Beyond Repair

By: Lesera128

Rated: M

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am just playing in someone else's sandbox….

Summary: Secrets abound as Skye reluctantly returns to Australia at AJ's behest despite the fact its where her marriage to Jax ended in disaster the previous year. AU. Skye/Jax. SAX.

Author's Note: I am reposting some of the older works that I have saved on my harddrive. Old-time SAX fans may remember this story. It was originally posted under my other penname [MuseofJaynor] at the Skye messageboard fan fiction archive. Many people already know this, but in case you were wondering, yeah, that was me.

It was as if time stopped, and for a moment, Carly was back where all of it had started. The bedroom with the dusky pink walls, Jax laying passed out in bed next to her, Skye crying softly to herself out on the beach. Shaking off her surprise, as unlike Skye, Carly did not allow the past to haunt her any more than absolutely necessary, it was an easy smile that quickly slipped into place as she glanced at a one time close friend, now barely a familiar stranger. She reached out to take the envelope that he was still holding out to her.

"Jax-"

"Carly Corinthos," he said with a genuine smile on his lips. His hands back in his pockets, Jax let his eyes run up and down Carly's body. It was with an air of appreciation in his voice as he said, "It's been a long time."

Carly smiled. "Too long. And it's actually not Corinthos anymore."

"Revert back to Benson? Can't say that I blame you," Jax said with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

Shaking her head as she laughed, Carly said, "No. Actually, I got married again."

"You got married?" Jax asked, surprised. "Wow. That's great news."

"Yeah. We've been married a little over eight months," Carly said.

Jax nodded. "Ahh. Still the newlyweds, are you? Is that what you are doing here in Australia? Honeymooning?"

Resisting the urge to bit her lip, Carly shook her head lightly. She knew if she said too much, it would be a dead giveaway to Jax. Thus, determined to keep it light and friendly, Carly said, "Something like that. I loved it here so much when... well, you know. After Michael died... this place was kind to me."

Sympathy evident in his gaze, Jax nodded again. "Yeah, Sydney is a special place-\-"

Something clicked in her mind when Jax mentioned her daughter's name. Although the child was still fussing, it was not as loud as before. As she moved next to the baby carriage, she said, "Oh, Sydney. Come here, sweetie."

Jax watched in wonderment as Carly picked up the child in the baby carriage. He was silent for a moment, before he said, "Baby-sitting?"

At this comment, Carly couldn't help herself as she bit her lip. Deciding a small lie with just enough of the truth in it to make it sound convincing couldn't hurt, Carly shook her head. "No, Jax. This is- this is my daughter."

"You have a daughter?" Jax asked.

Carly smiled as she nodded. "Yes, I do. Jax, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Sydney. Sydney Quartermaine."

His eyes widening in surprise, Jax stared dumbfounded at Carly. "Quartermaine?"

Carly nodded. "Yes. A.J. and I got remarried earlier this year, Jax. And this is our daughter. Sydney Jayna Quartermaine."

Jax was still staring at the child in shock. At last he managed to put a smile on his face as he said, "Forgive me. I had no idea. Congratulations."

"Thank-you."

The baby was fussing still, and Carly shifted her on her shoulder. The baby seemed to be reaching out for something, although what she couldn't tell. "Oh, come on, Sydney. Be a good girl, just for a little bit longer." Carly turned to Jax. "I have no idea what is making her so antsy. Normally, she's a very good baby. But, she's teething, so I guess that is the exception to the rule even where good babies are concerned, right?"

Jax shook his head slightly, not answering. Carly wasn't paying enough attention as she shifted the baby again and reached into the diaper bag. Using one hand to navigate the bag, Carly cursed softly under her breath as she searched for Sydney's teething ring. "Oh, damn."

"What? Something I can help you with?" Jax asked politely.

Hesitantly, Carly slowly shook her head as she said, "No. It's just difficult searching through the bag with only one free hand."

"Well, maybe you can tell me what you are looking for, and I can find it?" Jax offered.

Carly sighed. "No, you'd never find it unless you knew what you were looking for, even if I described it to you."

"Then let me hold the baby for a second, and you can look for it?" Jax said.

Carly spoke in protest a little too quickly. "No, that's okay. Really."

"Carly, I won't drop her. Promise."

"I really don't-"

"It will just be for a second, Carly. And the longer we stand here arguing the more ticked off I think she is going to get," Jax said lightly.

