Chapter 9

A/N: Thanks for all the lovely feedback. We love it. More stuff is about to go down, just you wait. Next chapter in the works: Memorial services, Liason couples counseling and another death. Can you guess who? And maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe, you get your first peek at Maxi's would-be girlfriend. And this Liason sex scene is dirty. Sexy, smutty, dirty. It is not sweet and fluffy love-making, so be aware.

"Alexis?" Sam said, pushing the door open and peeking inside. She'd been knocking for a couple of minutes with no answer. "Alexis?"

Sam walked in and looked around, ending in the bedroom. Where she heard a noise from the closet.

She slowly opened the door to find Alexis, still in the clothes she'd been wearing when Sam saw her at the PCPD, fetal in a corner.

"Alexis, come out of there," she said softly.

Alexis just shook her head.

"I sent him after you… I sent him… I sent him," she whispered.

Sam kneeled next to the other woman.

"No one made Jax do anything. And Lucky," her heart contracted painfully, "I… I don't know what to do and I need you. So, please, come on."

Alexis just started to keen.

"Lucky and Carly and the pilot... They're dead… It's my fault."

Sam blew out her breath.

"If you want to place blame, it's mine. I could have taken my phone, called before I left. I don't know… I thought Jason would tell you he… But it's not his fault either. It's no one's fault, Alexis," Sam said, finally.

Alexis didn't move.

Sam stood up and retreated from the closet. She opened her cell phone and made a call.

"Jerry, Alexis needs you. Right now."

Jerry showed up in ten minutes. Sam directed him to the closet.

"Alexis, love, it's not your fault. It's foolish to blame yourself. In all honesty, there was a good chance my brother would have gotten himself killed soon anyway."

Alexis gasped, which satisfied Jerry, as it pulled her from the fugue.

"If he hadn't gone in a plane crash… He might have fallen off the side of a mountain, been caught in a snow storm, rip-tide, any manner of stupid way to die. Usually involving a woman, what with his white knight complex. And regardless of all those things, there is no reason for you to condemn yourself to a life in the closet."

Alexis looked at him, stricken.

"But he's your brother. You must hate me."

"No, I don't. You didn't put a gun to his head and make him leave, nor did you force that plane into the Atlantic. I don't blame you, our mother doesn't, apparently Sam doesn't. You are martyring yourself for no good reason," he said, taking her by the hand and pulling her up and out of the closet.

"But Lucky and Carly and that poor pilot…"

"Yes, I did quite like Brock, good man, ex-CIA."

Alexis looked at him as if he'd grown another head.

Sam was sitting on Alexis' bed.

"I'm so sorry, Alexis. If I'd known the trouble…"

"Yes, that's something I don't understand. Why did Lucky think Sam had been kidnapped?" Jerry asked, settling Alexis at the head of the bed, against the pillows.

Sam turned to face them.

"I don't know."

Alexis spoke.

"Your blood was at the scene. There were missing Russians. Lucky said your cover might have been blown." Alexis' eyes cleared a bit. "That was a stupid, stupid, irresponsible thing to do."

"Which part?" Sam asked dismally.

"Putting yourself anywhere near those gangsters. Why…" she stopped, "it doesn't matter. But I want to know how your blood was outside the warehouse."

Sam looked even more miserable.

"I tripped over my own stupid feet, fell onto an exposed nail and gave myself a huge gash," she said, lifting her t-shirt a bit on the left side, exposing stitches. "I just went to a hospital in Manhattan after I got the bleeding stopped."

"You're a very foolish girl," Jerry said coldly.

Sam flashed anger back at him.

She contemplated exposing Jerry's part with the Russians, but Alexis was devastated enough, so she wouldn't. And he knew it, by the look on his face.

"I guess so," was all she said.

Jerry put his hand on Alexis' face.

"There are things I must do today. But I will be back." He turned to Sam. "You will stay with her until I return?"

Sam gave him a 'fuck you' look.

"Of course."

Jerry leaned down and placed a kiss on Alexis' temple.

"I'll be back soon," he whispered to her.

