite all that had gone on between them, on this, for the love of one Alexis Davis; they were joined in a common cause. After another long measuring moment, Sonny put out his hand. And looking him directly in the eye, Jax took it. Both of them looked down at their joined hands. After that, there was no more to be said.

Sonny was feeling the same as Jax, a little bit stunned and in spite of everything, feeling a little bit lighter in his heart. Both men had somehow come to accepting the other's presence in Alexis' life. Sonny realized that Jax would always care for Alexis –no love her - just as much as she…loved… him. Nothing and no one would change that. And Jax's handshake meant that he had finally accepted the fact that whatever Sonny and Alexis had found...it was real.

Jax turned back and looked out over the water. He hadn't wanted to believe it, but there was no more denying it. Sonny loved Alexis and that could only have happened if Alexis loved him too. And suddenly, that was all right with him. Whatever it was that made Alexis happy, then that was what he wanted for her. And he would do - was going to do - anything and everything to give her whatever it was her heart wanted.

All he asked was the chance to make it so.