Carly almost added the phrase 'just like her mother' before she thought better of it. Skye had trusted her with the secret of Sydney's conception and birth. Her very existence even. She wouldn't betray it. But, letting Jax hold the baby just for a second, couldn't really hurt, she reasoned. And Sydney was beginning to wail loudly now, almost as if she had made up her mind to make a scene. Deciding that if it happened quickly, no harm could come of it, she nodded at last to Jax.

"Okay, but be careful with her."

Nodding, Jax reached out for the child. Sydney protested for a moment at being taken from Carly's familiar arms. Jax was unfamiliar being around children, but Sydney seemed different to him for some strange reason. She almost quieted down completely once Jax was holding her, her extreme wails fading into choked sobs. Her head flicked back and forth, and at last focused on the face of the man that was holding her. Blue eyes stared utterly back into blue eyes, almost as if in a mirror. Jax was slightly shaken, as Carly called out in triumph.

"Ahhh-haaa. Got it!"

Raising the teething ring in the air to show Jax her success, Carly reached out to take the baby back. Somewhat reluctantly, Jax handed Sydney back to Carly. The baby immediately quieted completely as Carly gave her the teething ring to nibble on. "There we go-"

At last, Carly turned with a smile to Jax. His hands were back in his pockets. He nodded at the baby, "She really is beautiful, Carly. Especially her eyes. I didn't know that blue eyes ran in the family for either you or A.J."

Almost as if in reflex, Carly couldn't help herself as she replied, "They don't, that I know of… Brown eyes-"

"Carly." Jax said softly.

He stared at her, and then glanced back at the baby carriage. Due to the fact that she had been so small when she had been born, Sydney was still catching up with other children her age in size and weight. And Jax didn't know that much about children to realize this. All he knew is that the child looked small, and something clicked in his brain.

"A.J. must be very proud of a daughter like, Sydney," Jax said at last.

Carly felt her heart skip a beat. She attempted to shrug of Jax as she said, "He is."

"Yes, it takes a special person to raise the child of another man as his own," Jax said at last.

Something inside of Carly was screaming at her in panic. Grabbing the handle to the baby carriage, Carly's letters were forgotten as she said, "I have to go. It's been nice seeing you, Jax. Take care."

She made a beeline for the exit to the post office, and actually made it outside before she felt Jax's strong grasp on her shoulder. He said to her forcefully, "Carly, wait."

Spinning around, she looked at him with fear in her eyes, not so much for herself but for Skye. "What?"

"A.J. isn't Sydney's father, is he?"

"Yes, he is."

"No, he's not. Sydney has blue eyes, Carly. And you just admitted to me yourself that they aren't common in either the Spencer or Quartermaine family. And her eyes look too much like- like mine. The same pair I see gazing back at me every time I look into the mirror for it to be coincidence," Jax said.

"All baby's have blue eyes, Jax. Don't you know that?" Carly said, flustered.

However, Jax was relentless as he continued on. "She's my daughter, isn't she, Carly?"

"No. She isn't, Jax. A.J. is her father. He is her father is every way that matters," Carly said at last, panicking.

"Carly, please. Stop. Just tell me. I need to know. Did you get pregnant from that one night we- were together? Is Sydney my child?"

Shaking free of his grasp, Carly ignored his questions as she said, "I have to go."

"Carly, wait! We need to talk," Jax called to her. But she was too quick for him Disappearing into the crowd, she left him standing on the sidewalk pondering what amounted no more than guesswork.

Feeling a need to get away from Jax as quickly as possible, the only thing that Carly could concentrate on was getting to Skye. She had to get to Skye before-

Pushing the thoughts off, Carly continued heading towards her car.

Meanwhile, Jax was sitting on a nearby bench, replaying the conversation he had just had with Carly over and over again in his head.

"No, it couldn't be. Fate can't be that cruel. It can't have allowed Skye to kill our child and then let Carly take another one from me. It just can't have," Jax muttered softly to himself.

And then, something Carly had said floated back into his consciousness, something that screamed at him to pay attention to it. He gasped as he slowly repeated what Carly had said, "Sydney Jayna Quartermaine? Jayna? No, it couldn't be—why would she do that….?"

His heart racing like it had not for some time, Jax's business for being in Australia was forgotten as he raced to try in figure out what in the hell was happening to him as his world was being turned upside down like he had never thought possible.

-TBC-