The Scorpio/Jones/Drake clan had convened in the OB waiting area with bated breath. Mac, Maxi, Georgie, Anna, Robert and Noah were there, along with Jagger. Met by Aiden Devane, who'd flown in from Pine Valley at Anna's call and Brenda Barrett, who caught a private plane from D.C. when Cooper called.

Everyone was milling around, catching up.

Maxi and Georgie had given a collective squee when Brenda walked in.

There was much hugging and talking.

"Look at you two," Brenda said, taking in the sisters, "All womanified…"

"You're looking pretty good yourself. All that tropical island sun looks like it's doing you good," Maxi said.

"Girl, I have been no where near the tropics, but thanks."

"Maxi's only saying that because she's gay now," Georgie put in.

Brenda's jaw dropped. Jagger looked a little confused as well, as he hadn't been at the previous party at Jake's.

"Yup, I'm gay. A lesbian. A sister of Sappho."

"That's a word with some historical significance… You been reading up?" Brenda asked, laughing.

"I'm just learning about my people," Maxi replied, smiling.

Jagger shook his head.

Then Patrick walked in.

"You folks ready to see the lovely Miss Alyssa Rose Scorpio-Drake?"

They looked at him expectantly.

"You can follow me, but you need to be as quiet as you can. She's in temporary isolation, until all of her tests come back, but you can look."

They all got a peek, 2 and 3 at a time, following Patrick to the NICU, where little Alyssa was staying, 'just in case'. Everyone wore gowns, gloves and masks with out complaint.

Robert and Anna first, with Noah. They came out smiling and full of wonderment. Robert was leaning on his ex, almost in tears.

Georgie, Maxi and Brenda went in together.

"She's all red and squishy," Georgie said, smiling at the tiny one through the plastic.

"Duh," Maxi whispered, "She is fresh from the womb."

Brenda just stared at her cousin's baby.

"She's beautiful, Patrick," she said. "How's Robin doing?"

They walked to the exit.

"She's in recovery. Everything went smoothly. Dr. Lee and Dr. Huang from obstetrics performed the C-Section, Liz was there as an observer for her training as a midwife in Kelly's practice. Leyla did an excellent job. I cried and almost fainted, but I am apparently the woman in this relationship…" he said, laughing.

"Tell Robin you'll have the next one, then," Brenda teased.

Patrick smiled and ushered the next group in.

"I hate to run," Maxi said, to the group in general, "But with everything that happened, there's a big kerfuffle at Crimson and Jerry Jacks wants me there." She turned to Brenda. "Tell Robin I love her and good job for me when you see her and that I'll visit as soon as I can."

Brenda nodded and Maxi left.

Brenda turned to Georgie.

"Let's go see the little Mama."

Jerry and Diane exited the elevator into the offices of Crimson.

Maxi was sitting at her desk, looking bored. She hopped up at the sight of the two.

"Thank God you're here," she said, "Kate won't open the door. She just keeps crying about how it's Jason's fault and 'how can she go on?'. Please, Diane, talk some sense into her." She turned to Jerry. "I'm sorry about your brother, he was kind of a hottie."

"Um, thank you, Maxi. You'll need to join us in Kate's office."

"Why? What's going on?"

Diane knocked on the door.

"Kate? It's Diane. I need you to come unlock the door, or I'll have to call a locksmith and that'll take forever, and Max is planning on wooing me back more tonight and I can't be late."

They heard the sounds of sobs.

"Jerry's here, honey. He needs to talk to you about Jax."

There was movement and the lock turned.

Diane, Jerry and Maxi entered the office. Kate had thrown herself back into her chair.

"Kate, Jerry is the executor of Jax's will-"

Fresh sobs from Kate.

Diane just spoke louder. And decided to use her big girl voice.

"You are a strong, independent woman who has no business falling apart at the death of a small time crook who would have cheated on you anyway and/or left you at the alter. Did I mention he's faked his death before? But not this time. The world is finally well rid of Sonny Corinthos."

Kate looked shocked.

"How can you be so cruel?"

Maxi had been thinking the same thing. Jerry was just amused.

"It's true. Let's count the women he's left, buried, cheated on or cheated with."

