CHAPTER 8
Julian looked down at Alexis as she slept peacefully in his arms. He wanted to see her beautiful eyes open but instead caressed her back gently not wanting to wake her from her hard won slumber. He on the other hand refused to sleep as he kept silent vigil over his family.
His heart broke as he remember how she had brokenly asked him how he could love someone so unlovable that her own father had fed her to the wolves. Julian had clenched his fist at her admission, the thought that any father could make their child feel so unloved made him see red.
Alexis was the most precious person in his life and if he lived to be one hundred years old he would never get tired of telling her. Before her there was no one who he had ever loved as much and after her there would never be anyone else. She was the single most amazing women he had ever met and the only true happiness he had ever found was the few stolen moments they'd had since they met. That she was worthy of someone so much better than him was a given but he was to much of a coward to ever give her up. Besides, he knew he didn't deserve her but he would dare anyone to name one man that actually did.
As he continued to stroke her back gently he suddenly heard a loud commotion coming from outside of the cottage. He quickly but carefully got out from under Alexis and he went to look out the window. What he saw made his muscles tighten at the implication of the flames that were engulfing the trees. He immediately looked down and gently shook Alexis "Sweetheart get up" he said even as he put his clothes on. Only when he saw that she was awake and alert, did he moved to the doorway shouting directions at her "Get dressed, we have to go, the house is on fire."
He shouted to Nicolas to wake up, when he saw the young man running towards him he gave him orders. "Hurry wake everyone, the fire is moving fast we have to get out of here" Nicolas ran towards the room his uncle was staying in; yelling for Sam and Molly to wake up. Not wanting to let Alexis out of his sight, lest Valentine use the opportunity to take her, he waited until she was dressed and grab her hand as they ran towards Molly and Sam's rooms.
Julian let go of her hand only long enough so that she could wake Molly and he could help Sam with Danny. "Sam, honey wake up." he said even as he grabbed Danny "The house is on fire" Sam, use to situations like this, from her time with Jason, sprang up immediately and pulled her shoes on and grabbed her gun, as she followed her dad out the door to join the rest of the family in the hall" as he handed Danny over to Alexis, Julian heard Molly ask in a trembling voice. "Mom, what's going on"
Before Alexis could answer Stefan answered in his deep, husky voice "Valentine has made his move" as he said the words, Julian's pulled his gun out just as Sam and Nicholas did the same. He heard the distinct sound of gunfire getting closer and pulled Alexis closer to him.
"We have to go. He is only after Alexis and myself but Alexis is his true target. We need to split off Alexis and I will..." Stefan said as he walked closer to Alexis.
"No" exploded Julian startling Danny who promptly began to cry. Julian tried to keep his irritation down but if her brother thought he would ever leave Alexis with only her crazy brother as protection then the man was far more gone than he originally thought.
"We don't have time for this." Stefan moved forward with the intent to take Alexis's hand but Julian stepped in front of Alexis effectively blocking Stefan from approaching her.
"I said no" he growled out leaving no room for argument.
"Fine" Stefan said in frustration knowing he would get no where he did the next best thing to help his sister "Alexis give me the baby he is to big for you to carry and we are going to have to move fast." Alexis looked at Julian and he nodded, reluctantly acknowledging that Stefan was stronger and would be able to carry the boy easier. Alexis threw a cover over Danny to protect him from the flames and so he wouldn't be scared as they ran through the fire.
Julian took Alexis's hand in his as she grabbed onto Molly and moved them towards the side exit of the cottage. "Everyone stay close" he opened the door and the family ran out into the burning woods.
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Molly ran silently behind her mother as they ran away from the cottage. They had been running for almost an hour and she was more scared than she ever had been. Molly had always fantasized about a romantic adventure in which she would be rescued and now that she was in the situation she just wanted to lay on the couch wrapped in her mom's arms.
Suddenly Julian and her mom stopped and she took a moment to catch her breath. She was sweating and having a hard time breathing because of the smoke. She didn't know how Julian knew where they were because she couldn't see a thing in front of her.
"Baby sit down and rest for a bit" her mom said as she helped her sit on the grass. She bent down and place a kiss on the top of her head before she moved back towards Julian.
Molly looked at her uncle Stefan who was holding Danny securely against his chest. She heard Julian called Sam who immediately moved towards her dad, gun in front of her at the ready. Nicholas stayed back as father, mother and daughter moved forward away from the group to discuss they next step. Julian turned towards the group "I am going to run up ahead. I need to find the river marker so that we can head towards my safe house." he turned towards Alexis, grabbed her hands in his and put the gun in her hand. "If someone other than me comes out of those woods, you shoot" he said as he tightened her hold on the gun.
"No Julian" she started to argue.
"If you have to make a split decision between saving yourself and our family or pulling the trigger" he looked up into her disbelieving eyes. "You promise me you will shoot"
"Julian" she begged.
"Promise me" He pleaded. "Promise me Alexis" he begged as he kissed her quickly and desperately.