"That's not the focus of our meeting today," Jerry intervened. "We are here to discuss, per Jax's will, what is to happen with Crimson."

Kate sat up, Maxi perked up.

"I can't stay in Port Charles," Kate wailed.

"That is quite enough, dear lady," Jerry said, cutting her off. "And there is a solution to that issue. Diane?"

"Before Jax's death, there had been a deal in the works to open a Crimson office in Paris. This would be the perfect time to head to France."

"Who'll run this office?" Kate asked.

Maxi stuck her hand in the air.

"Uh, hello, remember me. The girl running this office since you started those ill thought out wedding plans."

Diane gave Maxi a look, as if to say 'don't get her started again'.

Jerry gave Maxi an appraising look.

"It had been Jax's plan to have Kate oversee the Paris office and hand day to day operation of this office over to Maxi Jones."

"Really?" Maxi squealed. "Sorry," she said, more subdued.

"The budget will continue as it had for this office. It is in fact the only asset I am not liquidating, at my brother's request. He wanted you to have Crimson, and I will be your financial backer now."

"Cool with me," Maxi said.

Diane took Kate's hand.

"Paris. Home of the hottest fashion in Europe. Fresh baguettes everyday and all the lovely coffee you can drink. The best way to begin a new life."

"I miss Sonny…"

"I know. I just don't know why. That's not the point. You need to take care of you now. Not wallow in self pity."

Kate took the point.

"When would I leave?"

"Seriously? I'm running Crimson New York?" Maxi pondered.

"Yes, with well trained assistance," Jerry replied.

Kate and Diane made plans for Kate's exit from the States.

Jason caught Liz coming out of the hospital.

"I know Robin just had her baby and you're probably tired, so I'd like to drive you home," he said, walking up to her.

Liz looked at him and sighed.

"But my car's here."

He smiled, so did she.

Once inside the parking structure, Jason asked, "So when do you want to get married?"

She stopped by the car and looked at him.

"Not any time soon."

"What? Why?"

"Don't sound surprised. We have so many things to deal with before we take vows. The least of which, at this very moment, is our screwed up past. I also have concerns about the future. Like, what are you going to do? Be a house husband?" She took a very deep breath. "Additionally, my love, you just shot and killed your ex-boss/business partner/friend, your best friend just died in a plane crash and there's a little boy who just lost his parents and Michael in a coma to worry about.""Jesus, Elizabeth." "Yes, it's alot. It's so much we can't go forward until we dig through it and find us." "What are you talking about?" Jason asked, leaning against her car.

She stood in front of him.

"Go ahead, wallow in denial. But we can't get married until we've figured it out." He stared at her blankly.

"What denial?"

"The stages of grief, Jason," Liz said, putting her hands on his face, feeling the chill on his skin from the cool night air.

"I don't want to grieve," he said flatly.

"That doesn't mean you're not going to," she said softly.

"I don't want to fight."

"I hadn't planned on it, but you have to deal with what's happened. I'm thinking couple's counseling with a little extra grief counseling thrown in for you, Mr. Denial."

"I don't need counseling."

"Yes, you do."

"I'm not going to argue this with you."

"Good, because you're going."

"Or what?"

"Or," she said, "I'm just going to have to withhold sex."

"That's extreme."

"If it's what I have to do to make you see reason. And I'll be suffering, too. We just get back together and I have to cut you off? We should be going back to my house and going at it like teen-agers, but you want to be difficult."

She paused.

"And on another note, why is it whenever you initiate sex, it's all hearts and flowers and gentle love making. Sometimes a girl just wants to get fucked."

"Nice segue. Weren't we talking about something else?"

"In my head, you've already agreed to grief counseling so we can have sex, and this is the next topic, stay with me."

"I thought you liked it."

"I never said I didn't. I do. But could we switch it up, sometimes. I'm the one who has to hop on you and make you kick it up a notch. I don't want to have to be obvious when I want you to just fucking take me. I want you to see the look in my eyes and know it's time to slam me up against the wall like a Janet Jackson song. I shouldn't have to hop on you and maul your face for you to get a clue."

"Okay."

"And now, you aren't going to talk to me, or you're going to tell me what you think I want to hear."

She took his hand. "But here I am, saying you're wrong. That's not what I want to hear. I want you to tell me want me so badly you ache. That your dick gets hard when you think of me, or get a reminder of my perfume. That you want to feel my mouth all over you. Because, damn it, Jason," Liz turned to him and pressed her hands against his gut, "That's how I feel. I think of your eyes and I want to kiss you, and my nipples harden-"

He made a sound and she pulled close. She wrapped her hands in his jacket and held him fast.

"I dream about you, Jason," Liz said, leaning in close to his ear. "I dream about your tongue on my nipples."

Jason shivered.

"I get a whiff of your cologne and I just want to find you and fuck you senseless, until you scream my name."

She was almost on top of him, leaning him over the car.

"I want to hear you say my name so badly," Liz whispered in his ear.

He grabbed her, turned her and pinned her against the car. His hands were in her hair, his mouth against hers, sucking her lip, biting gently, his tongue making her crazy.

Her hands were on him. In his hair, on his shoulders, digging under his t-shirt to find his nipples. Her nails scratched down his back as she reached into his pants to squeeze his ass. She felt him moan into her mouth.

"You could have me right here, Jason," she whispered, "If it were just a little bit warmer."

"We have to get back to your house," he moaned.

"You are very right," she replied.

The car ride was very quick.

Liz took his hand and pulled him into the house.

On the way to the bedroom, she pressed him against the wall, unzipped his pants, reached in and reminded him what he wanted.

"Come on," Liz said, taking his hand again.

Once in the room, she wasted no time getting to the under clothes. She would have gotten completely naked, but she'd worn something sexy, and she wanted him to see it.

She got the desired response.

Jason loved the black, lacy bra and panty set. And he stood there, looking at her, fever in his eyes, doing nothing. So, she became proactive.

She pulled the jacket off of him, then the t-shirt, unbuckled his belt and whispered to him the whole time.

"I knew it was you from the first time we met. Not just in a physical way. But in my heart.

"Your hands, I knew that you would caress me, slide them inside me, make me crazy."

"You know I do. You know I will," he sighed in response.

"Just say what you want, Jason."

He ran his hand over the swell of her breasts, and looked her in the eye.

"I want to make love to you."

"And I want you to know that there are all kinds of love. And I'm not a flower or glass, I'm solid all the way through. I want you to know you can have all of me."

He shuddered at her words, and she knew it was time. The clothes were gone and she pushed him on the bed and straddled his thighs. He just looked up at her, expectantly.

She slid my nails from his ears to nipples, circling them, teasing, pinching. They puckered nicely. She moved farther down, digging just a tiny bit harder into his abdomen, just above his pubic bone. His cock jumped and that made her happy as well.

His hands were on her hips, so she slid them down to my ass.

"Squeeze," Liz said, softly, "Press your fingertips in. It turns me on."

He did. He massaged her ass, applying pressure and pushing his fingertips into the soft flesh. Which made her purr…

She moved up so she was almost on top of his cock, just barely touching.

"What do you want?" Liz asked him. "And please don't say whatever I want. Because I know what I want."

He thought a moment, then put both hands on her breasts.

"I want to taste them. I want you to lay on your back, and I want to…"

She moved, deftly, so that she was on her back next to him. He leaned over her, taking one nipple in his mouth, rubbing the pad of his thumb over the other. And it was sweet. She was warming from the inside out.

His tongue was like fine sand paper against her breasts. He ran it over every part. Nipples, areolas, the heavy fullness… And then he surprised her, moving a hand between them, between her legs, two fingers teasing her.

She couldn't leave that unanswered.

She grasped him at the ribcage and ran her hands down his sides, moving to his ass, squeezing, rubbing, fondling, all those good descriptors.

She was rewarded when his cock stiffened against her thigh and he moaned against her chest. And that, too, was hot.

"Lay back," Liz whispered, pressing him onto the bed, sliding down his body until she was eye level with his cock.

He stiffened, in the good way.

"Just be calm, Jason," she murmured against his thighs and the muscles enlightened a bit. "I want to taste you, too."