"I promise." she leaned into his ear, not really feeling like joking but needing him to know she was okay and not worry about her, she whispered "But you better be the one that comes through those woods Julian" she kissed the shell of his ear "Don't make wait, I am not a fan of delayed gratification" she smiled as he sucked in a breath.
"Tease" he joked backed quickly pulling her in for another quick kiss and just as quickly pulling away before he disappeared into the woods.
"Mom" Sam approached Alexis slowly not wanting to startle her mother while she held the gun. "Do you know how to use that mom" Sam smirked at her mother.
"Your father has been teaching me some interesting stuff Sam" she smiled at the child that she had lost as a baby and was so grateful to have found again. She was so beautiful, her little girl and she loved her so much.
"Come on mom, I said no details" she said as the pair began to laughed good naturedly.
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Once Julian was out of view Molly felt her mother sit down next to her again and wrap her in her arms. Molly felt the tears start rolling down her face immediately at the realization that this was actually happening. Some crazy psychopath was after her mother, intent on taking her away from them. She looked up at her mom and knew without a doubt that she never wanted to live in world in which her mother was not with her. Molly could feel the flames getting closer to them and she burrowed closer to Alexis needing her mother's arms around her to make her feel safe.
Molly thought about what she had heard tonight about her mom's childhood and her admiration grew for the incredible women she was lucky to call mom. She had always loved the way her mom could walk into a room and cut down anyone with the turn of a phrase. As a little girl her mom had been her whole world especially after her father had left and she had no contact with him. And her mom had made her and Kristina a priority ad then Sam when she found out Sam was her daughter.
As she grew up and heard the things her friends' parents would say about her mom being the Mob's mouthpiece she had sometimes been embarrassed but most of the time she enjoyed the notoriety she got when her classmates learned of her connections. She always thought that if people could see the way her mother talked to Sonny Corinthos the man would lose all creditability as a Mob boss. She was always amused at the way her uncle Sonny would bend to her mother's will to get what he needed out of her mother. Just as the memories of all the times Alexis had made Sonny cave had started making Molly feel that everything would be okay; the silence was shattered by the sound of three gunshots and her mom's quiet "no".
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Alexis had just turned towards Molly when she heard three shots ring out. She stood automatically walking towards where she had last seen Julian.
"No. Julian. Please not you." she whispered.
"Mom" Sam put her hands on either of her arms "We have to go" Alexis looked at the tear filled eyes of her daughter through her own blurry eyes as the unshed tears in her eyes threaten to fall.
"No, I can't what if he needs our help and can't find us. You two go on with Stefan and Nicholas. Julian and I will join you as soon as we can" she said half-heartedly.
"Mom" Sam begged "We have to hide" she grabbed her mom's hand. "Come on Molly" she ordered her sister.
"No Sam I am not leaving him" she was barely able to choke out the words through the lump in her throat that had suddenly taken up residence. "I can't leave him" she begged her daughter to understand.
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Sam heard the shots fired and she felt the blood drain from her face as she realized the father she had come to love was quite possibly dead. She looked at her mom and knew she had come to the same realization.
She saw her mom wrap her arms around herself as any warmth she had left her body, her eyes overflowing with tears. Sam knew how strong her mom was but this could be the one thing that broke her. She knew she would keep going because of her girls and Danny but the pain of losing Julian would destroy her.
The moment her mom had met Derek Wells she had been instantly smitten. Sam had never seen her mom fall so hard and so fast. Sam had seen the instant attraction between the two and as an added bonus the man had saved her baby. Sam had teased her mom mercilessly about him in the beginning and it had seemed that the two were moving into the direction of becoming more than friends. But Julian's revenge against Sonny had gotten in the way.
Sam remembered the day she had visited her mom and had again teased her about Derek and instead of the blushing smile that Sam had come to expect her mother to have, at the mere mention of Julian, she had looked down and admitted to her in a heartbroken, resigned sigh that once again Carly had lured another man into her cave.
Sam had told her mom to fight. Her mom was everything Carly could never be classy, smart, strong, a great mom and above all she didn't need a man to prop her up. But Alexis refused to be swayed and haughtily told her daughter that she would not pursue a man who had such bad tastes as Derek. Sam knew no matter how hurt she was, Alexis Davis was not someone that allowed herself to be defined by a man, she also never shared her heartbreak with anyone, she just went on as if nothing had happened.
Sam had not been privy to just exactly how Julian was finally able to win her mom over but once her mom let go the two could not stay away from each other. And though Sam had been skeptical of Julian Jerome the moment she saw Julian with her mom was the moment she accepted it because what she saw in her dad's eyes was pure and all encompassing love for her mother and now as she watch her mother move almost robotically Sam wondered, as the tears finally won and started running down her cheek, if she had just lost both of her parents.
*****Thank you for the reviews. I just wanted to thank the GH writers for their delayed gratification. That scene always makes me giddy*****