She positively worshipped Jason's cock. She gave him her all; every lick, suck, nibble, swirl and grasp deliberate and calculated to make him come hard.

He did call out her name when he came, which was incredibly satisfying.

She gave his softening cock a kiss before moving up his body.

"What about you?" Jason asked breathlessly.

"You think we're done?" Liz whispered in his ear, his nipples rolled between her fingertips, pinching ever so slightly with her nails.

His breath hissed and his hands went to her face, pulling her close for a kiss. He was just so warm, she wanted to wrap up in him like a blanket and feel him all around her.

He went for all of her sensitive spots. He looked like he was taking notes on when her breathing changed, when she moved, when she moaned. She let him make his little mental lists, for a while.

Then, Liz pulled the condom from underneath the pillow.

"I want to fuck you now, Jason."

She couldn't tell if it was a cringe or a shudder, but he responded.

She wanted to get him comfortable with some harder language in bed. Or the car, or his office, or wherever she could get his cock out of his trousers.

"Don't you understand, yet? Jason… I want to ride you until I clench around you… I want to feel your thumb against my clit," she said, laying against him, her mouth pressed to his ear. "Slow circles, until I'm begging for more. I want to press my tits against your mouth, and feel you suck until my pussy is pulsing with every thrust…"

The next response was not a cringe.

She rolled the condom on him.

"Tell me," she said.

"What?" Jason asked, breathless and a little surprised.

"Say the words. Tell me what you want me to do."

He squirmed underneath her, and she moved up.

"Tell me exactly what you want me to do."

She took his hardness in her hand.

"Oh, God, Elizabeth… I want you to ride me…"

She sank onto his cock with a deep breath, angling so she could feel all of him, to the root of him.

Liz rode him slowly at first, building up his anticipation. Jason gasped as she squeezed with her inner muscles, and the heat rippled through both of them.

He stopped trying to restrain himself, took one of her breasts in hand, thumb flicking the nipple, making her gasp. The fingertips of the other hand went between them, rubbing in the delicate circles she'd asked for, and then some.

Their movements became more frantic, Liz moving faster, Jason thrusting up to meet her. It wasn't long before she was seeing stars, climax bursting through her, and she vibrated with the intensity of it.

Jason was right behind her, calling her name, grabbing her hips and thrusting a hard one last time as he filled her.

Maxi walked into Robin's room at the hospital. Mac and Brenda were still there, and apparently Patrick was visiting with little Alyssa for a while.

"I'm glad you're here, Maxi," Mac said.

"Good, I'm glad you're not going to disown me for being gay…"

"Very funny. You have it?"

"Duh…" Maxi replied.

Robin looked at Brenda, who just shrugged.

Maxi placed something Robin couldn't see into Mac's hand and he walked over to the bed.

"We got you a commitment ceremony gift. We actually thought about it after you went into labor, but it was decent timing," Mac said, handing her a ring with three keys on it. "Your house, my dear, is yours again. Maxi, Georgie and I will be moved out by the end of the week."

"You don't have to do that. Where are you going to go?"

"We're grown ups, we figured it out," Maxi said, "Dad is moving into the brownstone with Bobbie, I'm staying at the Metro Court at an incredibly reduced rate and Georgie already has a room over Kelly's."

"Why are you staying at the Metro Court?" Brenda asked.

"Oh, you guys are totally going to love this." She took a deep breath. "I am the brand new managing editor of Crimson New York."

"Wow, really?" Robin said.

"I know, right? Anyway, I'm staying in a posh room at the Metro Court, before Jerry Jacks sells it."

"Why would he sell it? Wouldn't that make Jax and Carly angry?" Robin asked.

Maxi took a deep breath and looked at Mac.

"It's totally you, Dad," she said.

"What?" Brenda said. "What happened?"

Mac breathed heavily.

"Jax's plane went down over the Atlantic," he began. He didn't want to go on. But he had to get it done. "Carly and Lucky were on the plane as well. They and the pilot died when the plane crashed. We didn't want to tell you before, because, well, you were having a baby."

Robin went white and Maxi called in a nurse. Brenda was silent, in her own head.

"I'm sorry, Robin. I wish I didn't have to tell you."

TBC